Sako and Maya remained sitting in the park for a few minutes without either of them saying a word.

The silence between them felt different.

It wasn't awkward...

It was comforting.

Maya raised her head toward the sky.

"It looks like the rain is coming back."

Sako looked at the clouds.

"Probably."

Maya stood up.

"Then we'd better head back before it starts."

Sako picked up the grocery bags.

"I'll walk you home."

Maya looked at him in surprise.

"To my house?"

"Yes."

She smiled.

"Okay."

---

The two of them began walking through the quiet streets.

Maya talked about simple things.

Work.

Patients.

And some annoying employees at the P.S.A.

As for Sako...

He listened.

Every now and then, he answered with a few short words.

But for Maya...

That was enough.

After a while, she looked at him.

"You're carrying all those bags by yourself?"

Sako looked at her.

"I can handle it."

"I didn't say you couldn't."

She took a small bag from his hand.

"I'm just helping."

Sako looked at the bag in her hand.

"It's light."

"I know."

They continued walking side by side.

After a few moments, Maya spoke again.

"You know..."

"What?"

"I've never seen you buy bread before."

Sako stopped for a moment.

"...I like bread."

Maya smiled.

"I noticed."

Then she added,

"Maybe because you talked about it a lot when you were sick."

Sako looked at her.

"Did I say that?"

"Yes."

She laughed softly.

"You used to say the hospital bread was terrible."

There was a brief silence.

Then Sako said seriously,

"...It really was terrible."

Maya burst out laughing.

A moment later...

Sako laughed with her.

It was a small laugh.

Short.

But it was genuine.

---

A few minutes later...

They reached Sako's apartment building.

Maya stopped at the entrance.

"We're here."

Sako nodded.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For today."

Her smile softened.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you."

Then she looked at the grocery bags.

"And don't burn the house down."

Sako looked at her seriously.

"...I won't."

She raised an eyebrow.

"That doesn't reassure me."

Sako chuckled quietly.

Then Maya began walking away.

"See you later, Sako."

"See you."

She waved at him.

Then disappeared into the streets.

Sako remained standing there for a few moments...

Until she was completely out of sight.

Then he entered his apartment.

---

Maya's Apartment

A few minutes later...

Maya arrived at her apartment.

She opened the door and stepped inside.

Her home was small and quiet.

She closed the door behind her, placed her bag on the table, and took off her coat.

Then she sat down on the couch.

She took a deep breath.

She was thinking about Sako.

She remembered his laugh.

She placed a hand over her face for a moment.

"He actually laughed..."

She smiled.

Then she looked at her phone.

There was an old photo on the screen.

A picture of her with some of her colleagues from the P.S.A.

But she wasn't looking at the photo.

Her thoughts were somewhere else.

"Sako..."

She whispered his name.

Then she stood up and walked toward the kitchen.

She opened the refrigerator.

She stopped.

It was almost empty.

"I have nothing to eat."

She stood there silently for a few seconds.

Then she laughed to herself.

"I should've bought some groceries with him."

---

Meanwhile...

Sako was at home.

He turned on the stove.

He put the eggs into the pan.

Then he looked at the bread he had bought.

He stopped for a moment.

He remembered his mother.

Then he remembered Maya laughing as they walked home.

A small smile appeared on his face.

"What a strange day..."

He sat down in front of his meal.

Outside the window...

The rain began falling again.

But this time...

Sako didn't feel alone.