On the twenty-second day, Shuo woke from the heat, so irritated he nearly kicked his blanket off the bed.
It wasn't the weather. Sai stood by the window, sunlight streaming past his shoulders straight onto Shuo's bed, so dazzling he couldn't open his eyes.
He lay still and squinted sideways at Sai for three seconds-the guy held a cup of tea, quietly watching the view outside like a wooden post, completely unaware he was blocking the light.
"Hey, you're blocking the light."
Shuo mumbled, his voice still hoarse from sleep.
Hearing him, Sai turned and asked softly, "Awake?"
"What else? You roasted me awake."
Grumbling, Shuo slowly sat up, his hair a mess and his eyes still sleepy.
He got out of bed to wash up. Only after splashing cold water on his face did he feel fully awake. Tiny particles of light gathered at his fingertips, and he casually wiped the condensation off the mirror so it wouldn't blur his view.
When he came out, a paper bag, two cups of hot tea, and a new packet of candy were already on the table. Shin had left the candy last night, and it sat quietly at the edge, its packaging identical to the previous packets. Shuo pulled out a chair, sat down, and opened the paper bag. Inside were salmon rice balls, with no fried egg-probably because Sai was afraid he'd complain again.
He took a large bite of a rice ball. The seasoning was just right, so he didn't complain and simply chewed slowly.
Sai sat across from him, eating his own rice ball. They ate quietly without saying a word. Sunlight fell warmly over the table, and even the air carried a faint scent of rice.
After eating, Shuo picked up the packet of candy Shin had