“Hey. Are you asleep over there?”

Zitao turned his head to look at the other balcony. A young man, impossible to tell his age with how he slouched over the rail of his balcony, waved at him. His hair was dark and sort of longish but styled to sweep across his brows. “It's not good to sleep out here. Not like that, anyway. You'll hurt your neck.”

He returned his attention to the brightening sky. A pigeon pecked at the rooftop across the way, joined by two others for morning gossip. “I'll go in soon.”

His neighbour stood upright and stretched his arms over his head with a satisfied groan. “It really is pretty … . I'm going to bed, now. Have a nice day.”

Zitao nodded. “Thanks. Y-You, too!” he added quickly. The rollers protested being moved again, but when the door closed again and silence settled around him again, Zitao almost felt lonely. Maybe he missed an opportunity, there.