Chapter 28: A Quiet Reality.

The world wasn't always loud. It wasn't always full of ridiculous antics, absurd misunderstandings, or exaggerated reactions.

Sometimes, life was just… quiet.

Kaoru sat at his desk, staring at the blank page of his sketchbook. He had spent the past hour just staring, waiting for inspiration to strike. It never did.

His room was dimly lit, the only sound being the soft ticking of the clock on the wall.

The silence was suffocating.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. His mind felt drained. Maybe it was the stress of constantly creating, the pressure to meet expectations, or just the weight of everything he had been bottling up.

For once, he didn't feel like drawing.

He closed his sketchbook and stood up, grabbing his coat before stepping out of his apartment.

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Scene 1 Action: The City at Night..

The cold breeze hit him as he walked through the quiet streets. It was late, and most shops had already closed. The usual lively energy of the city had settled into a calm, almost melancholic atmosphere.

Kaoru shoved his hands into his pockets and kept walking, letting his thoughts drift.

He passed by a small convenience store and stepped inside. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly as he grabbed a canned coffee from the fridge.

At the counter, the cashier barely looked up as they scanned the item. "Sir it's 150 yen."

Kaoru nodded, handing over the coins before stepping back outside. He popped open the can and took a sip, the bitterness grounding him.

He sat down on a bench near a park, watching the empty streets.

It was strange.

For someone constantly surrounded by chaos, he wasn't sure how to handle this kind of stillness.

Maybe… he didn't want to handle it.

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Scene 2 Action: Unspoken Weight.

Kaoru pulled out his phone, scrolling through old messages. His group chat with Takeshi, Emi, Kaede, and Naoki was filled with memes, jokes, and plans for their next hangout.

But despite the warmth of their friendship, there were still things he never really talked about.

Like how exhausting it was to always be working on something.

Like how, despite having friends, he still felt strangely alone sometimes.

Like how, even when surrounded by people, his thoughts never really quieted down.

He sighed and locked his phone.

He wasn't sad. Not exactly.

It was just… one of those nights.

The ones where everything felt heavier than usual.

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Scene 3.. Action: A Familiar Voice.

As he stared into the distance, a quiet voice broke the silence.

"…You look miserable."

Kaoru turned his head. Aya stood a few feet away, hands tucked into the pockets of her coat.

"…How long have you been standing there?" Kaoru asked.

Aya shrugged. "Long enough."

She sat down next to him, her presence surprisingly comforting in the quiet.

Kaoru took another sip of his coffee. "What are you doing out this late?"

Aya leaned back against the bench. "Could ask you the same thing."

Kaoru sighed. "Couldn't sleep."

Aya hummed. "Same."

They sat in silence for a while. No teasing, no banter. Just quiet understanding.

"…Do you ever feel like you're just… tired?" Kaoru muttered.

Aya didn't answer right away. She looked up at the sky, her breath visible in the cold air.

"…Yeah," she finally said. "All the time."

Kaoru exhaled. "Figured."

Aya glanced at him. "What's on your mind?"

Kaoru hesitated.

He wasn't sure how to put it into words.

But if there was anyone he could be honest with… it was Aya.

"…I feel like I'm running on autopilot," he admitted. "Like, no matter how much I draw, it's never enough. I keep pushing myself, but I don't even know why anymore."

Aya listened quietly.

Kaoru clenched his jaw. "And the worst part? Even when I do finish something, I don't feel proud of it. I just move on to the next thing. Like I'm chasing something I can't even see."

Aya stayed silent for a moment before speaking.

"…You're burnt out, Kaoru."

Kaoru let out a bitter chuckle. "Yeah. Probably."

Aya sighed. "You need to slow down."

Kaoru shook his head. "Can't afford to."

Aya frowned. "Why not?"

Kaoru stared at his half-empty can of coffee.

"…Because even if I stop, I'll have to think about everything I've been avoiding."

The words left his mouth before he could stop them.

Aya didn't immediately respond.

Instead, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small carton of milk. She stabbed a straw into it and took a sip.

"…You know," she said, "you don't have to figure everything out right away."

Kaoru scoffed. "Easy for you to say."

Aya gave him a look. "You do realize I deal with the same thing, right?"

Kaoru blinked.

Aya continued. "Deadlines. Expectations. Feeling like I'm never doing enough. Yeah. I get it."

Kaoru stayed quiet.

Aya sighed. "Look, I'm not gonna give you some inspirational speech or whatever. But… maybe, just for tonight, stop thinking about work. Stop overthinking about everything."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "And do what?"

Aya took another sip of her milk. "Just exist."

Kaoru blinked.

Just exist, huh?

For someone who spent every waking moment creating, the idea of doing nothing felt foreign.

But… maybe that's exactly what he needed.

He sighed, leaning back against the bench.

"…Yeah. Okay."

Aya smirked. "Good. Now shut up and drink your coffee."

Kaoru chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."

And so, they sat there in the quiet city, neither of them speaking.

For once, Kaoru wasn't thinking about deadlines, manga, or expectations.

Just the simple, fleeting moment of existing.

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Special Scene Action:A Brief Note from the Narrator.

(Narrator) Sometimes, life isn't about big, dramatic moments.

Sometimes, it's just about the quiet nights, the unspoken thoughts, and the people who understand you even when you don't say a word.

No jokes this time. No witty remarks.

Just a simple reminder that it's okay to slow down.

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End of Chapter twenty eight.