The Morning After
The day began as any other. The sun rose through the thin curtains of Naomi's room, casting an orange glow on the unmade bed. But something was missing—something that didn't sit right with Emi as she stirred a pot of soup in the kitchen, her thoughts distant. The usual noise from Naomi's room wasn't there. No grumbling, no scuffling feet on the wooden floor, no lazy groans as he finally dragged himself out of bed.
She had grown used to the little habits—the rush to get dressed, the messy piles of clothes scattered across the floor, and the never-ending hum of his video games or anime playing in the background. But today, there was only silence.
The clock on the wall ticked on, but with each passing second, Emi felt a growing unease in her gut. 9:15 AM. Naomi was always the first one to get up, sometimes even earlier than her. But today, nothing. No sign of him.
"Naomi?" Emi's voice broke the silence as she walked down the hallway to his room, her steps hesitant. It wasn't like him to sleep in—especially not this late.
Her heart skipped a beat when she opened the door and saw the emptiness. His bed was untouched, the sheets neatly pulled up, and his backpack was nowhere to be found. The usual chaos of his room—papers, clothes, stray socks—was eerily absent. Instead, everything was perfectly in place.
"Naomi?" she whispered again, the panic rising in her chest. She stepped back into the hallway, calling for him more urgently now. There was no answer. The silence felt louder than ever.
She grabbed her phone and dialed his number with shaking hands. The phone rang and rang before the voicemail picked up. She hung up and tried again, then once more—each attempt more frantic than the last. Her heart raced. She rushed to the kitchen and found Daichi, sitting at the table, reading the newspaper. He looked up at her, his face unreadable, but she could see the tension in his eyes as she spoke.
"Daichi, Naomi's gone. He's not in his room, and his phone is off. I can't find him anywhere."
He dropped the newspaper, his face hardening. "What do you mean gone?"
"Gone, Daichi. Gone. He's not at school, he's not with his friends—he's just... missing." Emi's voice cracked as she looked down at Naomi's jacket hanging by the door, its presence only amplifying her growing fear.
"Don't panic. He's probably with his friends," Daichi said, though there was an edge of uncertainty in his voice. "We'll find him."
---
The Search Begins
---
Hina walked through the front door, tired from a long day at work. The sight of her father and mother, their faces drawn and tense, immediately told her something was wrong.
"Where's Naomi?" she asked, though she already had an inkling.
Emi's voice trembled as she answered. "He's not here, Hina. He's missing. No one's seen him. Not even his friends."
Hina felt a cold chill run through her as she looked around the apartment. "What do you mean missing? He's always disappearing—he'll come back in a day or two."
"Not like this," Emi whispered. "Not like this."
The weight of the situation began to settle in, and even Daichi, ever the rock in their family, looked uneasy. His jaw clenched tightly as he grabbed his jacket and prepared to leave.
"Let's go. We'll search Tokyo if we have to. We'll find him."
Hina's stomach churned. She knew her little brother was unpredictable, but this didn't feel like one of his usual spur-of-the-moment disappearances. This time, something was different.
---
Searching the City
---
The streets of Tokyo were alive with people rushing to work, buses screeching to a halt at intersections, and the constant hum of city noise. But to Daichi and Hina, the city felt overwhelmingly empty. Naomi could be anywhere, yet there wasn't a trace of him.
They split up, Daichi heading toward the train station while Hina made her way to Naomi's school. Each of them armed with a photo of Naomi, asking anyone they passed if they'd seen him.
The school was quieter than usual when Hina entered. The hum of teenage chatter filled the halls, but there was a discomfort in the air, a sense of something amiss. She approached Naomi's homeroom teacher, who was sitting at her desk with a worried frown.
"He's not at school today. Have you seen him in the past couple of days?" Hina asked.
"No, not at all," the teacher replied, her face pale. "Is he in some kind of trouble?"
Hina felt her throat tighten. "I don't know. He's just gone."
The teacher looked at the photo, but there was no recognition. No answers. Only more questions.
---
The Meeting at the Café
---
Later in the afternoon, Hina met up with Naomi's two closest friends, Tanaka and Blasta, at a small café near their apartment. The bright, busy café was a stark contrast to the storm of thoughts swirling in Hina's head. She couldn't sit still, tapping her fingers on the table as she waited for them to arrive.
When Tanaka walked in, his usual sarcastic grin was nowhere to be found. He sat down beside Hina, looking at her with concern. Blasta, ever the cheerful one, plopped down next to him, stuffing a sandwich into his mouth before speaking.
"Have you heard from Naomi?" Hina asked, her voice quiet but sharp.
Tanaka leaned back, adjusting his glasses. "Not a word. We thought maybe he was just ditching school. You know how he is. Always ghosting us when he doesn't feel like it."
"But it's been too long," Hina interrupted, her tone more forceful now. "I've checked with everyone. His teachers, his classmates, even his ex-girlfriends..."
Blasta raised an eyebrow. "Ex-girlfriends?"
"Yeah," Hina sighed, rubbing her temples. "I thought maybe he ran off with someone, but they don't know anything either."
Tanaka frowned. "No, Naomi would never do that. He doesn't even talk to girls. The guy can barely look one in the eye."
Hina leaned forward, a sense of hopelessness creeping into her voice. "I know. He's always been a loner. He barely talks to any of us. But what if something happened to him? What if he's in trouble?"
Blasta shifted uneasily in his chair. "Nah, he's fine. He's just being Naomi. He'll come back. He always does."
But Hina wasn't convinced. Naomi wasn't like that. He wouldn't just disappear, especially not without a trace.
---
The Last Glimpse
---
The night fell slowly over the city as Hina continued her search. She wandered the streets alone, her mind a whirlwind of worry and frustration. Where could he be? She couldn't help but think of all the worst possibilities.
As she walked, she looked up at the sky, the neon lights casting a glow across the darkened clouds. Her breath misted in the cold air, and for a moment, it felt like everything around her had come to a standstill.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she muttered to herself, "Where are you, Naomi?"
Her thoughts swirled around her, each unanswered question making the weight on her shoulders heavier. The night felt colder now, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
And somewhere, in the quiet shadows of the city, Naomi was out there—lost, alone, and somewhere beyond her reach.