"You're just finished, too?" Toshiro slid off his headset, looking surprised to find Zhou just setting his down as well.

"Yeah." Zhou frowned. Seems a little odd. But it's probably nothing, he told himself, shaking it off.

"Hey, since it's just about lunchtime, you want to get some food again? We could go to the noodle restaurant."

"I'm not hungry." His stomach chose that moment to protest; his meals were scant and it wanted to take advantage of all the ones he could get.

Toshiro raised an eyebrow at the obvious growling sound. "Try again."

"I don't need your pity." When he saw Toshiro's expression shift to something indescribable — not exactly offense or displeasure, but pain nonetheless — Zhou almost regretted the harshness with which he said the words. Yet it was probably better that way.

Toshiro quickly schooled his expression back to something neutral, although he didn't seem to quite meet Zhou in the eye as he continued talking. "I don't pity you. You're pretty impressive, making it on your own when you're so young. If you really don't want to, though, that's fine. Just think of it as a friendly invitation."

Friendly. Odd concept, Zhou thought.

"Fine. But I'll be paying for myself this time." Hopefully he could spare it.

They sat at a quiet booth in the same restaurant, the soft ambience of conversation of other customers mingling with gentle clinks as chopsticks met china while they consumed the food. Then a bright ding interrupted the quiet.

"Oh! My headset got repaired sooner than I expected," Toshiro said, after briefly checking his notifications.

"Yours wasn't working earlier?" Zhou tilted his head, recalling what Toshiro had said in the gaming cafe.

"Yeah. A little strange, actually. It's pretty new, so I would've expected it to last longer without any problems." He chuckles.

"Do you... when you say it's new, do you happen to have the newest model?"

"Oh. Yeah, I do."

Zhou's eyes brightened. "Wow, that's so cool. With all the features? Like they were advertising the new, improved sensors, that can register even the tiniest movements, and the..."

Toshiro resisted smiling as Zhou continued listing elements. The kid was so glum and quiet most of the time, it was nice to see him excited about something. And just a headset, at that.

"I can only imagine what it'd be like," Zhou concluded his spiel wistfully.

"Have you never tried one of them?"

At this, Zhou's eyes shifted away, resigned. "No. I've only ever used the old, clunky models in the gaming cafe. But it's okay; it doesn't really matter."

Oh, right. This kid somehow survived on his own in a park. Of course he wouldn't have access to the expensive tech.

"You wanna give mine a go?"

"Really?" Zhou's face lit up again, in a rare smile. But then it fell. "Are you sure? I..."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Come on, I'll take you after we finish eating."

"Okay." Zhou wolfed down his meal, a stark contrast to the hesitant boy who'd first come to the restaurant thinking it was poisoned. It seemed out of excitement, sure, but also a little anxious, as if he feared Toshiro would take away the offer if he had too long to reconsider.

After they paid the bills, they set off on the walk back to Toshiro's apartment. Zhou was a bit more talkative than usual, still enthusiastic over the opportunity to try out the headset.

"Woah, that's the building you live in?" he exclaimed, examining the sleek modern build and its enormous size.

"Oh. Um, yeah."

"You must be rich," Zhou said, but he sounded almost sad.

Toshiro coughed. "I'm alright. Come on, let's go in; it's cold outside."

Zhou was taken aback by how the lobby of the building and elevators were decorated. "You are rich," he said, once they'd stepped into the elevator. "Why do you bother putting up with a poor little orphan kid like me? I don't belong here. I'm just getting the place dirty."

So that's why he had sounded sad earlier.

"Hey. Zhou, to be entirely honest, you're probably the most contact I've had with a real human since I moved here. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from; I don't plan to hurt you."

Zhou mumbled something incoherent in response. Toshiro looked over at him, but he ducked away from his glance. After turning over the phrase in his mind, Toshiro realized that the words might have been something like "thank you."