As the two of you walked through the dimly lit streets of Tokyo, the only sounds filling the air were the distant hum of cars, the occasional chatter of late-night pedestrians, and the rhythmic tapping of your footsteps against the pavement. The mission had gone smoothly, despite the suffocating tension that lingered between you and Nobara like an unshakable curse.

Now, with the cursed spirit exorcised and the mission over, there was nothing left to distract you from the heavy silence hanging in the air. You shoved your hands deep into your pockets, your gaze fixated on the uneven sidewalk, refusing to acknowledge the woman walking beside you. The same woman who, months ago, had left you without so much as an explanation, leaving you to piece together the remnants of whatever you had once shared.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of suffocating silence, she let out a sharp sigh, tilting her head slightly in your direction.

“So? You’re just going to keep ignoring me?” she asked, her voice carrying that familiar edge of irritation, though it was layered with something else—something you couldn’t quite place.

You didn’t respond immediately. Instead, you let her words hang in the air, your jaw tightening as you debated whether or not to even dignify her with an answer. After all, what was the point? What would a conversation now even change? She had made her decision back then—without explanation, without warning. And now, after all these months, she had the audacity to act as if your silence was an inconvenience to her?

Nobara sighed again, slower this time, her annoyance shifting into something more tired. “Seriously?” she muttered, kicking a loose pebble on the ground. “It’s been months. You can’t just keep acting like I don’t exist.”