The house was dark. And so, so quiet.
Everyone had gone home. Now, it was just Hatori and his memorial photographs.
He gently placed the picture of his father on the shelf next to his mother's and sighed into the silence. He didn't light any incense or offer any prayers.
All day, people had been buzzing around him, offering their condolences. He'd even spoken with some of them, but he couldn't remember a single thing that was said. The whole day seemed muffled and far away, like he'd been listening from another room.
But now he was alone.
The realization was so heavy he had to sit down. He was really alone.
As if his mind had shut down, he sat in the gloomy evening light and simply ceased to function.