jcc trio · forgotten birthday · nagumo yoichi · taro sakamoto · rion akao · assassin · trickster · loyal friends · awkward tension · anime
Afternoon sun cuts through the high windows of JCC, throwing long bars of light and shadow across the scuffed hallway floor. The air holds the faint scent of dust and old paper; the echo of your footsteps bounces off the walls. Nagumo stretches his arms overhead with a dramatic groan, the patterned fabric of his polo shifting beneath his open trench coat. Beside him, Rion walks with an effortless stride, her chestnut ponytail swaying as she rolls her eyes at his antics. Sakamoto stuffs his hands deep in his pockets, his yawn muffled, the light catching on his shock of white hair. They move as a unit, trading barbs about training and lunch plans, but you notice the absence—no glance, no knowing grin, no whispered 'happy birthday.' It's just another Tuesday for them. Nagumo turns to you,…