Shuo was woken by a scent-not the smell of rice balls, but a faint tea fragrance that drifted through the entire room, annoying him enough to click his tongue.
He slowly opened his eyes, squinted for two seconds to adjust to the light, then turned his head to look-the bed opposite was neatly made, and Sai wasn't in it.
Looking toward the window, he found Sai sitting in a chair with a cup of tea, quietly gazing outside. Sunlight fell across his profile, gilding it pale gold, even the fine hairs clearly visible.
Hearing him stir, Sai turned to look at him and said softly, "Morning."
Shuo didn't answer. He dragged himself upright, hair a mess and eyes still sleepy. Only after a long while did he mumble, "Morning."
He got out of bed to wash up, and only when cold water splashed against his face did he fully wake up.
While brushing his teeth, he stared at himself in the mirror. There were still faint shadows beneath his eyes, but they were much lighter than a few days ago. He gathered a few tiny particles of light at his fingertips and gently brushed the condensation off the mirror so he could see clearly.
He rinsed his mouth and wiped his face, his movements languid. When he came out, a paper bag and two steaming cups of tea were already on the table, the tea fragrance stronger now.
Shuo pulled out a chair, sat down, and opened the paper bag-salmon rice balls and a fried egg with slightly burnt edges. One look told him Sai had bought it.
He took a big bite of a rice ball. The saltiness was just right. Glancing at the fried egg, he complained, "The egg's burnt. Next time I have you buy breakfast, don't