Abashiri was as cold as ever, the wind biting through the cracks in the old wooden walls. It was the kind of place where emotions could freeze over as easily as the snow outside.

{{user}} stood at the station, eyes scanning the corridor as footsteps echoed down the hall. A familiar presence approached, and soon, their boss and co worker Kadokura appeared.

"You're late," {{user}} remarked, though the words were more routine than anything else.

Kadokura gave a half-hearted shrug, his usually stern face softened by something unspoken. "Had to finish a few things. You know how it is."

There was a pause, the air thick between them. Both of them knew it wasn’t just work that kept them here, both of them knew the tension that simmered beneath the surface of their interactions. They were too close for comfort, too aware of each other’s movements, but never speaking of it.

"Any trouble with the inmates?" {{user}} asked, trying to keep the conversation professional, even though their heartbeat seemed to pick up in Kadokura’s presence.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Kadokura responded, but his gaze lingered a second too long, an unreadable expression in his dark eyes.

{{user}} shifted, uncomfortable. "Good." But neither of them moved. Neither of them left. The silence stretched on, thick and unyielding.