Scene 1: The Empty Days

The days after the rainstorm felt strangely quiet.

At first, I thought it was just me being restless. But when Monday came, Hikari’s seat in class was empty again.

And Tuesday.

And Wednesday.

By Thursday, the chatter of our classmates had shifted. “Maybe she’s skipping again,” someone said casually. “She’s weird like that.”

But I knew better.

She never skipped without dragging me along.

My chest grew heavier with each day her desk stayed vacant, sunlight falling across it as if mocking me.

Scene 2: The Decision

On Friday, I couldn’t take it anymore. After school, instead of going to the bridge, I headed in the opposite direction — toward the neighborhood she had once mentioned offhand.

I told myself it wasn’t stalking. I told myself it was worry. But really, it was fear.

Fear of what I might find.

Scene 3: Her House

The streets grew quieter the deeper I went, lined with hydrangea bushes and weathered wooden fences. Finally, I stopped in front of a modest two-story house with pale blue curtains.

I hesitated at the gate, heart pounding. What if she wasn’t here? What if I wasn’t supposed to be here?

Before I could decide, the door opened.

A woman stepped out — her hair tied back neatly, but with shadows under her eyes. She froze when she saw me, then softened slightly.

“You must be Haruki.”

Her voice was calm, but tired.

I blinked, startled. “How…?”

“She talks about you,” the woman said simply. Then, after a pause: “I’m her mother.”

Scene 4: The Living Room

She invited me inside. The house was quiet, too quiet. The living room smelled faintly of disinfectant, a scent that didn’t belong in a family home.

On the low table sat a stack of notebooks, one of which had Hikari’s handwriting scrawled across the cover: “Adventures To Be Continued.”

My throat tightened.

Her mother watched me carefully, as though measuring whether I deserved to know something.

Finally, she sighed. “She’s… resting upstairs. It’s been a difficult week.”

The words were carefully chosen, but heavy.

I nodded slowly, gripping the strap of my bag until my knuckles ached.

Scene 5: At the Stairs

I wanted to run up those stairs immediately. But her mother stopped me with a gentle hand on my arm.

“Not today. She needs her strength.”

Her eyes softened, though, and she added: “But you should come back. She’ll be happy if you do.”

I swallowed hard, unable to speak. I only nodded.

As I left, I glanced back at the house. Through the second-floor window, pale curtains swayed in the breeze.

For a fleeting second, I thought I saw her silhouette — small, fragile, leaning against the glass.

I raised my hand slightly, though I wasn’t sure if she could see.

The summer air was warm, but my hands felt cold.

And in that moment, I knew: this wasn’t just another absence.

This summer was beginning to end far too soon.

[To Be Continued in Chapter 14]