You are my friend

"It does feel a bit different," Cynthia said, caressing her temple. Tian, now seated next to her, chuckled and shook his head. "It doesn't work instantly."

'Not again,' Cynthia sighed inwardly, closing her eyes in utter embarrassment. 'I've broken the record for embarrassing myself today.'

She managed to let out a chuckle. "Oh, I see."

Tian gave her a look, his eyes lighting up with pure delight as a comfortable silence fell between them.

"What do you have there?" Tian asked, his chin pointing at the paper bag beside her.

"Oh, yes. I completely forgot about this." She exclaimed, swiftly grabbing the bag and placing it on her lap. "My mom made some brownies today, and I thought maybe you'd like to taste them."

She untied the twine and opened the crumpled paper bag, releasing a rich, chocolaty aroma. Reaching inside, she pulled out a fudgy brownie, its cracked top glistening with crumbs clinging to the parchment paper.

"I hope you like them," she whispered, watching him take a bite of the brownie. His eyes widened slightly, a clear sign he was enjoying it.

"It's so tasty," he exclaimed, making her chuckle at his excitement. "I'm glad I brought a lot, so you can take some back home," she said, wrapping the brownies back in the paper bag.

"What a thoughtful friend I have," he said, nudging her shoulder. The tiny action made her grin.

"By the way, repeat that massaging order if the issue persists," he continued while finishing the brownie. Cynthia nodded with a short hum, hearts beating in sync as they thought about the next thing to say.

Feeling the growing anxiousness in her heart, Cynthia turned her head to look at Tian. Her lips pulled into a half-smile when she found him already looking at her.

"Would you like to walk around for a bit?" he suggested, and Cynthia agreed almost instantly. Anything was better than sitting here so awkwardly.

"Let me hold that," Tian said, taking the paper bag from her as they stood up and walked to the park's pathway, which encircled the park.

"Will you be at school tomorrow?" Tian asked.

"Yeah, I will. Anyway, it would be too lonely to stay home tomorrow," she replied, causing Tian's brow to furrow in confusion.

Seeing his expression, she explained, "My parents are both working. My mom's day off is Wednesday and my dad's is Saturday. So, I had my mom with me today."

"Oh, I see." Tian nodded thoughtfully. "It must be hard to find a day where all three of you are together then. Are you an only child?" he asked, genuinely wishing to know her better.

He wanted to know everything about her—her likes, her dislikes, her life at home, her problems, her life at school, what made her who she was. He just hoped his curiosity wouldn't seem too demanding.

Cynthia smiled, her expression turning slightly mocking, though her gaze dropped to the ground. It was almost like self-mockery that he saw flashing through her eyes.

"Yeah, it works for us that way. And yes, I'm the one and only creation of my parents," she said, her attempt to lighten the conversation not going unnoticed by him.

As they took a turn, Tian looked ahead. There wasn't much time left. "It's fine. Whenever you feel like you could handle another headache named 'younger sibling,' you can let me know. Aiko would be at your service."

"Aiko? Oh my god, your sister?" she asked, her shoulders shaking slightly with laughter. Tian nodded with a smile, his face softening with a fond look as he watched her.

He could tell something was wrong by the way she spoke about her family, but he understood it wasn't the right time for her to share everything.

'Not everyone is an oversharer like you,' his inner voice mocked him, causing him to close his eyes in sheer embarrassment.

Cynthia felt her phone vibrate and glanced down at the lit-up screen. "It's my mom's message," she informed him as they approached the park gate, knowing their time was almost up.

"She's calling me back for dinner," she added, trying her best to hide the disappointment gnawing at her heart.

Tian nodded, glancing at his wristwatch. 'It's already 8:30?' "Let's go then."

The walk towards their block was a short one as they discussed trivial things about their day. Finally, it was time for them to part ways. Cynthia turned to face him, and he followed suit.

"Thank you for this. Please let your mom know I absolutely loved the brownies," Tian said, lifting the paper bag.

Cynthia shook her head with a smile. "You don't have to thank me for anything, but yes, I'll let her know."

"Thank you for your technique though. What was it called? He Gu. It truly helped me a lot," she continued, her shoes tapping rapidly on the ground. The action ceased when she noticed him simply staring at her before bending down a bit, bringing their faces to the same level.

The sudden yet subtle pain on her forehead made her scrunch up her face at him. "Oww, why would you hit me?" she asked, looking up at him with an accusatory gaze as she gently rubbed her forehead.

Tian chuckled softly. "I merely flicked your forehead, Cynthia," he said, his velvety voice and the way he called her name making her heart thump. "Don't say thank you for something like this. You're my friend, and taking care of you is my responsibility."

He stopped, and honestly, Cynthia wasn't in a state to say anything as she observed his face up close, his words ringing in her head as she gulped.

"See you tomorrow then?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Cynthia whispered, her voice barely above a whisper as his gaze momentarily dropped to her lips before he stood up straight.

"Have a good night, Tian," Cynthia said hurriedly, turning towards the street that led to her house. She waved at him with a smile as she walked forward, and with one last peek at him, she took the turn.

Tian stood at the same spot, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. He ruffled his hair, his teeth biting his lower lip in an attempt to suppress his growing smile.

"Have a great night, Cynthia," he whispered to himself, and with that, he was on his way back to his house.