I was on my way back from work when I bumped into him. I was standing in front of a busy intersection, waiting for the traffic light to turn green, when I saw him standing on the other side of the road. It was hard not to notice him. He towered over all the other people who were standing near him. He had grown even taller since the last time I saw him.

His hair was a little bit shorter now and I thought it suited him. He was wearing a black sweatshirt, which reminded me of all the sweaters I had stolen from him and ‘forgot’ to return. I chuckled silently. He turned his head slightly to look at his surroundings. His gaze was still as sharp as ever. He hadn’t noticed me yet.

I suddenly felt the urge to start a conversation with him and to congratulate him on his debut, but I knew it would be impossible. The last time we had spoken to each other was over a year ago. Yuto and I weren’t friends anymore, not even acquaintances. We were just strangers in passing now. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had stayed the same all this time or if he had changed. Did he still laugh at the same jokes? Did the same dark thoughts still haunt him at night?

Someone tugged on his sleeve and I was surprised to find a girl standing next to him. She stood on her toes to whisper something in his ear and he chuckled at whatever she had said. I wondered if that was his girlfriend, but my question was already answered when he slipped his hand into hers.

A bittersweet smile made its way onto my face, but I tried to suppress any feelings.

The traffic light finally turned green after what had seemed like an eternity. I moved my body forward, but my feet felt heavy for some reason. Maybe part of me wanted to look at him a little bit longer. Maybe part of me was scared of getting closer to him. Would he notice me? Should I just pretend I didn’t see him in the first place? I kept moving forward despite the internal struggle. I was surprised when he lifted his head and his gaze caught mine. I could see some sort of emotion flicker in his eyes, but it was hard for me to decipher what exactly it was. A gentle smile decorated his face and I smiled back at him without even thinking about it.

For a moment it was just him and me.

Memories flashed through my mind. I still remembered how his sharp gaze and soft smile made me fall for him. I recalled the first time he had asked me out, the moment he had asked me to be his girlfriend and the countless moments I had fallen asleep in his arms, but I also remembered the moment everything went downhill. After all this time I finally came to accept that we were both too young to fully understand what love was and that we had taken each other for granted. The soft smile that adorned his face reassured me that he had no ill feelings towards me and I made sure to show him I felt the same way.

The moment passed as quickly as it had come. We walked past each other without exchanging any words, but that little moment that we shared just now was enough for the both of us. It felt as if we were wishing each other the best in life. That was all I needed.

That was the strength I needed to walk away and not look back.