Wei was awake.
He had been awake for a long time.
The narrow futon barely left enough room for the two of them, and every time the wind struck the old wooden house, the blanket shifted ever so slightly.
Outside, rain continued to fall without pause.
It drummed against the roof.
Rattled the windows.
Filled every corner of the quiet room until it became impossible to tell where the storm ended and the silence began.
Another flash of lightning slipped through the curtains.
For the briefest moment, the room appeared before disappearing back into darkness.
Books were still scattered beside the low table.
Their school uniforms hung neatly from the wardrobe.
Jian lay on his back beside him, one arm beneath his head.
Completely still.
Wei closed his eyes again.
...
He's awake too.
He didn't know how.
Maybe it was the way Jian's breathing never settled into the slow rhythm of sleep.
Maybe it was because Wei himself couldn't stop listening.
Neither of them moved.
Neither wanted to be the first.
The rain continued.
The wooden beams overhead groaned softly as another gust of wind passed through the neighborhood.
Minutes slipped by.
Or maybe only seconds.
Tonight, it was impossible to tell.
Another roll of thunder echoed somewhere in the distance.
Not loud enough to shake the house.
Just enough to remind them that the storm wasn't leaving anytime soon.
Jian let out a quiet breath.
"...Can't sleep?"
His voice was so soft that the rain almost swallowed it.
Wei opened his eyes.
For a moment, he simply stared at the ceiling.
Then...
"You either."
A small laugh escaped Jian.
"...Guess not."
Silence returned.
Different this time.
Lighter.
No longer pretending.
The awkwardness of sharing a futon hadn't disappeared.
But admitting they were both awake somehow made it easier to breathe.
Neither of them looked at the other.
There wasn't enough courage for that.
Jian rubbed the back of his neck beneath the blanket.
"I thought you were asleep."
"So did I."
"...You were pretending?"
"So were you."
"...Fair."
The corner of Wei's mouth lifted slightly.
Jian noticed.
Even in the dark.
He smiled too.
"...This is weird."
Wei answered after a short pause.
"...A little."
"I don't think I've ever tried this hard to pretend to sleep."
"...You're not very good at it."
"Oh?"
"You sighed three times."
"I did not."
"You did."
"...You were counting?"
"I couldn't sleep."
"...Right."
Jian laughed quietly.
"You make me sound embarrassing."
"You are."
"...Ouch."
For the first time that night...
Wei laughed.
It wasn't loud.
Just a small breath of amusement that disappeared beneath the rain.
Jian blinked.
"...Did you just laugh at me?"
"...Maybe."
"I knew it."
"You deserved it."
"...You're getting meaner."
"So I've been told."
Another comfortable silence settled between them.
Not empty.
Not awkward.
Just...
shared.
Outside, the rain continued to fall.
Inside, the darkness no longer felt quite as heavy.
Jian shifted slightly beneath the blanket.
"...How much Physics are we supposed to finish tomorrow?"
Wei answered almost immediately.
"Chapter eight."
"...Only chapter eight?"
"And the questions."
Jian groaned.
"I was hoping you'd forgotten about the questions."
"I didn't."
"...What if I pretend they don't exist?"
"You'll still fail."
"...You're really enjoying this."
"A little."
Jian sighed dramatically.
"I knew asking you to study with me was a mistake."
"It was."
"...Then why do you keep coming?"
Wei thought about it.
"...Your mother makes good lunch."
"...Traitor."
"And Xiao-Mei would complain if I didn't."
Jian laughed.
"That's actually true."
"If I miss one day..."
"...She'll probably come drag you here herself."
Wei nodded.
"...She might."
A quiet chuckle escaped both of them.
The room fell silent again.
Not awkward.
Just familiar.
Outside, the rain continued tapping against the roof.
Jian stared at the dark ceiling.
"...We've been studying together every day."
Wei blinked.
"...Almost."
"I didn't even notice."
"...Neither did I."
Days had quietly blurred together.
Morning.
Study.
Lunch.
Xiao-Mei stealing food from Wei's plate.
His mother pretending not to notice.
Walking home before sunset.
Then doing it all again the next morning.
It had somehow become normal.
"...You know," Jian murmured.
"I think Xiao-Mei likes you more than me now."
Wei turned his head slightly.
"...Impossible."
"She shared her pudding with you."
"...She stole mine first."
"That's not the point."
"...She still stole it."
Jian laughed.
"...Fair."
Another comfortable silence settled between them.
Then Jian suddenly spoke again.
"...Do you remember the mountain trip?"
Wei didn't answer immediately.
"...Which part?"
"The ghost story."
"...Kai screaming?"
"He definitely screamed first."
"He still says he didn't."
"He also said the flashlight died by itself."
"...It didn't."
"He dropped it."
Wei let out a quiet laugh.
"I remember."
"He pushed Chen toward the trees."
"...Poor Chen."
"He looked around and asked..."
Jian tried to imitate Chen's voice.
"'Why is everyone running?'"
Wei laughed harder this time.
"...He really said that."
"He had absolutely no idea what was happening."
"...Neither did half the class."
"The teacher was the only person actually scared."
"The teacher was scared of Kai."
"...Understandable."
Their laughter blended with the sound of the rain.
Soft.
Unhurried.
For a little while...
the storm outside felt far away.
Jian smiled into the darkness.
"...That trip feels like forever ago."
"...It wasn't."
"I know."
"It just..."
He searched for the words.
"...Feels different now."
Wei looked toward the ceiling again.
"...Mm."
Different.
Back then they still argued over almost everything.
Back then silence between them felt heavy.
Now...
they could lie in complete darkness, saying nothing for minutes at a time...
and neither felt the need to fill it.
Neither of them realized when that had changed.
It simply had.
Outside...
the wind suddenly grew stronger.
The rain slammed harder against the windows.
The old wooden house creaked beneath another powerful gust.
Jian listened for a moment.
"...Sounds like it's getting worse."
Wei quietly hummed in agreement.
Then—
A blinding flash of lightning split the room.
Almost instantly—
CRACK.
The thunder exploded overhead.
The windows shook violently.
The floor beneath the futon trembled.
Everything became still.
Wei's laughter disappeared.