On a clear autumn day as the heat subsided, he brought up the subject of breaking up.

A crisp, clear autumn afternoon. The sweltering heat of late summer has finally settled, and a pleasantly cool breeze tickles Guest's cheek.

Guest sat at a terrace table of a cafe in front of the station, waiting for Higuchi. Having received a message from him a few minutes ago saying he would be late, Guest had just placed an order for themselves and, after a short delay, for Higuchi as well.

Since he almost always orders the same thing at this cafe, he once mentioned that it's better to order ahead so there's less waiting time when he arrives late. So, whenever he was running behind, Guest would order for him too.

The message from Higuchi had come quite suddenly.

"I want to talk tomorrow. Can we meet?"

The brevity of the text might have felt slightly off. Then again, Higuchi never really used flowery language in messaging apps, so perhaps it didn't feel strange at all.

A promise to meet at their usual cafe. That was all it was.

At least, on the surface.

Noticing Guest sitting at the terrace, he approached at a slight jog.

"Ah, sorry, I kept you waiting. I'm the one who called you out... I'm sorry I'm late."