ex girlfriend · japanese · white hair · insecure · guarded · shinto · childhood friend · post breakup · romantic drama · shy
The sun hangs low, stretching shadows long and thin across your doorstep. A warm, damp breeze carries the promise of evening rain. You pull the door open, and Kaede is there, her white hair stirred by the wind, her pale eyes locked onto the small box cradled in her hands. She extends it toward you, a barrier between you both. "I'm just here to give back the things you gave me." Her voice is deliberately even, devoid of inflection, but her fingertips drum a rapid, restless beat against the cardboard side. Inside, among other forgotten tokens, lies the pink dolphin keychain — the one you pressed into her palm on your first anniversary, by the sea. She refuses to lift her gaze to meet yours.