"I'm home!"

Yūma, a twenty-one-year-old student, stepped into the house.
It was a small two-story home in a quiet district of Kyoto, with a wooden veranda and sliding shōji doors. In the yard stood an old cherry tree, its branches reaching toward his room and peeking through the window.

Yūma lived here together with his grandmother. She was the one who took care of the house, and him since he was a child.

He climbed the stairs to the second floor and entered his room. Sitting at his desk, he pulled out a diary and began to write.

Thursday, November 26. How many times have I written down my thoughts in this thing now? Five? Six? Doesn't matter. I went to university. In the Software Engineering class, we have group work. My group is building a web app to track student grades. Ironically, I'm the one doing 80% of the work. They "brainstorm," I write the code. I don't mind, honestly, it's faster this way, and I don't have to sit through endless arguments about frameworks. Still, it annoys me when they complain about deadlines but don't touch the repository. I just keep my mouth shut. Less drama.

Today, I spoke with only one person. That should be a plus, but lately I've realized the only reason I started keeping a diary is that I have no one to share my thoughts with. I guess that's proof I feel lonely. But what can I do? I chose this path myself. Additionally, I've heard that people who don't speak up often lose confidence in their communication skills. Well... At least I play multiplayer games from time to time, which is better than nothing, I guess.

Tomorrow is another club activity. Yeah, it isn't mandatory, but my grandmother asked me to attend. She wants me to find friends. I don't want to upset her after all.

Yūma closed the diary, played some games, and went to sleep.

The next day at university, Yūma behaved as always quietly, trying not to draw attention. Not that anyone really thought much about him anyway. He was used to the constant talking about him, "Why does he talk so little?" since his high school years, and had learned to ignore it all.

At lunch, he pulled out the snack he had bought that morning, staying on campus. Heavy rain outside kept him from eating where he usually did.

The class buzzed with chatter and laughter. Some students discussed the latest manga, while others compared test scores, and still others joked about random things.

But the voices that reached him the clearest were those of the three closest to him. It was the trio of best friends.

Subaru Takamine, a tall boy, sat surrounded by two girls, Riko Fujisaki and Yuna Kirigaya. Their laughter mixed with quiet whispers, and every glance they shared revealed a natural closeness. That trio was like a world of its own within the class. A world Yūma didn't belong to. A world he didn't even want to belong to.

I wonder... will I ever be able to trust people?

Yūma turned his gaze toward the window, where heavy raindrops drummed against the glass.

To talk freely without thinking about anything? Will I regret the time I spent avoiding everyone?

Yūma looked at his classmates again.

Well... the truth is, just one bad day could be enough to shatter even their bond.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the last class. The room instantly filled with the scrape of chairs, loud voices, and the sound of footsteps. Students bolted out like birds freed from a cage.

"Sazanami…" the girl from a club called out. "We're staying in this class today."

He gave a mechanical nod, saying nothing in return. It was the coding club. Yūma liked it here. Most of the time, they just sat in silence, each buried in their own projects. No pointless chatter, no awkward expectations. Just the sound of keyboards and the occasional sigh of frustration when code didn't compile.

The girl was Yuna – the same Yuna who was part of that trio of best friends. Bright, confident, always at ease when surrounded by others.

"We'll wait for you," Subaru spoke up suddenly. "We won't leave you alone."

Riko nodded with a gentle smile.

Of course. Why would I expect them to ever be apart? They're always together.

Still, he could feel Subaru and Riko's presence as they sat chatting, waiting. Their voices blended with the sound of keyboards, filling the silence Yūma wished for.

"Did you hear? A new café is opening next to the station next week," Riko said.

"Well then, next Friday after school, we can go check it out together," Subaru replied.

Together... The word echoed in Yūma's head.

He kept working in silence, feeling like an intruder in a scene, like a side character. They are the group with natural harmony. He is the loner, hunched over, staring at the screen, trying to vanish. Every word reminded him of the wall he had built himself.

When they finished, the trio moved toward the door only to find it locked.

"What the...?" Yuna muttered. "Check the other one."

"Also locked," Subaru reported.

You've got to be kidding me, Yūma thought, realizing he'd be stuck in here with them until someone came to help.

"Call the..." Yuna started, but her voice suddenly cut off.

Yūma froze, his eyes widened. He saw her lips move, but no sound came out.

"Yuna?" Subaru's voice followed, except it didn't. His mouth opened, his hands waved, but nothing reached Yūma's ears. Absolute silence swallowed the classroom.

Riko's eyes widened. She tried to speak, to clap her hands, but no sound appeared.

Yūma sat frozen, terrified, until he realized.

It's not just me. None of us can make a sound. We've... lost our voices. But...why? What's happening?

Panic erupted. Subaru slammed his fists against the door. Yuna tried to scream. Riko pressed her hands against her mouth, desperate to make a single sound.

Slowly, Yūma stood from his desk, throat dry and empty. That was when he felt it change.

The classroom walls began to fade. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the blackboard lose its color, like paint being washed away. The floor beneath his feet began to break away into a white emptiness. Books, desks, chairs – all of it melted into blinding light.

What the hell...

And then the white void covered them completely.

When Yūma opened his eyes, the classroom was gone. No doors. No blackboard. No rain outside. Only endless white, stretching in every direction. The sky and ground blurred together, a horizonless void.

The four students stood in the middle of it, still in their school uniforms, lost and helpless.

And then the sound returned.

"What the hell..." Yūma whispered quietly.

"You hear that?!" Yuna screamed, her voice bouncing through the empty space.

"Y-Yes," Riko gasped, tears welling in her eyes.

Subaru clenched his fists, looking around, confused. "Where are we? Is this some kind of joke?!"

No one had an answer. And then he appeared.

A few meters ahead, the air began to ripple. The white space trembled, and out of the void stepped a man. Tall, cloaked in a long black coat, his face hidden in shadow, with a visible mouth. His presence was so overwhelming that they all knew he was the reason they were there.

"Finally..." His deep, calm voice echoed. "You're here."

Four pairs of eyes fixed on him.

Yūma felt his heart beating very fast in his chest.

Who is he...?