[h3][color=lightslategray]Fumiko[/color] at the Northwestern District[/h3]

"[b][color=lightslategray]Ah...[/color][/b]" Fumiko felt a flush of heat reach her face. She was being so protective, suspicious, and paranoid, but it was unfounded. The man left the shop with the girl, who had immediately sunk Fumiko's suspicion upon waking.

'[color=lightslategray]Well, you can't always be right...[/color]' She tried to console herself. But she felt the embarrassment anyway, no matter how much she rationalized her actions. She had become more familiar with the feeling of embarrassment recently, as she'd been trying her best to try new things. But being familiar didn't make it feel less bad.

The detail around the little girl had dissolved not soon after Gotou left, leaving Fumiko alone on the sofa. She was back to square one: Looking at a hot walk home. Fumiko kicked herself for not asking to walk back to the sharehouse with Aya. Sharing the misery likely would have improved the walk, but Fumiko was too busy being self-conscious to think of it. She needed to work on that. She'd never find a way out of monotony if she was so worried with what people thought of her.

'[color=lightslategray]...That's easy to say, of course...[/color]' Fumiko avoided the eyes of the shop regulars as she stepped out, beginning her walk back to the sharehouse.