A soft knocking sound echoed in front of boarding room number 14, forcing the young man inside—who had been sleeping soundly since it was Sunday—to wake up and open the door to see who would visit him so early on his day off.
As the door opened, a beautiful woman stood outside, wearing a brown long-sleeved jacket over a white cardigan. Her azure eyes met his, instantly making the drowsiness fade from his face.
"Good morning, Hitami."
"Good morning, Aunt."
The blond woman with long layered hair braided over her right shoulder down to her chest wore a gentle expression, showing her warmth toward the silver-haired boy standing before her.
"May I ask why you came here, Aunt?"
"Yes," she nodded. She briefly looked away, followed by a long sigh, worry clearly etched on her face. "Have you seen my son, Yugi?"
"Eh?" Hitami was startled. "Didn't he return home last night?"
"Really?"
Hitami nodded firmly, assuring Iris, Ankagi's mother, that he had personally walked Yugi back home after they spent time playing Horizon Online together.
"But Yugi hasn't come home at all."
Worry clouded Iris's face. She was truly afraid something had happened to her son.
This is strange, Hitami thought. He clearly remembered escorting Ankagi to the front of his house. It was impossible for someone to kidnap or threaten him so easily.
"He's not inside, right?"
"Ah, he's not."
The hesitation in Hitami's expression made Iris suspicious that her son might actually be there.
"Let me check!"
"Wait—"
Ignoring Hitami's warning, Iris forced her way into his boarding room.
Inside, the room was a complete mess. Piles of clothes—t-shirts, pants, undershirts, and underwear—were scattered everywhere. Empty instant noodle cups, bento boxes, and cup ramen littered every corner of the room.
"This is terrible."
Hearing Iris mutter in disgust, Hitami could only give a bitter smile.
"Why don't you try cleaning your room?"
"I cleaned it yesterday, but since today is a holiday, I thought I'd just leave it."
Iris sighed in frustration, unable to understand how someone could relax in such a filthy room instead of tidying it up.
"Well, forget it."
Not wanting to dwell on the topic, Iris turned to Hitami with a serious expression.
"That means my son really isn't here…"
Disappointment filled her face.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Aunt."
"It's fine. I'm the one who barged in without your permission."
They stood in silence for a few seconds before Iris finally spoke.
"Hitami, could you help me look for my son?"
"Of course. I'll do my best."
A small smile appeared on Iris's face. She was grateful that her son had a friend who genuinely cared about him.
"If you find any news about Yugi, please contact me."
"I will."
After leaving the boarding house, Iris returned home. Watching her disappear into the distance, Hitami let out a long sigh.
Originally, he had planned to spend his day off resting. With part-time work filling his weekdays, Sunday was the only time he had to truly relax.
But now, concern weighed heavily on his heart.
Meanwhile, Iris returned home.
"Dear, I'm back."
"Have you found our son?" asked her husband, Len, a man with gray two-parted hair and silver eyes behind rectangular glasses.
"No." Iris shook her head sadly. "He wasn't there."
"I see…"
Though disappointment crossed Len's face, he remained calm.
"Should we report this to the police?"
"Yes, I think that would be wise."
Without hesitation, they prepared to head to the police station.
•••••
As Hitami walked through the streets, confusion deepened when he noticed how unusually quiet the city was. Normally, weekends were bustling, yet today only a handful of people were visible.
"This is strange… Where is everyone?" he muttered.
Suddenly, a news broadcast blared from a large public screen.
"Breaking news: Today, many people have mysteriously disappeared without any trace, flooding police stations with reports."
Hitami froze.
"Disappeared… without a trace?"
Anxiety tightened his chest.
"Please be safe, Yugi…"
He hurried through places his friend often visited—arcades, malls, game shops—but found no sign of him.
"Damn it… Where did he go?"
Another news flash followed.
"Additionally, the company that released Dream of RPG has also vanished without a trace."
"What?!"
"Impossible…"
A chilling thought crossed his mind.
No… I shouldn't think like that.
Yet unease lingered.
At the police station, Iris and Len were shocked by the massive crowd.
"Please find our children!"
"Where are my parents?!"
"Is my sister safe?!"
The desperate cries filled the air.
"How could so many people disappear at once?" Len muttered.
Iris showed him her phone, displaying the latest news.
"Impossible…" Len whispered. "Could our son have been kidnapped after playing that game?"
"I don't know… nothing makes sense."
They could only wait.
If an unknown number contacted them, they would answer.
If ransom was demanded, they would pay—and immediately involve the police.