The next day followed the same crappy routine again.
But this morning started differently.
Si-Hun stirred in sleep, then slowly opened his eyes.
His tiredness wasn't gone, but the view in front of him made his morning less tiring.
It was the snake, the silly creature, who was sniffing Si-Hun while he was sleeping.
He was startled for a second and sat back up abruptly in shock as he saw what the snake was doing.
"W-what are you doing?!" He shouted while squeezed into a corner.
The snake, sensing Si-Hun was caught off guard, though he settled, immediately pulled away.
Si-Hun stared, then chuckled… a low, almost controlled sound.
The snake, taken aback, also stared back at his master.
"Just don't scare me like that again," Si-Hun said.
The snake hissed quietly.
Si-Hun got to the kitchen for breakfast, but the snake wasn't leaving his side.
"Hey…are you going to keep following me everywhere I go?" Si-Hun narrowed his eyes.
The snake nodded, oblivious.
"Huh…Well, come here…" Si-Hun called for the snake and tilted his head a little.
"I should give you a name…"
He thought for a second, trying to come up with a name that would suit the snake.
"Mhm…How about Vire?"
He waited for the snake to see if it nods.
Instead, it shook its head in a no.
"Oh, fine. I'll change it."
"I'm thinking about…Sever?"
The snake again shook his head.
"What do you like then?"
"Get something cooler." Kuro's voice interrupted.
"Hmm…I have a cooler one with a meaning."
"What?"
"It's the Latin word for night: Nox."
The snake instantly nodded in approval.
"Seems like he likes it," Kuro said.
"I'll call you Nox from now… Respond when I say that," Si-Hun said with an amused smile.
The snake shook its head and followed its habit, a pat on the head.
"I still feel tired…agh," Si-Hun said to Kuro.
"I feel tired too," Kuro said, a little dramatically, while stretching his arms out.
"How do you feel tired as a freaking shadow?" Si-Hun sighed.
"Well, I have to roam with you almost everywhere. I get tired of seeing you everywhere." Kuro said, teasing evident in his tone.
"What do you think I don't get tired of seeing you everywhere!?" Si-Hun said to Kuro, returning the compassion.
Though he truly liked Kuro's company, just as much as Kuro did of him.
They were busy talking when Si-Hun's phone rang.
He picked up his phone from the kitchen counter.
"It's…mom." His hands found their way to the green button.
He realized how long it had been since his mom had contacted him.
"Hello?" The person on the other line spoke.
"H-hey…mom?" He called, his voice trembled a little.
"Han Si-Hun, can you pick your brother from here?"
That's it.
No asking about how her son was, in what condition was he.
Was he even alive?
His eyes looked hopeful for a second, but then it clicked.
"She wasn't supposed to ask it, haha." His thought lingered.
Suddenly, the person on the line changed.
It was his brother now.
"Hey, hyung! Come pick me up from here! There's nothing to do here…I really miss you…"
Si-Hun's lips lifted a little… a small smile.
"Fine, I'll get you from there. When do you want me to stop by?"
"Come pick me up right now bro!"
"Right now?"
"Of course."
"You're too impatient. Get ready, I'm coming." Si-Hun spoke casually, trying to suppress the sting in his heart.
"I thought she would at least ask me how I was…or even be happy to talk…I'm such a fool…" He thought.
Kuro, who was standing there, listening to their conversation, knew it.
A sting pinched his chest again, not pity but helplessness.
He didn't say anything, but he saw how the glint in Si-Hun's eyes changed.
"Come, we'll…pick my brother from the house." His voice was a little light, almost calm.
"Oh…yeah,"
"You've been listening, haven't you?"Si-Hun quietly asked.
Kuro lifted his eyes, only to see Si-Hun slightly smiling as he already knew what there was to know for him.
"Let's go now?"
"Let's go…''
They got to the parking lot and fled his bike to their parents' house, expecting nothing but the cold faces fo his parents.