It had been a few weeks since Hao Yi had seen Luhan since he had fallen asleep that night on her couch. She had found herself looking for him in the mornings while wandering around her apartment, or when she went over to Yixing’s apartment to help him and care for him, or even at the café she worked at during her shifts. She had found herself growing more worried the longer he stayed away, and Yixing’s condition wasn’t getting much better. She had successfully gotten him a job with her, and she had started to see some improvement, but he was still drinking heavily.

Hao Yi sighed as she placed empty plates into the bus tubs underneath the counter. She stood and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, sighing. She watched as Yixing chatted happily with some customers, and saw as his face darkened as soon as he turned away from the table, the smile disappearing from his face.

She walked towards the Chinese man and stopped when she heard her boss yelling angrily from the kitchen.

“Hao Yi! You’ve missed three tables already! Get back to work before I send you home for the day,” the Korean man grumbled angrily as he mumbled, glaring at the woman.

Hao Yi sighed and turned back to keep working, keeping an eye on Yixing as the shift went on.

Once the final customers had left and the eating space had been cleaned, Yixing and Hao Yi left onto the streets of Seoul, walking together in comfortable silence.

“Did you eat today?” Yixing asked quietly.

Hao Yi looked at him and shook her head, a small smile on her face. The two quietly walked to a food cart that was a few feet away from them.

Sitting down across from each other, an elderly woman hobbled over to get their food and drink orders. Hao Yi looked away uncomfortably and cleared as Yixing ordered more soju than was acceptable for two people.

“So, how was your shift? Did you do okay?” Yixing asked as he poured a shot for himself.

Hao Yi nodded quietly as she watched him down the alcohol. She thought about saying something about it, but decided not to make their late dinner awkward.

“It was fine, I did decent. Boss gave me a bit of a hard time, but nothing I can’t manage.”

Yixing looked at her questioningly. “He’s giving you a hard time, why? You’re not in trouble, are you? Is it because of me?” He got quieter as he said the final sentence out loud.

Hao Yi shook her head violently, laying a hand on Yixing’s arm. “No, of course not. I just wasn’t paying attention when I should have been. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Yixing nodded as he poured himself another shot, offering one to Hao Yi, who politely declined.

“You’re not much of a drinker, are you?”

Hao Yi shook her head. “My dad was a very heavy drinker back home. He was a mean drunk and couldn’t hold a job down to save his life. My mom worked tirelessly to provide for me and my brother.”

Yixing watched her with sad eyes, as he stopped his hand, the shot glass floating inches from his lips. He gulped and set it down softly, not looking at her again. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “’Was?’”

Hao Yi nodded as she picked up her chopsticks and started stirring the food, placing some in a bowl and setting it in front of him. “Mm. He died right before I graduated high school and moved here. Liver disease. His drinking apparently caught up to him.”

Yixing ate quietly as he observed the Chinese girl, watching as she blew on her food before shoving it into .

“And what about your mom and brother?” He asked once she had finished chewing.

Hao Yi looked at him and smiled. “My brother works for a financial company back home, and my mom is still working, but not as hard as before. She took my dad’s death pretty hard in the beginning, and me moving hundreds of miles away didn’t help much, but I call her all the time, and she’s finally made some friends.”

Yixing nodded as he kept eating.

“You’re not going to finish your alcohol?” She asked quietly, eyeing the half empty bottle cautiously.

Yixing shook his head and smiled at her. “If I had known my drinking was going to hit a nerve, I wouldn’t have been doing it as much around you.” Hao Yi smiled to herself as she put her head down, letting her hair fall over her face to act as a curtain, hiding the blush that radiated across her cheeks. “You know, we’ve spent almost every day together since we’ve met, and I haven’t learned anything about you until tonight.”

Hao Yi cocked an eyebrow as she took another bite. “You never asked.”

Yixing smiled and kept eating. Hao Yi smiled back as she watched him, seeing his smile, a real smile, for the first time since she had met the Chinese man. There was no sorrow hidden behind his eyes, no hurt in his eyes, and she could be content with it for now, knowing that she could do just a little bit to help. The two kept eating, stealing subtle glances at each other throughout their meal, a comfortable silence enveloping the two.

Once finished, Yixing refused to let Hao Yi help pay for the meal, and she blushed as the elderly Korean woman ran the payment, commenting on how cute the two were as a couple.

Yixing thanked her for the meal, and he and Hao Yi headed back onto the street and towards their apartment building.

“You know, I like you when you’re like this.” Hao Yi said quietly, looking away from Yixing.

He looked at her questioningly, cocking his head to the side. “Like what?”

“Yourself. Not sad, or drunk. Just you. I like being around you like this.”

Yixing blushed and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck as the two stepped into the elevator. The doors closed, and Yixing let his gaze travel over Hao Yi, her long slender legs, her skinny stature, her long dark hair cascading down her back, and her eyes. Her kind, warm eyes that sent butterflies flying around his stomach every time she smiled at him.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. The two stepped out, and after quiet goodbyes, went their separate ways.

Yixing unlocked and opened the door to his apartment, shutting it behind him. He sighed and leaned against the door rubbing his eyes. He looked around the empty place and his eyes fell on the small stuffed door. “Luhan, I don’t know what to do,” he mumbled quietly.