The bus fell into a heavy silence.
Not the normal kind of quiet that comes from exhaustion—but the kind that feels uncomfortable, thick, and shared by everyone at once.
The elderly woman stood still for a moment, holding her cane with both hands. She didn’t argue. She didn’t raise her voice. She simply looked at the young man, as if trying to understand what kind of person would say something like that so casually.
Then she stepped back slightly.
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