Part 2: Silent Vacancies
The heavy classroom door slid open once more, breaking the delicate silence that hung over the middle row.
Souta and Yuna walked into the classroom together. Yuna's movements were still stiff, several white bandages visible along her arms and neck—painful reminders of the injuries she had suffered in the bomb blast just two days before the night attack.
As they stepped inside, their eyes instantly caught the dark, specialized wheelchair parked beside Haruto's desk.
Their expressions shifted from casual morning quiet to instant concern. Seeing the heavy purple bruises creeping up Haruto's jaw, his soot-stained clothes, and the complete, unnatural silence draped over him, both Souta and Yuna quickened their pace and rushed to his desk.
"Haruto?!" Yuna asked urgently, her voice full of worry as she leaned closer. "What happened to you?! Why are you in a wheelchair?!"
"Haruto, say something," Souta added, his brow furrowed as he looked down at the silent, red-haired boy. "Are you alright?"
Haruto didn't answer. He kept his head lowered against his chest, refusing to meet their gaze or utter a single word.
Amaya, Izumi, and Arashi remained standing beside the wheelchair like a quiet guard. Noticing that Souta and Yuna were about to push further and ask about the rest of the triplets, Arashi stepped forward slightly. He knew Haruto couldn't bear to say the words again.
"Where are Kaito and Ayame?" Souta asked, looking up at the surrounding trio for answers. "Did something happen during the lockdown last night?"
Arashi met Souta's gaze, his voice steady but grave. "Kaito is in the hospital."
Souta and Yuna exhaled, a visible wave of relief washing over them at the confirmation that Kaito was alive, even if injured. But their concern for Haruto only deepened.
Yuna glanced around the desk, her eyes scanning the room. "And Ayame? Where is she?"
Arashi hesitated, his jaw tightening for a fraction of a second before the heavy truth left his lips.
"Ayame... didn't make it."
The words struck like a physical force.
Souta and Yuna froze instantly. The breath left Yuna's chest as both of them slowly turned their heads toward the back of the room, their eyes locking onto Ayame's empty desk. The wooden surface was immaculate and silent, stripped of the terrifying, razor-sharp presence that usually occupied it. The brutal reality of the night raid began to sink deep into their minds.
Haruto remained entirely silent through it all. He kept his chin tucked low into his collar, his long red hair veiling his face, silently broadcasting that he couldn't speak about the nightmare.
Respecting his pain, neither Souta nor Yuna pressured him for details. Instead, they quietly closed the distance, joining Amaya, Izumi, and Arashi in a silent circle of support around Haruto's wheelchair.
After a long, heavy moment of silence, Yuna's gaze drifted across the front row. She slowly looked toward another desk that remained unoccupied.
"Why isn't Misaki here yet?" Yuna asked softly.
The group turned their eyes toward Misaki's empty seat.
Yuna lowered her gaze, her voice tinged with a quiet, sorrowful uncertainty. "Maybe... maybe she's distancing herself from us. Ever since her father passed away, she hasn't really talked to any of us like a friend anymore..."
She paused, looking back at Haruto's motionless form before looking once more at the vacant desk. "I don't even know how she's going to react when she finds out what happened to Haruto, Kaito, and Ayame."
The five friends fell completely silent, their quiet gazes resting on Misaki's empty chair as the morning sun continued to climb outside.