The Neighbor

The room next door was quiet. I hardly ever heard any sounds of life through the wall. There was no nameplate. I had never even passed them in the hallway. Occasionally, I'd hear the sound of keys or a door opening at their entrance. But other than that, silence. Was it out of consideration for the neighbors, or just a matter of bad timing? There is a "neighbor" there. That was about all I knew.

One day, when I went out onto the balcony, I saw a small piece of paper peeking out from under the partition board. I picked it up and opened it. 『Is this yours?』 Next to it sat a single clothespin. I wrote a reply and slipped it back into the same spot. A moment later, the paper disappeared to the other side.

The next day. 『Thanks for yesterday.』 The day after that. 『Windy today.』 Before I knew it, small notes began traveling back and forth under the partition. I didn't know their face. I didn't know their voice. I had only seen their hand reaching out from the other side a few times to take the paper. I didn't know their name, their age, or what they did for a living.

Then, one night. A piece of paper was left in the usual spot. 『Any questions?』 I sent back a note asking about their name and gender.

After a while, the paper came back again. On it was written: 『Which do you think?』 Male Female 『Circle one.』 Nothing was written about their name.

Release Date 2026.10.03 / Last Updated 2026.10.03