On the eve of the college entrance exams, not a breath of wind stirred through the muggy Small Town.
The air was heavy with the oppressive promise of a coming storm.
Pu Yu sat at her little desk studying until ten that night, when suddenly an overwhelming panic gripped her. It felt as though a hand had clenched around her heart, leaving her struggling to breathe.
The feeling came out of nowhere, yet it was too powerful to ignore.
As though something was quietly slipping away, beyond her grasp.
Pu Yu put down her pen. She simply couldn't focus on her books.
Her grandmother had already gone to bed, so she moved quietly and slipped out.
The alley was silent, the streetlights stretching her shadow long behind her.
Some inexplicable impulse led her to Yuan Su's door.
The lights were on inside.
Pu Yu hesitated, then raised her hand and knocked.
Knock, knock.
A moment later, the door opened.
Yuan Su wore a simple T-shirt and long pants. His hair was damp, as though he had just showered. Something flickered in his eyes when he saw her standing outside.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I... can't sleep."
Pu Yu lowered her head and looked at the tips of her shoes. "I feel a little panicky," she said, her voice muffled.
Yuan Su stepped aside to let her in.
The house was very tidy, almost too tidy. Many things that usually sat out in the open were gone, leaving it looking rather empty.
But Pu Yu was too unsettled to notice those details.
Yuan Su poured her a glass of warm water and sat down across from her.
"Nervous?" he asked.
"A little." Pu Yu cradled the glass, its warmth bringing her a measure of comfort. "I'm scared I won't do well.