As Atsuo, Tsumugi, and Yua were returning to Tokyo, there was a palpable sense of unease and silence among them. The journey was uneventful and they made it back to Tokyo without any incident. However, when Tsumugi dropped Atsuo off at his home, he entered feeling completely frustrated and depressed. The reason behind his despair was the fact that he couldn't find Ada, and it was weighing heavily on his mind.
Upon his arrival, Gerda and Kenji were waiting for him, and as soon as they saw him, they asked in a high tone, "Where is Ada?" Atsuo told them that they couldn't find anything about her whereabouts, and with that, the news of her disappearance hit them hard. Tears started to well up in Gerda's eyes, and she looked down as the tears started to drop on her hands. Kenji, upon hearing the news, became very sad because of his missing beloved daughter.
Atsuo had just returned home, feeling defeated and helpless. The news of Ada's disappearance had hit him hard and he couldn't shake off the feeling of despair that had engulfed him. He spent the whole day holed up in his room, lost in his thoughts and unable to focus on anything else.
The next day, Atsuo came downstairs to find that there was no food on the table. Gerda, his mother, was completely lost in grief and wasn't doing any work she was in her room all day. His father, Kenji, wasn't going to the office either. Instead, he was going here and there, trying to find his missing daughter. He made multiple rounds to the police station to ask if they had any information, but all the answers were a disappointing "no."
As the days passed, Atsuo's room started to get messier and the tiredness could be seen in his eyes. He was angry, frustrated, and sad that he couldn't do anything to help find Ada. He started to skip school, and it had been almost a week since he last went.
One day, Duri, Hide, and Misaki, his classmates, went to Atsuo's house after school to check up on him. Atsuo was in his room when he heard their voices and decided to see them. When he came out, Duri greeted him with a smile and said, "Hey Atsuo! Finally, we saw you!" Misaki chimed in, "We missed you," and Hide added, "Your mom told us everything." Atsuo's eyes showed sadness as he listened to their words. Duri then turned to Gerda and said, "Don't worry Aunty! We will also help you find Ada." Gerda faked a smile and said, "Thank you." After their little talk, they bid Atsuo goodbye and left.
Gerda's voice echoed through the house as she yelled, "Atsuo, get ready for school!" Atsuo was caught off guard by the sudden normalcy in her mother's tone. He got up from his bed, walked to the kitchen, and saw his mother cooking and packing his lunch. She was busy and yelled, "Kenji! I have packed your lunch." Kenji entered the kitchen and asked, "What happened, Gerda?" Gerda replied, "What? Aren't you supposed to go to office? And Atsuo, get ready or else you will get late." Atsuo was perplexed and asked, "But why the sudden energy, Mom?" Gerda turned away, looking at the pot, and said, "We can't stop living our lives because Ada is missing. Right? She's probably dead now." A tear rolled down her face as she spoke. Kenji retorted, "How can you say that? If she was dead, we would have found her body or received some news." Atsuo agreed with his father and added, "Dad is right!" Gerda turned to Kenji and Atsuo, wiped her tears, and said, "Stop giving me false hope. Now, get back to your normal lives." Kenji and Atsuo looked at each other and then started to get ready for their work. Atsuo got ready for school and left, while Kenji went to his office. As Atsuo approached the imposing school building, he felt a knot form in his stomach. He hadn't set foot in a classroom for several days, and he knew that his absence must have raised a few eyebrows. He paused outside the door, taking a deep breath before turning the handle. The hinges creaked as he stepped inside the classroom, and he felt dozens of eyes turn towards him. He could sense the curious glances and hushed whispers as he crossed the room, his eyes fixed on the floor. He found his seat, and his friends Duri, Hide, and Misaki turned to look at him. But they couldn't talk; the teacher had already begun the lesson. Atsuo felt a deep sense of unease as he tried to blend in with the class, despite the feeling that everyone was watching him. He sat silently, trying to contain his nerves and act as if everything was normal, During the break time after some lessons, the students started to talk, walk around and eat. Atsuo was sitting on his seat when Duri, Hide and Misaki came to him. Duri greeted him with a smile on his face and asked, "Hey Atsuo, how are you?" Atsuo replied, "Ah, I am fine." Hide then asked him, "Have you found Ada?" Atsuo replied with disappointment, "No, not yet." Misaki expressed her regret, "We are sorry that we couldn't do anything to help you." Atsuo tried to console them and said, "No, no, it's alright, you shouldn't say sorry." They continued to talk and catch up with each other, just like old times. Atsuo was also glad to have his friends by his side, as it made him forget about his worries and enjoy the moment. Atsuo suddenly felt the urge to use the washroom. He excused himself and left the classroom, making his way down the hallway. As he walked, his eyes caught a glimpse of Baldrik, who was approaching him. Baldrik was surprised to see Atsuo and asked him why he wasn't coming to school. Atsuo replied in a low voice, "Due to some problems..." Baldrik inquired further, "What's the problem?" Atsuo hesitated for a moment before finally confessing, "My sister is missing." Baldrik's face expressed grief and he offered his condolences to Atsuo, telling him to take care of himself. Atsuo nodded, forcing a smile, and then headed to the washroom.
While washing his hands, Atsuo couldn't help but think about his sister, Ada. "Where is she? Is she alive or dead?" he wondered. He eventually returned to the classroom, and the lessons continued as usual. When the final bell rang, Atsuo packed his bag and said goodbye to his friends. As he left the school, he felt a strange sensation that someone was following him.
-to be continue -