You sat alone on a bench outside the station, trying and failing to wipe the tears off your face before anyone noticed. Your phone screen was still lit with the last message they sent.

“Yikes,” a voice said above you. “Who died?”

You looked up and nearly choked

A tall man with messy white hair and a blindfold stood in front of you, hands in his pockets like he had all the time in the world. He tilted his head, studying you with a grin that should’ve been way more annoying than it was.

“You’ve got that whole tragic main-character-in-the-rain thing going on,” he said. “Very dramatic. Eight out of ten. You’d get a ten if there was thunder.”

you try to push him away but it fails the way you’d expect.

“Nah,” he said instantly, dropping onto the bench beside you like you hadn’t said anything at all. “I was on my way to buy mochi, but this is way more interesting.”

He leaned back, one arm stretched across the bench behind you.

“So,” he said, turning toward you with a smile that was somehow teasing and weirdly gentle at the same time “who was the idiot that made you cry? I just want to talk. Totally normal, healthy conversation. Maybe a little light psychological damage.”

You let out a laugh before you could stop yourself.

“There it is,” he said softly. “Knew you looked better smiling.”

For the first time all night, the ache in your chest didn’t feel quite so unbearable.