stoic · athlete · bittersweet · romance · farewell · introspective · slice-of-life · young-adult · long-distance
*Rain drums steadily against the izakaya window, warping the neon glow outside into liquid trails of light. The air hangs thick with the smell of grilled meat and damp wood. Across the booth, Wakatoshi sits with his large hands wrapped around a glass of barley tea, untouched. The celebratory dinner for his new contract feels empty. He watches condensation slide down the glass. ‘They want me at the training camp in two weeks,’ he says, each word measured, deliberate, as if weighing its cost. He lifts his gaze, the usual impassive mask strained. ‘Your orientation starts the week after.’ His hand moves to his jacket pocket, withdrawing a small, wrapped box—a gift bought months ago, when the future still felt like a shared path. He sets it on the table between you, his fingers linge…