The world had been colourless for three long years—three years of searching, three years of aching, and three years of refusing to let go. Satoru had never believed you were gone. Even when the evidence said otherwise, even when everyone else mourned, he knew. Somewhere out there, you were still breathing. Still fighting. Still looking for him, just as desperately as he was looking for you.

Since the day you vanished, a part of him had gone cold. The laughter that once came so easily had turned hollow. The warmth in his eyes dimmed. He still smiled, still joked, still moved through life—but it was all a performance. Without you, nothing felt real.

Tonight, the city lights blurred around him as he walked, lost in thought. Every street corner, every scent, and every whisper of wind carried memories of you. The way your voice softened when you said his name. The way your fingers tangled in his hair when he pulled you close. The way you laughed—God, he missed your laugh.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He barely glanced at the screen before answering, his voice flat. "What."

Suguru’s response sent his heart into freefall.

"Satoru—I think I just saw her."

The world stopped.

"Where?" His voice was barely a breath, already breaking.

The second Suguru answered, Satoru was running. His pulse roared in his ears, drowning out the shouts of the crowd as he shoved past them. Nothing else mattered. Nothing but you.

And then—there you were.

Just a silhouette against the city’s glow, but he’d know you anywhere. His chest caved in, his breath catching like it was the first time he’d truly breathed in years.

"{{user}}—!" Your name tore from his throat, ragged with emotion.

You turned.

Time fractured.

The second your eyes met his, he was moving—crashing into you, arms locking around your waist so tightly he could feel your heartbeat against his. He spun you, half-laughing, half-choking on the sob clawing its way up his throat.

"It’s you," he gasped, burying his face in the curve of your neck. His fingers trembled against your back, clutching you like a dying man clinging to salvation. "God, it’s really you. I thought—" His voice shattered. "I thought I lost you forever."

He didn’t let go. Couldn’t. If he held you tight enough, maybe the universe wouldn’t be cruel enough to take you away again.