034. Gone

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2101

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2101

The morning sun filtered weakly through the thin curtains of Yuka's dorm room, casting a dim light over the cluttered space. Yuka and Shoto lay sprawled on opposite sides of her bed, still wearing their clothes from the night before. 

Yuka stirred first, her head pounding and her mouth dry. She groaned, reaching up to shield her eyes from the harsh sunlight. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her blue eyes were puffy and bloodshot. She glanced over at Shoto, who was still fast asleep, his face buried in the pillow. His usually neat hair was sticking up in all directions, and he looked just as disheveled as she felt.

With a wince, Yuka sat up slowly, her head spinning. "Ugh, I feel like I've been hit by a truck," she muttered, rubbing her temples. She tried to remember the events of the previous night, but everything felt like a hazy blur.

Shoto finally stirred, his groggy eyes blinking open as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. He pushed himself up on one elbow, his face contorted in a mix of confusion and discomfort. "Yukie?... What...what happened?" he mumbled, his voice hoarse.

Yuka managed a weak smile, despite her headache. "We had a party. You sang, remember?"

Shoto blinked at her, trying to piece together the fragmented memories. "I remember... bits and pieces. But mostly, I just remember feeling really happy."

"Yeah, well. I don't feel very happy now."

She heard doors swing open outside and a faint chorus of groans, signalling everyone else felt the same.

"But hey, at least you're fifteen now."





By late afternoon, the hangover had subsided enough for Yuka to focus on the pressing matter at hand. She and Shoto were sitting together in the common room, the room filled with the gentle hum of their coffee makers and the clinking of mugs. The coffee was a much-needed relief from their throbbing headaches, but Yuka's mind was preoccupied with darker thoughts.

She took a deep breath, glancing at Shoto, who was nursing his own cup of coffee with a thoughtful expression. The room was quiet except for the occasional rustle of paper or the low murmur of a conversation from the other side of the wall.

"Shoto, I need to talk to you about something important," Yuka said, her voice steady but serious. She placed her coffee cup on the table in front of her, staring at the dark liquid as if it held the answers to her questions.

Shoto looked up from his cup, his eyes meeting hers with a mixture of concern and curiosity. "What is it?"

Yuka hesitated for a moment, her fingers playing nervously with the edge of her cup. "Some time ago, when I was talking to my dad, he mentioned a place. He said it's somewhere I could find out more about my past—about everything that's happened to me and what it means."

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