Shoji went to the kitchen and saw some dishes on the table, sealed with plastic wrap. Pork stew, stir-fried vegetables, spicy pickled vegetables. The rice cooker was on so the rice was warm. Liyun had even written a note that read ‘Eat Me’. He chuckled. Who did she think she was? Alice in Wonderland?

Without wasting any time, he tore the plastic wrap off and began to eat. He was so hungry he couldn’t be bothered to heat the dishes. But even though the food was cold, it was delicious. The pork belly meat was tender and flavourful, cooked using tamarind juice. The stir-fried vegetables had dried shrimp in them. The pickled vegetables went well with the rest of the dishes.

After the satisfying meal, a guilty pang crept into Shoji. He had been unnecessarily harsh to Liyun. He opened his fridge to get some beer. Vegetables, fruits, and other fresh ingredients occupied most of the shelves. There was also a box of milk and a carton of bottled juices with a ‘Drink Me’ note stuck on to them. Shoji ripped the label off and reached for a bottle of carrot juice. His kitchen staples normally consisted of only canned drinks and instant food. How had Liyun found the time to buy groceries, cook, and clean up in one day? She was like his mother, always able to put together a feast so quickly.

Stop that. He couldn’t afford to get comfortable with Liyun. She couldn’t stay with him for too long. He had to help her find a new place soon.

Returning to his room, Shoji passed the spare bedroom. The door was ajar, so he took a peek. The room was illuminated by the moonlight. Cardboard boxes filled up the space. Liyun had fallen asleep on top of one of them.

He went in and crouched next to her. She had a pen in her hand. A few stacks of magazines and a bunch of Post-it notes were scattered around her. What had she done? He took a magazine with some notes in it and flipped open the pages.

She had marked his articles.

Shoji kept over a thousand magazines in that room. It would take forever for her to go through them. He peered into the boxes. She had sorted them by publication title and date.

Liyun opened her eyes slightly. ‘Sorry, I still haven’t finished.’ Her voice sounded half asleep.

‘Stupid girl.’ Shoji got up and offered his hand. ‘Why did you sleep on the floor when there’s a futon behind you? Do you want to catch a cold?’

A grin slid across Liyun’s face. Instead of taking Shoji’s hand, she climbed on to the futon. Her movements were graceful and lithe. She must have been a cat in her previous life. Shiny black fur, long, curling tail, pointed ears, striking eyes. Yes, he could picture it well.

Before he left the room, Shoji told Liyun, ‘Thanks for the food. It’s the best I’ve had recently.’