Life Without You

Chapter 66 - Where's Sky?

Leon returned home late at night after staying for a few days at his parents' mansion. While he unpacked his luggage, Leon heard Sky whining constantly at the entrance door.

"What is it, Sky?" Leon went down to check on her.

The dog barked at him in response.

"Waiting for Hiromi?" asked Leon. Sky whined at her name.

Leon slapped his forehead. "What's it 'bout her that you like so much? The treats that she spoiled you with? You know that I don't like her. At least there's peace when she isn't around."

Sky tilted her head at Leon and barked, and then glanced at the door, anticipating for Hiromi's return.

"Come back up now," he patted his knees to get Sky's attention, but the dog refused to budge.

"Fine, I'll leave you to it. Good night, girl!" He ruffled her head and went upstairs to his room and slept.

———-

The next morning was work day as usual. Nothing felt out of the ordinary until Hiroshi received a call from Dolce & Gabbana.

"What do you mean Hiromi's not at work today?" he knitted his eyebrows together.

"We waited too long. I've called and messaged her a few times but received no response. We take it quite seriously if anyone doesn't appear on their first day of work without a valid reason," explained the creative director.

"I'll check up on her and get back to you ASAP," assured Hiroshi.

"If you're not a Fujita, we would've fired her, you know?"

"I understand. I'm sorry this is happening. Thank you very much for your kind understanding," Hiroshi hung up the phone. This was so not like Hiromi at all. She was so infused with her phone that she could never go a single minute without it. Hiroshi called her a few times and messaged her, but she never responded. He began to worry and placed a video call to Leon.

"What is it?" Leon rubbed his eyes, annoyed that his sleep was disturbed. "Do you know what time is it?"

"I've been trying to get in touch with Hiromi many times. Is she home?" asked Hiroshi.

"Don't know, don't care," Leon responded curtly.

"Look, I really need your help. Can you please check if she's home?"

"What am I? Her babysitter?"

"I'm not calling you to joke on something like this," Hiroshi swallowed hard. "Please Leon, this is urgent. Please?"

Leon sighed, "Fine."

Reluctantly, he got out of the bed and knocked on her room door, "Hiromi? Hiromi!"

No answer. When Leon knocked on her door one more time, the door opened ajar by itself. He realised it was not locked.

"Hiromi?" he opened the door slowly and saw she was not in. Her Dolce & Gabbana clothes for her first day at work laid neatly on her sofa chair.

"I can see the clothes she would wear to work. She usually does that the day before she goes out," said Hiroshi as he observed on the video. "Can you check the other parts of the house?"

"Seriously?" Leon was not too pleased.

"Please Leon, pretty please," begged Hiroshi, sounding anxious.

Grudgingly, Leon went around the house with quick glances in every room, calling out Hiromi's name while keeping the phone upright so that Hiroshi could see that he searched the house thoroughly. He then went down to the front and back yards and called out Hiromi's name, but she was not there.