IN SEARCH OF THE MISSING PIECES

**In Search of the Missing Pieces**

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The night air was thick with anticipation as Yumi, Hana, Reina, Keiko, Mayumi, and Aiko found themselves on the quiet street in front of Kyoshi's family home. Each of them had been drawn here by a shared realization, a flood of memories that had come crashing back into their minds, vivid and undeniable. Somehow, they had all remembered Kyoshi—the friend they had cherished, the one who had quietly vanished from their lives.

As the girls gathered, exchanging astonished glances, Yumi spoke first, her voice trembling with excitement and confusion. "You... you all remembered him too, didn’t you? Kyoshi... how could we have forgotten him?”

Each girl nodded, sharing similar expressions of bewilderment and relief.

Hana, ever logical, tried to explain, “It’s like he was there all along, hidden in the back of our minds. And now... suddenly, he's everywhere. I don’t understand it, but I know he was important to all of us.”

Reina crossed her arms, her usual confidence laced with a hint of vulnerability. "This is insane. How could someone like him just... vanish from our memories? He was a part of our lives. It feels wrong."

Without further words, the girls gathered the courage to approach the front door. They knocked softly, and after a few moments, the door creaked open to reveal Hiro, Kyoshi’s younger brother, who blinked in surprise at the unusual sight of the six of them standing there in the middle of the night.

“Is… is everything alright?” Hiro asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

The girls exchanged glances before Yumi spoke up. "We… we remember Kyoshi, Hiro. We don’t know why we forgot him, but now it’s like we can’t stop thinking about him. We need to know more, and… we hoped your family could help us."

Hiro looked at each of them, his gaze lingering on their earnest expressions before he slowly nodded and stepped aside. “Come in. My parents and Emi are asleep, but I’ll show you what I can.”

---

As they entered the home, the familiar warmth of Kyoshi's presence seemed to linger, yet it was hauntingly absent. The girls followed Hiro into the living room, where he took out an old family photo album, dusting it off before setting it on the coffee table. One by one, they gathered around, sharing nervous glances as Hiro opened the album to reveal photos of the family.

Yumi’s eyes scanned the pictures eagerly, her heart aching with each familiar face she saw. But as she flipped through the pages, a strange realization struck her. “Hiro… where are Kyoshi’s pictures?”

Hiro froze, his own face clouded with confusion as he continued turning the pages. The album was filled with images of Emi, Hiro, their parents—yet Kyoshi was nowhere to be found. The photos felt incomplete, as if pieces of their lives had been carefully erased.

Reina leaned in, her sharp gaze catching every detail. "This doesn’t make sense. There’s not a single picture of him. Not even one from when he was a baby.”

Hiro's voice was quiet, filled with an unsettling mix of confusion and sorrow. “He… he was my older brother. I remember him. I know we grew up together. But seeing this…” He shook his head, swallowing hard. “It’s like he was never really here.”

The girls exchanged worried glances, a sense of dread beginning to settle over them. How could a person so central to their lives be so thoroughly erased from his own family’s history?

---

**The Search Begins**

After some hushed discussions, the girls decided that they couldn't leave things unresolved. There had to be more—some clue or trace that would prove Kyoshi had truly been part of this family, of their lives. Determined, they began searching the house with Hiro’s reluctant permission, carefully looking through shelves, closets, and any corner that might hold a memory.

Yumi found herself in Kyoshi’s room, now repurposed for storage. As she stepped inside, she felt a wave of emotions wash over her. She could almost picture him here, sitting by the window or lying on the bed with that easygoing smile of his. But there were no belongings, no traces of him anywhere.

As she sifted through boxes, her fingers brushed against something soft—a worn-out sweater with faint remnants of Kyoshi’s scent. She clutched it to her chest, closing her eyes as memories of laughter and late-night talks flooded her mind. It was as if he was right there with her, his presence lingering in the fabric.

In the other rooms, the rest of the girls had similar experiences. Hana found an old notebook in the study with Kyoshi's handwriting on a few torn-out pages. The sight of his writing brought tears to her eyes, and she traced the ink with her fingers, feeling the weight of all that had been lost.

Mayumi discovered a small box under the bed containing a few keepsakes—movie ticket stubs, small trinkets, reminders of times they had spent together. She could almost hear his laughter, his gentle encouragement as he had supported her through difficult times.

---

**An Ominous Discovery**

After hours of searching, the group reconvened in the living room, their faces pale and eyes red from holding back tears. Each girl held a small piece of Kyoshi, a fragment of his life that had somehow slipped through the cracks of memory. They sat in silence, the weight of their shared grief pressing down on them.

Hana spoke first, her voice a whisper. "I don’t understand any of this. How can someone so important just… disappear?”

Reina nodded, her expression tense. “It’s like something out of a nightmare. But he was real, and he mattered. I don’t care what it takes—I want to know what happened to him.”

Hiro looked down, his hands trembling as he held one of Kyoshi’s keepsakes. “I’ll help. I don’t understand any of this either, but Kyoshi deserves to be remembered. Whatever it takes, we’ll find the truth.”

---

**A Sudden Clue**

Just as they were about to give up, Hiro's phone buzzed. He looked down to see a message from an unknown number: “If you’re looking for Kyoshi, meet me at the abandoned field tomorrow night. Come alone.”

Hiro’s heart raced as he read the message aloud, and a tense silence filled the room. The mysterious text felt like a spark of hope and danger, hinting at answers yet laced with uncertainty.

The girls exchanged wary glances, each of them sensing the gravity of the situation.

“We can’t ignore this,” Yumi whispered, her gaze steady with determination. “We need to find out what happened to Kyoshi, no matter what.”

Hiro nodded, clenching his fists. “Then tomorrow night, we go together. For Kyoshi.”

The group sat in silence, a silent pact forming among them.

Chapter end