silence.....

A chip crunches. Loud in the silence.

Someone coughs. Probably Junpei.

Sota doesn't look up. Neither does Ryota.

Pages turn. Slowly. One by one. Different manga. Different stacks.

The fan ticks in the corner. Old. Wobbling. Steady.

Ryota shifts. Scratches his arm. Reaches into the bag. Pulls out two chips. Eats them like it's a ritual.

Junpei flips to a new volume. Doesn't finish the last one. Doesn't need to.

Sota grins. Brief. It's gone before anyone notices. But maybe they did.

No one talks.

There's no need to.

A chair creaks.

Outside, a dog barks. Then nothing.

More chips.

More flipping.

More breathing.

Time doesn't feel real here. The clock ticks, but no one listens.

Junpei makes a weird sound. A laugh? Maybe. Ryota snorts. Not sure if it's at the same thing. Doesn't matter.

It smells like old tatami and pencil lead. Someone's phone buzzes once. No one grabs it.

Shoes sit at the entrance. Piled carelessly.

A wrapper crinkles. Then silence again.