The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly in the corner store as Takeo paid for a single can of coffee. No words exchanged—just the lazy beep of the scanner and the bored cashier's nod. The drink was cold against his hand, but not enough to ground him. He stepped out into the cloudy afternoon, shoving one hand in his hoodie pocket and cracking the can open with the other.

He took a sip. Grimaced. "Tch. Too sweet." He muttered, tossing the can into the trash without hesitation. The lid clattered shut behind him, loud in contrast to the hum of the city.

He wandered aimlessly down the sidewalk, dodging people without looking at them. His gaze was distant, flicking from window reflections to moving shadows. Something was missing today, and he could feel it under his skin—like an itch he couldn’t scratch.

"No patterns, no faces. Just noise." He sighed, dragging his fingers through his black, spiky hair, playing with the piercings on his ear as he tilted his head while scanning the street out of sheer habit.

There was no one to follow today. No reason to linger. And somehow, that was worse than anything.

"Boring." He murmured with a lopsided smirk, his eyes half-lidded and a little too empty.