---
Something too big to be ignored.
---
Up ahead—
a billboard.
Tall.
Wide.
Blocking a portion of the sky.
An image of a woman.
Perfect lighting.
Flawless skin.
A calculated smile.
---
Sayaka.
---
The product in her hands wasn't important.
The only visible focus was her face.
Yuna's steps slowed.
Slightly.
Almost imperceptibly.
Then, finally stopped.
---
I stopped too.
Half a step ahead of her.
No sound for a few seconds.
Only the noise of passing vehicles.
Fading away.
Yuna didn't speak.
---
I looked back.
Her eyes were pointed upward.
Unblinking.
Unmoving.
Her expression...
Didn't change much.
But it was enough to understand.
Longing.
---
No smile.
No anger.
Just... silence.
That was enough.
---
I looked at the billboard once.
Not for long.
No need to.
The problem couldn't be erased.
Too big.
Too exposed.
---
Solution:
divert attention.
I shifted my position slightly.
One step to the side.
Line of sight, cut off.
Partially.
