The front door opened.
Akira and Hanoka stepped inside the house after returning from Nitagawa’s parents’ home.
Neither of them said anything for a moment.
The atmosphere was still heavy from everything they had experienced.
Hanoka slowly turned toward Akira.
Hanoka (quiet and tired): “I’m going upstairs to change.”
Akira nodded.
Akira: “Okay.”
Hanoka walked upstairs while Akira remained near the entrance for a moment.
He eventually made his way toward the living room and sat down on the sofa.
The house was unusually quiet.
A few moments passed.
From the kitchen came a small cling as a dish in the sink shifted and touched another.
Akira didn’t react.
He simply sat there, staring at the floor.
His mind was somewhere else.
A few minutes later, footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs.
Hanoka appeared wearing a simple gray T-shirt and indigo-blue pajamas.
She looked toward the sofa.
Akira was still sitting there.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
Hanoka tilted her head.
She slowly walked toward him, trying not to make a sound.
When she was close enough, she leaned toward his ear.
Hanoka: “Boo!”
Akira jumped.
Akira (startled): “W-W-Whaaa?!”
He quickly turned around.
Akira: “Hanoka?!”
Hanoka grinned.
Hanoka: “Gotcha.”
Akira placed a hand over his chest.
Akira: “You startled me.”
Hanoka: “So?
That was fun.”
She smiled.
Hanoka: “Or maybe I should call you Mister?”
Akira sighed.
Akira: “Akira is fine.”
Hanoka chuckled.
Akira leaned forward slightly, resting his chin against his left hand.
He then looked toward Hanoka and motioned for her to sit beside him.
Hanoka sat down.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Akira’s expression changed.
The small smile disappeared.
His face became serious.
There were clear signs of exhaustion in his eyes.
Hanoka: “Akira…
if you’re exhausted, why are you forcing yourself to think about everything right now?”
Akira didn’t answer.
Hanoka looked at him.
Hanoka: “Akira?”
Akira finally spoke.
Akira: “Hanoka…”
He paused.
Akira: “Something doesn’t feel right.”
Hanoka’s expression became serious.
Hanoka: “What?”
Akira stared ahead.
His thoughts drifted backward.
Back to the days when Nitagawa was still alive.
Back to the conversations he had almost forgotten.
Then a memory surfaced.
A MEMORY
Nitagawa stood beside his car with a proud smile.
Nitagawa: “Hey, Akira.
Look at this beauty.”
He pointed toward his car.
Akira looked at it.
Akira: “Nice.
You bought a four-door?”
Nitagawa nodded.
Nitagawa: “Yeah, yeah.”
Akira smiled.
Akira: “Your parents must be proud.”
Nitagawa’s expression changed for a brief moment.
Nitagawa: “Y-Yeah…
yeah.”
Another memory surfaced.
Nitagawa and Akira had just finished working.
Nitagawa smiled at him.
Nitagawa: “Akira, nice job today.”
Akira: “Thanks, Nitagawa.”
Akira paused.
Akira: “Anyway, Nitagawa…
your parents must be really proud of you.”
Nitagawa looked away.
Nitagawa: “Y-Yeah.”
Another memory appeared.
Akira noticed Nitagawa placing something inside the cabinet of his car.
Akira: “Nitagawa, what are you putting in there?”
Nitagawa looked toward him.
Nitagawa: “Something for you.”
Akira blinked.
Akira: “What?” Get faster updates on g.com.
Nitagawa closed the cabinet.
Nitagawa: “Not now.”
Akira: “Fine.
I’ll take a sneak peek when you’re not around.”
Nitagawa laughed.
Nitagawa: “Say that after you manage to steal my keys.”
Akira laughed.
Nitagawa laughed with him.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
PRESENT
“Akira.”
Nothing.
Hanoka looked at him.
Hanoka: “Akira.”
Still nothing.
She waved her hand in front of his face.
Hanoka: “Akira.”
Akira suddenly looked at her.
Hanoka jumped slightly.
Hanoka: “Wow, idiot.
You told me to sit here and then completely zoned out.
How rude.”
Akira stared at her for a moment.
Then his expression changed.
His eyes widened slightly.
Akira: “Hanoka…”
Hanoka: “What?”
Akira leaned forward.
Akira: “I think we’ve got it.”
Hanoka blinked.
Hanoka: “Got what?”
Akira looked down at his hands.
His mind returned to the memories.
The car.
The cabinet.
Nitagawa’s strange hesitation.
The things he had said.
The things Akira had never questioned.
Akira slowly looked back at Hanoka.
Akira: “I don’t know exactly what it is yet.”
He paused.
“But I think I’m close.”
Hanoka looked at him.
Akira’s eyes were filled with exhaustion, but there was something else there now.
Determination.
Akira: “I’m one step closer.”
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