Fifteen days have passed since she entered his house. As the time has passed, the first encounter between them has become the base of their relationship. The initial wariness is still here, but now it fuels the curiosity rather than the need for distance.
In the last fifteen days, both have been navigating each other's boundaries with confusion and dares. At some point, when her unknown background became the primary headache for him, she simply showed her government ID to him, just to satisfy his cautiousness. The ID didn't satisfy his curiosity, but it did give him a sense of security.
While their background remains largely unknown..., remembering each other's habits and limits became the only source of connection and peace between them.
On this Sunday's evening...
"Set the tables, Sylvia."
Sylvia's voice echoes from the direction of the living room after a moment.
"I am reading right now! Books!"
"That. is. not even a proper excuse! I will leave the food here, seriously!"
"Ugh... how serious. I am doing it, stop crying."
After a couple of minutes, she appears beside him and slides out the plates from the rack and bowl swiftly. Her movements contain a certain kind of familiarity now. Her top and jeans shift as she starts setting the plates, but her eyes flicker toward his back from time to time.
"You ordered online today, didn't you...?"
"...Certainly."
"Then, you had to just unpack and set the food here."
"But you were just enjoying yourself there, why should I do all the work?"
"...Childish."
A quiet click of the tongue from his direction, before he appears near her and sets the food down at the center. After several seconds of silence, he breaks it with the clank of the spoon against the bowl.
"So... I wanted to talk about something."
"Hm? Go ahead, I am listening."
Sylvia's voice comes out casual as she starts dividing her portion already. He watches her movements, hesitation visible on his face. She notices this, leaves the food entirely, and turns her attention toward him.
"What is it? Just say it, I won't be sad."
He fumbles with his spoon, serving the rice, absentmindedly.
"It's not much, just... my budget was always fixed before..."
"Before... I came here?"
After a moment of silence, he nods slowly.
Sylvia searches his face for several seconds, then slowly leans back again on her chair while carrying a small and soft smile on her lips.
"I have been looking into some work for some time already, maybe... in a few days, I will get some work."
Ryan's sulking expression vanishes in a flash, his gaze snapping up at her. He doesn't reply, his hands already on his portion of food... though the visible relief on his expression says something else.
No need to make her leave for self-respect then...
Afterwards, both finish the food without any words... maybe words weren't needed for now, anyways.
After a couple of days...
She got the work even earlier than he had been expecting. Though, he did feel a little guilty for mentioning it to her. If he knew that she was already looking for a job, there would have been no reason to even say it directly.
Tuesday morning...
Sylvia has settled herself on the couch for today, Ryan's laptop resting on the coffee table. Ryan... himself pretends not to look toward her direction, his steps pacing behind the couch, while he tries to look busy with his phone.
"...Are you doing this on purpose?"
He stiffens slightly, but continues to pace.
"Hm? You are talking to me?"
"...Huh. Just go and destroy your eyes somewhere else. Don't distract me... since I am very busy right now."
He finally stops, but looks slightly bored for some reason.
"Yeah... though, work-from-home was out of my expectations..."
She glances toward him between her typing as he moves toward his bedroom and then looks back at the screen.
"Well... talent matters, that's all."
"Talent... you must have scammed your employer, definitely..."
"Huh?"
"N...Nothing!"
In his bedroom, he enters with loud footsteps and immediately dives straight toward his bed. The mattress dips down slightly from his weight as he lands on it face-first. He immediately opens his mobile and tries to search through his account for any information on her job, just in case she might have left some clue on the laptop.
After several minutes, he lets out a low, exhausted growl and tosses the phone aside. Nothing... she must have used a different account. She even encrypted her work somehow... smart.
Near the evening...
Ryan quietly drapes a blanket over her sleeping figure and dims the lights of the living room...
His fingers shift slowly on the laptop, switching between windows and tabs. After a couple of minutes, he just curses in his mind.
Logged out... seriously, she doesn't trust me at all. Hm... I mean I am being cheap right now, so she's right maybe...
After that, he keeps losing against her encryption and foresight again and again.
Two weeks later...
"Ryan! Someone is calling for you, he said you are his friend!"
Ryan stops mid-writing. For a moment, he just cross-references solutions before any question could even register... And finally, when realization hits...
Thump-thump-thump.
He appears at the door in just several seconds, all the way from his bedroom. Sylvia simply raises her eyebrow at him, and he offers a faint nervous smile in return.
"Shh... let me handle this."
"Handle or mess up?"
"Ugh... not right now, let's deal with this first."
His hand slowly turns the doorknob. As the door opens, Ryan braces himself in advance, and Sylvia... she just stands there with her arms crossed over her chest, her gaze slightly... displeased.
Leo, Ryan's college friend, stands outside with a wide, smug look and an enthusiastic expression on his face. Before the door can open properly, Leo's voice shatters the silence in the house.
"Ryan, I just heard the girl's voice! Are there guests inside? Is she your sister? Cousin? Distant sister? Some random girl? Or maybe..."
Leo steps inside, his voice lowering slowly as if sharing a secret. His eyes almost go blank when he spots Sylvia... or her face, to be precise.
Ryan's fingers twitch almost instinctively as he stares at Leo.
"Maybe... what, Leo?"
Leo finally blinks and quickly grabs Ryan's arm, pressing himself against his side while looking at Ryan's face.
"Maybe... she's your sister, in the end?"
"..."
"..."
The corner of Sylvia's lips shifts up just slightly as she shoots a glare toward Ryan and then shakes her head slowly, already turning away from both of them.
She just mocked me... Ryan thinks while watching Sylvia's retreating back. His arm slips out of Leo's grip as he creates some distance between them.
"Too bad. She's not my sister. Anyways, that's not your problem, Leo."
Leo's expression falls visibly upon hearing that, but he quickly focuses on the present.
"Yeah... Though... Anyways! Forget about it. There is something important... like really important."
"...What is it?"
Ryan's expression changes. He closes the door behind them before walking inside.
"Is it about the college assignment? I completed it already."
"N...not that."
"Are you getting married then?"
"Huh... No, that's pretty much obvious!"
"...I like that confidence. Then... wait!"
Ryan turns around abruptly in the living room, staring at Leo.
"Did your... mother finally...?"
Leo's face turns slightly awkward at the question. He glances away slightly, unable to meet his gaze. But his eyes meet the gaze of Sylvia, who is sitting on the couch, and his posture becomes even more restrained.
"Yeah. Yesterday, she appeared again. But..."
"But what?"
Ryan asks. Even Sylvia puts her book down for a moment to listen.
After a moment, Leo finally exhales deeply.
"She agreed. However... their relationship is still... you know... So, she asked for a 'proof' from my father to protect herself from burden again..."
"What kind of proof? Wait..."
Ryan takes one step forward toward him slowly, his voice turning slightly suspicious.
"You are here... means it will have something to do with me..."
Sylvia's voice also comes from behind, slightly thoughtful.
"Fracture in parents' relationship, huh? Let me guess, your parents involved you too in their conflict... and since you are talking about proof here in Ryan's house... Maybe something like inspecting your relationships with friends? Or... did they ask you for better results in exams?"
Leo's shoulders slump forward slightly at her words. For a moment, his expression hardens as if to reject her guesses, but... then he just sighs.
"It's... Yes, they want to check my reputation and company outside of my 'home life'."
Ryan already looks exhausted after hearing Leo's confession. Sylvia's book is already tossed aside, her eyes already set on both boys... with a highly intrigued smile.
Leo's mother's inspection awaits.