Fujiwara Multimedia – The Day Fushiguro Didn't Come
The office buzzed with its usual rhythm—the soft clicking of keyboards, the low murmur of voices, printers humming in the background. At her desk, Yume was typing with quiet focus, her eyes trained on the screen, but her mind... wandered.
She glanced at the clock.
12:30 p.m.
Her fingers paused over the keyboard.
> It's lunch already…
That's strange. I haven't seen Fushiguro all morning.
Usually, by now, she would've caught at least one glimpse of him—maybe walking across the corridor with those quiet steps, or their eyes might've locked just long enough for a subtle tension to rise, unspoken but charged.
But today… nothing.
Not even the sound of his footsteps outside the writing department.
---
🌸 Yume in the Cafeteria
With a growing flutter in her chest—something she told herself was just curiosity—Yume stood up, took her phone, and headed toward the cafeteria.
The afternoon sun filtered through the large windows, casting soft golden light across the tables.
She scanned the room.
> He wasn't there.
The usual table where Fushiguro often sat alone—looking like he didn't belong in a crowd—was empty. The chair was tucked in, untouched.
She moved her tray through the line absentmindedly, eyes still flicking around, hoping to find him chatting with someone, maybe late to lunch. But nothing.
> Why do I feel... uneasy? It's not like he's obligated to show up every day…
And yet, her appetite faded as fast as her smile.
She barely touched her lunch.
---
🌙 Scene: After Lunch – Hesitating at Marketing
Back at her desk, Yume tried to shake off the feeling. But the screen swam before her eyes, her focus slipping between spreadsheets and thoughts of golden eyes and quiet sketches.
Finally, at 4:00 p.m., she couldn't bear it anymore.
She walked toward the Marketing Department, her pace slow, her hands tight around the notepad she brought as an excuse.
The hallway seemed longer than usual.
Just outside the glass office of Kai-san, the marketing head, she paused. Her reflection in the glass stared back—composed, professional, but underneath... conflicted.
She turned back. Then forward again.
Breathed in.
Knocked.
---
🌆 Scene: Inside Kai's Office
Kai (looking up from paperwork):
"Yume-chan. Need something?"
She bowed slightly.
Yume (carefully):
"Sorry to disturb you. I just… I was wondering—about Fushiguro-san. He wasn't in today. Did he—was he reassigned?"
Kai looked surprised, then leaned back in his chair.
Kai (calmly):
"No, nothing like that. He called in sick this morning. Said he'll be out for a week."
Yume (a beat of silence):
"…Oh."
She tried to keep her voice neutral, but her fingers curled tightly around her notepad.
Kai (half-smiling):
"Didn't think you two talked that much. You seem a little... concerned."
Yume looked up quickly.
Yume (stammering slightly):
"No—I mean—it's just… I was working on a project with him last week. That's all."
Kai gave her a nod, but his eyes lingered a little too long, as if he noticed something behind her words.
Kai:
"Well, nothing serious, I think. Just told me he needed rest."
Yume bowed again quickly.
Yume:
"Thank you, Kai-san. That's all I needed to know."
---
🌧️ Scene: Outside the Office
As she walked back toward the elevator, her steps were slower. Her mind, louder.
> He didn't say anything on Friday. No hint of feeling sick. No warning. Just vanished…
> And why does this bother me so much?
She remembered the strange tension between them the last time they talked… the look in his eyes that almost said something… the moment they both nearly admitted they had dreams of each other's past selves—but pulled away.
She pressed her back against the elevator wall, her reflection flickering in the polished silver door.
> Rest well, Fushiguro-san…
> But come back.
Fujiwara Mansion – Morning
The morning sun crept in through the slits of the curtain, but Ren Fujiwara lay in bed, unmoving. The events from the previous evening looped in his mind like a broken record—Yume's soft smile, the handsome man standing beside her, the way she laughed like she'd known him forever.
And worst of all, the ache it left behind.
> Who is he…? Why did it feel like she belonged with him?
The anxiety in Ren's chest didn't settle—not through the night, not in his dreams, not even now as the morning buzz of the household began outside his door.
He pushed himself up, ran a hand through his disheveled hair, and walked downstairs.
His mother, Kiyo, looked up from the table as he entered the dining hall.
Kiyo (surprised):
"You're not going to the office today?"
Ren poured himself a glass of water. He didn't meet her eyes.
Ren (calmly):
"No. I told Kai I'd take a sick leave for a week."
Kiyo (gently):
"Are you alright?"
A beat of silence.
Ren (softly):
"I just need space, Mother. Some air."
She didn't press further.
Ren (continuing):
"I'll go to campus today. Haven't attended in a while."
Kiyo nodded slowly, sensing something deeper was weighing on him.
---
🏫 Scene: Tenshin University – Afternoon
By 1 p.m., Ren was seated in a large modern lecture hall, trying to anchor himself in the comfort of academia. The professor's voice echoed as he paced in front of the digital whiteboard.
Professor:
"…and so, market trust is built not just through product quality but through emotional alignment. Today's consumers want to see your values reflect theirs—remember that, it's crucial for modern branding…"
Ren scribbled into his notebook, trying to focus. But his thoughts strayed. The last time he and Yume had spoken, they'd nearly said something real. Something old. Something that still haunted the edge of his mind.
> Shirayume…
> Why did her name come into my dream the same night I saw Yume with that man?
A pencil suddenly poked his side.
Yan (whispering):
"Earth to Ren. Fujiwara-san. Have you returned to the human realm yet?"
Ren frowned, barely hiding his irritation.
Ren (dryly):
"What?"
Yan smirked, leaning closer so the professor wouldn't hear.
Yan:
"I mean, you've been staring at that board like it stole your inheritance. What's up with you?"
Ren gave him a sharp side glance.
Ren (flatly):
"I'm focusing. Something you should try sometime."
Yan chuckled under his breath.
Yan:
"Ouch. Classic Ren. But seriously, I haven't seen you this spaced out since… Nara."
Ren's fingers paused mid-sentence.
> Nara. Where it all started. Where I first began dreaming of her…
He didn't respond, instead flipping to a new page in his notebook. But Yan didn't take the hint.
Yan (playfully):
"You hiding a girlfriend from me or what? Someone break your heart?"
Ren's pencil pressed too hard against the paper.
> If only he knew…
He looked over at Yan with a forced calmness.
Ren (quietly):
"Maybe some things are better kept quiet."
That silenced Yan, just for a moment.
---
☁️ Scene: Post-Class Walk – Outside the Lecture Hall
As the class ended and students trickled out, chatting loudly, Ren walked a few steps ahead, hands in his pockets. The late afternoon sun was gentle, but the wind carried a chill he couldn't shake.
Yan caught up beside him.
Yan:
"Hey, man. Jokes aside—if something's bothering you, you can talk. You used to, you know. Back in first year."
Ren stopped and looked at him, genuinely.
For a moment, it almost looked like he might say something.
That the words "I keep dreaming of a girl named Shirayume, and she looks like someone I know now, and I don't know if I'm losing my mind or remembering something I shouldn't," might tumble out.
But then—Ren pulled back.
Ren (calm, distant):
"Thanks. But I'm fine."
Yan raised his eyebrows slightly, then shrugged.
Yan:
"Alright. But don't explode in silence, okay? We still need you for next month's research presentation."
Ren gave a faint smirk. It was the only comfort he could allow himself that day.
Yume's Room — Mitsui Mansion (Fifth Night of Ren's Absence)
The moonlight slipped through her silk curtains again, brushing silver across her duvet.
Yume sat curled at the foot of her bed, the velvet journal open beside her, pen resting limp between her fingers. Her eyes were glassy, unfocused, lingering on the last line she'd written but not really seeing it.
> It's been five days.
> Five days, and I've tried to tell myself it's nothing.
> That I'm just used to seeing him… that he's just another colleague.
But her chest tightened again.
Today at the office, she kept glancing at the doorway to the Marketing Department without realizing it. Every footstep in the hallway made her turn her head, half-expecting him to walk past.
And in the cafeteria—where she'd always felt his presence even without words—his absence felt like a weight dragging down every chair and shadow. Minako and Leo were joking about some magazine column deadline, Ayaka was being sarcastic as usual, and Kai looked like he hadn't slept—but Yume's world felt muted. As if the colors had dulled.
> Why does five days feel like forever?
> Why do I miss him so sharply?
She turned her face into her pillow. Her voice came in a quiet whisper to the silence of the room.
"…Ren."
That name had never left her lips before. She always called him Fushiguro-kun aloud, but in her mind… lately, it had softened.
> Fushiguro feels like a wall.
> Ren feels like a door I want to knock on.
---
🌓 Scene: Ren's Room — Fujiwara Mansion
The lamp by his desk flickered slightly as Ren leaned forward, flipping through his marketing notes. He had half a class assignment to finish, but the words blurred together. Outside the window, city lights blinked faintly like distant fireflies.
He closed his eyes for a second.
> Shirayume...
No. Not her again.
But she came anyway—in his memory, in the corners of his dreams, in the trace of a smile that belonged to someone he saw in real life.
> Yume.
Every time her name echoed in his thoughts, a warmth spread through his chest—then confusion. Then silence.
Since that night, when he saw her standing beside that man… something inside him cracked. And he didn't know why.
> Why did I follow her? Why did it hurt?
> Who is she, really?
Ren turned in his chair and looked at his reflection in the dark window.
His golden eyes stared back.
> Why do I feel like I've seen her before—long before Fujiwara Multimedia?
He exhaled sharply and shut his notebook.
He had told his mother he needed space, that he would attend some classes again at Tenshin University. Kiyo hadn't asked many questions, though he could feel her watching him with quiet concern.
---
🕊️ Scene: Yume's Room — Midnight Decision
Yume sat upright again, the journal pushed aside.
She reached for her phone and hesitated for a long moment before finally calling Mr. Jin.
Her voice was soft, polite—but tired.
> "Mr. Jin… may I request a few days of personal leave? I'm… not feeling well. No, no need to send anything home. Just a break. Thank you."
She ended the call and placed the phone slowly down.
Outside her window, the moon had drifted past the high eaves of the mansion.
> I can't stay in this rhythm right now… I need to breathe.
And then another thought:
> It's been weeks since I saw Aika. She doesn't even know about my internship.
A quiet smile tugged at her lips as the memory of Aika's dramatic voice popped into her mind.
> "If you disappear without telling me one more time, I'll haunt you in your sleep, Yume!"
A soft laugh escaped her—her first in days.
She stood, moving to her wardrobe. Tomorrow, she'd dress differently. Not as Yume, the intern. But as Yumeha Mitsui, a student of Tenshin University.
A girl with questions in her heart… and someone to find.