Ashi stopped, her gaze caught on him.
For a brief moment, their eyes met...

hers soft, his unreadable.

She offered a quiet, polite nod—the kind you give a new neighbor.
He said nothing.
No reaction.

No nod.

No smile.

He simply turned away and walked back to the truck.

Ashi blinked, unsure if he hadn’t seen her… or just didn’t care.
She reached her door, stepped inside, dropped the groceries on the table, and slipped off her shoes.

Then she mumbled to herself,
“...How rude. Couldn’t he at least greet back?”

A box landed on the wooden floor with a heavy thud. Dust swirled around his boots as Haruv exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulder.

His new apartment was quiet—smaller than expected, a little too empty—but it would do.

He walked back out to the truck and grabbed another box.
A girl had passed by earlier. Looked straight at him.
Had nodded—like she knew him.

Haruv scoffed quietly under his breath.
“Why would I greet a stranger?” he thought. “Agh… these humans.”

He shoved the box a little harder than necessary onto the floor and kept going.

After nearly an hour, the sun had dipped behind the rooftops.
Haruv peeled off his jacket, wiped the sweat from his neck, and headed toward the bathroom.