- After that incident, the number of reported cases dropped drastically. For the first time in a long while, the city began to feel alive again -
Authorities have allegedly identified two individuals who were present during the incident: Kye Kurasaki and Mrs. Arisa. Both are currently under investigation, while officials continue to examine the case.
The investigation remains ongoing... What truly lies ahead in this unknown world is yet to be discovered.
Volume 2nd [ The truth they buried ]
Ch : 9 - The first step - begins...!
---
The weather had finally returned to normal.
After days of chaos, the city looked surprisingly peaceful. Warm sunlight spread across the streets, while people slowly resumed their ordinary lives.
Inside the hospital room, Kye silently stared at the television.
Kye: "So... it only took them a few days to start their little drama."
He let out a tired sigh.
"Now how am I supposed to explain to my parents what I was doing there?"
He glanced at the news reporter with an annoyed expression.
"Don't these news channels have anything better to report?"
A brief silence followed.
"Huh... Forget about them."
He slowly got out of bed.
"The important thing right now is to go home first. I need to talk to my parents... They're probably worried sick."
As he reached for the door, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"I just hope Arisa didn't misunderstand the way I left..."
---
Scene Shifts
Inside Arisa's house...
Ren and Luca quietly sat together while Arisa prepared breakfast.
Arisa: "Luca, I've been thinking... Since you and Ren are around the same age, why don't you two start going to school together?"
She smiled gently.
"I think it'll be good for both of you. Besides, I'll have to return to work starting tomorrow. I'll take care of the admission process, so from then on, you'll be going to school together."
Ren's eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
Luca, on the other hand, still wore his usual calm expression...
But compared to before, there was a faint warmth on his face.
Luca: "What about Mr. Kye...? Is he... not coming back?"
Arisa paused for a moment.
A small pout appeared on her face.
Arisa: "Hmph... What am I even supposed to say about him?"
She folded her arms.
"He seriously thinks he's some kind of hero... I'll show him. I can manage perfectly fine on my own."
She tried to sound annoyed...
Yet deep inside, she couldn't help but smile.
For the first time in a long while...
She felt genuinely relieved.
-------
Kye stepped out of the hospital and began making his way home.
As he walked through the streets, his eyes carefully scanned everything around him.
The city looked peaceful once again.
People laughed, children played, and traffic had finally returned to normal.
Yet...
Kye: "It feels like things have finally calmed down after that case..."
He lowered his gaze.
"But for some reason... my mind refuses to believe this peace is real."
"There are still too many things I don't understand."
"Who exactly was that man... Null?"
"Why did he kill Morrow?"
"And why were the police acting so casually during the incident?"
"They even let us go without asking many questions..."
"Something isn't right."
Lost in thought, Kye suddenly bumped into a man dressed in a long black coat and a wide-brimmed hat.
Kye: "Can't you watch where you're going, mister?"
The stranger glanced at him calmly.
Stranger: "You were the one who wasn't paying attention, kid."
Kye frowned.
Kye: "What exactly is your problem?"
The man simply sighed.
Stranger: "Forget it. My apologies."
"I don't have much time."
He pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"By the way... are you familiar with this address?"
Kye looked at it for a brief moment.
Kye: "I feel like I've seen it somewhere before..."
"But I don't have time for this right now."
He turned around.
"I'm leaving... and next time, watch where you're walki—"
Stranger: "Wait."
Before Kye could finish, the man handed him a small card.
"Take my number."
"Contact me whenever you're free."
"That information is extremely important to me."
"For now... I'll be on my way."
The stranger walked off before Kye could respond.
Kye: "Hey... at least wait and explain yourself!"
But the man had already disappeared into the crowd.
That person didn't seem quite right to me.
---
Scene Shifts
Kye finally arrived at his neighborhood.
As he walked through the familiar streets, he noticed countless people staring at him...
Almost as if he had become some sort of celebrity.
Kye (thinking) : "Seriously...? Go stare at your own kids. Why are all of you looking at me like that?"
His expression slowly changed.
"More importantly..."
"How am I even supposed to explain everything to Mom and Dad?"
He lowered his head for a moment.
"To be honest... I never thought I'd come that close to dying."
"What would've happened if I had actually died? Would my family have been able to handle it?"
He quietly clenched his fist.
"Next time... I need to be more careful."
A few moments later...
Kye stopped in front of his house.
He slowly opened the gate, took off his shoes, and stepped inside.
Kye: "Mom... Dad... I'm home."
The moment those words left his mouth...
Footsteps echoed through the house.
His parents rushed toward the entrance.
Without saying a single word...
Mira immediately wrapped her arms around him.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Mira: "Kye... What happened to you?"
"Are you alright?"
"Why didn't you tell us anything?"
"You didn't even let us know you were coming home..."
Kye opened his mouth to answer.
Kye: "Mom... actually—"
Daigo: "You're still trying to make excuses?"
His voice was firm.
"Do you even realize how serious this situation was?"
"We've been worried out of our minds."
The room fell silent.
After taking a deep breath...
Mira gently wiped away her tears.
Mira: "Kye... Go freshen up first."
She forced a small smile.
"We'll sit down and talk properly afterward."
"I'll prepare something for you to eat."
Kye quietly nodded.
Kye (thinking) : "Yeah..."
"It's probably better if I listen to them."
"The atmosphere doesn't feel right..."
"If I say the wrong thing now, I'll only make things worse."
He silently walked toward his room.....!
---
A few minutes later...
The entire family gathered in the living room.
Mira placed a tray of freshly prepared snacks and coffee on the table before quietly taking her seat.
A brief silence filled the room.
Daigo was the first to speak.
Daigo: "So... are you finally going to tell us what really happened?"
His expression remained serious.
"How did you end up at that child experimentation facility?"
For a brief moment...
Fragments of the news broadcast flashed through Kye's mind.
> Anchor: "Authorities have successfully arrested the majority of the suspects involved in the incident. Police have officially confirmed the case as a large-scale child trafficking operation, with additional criminal charges expected to follow during the investigation."
Kye looked back at his parents.
Kye: "Actually..."
"I saw a child being kidnapped."
"I followed them because I thought I could save that kid..."
"But I ended up getting trapped inside... and after that... everything spiraled out of control."
Mira immediately frowned.
Mira: "Do you even realize how reckless that was, Kye?"
"Have you looked at the condition you came back in?"
"That place was incredibly dangerous."
"You should've informed the police first..."
"Or at the very least... you could've told us."
Before Kye could respond...
Daigo let out a quiet sigh.
Daigo: "What's done is done."
"Arguing about it won't change anything now."
"You're staying here with us for a few days."
"And don't even think about making excuses."
"Consider that your punishment for acting so recklessly."
Kye simply nodded.
Kye: "Alright... Dad. Mom."
As the conversation settled...
His eyes slowly wandered around the room.
Something felt...
Different.
Kye: "Did you two renovate the house?"
Mira smiled softly.
Mira: "Yes."
"Some parts of the house had become quite old..."
"So we decided it was finally time to renovate them."
Kye quietly looked around once again.
For some reason...
The house felt familiar...
Yet strangely unfamiliar at the same time.
---
After spending the rest of the evening talking with his family, they all shared dinner together.
For the first time in a long while...
Everything felt... normal.
Later that night, the family even went out for a short walk around the neighborhood before finally returning home.
---
Kye quietly stepped back into his old room.
He slowly lay down on his bed and stared at the ceiling.
Kye: "Hmph... Today felt... different."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"It's been a long time since I had a day that actually felt... normal."
Suddenly—
Something clicked in his mind.
"Ah... that address."
Fragments of an old memory flashed before his eyes.
> Daigo: "Kye, this is my emergency treatment room. I only use it in rare cases."
The memory vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Kye frowned.
"I don't remember everything clearly..."
"But I'm pretty sure that place belongs to Dad."
He slowly sat upright.
"Then what exactly was that stranger's connection to it?"
"If he simply wanted to go there... why didn't he contact Dad directly?"
"If it's really just an emergency treatment room..."
"Then why would someone like him be searching for it?"
Kye fell silent.
"Too many things are slipping beyond my understanding..."
"And on top of that... I can barely remember where that place even is."
He closed his eyes.
"None of this feels right..."
"I need to uncover the truth... before it's too late."
Those thoughts slowly faded away...
And eventually...
Kye drifted into a deep sleep.
---
The moon shone quietly over the peaceful neighborhood.
Everything appeared calm.
Everything...
Except for one thing.
A lone white van slowly drove out of the neighborhood...
...disappearing into the darkness of the night.
The end of chapter 9..!