Do you want to harm yourself so badly?

Rain exhaled before he opened the door to Lyre's room. He didn't sleep a wink last night, and yet here he was, going into the sheep's pen.

"Lyre, are you awake?" He peered into the room.

Rain frowned when he noticed the empty bed. Instinctively, his eyes went to the window.

And seeing that it was still closed, he exhaled in relief.

"Thank the stars." He said as he fully wandered into the room. "Lyre, where are you?" He asked as he strode towards the closet, to check if he was probably hiding in there.

And when he didn't see Lyre, he decided to check the bathroom.

"Lyre?" He called out as he knocked on the door of the bathroom, and when he got no reply, he opened the door, only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight in front of him.

Last night, Lyre resolved it will be better to sleep in his natural habitat.

And right then, he was sleeping with his head inside the water, and his bare legs up on the side of the bath.

"Lyre!" Rain screamed so loud, it chased the birds in the nearby trees away. And it was enough to wake his family, who were having a blissful sleep.

Screaming at the top of his lungs, he rushed to the bath.

"Lyre?" He called out as he carried him out of the bath.

Rain's heart was beating miles a minute, and he was shedding tears.

It was as if a dam broke open and refused to close.

"Lyre?" He touched Lyre's surprisingly warm face.

Unlike last night, Rain wasn't bothered about Lyre's nude state.

He was mostly afraid of losing Lyre.

Lyre slowly opened his eyes when the howl became much.

He blinked a bit when he noticed Rain.

"Lyre?" Rain was shocked when he felt Lyre stir.

To say he was stunned will be an understatement.

Lyre squinted once more as he tried to understand what had just happened.

He was perturbed by the expression on Rain's face. He looked like he was crying, and that made Lyre confused.

"Lyre?" Rain touched Lyre's face. "Are you okay, Lyre?"

Lyre squinted again as he sought to make sense of the question. He just couldn't understand why he was being asked if he was okay.

Last he checked, he was only sleeping in his natural habitat. There was nothing wrong with that.

"Lyre?" Rain touched Lyre's face as he attempted to confirm that Lyre was indeed okay.

"What's wrong?" Lyre slowly asked as he peered into Rain's eyes.

"What were you doing in the bath? Do you want to kill yourself so badly that you attempt suicide?

Are you having—"

"What happened?" Lyre tried to rise from the floor, but Rain's hand on him prevented him from doing just that.

"What happened? You almost drowned yourself in the bath, and you are asking what happened. Do you intend to kill yourself so bad you will do anything to achieve your goals?" Rain's heart was still thumping so fast, he was afraid it probably won't stop thumping.

His actions confused Lyre, who doesn't still understand why he was acting as if sleeping in the water is strange.

"No, that's not—"

"Please don't do something like that. You scared me." Rain hugged Lyre. "don't do this again, Lyre. If you ever have a problem in the future, please let me know."

Lyre nodded since there was nothing else he knows he can do.

"Good." Rain sniffed as he hugged him tighter.

They stayed there for a long time, with Rain trying so hard to hide his emotions. There was no way he can show Lyre just how concerned he was for his health.

A knock on the door brought them back to the present.

"Who's there?" Rain called out as he tried to shield Lyre's body.

"It's me." The mother answered as she wondered what Rain was doing in Lyre's room so early in the morning.

This was so unlike his son, who doesn't trouble himself with anything that doesn't concern him.

Rain was fond of not paying attention to people he deemed insignificant.

There was no way he could trouble himself with Lyre.

"You are taking Lyre to the mall today. Don't forget." She finally said when she got no response from him.

"I won't." Rain assures her.

"Okay."

Sighing, the mom sauntered out of the room, with her mind trying to make sense of the change in Rain.

It was so unusual to see Rain interested in others.

"Let's go. Mom might return if you don't—"

Rain's words hooked in his throat when his eyes finally took in Lyre's naked form.

Earlier, he was too distressed about him to pay attention to anything else.

His cheeks immediately turned red as he hastily rose from the floor, and turned his back to Lyre.

"Go and dress in your room. I will be out in a few."

"What's wrong?" Lyre slowly rose from the floor.

"Nothing. I just need to sort things out. Go ahead, I will be out in a few."

Lyre wanted to ask more but decided to keep his opinions to himself.

If Rain doesn't want to tell him why he was acting odd, he figured it was better to let things be.

Lyre walked out of the bathroom, while Rain stayed in there to calm his racing heartbeat.

And he didn't leave until he was certain Lyre was already dressed.

"Why didn't you wear the clothes I brought out for you last night?" Rain furrowed his brows at the clothes, which were still in the same position he kept as last night.

Lyre's bed doesn't even look like something that was slept in.

"I—"

Lyre shook his head.

He wanted to tell Rain that he slept in the bath, but he figured it will be better if he keeps that titbit of knowledge to himself.

There was no way he will willingly cause Rain to shed more tears.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Lyre turned his back to Rain as he took the clothes from the bed.

"You are now using my words on me, right?" Rain furrowed his brows as he watched the pretty merman.

Lyre turned but never said a word.