Day twenty-eight since I lost all contact with Ginger.
I submitted the evidence Ken left behind to expose Satoshi Harada to my parents, but still no evident progress. Maybe they've already given up.
Can't really blame them, though. If I were in their shoes, I'm not sure I'd know what to do either... or maybe I would? Who knows? Should I consider a career in detective work?
No updates on the Harada family either, but I suspect there's a lot being concealed from the public. My dumbass should've been smarter and asked for Akihiro's contact information earlier. I had so many opportunities...
"What's that?"
Haruki Fukuda's concentration shattered as a sudden voice jolted him, making him instinctively want to hide the "progress report" on his desk. Raising his gaze, he was met with three inquisitive pairs of eyes patiently waiting for an explanation. Before Haru could say anything, the person sitting next to him spoke up, still glancing at his writing.
"Looks like a novel," sixteen-year-old Fumiye Hasegawa remarked. She caught a glimpse of a few lines and guessed, since it definitely didn't seem as if Haruki was taking down "notes".
"Huh?" The exclamation came from the guy sitting in front of Haruki, Ryomi Ichizaki, also sixteen, who seemed pleasantly surprised. "I had no idea you wrote novels, dude. Can I read it?"
Haruki felt a bit helpless, "It's not really..."
"What, is it a romance?" Atsushi Hanasaki, sixteen, sitting beside Ryomi, covered his mouth in a whispering gesture, wearing a mischievous grin. "Were you writing something naughty?"
"You guys..." Haruki sighed in defeat, becoming accustomed to these playful individuals. Whenever the three caught him secretly writing in his little book, their imaginations would run wild. But now, he no longer cared what they thought.
Besides, their remarks could always be disregarded.
Just then, the school dismissal bell rang, and the entire class came alive, happily chatting away as they packed their belongings to head to their next destinations. Haruki did the same, stowing away his "report" and other books before bidding farewell to Ryomi and Fumiye. He left with Atsushi, the chatterbox who belonged to the same after-school club as him, by his side.
Haruki didn't mind keeping silent when he was alone with Atsushi. The guy had a knack for keeping the conversation flowing, talking about anything and everything. As long as Haru sincerely listened to Atsushi's ramblings, everything would be fine.
Nearly two weeks had passed since school started.
Time waited for no one. It felt like just yesterday he'd graduated from middle school, and now he was already a high school student. This period was supposed to be exciting, yet Haruki's first week at Ishikawa High had been a dull blur. He couldn't even keep track of the daily occurrences in his life.
Interestingly, there were a few familiar faces from his previous school who also got accepted into Ishikawa High. However, since Haruki had never been close to them before, he saw no reason to suddenly become best buddies. Besides, they would be in different classes and already had their own circles of friends.
The first person he truly connected with was his desk-mate, Fumiye, and he owed that to her outgoing nature. Like Atsushi, she was quite talkative and exuded confidence. Within days, she had already made friends both inside and outside their class. With her shoulder-length brunette curls and petite figure, she had a certain charm, although not the typical "school-flower" kind.
Nonetheless, she was undeniably pretty.
Fumiye had an older brother, a year ahead of her, and despite not sharing the same mother, they were pretty tight. The older brother, popular in his own right, held the position of vice captain for the basketball team.
And how did Haru come by this knowledge? Well, Fumiye had gladly filled him in, painting a vivid picture of her life. At this point, he seemed to know everything about her, even without asking.
Ryomi Ichizaki started off as a quiet and introverted individual, but with Atsushi as his desk-mate, he underwent a remarkable transformation in no time. Before long, he too became quite the chatterbox. Although they had only met at this school, observing their interactions would give the impression of a lifelong friendship. They hit it off on day one, bonding over their shared penchant for criticizing mediocre movies.
If it hadn't been for Fumiye, who wasted no time in engaging them in conversation, Haruki wasn't sure how long it would have taken for him to befriend them. Lately, he had been feeling somewhat listless, making it challenging for him to form new connections.
He couldn't really be blamed, though. Things might have been a bit different if he hadn't been preoccupied with thoughts of a certain someone. He understood that he and Kentaro were apart, as life often dictated, but the lack of communication troubled him deeply.
He simply wanted to know that Kentaro was out there, doing okay.
After Kentaro's sudden departure following their middle school graduation, Haruki had later confided in Takumi and Tadashi, revealing the truth about the situation. Naturally, his friends were curious about the sudden disappearance of their comrade.
~
"So, that's really how it is?!" Takumi Shimoda had exclaimed, practically jumping onto the bed, huffing and puffing as he absorbed the truth. "And here I was, even a fan of Chairman Harada. Ugh!"
For a moment, Haruki wasn't sure whether to subtly ask the guy to calm down or simply toss him off the bed to protect his covers. Thankfully, Tadashi Matsui was always there to save the day.
"You can still be his fan if you want. No one's stopping you," Tadashi said, gripping Takumi by the collar and guiding him to sit properly. Then he turned his attention back to Haruki, who sat in a chair. "So, what are you going to do about that?"
Tadashi was referring to the cellphone that Kentaro had left behind, which Haruki held in his hands.
Initially, Haruki didn't fully comprehend what Ginger meant when he reminded him that the phone was never locked. It was only after Tadashi made a few guesses that Haru finally decided to explore its contents. Sure enough, he stumbled upon some shocking discoveries.
Setting aside the invasion of privacy, Haruki couldn't ignore the fact that Satoshi had coerced his own son into leaving by sending him a few photographs of everyone Kentaro held dear in Ichihara. The threat was clear: comply or risk their lives being ruined.
"Can't we just report this guy?" Takumi shuddered, goosebumps forming on his skin. "How am I supposed to live knowing there's some private investigator-stalker out there, watching our every move? It's creepy. What if... he's watching us right now?"
"It wouldn't work, considering how influential the man is," Tadashi supported his chin with a sigh.
"These are old photos," Haruki interjected suddenly. As he scrolled through the pictures of himself, his family, and his friends, he realized that the most recent one had been taken approximately three months ago, as he somewhat recalled the specific dates of their outings. "So you don't have to worry."
"Even so," Takumi hesitated, unwilling to let go of the matter so easily. "We can't keep this to ourselves. Shouldn't we at least inform your parents about it?"
Indeed, they had to, but would it make a difference?
~
Back then, Haruki felt somewhat reluctant. He was certain that his parents wouldn't take this matter seriously.
Nevertheless, he still mustered the courage to share the threats with them.
He remembered how furious his mother had been that day, to the point where his father had to spend a considerable amount of time pacifying her. Witnessing her anger, Haruki began to feel a glimmer of hope that they would finally take action.
However, nothing changed thereafter. A few days later, his parents were once again consumed by their work, and their habit of embarking on never-ending business trips resumed.
Initially, it wasn't so bad since Haruki still had Tadashi and Takumi to keep him company occasionally. But eventually, they too had to go to their respective schools. Though they stayed in touch and exchanged texts, it wasn't the same. The final days before school felt overwhelmingly lonely, as if Haruki had been transported back to the time before he met Kentaro.
If not even worse.
Attending this school, however, brought a sense of gratitude to Haruki. He found solace in having Atsushi and the rest of his desk-buddies around. Surrounded by these extroverted souls, their constant noise and chatter served as a distraction, occupying his mind. Returning to an empty house no longer seemed unbearable, especially since he now spent most of his days at school, surrounded by new friends he'd connected with. He was slowly adapting to his new reality.
"... and just when they thought they had escaped death, they found themselves in another cave, but this time, there were a dozen more draculas and no way to escape," Atsushi, who had been narrating a horror film since they left class, continued.
"It's obvious they were doomed," Haruki sighed.
The other guy smirked. "Is that what you think?"
"It's just four weak humans against a dozen draculas," Haruki reasoned. "The result is obvious." Especially since it was a horror film.
Atsushi didn't even bother arguing and gave up easily, shrugging. "Yeah, you're right. Everyone died in the end. But if it were an action movie, those guys would probably...." He rambled on, creating wildly impossible scenarios.
Haruki was actually impressed by Atsushi's imaginative mind.
Suddenly, Atsushi halted abruptly, straightening his back and walking with an awkward stiffness. A deep blush spread across his face, and even his speech shifted into what Haru assumed was a "cooler" tone.
Haruki was stunned. He couldn't comprehend what was happening until they passed by a group of girls near the lockers. Then, it finally clicked.
Rumors had been circulating about an exceptionally stunning girl in their grade, and Atsushi had often mentioned her. He didn't know her name but claimed to have fallen for her at first sight. Now, Haru could witness firsthand that Atsushi wasn't joking, as the guy's entire personality transformed in an instant.
The extraordinary beauty in their grade was a tall girl with a voluptuous figure and an innocent face. Her fair skin seemed untouched by the trials of puberty. Her long, wavy ebony hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, accentuating her large crystal eyes, petite nose, and luscious rosy lips. Even when she laughed, passersby couldn't help but steal glances at her, regardless of their gender.
Well, at least that's how most people felt about her anyway...
As Haruki walked by, the extraordinary beauty greeted him with a small yet enthusiastic wave. "Fukuda, hie."
Atsushi, who had been about to greet her with his most charming "hey there," abruptly swallowed his words and stared wide-eyed at Haruki. Haru simply nodded and replied with a casual "hey" without pausing to marvel at the girl's elegance.
It was just a passing greeting, after all. Why would he need to stop?
But, of course, Atsushi's thought process differed greatly from Haru's, so it was no surprise that he didn't understand. He didn't even realize when Haruki—this supposedly unsociable guy—had become acquainted with the beauty. As soon as they reached their lockers, Atsushi brought up the matter.
"Oh, Reina? I met her on the first day of school," Haruki casually stated while closing his locker, where he had stuffed his books and bag.
The first day???
Noticing Atsushi's stunned expression, Haruki proceeded to recount the incident of how he had gotten lost on the first day, trying to find the library, and how it was Reina Ikeda—the extraordinary beauty—who had helped him navigate the school.
"Her older sister used to attend this school, so she visited her often in the past," Haruki explained. "Naturally, she knows her way around better than the rest of us."
But it seemed as though Atsushi ignored everything else Haru said and exclaimed, "You're friends with the hottest girl in our grade, and you didn't even mention it? Dude!"
"I mean, we barely talk—"
"Wow," Atsushi turned away, pretending to wipe away tears. "Despite your terrible basketball skills, you've already won a fan. And she's a hottie too..."
Haruki wondered why his skills were suddenly being brought into the conversation.
After brushing away those imaginary tears, Atsushi turned back to Haruki, pointing an accusing finger. "Look, I don't care what kind of history you have. I saw her first, okay?!"
"Yeah, sure, man," Haruki raised his hands with a strained smile. Was this what people called an obsession? They'd only been here for two weeks.
**
Stretching his arms and yawning, Haruki tried to alleviate the soreness in his muscles. He had joined the basketball club to try something new, but was it really worth it? His body ached all over.
What was with those ridiculously strenuous warm-up exercises? Did he have to endure this intense training every day? For three years???
Maybe he was just out of shape. Judo was all about fighting, but Haru didn't recall having to strain his body this much. And as if that wasn't enough, he had to come to terms with his incompetence in the sport. Who knew there was so much more to basketball than just throwing the ball?
So many rules, so much movement... and yet, such little stamina...
Approaching the Fukuda residence, Haruki's thoughts wandered to calling his parents and finding out if they would be home late or not. However, he spotted a familiar silver SUV parked in the driveway—the car his parents often used for longer trips.
It seemed he didn't need to make that call after all.
But why hadn't they parked in the garage? Were they planning to go out again soon?
Sauntering up the pathway that led to the front porch, Haruki's gaze fell upon an unfamiliar black convertible parked snugly in the spacious garage, adjacent to his mother's vibrant red sedan. So that was the reason the SUV was left outside today. It appeared his parents had arrived with guests.
But honestly, couldn't these visitors have parked in the driveway? It would have been far more convenient, wouldn't it?
Hoping the guests had already settled into the living room, oblivious to his arrival, Haruki stealthily opened the front door and slipped inside the house, expertly removing his shoes without making a sound. He tip-toed across the floor in his socks, aiming for the sanctuary of his room. Changing out of his stifling school uniform was the least he could do before his mother caught sight of him and dragged him into the awkward meet-and-greet session. He knew he wouldn't be able to escape anytime soon. Little did he know, his plans were about to take an unexpected turn.
Just as he reached the base of the stairs, a peculiar sight caught his eye, causing him to second-guess his intended course of action.
Haruki had to confirm he wasn't losing his mind.
From his vantage point, he witnessed Maki and Akashi Fukuda, two fully grown adults, immaculately dressed in formal attire, kneeling in a corner of the living room with their arms raised high... an unmistakable punishment reserved for unruly children. It was akin to being sent to face the wall and ponder over one's misdeeds.
"What the hell...?" Haruki's words escaped in a hushed murmur. Such a bizarre sight. There was no way he could proceed upstairs now. Observing his own parents forced to kneel in their own home, he couldn't help but wonder who this audacious guest was.
Sensing someone approach, both Maki and Akashi turned their heads simultaneously, their eyes widening at the sight of their son making his way towards them. Akashi's expression transformed into one of relief, as if he had found his savior, while Maki seemed consumed by mortification. To have her own son witness her in such a state, it was simply too humiliating.
Knowing Haruki all too well, that little devil would haunt her with this memory for the rest of her life, a constant reminder of her momentary weakness.
"What's going o–" Haruki's voice trailed off as genuine concern painted his features upon reaching the doorway. However, his demeanor swiftly shifted as he laid eyes on the third person in the room. Instantly, his face lit up with unbounded joy.
"Gramps!"
~~~~~~