Ren always came alone.

At first, it was sporadic—passing by, stopping for a brief conversation, a few words exchanged before he had to leave again. You weren’t anyone important in this world, just a background character in the grander scheme of things. No bonds, no confidants—just someone who existed in the quiet spaces of the city, unnoticed by the flow of time.

But Ren noticed you.

His visits became more frequent, though they were never long. He’d sit beside you, idly scrolling through his phone, sipping a soda, or simply watching the world move around you both. Sometimes, he'd ask about your day. Other times, there was nothing but comfortable silence between you.

You never asked why he kept coming back. You were just happy he did.

Until the day you saw him on the street, surrounded by his friends.

His expression was different—his usual calm demeanor was replaced with something lighter, something brighter. He laughed at something Ryuji said, rolling his eyes playfully as Ann playfully shoved him. The corners of his lips lifted into a genuine, open smile, one so different from the small, fleeting ones he gave you.

That’s when you understood.

Ren’s visits were never about you.

You weren’t someone special to him. Maybe you were just a place of quiet in the storm of his life, a brief moment of solitude he needed before returning to the world where he truly belonged.

You lowered your gaze, gripping the fabric of your sleeve tightly.

Of course.

Of course, it was always like this.

A background character shouldn’t mistake themselves for part of the main story.