he café door chimed as Yoru stepped inside.
The smell hit him first — warm bread, butter, and something faintly sweet. The air was a relief after the cold outside, but it also made him feel… out of place. Like walking into a stranger's home.
The girl from the park dropped her paper bag onto the counter and called toward the back.
"Two coffees!"
Yoru stood near the entrance, unsure if he should sit or wait. He wasn't sure why he followed her here in the first place. Maybe because it was easier than standing alone in a place he didn't understand.
She glanced back at him.
"You can sit, you know. I'm not gonna rob you."
He sat by the window, watching the street outside. The people walking by seemed… ordinary. Talking, laughing, carrying groceries. Nothing strange. But something about them felt too smooth, too… perfect, like a scene in a movie where the extras move just right.
The girl came over, placing a steaming cup in front of him.
"Here."
"Thanks," Yoru said quietly. He wrapped his hands around the cup, letting the heat sink in.
She sat across from him, chin resting on her hand. "So… what's your name?"
"Yoru."
"Yoru…" she repeated, like she was testing the sound. "I'm Rena."
They drank in silence for a moment. Rena didn't ask why he was out in the cold or where he came from, and he didn't offer anything. The quiet was almost comfortable — until it wasn't.
Because something felt wrong.
A man passed by the window. Tall, in a long coat. Yoru didn't think much of it until he saw the man's head turn, just slightly, in his direction.
Their eyes met for less than a second. But in that second, Yoru swore the man's pupils… weren't round. They were thin, sharp — like a snake's.
Then the man was gone.
Yoru blinked, his chest tightening. When he looked back at Rena, she was watching him carefully.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said quickly. Too quickly.
She didn't push, but her smile this time didn't quite reach her eyes.
They finished their drinks. Rena stood, pulling her coat tighter. "Come on. I'll show you around. Miyako isn't big, but it's… interesting."
Outside, the cold bit at his face again. They walked past rows of shops, most with handwritten signs in the windows. A few shopkeepers waved at Rena as they passed.
At the end of the street, there was a narrow alley. The wind seemed to rush through it harder than anywhere else. As they passed, Yoru felt something pull at him — not physically, but in the pit of his stomach, like he should go there.
Rena noticed he slowed. "Don't go down there," she said, her tone flat.
"Why?"
"Just… don't."
She started walking again, faster this time. Yoru followed, but glanced back once. The alley was empty. Completely empty.
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone — or something — had been standing there, watching.