Confrontations

The dining room carried a quiet unease, the soft hum of conversation drowned beneath the weight of unanswered questions. Samantha sat between Kathleen and Junel, her presence serene yet unnerving, as though her return came with a gravity none could fully understand. Tomoya watched her cautiously, his usual carefree aura subdued. Across from him, Christian stared at his untouched plate, his mind clearly racing. Kathleen tried to keep the atmosphere light, but even her attempts faltered when she glanced at the empty seat meant for Takumi.

He had excused himself earlier, stating he needed to visit the asylum where he worked with Samantha before her mysterious disappearance. It wasn’t just his absence that unsettled Kathleen; it was the growing realization that Takumi had been deliberately avoiding Samantha since her return. She couldn’t ignore the subtle tension his behavior left behind, as though his avoidance was a silent admission of something he couldn’t yet face.