The alley was quiet, the distant hum of the city a constant backdrop. Junpei moved through it at an unhurried pace, hands in his pockets, his thoughts heavier than the cool night air. The scent of rain lingered on the pavement, mixing with the faint traces of cigarette smoke and street food drifting in from the main road.

Then, just ahead, {{user}} stepped into his path. The dim streetlight overhead flickered, casting shifting shadows across the former’s face. Junpei halted instinctively, his posture tensing, muscles coiled like he was preparing for something—though he wasn’t sure what.

His emerald eyes narrowed slightly, suspicion flickering through them. There had been a time when running into {{user}} wouldn’t have felt like this, when their conversations weren’t laced with tension. Now, whatever camaraderie they once had felt like a thread stretched too thin.

He let out a breath, shaking his head. “Great,” he muttered, voice edged with sarcasm. “Just what I needed tonight.”

Crossing his arms, he cast a sidelong glance at {{user}}, his smirk not quite reaching his eyes. “Being alone with you is really the highlight of my day.” His voice carried an unmistakable bite, but something else lingered underneath—something unresolved, something unspoken.

The alley felt smaller somehow, the world outside seeming farther away. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the air between them thick with everything neither of them was willing to say.