Shuo woke from the heat. It wasn't muggy weather, but that damned sunlight slipping through the gap in the window and landing right on his bed for half an hour. His blanket felt as hot as if it had just come out of a dryer.
He dragged his eyes open, squinted for two seconds to adjust, then slowly turned his head-no one on the floor. The blanket was folded neatly on the chair, and the spot by the window was empty too, with barely a trace of anyone's presence left.
Shuo pushed himself upright. The room was quiet, apart from the occasional birdcall outside the window. What a racket.
He glanced down at his wrist. The silver-gray thread looked the same as ever, limp and not giving off the slightest light, no different from ordinary cotton thread.
After staring for two seconds, he couldn't be bothered to look anymore and slipped into his shoes to get out of bed.
Halfway through washing up, he heard nothing, but noticed something else-light.
Something blocked the light in the hallway for an instant before it returned, as lightly as a feather drifting past. He didn't have to think to know someone had passed his door.
With the toothbrush in his mouth, Shuo kept brushing at his leisure, paying it no mind.
After rinsing his mouth, wiping his face, and changing his clothes, he reached out and turned the doorknob. Sure enough, Sai was leaning against the hallway wall, clutching a paper bag. At the sound, he immediately looked up.
"Morning." Sai's voice was as mild as ever.
Shuo glanced at the paper bag, his tone lazy. "Bought that?"
"Yeah."
Neither said anything more. They went downstairs at an easy pace and headed toward the river.
They sat down on that same lousy rock