The living room is quiet except for the TV. The remote rests on the low wooden table, just out of reach.
Uhyun's hand shoots out for the remote. Yumi's hand slaps over hers. "My turn!"
Uhyun stomps her foot. Yumi sticks out her tongue. Neither of them moves.
Later, Yumi drags her heavy notebook up the stairs. She slams her bedroom door. The picture frame on the wall rattles.
Uhyun sits outside the door. She hears pages flipping — flip, flip, flip — all afternoon.
Uhyun tiptoes to the kitchen. She fills the kettle and sets it on the stove. It whistles.
She pours hot water into a mug and drops in a tea bag. The water turns brown. She carries the warm mug down the hall.
Uhyun sets the mug on Yumi's desk. Yumi looks up from her notebook. She watches the steam curl upward.
"Thank you," Yumi says quietly. Uhyun sits on the edge of the bed and watches the tea steam.
Uhyun thinks about how long the quiet has been. She hopes the silence breaks soon.
The next morning, Uhyun reaches for the remote first. Yumi smiles and holds up the other half. "You can have it."
They turn on the TV together. The remote stays in the middle.