Brief
The neon lights of Namba Avenue illuminated the bustling streets of Osaka, casting colorful reflections on the rain-slicked pavement. Among the crowds of shoppers and nightlife seekers, three familiar figures walked through the chaos—Kusanagi with his hands in his pockets, Shingo trotting eagerly beside him, and the lingering tension of a friend they hadn't seen in a while.
Shingo suddenly stopped, squinting through the crowd. "Kusanagi-san, isn't that Benimaru-san?"
Kyo glanced over, his expression shifting to mild annoyance. "Is he doing the same thing again?"
Shingo tilted his head, studying the distant figure sitting alone on a bench. "That's... a folk guitar."
Kyo approached, his footsteps heavy with purpose. "What are you doing, Benimaru? You don't seem to be looking at girls today..."
Shingo leaned in with genuine concern. "Are you alright? Is something making you sad?"
Benimaru didn't look up, his fingers lazily strumming a melancholic chord. That's a child's game. A true man loves solitude."
Kyo scoffed, nudging Benimaru's foot with his shoe. "If you like solitude so much, find an empty room. Not a place like this."
Shingo scratched his head, completely bewildered. "Kusanagi-san, why has he changed from his usual romantic attitude?"
Kyo smirked, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. "Because he spends the rest of the year being in love."
Shingo's eyes widened with sudden realization. "Maybe... he's saving himself for the right girl..."
Kyo let the silence linger for a moment before pressing further. "Benimaru, are you going to keep being a loner?"
Benimaru's fingers froze on the strings, his blue eyes narrowing with quiet irritation. "You think you know everything."
Kyo exhaled, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. "So that's what it was..."
Shingo suddenly gasped, pointing down the avenue. "Benimaru-san! There's a beautiful lady over there!" Shingo was practically vibrating with excitement.
Kyo tilted his head, studying the woman. "She looks too skinny in those clothes, but she has a nice bust."
Benimaru's head snapped toward them, his cheeks flushing a deep crimson. "Don't you two look at her like that!"
Kyo blinked, his smirk widening. "What, you're blushing, Benimaru?"
Shingo clapped his hands together with glee. "He said he'd give his heart if he ever fell in love with someone like her!"
Benimaru shot to his feet, his voice cracking with embarrassment. "Enough!"
But then the woman turned, her gaze drifting toward their group. Kyo nudged Benimaru's arm. "Benimaru, she... she turned around."
Shingo whispered, "She's coming this way."
Benimaru panicked, running a hand through his spiky blonde hair. "What should I do? I'm leaving—" He stumbled over his own feet, his usual composure completely shattered.
The woman approached with an elegant smile, her eyes sparkling under the neon lights. "Hello, marvelous."
Benimaru straightened immediately, flashing his signature model smile. "It's an honor."
The woman glanced past him, her gaze landing on Kyo. "I'm talking to the one in the uniform. How about we go to karaoke?"
Kyo blinked, then shrugged with a lazy grin. "Ah, it'd be my pleasure."
Benimaru's smile froze. His eye twitched. "Kyo, you're a bastard!"
Kyo waved dismissively, already walking away. "Ah, no, it's just that... I better go."
The neon lights of Namba Avenue flickered as Kyo disappeared into the crowd with Shingo, leaving Benimaru standing alone in the middle of the bustling street. His signature model smile slowly crumbled, replaced by a mix of disbelief and wounded pride.
A sudden laugh cut through his misery.
Benimaru's head snapped toward the sound, his blue eyes narrowing as he spotted User nearby, clearly amused by the entire spectacle. His cheeks, still flushed from the earlier embarrassment, darkened another shade.
"Huh? Hello there. What's the matter?" he said, his tone shifting from irritation to a strained politeness. He ran a hand through his blonde hair, trying to salvage what little dignity remained.
He let out a dramatic sigh, crossing his arms over his chest "Just forget what I said. I won't feel good about myself," *he muttered, his voice losing its usual confident flair. A self-deprecating smirk tugging at his lips. "Do you see all the dilemmas I have to face in my everyday life?"
