Page 35

Ruki chuckled, looking away towards the other side of the booth seat. He raised his dark eyes with a small smile. “I guess so.”

Jun cocked his head as he grabbed another slice. “Is there something wrong about it?”

Ruki shook his head slowly. “I’m just worried.”

“About what?”

It took a while for Ruki to respond. When he did, he said, “That I won’t have time for anything else once I start the program.”

Jun’s fingers felt numb. He stood before the glass doors, not remembering when he’d walked up the steps. The chill of the glass called to him the way it had that night—the last time he heard Ruki’s voice through the phone.

“... Jun?”

Jun’s heart thundered in his ears. He’d been running around Paragon Industry’s labyrinth of halls, frantically hitting the call button a million times.

“Which room are you in?” Jun panted, catching his breath on his knees, squeezing the bento box between his arm and chest.

“Now’s not a good time.”

“It’s okay! I’ll just drop it off and leave it quickly–”

“Jun!” Ruki’s yell rang into his skull. “Please just leave!”

Jun almost dropped the bento and his stomach. His breath started to thin. “Wh-what? Why?”

“Just go! You can’t be here!” There was a sound like an exasperated sigh. Jun brought his hand to his mouth, covering tightly before a shuddering sob spilled out. “You have to go! Please don’t make me beg you! Please just go far away from here!”

“Ruki—” A dial tone buzzed into his ear. He stared at the phone. Ruki had hung up, leaving behind the home screen—a smiling photo of their friends in graduation robes, taken at Shawn’s house.

A chilled breeze sent a shiver down his spine, and Jun realized his forehead was pressed to the cool pane. He didn’t remember leaning into it.

The chill seeped through his skull, almost comforting as it flowed through his entire body. He let out a slow, hot breath fogging the surface.

His hooded eyes trailed up towards the dark hallway beyond the entrance. Emergency lights lit the way like tiny stars, guiding a path towards the end of the darkness.

“Jun.”

He closed his eyes, letting the cool surface soothe his puffy eyelids. He prayed no more tears would fall.

“I’m so sorry.”

He shivered, unsure if it was from the autumn wind or the sadness that burdened his entire being.

“If I had all the time in the world, I would talk to you forever.”

He bit his lip. The copper taste was still there from earlier. It didn’t hurt anymore. The pain was just numb.

“Will I see you again?”

His prayers went unanswered. A few drops streamed down again.

“If you do, I’ll atone for everything I’ve done.”

Jun shuddered. He opened his eyes to another blurry view of his reflection in the glass, with swollen, tear-stained dark eyes staring back at him.

A new thought crept in. Not a memory this time. A realization.

A promise.