I have been living here at the youth hostel for three days and I’m fed up with it. I can’t seem to find the right place to live! If it’s well placed, there are terrible neighbors next door. If the neighbors are sweet people, it’s so scary to get there that I just wouldn’t do it even if I was too desperate. I remember when Chanyeol and I got our apartment. We found it at the first try and fell in love with the place. Why can’t that happen again and just to me? I’m tired of looking and finding expensive places.

On top of that, my phone rang while I was reading the classifieds on the day’s newspaper.

- Hey, ferret smell

- Chanyeol – I said – I’m kinda busy right now. What is it?

- Come back. We miss you.

- We being who? – I asked, wondering why would he pretend we are the same friends from before

- Byul and I miss the real Byul. Come on, I already talked to Hana, she says she’s not jealous anymore.

Hana Hana, Hana, Hana. Chanyeol, really?

I lowered my view to find the perfect place for me. Not too far from my university, not too far from shopping malls… the perfect place. Chanyeol and his request can wait. This must mean something.

- Hey Chanyeol, I have to go. Talk to you later, alright? – I told him happily. He must have realized, because all he said was ‘I can feel you are smiling, so I will leave you to make that smile last longer. I will call you later, Park Byul!’. I shrugged and hung up, and called the landlord to go see the apartment.

As soon as I got there, I could see it was the perfect place for me. Small enough for one, a balcony, and big windows for me to see the lights during night. Plus it was fully furnished with western-style furtnitures and decoration, so it was beyond perfect for me. I signed the contract the same day, and called Chanyeol.

 – Byul! – chuckled he – I’m kinda busy right now – He said, while I could hear Hana’s laugh in the distance.

- I’m not gonna take up all of your time. I’m moving tomorrow to my new place so I want to go and pick up my stuff as soon as possible. The landlord will be waiting for me tomorrow at nine so I wish to get there with all my stuff.

- Do you want any help with that?

- No. I will hire someone to come help me or something.

- Are you sure?

- Yes. Is there any problem if I drop by in a while to check on my stuff, so tomorrow morning you and your girlfriend can sleep off while I take out the boxes and whatnot?

- Uh, yes. We will go out for dinner so you can come at that time. Is six a good time?

- Anytime is good. I will check out from my hostel now. I have to go. Bye bye!

I didn’t wait for him to say goodbye and hung up. I took a deep breath and smiled. Things will be looking up from now on. I will move away from him, so that will give me space to heal up and forget about all this. Good one, Byul!

I went back to my new place to take a better look and make a list of what I should buy to clean, or anything else I could need, such as bedclothes or kitchen wares. After that, I took out my mother’s packages and nibbled on some Sichuan style dried beef, complaining a little because of how spicy it was. I called my mother, to tell her I had found another place to live, and she told me that it was a good thing. ‘I will transfer some money so you can buy something pretty’, she said. I didn’t need it but ah, I was in such a good mood that I thanked and smiled even more.

On my way out, I met my neighbor. He was entering his house and stopped to stare at me. ‘New girl next door?’, he asked me smiling. I nodded and smiled back at him.

- I’m Park Byul – I told him – I just signed the lease today so I’m your new neighbor.

- Nice to meet you, Byul. I’m Kim Junmyeon. – He stretched his hand and shook mine, smiling warmly – Did you move already?

- No. I’m here to check up on the things inside. I’ll move in tomorrow morning.

- I will be here tomorrow morning. If you need any help, please don’t hesitate on knocking.

- Thank you, Junmyeon.

- Thank me when I do something for you. Not now – He asked, going back to his door and opening up to get in – See you soon, Byul!

I smiled at him and nodded. I took the elevator and took another deep breath: I had to get to Chanyeol’s now.

I opened the door and sighed. Fortunately for me, they were not around, so it gave me time to take the boxes we had close to the door so that tomorrow there wouldn’t be any issues on taking them outside. It would be terrible if the guys from the moving company I should be calling soon would enter the house where they are sleeping… because they do sleep together…

Anyway! I finished that and sat on the couch to make the call. When I finished, I noticed him standing, looking at me. ‘I’m sorry’, I told him, getting up from the couch immediately. Chanyeol moved his arms, like asking me to stay there. He went and sat down next to me.

- So, you’re really moving? – He asked

- Yes

- Where?

- Not the point. I’m moving to let you go.

- To let me go?

- Yes. I made a promise, remember? – I smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back

- I remember. It was only six months ago.

- Yes. Alright, I have to get going. I bet Hana will be here any minute, and I don’t want to listen to her beautiful words of hatred again.

Chanyeol stood up at the same time I did, and pulled me on a hug. ‘Tell me you didn’t find anything on your bag when you went to China’, he said. I shrugged and, one more time, I lied. ‘Apart from clothes, I didn’t find anything weird’ I told him, and he sighed in relief. I smiled at him one more time, but he didn’t want to let me go.

- You can sleep here, you said you had checked out from your hostel – He offered

- No, don’t worry. My new place is fully furnished and the beddings are good enough.

Which was a lie but I would manage. He nodded and went to the kitchen and picked up some kimbap for me. ‘It’s from the time you didn’t want to eat because I screwed up’, he said. I took it, even though it was probably aged and impossible to eat but it’s the intention what it matters.

When I got to my place, I actually saw that I had NO blankets. It was too late to go outside, and even though my neighbor had offered his help, he might be in there with his girlfriend or something. Plus, who wants to be interrupted at 10 pm for spare blankets? Screw it, I will sleep with my coat as my quilt. It’s not even winter.

Next morning I woke up early, and went to Chanyeol’s place to get my stuff. The moving company had sent the people early so we just moved the stuff as quietly as we could. Apparently I didn’t wake anyone up so it was alright.

What I did not know was that the guys from the moving company would only leave my stuff at the door and leave. So there I was, sitting on one of the boxes. Who the hell told me to have so many books and stuff?

- I swear I’m not a sick bastard, but you could really use some help right now. – I looked up and saw my neighbor with his hands on his hips and a bright smile

- Please don’t worry – I asked him, and he shook his head.

- Just move – He said

He effortlessly moved the boxes inside my home. While putting some of the things in their right place, Joonmyeon stared at my bed for a while.

- You slept here last night, on an empty mattress? – He asked seriously

- Yes. I had not bed sheets or anything. I brought mine today, though.

- You should have called me, Park Byul. Like regular people, I do have extra covers and bed sheets. You know, sometimes you have to wash your sheets and you need some more...

- You seriously sound like a sociopath – I chuckled

- I am!

We both laughed, until he put a serious face.

- I just worry about you. When I first saw you, your eyes were swollen, I assumed it was from crying. That’s not normal for someone finding a new place to stay. I don’t want to know why, really. I don’t know you so I can’t ask much.

I looked at him, and actually remember that my eyes were indeed swollen. I had cried that night. He smiled again and shrugged. ‘Just don’t take it the wrong way. I live alone here, just like you’. I smiled and nodded. ‘Thank you, Joonmyeon. I really needed a hand’.