Before starting act 1, let me recap on what we have gone so far. Youchiro died in a train accident seemingly caused by the man on the hill of the mountains. So he wasn't breaking his promise. That time was the very early morning just in Netto's birthday.

And to give this more feeling, the theme for this story is

Evanescence – Going Under

Now, let's go on act 1. Shall we?

Act 1

Going under

Akihara town, year 201X.

Hours later from the incident still in the same day. Akihara has grown a little from its small suburb set up into a mid town one. Grown enough to have its own High School rather than just elementary. It was around midday, the sun shinning above the white clouds in the sapphire blue sky. In the blue duplex, the one with the doghouse by the side, voices of cheer can be heard alongside singing… Sounded like… "Happy birthday Netto!" Inside, everyone was having fun gathered around the table. Haruka Hikari, Netto's Mother was carrying a birthday cake with seventeen candles on it. "Oh, let me help you with that Mrs. Hikari." Dekao Oyama, he was the one with the white long sleeved sweatshirt with a black T-shirt over it, the white tennis shoes and the blue homeboy jeans. "Why thank you Dekao. You get a bigger slice for that." Dekao placed the cake over in front of Netto. Netto was wearing his new trademark outfit. A pant version of his old biker shorts, a long-sleeved white T-shirt which had black sleeves, his favorite vest, bot opened, and of course, his Bandanna. His hair, he let it grow to resemble more his passed away brother, Saito.

After singing the typical happy birthday song, Netto blew the candles. He smiled as he took a deep breath after blowing them. "So, what did you wished for Netto?" Meiru Sakurai, One of Netto's closest friends. She let her hair grow to the shoulder, and got a pendant with the emblem of her Navi, Roll.Exe. "What did I wished for? The only thing I wish is having dad here." Netto grinned thinking about his great present. "But Netto, you know that your father always keeps his promises. I wish my father was like him for once." Yaito Ayanokouji, the shrimpy rich girl. Although she was 15 years old, her IQ is powerful enough to be in high school n the same grade as the others. She let her hair loose and straight. But she still had the shiny forehead as always.

"Don't worry Netto. I'm sure he'll come. Maybe running a little late, but he will come." Thoru Ikawa. He was the son of Seiji Ikawa, one of Scilab's top scientists alongside Youchiro Hikari. Even though his cute face may be his flaw, his brain power exceeds for a total nerd. "Thanks guys. I know he will come. I just know it." Netto felt good around his buddies supporting him like that.

Moments later, everyone had eaten their corespondent slices of chocolate cake and drank pink lemonade. And Netto opened his presents. "Ah, another bandanna, nice Meiru. Thoru Thoru Thoru…. A Book? Yay! The newest Ayanokouji game! Thanks Yaito. And Dekao… a new chip?" "Yup! Because we challenge you to a Netbattle right here and now!" "Fine! We'll take you on!" In the indistinct sound of cheer and battling, Haruka chuckled. "Hmm… looks like boys will never grow up. That Netto is just becoming like his father at his age." In the amidst of the battle, the phone sounded with an incoming call. Haruka picked the receiver placing it over her right ear. "Hello?" "Excuse me, is this the Hikari Residence?" "Yes. Who's this?" "This is Scilab… there… there has been an accident…" The voice over the phone went indistinct as Haruka tried to cover her mouth and her eyes peeled as she heard what they had to say. Moments later, Haruka stepped into the battle. "Netto…"

In the computer of the portable Netbattle terminal, Rockman and Gutsman were at it out with swords. But as Haruka's voice called over Netto, both Navis stopped. "Hold on Gutsman, looks like mom is calling to Netto. I'll be right back." "Guts, got it." Rockman jacked out and returned to Netto's PET. "Please excuse me Dekao." "No prob. we'll be waiting." Netto stood heading over the kitchen with his mother. "What is it mom?" "Netto… can we talk about this… in your room?" "Sure. Let's go then." Netto and Haruka walked up the stairs heading to Netto's room. And the door closed. "Whoa… that seems deep." Dekao wondered to himself. "Don't worry guys. I bet is just that Netto has something to organize over in his room. Exactly, he doesn't get the Nobel prize for the cleanest room." Thoru lighted up the pressure. "Yeah. But didn't you see how his mom asked him to go to his room? She seemed… nervous… or sad…" Meiru placed her right hand over her chest. "Ha, I guess is just that Mrs. Hikari realized that Netto has no remedy for being a not-a-care-in-the-world kind of guy." But interrupting Yaito's words, there was the muffled shout of Netto upstairs. It sounded like… "WHAT? NO! IT'S NOT TRUE! DAD CAN'T BE DEAD!" His friends made the same reaction as Haruka, both surprise and fear.

A few hours later, Youchiro's funeral was being held at Densan's memorial graveyard. Everyone was dressed in black. Netto's friends, Scilab partners, Haruka in her black dress shedding fifty thousand tears, and Netto. It wasn't easy to tell if he felt anger, remorse, fear, pain, or sorrow… he had that sad neutral expression as the priest read the words printed with black blood on his bible. As the priest silenced himself, and the coffin went its way down, Netto turned away and ran. Of course, this brought shock to everyone. But maybe it was understandable though to what happened.

Netto, was sitting by a mausoleum. Trying to block the tears wanting to shed "Hey Netto…" Netto turned, it was Dekao who followed him all the way over there. As he wiped the few tears that came out, he snarled. "What do you want Dekao?" "Listen dude… I know how you feel…" Netto was supposed to take it as consolation, but he took it as an offense. "What? How can you know how I feel? You don't even know how it feels to lose a father!" Dekao lowered his sight as he took a deep sight. "To tell you the truth, my parents didn't divorced…" Dekao kept a second of silence… like if he was telling a deep dark secret… but he let his words out. "My father actually died in an accident at the factory where he worked. Mother told us that they divorced. I was just 5 and Chisao was barely 2… How do you think we could have taken it? Our own father killed my a machine in his work? We could be devastated just like you man! But we were kids that time… You, you are about to me a man already. So your mother just knew you were old enough to know it. And yet you react like a kid?" Netto's hair covered his eyes in silence… "You're even braver than us! You have fought World Three, Gospel and Nebula! So stop acting like a brat and face the facts!" Netto stood as he wiped his eyes. "You're right… I should be what my father expected me to be… Not a kid who looks into the past… Besides, he didn't break his promise… He was coming the early morning of today… so if that didn't happened, he could be here right now…" Netto turned to Dekao with his kind smile. "Thanks Dekao…" Dekao grinned as he pointed the way. "Well, we better go back. Everyone was worried that you ran away."

So, Netto faced the facts. It was just an accident, and his father was realizing his word to the very end. Something to be proud of, not mad at. Netto had become more responsible to attend the hole left by his father. And thanks to this responsibility, Haruka was able to get a job as a boutique at Densan. A few days after the funeral, Mariko Sensei informed of an incoming Math test. Of course, Netto's math skills were increasing, but he still needed help. Meiru and Netto agreed to study together at her house.

Hours later, Netto knocked on the Sakurai's door. Holding his book and stuff on his right hand, he waited patiently. Mrs. Sakurai opened the door greeting Netto. "Oh! Hello Netto." "Hi Mrs. Sakurai. Meiru and I are supposed to be study buddies for the test." "Ah, I remember. Come in, she's in her room. So the tree of you are going to study, huh? Well. I'll make some snack for you three then." Mrs. Sakurai walked to the kitchen whistling the Moonlight Sonata. "The three of us?" Netto walked up the stairs, and walked down the hall to the pink door. He heard voices inside… very weird voices… but besides Meiru, the other was awfully familiar… He opened the door, and what he saw was shocking… Meiru, was with another guy… kissing… His red vest, long sleeved black shirt and camouflage pants… "Me… Meiru?" Meiru stopped kissing the guy and turned at Netto. She was freaked of the sudden appearance. Netto turned to the other guy as he whispered his name. "…..Enzan…?" Enzan stared at Netto with confusion as well. "Netto… I…" Meiru whispered. But Netto's book hit the ground and he ran away. "Netto!" Meiru ran after him, and Enzan stood behind…

Outside by the park, Netto was sitting by the bench next to the squirrel. Looking to the ground with a fixed look as Meiru approached by. "Why didn't you tell me…" Netto didn't look at Meiru, but felt that she was coming by… "I…" "Why didn't you tell me this at first before you went any far Meiru?" Meiru grasped her pendant as she whispered. "I… I didn't know how you would react… But I love Enzan…" "THEN WHY KEEPING SECRETS FROM ME? I THOUGHT WE WERE CLOSE FRIENDS!" Netto turned to Meiru and shouted with an anger expression. Meiru gasped with fear, as Netto shook his face. "Sorry… it's just that…" "Netto… I knew how far we were going… with the many dates, and I still felt something for you… something deep… but you never made a move… Enzan… he did… and…" "WOULD YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT ENZAN HERE?" Netto stood, as his hair covered his eyes… "Netto… I'm sorry… it's just that…" "It's just that whatever. I don't care about us anymore. So let's just say like nothing happened between us." Netto walked away. Accelerating his pace. "Netto… Nettto!" But he ignored her calling…

Hours later, Netto was alone by his room. Rockman kept his silence… Maybe something he said could make Netto feel lower… "…..Netto……" Rockman whispered, but Netto was still staring at the ceiling… "What is it Rockman? Going to piss at my face?" "No… is just that… you shouldn't feel so harsh about all this…" Netto sighed as he turned to the window. "It's just… my friends keeping secrets from me… that Dekao's father died ad didn't go away… and that Meiru loved Enzan… It's just…" Rockman kept his silence to avoid making Netto mad.

Just after that moment, Netto overheard his mother arriving from town. But there was someone with her, a guy who gave her a ride. Both looked happy… like… "Is that…?" They looked happy… all huggy feely… and then, they kissed… Haruka was behaving like Youchiro never existed in her life… Of course, this devastated Netto… hurting the good memory of his father… Haruka went inside, then up stairs to check on Netto. "Hey Netto. I want to tell you something… Netto?" But there was no response from the door. As she opened it, the window was opened, Netto's PET gone and this meant one thing… "Netto?…. oh my god…" Haruka dropped her purse as she ran to the phone.

"What? Netto is missing?" Meiru was over the phone. Talking to Haruka. "He is missing! I arrived and he was gone! He never leaves without Rockman!" Moments later, everyone in town was looking for him. Even Meiru. But the search proved useless… he was nowhere to be found… "Don't worry. I'll have the officials look for him everywhere." Enzan was doing his part, because he felt that part of the fault was his.

Over in the bus station, the next customer walked by the windows. "Hello. How may I help you?" "One ticket to Cibah city… one way…" Netto handed a bunch of Zenny, and the lady gave him some change and a ticket. "Netto… you sure about this?" Rockman asked Netto. "Yes, I am sure… My friends keeping secrets from me, my father dead, and my own mother betraying his memory… My home is not here anymore…" Netto hopped on the bus as it sped up to the highway. You are now leaving Densan city. Have a nice trip and comeback soon, the sign said.

Netto left town, his friends and loved ones looking for him like crazy… Netto's world was torn apart…

But still, this is going to be key in what is about to unfold…