Satoru walked along the bustling streets, his footsteps growing quieter with each passing moment as the groups of companions around him drifted away, creating an invisible gap. He couldn't help but notice how stark the contrast felt now. Just a while ago, he had been like them—walking beside someone, sharing the journey.
"So this is what it feels like to be alone again," he mused to himself, casting a brief glance at the laughing couples and groups around him. It wasn't unpleasant, but there was an undeniable hollowness in the quiet that followed his solitary footsteps.
"Enough of that," he thought, shaking his head as if to rid himself of the loneliness. "Better hurry home."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as his thoughts shifted. "Janne... it's been a few days since I last saw her. I wonder what she's been up to."
