Following in shadows

The streets of Hikarimori were quiet at night, the lamps casting long shadows across the pavement. Shiromi kept her distance, her footsteps soft as she trailed Hayato.
He didn’t notice. Or maybe he was pretending not to.
Hayato walked with purpose, not toward home but deeper into the old district—an area where the shops were closed, shutters rusted, and alleys whispered of forgotten secrets.
"Why here?"
Finally, he stopped in front of a run-down building. Its windows were dark, its sign broken. But the nameplate beside the door still read faintly: "Kurokawa Trading Co.".
Shiromi’s chest tightened.That name again.
Hayato looked around cautiously before slipping inside.
Shiromi pressed herself against the wall, her heartbeat thunderous. "He’s hiding something."
She waited a moment, then quietly followed.

                                                                      Inside, dust clung to the air. Shelves of old crates lined the walls, and faint moonlight filtered through cracks in the ceiling.

Hayato stood near the back, kneeling in front of a covered box. He pulled away the tarp, revealing not weapons or money, but… framed photos.
One showed him as a child with his mother. Another… with his father.
Hayato touched the glass gently. His voice was low, almost trembling.
“Dad… where are you now?”
Shiromi froze in the shadows.
Her throat went dry. Was he looking for his father too? Did he not know where he was?
Then, the creak of a floorboard betrayed her weight.
Hayato cautioned by the sound.“Who’s there!”
Her pulse spiked. She could stay hidden—or step out and face him.
But before she could decide,Hayato’s eyes locked on the darkness where she stood.
“Shiromi...?”