Daiki stood in the middle of Aria's room, every nerve in his body thrumming with panic. The message on her phone burned in his eyes, seared into his mind like a brand:
"Daiki… please answer… something's wrong I'm...."
And then—nothing.
Nothing but the choking silence of a message never delivered.
He rose slowly, his hands trembling as he clutched the phone to his chest. Around him, the room felt like it was holding its breath. The curtains moved gently with the wind, the faint scent of Aria's perfume lingering like a ghost. Her jacket was still hanging on the chair. Her sketchbook lay half-open on the desk.
Daiki's fists clenched at his sides. Guilt settled in his gut like a stone, but there was no time to drown in it. Not now.
He turned sharply, rushing out of the room and down the stairs. Aria's parents looked up, eyes hollow with worry.
"I found her phone," he said, holding it out. "She tried to message me. Something was wrong..she knew it. She felt it coming."
Her mother covered her mouth with a shaking hand, fresh tears spilling down.
"I'm going to find her," Daiki said firmly. "I will. " And without waiting for permission or delay, he turned and bolted out the door.
--------------------
Hours had passed since Daiki had left Aria's house. The streets had grown darker, shadows lengthening beneath dim streetlights. His phone remained untouched, screen lit up by missed calls.
Yona. Again and again.
Seven calls. No reply.
Frustration, and something close to worry, gnawed at Yona's gut. Eventually, he decided to go to Daiki's house himself. Not just for the book Daiki had borrowed to finish a lesson, but because something about the silence was off.
He reached the familiar door and knocked twice, firm but polite.
After a moment, the door opened with a soft creak. Daiki's mother stood there, wearing a cardigan and warm slippers, her expression mildly curious.
"Sorry for the disturbance," Yona said, adjusting his posture slightly. "Is Daiki home?"
She looked at him, head tilting slightly.
"Are you his friend?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I just came to take my book back. The one he borrowed for science class."
She blinked, a small frown forming. "Daiki hasn't come back yet. He left the house earlier today… but he should've been home by now."
Yona's brows knit. "I see. Sorry again for bothering you. I'll check on him later."
She nodded slowly and gently closed the door.
Yona stepped off the front porch and started walking, hands in his jacket pockets, shoulders tense.
Strange…
Daiki never stayed out late after school. He always came home, did his work, sometimes texted him late into the night about class or games. By now, he'd be asleep or messaging.
Why would he be gone this long?
Why wouldn't he answer his phone?
The silence in the neighborhood was heavier than usual.
Yona glanced over his shoulder once more at Daiki's darkened window, a quiet unease building in his chest.
Something wasn't right.
And Daiki's silence was starting to sound like a warning.
-----------------------------
Night had fallen.
The streets were dim, washed in orange glow from old lamps. Shadows stretched long across the pavement. Daiki moved fast, his legs carrying him through alleyways, back roads, forgotten paths he and Aria used to take home after school.
He stopped near the overpass, heart pounding. A place they'd once hidden from the rain. He remembered her laugh echoing off the concrete, the way she used to hum to herself when she thought he wasn't listening.
"Aria…" he whispered into the dark.
Suddenly....a sound.
A faint rustling. Not wind.
Daiki spun toward it, instincts sharp. It came from the abandoned flower shop across the street. The windows were dark, but the door… it was open. Just barely.
He crossed the street, slow and careful. His heart was beating loud now...like a drum inside his chest.
He pushed the door open with a creak.
Inside, the scent of dust and wilted petals filled the air. Shelves lined with broken pots and crumbling dried bouquets.
And then—a noise upstairs.
A muffled thud.
Daiki didn't hesitate.
He reached out… and opened the door...
-----------------‐
That night, Yona sat at his desk , the quiet hum of the night pressing in around him. His phone lay beside his books, its screen dark.
He picked it up again and hit Daiki's number..one more time.
He listened to the ring.
Twice.
No answer.
He pulled the phone away slowly, staring at the silent screen.
"This is really strange…" he muttered to himself.
He pushed back from his desk and stood, tension coiled in his chest.His steps carried him halfway across the room before he stopped.
Should I go check on him again?
He glanced at the clock. It was past ten. The streets were quiet, houses dim.
ĺoʻNo… I can't just show up at people's homes this late. That's not right. It'll just bother his mom.
He stood there for a second longer, torn.
"No. Better not," he said softly. "I'll just see him tomorrow at school."
He turned away, but something tugged at him.
A memory flickered behind his eyes.
Daiki at the school gates earlier.
Staring down at his phone.
That same furrowed brow. That lost, anxious look.
He looked worried all day… distracted. I knew something was wrong.
Tomorrow... I won't let it slide. I'll make him talk. Whatever it is… he shouldn't be carrying it alone.
Yona sat back down at his desk, exhaling slowly. His fingers hovered over his screen. Almost without thinking, he tapped into his contacts and scrolled until he reached a name that hadn't lit up in a while.
Mia.
Her name glowed softly on the screen.
He stared.
His thumb trembled slightly above the message button.
"I miss you, Mia…" he whispered to the dark room.
But then he shook his head firmly. "No. I can't do that."
He backed out of her chat. Let the silence take hold again.
Then, after a pause, he opened Lena's thread.
A message sat waiting.
"Goodnight, Yona. Talk to you soon?"
He stared for a moment, then typed back:
"Sweet dreams."
The reply came fast. Almost instantly.
"Sweet dreams to you too, Yona!."
[heart emoji]
A small, tired smile flickered at the corner of his lips.
Yona turned off his phone, placed it screen-down on the desk, and rose.
The room was still.
The only sound was the soft rustle of his blanket as he slid into bed.
His eyes remained open a little longer than usual, thoughts turning over and over in the dark.
But eventually… sleep came.
And somewhere in the silence, the night stretched on quiet, but heavy with things left unsaid.
-------------------------
The morning light spilled through the wooden window slats of Yona's small house. The scent of warm rice and miso drifted faintly from the kitchen as he stood tying his shoes by the door.
He'd already helped his grandfather with the morning fire and prepared his medicine. The old man had smiled, patted Yona's head like always.
"Be safe. Don't run too fast today."
"I won't," Yona replied, managing a small smile.
He slid the door open, stepping out into the cool morning air, and paused.
Lena stood just beyond the gate, her bag slung over one shoulder, strands of her light hair catching in the wind. She smiled brightly when she saw him.
"Hi, Yona."
He blinked, a bit caught off guard. "Hi," he replied, his voice flat, almost reluctant.
"I… I was thinking," she began with a bit of a laugh, brushing her fingers nervously along the strap of her bag, "maybe we could walk to school together today?"
Yona didn't respond. He simply started walking, his footsteps quiet on the dirt path.
Lena hurried to match his pace.
She glanced at him sideways. "Are you okay?"
"Yes."
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, I did."
"…Did something happen?"
Yona's jaw tightened. He turned his head slowly toward her, his eyes narrowed just slightly not in anger, but in tired frustration. Lena's expression faltered.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, looking down. "I'm just worried about you."
Yona said nothing more. The rest of the walk passed in silence, the morning sounds of the village filling the space between them. When they reached the school gate, Yona suddenly sped up, entering ahead of her without another word.
Lena stood there for a moment, watching him go, the bright look in her eyes dimming just a little. But she swallowed it down and kept walking, quieter than before.
Yona entered the classroom and made a beeline for Daiki's desk.
His bag hit the floor beside his own chair as his eyes scanned the room.
Daiki's seat was still empty, untouched. His books hadn't been moved. No sign of him.
Yona turned to a nearby classmate. "Hey. Daiki didn't show up?"
The boy shook his head. "No. He came yesterday....didnt you see him ? ."
Another student, a boy with messy brown hair, Minho, one of daiki's close friends, overheard and walked over. "I sent him messages all day yesterday," he said. "No response. Not even a read receipt."
"That's not like him," someone else chimed in. "He never misses two days in a row."
Yona stared at the empty desk, his fingers curling into fists.
The silence was starting to feel too loud. The absence...too long.
And deep inside him, a quiet alarm had already started to ring.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
To be continue .....