Morning didn't feel like morning.
It felt like—
a new beginning.
A dangerous one.
The room felt cold.
Calm.
Silent.
For a brief second, everything felt strangely peaceful.
Then—
"MEOW—!"
My cat.
Zen.
Curled up right beside me.
His bright eyes stared directly at me as his tail flicked lazily against the blanket beneath us.
Alive.
Warm.
Real.
Unlike last night.
My hands recklessly cupped Zen's head immediately, fingers sinking softly into his warm fur as if I needed to make sure he was real.
Alive.
Here.
Not another memory.
I scanned my room carefully, making sure nobody else was there.
Not even him.
A quiet sigh of relief escaped me before I could stop it.
Slowly, I closed my eyes again—
recalling the unexpected events from midnight.
He was here—
In my room.
Last night.
Kai.
The name echoed endlessly inside my mind.
Familiar.
Wrong.
Dangerous.
Finally, I opened my eyes and slowly got to my feet.
I made my way towards the bathroom—
desperate for a long, cold shower.
Even in this weather.
The moment I stepped inside, every event… every single moment since New Year Night started feeling strange again.
The black spot.
The men dressed in black.
The stranger.
Wolves.
The forest.
Every single day had become a puzzle—
one I couldn't solve no matter how hard I tried.
Ever since New Year Night.
I didn't even bother removing my clothes before twisting the shower tap open.
SHRRR—
Ice-cold water immediately poured down over me, soaking through the fabric within seconds.
But strangely—
I didn't feel cold at all.
I only felt warm.
Calm.
Relaxed.
Strange.
Yet comforting.
Water dripped endlessly from my hair and clothes while the noise of the shower drowned out every thought inside my head.
For the first time since last night—
silence.
I stayed there for more than an hour.
Motionless beneath the water.
Letting it wash over me again and again as if it could somehow clear the chaos inside my mind.
Eventually, I turned the shower off before drying myself slowly with a towel—
except for my hair.
Wet.
Cold.
Water still dripping from the dark strands like rain refusing to stop.
Afterwards, I wrapped my body loosely in a robe, the soft fabric settling against my still-damp skin.
My hair remained wet.
Cold.
Tiny drops of water slid slowly down my neck before disappearing beneath the robe.
Quiet.
Calm.
Too calm.
I made my way downstairs slowly.
Measured.
Silent.
Without making a single sound—
not even from my footsteps.
I had barely stepped onto the ground floor before noise suddenly exploded through the house.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA—!"
Loud laughter echoed instantly.
Kevin.
"I told you not to do that, Chinese Cat!"
What the hell was going on in there?
So noisy this early in the morning.
I took another small step toward the kitchen—
just one step and…
"WHO kept that there?!"
A familiar voice yelled loudly.
Loverboy.
Followed by another loud crash.
CLANG—!
I stepped onto the kitchen's threshold—
and froze.
He was…
covered in flour.
"…What?"
White powder covered almost his entire body, even his dark hair wasn't spared.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA—!"
Another burst of laughter echoed throughout the house.
Mine this time.
Kevin stood nearby clutching his stomach tightly as if laughing this hard was physically hurting him.
Tears had already gathered in the corners of his eyes.
The moment he heard me laughing too, he immediately turned toward me before rushing over dramatically.
"Look at him—! He wasted your flour…HAHAHAHA—!"
"YOU were the one who kept it there!"
Li Feng snapped instantly.
Ah.
What a wonderful start to the day.
"Li Feng."
I called out loudly and clearly.
He immediately went silent.
Still rooted to the same spot.
Covered entirely in flour like some failed bakery experiment.
Judging from the mess around him, he must've been trying to grab something from the upper shelf before everything collapsed on him instead.
"What… exactly were you trying to find?"
I asked while struggling to hold back my laughter.
Kevin instantly lost control again.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA—!"
He nearly collapsed against the counter this time.
Li Feng's face darkened immediately.
Dangerous.
Embarrassed.
Annoyed.
A terrifying combination.
"Coffee."
He answered flatly.
Silence.
Then—
both Kevin and I burst out laughing again.
"You struggled THIS much just to get coffee?!"
Kevin burst out loudly before another fit of uncontrollable laughter escaped him.
"HAHAHAHA—!"
He pointed dramatically at Li Feng's flour-covered face while trying to breathe properly again.
"You look like a ghost from a bakery!"
"Kevin."
Li Feng's voice dropped dangerously low.
Calm.
Too calm.
Which somehow felt even more threatening.
Kevin immediately hid behind me.
Coward.
My gaze dropped toward Li Feng again.
He shook his head lightly—
and a small cloud of flour scattered into the air instantly.
Silence.
Then Kevin completely lost it again.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA—!"
"STOP SHAKING YOURSELF LIKE A DUSTY CARPET—!"
Even I had to look away for a second to hide my smile.
Li Feng narrowed his eyes at both of us dangerously.
"Keep laughing."
Uh oh.
Li Feng looked genuinely angry this time.
Not embarrassed anymore.
Angry.
He turned sharply before walking out of the kitchen, his footsteps hitting harshly against the marble floor.
TAP—
TAP—
TAP—
Heavy.
Irritated.
Flour still dusting his dark clothes with every step he took.
Kevin immediately pointed at his back dramatically.
"He's mad—!"
"No kidding."
I muttered while trying not to laugh again.
Kevin continued laughing shamelessly while leaning against the kitchen counter for support.
"You should've seen your face when the flour fell—!"
"Kevin."
My warning came instantly.
Too late.
TAP—
The footsteps suddenly stopped.
Silence filled the hallway for exactly two seconds.
Kevin slowly turned toward the kitchen entrance.
Then froze.
Li Feng was standing there again.
Still covered in flour.
Holding an entire packet of flour in his hand.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Kevin's smile slowly faded.
"…Xey."
"Don't involve me."
"Xey."
"You started this."
Li Feng slowly tilted the flour packet sideways.
Kevin's eyes widened immediately.
"WAIT—"
FWOOOSH—!
White flour exploded directly into Kevin's face.
Silence.
Then—
"HAHAHAHAHA-!"
my laughter echoed even louder than before.
"YOU IDIOT—!"
Kevin's outraged yell echoed through the entire kitchen as flour completely covered his face and hair.
Silence hit for half a second.
Then I lost control again.
Laughter escaped me instantly.
Real laughter this time.
Not forced.
Not fake.
Kevin wiped flour away from his eyes dramatically before pointing accusingly at Li Feng.
"Xey! Look at this psychopath!"
"Serves you right."
I answered immediately.
Betrayed.
Kevin looked utterly betrayed.
Li Feng crossed his arms calmly now, looking strangely satisfied despite still being covered in flour himself.
"Justice."
"THAT is not justice!"
"It is."
"NO—"
"Enough."
My voice interrupted both of them before another war could start inside the kitchen.
Silence.
Peaceful silence.
For exactly three seconds.
Then—
CRASH—!
All three of us turned toward the sound instantly.
"What now?"
Kevin groaned dramatically while brushing flour off his shoulders.
Another sound echoed again from somewhere deeper inside the house.
THUD—!
Silence.
The playful atmosphere instantly faded.
My smile disappeared slowly as my eyes narrowed toward the dark hallway ahead.
Strange.
Too strange.
Kevin frowned this time too.
"Did something fall?"
Li Feng didn't answer immediately.
His expression had already changed.
Serious.
Alert.
The exact same moment another memory flashed through my mind—
black clothes.
A helmet.
Heavy footsteps in the dark.
My fingers twitched unconsciously.
Then—
CREAK…
Something moved upstairs.
Nobody moved.
Not even Kevin this time.
The house suddenly felt…
wrong.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
CREAK…
Another slow sound came from upstairs again.
My chest tightened instantly.
Familiar.
That feeling was painfully familiar.
Kevin lowered his voice unconsciously.
"…Did someone come in?"
Li Feng immediately grabbed the nearest thing beside him—
a metal pan.
"That's your weapon?"
Kevin whispered in disbelief.
"Shut up."
My eyes remained fixed on the staircase ahead.
Dark.
Silent.
Then—
tap.
One soft footstep echoed from above.
My breathing slowed immediately.
Black clothes.
A helmet.
"Warrior Kai."
The memory of his voice suddenly echoed inside my head again.
Cold.
Calm.
Possessive.
And then—
a shadow appeared at the top of the stairs.
All three of us stared toward the staircase silently.
The shadow stood there motionless.
Watching us.
Kevin slowly stepped behind me.
Coward.
Li Feng tightened his grip around the metal pan like he was genuinely ready to fight someone with kitchen equipment.
Then—
the shadow moved forward.
One step.
Two.
And finally—
a fluffy white cat appeared from the darkness.
"…Meow?"
Silence.
Complete silence.
Zen blinked innocently at all three of us from the staircase.
Kevin's expression went blank.
Li Feng slowly lowered the pan.
I closed my eyes briefly.
Unbelievable.
"We almost fought a cat."
Kevin muttered weakly.
"You hid behind me first."
"Self-defense."
Li Feng looked at both of us with disappointment clear on his face.
"Idiots."
My gaze dropped toward Li Feng.
A streak of flour was still clinging stubbornly to the side of his face.
"Go clean up."
I said flatly.
Silence.
Li Feng stared at me.
Then at Kevin.
Then back at me again.
"…And him?"
His finger pointed directly at Kevin, who was still covered in flour from head to toe.
"He started it."
"HEY—!"
"Both of you."
I corrected immediately.
"Go clean up."
Kevin groaned dramatically.
"Xey, you're so unfair."
"Upstairs."
"You're definitely picking favorites."
"Upstairs."
Li Feng smirked for the first time that morning before turning toward the stairs.
Kevin followed behind him unwillingly.
Muttering complaints the entire way.
For the first time since waking up, a small smile remained on my face.
Warm.
Simple.
Normal.
A rare thing these days.
I finally let out a quiet sigh after all the chaos.
The kitchen had fallen silent once again.
I scanned the room before making my way toward the dining table.
Slow.
Quiet.
While those two idiots went upstairs to clean themselves, I started arranging the breakfast.
Green vegetables.
Beef.
Sandwiches.
Forks.
Spoons.
Glasses of water.
Good.
Everything was finally in place.
A few minutes later, they came rushing back downstairs.
Hurried.
Restless.
As if they had been racing each other the entire way down.
"I won!" Kevin declared proudly the moment he reached the dining table.
"There was no race."
Li Feng pulled out a chair calmly.
"There was in my heart."
Silence.
Then I regretted arranging breakfast for them.
"Slow down."
I said simply while taking my seat at the table.
Kevin immediately ignored my advice.
Grabbing a sandwich.
Then another.
Then somehow reaching for the beef too.
"Kevin."
"I'm slowing down."
He replied through a mouthful of food.
A blatant lie.
Li Feng pulled out the chair beside him and sat down with far more dignity.
"You're eating like you've been starved for days."
"I have."
"We had dinner last night."
"A tragedy."
Silence.
Li Feng looked at him.
I looked at him.
Kevin continued eating.
Unbothered.
Shameless.
Some things never change.
And strangely enough—
I didn't mind it.
"...Should we do something this evening?"
Kevin asked out of nowhere.
My hand paused halfway to my glass of water.
Li Feng looked up from his plate.
"Something?"
"Yeah."
Kevin shrugged.
"We're all free and together today."
"What should we do?"
I asked out of curiosity.
Kevin immediately leaned forward.
"Battle."
Silence.
"Battle?"
"We'll invite the neighborhood teens."
"And then?"
"And then we destroy them."
His answer came without hesitation.
Li Feng sighed.
"You sound like a war criminal."
"Thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment."
Kevin ignored him.
"We can use our garden."
"The garden is huge enough."
I admitted.
"Exactly!"
Kevin pointed at me dramatically.
"We buy glowing swords and bows. We split into teams. We fight."
The idea was childish.
Ridiculous.
Yet somehow...
Fun.
"We'll need equipment first."
Li Feng finally spoke.
"Then go buy it."
Kevin replied immediately.
"Why me?"
"Because I'm busy today."
Convenient.
Very convenient.
Kevin grinned.
"You and Xey can go."
Silence.
For a brief moment, Li Feng's eyes brightened.
Just slightly.
Barely noticeable.
But I noticed.
"Fine."
I answered.
Li Feng immediately lowered his gaze toward his food again.
Calm.
Composed.
Yet the corner of his lips seemed to rise ever so slightly.
Happy.
The idiot was actually happy about a trip to the mall.
Just like that, our evening was decided.
-
"Ah... so noisy."
I muttered under my breath.
"Not much."
A voice replied beside me.
I had almost forgotten someone had come with me.
Li Feng.
My gaze dropped toward him.
Smiling.
Idiot.
He was smiling like an idiot.
He was dressed entirely in black.
Black shirt.
Black blazer.
Black pants.
Black shoes.
And—
"...?"
My thoughts halted.
Warm.
Something warm brushed against my hand.
No.
Not brushed.
Holding.
Li Feng was holding my hand.
Naturally.
Casually.
As if there was absolutely nothing strange about it.
My eyes slowly moved from our joined hands to his face.
Still smiling.
Idiot.
"Li Feng."
"Hm?"
"Why are you holding my hand?"
His smile widened.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
"Because I want to."
Silence.
I stared at him.
He stared back.
Smiling.
Idiot.
"Are you gay?"
Another silence followed.
Li Feng blinked once.
Twice.
Then—
"That's your first conclusion?"
"You're holding my hand."
"And?"
"We're in a mall."
"And?"
"People are looking."
"Let them."
His answer came far too quickly.
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Li Feng."
"Hm?"
"You're not answering the question."
A smirk appeared on his face.
"Maybe I don't want to."
Problematic.
Extremely problematic.
Yet his hand never left mine.
Then—
he squeezed my hand.
Lightly.
Deliberately.
As if he knew exactly what he was doing.
"Li Feng."
"Hm?"
"You're being weird."
"I've always been weird."
Fair point.
Unfortunately.
I tried pulling my hand away.
He refused to let go.
The idiot actually tightened his grip.
"Li Feng."
"Hm?"
"Let go."
"No."
Silence.
Bold.
Very bold.
Before I could argue further, a group of teenagers rushed past us toward one of the stores.
Their shoulders bumped into mine.
Hard.
But I didn't stumble.
Li Feng had already pulled me slightly toward him.
Protecting me from the crowd.
His smile disappeared for a brief moment as he glanced at the people pushing through the mall.
Annoyed.
Then he looked back at me.
Smiling again.
Idiot.
"See?"
"See what?"
"Now you won't get lost."
I stared at him.
He stared back.
Completely shameless.
"We're buying toy swords."
"Mhm."
"Not crossing a desert."
"You never know."
There it was.
The urge to throw him into a fountain.
I let out a quiet sigh.
Defeated.
Completely defeated.
"I can't do anything about you."
For a brief moment, Li Feng simply stared at me.
Then—
his smile softened.
Genuine.
Rare.
"I know."
Silence.
Somehow, that answer felt dangerous.
Very dangerous.
"Don't look so happy about it."
"Too late."
His reply was immediate.
Idiot.
A hopeless idiot.
Still holding my hand.
I glanced down at our joined hands once more.
Warm.
Steady.
Familiar.
Strange.
Yet...
I didn't pull away this time.
The realization hit me a second later.
Eventually, we found the store.
Rows upon rows of glowing weapons lined the walls.
Swords.
Bows.
Shields.
Colorful.
Bright.
The exact opposite of Li Feng's wardrobe.
"Found it."
Li Feng announced unnecessarily.
We were literally standing inside the store.
"Congratulations."
He ignored me.
As usual.
I pulled out my phone and opened Kevin's messages.
The idiot had sent a list.
Detailed.
Very detailed.
For Xey:
Green sword
For me:
Grey sword.
For Chinese cat:
Bow
Red arrows
"He's treating this like an actual war."
I muttered.
"It is a war."
Li Feng replied seriously while examining a sword.
Silence.
Kevin was contagious.
Very contagious.
I grabbed a glowing green sword from the rack.
Lightweight.
Balanced.
Good enough.
Meanwhile, Li Feng was standing in front of the grey swords with the concentration of a man choosing a life partner.
"They're all the same."
I pointed out.
"They're not."
"They are."
"They're not."
"Explain the difference."
Li Feng fell silent.
Defeated.
"Exactly."
A few minutes later, we finally had everything.
One green sword.
One grey sword.
One bow.
A set of red arrows.
Mission accomplished.
Or so I thought.
Because the moment I turned around—
Li Feng had disappeared.
Again.
Idiot.
I scanned the store.
Left.
Right.
No sign of him.
"Li Feng?"
No answer.
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
I began walking deeper into the store, passing rows of toy weapons and sports equipment.
Then I found him.
Of course.
He was standing in front of a display rack.
Motionless.
Staring at something intensely.
My gaze followed his.
A black cape.
Silence.
"No."
Li Feng looked at me.
"I didn't say anything."
"You were thinking it."
"How do you know?"
"Because I know you."
Betrayed.
He looked betrayed.
"It would complete the outfit."
"No."
"Imagine how cool—"
"No."
"Xey."
"No."
Silence.
Then he sighed dramatically.
"You're crushing my dreams."
"Good."
I grabbed his sleeve and started dragging him back toward the counter before he could adopt the cape.
"Wait—"
"No."
"Just let me—"
"No."
"Touch it?"
I paused.
Then released his sleeve.
"One touch."
Victory flashed across his face.
The idiot actually looked proud of himself.
Five minutes later, we finally paid for everything and left the store carrying:
A green sword for me.
A grey sword for Kevin.
A bow,
Red arrows for Li Feng.
The battle was one step closer.
Which was probably a bad thing for the neighborhood.