Days slipped into weeks, weeks into months, yet Shen Seizan remained missing.
Kin could no longer bear the uncertainty gnawing at him. One quiet afternoon, he told Vixen, voice trembling but determined,
> "I'm going to the police station tomorrow. I'll file the missing report myself."
Vixen didn't argue. He simply squeezed Kin's hand and accompanied him to the small station outside Zemura Village. The report was filed.
The police searched every corner of the village, questioning everyone, even combing through the nearby forests. But Shen was nowhere to be found.
Kin's heart shattered a little more with each passing day.
Vixen tried to soothe him, telling him,
> "During pregnancy, you shouldn't take so much stress… Please, for our child."
But how could Kin explain? Shen wasn't just a friend—he was family. Losing him felt like losing a part of himself.
Vixen became even more protective. He wouldn't let Kin lift a finger in the house. Every small craving, every whim, he fulfilled with his own hands. He tried to fill Kin's days with gentle laughter, hoping to shield him from the weight of grief.
---
One evening, Vixen had to leave for an urgent military operation. The house was quiet, the clock ticking towards dusk. At 6:30 PM, as the last rays of sunlight faded…
…Shen Seizan appeared.
Not a broken, weary man—but healthy, standing in the doorway as if he had never been gone.
Kin's breath caught. His heart leapt and broke at the same time.
> "Shen! W–Where have you been all this time? Do you have any idea how much we've searched for you? Six whole months! Your mother called me again and again… I had to lie to her, saying you were sick. The police called too. And Vixen—he searched everywhere—"
The words tumbled out in a rush, but Shen said nothing. He simply stepped inside, silent, his expression unreadable.
Trying to ignore the strange heaviness in the air, Kin managed a smile.
> "Sit down, I'll get you some water."
He fetched a glass and placed it on the side table.
That's when he noticed it—Shen's gaze.
He wasn't looking at Kin's face. He was staring, intently, at Kin's belly.
Kin laughed softly.
> "Oh—did I forget to tell you? I'm five months pregnant."
But the words brought no joy to Shen's face. No smile, no warmth. His expression remained eerily the same—calm, blank… almost cold.
Something inside Kin stirred uneasily. Why doesn't he look happy?
Had Shen changed so much? If he had forgotten Kin, why come here? And how did he find the way back to this house?
Before Kin could voice the questions swirling in his mind, Shen rose to his feet.
He walked—not to his own room—but to its doorway… and stopped.
He didn't go in.
He simply stood there, unmoving, his wide eyes fixed on Kin.
---
Continue.....