Short Story: Towards The Light by Jun

This is a guest post by Jun. Please see the author’s links if you enjoyed this piece.

In the city at night, there are lights both familiar and unfamiliar.

Halfway down a narrow alley, a small shop stood as if cut out of the night.

Outside the shop, a solitary figure stood beside a motorbike. Was he about to go in. Was he simply looking at the menu. Or was he…

…just prolonging the end of the day a little.

Watching from a distance, I couldn’t tell. Yet, amidst that uncertainty, only the warmth of the shop and the person remained.

As I was walking through the city, I came across a massive building.

A white sign that stood out strikingly.An advertisement that seemed oblivious to the fact that the store was closing.

The two people standing in front of it looked as if they were gazing at the city—or perhaps it was the city that was gazing at them.

They stood side by side.

But that didn’t necessarily mean they were looking at the same thing.

Even when standing next to someone, we each spend the night in our own unique way.

There are nights when the words left unsaid linger in the heart longer than those that were spoken.

Looking back, I saw a lone figure crossing the vast space. The person didn’t seem to be in any particular hurry.

That said, it wasn’t as if there was no reason to hurry.

A brightly lit store lay ahead of the person, and the ground at their feet was bathed in soft light.

The street was plenty bright.

And yet, that person’s silhouette alone seemed to blend right into the night.

Perhaps when people walk, they aren’t necessarily heading toward a specific destination.

Maybe they’re doing it to organize their thoughts, or to calm their minds.

Sometimes, simply moving forward is the only thing one can do that night.

The city doesn’t erase loneliness. If anything, the city lights can even serve to highlight the fact that one is alone.

However, loneliness isn’t necessarily just the feeling of “being alone.”

It is also a time when one can simply stand there, being oneself—without needing to explain anything to anyone, and without trying to become any particular kind of person.

Through the glass, a warm glow fills the night.

Someone is sitting, someone is talking; they are carrying on with their evening.

Outside, two people walk side by side. They neither enter the shop nor stop.

They simply walk on.

There are lights in the city that make you want to stop in your tracks.

Yet there are also scenes you can only encounter by walking past them.

The night offers us no answers.

It simply continues to shine quietly beside those who keep walking.

And so, today too, some are heading home, whilst others keep walking.

Both are perfectly suited to the night in this town.

Jun is a writer and photographer with several written works and photos that you can find online at his substack here. Please be sure to check out his other work there if you enjoyed this piece.