#rin kon

"These kids," she muttered under her breath.

Sweat drops seeped from her forehead, terminating near her jawline. She gently wiped with the back of her hand before continuing the dishwashing.

Lin climbed downstairs and immediately called her mother, "Mama! Hu misplaced my stationary!" she yelled.

"Lin, what am I supposed to do now?" she questioned, her voice ragged.

"And I have to buy them again. This happens every single time!"

"Lin, you are in college now! You aren't a kid anymore. Sort this out yourself," Mao turned to wash the vessels.

"Lin, you didn't search properly. It was in your cupboard," Hu bought her pouch. Lin almost gasped, "Well, I apologize, mom."

Mao facepalmed.

Silence broke out in thirty minutes. The teens were fast asleep in their rooms. Meanwhile, Mao walked to her room, immediately climbing on her bed. She propped up her pillow against the headrest, before lying down, her body instantly relaxing against the soft surface. Rei was on a night shift. Ever since his promotion as a manager, the frequency of night shifts drastically decreased. This is one of the rarest nights he is on a shift supervising. His absence created settled into her chest like a quiet kind of loneliness.

Nineteen years of marriage.

Mao gently shifted, scrolling through her phone. She dialed to Rei's number.

She anticipated for him to pick the call.

No response for a while. She sighed.

In the fraction of a second, the call was immediately connected.

His voice was audible, but he was just done talking to his assistant. Mao immediately gasped.

"Hey, uh, I am sorry. I had an argument with an employee," Rei chuckled. Mao's heart instantly softened.

"Are you able to manage?" he asked from the other end.

"Yes, I can. But I had enough of these kids," she chuckled.

"Well, they are like that, despite the fact that they are grown ups now," Rei mused.

"If you don't mind, shall we talk for a while? I need you."

"You haven't changed ever since childhood."

"I am still a lovestruck girl. And the reason is because I have a husband who makes me feel like that," her cheeks flushed a little.

Rei doesn't answer immediately.

From the other end, the chair shifted faintly against the floor, and a faint shuffle of paper. He exhales.

"Easy to say, huh?"

Mao smiled, curling the blanket closer to her, and giggled. "Because, it's true. I mean it."

Another pause. Not uncomfortable.

He asks again, "Did you finish dinner?"

"I did."

"On time?" his voice was laced with gentle concern.

She hesitates before answering again, "Maybe, I did on time."

"Mao."

"I ate," she insists, a quiet laugh followed. "You're starting to sound like me."

"Someone has to," Rei chuckled.

Mao gently turned to the side, repositioning herself a little. She rests the head more comfortably on the pillow.

"I'll be back before morning," he said.

"You say this everytime, but you don't," she teased.

"I'll come this time. I promise."

Mao paused briefly, then spoke again, "Then, I hope work doesn't get in the way."

There's no accusation in her voice. Just understanding. Years of it.

Rei leans back in his chair, closing his eyes briefly.

"I know."

Morning light doesn't rush in. It seeps. By the time Rei reaches home, the sky has already softened into pale gold, the world stretching alive in quiet motions.

He unlocks the door carefully. The house is still.

No clatter. No voices. Just the faint, lived-in silence of a place that hasn't quite begun its day.

He slips off his shoes, setting them aside without sound, and moves through the hallway with practiced ease.

Hu's door is half-open. Books scattered. Light still off.

Rin's room is closed. Undisturbed.

Good.

The bedroom door is slightly ajar. He saw what he exactly imagined to be. Soft morning sunlight streaks on her hair that curled loose on her face, the phone still held in her hand, with no firm grip.

For a minute, he just watched.

He crossed the room, gently took the phone from her hand and placed it aside, his fingers curling her jawline. He sits beside her and notices the tiny details.

The faint crease between her brows, long since relaxed.

The way her fingers still loosely curl around the phone.

The steady rhythm of her breathing.

Mao shifts slightly, instinctively moving closer into the space he occupies, even in sleep.

Rei stills.

Then, slowly, he adjusts the blanket around her shoulders, tucking it in just enough to keep the morning chill away.

His fingers hover for a moment near her face before he brushes a stray strand of hair aside.

Gentle. Familiar.

Rei leans back slightly, resting against the headboard. He has a lot of things waiting, but they can't take over the most precious thing in front of him.

Her.

After a while, Mao stirs. Her lashes fluttered, her brows knitting faintly as she blinks awake. For a moment, she looks disoriented, then her gaze lands on him.

Her eyes soften instantly, sleep still clinging to her voice.

"... Rei?"

"I'm back," he smiled.

"You said you would."

"I did."

Mao leans against him, resting her head lightly on his shoulder, as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

He lets her.

The silence returns. But this time, it's different.

"Go sleep," she murmurs.

"I will."

"You say that every time."

"And I mean it every time."

She huffs softly, eyes closing again. Rei glances down at her.

At the quiet, familiar weight of her presence.