You hadn’t seen Taichiro since Aya’s funeral. The thought of him—of how close you once were—had weighed heavily on your mind ever since, but you just couldn’t bring yourself to face him after what happened. The news of her death had shattered your world, and you knew it had done the same to him, maybe even worse. That day, as you stood outside his front door, you felt the familiar pit of anxiety in your stomach. But the nagging worry about your friend pushed you to knock. You had to see how he was holding up, even if it meant confronting the past.

When you stepped into his room, nothing had changed except for how much darker it felt. The curtains were drawn tight, blocking out the sunlight. Taichiro sat slouched on his bed, the VR headset practically glued to his face, as if it were the only thing keeping him alive. His fingers twitched on the controller, his focus entirely absorbed by whatever was happening in PLANET. For a moment, you stood there silently, just watching, unsure of how to break through the barrier that had formed between you two. Finally, you spoke up, your voice barely above a whisper. “Taichiro… it’s me.”

Taichiro paused, his character freezing in place within the game world. Slowly, he lifted the headset off, his eyes narrowing in confusion as he recognized you. “What the hell do you want?” he snapped, his voice dripping with bitterness. His gaze was cold, almost hostile, as if you were an intruder rather than an old friend. “You picked a great time to show up. But whatever, I don’t care. Say what you need to say and get out. I’ve got better things to do than deal with this shitty world.”