Revival

Chapter 14

The next day dawns with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Hiro arrives at school, trying to keep a sense of normalcy despite the weight of the investigation on his shoulders. Morning classes pass by in a blur, but Hiro can hardly wait for lunchtime. He knows that this is when they will have the chance to regroup and plan their next move in the investigation.

Finally, the lunch bell rings, and Hiro joins his friends in their usual spot under the blossom tree in the empty school courtyard. Jun joins them, and they start unpacking their lunch boxes.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Sota asks, looking at Hiro

"I think we should head back to the library," Hiro suggests. "We should organize the information we found yesterday and see if there are any more clues we might have missed." With no objections from his friends, and the plan now set in place, they head back to the library after afternoon class.

After they get to the library, they gather back at the same table, "We made some progress yesterday," Hiro says, pulling out a stack of papers from his bag. "Let's organize our research and see if we can find more connections."

Jun takes the lead, arranging the papers chronologically, grouping them by the dates of the missing children cases. Sota cross-references the information, looking for any shared locations or potential leads.

"Look at this," Sota pointing his drawing to everyone, "These are the last seen locations of all the missing children."

Jun examines the drawing carefully. "It's like the kidnapper has a specific area they target," he says, his voice serious.

Hiro's mind races with possibilities. "Maybe they know the area well, it also might be easier for them to cover their tracks and avoid detection."

Akio interjects, discovering that the parents of a missing child, Yuki Nakanishi, used to live in the same neighborhood last year before moving away after his disappearance. There's no indication of any direct connection to Himiko's father, however, the proximity is striking.

"We also can't overlook the possibility that there's more than one perpetrator" adds Kai. "With no explanations behind these connections, there are still many holes in our investigation,"

"Kai's right, let's focus and delve on one clue at a time, I say we split off, me, Sota, and Jun will head to their old house and you two continue researching here," Hiro agrees, seemingly hopeful with the sense of feeling back on track.

As they split up to start their inquiries, Hiro, Sota, and Jun head to the neighborhood where Yuuki used to live, curious to see who now resides in the old house. The memories of the past weigh heavily on him as he walks the familiar streets that were once home to Himiko. The once-familiar sight of Yuuki's home now looked different—new paint, a well-maintained garden, and a sense of life breathed into the old walls. Arriving at Yuuki's former residence, they see that someone else is now living there. Hiro musters his courage and approaches the new residents, politely asking if they know where Yuuki's family moved to. He knows that they have to be cautious and not reveal their true intentions. They can't risk scaring away potential witnesses or suspects. "We're trying to reconnect with old friends from the neighborhood, but we lost touch over the years," he says. "Do you happen to know where the Nakanishi family moved to? We used to be close with their son, Yuuki."

The woman's face softens with a hint of sadness. "Oh, I remember the Nakanishis," she says. "They moved away a few years ago after their son went missing."

Hiro tries to fake his surprise at her response. "Missing? Do you know what happened?" he asks, trying to feign ignorance.

"They never found him," the woman says solemnly. "It was a heartbreaking time for the entire neighborhood.

"By any chance do you know where they are living now?" Hiro questions, seeking more clues

"Yeah, they moved to a neighboring town not long after, but we are unaware of their exact location." Answers the woman.

"I see. Thank you," he replies, trying to mask the emotions swirling inside him.

They leave the house to head back to the library, discontent with their findings. "Hopefully Akio and Kai found something, let's keep our hopes up, the worst we can do is get caught up in the investigation," Hiro says trying to motivate his friends.

"Hiro's right, it's disheartening, but we can't give up," Sota says firmly. "We'll find another way to get to the truth."

As they step inside, they see Kai and Akio still absorbed in their studies.

"Hey, Hiro," Kai says, looking up with concern in his eyes. "Did you find anything?"

Hiro shakes his head, "No, nothing significant. Yuuki's family moved away after he disappeared.

Kai frowns, "That's frustrating. We were hoping for some lead."

Akio chimes in, "We found some interesting information though. Look at this." Akio spreads out a map on the table, pointing to various locations marked with pins. "I've been cross-referencing the last seen locations of the missing children," he explains. "And I noticed something interesting. While some of the cases are close in time to each other, there are also cases that took place years ago."

Hiro and the others exchange puzzling glances, absorbing the information. "So, you mean the cases might not connect after all?" Jun asks, raising a brow.

"It's a possibility," Akio replies. "I mean, we can't rule out the possibility that there's more than one kidnapper, or maybe even unrelated incidents that just happened to share some similarities."

"Let's not let this discourage us," Hiro says, trying to lift their spirits. "We have to consider all possibilities and keep digging for more clues. Maybe there's something we missed or a different angle we have yet to explore."

Kai, seemingly lost, suggests continuing the investigation tomorrow showing his exhaustion. The others agree reluctantly, and they part ways from the library with their heads held low.