Satoru stands beneath the old bridge, hands shoved in his pockets, a lollipop lazily rolling between his teeth. The air smells like rain, though the ground is still dry. Above him, a train rumbles by, its wheels clanking against the tracks.

This is their place. It has been for years.

Even after everything, even after he left, this spot remained untouched by the weight of their choices.

Suguru always came.

No matter how much blood stained his hands, no matter how far he strayed from the ideals they once shared, he never broke their silent agreement.

Until today.

Satoru glances at his phone. Nothing. He shifts his weight, scoffing at himself for even checking. Suguru never texts first. He’s always just there, stepping out of the shadows with that knowing smirk, his presence steady in a way Satoru could never explain.

But now—

Minutes turn into an hour. The sun sinks lower. The lollipop in his mouth has long since lost its flavor.

A bitter taste settles in his throat.

Something’s wrong.

Suguru isn’t late. He’s either here, or he’s not coming at all.

And that thought, more than anything, unsettles him.

His fingers tighten around his phone, hesitating for the first time in years. Because if he calls and Suguru doesn’t pick up—

Then this really is the end.

The thought is unbearable.

So he doesn’t call.

Instead, Satoru turns on his heel and walks away, his chest hollow, the ghost of Suguru’s voice lingering in his mind.

For the first time, their meeting place feels empty.

For the first time, he feels alone.