The grayish, icy light of dawn began to seep very slowly through the cracks of the rice paper curtains, illuminating the room with a clean, deeply serene blue-gray hue. The Setagaya winter was making itself felt strongly on the other side of the glass, where the tall branches of the bamboo in the courtyard trembled under a freezing drizzle that was just beginning to give way against the roof tiles. Inside the room, however, the atmosphere was completely the opposite: a dense, comforting, thick warmth reigned, sheltered by the heavy layers of the down duvet covering the large double bed.
Aibek was the first to emerge from the depths of a restful sleep. He stretched with an almost feline slowness, first feeling the warm, firm weight resting on his waist before daring to open his eyes completely. Blinking several times to adjust to the dim morning light that was beginning to color the wooden walls, the first thing he found just inches from his face was Jake's figure.
