Part 4 — Kaito Wants Answers
Kaito stayed unusually quiet after Misaki spoke.
"…The room was always there before."
"…Now it's empty."
Those words kept replaying inside his head even after nearby conversations slowly resumed again.
He looked toward Misaki quietly.
She had already lowered her gaze back toward her lunch.
Like she regretted saying even that much.
Kaito's chest felt strangely tight.
Because somehow—
he understood what she meant.
But at the same time—
he didn't want to understand it fully.
Haruto quietly continued eating beside him.
Ayame remained silent too.
The atmosphere around their group stayed heavier now.
Kaito slowly lowered his chopsticks.
"…I'll be back."
Ayame glanced toward him.
"…Where are you going?"
"…Outside."
Before either sibling could question further—
Kaito quietly stood and walked out of the classroom.
The hallway outside felt calmer.
But his thoughts didn't.
Misaki's words kept replaying repeatedly inside his head.
The room was empty.
He isn't suffering anymore.
Something about those sentences scared him.
Because nobody directly said what happened.
Yet somehow—
it felt obvious.
Kaito walked through the corridor quietly.
Then eventually noticed Miri near the open walkway outside another classroom.
She was adjusting her lunch bag while leaning slightly near the railing.
Kaito hesitated briefly before approaching.
"Miri…"
Miri looked up.
"…Hm?"
Kaito struggled speaking for a second.
"…Misaki earlier…"
He looked down slightly.
"…What happened to her father?"
Miri's expression changed faintly.
Not shocked.
Just quieter.
Like she already understood why he was asking.
"…You don't know?"
Kaito slowly shook his head.
For a moment—
Miri seemed unsure whether she should say it directly.
Then softly answered:
"…He passed away yesterday."
Kaito froze.
The hallway suddenly felt strangely distant around him.
"…What…?"
Miri lowered her gaze slightly.
"…He was already hospitalized for a long time…"
Kaito immediately spoke again.
"…No but…"
His voice sounded confused now.
"…Misaki came to academy today…"
Miri quietly nodded once.
"…Yeah."
That answer only made Kaito more unsettled somehow.
Because if that was true—
then why was Misaki acting so normal?
Why was she sitting in class?
Why was she writing notes?
Part of Kaito's mind immediately rejected it.
No.
Maybe Miri misunderstood.
Maybe she meant something else.
Kaito stepped back slightly.
"…I…"
He couldn't even finish properly.
Then suddenly turned and walked away quickly.
"Kaito?" Miri called behind him.
But he kept moving.
Fast footsteps echoed softly through the hallway as he headed toward the staff corridor.
His breathing slowly became uneven.
Because now fear was mixing with confusion.
Eventually—
he spotted Daigo near one of the classroom doors reviewing several papers quietly.
Kaito slowed slightly after reaching him.
Daigo noticed immediately.
"…Kaito?"
Kaito hesitated.
Then quietly asked:
"…Sir…"
Daigo lowered the papers slightly.
"…What is it?"
Kaito struggled speaking now.
Like part of him still hoped the answer would change.
"…Misaki's father…"
A pause.
"…Is he still in the hospital?"
Daigo became silent immediately.
And the moment Kaito saw that silence—
his chest tightened harder.
Daigo slowly lowered the papers fully afterward.
Then quietly answered:
"…No."
Kaito stared at him silently.
Daigo's voice remained calm.
"…He passed away last night."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Kaito's fingers slowly tightened against his sleeves.
Not because he wanted to cry.
But because suddenly—
something terrifying became real inside his head.
People could disappear overnight.
And the next morning—
everything could still continue normally anyway.