Building Connection

"Seki-sama, are you alright?" Nobu's voice cut through the cabin's quiet ambiance, breaking the silence between them. 

They sat across from each other in a private train compartment. The steady sound of the train wheels on the tracks created a calming background.

Nobu, dressed in a casual black jacket that hung loosely over his frame, observed Seki with concern.

She, too, wore a black jacket, but hers was more fitted and feminine, designed to be lighter. 

Her black hair was pulled back into a bun, held in place by a simple hairpin.

"I'm just thinking about things, Nobu-san," she sighed, staring at the window monitor with a distant, unfocused gaze.

The fake landscape sped past in a blur of colors, a digital illusion meant to lift the mood of the passengers.

But for her, it offered no comfort. Her mind was consumed by the weight of their recent failure.