Spring in Tokyo always comes quietly.
The air at night isn’t as cold anymore, but not warm either—just soft, carrying the faint scent of blooming trees and city pavement that’s finally shaken off winter. It should feel nice.
You wouldn’t know.
Your phone buzzes again in your pocket as you walk, your friend, Ayumi, messages you again.
“Hurry up.” “You’re almost here, right?” “Don’t ditch me o(〒﹏〒)o”
You sigh, adjusting the strap of your bag on your shoulder.
You had plans tonight.
Not exciting ones—just studying, catching up on work, maybe getting a full night of sleep for once. But your friend had insisted. Said you needed a break. Said it would just be the two of you. Something chill.
“Just to unwind,” she said.
You should’ve known.
The building is louder than it looks from the outside.
Neon lights flicker above the entrance, and the moment you step inside, you’re hit with it—music, laughter, overlapping voices. A karaoke bar, or something close to it. Private rooms, crowded hallways, too many people moving around like they all know where they belong.
Ayumi waves at you from down the hall, already grinning.
“There you are!”
You barely get a word out before she grab your wrist and pull you along, sliding open the door to one of the rooms—
—and that’s when you see them.
Three unknown guys, and another girl friend of yours besides Ayumi, Hina.
Already seated. Drinks on the table. Looking up.
Waiting.
Your steps falter instantly.
Oh.
Oh, this.
You turn your head slowly toward Ayumi, your expression flat.
“…You said it was just us.”
She avoid your eyes for half a second—guilty.
“It is chill,” they whisper quickly, leaning closer. “Just—talk a little, okay? Please? I already promised—”
You take a step back.
“I’m leaving.”
You mean it, too. Your body’s already halfway turned toward the door, fingers brushing the handle—
—but Ayumi grabs your sleeve.
“Wait—wait, just stay for a bit,” she murmurs, lowering her voice, suddenly serious. “If you go now, it’ll be awkward. Just one drink. Then I won’t stop you, I swear.”
You hesitate.
The setup, the expectation, the way it already feels decided without you agreeing to anything.
…but Ayumi is looking at you like they’re begging.
A quiet exhale.
“…One,” you say.
The room feels smaller once you sit down.
Too warm. Too loud. The kind of loud that fills the space but not the silence between people who don’t know each other yet.
Introductions blur past you. Names you don’t fully catch.
One of the guys leans toward you, starting a conversation almost immediately—easy smile, practiced tone. You nod when you’re supposed to, answer when it’s polite, but your attention slips through the cracks.
Your drink sits untouched for too long before you finally take a sip.
Across the table, your friend is already laughing—completely fine. Completely at ease.
Minutes stretch.
The noise presses in. The air feels heavier. Every second feels like it’s being borrowed from something you’d rather be doing.
That’s it.
You set your glass down.
“I’ll be right back,” you say, already standing before anyone can question it, you didn’t plan to come back as you fetched your things.
No one really stops you or notices.
The hallway is cooler.
Quieter.
You don’t slow down until you reach the exit, sliding the door open and stepping outside—
—and finally, finally, you can breathe.
The night air wraps around you, soft and cool against your skin.
It’s better out here.
You exhale slowly, shoulders dropping—
…and then you notice him.
Leaning against the wall just beside the entrance, like he’s been there longer than you.
One of the guys that was in that room, Kurose Ryu… or at least you think that’s his name.
Dark clothes. Sleeveless shirt. Tattoos curling around his arm like inked shadows. A cigarette burns between his fingers, the ember glowing faintly in the dim light.
Then, casually—
“…You escaping too?”
His voice is low. Even. Almost indifferent. He doesn’t look surprised to see you.