Yuhan woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. He yelped in pain, gripping his head before dragging himself out of bed. The moment he realized the time, he rushed straight to the bathroom.
He had just started washing his hair when the water suddenly stopped running.
"Li Hao! Li Hao!" he kept shouting, but no answer came. Groaning, he grabbed a towel, tied it around his waist, and stormed toward the store.
"Li Hao!" he called again as he pushed aside the curtains at the back entrance.
Inside, Li Hao and the patient he was attending to froze the moment they saw him — bare-chested, hair dripping, towel barely clinging to his waist. Yuhan, oblivious, was still rambling on about how the water had stopped running right in his face.
"Can I touch?" the lady suddenly asked, her voice snapping Yuhan out of his rant.
"Huh?" He jolted, only to find her hand already pressed against his chest. She giggled before pulling back.
"Oi!" Yuhan yelped, clutching his chest with both hands like he'd been violated.
Li Hao quickly cleared his throat, rushed through final words with the customer, and ushered her out. The moment the door closed, he grabbed a bowl of water and splashed it right into Yuhan's face.
Yuhan gasped and staggered back.
"When does the drama with you ever end?" Li Hao snapped, his face fuming.
"And since when do you even wash your hair?" Li Hao added with extra bite. "The landlord already cut our water supply because of the rent we haven't paid — so quit whining!"
"Where exactly are you going? You just passed the next stage of the interview yesterday. Talking about yesterday— I bet you don't even remember a thing."
"I'm going to the basketball court… or anywhere I can find Chen Zixuan!" Yuhan giggled, wobbling a little.
"And what about yesterday? Huh? And how am I supposed to take my bath?" He stomped his foot like a child throwing a tantrum.
"Don't ask me." Li Hao smirked. "If you need water, go knock on the neighbor's door. Or better yet, I sell bottled water. Want me to make you a discount?"
CHEN ZIXUAN
The room was dark, curtains drawn tight to shut the world out.
Zixuan woke to the shrill cry of his alarm, slamming it off before dragging the white covers from his body. He stood, stretched stiffly, and before he could even breathe, his phone lit up: My Life.
He answered.
"Zixuan, my baby. How was your night?" his mother's gentle voice filled the silence.
"Fine, ma," he replied quietly.
"Don't forget your medicine, okay? I love you."
"I love you too," he murmured, ending the call.
He shuffled into the bathroom, stripping until he stood bare before the mirror. His gaze dropped, lingering. The reflection stared back, hollow and unchanged.
"I thought they said it naturally… rises in the morning," he muttered bitterly. "Figures. The one part of me that refuses to change."
He turned away, stepping into the tub, letting the water wash over his skin, but not his thoughts.
Zixuan had gone to the court to clear his head, hoping the silence would drown out his thoughts. But instead, he was met , as usual — with Yuhan's bright smile.
"Your favourite," Yuhan said, holding out a bottle of chocolate milk with that same earnest grin.
Zixuan stared at it blankly. Yuhan wasn't sure where he stood with Zixuan anymore, but he still wanted to try — to bridge whatever distance had grown between them.
He sat beside him, chatting softly, brushing Zixuan's arm now and then, the kind of gentle touch that once used to make him smile. But today, Zixuan's patience snapped.
"Isn't this the week you disappear without a word? Why are you here?" he suddenly barked, his voice sharp and echoing across the court. "And what gives you the right to act like this? Do you even know who I am?"
The room fell silent. A few heads turned. Yuhan froze, his expression falling from warmth to hurt.
He quickly grabbed his bag, fumbling in panic. As he turned to leave, something slipped from it , a small item landing against Zixuan's leg with a soft thud.