On the twenty-fourth day, Shuo was woken by the sunlight. Annoyed, he rolled over and buried his head under the covers.
It was no use. Sunlight still squeezed through the gap in the curtains, drawing a thin golden line across the covers and dazzling him too much to sleep.
He lay still and glanced at the bed opposite him-the covers were folded as neatly as the floor Shin had swept last time. The space by the window was empty. Sai had gone out to buy breakfast again.
A paper bag, two cups of hot tea, and a fresh packet of candy sat on the table. He knew without thinking that Sai had left them.
He slowly sat up, his hair sticking out like a bird's nest. Tiny particles of light instinctively gathered at his fingertips. He waved them casually, shaking off his lingering drowsiness, then lazily got out of bed to wash up.
Only when cold water splashed onto his face did he fully wake up. The light particles at his fingertips brushed the moisture off the mirror so it would not blur his view.
He had just finished drying his face when the door opened. Sai came in carrying a paper bag and said softly, "Plum. I knew you wanted some."
Shuo took the bag, opened it, and took a big bite. It was so sour that his eyes narrowed, but he did not spit it out. Chewing slowly, he stubbornly said, "Sour as hell. Less plum next time. This is torture."
Sai did not argue. He pulled up a chair and sat down, quietly eating with him.
Halfway through the meal, a knock suddenly sounded at the door, neither loud nor soft, with a steady rhythm.
"Come in." Shuo did not even raise his head. His voice was