Arata stood by the window, staring out at the cityscape beyond. The bustling streets were alive with people, their lives moving forward in a rush of motion. But here, in his small apartment, he felt frozen. The sounds of the world outside reached him, but they didn't seem to touch his heart. His crimson red eyes reflected a sorrowful emptiness that had always been with him, as far back as he could remember.
He had grown up in an orphanage, abandoned at birth with nothing but the faintest memories of his parents, memories that seemed more like shadows in his mind. For years, he had wondered why they left him, why they never came back for him. But as the years passed, the questions only deepened, and the answers remained out of reach.
At eighteen, he had finally graduated from school. He had moved abroad, far away from the orphanage, in search of something he couldn't name. Independence, freedom—it felt like he should have felt fulfilled by it all. But despite the college classes and part-time job, there was always a lingering emptiness that gnawed at him from the inside. No matter how much he tried to fill his days with distractions, something deep inside him remained unfulfilled.
His black hair hung loosely around his face, a sharp contrast to the intensity of his eyes. He had often been told that his eyes were unusual, striking in their crimson hue. Some said they were a blessing, others a curse, but to Arata, they only reminded him of the void within. He had never known where they came from, nor why they were so different from anyone else's.
In the classroom, he was an ordinary student, blending in with the crowd. But in his mind, he was always searching, always wondering. What was missing? What part of himself had been taken from him? Why did he feel like a piece of his soul was lost, scattered somewhere in the vastness of the world?
His part-time job at the café offered him little more than a way to pay his bills. The hours were long, the work mundane, but it was a means to an end. He had to keep moving forward. The café was a quiet place, nestled between two towering buildings, a small haven from the chaos of the city. It was here, among the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the hum of soft music, that Arata could lose himself for a few hours.
But even here, he couldn't escape the constant ache inside him. He had tried everything: studying harder, working longer, making friends, exploring new places. Yet the emptiness remained, lurking just beneath the surface of his thoughts. Sometimes, late at night, he would lie awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to piece together the fragments of his past. But they never came together. It was like a puzzle with too many missing pieces.
His life, so far, had been a series of small steps forward, each one only slightly less uncertain than the last. He knew the world was vast and full of mysteries, but none of them seemed to matter. What was more important to Arata was the search for that missing part of himself.
"Hey, Arata! You still awake?" A voice from the door broke his thoughts.
It was Noroi, his coworker from the café. She was always full of energy, her bright smile never wavering, even after the busiest shifts. Unlike Arata, Noroi was outgoing and had no problem fitting in with others. She often tried to pull him out of his shell, suggesting they hang out after work or join her and some friends for a night out. But Arata always declined. The emptiness inside him made it hard to connect, to feel truly present in any of the fleeting moments that came his way.
"Yeah," Arata replied, his voice distant. "Just thinking."
"You've been doing that a lot lately," Noroi observed, stepping into the room. "You okay? You look like you haven't slept in days."
Arata managed a faint smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Just tired. It's nothing."
Noroi tilted her head, her eyes narrowing with concern. "You know, you're allowed to talk about it, right? Whatever's going on inside, I mean."
"I know," he said softly. "But it's... complicated. I don't even know where to start."
Noroi nodded, sensing that this was a conversation for another time. "Well, just know I'm here, okay? You don't have to go through this alone."
As she left, Arata felt a small sense of comfort. He had people around him, but the feeling of being alone never really went away. No matter how many faces he saw, how many voices he heard, there was still that deep, aching silence within him.
And so, he returned to his thoughts, to the endless wondering. Where did he come from? What was missing? Could it ever be found?
Outside the window, the city continued to pulse with life, oblivious to the quiet battle that raged within him. Arata knew that one day, the answers would come. They had to. But until then, he would keep searching, as lost as he had always been.