City H is a place of striking contrasts. At its center, the city is bustling and prosperous, filled with neatly decorated shops and vibrant crowds. The sidewalks are lined with green trees in wooden fences, and colorful flowers bloom everywhere, their beauty enhanced by the glow of streetlights. Pop music drifts from the stores, making customers and passersby alike hum along, while a gentle breeze stirs the leaves and flowers, as if everything in the city is dancing to the same cheerful tune.
But Reo, a 12-year-old boy, has never set foot in this lively city center. It isn't that he doesn't want to go-he simply can't. There is a hidden danger in the heart of the city, a force that controls street children and forces them into begging gangs. Any child found alone is quickly pulled into this world. To avoid this fate, Reo keeps to the outskirts of City H, where life is less glamorous but also less dangerous. His home is a small, abandoned house in a forgotten corner, far from the reach of streetlights and the attention of passersby.
At night, the area is shrouded in darkness. If the moon hides behind clouds, it becomes pitch-black, and even adults would feel uneasy walking there. But Reo isn't afraid. He's grown used to this environment, able to navigate by memory alone, stepping carefully to avoid the scattered stones. Soon, he arrives at his small waste house, a place that, despite its bleakness, feels almost welcoming to him.
"I'm finally back. I'm so hungry," Reo sighs with relief as he sees his familiar shelter.
He pushes his battered tricycle into the house and parks it in a corner. There's no fear of theft here-no one else wants his broken-down cart. He unloads the day's collection from the tricycle onto his makeshift bed, which is nothing more than a pile of weeds covered by a thin, black quilt. Wiping sweat from his brow, Reo feels his hunger even more keenly. His stomach growls, his limbs are weak, and he shivers uncontrollably.
"Hang in there, belly. You'll get to eat soon, I promise," he says, forcing a weak smile as he rubs his stomach.
Kneeling on the ground, Reo searches through the weeds with trembling hands and hopeful eyes. After a moment, his fingers brush against something solid. He quickly pulls it out-a half-eaten roasted sweet potato, its blackened skin like charcoal and small teeth marks visible on its surface. The yellow flesh inside still gives off a faint aroma. Swallowing hard, Reo peels off the burnt skin and eats the sweet potato slowly, savoring every bite. In the quiet darkness, the sound of his chewing seems to echo. For Reo, this is the happiest moment of his day.
All too soon, the small sweet potato is gone. Reo looks at the black peels scattered on the ground, slaps himself lightly, and shakes his head in regret. He closes his eyes, trying to hold onto the memory of the taste. Touching his stomach, he wonders if he's finally full. He lies down on the weeds, pulls the quilt over himself, and stares at the ceiling, his eyes wide open.
"Old man, are you doing well up there? Are you warm? Have you eaten enough? Why don't you visit me in my dreams? I really want to know. I want to find you. This life is so sad, so lonely. I'm alone every night, with no one to talk to…" Reo closes his eyes abruptly, afraid he might cry. He doesn't want to shed tears. After a moment, he opens his eyes again, still thinking about the old man.
"Are you having a hard time up there? Is that why you never visit me in my dreams, so I won't worry? I wish I could talk to you, even just to say hello." Reo's voice is barely a whisper. His small hands clutch the weeds tightly, and his heart aches. This time, he doesn't close his eyes, letting the tears fall freely. Who could understand the emptiness he feels? Except for the old man, he has always been alone. He is, after all, just a twelve-year-old child.
As if the moon itself couldn't bear to witness his sorrow, it slips behind the clouds, and the silver light disappears. Darkness swallows everything, making the world feel like a wild beast ready to devour him. The wind howls outside, sounding like a woman crying in misery, sending chills through the night. Exhausted from crying, Reo eventually falls asleep. In his dreams, he is surrounded by mountains of roasted sweet potatoes, tossing aside one after another, his face beaming with a happiness he's never known in real life.
The clouds drift away, and the moonlight returns, casting its pale glow once more. The wind dies down, and all is still. But beneath the earth, a tremor begins. The ground shakes, at first gently, then more violently. The tiny waste house can't withstand the tremors. Reo, lost in his sweet potato dream, is jolted awake by a sudden shock. Before he can react, darkness crashes down on him, pain searing through his body as the house collapses. Dust rises in the air, and the city's windows light up in panic, but soon it's clear that the earthquake was only a false alarm. As the city returns to sleep, no one realizes that someone is missing from the world.
------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: If you like this fanfic please show some support (spam ps).