It's a Gyaru!!!

   The bustling street was alive with activity: vibrant shop signs flashing with magical energy, the chatter of shoppers weaving between street performers, and the enticing aroma of food wafting from nearby restaurants. As the three of us strolled down the main street, I turned to Luna, already formulating my plan.

   “Luna,” I started casually, “Zephyra is no longer here. You can give me the card now—”

   “No way.” Her reply was immediate, her tone resolute. “My deepest apologies, Master. As your maid, I am happy to obey any of your orders, but this is an exception. I’m doing this for Master’s sake.”

   I frowned. “Why? It’s not like I’ll lose it.”

   “I’m sure Master hasn’t forgotten the Online Shopping Incident, also known as Box Hell?”

   I froze for a moment, the words pulling a particularly embarrassing memory to the surface.

   A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a certain website. It was like paradise—a place where you could buy magical items, books, and just about anything else at ridiculously low prices. Zephyra let me borrow her card to make a small purchase. That’s all I intended to do.

   But then... it happened.

   I placed my first order, and within minutes, I started getting recommendations for similar products at even lower prices. It was like the website was speaking directly to my soul. Something inside me awakened, and I couldn’t stop ordering.

   Days later, our entire house was overflowing with boxes. There were so many that moving around became a logistical nightmare.

   “Well, maybe I got addicted a bit, but I don’t think it was that bad,,.”

   Before Luna could respond, Bel chimed in, his voice chipper as always. “Exactly! I liked it there. The house looked like a maze!”

   “See?” I said to Luna, feeling vindicated.

   “Let me remind you, Master, about the thunder manastone-powered fan…”

   Ugh! I winced.

   She continued without mercy. “Master decided to purchase one and, immediately after turning it on, there was a short circuit that set one of the boxes on fire and—”

   “Okay, okay, I get it! If it wasn’t for the fire suppression system, the whole house could have gone up in flames." I said quickly, waving my hands defensively. "But this is completely different—”

   “No means no,” she interrupted firmly, cutting off any further protest.

   Her unwavering determination made it clear there was no point in arguing. I sighed in defeat, thinking to myself how much more assertive Luna had become compared to the day we first met—

   Blorp~

   ...Suddenly, a loud burbling sound broke the tension. Luna and I both paused, exchanging glances before turning our attention to the source of the noise.

   “I got hungry...”  Bel stood between us, his face flushed as he mumbled.

   Luna and I couldn’t help but smile.

   I placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair lightly. “I saw a pastry shop earlier. Let’s go there.”

   Bel’s face lit up with enthusiasm, his tail wagging energetically. “Yay!” he shouted, grabbing both my hand and Luna’s. “Let’s go!”

   With that, the three of us headed toward the pastry shop, Bel practically dragging us along in his excitement.

   As we walked, I glanced at Bel and Luna, while we were holding hands. For a moment, I couldn’t help but think that we looked like one happy family, walking together in the city. It struck me unexpectedly—this simple moment, hand in hand with them, felt warm in a way I wasn’t used to. This... this felt like something real.

   And you know what? It wasn’t so bad.

* * *

   As we strolled through the bustling street, Bel started singing, his little voice gleefully piecing together an improvised melody about pastries.

   “We’re going to the pastry shop~
   I’m gonna eat and I won’t stop~”

   Luna and I exchanged a glance, both smiling at his enthusiasm.

   When we finally arrived at the pastry shop, however, I noticed something that immediately caught my attention.

   “Wait a second,” I said, halting in my tracks and gesturing for Luna and Bel to stop as well. “Look ahead.”

   Standing a few feet away from the shop was a girl with a flashy outfit.

   Her bright blond hair, streaked with pink highlights, was curled in loose waves that framed her face. Her green eyes sparkled with intensity, even from a distance. She wore a short, ruffled skirt paired with a crop top that hugged her figure. Her curvaceous body gave her an undeniable presence, with long legs that complemented her overall striking appearance. Her look was completed with a few well-chosen accessories—a thin gold necklace, a matching bracelet, a pair of small hoop earrings that glinted in the sunlight, and a stylish crossbody bag. Her nails were neatly done in a shiny pink and gold polish.

   “It’s a Gyaru,” I muttered.

   Bel tilted his head in confusion. “What’s Gyaru, big brother?”

   Before I could answer, Luna chimed in, her voice matter-of-fact. “A gyaru is a woman who follows a fashion style usually characterized by dyed hair and flashy clothes. Master has several mangas about them hidden under his bed.”

   “Exactly—Wait, what did you just say?!”

   Luna, I think we have to talk later…

   “I think she looks troubled,” she observed, ignoring my outburst.

   I turned my attention back to the girl. Luna was right—her body language practically screamed distress. She was pacing back and forth, glancing around nervously, muttering something to herself.

   “She’s definitely looking for something,” I said.

   We decided to approach her. As we got closer, her words became clearer.

   “Oh no, what am I going to do now?” she said, clutching her phone to her chest and wringing her hands.

   “Excuse me,” I said, stepping forward. “Is something wrong?”

   The girl whirled toward me, her face lighting up with hope. “Have you seen a little boy—blond hair, green eyes—about six years old?!” she exclaimed, her words spilling out in a single breath.

   “Hold on! Take a breath—no, three breaths. Big ones, okay? Then try again.”

   She blinked at me, then nodded quickly. She took a deep breath, followed by a second, and finally a third, her shoulders visibly relaxing with each inhale.

   “Better?” I asked.

   “Yes,” she replied, her voice steadier now. “Thank you.”

   “Great. In that case, let’s start from the beginning. My name is Noah,” I said, gesturing to my companions. “And this is Luna and Bel.”

   The girl gave a slight bow and said, “It’s nice to meet you all. My name is Sakura.”

   After introducing herself, she began explaining her predicament. She and her younger brother, Finn, had gone to see a movie earlier today. On their way home, they decided to take a leisurely walk, but somewhere along the route, she let Finn out of her sight for a moment—and just like that, he disappeared.

   “I tried calling out to him, but there was no response,” she said, her voice trembling. “I searched everywhere nearby, but… I don’t know what to do.”

   Her words were growing faster and more frantic as panic began to creep back in.

   Before I could say anything, Luna stepped in. “Miss Sakura, it’s okay. He couldn’t have gone far. We will help you find him.” Her calm, collected voice cut through Sakura’s rising distress.

   Sakura hesitated, shaking her head. “No, I can’t impose on you like that—”

   “You’re not imposing,” I interjected. “It’s fine. Luna and Bel will head to the pastry shop while I help you search.”

   Luna opened her mouth to protest. “Master, we too—”

   I cut her off with a reassuring look, silently conveying my trust.

   Luna exhaled, then nodded. “...Understood. Good luck.” She turned to Bel and said, “Let’s go, Bel.”

   “Okay!” Bel chirped, still as energetic as ever.

   I watched as the two walked into the pastry shop before turning back to Sakura.

   “All right,” I said, “let’s start with the basics. How was Finn dressed?”

   Sakura thought for a moment before answering, “He had a blue shirt, navy blue jeans, and a white baseball cap with ‘Galactic Riders’ written on it.”

   “Got it. As Luna said, he couldn’t have gone far. Here’s the plan: I’ll head to the right, and you start searching from the left. If either of us finds him, we’ll call immediately. Can I get your contact info?”

   “Sure.” Sakura quickly shared her contact information, and I saved it to my phone.

   “Thank you, really,” Sakura said, her voice filled with sincerity.

   “You can thank me once we find him.”

   With that, we each set off in opposite directions to begin the search.