The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful

Six

Eliza looked at Sebastian – as his arms were raised to pull the shutters down, the lower hem of his T-shirt rose along with his shoulders, and revealed a thin and lean belly with numerous unfamiliar and sexy lines carved on it. Eliza quietly averted her gaze.

Grabbing hold of the edge of the shutters, Sebastian pulled the shutters down in one swift motion. The shutters clanged down immediately, only stopping at Sebastian's lower waist. Lifting his feet, Sebastian stepped on the edge of the shutters, causing the shutters to be completely shut.

Sebastian didn't lock the shutters. Instead, he walked to the lamp and tugged at the light switch which was hanging in midair. With a loud crackle, the white ceiling lamp flickered on, the dim yellow light resembling a light bulb filled with fireflies.

The reddish glow of the setting sun shone through the gap between the curtains, dividing the room into two halves; one half consisted of a simple bed and wardrobe whilst the other half contained various tools and machinery lying around in a messy fashion, along with a slightly heady scent of oil.

As the window faced west, the room was extremely warm and stuffy. The moment one entered into the room, sweat would immediately seep out from one's skin, as though it were mushrooms sprouting from the mud after the rain.

Sebastian dragged the fan over and switched it to its maximum speed, causing Eliza to stagger from the force of the wind. Her hair whipped onto her neck, and the wisps of hair covered her sweaty skin like cobwebs. Upon seeing Eliza's flustered state, Sebastian snorted, "Are you made of paper?" Grabbing the kettle, he brought it to the tap and began filling it with water.

Eliza removed his guitar case and placed it on the table. She removed the wild strands of hair which were plastered on her face, and looked around curiously. There were numerous posters stuck on the walls. The paint on the walls had yellowed and cracked, clearly unable to withstand the test of time. Some parts had even swelled up, as though it was the skin of the elderly.

Sebastian took out a few packets of instant noodles, and asked Eliza, "Which do you prefer?"

Eliza quickly glanced at the available options before answering, "Sour and......sour and spicy...beef."

Sebastian towered over the table, tearing the plastic wrapper seasoning packets open with ease. Eliza went to his side and tried to help. However, just as she tore the sauce packet open and squeezed the sauce out, she accidentally stained her fingers with the sauce. Sebastian took one glance at her before grabbing a tissue and wrapping her finger in it. Pinching her finger, he rubbed it carefully before removing the tissue from her finger.

It was as though he was handling a child's hand – all nooks and crannies must be carefully wiped clean before the tissue could be thrown away.

Eliza raised her eyes to look at him.

Sebastian had already turned around to fill the instant noodles with hot water. After pouring the hot water into the cups, he quickly found two books and used them to press the lids of the instant noodle packets down. One of the books was a English textbook meant for students in Year 1 of High School. The cover had been torn off, and the characters in the book were conversing. – How old are you? – It's a secret.

Eliza looked at him, "You......" She had just begun enunciating when his dark, black gaze swiveled over and settled on her face. Eliza stiffened for a moment and stared at him for two seconds before continuing, "How old......are you?"

Sebastian's gaze remained fixed on Eliza's face. Coolly tossing the question back to her, he countered, "How old are you?"

"Six......teen."