Empty Home

The funeral was over.As the last guests left, Hayashi Ren quietly returned to his house.He unlocked the front door and stepped inside.Silence.No one welcomed him home.No voice said, "Welcome back."No lights were on.The house felt colder than ever.Ren slowly walked into the living room. His father's favorite coffee mug was still on the table, exactly where he had left it. His jacket was hanging by the entrance, untouched.Everything looked the same.Except his father was gone.Ren stood there for a long time before quietly sitting down.That night, he couldn't bring himself to eat.He simply lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling until he fell asleep.The next morning...The alarm rang.No one came to wake him up.No one prepared breakfast.No one reminded him to get ready for school.For the first time in his life, Ren had to do everything on his own.He walked into the kitchen and tried to cook rice.He added too much water.The rice turned into a sticky mess.He cracked an egg into a frying pan.It broke apart immediately, and the egg burned within minutes.After several failed attempts, Ren quietly made a cup of instant noodles.It wasn't good...But it was enough.He picked up his school bag and left for school.After classes ended, Ren returned to an empty house once again.He changed his clothes.Washed the dishes.Did the laundry.Cleaned the floor.Finished his homework.Then he sat alone at the dining table with a simple dinner.One chair was occupied.The other remained empty.Every single day felt exactly the same.Weeks passed.Ren slowly learned how to cook simple meals.He learned how to clean the house.How to manage money.How to live without depending on anyone.But no matter how capable he became...The loneliness never disappeared.The house was always silent.The nights always felt longer than they should.One rainy evening, Ren opened an old drawer in his father's room.Inside, he found a small notebook.It was his father's diary.As he turned the pages, one sentence caught his attention."Ren... if one day I'm no longer by your side, I hope you'll become someone who keeps moving forward, no matter how painful life becomes."Ren lowered the diary.His hands began to shake.Tears slowly rolled down his face.For the first time since the funeral...He cried without trying to hide it.Months passed.Ren became stronger.Not because life became easier...But because he had no other choice.He learned how to survive.Yet deep inside...He was still just a lonely boy searching for someone who would stay.