Youthful Days (Book 1)

Epilogue

The Hanamachis filed a missing person's search after three days.

Following Ayuna's disappearance, Fuji was repeatedly called into the police station to provide statements detailing their last hours together. It turned out he was also the last person to see her before she disappeared.

It was the most inconvenient time for the Hanamachis to uncover their daughter's relationship status. Caught in the throes of grief, fear, and confusion, however, they had no time for pointless interrogations. All they wanted were clues as to why and how Ayuna might have gone missing. And Fuji, equally distraught and flummoxed, couldn't do more beyond giving out the facts.

This was all that the regulars heard before everything died down.

When the first week ended, it became clear that the mysterious case might stay open for a long time, or even forever.

***

Following the incident, an article about Ayuna's disappearance was published on the front page of the school paper. The article was not so much an overview of the case, but an incredibly detailed recap of her relationship with Fuji and their interactions right before she went missing. It was the publication of this provocative article that had everybody whispering behind Fuji's back.

As a close friend and a classmate, Eiji felt especially sorry for Fuji. He knew his friend was already suffering profoundly and having outlandish gossip spread around was equal to rubbing salt on wounds. To keep Fuji distracted, Eiji tried to initiate entertaining conversations and kept the school paper out of sight. He knew this did little to alleviate his friend's afflictions, but he did whatever he could to help.

Shortly after Ayuna vanished, Ryoma was unceremoniously summoned to play in the U.S. Open. All of a sudden, an indescribable melancholy descended upon the tennis team. It was midsummer, yet their days were doused with shades of grey.

As summer vacations started to wind down, there were still no new findings from the police. By this time, it seemed that everyone had already forgotten about her existence as they prepared to start a brand-new term. To them, it was just another tragedy, another pretty face gone from the face of the Earth—a planet that faithfully spun on its axis, maintaining an endless cycle of days and nights.

***

Ryoma intended his return to be silent.

When he departed a month ago, he thought that participating in the U.S. Open would help erode the calamity from back home. Indeed, the competition and harsh training kept his heart at bay. He moved through it all numbly, acing one game after another, making a name for himself in the Empire State. However, as soon as he landed in Japan, it occurred to him that he spent all this time running in a circle: back to the origin of everything, he could no longer hold back his pain.

As he crossed the gates of Seigaku, his feet instinctively took him to the first-year classrooms. Walking on the school grounds felt surreal after a month in the city that never sleeps. Everything was superficially the same, though Ryoma knew nothing would ever be the same again.

Based on his occasional phone calls with Momoshiro, the police were unable to provide further updates. At this stage, nobody knew what to make of the situation. It was safe to say that most were expecting the worst, quietly waiting for a body to turn up in the suburbs or a grotesque headline in the local papers.

Ryoma wasn't in the pessimistic camp—he denounced these ugly possibilities because the story was filled with holes. It was a conundrum filled with questions without answers. Why did she leave without a goodbye? Why did she coincidentally disappear on the night after Seigaku became the regional champion? Why was Fuji Shuusuke the last one to see her? Did something happen between them? Where could a fifteen-year-old girl possibly go?