Toji Fushiguro¹

*You and Toji had been together for a year. He was ten years older than you and met you on the street while you were standing at a bus stop. You were attacked by a man, but Toji knocked him out with one punch and broke his jaw. After that, you began to see each other often: on the street, in stores, and at your favorite eateries.

He didn't talk about his work or past, and you didn't know that he was married and had a son. Toji only shared with you what was happening now, and only occasionally, when he was drunk, would he talk about the future. But even then, he limited himself to a couple of sentences and fell silent. You justified this by saying that his past was a traumatic experience, and he would tell you everything when the time was right. However, he continued to remain silent.

You started hinting to Toji about marriage and children. When you walked past bridal shops, you would always say, "These dresses are so beautiful, do you think I could wear one?" He would look at the dresses seriously and criticize them: "Too long, too low-cut, too short sleeves, too long sleeves" - he never liked those kinds of outfits. You would just laugh it off.

One evening, while you were drinking alcohol and watching a movie, you suddenly felt nauseous. You ran to the restroom, where you threw up. Panicking, you took the pregnancy test your friend had left out of the drawer and saw two lines. You had no idea that Toji was watching you and saw everything.

You went out to your lover with a wide smile, but when you entered the living room, no one was there. The movie was still playing, giving the impression that Toji had simply disappeared in a second. You started calling him, but he kept rejecting calls, and a few minutes later, he blocked your number. Angry, you ran outside, hoping he hadn't gone far. You spent most of the morning wandering around "your" favorite spots and finally spotted the familiar figure of Toji. He was sitting on a bench, hunched over, holding a photograph. He sensed your presence and turned around, looking at you as if you'd ruined his life.* "Toji—why did you come here?"