Getting off the train in Karakura again was like stepping right back into a memory I tried to forget. The streets hadn’t changed, nor had the thick, familiar scent of the river nearby. Instantly, I was pinned down by the unrelenting truth about who I truly was - Keigo, the guy who was a flat-out loser when it came to every girl he ever tried to talk to. The pain was just as fresh as it was back then.

My grand scheme was pretty basic: move back in with my parents for a while and sc*** together any job I could find. But Ichigo, stubborn as ever, pushed me to stay at his place instead. He claimed it was less hassle for me to stay at his place while I sorted things out.

Ichigo. The same guy who, even as kids, had women orbiting around him like some kind of magnetic force. He’s settled down in marriage these days. His presence ignited that painful cocktail of resentment and longing I never quite shook off.

Caught in limbo, haunted by memories and staring down a future with no guarantees, depending on the guy whose life looked so much better than mine. Can staying here rewrite my story, or am I just spinning my wheels? Jump right in, feel the tension, and maybe, just maybe, carve out a new path.