[Just then, the phone you had left on the table began vibrating urgently.]
[Tsumiki's name flashed on the screen.]
[The moment you answered, Tsumiki's slightly breathless, intensely anxious voice came through.]
["Shunchen! Megumi... Megumi's missing!"]
[At first, because that brat Megumi Fushiguro was usually a loner and had no habit of going straight home with the girls after school, Tsumiki had not thought much of it, assuming he had gone wandering somewhere again or was feeding stray cats.]
[Only when dinner was ready and night had fallen completely, yet the familiar sounds of Megumi Fushiguro's footsteps and the front door opening still had not come, did Tsumiki suddenly realize something was wrong.]
[In a panic, she first called Nanako and Mimiko, and the three girls followed Megumi Fushiguro's usual route home, searching all the nearby parks, convenience stores, and even the vacant lots he frequented. After making a long circuit without finding anything, Tsumiki, nearly in tears with worry, finally called you.]
[Listening to the girl's trembling voice as she struggled to suppress her tears, your expression remained calm, but you softened your voice considerably and gently reassured her.]
["Take a deep breath, Tsumiki. You don't need to worry so much. Megumi will definitely be fine. I'll go look in the places he might be right now. Lock the door and stay home, all of you. Just wait for my call."]
[Perhaps your steady, certain tone possessed a reassuring magic of its own, for after hearing your answer, Tsumiki's frantic breathing finally eased a little. She obediently agreed and hung up.]
[You put down your phone and glanced at the calendar on the wall, immediately arriving at an extremely precise deduction. Judging by the timing, the Zenin Clan had most likely finally lost patience and begun to act.]
[Yet even