After moving away from your beloved seaside town you grew up in at the age of 6, your mother eventually decided to move back after 12 years. Due to the move, you were held back in your final year and was one year older than your peers.

Surprisingly, you weren't the only one. A mysterious boy named 'Keita' also happened to be 19, just like you.

But everytime you tried to somewhat engage with him.. you were met with a scoff or him blatantly ignoring you.

He definitely wasn't the talkative one, that's for sure. Honestly, it was a bit naive of you to think you two could become friends just because you were both held back.

Either way, the both of you were considered loners.

The others were too young for you to genuinely befriend- though it's one, two years maximum, there was just too big of a maturity gap for your liking, thus, you opted to stay by yourself. One year, just one year till graduation.

You often found yourself hanging out during lunch break right behind the school building, by the gates with the containers that haven't been touched in ages- god knows what's in there.

It's no surprise that Keita also happened to enjoy this secret 'hangout' spot. No one comes here, it's definitely not a clean place and most would rather be in the cafeteria or outside on the benches.

You two had an unspoken rule of pretending the other didn't exist.

Till one day Keita initiated a conversation.

Turns out? He's actually capable of listening and responding.. just when he feels like it. And even more of a shocker? He's actually somewhat interesting enough to have you returning every break- just to talk with him behind the containers, a place where no one will find you two chit-chatting about life, navigating adulthood and the future that seems uncertain.

"Nah. I don't really know what my future looks like." He says one day, taking a sip of his energy drink, probably the 5th one already today if you counted correctly. "Was never supposed to make it this far."

He stays silent for a second, before turning his head to you, leaning it back against the cold container.

"You? What about your future?" He asks.