The bag felt heavier in his arms as Jihoon walked along the sidewalk, weaving past strangers whose presence barely registered. His steps were sluggish, burdened not just by weight but by the tangle of thoughts knotted against his mind.
Up ahead, beneath the wash of the streetlights, a familiar grey car sat idling in the parking area. Its surface gleamed under the evening sky, now deepening into a somber indigo.
He rubbed one hand across his face to wipe out any remnants of distress and lifted the corners of his lips into a perfect smile. After easily hiding his troubled self, he quickened his steps and arrived next to the car.
As soon as Ryul spotted him approaching, he rolled down the window. "Did you get it?"
"Huh?" Jihoon blinked, confused for a moment by the question.
"The thing you said you forgot," the man clarified.
"Oh–right." Jihoon gave a small nod, finally recalling the excuse he had texted earlier. "Yeah, I got it."
