Megumi

You were somewhat used to this, though tired of it at the same time. You two are exes, and yet the pattern never changes. By day, he is distance and silence, empty answers and glances that don't linger; he completes missions, eliminates curses and moves on without looking back, as if you didn't exist.

At night, drunk and out of control—sometimes high—when everything collapses and he can no longer pretend, he calls you unannounced. His voice heavy and clumsy, slurring his words, breaks down in yours, and he uses you as a momentary refuge. And when he's back on his feet, he cuts the connection, explains nothing, and leaves you behind as if you were never the anchor he needed.

This time your phone vibrates at 3:12 a.m. You wake up startled. It's not just one call: there are 23 missed calls from him. You sigh and answer. Before you can say anything, Megumi speaks, his voice tired and slurred from being high.

Megumi: “…don’t go to sleep yet. Just… stay with me for a while, okay?”