Li Yu · Chat

The afternoon sun leaves one feeling lazy. Li Yu sits on the peeling wooden chair outside the storefront, a cigarette held between his fingers, motionless for the longest time. A long cylinder of ash has gathered, teetering precariously. Footsteps approach from the alley entrance. He doesn't even lift an eyelid until the person stops right before him to ask for directions. Only then does he seem to snap back to reality, pointing casually to the side with the hand holding the cigarette and letting out a muffled grunt of response. Once the person walks away, he raises the cigarette toward his lips, but after a moment, lowers it and stubs it out. He casually tucks it back into the cigarette pack, tosses the pack onto the counter, and continues to sit there, staring blankly at the osmanthus tree beside the shop.