The front door opened—not too fast, not too slow.
The first thing that came into view was the hem of a beige trench coat.
A tall cat-eared woman stepped into the entryway, visibly weary, and then came to a halt.
I knew it—she had seen us.
This was the last thing I wanted to happen.
But it happened anyway.
Her drooping cat ears instantly perked up, and her limp tail gradually curled upward to rest around her waist.
Her gaze turned sharp again, cold and piercing, like a blade of ice driven straight into my chest.
I couldn’t even find my voice to speak.
My heart—was caught in my throat.
Her eyes lingered on me for just a second before shifting to the person sitting beside me: Gu Fan.
Their eyes met.
That cold, unstoppable blade collided with a still, bottomless lake—and not a single ripple appeared.
Gu Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, thought for two or three seconds, then slowly stood up.
He placed a hand over his chest and gave her a small, polite bow.
“Hello, Aunt Shen. I’m Gu Fan, a friend of Zhi Nian’s. We go to the same school.”
“…Mm.”
My mother paused for a moment before replying.
I suppose this might have been the first time she’s ever been addressed like that by one of my friends.
Then again, Gu Fan isn’t just a friend to me.
“You… what is your relationship with my daughter?”
Without offering any room to prepare, my mother cut straight to the point—blunt and unforgiving.
And when she said that, her eyes were fixed on me.
Why…?
Was she trying to use her pressure to intimidate me, force out all the thoughts buried in my heart?
I stood up and met her gaze without flinching.
The emotions I’d been deprived of since childhood surged forward in this moment, giving me the courage to look my mother in the eye.
“Mom, Gu Fan is just a friend. I wasn’t feeling well today, and he was kind enough to walk me home. He also made some noodles for me, since I usually don’t eat a proper dinner.”
At critical moments like this, as long as it’s not Gu Fan I’m facing, I can still keep up a calm, composed exterior—even if my heart is in complete chaos.
If Mom hadn’t come home so suddenly, I had planned to slowly warm up the conversation with Gu Fan, act like I was feeling worse and worse, and then beg him to stay the night and take care of me.
I used to worry whether that kind of plan was too underhanded, whether it might hurt Gu Fan’s reputation.
But now, it doesn’t matter.
There’s no chance to do any of that.
I met her with the same cold expression, only to receive a scornful chuckle in return.
“Don’t you have any female friends?”
I opened my mouth, but couldn’t think of a single thing to say—so I shut it again in silence.
Sorry, but I really don’t.
In my heart, Shiratori isn’t much different from all those acquaintances I used to have.
If I had to choose again, no matter how many times, I’d still pick Gu Fan to walk me home.
Maybe I’d stayed silent for too long—my mother crossed her arms over her chest, tilted her chin slightly upward, and shifted her gaze to Gu Fan, who stood beside me.
“So, what you’re saying is, you consider Zhi Nian your girlfr—”
“It’s not like that!!! Can you not jump to conclusions?!”
As a woman myself, I immediately picked up on that unspoken final syllable hanging on her tongue.
I was afraid.
Afraid of whatever reaction Gu Fan might have once he heard her blunt, unfiltered question.
Whether he calmly accepted it—or outright rejected it in disgust—neither outcome was something I could bear to see.
So, before any of that could happen, I decided to erase the possibility entirely.
“……”
My furious outburst successfully shut my mother up.
She stared at me, stunned, as if she couldn’t quite process what had just happened.
Hah.
So you do have moments where you’re left speechless.
I plopped back into the chair, heart still churning with waves of heat, like the restless heatwaves of summer—irritating and suffocating.
So annoying. I’d worked so hard to create that warm, gentle atmosphere, and it got wrecked in the most dramatic way. Really, Mom, your timing couldn’t be worse.
Clenching my teeth, the frustration clawing at my chest felt like a giant hand squeezing my heart.
My breath grew shallow, as if there wasn’t enough air in the room.
Just as I was trying to regulate my body, a shadow blocked out the chandelier’s light and fell over me.
I thought it was Gu Fan, concerned and checking on me—but when I looked up, it was my mother.
She had stepped right in front of me, her lips parting slightly as if about to speak.
Please… don’t.
Right now, I didn’t have the strength to argue with her anymore.
I was terrified she’d say something even more bizarre, something that might push Gu Fan away for good.
So I got up, deciding to take Gu Fan outside for a walk before she could say another word.
Maybe it was because of my period, or maybe my emotions had just fluctuated too wildly—either way, the moment I stood up to walk toward Gu Fan, a sharp pain suddenly twisted through my abdomen.
It felt like my insides were being yanked into a knot. The intense pain smashed through what little rationality I had left, and my whole body collapsed toward Gu Fan like I’d been struck by a hammer.
…God, I really am useless, huh…
Even at a moment like this, my body gives out on me.
“Zhi Nian?!”
Just before my consciousness completely disconnected from my body, I vaguely heard Gu Fan’s panicked voice—and then the feeling of strong arms wrapping tightly around me, catching me in a firm embrace.
When I came back to my senses, I realized Gu Fan was carrying me in a bridal carry, heading toward the bedroom.
Dazed, I turned my head and caught sight of my mother’s expression—caught between trying to say something and holding it back.
Was that… a trace of helplessness?
No way.
I must’ve imagined it.
* * * * *
The concentrated stare on my back felt like a giant boulder pressing down on me, unconsciously making me hunch my shoulders a little.
That aura… it’s really intimidating.
This was my first time meeting Aunt Shen.
When we were younger, I had thought about visiting Zhi Nian’s house, but she always turned me down with one excuse or another.
If I tried to follow her home anyway, she’d lash out with her claws like a furious cat, swatting away my mischievous ideas.
Funny how she’s grown up to be someone who invites me over now.
She even wanted me to cook her dinner.
I stood silently on the sidelines, watching the confrontation unfold between Zhi Nian and her mother.
I don’t know all the details of her family situation, but just being in this atmosphere was enough to feel the stifling weight of it—an indescribable pressure that filled the room.
But… this isn’t something I can step into lightly.
If I force myself into matters like this, I’ll only come off as meddlesome.
Better to head home for now.
Once Zhi Nian sorts things out with her family, maybe I can visit again some other time.
Just as I was trying to come up with an excuse to slip away, Zhi Nian suddenly stood up—then without a word, collapsed toward me.
I instinctively caught her in my arms before she could fall and hurt her face.
Right after that, I could feel her mother’s sharp, icy gaze land directly on me.
Tch.
Looks like I’ll have to face this head-on.
Without glancing back at Aunt Shen, I silently scooped Zhi Nian into my arms and walked toward her bedroom.
After gently laying her down on the bed and making sure she was settled, she slowly came back to her senses.
She clutched the hem of my shirt and whispered an apology, her cat ears twitching slightly—honestly, it was kind of adorable.
“It’s okay. What matters is your health. Do you have a hot water bottle at home?”
“Mm… no. I’ve never prepared stuff like that.”
“Then—”
Before I could finish offering some comforting words, a voice came from the doorway—calm and devoid of any discernible emotion.
“Just drink some hot water.”
“……”
Zhi Nian’s pupils widened slightly.
The moment she looked toward the door and caught sight of Aunt Shen standing there, she immediately averted her gaze and looked at me instead.
But I knew—her focus was already slipping.
Aunt Shen didn’t step into the room.
She simply stood there with a cup of water in her hands.
When I rose to take the cup from her, she finally spoke, her voice even and direct.
“You’re Gu Fan, right? Let’s have a talk.”
She didn’t wait for an answer.
As soon as the words were out, she turned and walked away.
I sat back down on the chair beside the bed and placed the cup on the bedside table.
Zhi Nian had already come back to her senses.
She carefully studied my expression, her cherry-colored lips hesitating before she finally whispered softly.
“Gu Fan…”
Her hand reached out toward me slowly, hesitantly, but then withdrew and rested weakly on the blanket.
Though it was just a simple call of my name, I could hear the countless emotions hidden within.
I gently squeezed the palm of her hand that lay outside the covers.
“It’s okay. As long as you explain clearly, it’s nothing to worry about.”
“But—”
“Trust me.”
“…Mm, I trust you, Gu Fan.”
Zhi Nian let out a relieved nod, her small fists clenched tightly against her chest.