Romance makes up a large proportion of movie genres, and it is undeniable that the most heart-wrenching one is the romance between patients. Both The Fault in Our Stars and Five Feet Apart are movies whose main characters are teen patients. In The Fault in Our Stars, Hazel Grace has thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs and Augustus (Gus) Waters has previously lost a leg due to bone cancer. They meet each other at the cancer support group and gradually fall in love as they share similar interests. As for Five Feet Apart, Stella Grant and Will Newman are both hospitalized in the same hospital and suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF). Stella, who follows the regiment strictly, insists the rebellious boy Will does the treatments with her so that she can check if he’s actually doing them. During their days fighting with the disorder together, they develop feelings for each other. Although some critics think the latter is just a copycat version of the former, they present the topic differently in several aspects. 

         The biggest difference is the evolution upon physical touch between the couple. In The Fault in Our Stars, the way that Hazel and Gus go through the stages of physical touch is quite smooth, just like those of a typical couple: cuddling, holding hands, kissing, and losing virginity to each other. The obstacles in their relationship, such as Hazel’s dad showing his worries to Gus about his daughter becoming too emotionally-attached to him under the condition of her illness, are all presented as a small part in the movie that barely affect the story, rather than a serious issue. However, the barrier in Stella and Will’s relationship is a major part of the whole movie, in which a CFer (CF patient) is forced to keep six feet apart from another CFer due to the high possibility of cross infection. That is to say, they, even as a couple, can never have any kind of physical contact. Being so in love, it’s hard to not touch your significant other, especially when they're just right in front of you and you have no idea how many days are left. Thus, Stella then decides to “take back” something in return for everything CF has taken from them: one foot, just to be a bit closer to Will. In the last few minutes of the movie, they eventually break the fatal rule of no touching when they go out in the snow and run away from the hospital. Will even gives Stella mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in order to save her from drowning. In short, the evolution of physical touch that the couple go through in the two movies are hugely disparate; The Fault in Our Stars barely has any difficulties upon it, while the obstacle of physical touch is the main point of Five Feet Apart.

         In conclusion, The Fault in Our Stars and Five Feet Apart portray unique perspectives on romance with terminal illnesses. While the former depicts a relatively smoother physical relationship, the latter centers around the struggling challenge of maintaining a six-foot distance due to the risk of cross infection in cystic fibrosis. These two films creatively explore love's endurance in the face of adversity, contributing distinct narratives to the realm of romantic storytelling.