Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting long streaks of light across Reiji's bedroom.
His eyes were already open.
He had been awake for several minutes, staring silently at the ceiling.
The events from two nights ago replayed themselves over and over inside his mind.
The alley. Aoi Tachibana. The silver artifact.
Her knowing smile.
"..."
Reiji slowly closed his eyes.
He wasn't replaying the conversation because he regretted accepting her proposal.
He was replaying it because he wanted to understand where he had failed.
No where he had become careless.
"I became predictable..."
That was his first mistake. Every night he left the house at almost the same time.
Every morning he returned before sunrise.
Every single time he used the same shortcut.
The same alley. The same route.
He had unknowingly created a pattern.
Patterns were dangerous. Patterns could be observed. Patterns could be exploited.
Reiji slowly sat up. "The second mistake..."
