"Get in," said Leyon, opening the door to his apartment.

Hikari slowly limped inside barefoot, holding her pair of heels in one hand. She heard a soft click from behind as the door was closed. The light bulb flickered at least two times before the room was fully illuminated. Hikari scoured the room with her eyes, studying every detail she could possibly find. It didn't turn out to be either an extravagant room or an ordinary apartment room like she had expected. To think a person could survive living in a cramped place like this was beyond her level of comprehension.

The room was extremely tiny. The bedroom, the kitchen, the bathroom, as well as the living room were typically combined into a single space. On top of that, it was horrifyingly messy. The guy probably didn't care anything about hygiene. Was this person really Leyon?

There were clothes strewn all over the floor and on the bed. The room didn't even have any space for a chair. What seemed to be his school books were all jammed into a wooden shelf that also had clothes hung all over it. A person had to squeeze in to get between the bed and the wardrobe. Unwashed dishes, empty cups of instant noodles, and other packets of junk food were scattered on top of the kitchen counter. The dustbin was overflowing; it looked like the trash hadn't been taken out in ages. The room was slowly turning into a breeding ground for insects and other harmful bacteria.

Hikari almost wanted to gag at the awful stench that was lingering in the air. The smell of wet clothes mixed with dirty ones gave off an intense odour that would make anyone entering that room run away at the drop of a hat. But Hikari was different. Living with her alcoholic father for more than seventeen years had taught her a lesson or two about these things, so she wasn't at all intimidated by the horrible condition of his room. Instead, she sympathised with the unknown stranger. All those years, it seemed he had nobody to take care of him, nobody to rely on.

"Hey? Do you regret coming here? Want to go back?" Hikari heard the stranger ask. She immediately turned to look at him, and their eyes locked. Those eyes of his were so distant. Hikari then noticed something. Due to the bright light illuminating the room, she could see it even more clearly as she looked at him. There, running down the left side of his temple was a faint scar. There was no doubt about it. He must've gotten that scar from his encounter with her father back in the past. There was no way she could be wrong. But then, why was it that he looked so identical, yet so different from the Leyon in the past? Could she have mistaken him after all?

This person, no matter how many times Hikari looked at him, reminded her of Leyon but that cold, inexpressive gaze he held, looked and felt so different from her Leyon, who always used to smile whenever he saw her in the past. She did not recognise this person at all. Nevertheless, she was not going to give up, not until she fully confirmed his identity, not until she proved he was not the Leyon she was searching for.

Giving him a warm smile, Hikari tore her gaze away from him and stepped further inside, coming to the centre of his room. With the heels out of the way, her feet felt a lot lighter. Walking was a little difficult, but she was grateful that her ankle wasn't broken.

"Wait... Have we met before?"

Hikari stood frozen on the spot, hearing those words. Her heart beat rapidly inside her chest, and she fought back her thoughts from running wild. Was he Leyon? Did he recognise her? Did he remember her?

"Nevermind. It must be my imagination. Anyway, suit yourself," Hikari heard him say and her heart immediately dropped. She went and settled down on the floor at the small coffee table beside his bed. Right after she sat down, a loud growl erupted from her stomach.

"Are you hungry?" Leyon asked and Hikari immediately hid her face in shame. "I don't have anything good to offer you, but there might be some instant noodles in the kitchen. I'll go heat up the water for you."

Hikari watched him enter the kitchen. After all that time, why now? She scolded her stomach. It was true she hadn't eaten anything for the entire half of the day, so it was only natural for her body to give out such embarrassing signals now. But right in the presence of the person who she thought was Leyon, or rather, some heroic stranger who had saved her life? That was mortifying.

"You can go wash up in the bathroom. And I don't have any clean clothes to give you, so just wear whatever you're wearing," Hikari heard him shout from inside the kitchen.

It wouldn't be too bad to freshen up a bit though, thought Hikari, getting up to go to the bathroom. As for her clothes, there was nothing she could do. Even if he offered her some for the night, she was ready to politely decline. His extra-large jacket that was partly hanging on her shoulders was more than enough to get her through the night.

Hikari opened the room to his bathroom and switched on the light. Fortunately, the bathroom wasn't as messy as his main room. There was even a clean towel inside. Perhaps he wasn't that much of a dirty person like she thought he was. Maybe she was asking for too much. After all, he saved her from an unimaginable fate. She should be thankful to him instead of complaining about his horrible living condition. Moreover, it felt like he was the only person taking care of her after she came to this horrible city. Whether he was Leyon or not was not the main issue right now. He was a good person. And that's all that mattered.

"How's your ankle?" Leyon asked, seeing Hikari come out from the bathroom. "The noodles will get soggy if they become cold." What a weird girl... Why doesn't she say anything?

Leyon watched Hikari settle down opposite him at the coffee table. She was still wearing his jacket. At least, it was much better than that revealing potato sack she was wearing underneath. Now that she removed her makeup, she finally looked like a human. A long-haired, small-statured girl with childish features — girls like her weren't uncommon in the city. Maybe she was just as old as him, too. Wait, why am I curious about that? Leyon stopped his thoughts. She's a mere stranger I encountered on the street, nothing more, nothing less. And she'll be gone by tomorrow.

Leyon watched as the object of his attention slowly extended her hands and took the cup of noodles. Leyon could sense the hesitation in her eyes as he watched her. Why isn't she eating? Then realisation dawned on him.

"Right. I'll get you some ice... for your foot," said Leyon, looking down at her feet and then getting up.

Did he sense that I was uncomfortable eating in front of him? Hikari thought, turning to look at Leyon, who was getting her ice from the mini-fridge back in his kitchen. He's a really considerate person.

"Here's the icepack. Apply it for ten minutes. The injury doesn't seem too severe. You'll be able to walk without feeling pain tomorrow," said Leyon, dropping the bag of ice on the table without looking at Hikari.

Hikari smiled up at him to show her thanks, but he didn't seem to be looking at her. She slowly put her head down in disappointment.

Would it be too sudden if I asked him his name? Would he tell me if I asked?... But I need to know, Hikari thought. She then started searching for a nearby pen and paper to write down her questions. But unfortunately, she wasn't able to find any. The room was too messy for her to identify what was what at the moment. I guess I should just ask him later.

"I want to sleep now. After you're done with everything, turn off the lights," said Leyon, going to his wardrobe. Taking out a large blanket from there, he carelessly threw it on the floor next to the girl. "You can use this to sleep on the floor. I'm not giving you my bed."

That blanket would be more than enough for Hikari. She was more than pleased at his hospitality. He was kind enough to lend her a large blanket that was supposed to be used in the winter, but it would work well as a temporary mattress for now.

"I'm going to bed," said Leyon, climbing onto his bed. "Don't forget to turn off the lights. I don't want to raise the power bill," he added, settling down on his bed. He pulled up the covers to his chest and turned away from her.

Hikari could only watch him in silence from the back. Just looking at the rhythmic rise and fall of his body from his breathing was enough to fill her mind with a sense of assurance. He was a person she could trust. Although he seemed cold and uncaring on the outside, he treated her with respect. He might not have noticed it himself, but he was already showing a lot through his actions.

Hikari inwardly smiled at herself. Just what kind of person are you?

.

.

.

It was nine o'clock in the morning when Hikari woke up. Looking at the wall clock in the room and realising how late it was, she immediately jumped up in alarm; she had never woken up this late before. She quickly glanced over to the side to look at the bed, but it was empty.

Where did he go? The stranger was nowhere to be seen. Hikari felt her heart sink when she could not find him anywhere in the room. And here I thought of making him a nice breakfast to thank him for saving me. She sulked in disappointment.

Getting up, Hikari neatly rolled the large blanket and kept it to the side. She planted a few steps into the room before she stopped, a look of sheer astonishment crossing her features. Just like the guy had predicted the previous night, her foot wasn't hurting when she walked. There was still a slight pain when she tried to put more force into it, but other than that, everything seemed to be fine. Even the swelling had reduced drastically. Smiling at that, Hikari began to explore the tiny place, searching for any clues she could find about the guy.

What's that sticking on that door? Hikari went to take a closer look at it. Pasted on the door to the room was a small sticky note:

"I left the key on the table. Lock the door when you go out and put the key under the doormat that's outside the room."

Was this guy for real? Hikari screamed inside her head. Who keeps their key under a doormat? Wait. Who in their right mind trusts a stranger with his room key in the first place?

The more Hikari thought about it, the more she couldn't bring herself to explain what was going on inside that guy's mind. But then she realised this was a golden chance for her to do a thorough background check on him. If she could just snoop around here and there for a good five to ten minutes, she might just find the answer she was looking for. First, she could start from those disordered piles of books on that wooden shelf.

Names, names, names — Hikari was searching for the guy's name but she was having a hard time doing so. Considering how tall that guy was, his bookshelf was also installed at the same height as him, which made it difficult for Hikari to reach, but she would not give up.

Ugh, how frustrating. How can he not write his name on any of his books? What if someone steals it? Hikari thought. Her hands were busy rummaging through the shelf to find a book that had his name written on it. Speaking of stealing, was he not scared that I might steal all his money and run away? I can't believe he left his apartment to a mere stranger. He shouldn't be trusting me like this. She giggled to herself. But then again, what valuable things can I steal from a poor guy like him-

Her train of thought was interrupted when a giant textbook fell on top of her head, knocking her to the floor. She pouted, rubbing her aching head and then getting up. Serves me right for badmouthing my saviour behind his back. Hikari, you're so ungrateful. She then bent down to pick up the fallen textbook. But what she saw on the very front cover of the textbook made her stop dead in her tracks. The words almost knocked the air out of her. For a moment, she had to make sure she was properly breathing. She could feel her heart pounding hard inside her chest.

Written in blank ink and neat cursive writing on top of the cover was the name: Leyon.

.

.

.

When Leyon returned to his apartment that evening, he found his room insanely clean and tidy. His dirty clothes that had been lying all around the place had been thoroughly washed – including his jacket the girl had worn overnight – and were currently being dried out on the balcony. The bed was perfectly made; the kitchen was spotless; the floor looked like it had been swept and mopped; the trash had been taken out too. He did not come across even a single speck of dust inside the place.

The stray cat seemed to have left though, after transforming his room from a pigsty to a clean, cosy home.

What's up with that girl? Is she a maid?

It was only when he approached the bed to change his clothes that he spotted a soft drink on top of the table with a sticky note attached to it: "Thank you."