chance encounter

7.

After silently cursing myself for speaking without thinking, I tried to find some new topics to talk about.
But to everyone's surprise, he was the one who spoke first.

"Perhaps... awkward?"

"Well? Ah... there are some..."
I'm the kind of person who wouldn't sit in the front row of a taxi alone, let alone strike up a conversation with someone.
"But I am truly grateful to you, and it just doesn't feel right not to say something..."

"Actually, I'm fine. As long as you're comfortable."
He smiled and glanced at the side mirror.
"Modern people, perhaps because the internet is so convenient, have developed some social anxiety."

"...Now that you mention it, it does seem to be true."
It seemed that because the awkwardness was brought up, it would deflate like a balloon being popped, and I even loosened my grip on my phone considerably.