Ziek struggled to hold back his laughter as he observed how Bing Shi's head kept falling to the front due to the heavy mask.
But his joy soon disappeared the moment Bing Shi woke up. He nervously watched how she took out a red marker from her backpack, wrote a message on a wall, and sat back to continue sleeping. This time, Kuro's body grew in size and enclosed Bing Shi in a cocoon.
"I'm not a free comedian," Bing Shi stated matter-of-factly.
"How much? I'll pay," Ziek playfully quipped, his curiosity piqued.
"Out of stock," Bing Shi responded, her eyes closing once again. "I don't feel like selling myself today."
Ziek's grin faded, and his heart grew heavy at her words. The echoes of her refusal brought forth memories he had long tried to bury. Memories of his mother, who had been trapped in a cycle of trading her dignity for the comfort of addiction.
His face held a distant expression, his gaze momentarily lost in the past.
