"Ash? Ash?"
Ash, who was slumped over the dining table, was nudged twice. He moaned a bit, rubbed his eyes, and sat up to see two familiar young men sitting beside him. The one on the left looked decent but was dressed simply, clearly a die-hard homebody; the one on the right, dressed smartly, had deep dark circles and a prominent scar on his neck, looking somewhat alarming.
"Just graduated a few years ago, and you pass out after a little Qing Beer?" the homebody said with a laugh and tears: "You should drink at the kids' table!"
"Ash pulled an all-nighter at work last night and continued working today. It's normal to fall asleep after coming here right after work." The one with dark circles said: "If you really can't keep up, then sleep a while before waking up to toast."
As his consciousness gradually returned to his body, it felt like the clogging eye gunk and ear wax suddenly melted, drowning Ash's senses in bright colors and noisy sounds.
