Juq-494

"I’m fine, Yuki-san," Kenji lied, though the dark circles under his eyes told a different story. He had thrown himself into work to forget the void left by his mentor, but lately, the void seemed to be staring back.

"Kenji-kun," she said, her voice soft but cutting through the din of the restaurant. She poured him another glass of shochu. "You’re working too hard. Takeshi would have scolded you for neglecting your health." JUQ-494

After dinner, the rain showed no sign of stopping. Yuki insisted he come back to the Tanaka house to pick up a few boxes of books his mentor had left him. "They are just gathering dust in the study," she insisted. "I’m fine, Yuki-san," Kenji lied, though the dark

The rain outside the izakaya window was relentless, blurring the neon lights of the city into smears of red and blue. Kenji sat across from Mrs. Yuki, the wife of his former mentor, Mr. Tanaka. It had been three years since the funeral, yet Yuki still wore a subtle air of melancholy, like a flower preserved in ice. She poured him another glass of shochu