When you're lost, ask people for help

"What should we do, Haru?” Ayako asked as she used her handkerchief to wipe the girl’s tears. The little girl sat in the middle of the bench between Haru and Ayako.

The girl in question was lost, no doubt. She seemed to be around Hiroko’s age. Haru shuddered at the thought of her little sister being lost in such a place.

It's a good thing she came to us. Not all people have good intention, after all.

Looking at the crowd, there were no people that were looking for a child as almost everyone minded their business with a smile on their faces.

The best action is to take her to the lost children’s area where a staff member could help her. I’m not sure if this place had one, but it should have one.

“What’s your name, little girl?” Haru asked with a smile on his face. Hopefully, it didn’t scare her.

Sniveling, she said, “Anna...”

“Okay, Anna, I’m Haru and she’s Fuyuki. Where did you last see your parents?”

“We were walking when I saw a mascot and let go of Mommy's hand...” She looked as if she was about to cry again. “Will I ever see Mommy and Daddy again...?”

“Of course, you will!” Ayako smiled with a determined look. “I will make sure of it!”

“Really...?” Anna looked at me expectantly.

Haru nodded. “You’ve come to the right people to ask for help. She’s actually a secret detective and I'm her assistant.”

“Is that true?” Anna tilted her head as she looked at Ayako.

Play along, Ayako. Haru expressed with my eyes.

Ayako looked at me before accepting her role and said, “That’s right! I’m the best detective around here. I can find whoever I want, whenever I want!” She then patted Anna’s head. “That’s why you don’t need to worry. We’ll have you holding your Mommy and Daddy’s hands again, okay?”

The girl’s smile returned. “Are you two the same as Mommy and Daddy?”

Ayako and Haru looked at each other. “What do you mean?”

“You’re all lovey-dovey. And you were super close to each other, too, like Mommy and Daddy. That's why I came to you.”

Why do children nowadays know so much about love? But I guess we did look like a couple doing PDA stuff. Ayako should really stop doing those things...

“We’re just friends.” Ayako said.

Haru nodded. “Yeah, what she said.”

“You’re very weird friends.”

“Haha, that is true.” Haru opened his hand and offered it. “This case is gonna be wild. How about I hold your hand, so you don’t get lost again?”

She nodded and placed her hand on his hand. “Okay.”

Ayako grabbed her other hand. “I’ll hold this one just in case you let go of the other one.” Ayako smiled.

“So, Detective Ayako, where are we going?” Anna and Haru both looked at her.

Ayako caressed her chin as if she had a beard. “Let’s go check that map over there, Assistant Haru.”

“Ma’am, yes, Ma’am.” Haru saluted like a soldier for some reason.

“You guys are so cool!” Anna’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the two.

Maybe what we’re doing is cringe but it's better for her to be smiling rather than crying. This thing we’re doing is worth it.

As they checked the map, they looked for something like a lost children area. Haru had actually researched this beforehand. Haru was overprotective of his little sister that he researched what to do when unexpected things happened. Such as their case right now.

“There it is.” Ayako pointed at one corner of the map. Looking at it, they were entirely on the opposite side of the lost children’s area, so it would take a while before they get there. “I know where we’re going! Follow me!”

Hand in hand, they all walked to the lost children’s area. Ayako kept Anna occupied by asking her random questions —her favorite color, favorite show, you know, the usual things that made kids interested. It worked so well it actually looked like they had forgotten what they were really doing.

There really are so many people today even I could get lost here...Haru hated crowds with deep passion. There were so many people especially families talking and laughing without a care in the world. But then it hit him.

We look like a family, too.

What they were doing was essentially no different from what Anna’s parents were doing before she got lost.

I wonder what she thinks. Haru looked at Ayako. As she noticed him looking at her, she gave him a quizzical smile. Nope, she does not think of that at all. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

“There’s the mascot that I saw earlier!” Anna pointed at a fluffy pink panda, Romi. It was the amusement park’s mascot but colored pink because of the Valentine’s Day theme. Its color was usually black and white like a real panda.

“Do you want to take picture with it?” Ayako suggested.

Anna’s eyes gleamed. “Yes, please!” Her blissful face was a complete contrast when she first asked us for help.

“We can take a detour, I guess.”

After asking permission from the mascot, Anna stood beside it. She posed in various poses and wore a big grin as Ayako took pictures.

“Why don’t you join your child? I’ll take the picture.” A staff member near the mascot said. Well, it wasn’t surprising that she mistook them for a family.

“Eh? She’s not my chil—”

“No need to be embarrassed!”

Before Ayako could protest, they were practically shoved in towards the mascot. Admitting defeat, Ayako posed together with Anna while Haru reluctantly posed at the staff member’s urging. Haru wasn’t really a photogenic person much more so if the one he was taking pictures with was Ayako.

“Why are you so far?” Ayako asked as she looked at the picture while we continued going to the lost children’s area.

I know a couple of people in school who’d kill to just take a picture with Ayako.

“Does it really matter?” he said, looking away.

“Hehe, Haru’s embarrassed.” Anna laughed. Well, at least she was happy even if it was the cost of his misery.

After the staff took the picture. She returned Ayako’s phone. “We all look so cute! Definitely saving this one. Haru, you want a copy?” she said with a grin.

“No need. I don’t want Hiroko to see me with another kid.”

“I almost forgot you’re a siscon...”

Suddenly, a faint rumbling sound could be heard. “I’m hungry…” Anna said.

“Well, that’s not surprising.” She had been crying a lot earlier and the stress probably used a lot of her energy.

“Well then,” Ayako’s smug face appeared. “I’ll treat you both at those stalls. Let’s go!”

The stalls had a variety of food from burgers and fries to sweets. She ordered Anna a hotdog with fries and a pudding on the side. Haru asked for a Takoyaki and soft drinks while Ayako ate a couple of desserts such as crepes and ice cream.

“Are you sure you don’t need me to pay?” Haru was the type of person who did not want to owe people. He did it before to Ayako during the night of Christmas Eve.

“Yup, consider this one as my thanks for coming along with me.” She then started to fidget as she said, “But I do have one request...” She then showed him a poster of a food that looked like a mixture of various desserts but was very expensive, at least expensive for a high schooler. As Haru continued reading, he learned what her request was.

“You can’t be serious, right?”

It was a sixty percent discount on the dessert if one did couple things as proof that one was a couple in participation for the Valentine’s Day events.

“I am very serious.” She said with a straight face. “Don’t you want to taste that magnificent-looking food!?”

“Not really. Besides, you understand we must do something that will prove we’re like a couple, right?”

“I’ve seen them accepting people hugging each other...That’s the best I can do...” She said, her cheeks flustered.

“Are you sure you really want to do it? A man is gonna be touching you, you know.” Haru felt like she didn’t really understand the hugging part.

She nodded heavily. “I am sure...How about you? Are you sure you’re okay doing this? I don’t want to do it if you’re uncomfortable.”

It wasn’t like he didn’t want to do it. Hugging one of the most beautiful girls in the school was the dream of any teenage boy but at the same time, it felt like he was taking advantage of her.

Ayako looked at him with puppy eyes. This should have no effect to him but even he was powerless against Ayako’s beauty. “F-Fine, I’ll do it...”

They then went to the stall. Ayako talked to the sellers as he kept watch on Anna. She then returned and said, “Yeah, they’re okay with a hug.”

“Okay, let’s just get this over with...”

The sellers looked at us with a big smile. They were enjoying this as if it was entertainment to them. “Give us a good one!” they shouted.

Ayako slowly put her arms around his back. As Haru was a bit taller than her, he gently put his arms around her neck and head, gently pulling her towards him. He could practically feel her chest resting on his body and her gentle breath tickled his neck.

He still couldn’t get used to her sweet, feminine smell as her head was directly above hisnose. It was the first time he’d hugged a woman. It felt surprisingly pleasant as if it recharged his energy.

“Well, this is a view you don’t see every day.” She looked up and giggled. When she was this close, her destructive charm was amplified so much. Her face was also so red that it even reached her ears.

“Y-Yeah, this is something you don’t see every day...” he managed to let hisvoice out.

“You know, I'm still getting taller, right?”

“I-I don’t really care if you’re small or tall...”

Then silence. Haru didn’t know what to say and Ayako didn’t speak again. Although it only had been a few second, it felt like they were hugging for minutes already.

“You guys can have the discount! Congratulations!” The sellers clapped. They must have really liked watching people do this.

Although, they said that it was enough, Ayako didn’t let go of him...and he didn’t let go of her either.

“Couples these days don’t hold back, do they?” As soon as they heard the seller's laugh, they realized what was happening and he quickly let go of her.

Hugging a girl is too dangerous...

“Here you go, miss. This one’s on the house. That’s for giving us an entertaining performance.” The seller gave them three of the food Ayako wanted.

“Eh? Are you sure? Isn't this expensive?”

“Let me in you two on a secret. The discounted price is the real price. We just want the couples to be part of the event and have some laugh!” The seller laughed.

“Well, you guys got us good...”

“We don’t do it for everyone, though. That would be weird. We do it to young people who clearly look like they aren’t a couple like you two. Seeing you people get red and embarrassed never fails to make me laugh!”

“Mister, thank you for the show. I enjoyed it very much!” Anna said.

“I’m glad you liked it!” The seller smiled from ear to ear as he got complimented by the kid. “Now, you two, you better become a couple already!”

“No, we don’t swing that way.” They both said.

“That’s what they all say at first!” The seller let out a laugh.

“Well, we better get going. Thanks for the food, mister!” Ayako said.

After being tricked to a lover's entertainment, they continued walking to the lost children’s area. Gone was the crying, lost Anna as she blissfully drank the drink they painstakingly got.

I do hope her parents wouldn’t mind us feeding her these junk foods.

“There it is.” Haru pointed out as the lost children’s area was within sight.

As they arrived, they registered Anna as a lost child and the two of them as the one who helped her. Behind the stall were a couple of children who seemed to be in the same boat as Anna. The PA then announced Anna on the speaker, which was repeatedly broadcasted on the entire park for around five minutes.

After about ten minutes of waiting, two parents were there to claim Anna. Anna herself recognized them, and they showed IDs as proof that they were Anna’s parents.

The look on their faces when they saw Anna made Haru smile.

Maybe I should put a tracking device in case Hiroko gets lost...On second thought, I think I’ll just hold her hand tightly.

“We can’t thank you both enough.” Anna’s parents bowed. “We'd like to repay you for the troubles that we caused. Is there anything you like?”

“It’s okay, we’re just happy that we got to help her.” Ayako smiled. “Speaking of her, I got some cute pictures of her! I can send it to you if you want.” Ayako talked like a shady dealer in a dark alley.

“Yes, please!” The parents immediately brought out their phone as if they got hooked on what she was selling.

As they exchanged pictures, Anna trotted towards me. “Are you sure you’re not like Mommy and Daddy?”

“Yeah, we’re not. We’re classmates, at most.”

“I think you should be like that. You look nice together, like my Mommy and Daddy.” she said with a straight face. There was a saying that kids don’t lie, and it looked like one of those moments.

“I don’t think it’s possible. She has someone she likes, and I don’t think of her that way.”

“Really? Well, that’s too bad.” She patted my head. He was a bit surprised since he was the one who usually patted people. And by people, he meant Hiroko.

“What are you guys doing?” Ayako arrived as Anna was patting Haru on the head. “Anyway, never mind that! The others are looking for us. I was having so much fun I completely forgot about them!”

How can you just forget the people you came with? This woman is really weird.

“Well, we’ve been gone for half an hour. No wonder they are looking for us.”

“You’re going now?” Anna’s smile turned upside down.

Now it was his time to pat her head. “Yeah, her friends are looking for her. You better make sure to hold on tight to Mommy and Daddy, okay? And if you do get lost again for whatever reason, make sure to go to this place again or ask a staff member to lead you there, okay?”

“Yeah, I got it!”

“See you later, Haru and Fuyuki!” We waved her goodbye and joined the strong current of the people. The others were at the lunch area— they were probably planning on taking a break and having lunch.

“Haru, you’re really good with kids, huh? You handled that one pretty good.” She walked by his side as she praised her.

“I’m not sure about that. But I saw Hiroko in her, and that made me want to make her feel happy and safe.”

“For a second there, I thought you were a lolicon…”

He narrowed his eyes to her. “I’m a proud siscon.” He proudly replied. It wasn’t uncommon for people to prioritize their family, and he was one of them.

“I understand completely.” She nodded a couple of times. “If Hiroko is my little sister, I’d feel the same.”

“Finally, you said something that made sense.”