"Your room smells really nice." Chen said as he looked around. Minseok's place seemed to get messier each time he visited. He took it as his friend getting more and more relaxed about having company over at random times. Chen liked this chaos. It fitted Minseok.

"I light scented candles when making assignments." Minseok was right. His candles were a deep red. The fragrance reminded Chen of some kind of berry. "Oh, forgot to ask, how was that therapy thing?"

"I went after my shift. It was okay. You weren't at the library today. Someone else sat next to me. It felt weird. I'm used to having someone whisper random facts at me."

"I knew you loved it." He grinned, face lighting up, resonating with the stars all around him. "I didn't feel so great today. Thought it was better to stay inside."

"You sick?"

"No, just... tired." He smiled at him and grabbed some books. He tried placing it somewhere more fitting than on his bed so Chen could have a seat. There was something different about him today. His eyes did not smile along with his mouth. Chen wanted to ask, but remembered his friend did not do so well under pressure. He instantly closed shut, Chen having to change subject on the spot. If Minseok felt like telling him something, he felt like it was best to let it happen naturally.

"Okay. Well, nothing special happened at the library as always." Why was he rambling like this? A part of him felt guilty for not being able to be better at conversations. "My dad visited me today."

"Your dad the surgeon?" His eyes lit up.

"Yes. I haven't seen him in a while. Our house is kinda far away." Chen left out the fact that he had made a promise to his parents to stay at his dorm this year. He needed to recover. His parents were understanding, but did not want to pay for a dorm no one lived at. No running away from his depression this time. Although Chen felt like he was actually doing better than last year.

"We usually skype, although my mom is horrible with computers. She hasn't adjusted to televisions let alone computers. My dad is usually around when she needs to do more than just press a button."

Minseok had to grin at that. "They sound funny."

"Yeah. Anyways, he gave me some kind of cake my mom baked. I was wondering if you wanted a piece? I brought some."

They ate in silence on the bed. Something Chen would never do in his own room. Minseok's face was an open book. He did not feel like asking whether he liked it or not. Chen knew.

Chen could tell a lot by just looking at Minseok's face. That was the reason why he did something his own brain had trouble following. His fingers touched his friend's shoulder and stayed there for a long while.

Minseok's gaze was fixed on the cake, as if the universe around him seized to exist. His breathing became shallow, like drained ponds filled with fish gasping for air. Chen's grip tightened, he wanted to say something fitting, but knew himself that Minseok was not listening. He waited, waited for a reaction.

By the time Minseok's face seemed serener than before, Chen let his hand rest next to him. His eyes seemed a dark red from crying, but there had been no tears.

"Rough day?" Chen heard a sliver of his own voice reach his ears.

Minseok shook his head. "It's ehm..." He had finished his cake and got up from the bed. After cleaning up both of