Racing Into the Night

Yoshino... Just like last time, she's calling me late at night again. Maybe she saw me text the group chat and decided to check up. I don't really feel like talking to anyone, but... I guess it wouldn't hurt.

I pressed the accept button.

"Hello?" I said.

"Yozora... Hey. I just saw your text. Looks like you're doing better now, hm?"

"Yeah. I guess I just... needed some fresh air. I'm fine now."

"That's good to hear."

Something is strange. Her tone seems... off. I can't quite explain it, but it sounds exactly as it did when she called me for the first time.

"Yozora? You still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. What's up?"

"Nothing. I just... needed to hear your voice again."

"Did something happen? Should I come over?"

"Funny that you're asking me that when we've been trying to reach you all day yesterday and today. Here you are, worrying about other people when those people are worrying about you. Oh, how the tables have turned."

"Well... It's just that it sounds like something is bothering you right now."

"Does it?"

Maybe I'm reading too deep into this. After all, I did go through... a little something... just a couple of minutes ago. My head might not be in the right place.

"Yozora. Do me a favor. Look up at the sky. What do you see?"

I tilted my head up and stared blankly for a few seconds.

"Um... Just black, I guess?"

"Close, but not quite what I was looking for. The sky... the stars... they're all being blocked out by the lights we produce. Normally, on a night like this, you'd see millions of stars shining. But, because of our own selfishness, our greed... we can't see them even if we wanted to."

"Yoshino...? Are you... really okay?"

But she completely ignored me. "The answer I was looking for, Yozora, is 'nothing.' You look up at the night, and you see nothing. If a star burns up and disappears... then no one would ever know."

At that moment, something in my head clicked, as if the gears were finally turning. Her tone, her words, and her choice of using the stars as a metaphor... I could only trace it down to one thing.

"Yoshino," I said sternly. "Where are you right now?"

"Hehe. Exactly where I want to be, Yozora. It's cold out, but it's nice. I can't see the stars from here... so I can only imagine how beautiful they look beyond the nothingness."

"Answer me, Yoshino."

"Just as you have told me to not worry about you, it's my turn to tell you not to worry about me. I... Hah. I wanted to say... I'm glad you're okay now, Yozora. And... thank you. Really."

"Yoshino!"

However, before I could say anything else, the call ended. My body went numb. My breaths felt heavy, my head was hurting, and I could even feel my own heartbeat as it accelerated. Until now, I didn't realize how cold it was out here.

Yoshino... She can't be...

I immediately scrolled through my phone and opened up my contact list. Despite my efforts to stay calm, my hands were trembling. As soon as I saw a name that I recognized, I called them right away.

It rang and rang, and with each ring, I felt myself getting more impatient.

"Come on, come on...! Pick up!" I mumbled in a panic.

"Yozora!" Suguha exclaimed cheerfully. "Hey! I didn't think you'd call."

"No time, Suguha! Yoshino! Where is she right now?!"

"Eh? Yoko? Um... I think she said she was going out for a bit, but she didn't tell me where."

"Ask the others! Now!"

"Yozora? Is something wrong?"

"Just hurry!"

"O-okay! Hey, Mira! Did Yoko say where she was going?"

Faintly, I heard Mitsuki's voice. "She said she was going to Osaka Castle, but she told us not to tell Manager Na."

"Osaka Castle," Suguha said.

I quickly turned around and scanned the area. Far in the distance, beyond a horizon of towering trees, I saw a traditional castle sitting atop a hill. That has to be where she is.

"Got it," I quickly said. "Thanks, Suguha!"

"Eh? Y-Yozo—"

I hung up the call and immediately broke into a sprint. Down the bridge, across a long, white road lined with trees and shrubs, until I reached the foot of a massive building with a dome-shaped roof. Instead of ascending the small staircase, I veered off to the side, following a stone wall.

Reaching the end, I arrived at the edge of a parking lot. From this vantage point, the castle, with its imposing structure and the vast moat surrounding it, came into full view.

I paused for a moment, trying to catch my breath.

"Yoshino..." I whispered.

My thoughts were a blur. My chest pounded, and my legs burned from the relentless sprint. All that consumed me was the desperate need to reach the castle as quickly as possible. The only thing on my mind was Yoshino Yoko. No matter what, I had to find her.

Pushing myself forward, I plunged through a narrow thicket. Thankfully, the road beyond was deserted, allowing me to cross swiftly and continue along the water’s edge.

I soon arrived at a gate, which ordinarily would require a ticket, but I noticed the side door was slightly ajar. With no security guards in sight, I slipped inside and hurried down the path.

Eventually, I reached a white bridge that spanned the moat. On the other side, massive stone walls rose from the water, forming the hill upon which Osaka Castle and its surrounding land stood.

What a beautiful place. It really is no wonder that this is one of Japan's most famous landmarks, but I wasn’t here for sightseeing.

Even though I was almost out of breath, I darted across the bridge. Right as I reached the very middle, something caught my eye—a faint hint of flowing red. I looked up to the top of the stone wall, where a small lamp illuminated a single area. Standing there, unaware of my presence, was Yoshino Yoko, gazing off into the distance.

A part of me felt relieved at the sight of her, but I couldn’t afford to relax—not until I reached her and confirmed for myself that she was truly okay. With that thought, I rushed past the bridge and up a set of stairs to the left.

Finally, there she was. Yoshino stood at the very edge of the stone wall, her hair swaying gently in the wind. As she turned around, our eyes met. She wore a soft smile, but I knew better than anyone that it was just a façade.

"Yozora... You came."