It was around ten in the morning on an ordinary day.
Draped in a loose robe, I sat alone in my room, staring blankly into space.
I had grown terribly sluggish lately.
I often dragged myself out of bed past ten, and sometimes noon would roll around without me bothering to put on proper clothes.
I would just sit there motionless in my robe for an hour or two.
My head was completely hollow—I had no desire to think about anything, and nothing came to mind anyway.
Just then, a light rustle of footsteps echoed from the courtyard outside.
The steps were soft and slow, creeping closer toward my door one by one.
Before long, a pair of eyes appeared behind the small glass pane of the door.
Someone was peeking inside.
Those eyes lingered for a long time before quietly pulling away.
I couldn’t be bothered to get up, so I remained frozen in place.
After a short pause, the eyes pressed back against the glass window once more.
I couldn’t sit still any longer as a sudden flutter rose from deep within my chest.
I stood up quietly and pulled the door open.
“Mom!” I gasped.