The morning sunlight peeked through Sam's curtains as he slowly opened his eyes. He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, a soft smile forming on his lips as memories of last night played in his mind. The arcade, the ice cream parlor, Mahiru's laughter—it had been a perfect day.
Still smiling, he reached for his phone on the bedside table, expecting the usual good morning message from Mahiru.
But there was nothing.
His smile faded slightly. That was… unusual. Mahiru always sent a message first thing in the morning, even if it was just a simple "Good morning, Sam!" or a sleepy emoji.
Frowning, he quickly typed a message.
Sam: Morning, Mahiru. Slept well?
He set the phone down and stretched, waiting for the familiar notification sound. But minutes passed, and there was no reply.
"Maybe she's still asleep…" he muttered to himself.
Brushing off his unease, he got out of bed, freshened up, and went to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast. Every few minutes, he glanced at his phone, but still—no reply.
An hour passed.
Now, Sam was officially worried. Mahiru was never the type to leave him waiting this long. Something felt off.
Without hesitation, he dialed her number. The phone rang… and rang… and rang.
No answer.
His chest tightened. Something was definitely wrong.
"Alright, that's it," he muttered, grabbing his jacket. He needed to check on her.
But there was one problem—he didn't know her exact address.
Then, a thought struck him.
Anna.
She had been to Mahiru's apartment before when they baked the cake for his birthday. If anyone knew where Mahiru lived, it was her.
---
Sam practically ran to Anna's room and knocked on the door. "Anna, open up!"
After a few seconds, the door creaked open, revealing his younger sister, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "What do you want so early in the morning…?"
"Mahiru's not answering my messages or calls," Sam said quickly. "Do you know her address?"
Anna blinked, suddenly more awake. "Huh? She's not replying?"
Sam shook his head, his worry evident.
Anna frowned. "That's weird… She always replies instantly, especially to you."
"That's why I need to check on her."
Anna sighed and crossed her arms. "I don't know if I should just give away a girl's address like that…"
"Anna," Sam said, his voice serious. "I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't really worried."
Anna studied his face for a moment before sighing. "Fine, fine. I'll send you the location. But if she scolds you for barging in, don't blame me."
Sam didn't even wait for her to finish before checking his phone as Anna sent him the address. "Thanks, Anna."
Anna smirked. "Look at you, all desperate for your girlfriend."
"Shut up," Sam muttered, already heading out the door.
As he ran down the street toward Mahiru's apartment, a sense of urgency filled him. He didn't know what was wrong, but one thing was certain—he needed to see her.
And he hoped he wasn't too late.
---