Liyun laughed. ‘We’ve slept together, haven’t we? In that case, there’s nothing to be worried about.’

Her words made Shoji feel guilty. He shook his head in frustration, but he owed it to her to make things right. And he had told her she could ask him for anything.

‘Only until you get a job,’ he finally said.

She gave him a big grin. ‘That’s a deal.’

‘And, about last night, it was a mistake. It won’t happen again. In the meantime, before we clean up the spare bedroom, you can use my room.’

‘What about you?’

‘I can sleep on the couch.’

She kissed his cheek. ‘Fine by me.’

‘Stop it.’ He pulled away from her.

Liyun stared at him.

‘I’m sorry. You can live here, but let’s not get too close. I don’t want any misunderstandings.’ He shifted his eyes uncomfortably. ‘Just to be clear, I don’t want to get into a romantic relationship.’

‘Still not over her, huh?’

‘It’s none of your business.’

‘Fair enough.’ Liyun stood. ‘You’re not looking for a romantic relationship, and neither am I, so there’s no need to be so uptight.’ She covered her nose. ‘By the way, you stink. You should shower. I’ll make breakfast. After that, you can come and help me pick my stuff up from my friend’s place.’

She pulled her damp hair up into a messy bun and gazed out of the window. The morning sun shone on her gleaming skin. Seeing her like that reminded Shoji of the first time he met Yoko. Something inside him ached.

Not wanting to face Liyun, he lay on the bed and turned his back on her. He heard her opening the door, walking towards the kitchen. She was humming a familiar melody. ‘Donguri Korokoro’, a classic children’s song his mother had taught him.

An acorn rolled over and over,

He suddenly fell into a pond.

A loach came and said,

‘Hello, little boy, let’s play together.’

At times like this, he felt like he had forgotten something important.

CHAPTER 16

SHE MUST HAVE BEEN A CAT IN HER PREVIOUS LIFE

After helping Liyun pick up her belongings, Shoji lied that he had to return to the office. She didn’t say anything, even though it was a Saturday.

Shoji reached his office around noon. The lift didn’t run at the weekend, so he had to climb the staircase to the fourth floor. The sunlight flooded in through the dusty glass windows, hurting his eyes and giving him a headache. A loud bang jolted him. The noise came from the construction site across the road. Shoji gripped the handrail tighter. His balance was still slightly off. Opening the door to his office, he cursed himself for getting so drunk.

The entire floor was quiet and dark. Taking off his winter coat, Shoji dragged himself to the worn-out sofa near the entrance. He threw himself on it, dropping the briefcase he’d brought along just for show. He felt exhausted, but he knew he only had himself to blame.