Jia’s singing was a little over the place. She rushed some lines, missed others entirely, laughed at herself halfway through a chorus and tried again from the wrong verse. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop Mingshen from slipping into a dreamy mode. A little awkward, a little embarrassed, the melody hummed in the air, tangled with the echo of her laughter. It filled the small karaoke room in a way that felt oddly intimate, as if the walls had leaned closer to listen.

Finishing one song, Jia exhaled dramatically and dropped back onto the couch beside him.

"That was terrible," she declared, cheeks faintly flushed. "No way can it be compared to yours!"

Mingshen looked like the trance finally fell apart and he said, "One more song!"

"Really? You want to hear my messed up lyrics?" She scratched her chin.

"Spicy’s song was way better than mine! I want to hear from you more."

"Okay, now you are definitely pulling my leg," she rolled her eyes.

Nevertheless, the playlist scrolled on its own, unfamiliar titles flickering past the screen. The room smelled faintly of something sugary from the drinks they had ordered earlier. Mingshen picked up his glass, realized it was empty and set it down again without drinking. He hadn’t noticed when it had happened.

Jia leaned forward to choose another song, one knee tucked beneath her. The hem of her sleeve brushed past his wrist as she reached for the remote, the contact lingering just a second longer than necessary. Mingshen felt it like a small ripple where there had been stillness.

When the music started again, it was slower this time. Jia sang more carefully, as if actively listening to herself and carrying herself with the rhythm’s pace. The lights dimmed on their own, casting soft colors across her face - blue, then violet, then red and then a muted gold. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Mingshen watched her little movements - the way her lips tugged at the corner, how her fingers tapped back and forth on the mic, how her body swayed along the light’s direction, how her eyes glimmered with the high notes. He watched her without quite meaning to. He had seen her like this before, relaxed and unguarded, but something about tonight made the familiar feel newly...different.

It’s nothing, he thought. It’s just the music. Or probably this whole karaoke experience is doing something funny in my chest.

Chest...

He placed his hand over his chest, feeling the drums of his erratic heart again. These weren’t the kind of heartbeats he was used to hearing to as a doctor.

My chest feels oddly tight...Is my shirt a size smaller by any chance? He pondered.

He tried to tell himself it was nothing. Just a different vibe. A different air. But when Jia glanced at him mid-verse, eyes flickering with uncertainty if she was making a fool of herself by her odd singing, he realized he wanted her to keep looking.

"Why are you staring?" She faltered on a note, his serious gaze strangely making her feel more nervous. "Am I not singing it right?"

"Hm? You are. Go on."

"O-Okay," she cleared her throat.

When she finished, the room fell quiet except for the soft hum of the system. Jia didn’t immediately queue the next track, instead popped in a piece of the salad much to her distaste.

I miss my fries, she sobbed.

She leaned back, head tipping against the wall, eyes half-closed.

"My throat is super tired," she said. "You sing now."

"I want to hear your singing."

She said, opening one eye. "I embarrassed myself enough for both of us. Wait, don’t tell me...are you recording my not so flawless singing? Is that why you are so adamant?"

"When did you see me take my phone out? These uncalled accusations hurt me Spicy!" He faked a dramatic tear.

"Yes, yes, princess, my bad. I forgot how I shouldn’t bully you..." she mumbled, then got struck by an idea. "Ooo! How about we dance? We will just slay with our moves this time."

Charged up with a renewed energy this time, Jia grabbed the tab back and scrolled through the songs with a grin. She selected one cheerful, beaty kind of music.

"Come, come!"

Jia grabbed his arm to which he stared at for a long moment. His hand went to his chest again, feeling the "chaoticness" of his heartbeats grow wilder. He didn’t know when but his legs pulled toward the center. His hands were breezily held by Jia’s as her feet tuned into the music beats.

"Come on, move your feet. This song is really catchy!"

Yet Mingshen only remained still, watching her body grooving to the song and the sound of her laughter filling the small space between them. He simply stared at the little joyful changes in her expressions.

Jia held his hands and stepped farther away before pulling her back against his chest and twirling around herself, her fingers locked against his.

"Oof, come on, match my pace. Have you always danced prim and proper and never unhinged? It’s more fun when the dance doesn’t have any steps~"

Thinking about a particular memory, he raised his hand, slowly reaching out to hover over her face. Then the small distance faded away too as her cheek rested against his palm.

The next song began but Jia had unconsciously stopped dancing.

"...W-What is it? Is there something on my face?"

"I remember."

"Hm? Remember what?"

Remember how hopeless you looked the evening of the reunion party. Locked up in your room, miserable and stuck in the past. Afraid that you were at a point of no return.

Mingshen hated to see her like that. He hated the tears in her eyes. He hated to know that there was something in this world powerful enough to drag her down with its nauseous weight.

But now...at this moment, she was cheerful, singing and dancing. He didn’t know how much of her past and its effect had she shed away from herself and her sense of worth. But she was surely reaching there. A place where she wouldn’t let her parents’ actions overshadow her identity and path.

This time, he stepped closer, their chests almost touching and his shadow completely consuming hers.

"You look pretty when you laugh."