When Shoji returned home, Liyun seemed to be asleep in her room, yet she’d left the television in the living room on, as usual. The channel was showing a Hollywood spy thriller. Normally, Shoji would enjoy an action-packed, fast-paced movie, but it was too near the end. Settling on the sofa, he reached for the remote control and turned it off.

The front door opened and Liyun came in, carrying two huge plastic bags from the supermarket.

Shoji raised his eyebrow. ‘You went food shopping?’

Liyun nodded, putting down the bags and taking off her shoes. ‘This shop discounts the price just before midnight.’ She looked at him. ‘Is everything okay? Did you get to say a proper farewell to Eri?’

Shoji nodded, getting up to help her. ‘Thanks for letting me know.’

‘I can handle this on my own.’ She gestured at him to stay put.

He returned to the sofa. ‘Let me know if you need any help.’

‘I’m okay,’ she insisted. ‘Did Eri tell you where is she going? She only mentioned overseas.’

‘She’s going to take a job in New York.’

Her eyes widened. ‘That’s far away. When is she leaving? Are you going to see her off at the airport?’

‘She’s keen to move soon,’ he said, ‘but she told me not to see her off.’

‘I see,’ she mumbled. ‘Anyway, let me put these away.’

Liyun disappeared into the kitchen. There came sounds of plastic wrappers being torn, the refrigerator opening and closing, and finally, she returned.

‘I’m going to sleep,’ she said. ‘Don’t stay up too late.’

She was about to go into her bedroom when he called after her.

‘Wait,’ he said. He cleared his throat. ‘Can we talk for a while?’

She looked at him. ‘What about?’

He averted his eyes, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. But he knew he couldn’t delay the conversation perpetually. ‘How long do you plan to stay here?’

Liyun was silent for a moment then asked, ‘Why did you suddenly bring that up? Did Eri tell you to kick me out?’ She crossed her arms. ‘You haven’t brought up the topic for a while, it feels strange to talk about it now.’

‘It’s not her,’ he said quickly, but then he thought of what Eri had told him, about not lying. ‘I mean, she did ask me some questions, which got me thinking.’ He paused and took a deep breath. ‘This is not a permanent solution. We both know that.’

‘Are you kicking me out?’

He sighed. ‘Liyun, we’re friends. I’m not sure what your real reason for staying here is but, as your friend, I want to help you. I want you to be independent. If you need me to help you find work, let me know. If money is an issue, I can lend you some. You can pay it back once you have a stable job.’