[The note was undoubtedly left by Miri. It contained only a brief message.]
["Sorry, Iroha. Take good care of Dad, Mom, and Chisato."]
[Iroha looked at the note, her hands uncontrollably trembling.]
[She first called her sister's phone, only to hear it ringing on the sofa.]
[Miri had left her phone and even her wallet behind.]
[What could Miri possibly want to do without these items?]
[Iroha's heart sank. She forced herself to stay calm and not let her mind run wild.]
[She searched the house thoroughly and then looked around the neighborhood. She tried to convince herself that there was still time to find her sister, but it was destined to be in vain.]
[Shaking, she took out her phone, suppressing her sobs, and dialed your number.]
[You answered the call and immediately left your work to join Iroha.]
[You drove through several red lights to return to your apartment, but there was no sign of your wife there.]
[You both then went to nearby parks and shopping malls, but found nothing.]
[On the way, Iroha stayed by your side, watching your anxious face and not daring to speak.]
[She called her parents. By the time the Isshiki couple arrived, it was already ten at night.]
[The four of you remained in the brightly lit living room, with no one seeming to want to rest.]
[First-person perspective…]
"Without her wallet and phone, where could she have gone?"
Mr. Isshiki scratched his head anxiously, pacing the living room.
Mrs. Isshiki ignored his murmurs and went to sit next to Chisato, holding his hand to comfort him.
"We still have no news of Miri. If it gets really bad, we should go to the police."
Chisato sighed and shook his head slowly.
Mrs. Isshiki didn't understand his meaning but saw he was not in the mood to explain.
She turned her gaze to her daughter, who was standing quietly, knowing she had done something wrong.
Iroha caught her mother's gaze, trembling as she glanced at Chisato, then quickly lowered her head.
"I've already been to the police station. The Japanese police said…"
"What did they say? Stop making us wait!"
Iroha took a deep breath, her nose feeling sour again.
"They said that Miri left a note and disappeared on her own."
"She's an adult and should be responsible for her own actions. If there's still no news after forty-eight hours, we can report her missing."
"Only then will they deploy police resources to issue a missing person report and conduct a search."
"These useless people, living off our tax money and doing nothing! Two days have passed—who knows what might have happened to Miri!"
Mr. Isshiki's anger surged as he kicked the TV stand with a loud bang.
"Honey! Please say less!"
Mrs. Isshiki scolded him loudly.
"Japanese police are a bunch of useless people! I didn't say anything wrong!"
"I didn't mean that!"
Mrs. Isshiki looked at Chisato, who was pinching his brow with closed eyes, and held him close, her heart aching.
"…"
Mr. Isshiki sighed.
Indeed, there were others more worried than he was.
"But you too, knowing your sister's emotional instability, why didn't you keep a better eye on her? What did your brother tell you before?"
Mr. Isshiki calmed himself and walked in front of his daughter.
Iroha shrank her neck, unable to offer any rebuttal.
Mrs. Isshiki stood up, pulling him away, and stood in front of her daughter.
"Stop blaming her. None of us wanted this situation. Instead of lecturing Iroha, think about where Miri might have gone!"
Chisato stood up silently, went to the bathroom to wash his face with cold water, then grabbed the car keys.
"I'm going to check all the places where Miri and I used to go. She might have gone there to clear her mind. Uncle and Aunt, could you please check Miri's university?"
Mr. Isshiki nodded without hesitation.
"Sure, we'll go right away."
He and his wife put on their coats and left the house.
"Keep your head up, Iroha."
Chisato came to Iroha, whose delicate face was covered with tears, her eyes looking red and swollen.
"Chisato… Brother… I'm so sorry, really… sorry."
"Don't say that. If Miri wants to leave, no one can keep her here."
"But, but…"
"Alright, I'm going out to find her. Stay at home for now. She might come back, and if she does, call us immediately."
"Yes, I understand…"
"Be good, and stop crying."
Chisato ruffled Iroha's hair and ran out.
[That night, the search efforts proved fruitless.]
[On the second day after Miri's disappearance, you told the Isshiki couple and Iroha to rest, while you decided to continue searching on your own.]
[The intense guilt made Iroha refuse to listen, insisting on staying by your side to search for her sister.]
[You drove aimlessly around Tokyo, with Iroha in the passenger seat, witnessing your increasing anxiety.]
[On the third day, having gone nearly two full days without sleep, you went to the police station to report a missing person.]
[A week later, the tragic news arrived.]
[The police summoned you to the station and presented something to you. You and your family immediately recognized it as Miri's shoe.]
[The police then showed a video copied from surveillance footage.]
[The timestamp in the lower right corner showed the day Miri left. At a seaside dock, her face briefly appeared on the screen as she slowly approached the edge of the sea.]
[Her figure gradually shrank, and as she reached the shore, you could faintly see her take off her shoes and place them on the shore before leaping into the water.]
[The police gently informed you that no trace of Miri had been found (her body), but after so many days, it was highly likely she had passed away.]
[You, usually calm, pounded the table with your fists in disbelief, like someone gone mad!]
[You couldn't accept this reality! You shouted that your wife couldn't have committed suicide!]
[You demanded the Japanese police not to give up on the investigation, insisting that your wife must be somewhere else!!!]
[Mr. Isshiki, holding back his grief, tightly embraced you to prevent you from causing a scene.]
[Mrs. Isshiki, holding Iroha, burst into heart-wrenching tears.]
[Iroha, upon seeing the footage of her sister jumping, felt a thunderous silence around her. Her mind went blank, leaving her feeling like an empty, hollow shell.]
[She could no longer see the scene before her or hear the surrounding words. She just stared blankly ahead, unable to grasp any meaning.]
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