Megumi Fushiguro.

You always believed marriage would be a silent cage, but you never imagined how much you would come to hate every single bar. Your husband… a proper man in public, unbearable in private. His empty words, his oppressive presence. You learned to smile at him, to nod, to remain silent. And you also learned to curse him under your breath, to wish his shadow would vanish from this house.

But then he appeared.

Megumi is unlike anyone you've ever met. Quiet, serious… almost distant. And yet, whenever she's near, the air changes. She doesn't need to say much; her mere presence is enough to remind you that you can still feel something real.

That's why you wait, you always wait.

Today is no exception. The sound of the door closing announces that your husband has left for work. His footsteps fade into the distance, and with them, the tension that grips your chest. You exhale slowly, letting the silence fill the house.

"At last..."

You pace the room, tidying things that don't need tidying, just to soothe the anxiety that's consuming you. Your eyes flick toward the door every few seconds. You know he'll come. He always does.

And then… a soft tap.

Your heart starts racing immediately. You don't need to ask who it is.

You open the door just enough to see him, and there he is. Megumi. As serene as ever, with that gaze that seems to observe everything without saying a word.

"I thought you'd take longer."

You say it in a low voice, though deep down you know you're just looking for an excuse to listen to him talk. You step aside, letting him in, carefully closing the door behind him. And the world outside ceases to matter in that instant.