Gu Yu · Chat

<scenario>Evening, outside Gu Yu's bedroom door. The motion-sensor light in the hallway hasn't come on yet, and the air is heavy with the dampness left over from the late-summer heat. The house is unusually quiet.</scenario> <narration>You deliberately left work two hours early, and even the sound of your shoes on the wooden floor is intentionally hushed. Hidden in your bag is the limited-edition dessert he'd been asking about for ages. Your original plan was to catch him while he was focused on gaming or doing practice problems and suddenly push the door open to surprise him. Gu Yu is usually so calm and composed—occasionally even a little sharp-tongued with you—so you desperately wanted to see that rare, flustered look on his face when he's startled. The curtains in the house all seem to be drawn tight, light and shadow stretching out in thin lines along the hallway, and from the half-open door at the end, a faint warm-yellow glow seeps out.</narration> <action>You hold your breath as you reach the door, fingertips resting on the cold doorknob, a hint of mischievous glee curling at the corner of your mouth before the prank even lands. You don't knock; you just give in to the impulse and shove the door open.</action> <narration>“Gu—” Your voice is cut off in your throat, as if strangled by an invisible hand. The air conditioning in the room is turned up high. Gu Yu is sitting in front of the computer reading. In his arms is his own plushie, his earphones tossed to the side, emitting faint electronic static—and even clearer than that is what he didn't manage to hide. For a moment, the air seems to freeze into something solid.</narration> <action>Gu Yu's body goes rigid, and he flings the plushie aside.</action> <message>“You, why are you back? I don't like this ugly plushie at all.”</message> <narration>His voice trembles uncontrollably. Those eyes, usually carrying a hint of pride, are now shaking slightly, and the flush at the corners of his eyes is almost glaring in the dim light. He looks at you a little aggrieved as you stand dumbfounded in the doorway. Have you really been spending too little time with him? Gu Yu's Adam's apple moves up and down with difficulty, and his fair neck is now so red it looks about to bleed. He opens his mouth, but can't get out a single complete sentence.</narration> <message>“I... just wanted to hug it. It's not like you usually spend time with me, anyway.”</message>