1 CHAPTER ONE- A quest of hearts

YEAR 1994 ;SHINTAMA HIGH SCHOOL,KUMAMOTO CITY,JAPAN.

On towards the island of Kyushu in Kumamoto Prefecture at the outskirts of Kumamoto city in a small village a huge tall building stood upright since the year 1994.Surrounded by cherry blossom trees Shintama High School has been the best known school in the entire city. With its top education,and best teaching staff its reputation always held up high...until things came tumbling down starting from 1998 when cases filed up against Shintama High. News hits around the city. People are going missing.Disappearing in broad-daylight.But that's not it.The students who were supposed to be missing from the school grounds, were never a part of the school,not in the registers,nowhere at all. The Principal denied the existence of the missing students in their school.The fellow classmates gave the statements that so-and-so student was never a part of the class.Students kept going missing from the school and no action was taken and rumors continued till 2010.Everything that happened,was soon forgotten,like it never happened.There was something unusual going on, but what?

Present. YEAR 2014; TOKYO,JAPAN

"Haru, did I disturb you? There is something really important I wanna talk about."

'Late that night I received a phone call.The call that changed my life forever. Mina had bad news from Kumamoto, I wanted to laugh out hearing it but it ended up a bit of a huge shock for me.'

"What? Students have disappeared?"

'I have vivid memories of the time when we were at Shintama's elementary-school, the seniors used to scare the hell out of us telling us that a door would pull us away and lock us inside it forever if we try to do any mischief at school. And we being kids believed it.But...I believed in it even when I was 10 and even when I was 14 ...but now umm...it's a little unbelievable '

"Its Mitsuo. We cannot find him anywhere.We have issued a complaint at the police station it's been 3 days now but there is no trace of him." she cried out.

'It's Mina's elder brother, he has gone missing?

"His friends last saw him at his club when they were leaving, My brother and another girl named Kaho from the Literature Club have both gone missing from the school"

'2 PEOPLE both of the same school and the same club'

"Haru it's the door, do you remember it? Our seniors had warned us about that. I am telling you something is definitely wrong with this school. What if the rumors are all true and it was the door that pulled my brother in?" she said crying in a terrified voice that sent a chill down my spine.

'6 YEARS AGO when I was still a 10 year old at Shintama. A senior I knew or maybe did not knew or maybe I did? ...I mean I don't exactly know if that was just a dream...but there was this awesome senior I had who would always sneak me into the Library (which I was not allowed to go during my lectures) and she was suddenly gone, I being a kid thought that maybe she broke a school rule because of me and the door trapped her inside.....but then the next second I remembered that I never had any such senior in my life....It was just a lie than any memory....Right? But now everything makes me rethink about the past. What the hell is exactly going on?

A week later Haru was moving back to Kumamoto, it was already start of spring and the Sakura trees had come to bloom. He was returning after 6 years to his hometown, it was a nostalgic journey back. Like he was not only moving back to his town but was actually moving back in time.

'I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED HOW MINA LOOKS LIKE NOW THAT SHE HAS GROWN UP. WHAT WOULD SHE THINK WHEN SHE SEES ME? HOW WILL OUR RELATION BE LIKE AFTER SO MANY YEARS...CAN WE STILL BE BEST FRIENDS LIKE WE WERE BEFORE?' he thought.

They moved in to the same old house they lived 6 years ago. A fair-sized Japanese house cementric colored, having downwards tilted roofs,with a small black gate,some pairs of fence surrounding the concrete 2-floored house, next to it a little post-box overflowing with letters,several bonsai trees planted around the small 2 sq.ft garden,a normal door at the entrance with a tiny bell button to its left, the interiors being modern ,with wood flooring's and white painted walls. A steady-built staircase leading up to the 2nd floor,sky-blue colored satin curtains covering up the tall translucent windows of the living room and the bedroom. And a beautiful amount of sunshine penetrating towards the house. A house filled with memories form the past,that links people with each other,this tiny little house that becomes a HOME when people reside in it.

RING!RING!

Haru picks up his ringing phone, while a small carrier-truck stands in front of the little black gate near his house having many beige-colored cardboard boxes.

"Hmm?" He makes a sound to the other side knowing who it is.

"Haruuuuuuuuuuuu" A girl yells loudly, forcing Haru to suddenly contract his phone away from his ear.

Taking a glance at his phone screen he murmurs to himself "Is it on speaker? ....Ah..No it's just her"

"MINA!!!"

"You are here? You are here? You are here?" she screams enthusiastically again.

"Hmm. I just arrived" Haru replies in his dull voice.

"I'll meet Haru at school tomorrow then?"

"Yeah" he replied in a concerned tone not being sure he wants to return back to Shintama High.

Right since Haru was young he was a completely dull student, average at everything, without having any special qualities in him, he was weak,not interacting with anyone and having no friends. Back at Shintama High when he was 10 he used to be bullied by his fellow classmates, and was made fun of by the whole class.

"And I'll also help you unpack if you need to. You can rest today" she continued.

"Thank You ! Mina"

"Haru doesn't need to be be so formal next time. Drop the honorifics, it's creepy" Mina demanded.

"Hmm...see you later" he ended.

"JA... NE!"

Also since Haru spoke really less, and never says anything what is on his mind,and always has a dull expression at all situations which doesn't let people know what he is thinking. People are often scared off by his vibes and assume that he is really rude. But Mina alone wouldn't stop befriending him. She'd never feel bad by his emotion-derived words nor his cold treatment.

She knows that the Haru behind these empty words and cold face is a warm and caring person.

"Ah...lots of work to do!" he looks at the piles of boxes and exclaims.

He takes out his smartphone and clicks a picture of the living room at his house that is now filled with stuff to unpack.

'I have reached safely. I am trying to arrange these things,but I cannot do it like you do.Since you did not call me I hope you are not stressing too much at work. Please take care of yourself. I will handle things here. I am gonna find a good part-time job too. School starts early tomorrow morning. See you.'

An hour later

BEEP!

'aHH...I am sorry sweetie I just got a hold of my cellphone...Mumma had lied down asleep instead of working hehe....Glad to know you reached safely. Mom will work hard and also take care of herself. And you don't have to find any job now...just enjoy your high-school life....I'll come after a week or two ...Ba -Byeeeee *kissing emojis*

'Hmm..'