Where's Minamoto-kun?

It's been two days in the semester and I still haven't seen him... Where did he go?

Nao thought, waking up from her bed.

Glancing at her alarm by the bedside table, she stretches her hands in the sky and lets out a long yawn, "My back is killing me... " She muttered.

Since it was only half past six, she didn't make haste to get ready, and after all today she felt unusually more groggy than others.

Making her way to the kitchen, she saw no trace of Ema, instead there she saw a note that reads,

"Since you look so comfortable, I couldn't wake you up. Well, I had brought in your breakfast for you, so hurry up and go to class, okay? "

- Ema Takane

Beside the note was a curry wrapped in plastic protection.

Nao's heart felt warm, a smile creeping on her lips.

Takane-san...

As Nao sat down to enjoy her breakfast, she couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards her roommate, Ema. She unwrapped the curry and took a few bites, savoring the taste of the half-cold food.

After her meal, Nao quickly got ready for the day and headed to class. The worry about her missing friend still lingered in the back of her mind. She couldn't help but wonder where he had disappeared and if he was okay.

Where are you minamoto-kun...?

During the class, her mind occasionally drifted, and she found it hard to concentrate on the classes. She hoped to see her friend soon and catch up with him. The uncertainty was making her anxious.

As the day progressed, Nao felt an increasing urgency to locate Yuto, her worry intensifying. She approached her classmates, seeking his whereabouts, determined to ease her concerns and ensure her friend's well-being.

"E-excuse me, do you know where Yuto Minamoto is? " Nao asked with a hint of concern.

"Sorry, I don't know who that is, " One of her classmates replied.

"Kuro-kun, do you know where Minamoto-kun went? " She inquired.

"Sorry, Ito-san I have no clue. " Kuro responded in his characteristic, monotonous tone, tilting his head slightly.

The quest to find her missing friend was a challenging one. Nao diligently questioned almost everyone in her class, even approaching those with whom she had never spoken before.

Growing increasingly fatigued and anxious, Nao sighed deeply, lamenting her lack of information about Yuto and his current situation.

This no use, if only I'd known who's his roommate...

She chastised herself for not knowing who his roommate was, realizing that such knowledge might have been helpful.

Oh, yeah. There's still one more person I haven't asked.

I mean It would be my wishful thinking, that his roommate is also in this class.

But you'll never know unless you try!

And to her surprise, his roommate was actually in her class.

"Eh? " Nao's mouth fell agape in disbelief as she processed the unexpected revelation.

What did he just say...?

"Can you repeat that, Hirata-san? " Nao inquired for confirmation.

Aki calmly responded. "Mhm, sure. I'm Yuto's roommate. "

The reaffirmation made Nao's eyes widen with joy, Finally a lead! She thought.

The reaffirmation filled Nao with joy, as she finally had a lead in her search for Yuto.

"Then, do you know why he hasn't been coming to class? It's been two days," Nao inquired anxiously.

The young man, who had been quietly working on his class materials, looked up at Nao. Aki nodded slowly. His expression remained apathetic as he scratched his cheek, revealing. "Oh yeah, that... He's sick. I forgot that he wanted me to pass the message. I only managed to inform the teacher about it. "

"He came down with the flu on the morning the semester started," Aki continued.

Nao's heart leaped with a mixture of relief and concern as she heard Aki's explanation. Relief because she now knew where Yuto had been, and was concerned for his well-being.

"Yuto has the flu? That's why he hasn't been in class?" Nao asked, her voice filled with genuine worry.

Aki nodded. "Yeah, it hit him right like a storm. He's been resting in our dorm since then."

Nao's relief deepened knowing that Yuto was at least in their dormitory and not somewhere more mysterious. "Is he getting better? Does he need anything?"

Aki's apathetic expression softened a bit as he smiled and responded, "Yeah, he's getting better slowly. But he hasn't mentioned needing anything. He's been sleeping a lot, trying to recover."

Nao appreciated Aki's willingness to share information about her friend. "Thank you for letting me know, Hirata-san. If there's anything I can do to help or if he needs anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Aki's eyes flickered with a hint of gratitude. "I'll let you know if he needs anything. But for now, he just needs rest. "

As Nao continued through her classes, her worry for Yuto had lessened, replaced with a sense of relief and a hope that he would recover soon. She was grateful for the bit of information that Aki provided, and the uncertainty that had been clouding her mind was finally starting to lift.