[3-E] Haruto Hasegawa (International Student / Sydney) Chapter 3 #ThoseWhoCannotReturn

In his room in Sydney, Haruto stopped his fingers from typing on the keyboard.
The post he made under his real name had received a few replies saying "Thank you" and "I found them."
However, any further reactions were being buried in the feed.
--How far did my words actually reach?

A blue sky stretched out beyond the window.
The midsummer Australian sky was a deep, absorbing blue.
The chirping of cicada-like insects echoed from the trees, and the scent of eucalyptus leaves drifted in, mixed with the sea breeze.
Haruto squinted and turned his gaze back to the monitor.

Facing the laptop screen, Haruto hesitated with his fingers.
<<Japan earthquake help online……>>
English search results appeared, but they all felt indirect. He instinctively asked the AI, ChatGPT.

<<What can I do to help Japan from Australia?>>

A few seconds later, a mechanical response came back.
> Share accurate information in English
> Share donation links
> Send messages via social media……

As he followed the inorganic text with his eyes, Haruto felt a sharp, hot sensation deep in his chest.
--Maybe this is all I can do. Even so…… it might reach someone.
He tapped the keyboard once more, his fingertips trembling.

The news footage was playing without sound.
Cityscapes filmed from a helicopter. Collapsed highways. Residential areas turned into piles of rubble.
The ticker at the bottom of the screen displayed the numbers M7.9, and the full view of the disaster area was shown as if to make one want to cover their eyes.

"……Is it really that town?"
The faces of his parents and friends left behind in Japan flashed through his mind one after another.
His fingertips trembled, and he accidentally clicked the laptop's touchpad. An adult site he had bookmarked opened, and he hurriedly closed it.

No matter how many times he reloaded, the SNS timeline was filled with despair and confusion.
<<My house collapsed>> <<Can't get in touch>> <<Does anyone know this person?>>
Even posts made just minutes ago were quickly washed away by new ones.

Haruto took a deep breath and typed the words.

<<I saw a mother and her younger brother at the evacuation center in XX Ward. They are safe.>>

When his trembling fingers hit the Enter key, the clicking sound echoed strangely loud.
His own name shone on the screen after he finished sending it.
That alone made his chest feel warm.

It was by chance that he started taking action.
While searching the internet for the safety of his friends, he found a bulletin board sharing eyewitness information at an evacuation center in the same district.
Countless "Looking for" posts were lined up there.

--The information is getting buried.
--If someone doesn't organize it, they won't be found.

The moment he thought that, his fingers began to move naturally.
He opened a translation site and entered Japanese and English alternately.
<<There is someone evacuating at XX Junior High School.>>
<<The person you are looking for is safe at XX junior high school.>>
Illuminated by the light of the monitor, the sound of him hitting the keys echoed incessantly in his room.

When he opened the window, a humid wind from the sea blew in with a roar.
The Opera House visible across the balcony was bustling with tourists, looking like another world.
The laughter of people walking on the street, the sound of bus brakes, the impact of surfboards in the distance.
Daily life was so normal that his chest ached.

--I'm the only one in a peaceful place……
That guilt was what pushed him forward.

"Haruto, you're still up?"
His roommate, Matt, peeked in from the kitchen.
His hair was wet, and the scent of shower gel and coffee drifted in.
"You've been on the PC the whole time. Are you okay?"

Haruto tried to smile.
"Just summarizing some news from Japan."
"News?…… Okay, but don't push yourself."

Matt shrugged, set down his mug, and walked away.
Watching his back as he left, Haruto cast his gaze down at his own fingertips.
—Maybe I am pushing myself too hard.
But I can't stop.

There was a new reply to the post he had made.
<<I found them. Thank you so much.>>
<<My mother is alive. I can't believe it.>>

A surge of emotion welled up in Haruto's chest.
The text on the screen blurred as his vision grew hazy.
Tears streamed down his cheeks and dripped onto the keyboard.

He pressed his hands to his forehead and let out a deep breath.
In the Sydney night sky, the distant roar of a jet engine echoed.
The sound felt as if it were heading toward Japan.

Before dawn, Haruto stepped out onto the balcony.
The thin air brushed coldly against his cheeks, and the chirping of birds rang out.
The horizon began to dye red, and the city of Sydney was enveloped in light.
Amidst that beautiful scene, he whispered softly.

"Please, reach them..."

Hoping that the signal from his smartphone would cross the ocean and reach someone's heart.
All he could do was leave a record.
But if that record could save someone—that was enough.

👉 Epilogue (Ending) to