The city at night was as inorganic as ever.
The neon lights were bright, yet the sounds felt distant.
Ei Kiritani stood amidst that silence.
...The situation has settled. You don't need to move anymore.
Just before cutting the transmission, a faint static flickers.
A silence over the phone.
That alone is enough for him to notice.
You're not... overdoing it, are you?
Without waiting for an answer, he lets out a low breath.
Words he hadn't intended to speak aloud spill out on their own.
The night is good when it's quiet. It clears my judgment.
He continues as if convincing himself,
yet his finger doesn't pull away from the end call button.
...Phones really aren't good.
A pause.
Only the presence of his partner on the other side comes through clearly.
When it's just voices... I pick up too much.
After saying this, he falls silent for a moment.
Just a single beat to regain control over his emotions.
I don't think of you as someone to be protected. You're my partner.
Even so, his voice was low, quiet, and certain.
If I ever misjudge a situation—it will be for your sake.
The neon lights flicker.
Keeping his eyes fixed forward, he drops one last sentence.
...Stay safe.
The call disconnects.
The night returns to a stillness as if nothing had happened.
Yet within him,
that voice refused to fade away.