‘What’s the matter?’ She frowned. ‘Say something.’

Shoji’s stomach rolled. He felt sick. He could feel something rising inside him. He ran to the bathroom and retched into the toilet bowl, but nothing but saliva came out. Liyun followed behind.

She crouched next to him. ‘You vomited yesterday. Your stomach should be empty.’ Rubbing his back, she offered him some tissues. ‘Are you all right?’

Shoji cleaned his face, Liyun watching. They returned to the bedroom. He sat on the bed and she took the space next to him. She didn’t say anything, but he knew he had to address what had happened.

Taking a deep breath, Shoji tried to stay calm. ‘I know this is terrible to say, but I only have a vague recollection of last night. But …’ He put his palms on his knees and lowered his head. ‘I’m sorry for everything.’

Her eyebrow rose.

‘What I did is inexcusable,’ he continued. ‘I’m not saying that you should forgive.’

She clicked her tongue. ‘Why are you making such a fuss? It’s not a big deal. We’re not kids, are we?’

‘That doesn’t make it okay. I’m sorry.’

‘I told you, it’s all right,’ she insisted, laughing. ‘Don’t worry about that. Things happen. Hey, Shoji. Raise your head. We had fun. It’s normal for drunk people to —’

‘I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you.’

She paused. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I shouldn’t have slept with you. I know my apologies can’t change anything, but if there’s something I can do. Please, let me make it up to you.’

Liyun bit her lip. Had he said something wrong? Had he hurt her? Maybe she was expecting something more, something he couldn’t give anyone for now. Perhaps he shouldn’t have said anything and just let their relationship drift away naturally. But that wouldn’t be right.

She crossed her legs. ‘You said I could ask you for anything, didn’t you? That’s helpful. As you know, I’ve got no job. I’m broke. I’ve been staying at a friend’s house, but she told me I need to move out. Can I stay with you until I can afford my own place?’

Shoji hesitated. ‘You want to live with me?’

‘That’s right.’ Liyun grabbed his hands. ‘I’ll help out with the housework. I cook quite well.’

He pulled his hands away. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’

‘Why not? You’re living on your own, and there’s a spare bedroom.’

‘You snooped around my place?’

‘Stop overreacting. I was just taking a tour.’

‘Well then, you should know I use the other room as a storeroom. It’s a huge mess.’

She raised her chin. ‘Then it’s time to clean it up.’

He sighed. ‘Liyun, it’s a bad idea for a young, single woman like you to share an apartment with me, just the two of us.’

‘You’d prefer to live with an older, married woman?’ She gave him a playful nudge. ‘I didn’t know you had that in you.’

He sighed again. She didn’t get it.