The noise in the friends' meeting room was anything but quiet.

“And how’s it my fault if ye look like ye sucked on a lemon first thing this mornin’?!” Max crossed his arms with a grumble.

“Maybe if ye weren’t so bloody invasive, you’d understand what personal space means!” Taylor snapped back.

“Yuri, are ye hearin’ this shite?! He’s insultin’ me!” Max stuck his tongue out at Taylor, who immediately got up from the couch.

“Do that again and see if I don’t knock yer teeth in!”

Taylor stepped forward before Yuri slammed a hand against the door.

“For the love of God, would ye both shut up already?! Aren’t ye seein’ the bigger problem here?!” She rubbed her eyelids in frustration.

“What bigger problem?” Max looked over at her.

“The lad with the weird accent,” Taylor muttered before dropping back onto the couch.

“Liuk, ye eejits. I shouldn’t have let him leave that easily.” She rested one hand on her waist while scratching the side of her head with the other.

“Eh, too late now. He already left, and honestly he looked perfectly grand to me.” Taylor stretched himself across the couch again.

“Look, I don’t know anythin’. I just mind me own business.” Max lifted both hands defensively.

“The hell d’ye mean ye don’t... what are ye two even sayin’? What kinda friends are ye?!” Yuri raised her voice.

“The kind that wants nine hours of uninterrupted sleep. If yer that worried about him, then go after him. He gets those episodes all the time anyway. This ain’t the first one.” Taylor shrugged.

“He’s right, though. But today felt different. He was ramblin’ about oranges and... I dunno what else. Wasn’t really payin’ attention.” Max grabbed a snack from the table, sitting on the floor and eating like a raccoon digging through bins at 2 AM.

“Ye two do nothin’ but talk! I’m goin’ after him. He probably went home. And no fighting while I’m gone, or neither of ye are gettin’ strawberry slushies.” She huffed.

“Tsk... cruel woman,” Taylor mocked.

Then she left the room.

---

The front door opened.

Liuk stepped inside, taking off his trainers as a feminine voice greeted him.

“Home early. What happened? Had a fight?” the older girl asked.

“No... I was just thinkin’ too much and wanted some time alone to sort me head out,” he answered while heading toward his room.

“And ye’re not even gonna talk to yer sister about it? I’m always here if ye need someone to listen.” She laughed softly.

“I know that. But... if I left because I wanted to think alone, why would I tell ye?” He stopped at the doorway and turned toward her.

“Y’know, tryin’ to handle everythin’ alone usually wrecks ye more than gettin’ help does. Maybe I won’t fully understand ye. Maybe I’ll say somethin’ stupid. Maybe my help won’t change anythin’ at all. But isn’t that still less destructive than lockin’ yerself in yer room?” she replied, arms crossed while staring at him.

Liuk lowered his head. His pupils shifted nervously while sweat dripped from his forehead. Then he lifted his face again, fists half-clenched.

“It’s complicated. I need to figure this out on me own. Someone asked me to.”

“Hm... alright then.” She accepted it quietly.

“Wait... ye’re not gonna insist like ye always do?” His hands loosened again.

“Liuk, ye’re an adult now, and this isn’t the first time I’ve tried talkin’ to ye. Sometimes insistin’ too much on someone who doesn’t wanna listen gets more exhaustin’ than whatever they’re actually goin’ through.” She sighed. “And with ye, there’s been loads of times where I tried understandin’ ye and ye just ran into yer room with headphones on, studyin’ like some Leaving Cert gobshite.”

Liuk bit his lips, his voice rising.

“But I NEED to study! I’m not in university for nothin’! If my studying bothers ye that much, why didn’t ye just smash me computer or somethin’ so I’d give ye the attention ye apparently want so badly?!”

“Liuk, it’s not about attention. I already told ye, as yer sister I just wanna help, but ye treat my help like it’s some kinda threat!”

“Help?” He glanced at the nearby clock. “If ye really wanna help me so much, then shut up and let me deal with me own problems! Ye just called me an adult, didn’t ye? So if I’m such a grown man now... then let me handle this LIKE THE GROWN MAN I BECAME!”

“Liuk...” she started.

Then both of them heard an enormous crash coming from the kitchen.

Liuk froze instantly.

He started breathing through his mouth. His feet twitched rapidly like a frightened rabbit, his fingers twisting and squeezing themselves tight. His pupils stayed completely still as he stared at the floor before slowly covering his face with both hands.

“Ah... it was just the chicken package for dinner. It fell on the floor.” She laughed awkwardly while placing it back on the counter. “Liuk?”

She looked back at him.

He simply raised his head, exhaled shakily, then walked straight to his room, locking the door behind him without another word.

She stayed there in silence.

---

The flowers swayed once again with the wind.

Leon and his aunt stood in the garden outside the blond boy’s house, who was practically in pyjamas if not for the hoodie.

“Hope ye come back more often...” Leon said quietly.

“I will, darling,” she answered, gently caressing his cheek.

“Promise? Ye said it’d take ages.”

“Taking ages isn’t the same thing as never comin’ back. I’ll make it work.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead before stepping away.

They waved goodbye as she walked off the lawn.

Leon started heading back inside the house, but suddenly stopped halfway.

“Wait... that guy... I barely even know him and I...” He froze. “WAIT, DID I TELL HIM ME NAME?!”

Leon’s breathing became uneven. He dropped to his knees and pressed a hand against his chest.

Meanwhile, his aunt walked down the pavement with a much heavier look in her eyes.

“If that boy’s got bad intentions toward my nephew... then ye already know what could happen. Best I can do now is trust yer unbelievably stupid ability to spill important information.”

The first thunderclap of the incoming storm roared across the sky.