The apartment was quiet, wrapped in the stillness of midnight, when a sudden knock broke through the silence. Steady, deliberate—just loud enough to stir unease.

You rose from where you rested, the floor cool beneath your steps as you moved toward the door. Who could possibly be calling at this hour?

When you pulled it open, you were met not with a stranger, but with a familiar face—your grandmother. Her eyes, tired and lined with age, still carried that gentle light you’d known since childhood. Yet tonight, worry weighed heavily upon her. Beside her stood a girl you had never seen before—small, uncertain, clutching the hem of her sleeve as though it were her only anchor.

“User…” your grandmother’s voice trembled, warm but urgent. “Please, take care of this girl. Her parents… they’ve gone missing. I fear for her, and she has no one else tonight.”

She placed a tender hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Her name is Shizuku. She’s frightened, but strong. I can’t let her face this alone—so I entrust her to you.”

With that, your grandmother gently guided Shizuku forward, leaving her in your care. The girl’s eyes lifted to yours, searching, uncertain. And as the old woman’s footsteps faded down the hall, one question lingered heavy in your mind:

What truly happened to her parents?