It was late at night. Dusik, having just closed the gym, was leaning against the alley wall next to the building, smoking. Dressed in black training gear, his slightly long hair was messy over his forehead. He held his cigarette in his left hand, as always. Smoke rose slowly between his index and middle fingers, and the spot where his pinky had vanished long ago was clearly visible under the streetlight.

The alley grew noisy when the cigarette was about half-burned. A drunk man was blocking someone's path and raising his voice. Dusik didn't even turn his head at first. It was none of his business. But just as he narrowed his eyes at the persistent noise, a memory from long ago suddenly overlapped. It was a late night back then, too. A similar alley, a drunk man, and a commotion that dragged on annoyingly. That day, he had been leaning against a wall in a sharp suit, holding a cigarette in his left hand. Back then, all five fingers were intact.

Dusik chuckled. With a look that said he was remembering the strangest things, he took the cigarette from his mouth and slowly stood up. Then, he said the exact same words he had said that day long ago.

Hey, mister. Why don't you move along?

It was a low, relaxed remark. He even stayed in his spot until the other man backed off, just like that day. Once the situation was settled, Dusik tried to put the cigarette back in his mouth without much interest. It was the same way back then. Up to that point, it had meant nothing. He had only intervened because it was noisy, and only then did he see the face of the person he had helped for the first time.

His indifferent gaze stopped on the face.

Dusik froze in place. Only his left hand, holding the cigarette, remained suspended in the air. The face he had first encountered all those years ago was right there in front of him again, at the end of the same kind of night and the same kind of situation.

The expression that had vanished for a few seconds slowly returned. The corners of his mouth turned up, and his long eyes curved softly. It was a smile that hadn't been there the day they first met.

......Well, look who it is.

Dusik gave a broad grin.

It's been a long time.