The clink of cutlery was the only sound filling the small apartment. Chen sat at the breakfast table, lazily stabbing at his eggs while Lu was still half-leaning on the couch, sipping his coffee.
Just then, Lu's phone buzzed sharply against the table.
He picked it up, glanced at the screen—then quickly excused himself.
Chen, chewing on a piece of toast, watched him disappear into the hallway with the call. His voice was low, serious, almost strained.
Chen frowned. Who's calling this early?
A few minutes later, Lu returned. His face was calm, but there was a faint tightness around his eyes.
> "Everything okay?" Chen asked casually, though curiosity pricked at his chest.
Lu forced a small smile and sat back down, picking up his fork.
> "Yeah. Just my family."
Chen nodded slowly, not pressing further.
Lu glanced at him, then added lightly,
> "They want me to come with them for a while. We're planning to… travel abroad. A few months, maybe."
Chen blinked, the words hitting harder than he expected.
> "Abroad? For months?"
Lu nodded, taking a bite of toast, chewing carefully, as if pretending nothing was unusual.
> "Yeah. Think of it like a vacation. Change of scenery."
Chen forced a laugh.
> "Guess I'll have to survive without you burning my toast for a while."
Lu smiled, relieved he hadn't asked more.
> "Exactly. You'll be free of me nagging you all the time."
They both chuckled, the sound easy, but beneath it Chen felt something tight coil inside him.
---
The rest of breakfast passed with harmless chatter—old university gossip, inside jokes, plans Chen pretended to make for the week. But every time Lu looked at him and laughed softly, Chen's chest twisted harder.
---
Days Later
Lu had left.
Chen stood at the doorway of his apartment that morning, watching the empty street where Lu's cab had vanished hours ago. The silence in the apartment was unbearable. No footsteps padding into the kitchen. No sarcastic comments about his messy living habits.
For the first time in a long time, the place felt hollow.
At first, Chen tried to brush it off. Work, basketball games, friends at the bar—he threw himself into all of it. But every time he picked up his phone, his thumb hovered over Lu's contact.
Every little thing reminded him.
The black coffee Lu always scolded him for drinking too strong.
The half-empty jar of jam Lu had insisted on buying.
The faint trace of his cologne on Chen's hoodie.
It was maddening.
---
One night, Chen found himself lying awake, staring at the ceiling.
Why does it feel so different without him here?
He thought about the way Lu's hair had fallen across his forehead that morning, the way he'd smiled even while hiding something in his eyes.
And suddenly, the truth struck him—sharp, undeniable.
It wasn't just friendship.
Not anymore.
Chen buried his face into his pillow with a groan, his chest tight with something he didn't want to name yet.
But deep down… he already knew.