Chapter 21: Lost and Found
Was this really happening? A child gone missing in this public place means a lot of things. He hoped that the worst was not the scenario he was in.
"Yurisa! Where are you?" He was about to rush down to the play area. But Misao grabbed his arms, pulling him back. "What are you doing?!"
"You need to calm down." She spoke to him in a serious and calm manner.
"Calm down? How can I calm down when I know a little girl's missing."
"That's all the more reason to calm yourself." Misei agreed with Misao. It wasn't just him that needed to chill themselves out. He looked at the others, he could tell how uncomfortable they were with this situation. He realized that if he acted like this, the others would not be able to focus on what was important.
"Right…" He responded, a lot less agitated now. "You're right."
"Yeah, don't worry. We'll help you." Said Erina. "We're friends after all."
"Friends?" He wondered to himself. Is that really true?
"It's also our faults that she's missing in the first place." Misao replied. Giving a much more logical answer. "You told us to keep an eye on her and she most likely went missing while you were gone."
"I shouldn't have left and given you guys my responsibilities. It was selfish of me." Even if they didn't blame him, he still felt guilt over this. Either way, he was going to set things right.
"Look, since I know what everyone's thinking." Yuriko spoke up. He figured she'd be the most worried, considering the fact that it's her sister that's missing after all. "She's not been kidnapped."
"What? How can you say that so certainly?" Asked Yogi.
"Because it's my sister. She just… goes off on her own."
"Goes off on her own?" He remembered how the girl acted when he first met her. He hardly imagined her to be the adventurous type. "Why does she do that?"
"It doesn't matter why, she just does okay." It was clear he wasn't going to get a straight answer from her. He let it go, seeing that she wanted to keep it secret.
"If that's the case, we should split up then." As usual, Misei took charge. It made him feel a little relived not having to take the lead. However, he wanted to accept responsibility. "We can cover more ground that way."
"You're right. We should also pair up." He said. Was this the time to think about supporting Erina. If Yuriko was right, then her sister shouldn't be in danger like Yogi was before. Well, if anything goes wrong, then karma was just coming after him for this.
Since the others were too worried about the girl. He was able to divide up the groups. Misei and Misao were going the nearby stores to check if she left she park. Akiba and Akaki were going by the waters. Lucky for him, the didn't realize he got Yogi and Erina together, searching the immediate area.
"Then I guess it's the two of us then." Said Yuriko. He wasn't really thinking who he'd be with, so it looked like this was the leftovers. "Not a bad idea, since we're both live near here." He didn't know what she was talking about, but he wasn't going to blow his cover on his real reasons.
"Right, because the only place left is deeper into the park." Misao unknowingly covered for him. "Since you're from around, you're more familiar with the area."
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking."
"I'm coming too!" Matsu jumped onto him. "I live around here too, so I can help."
"I. Ahh." He could hardly say anything to her like this. "You can help, just get off me!" She let go of him, giving him a pat on the back. He had forgotten about her and the rest of the garden club.
"Yeah, she can join you. We'll just stay here and watch the rest of the children." Offered Hanaka, the others also in agreement. Something about this almost off to him. It reminded him of something that he just couldn't put his finger on. Right now though, this wasn't the time to be worrying about that. With the plan set, everyone went their separate ways. Hoping that one of these areas would prove fruitful.
Arata went with Yuriko and Matsu towards an area of the park that was less traveled. With no marked path, tall grass, and bushes. It would make sense that a small child like Yurisa would get lost here. Walking with them, if he didn't know the situation. He'd probably figured that he was stuck walking with a couple girls.
Matsu seemed oblivious to the seriousness of their circumstances. Humming along to some song he's never heard of. Yuriko, on the other hand, acted like her usual self. Perhaps she had been through this many times now?
"Hey. Hey." Matsu grabbed his attention. "Isn't this fun. This is the first time we've ever spent time with each other. Yet now we're looking for a missing person. That's so cool, isn't it."
"That's not how I'd describe this." She really was an airhead. "And please, can't you show a bit more concern?"
"Oh, but I'm not worried." She said. He wasn't sure where this confidence was coming from. "That's because you're here. I'm sure you'll find her in no time." He also had no clue where this high standard she held him in was coming from either.
"I'm not worried here either." Yuriko chimed in. "Except, not for that reason."
They made it out of the more rough area of the park. Now on the other side, this was a more clean area. By the river, with a slope beside it. Standing here now, he felt like something about here was familiar, but he just didn't know how.
Now with less overgrowth, it was easier to see from farther away. He didn't see any little children here, so maybe she went somewhere more closer to where the others were searching. Speaking of the others…
"You know, it's a good thing I got you with me." He told Yuriko. "I forgot, I still don't have anyone's contacts, so they'll have to call you."
"Well we can share our numbers." Offered Matsu.
"Why would I need to give you my phone number? He looked at her confused. That was an odd thing to ask someone that was mostly a stranger. "Besides, it wouldn't be helpful right now. So no."
"Aww."
"Well I doubt she'd go that far, she's not really the type to explore." Yuriko brought them back to the issue at hand. She tried to think about the other times this has happened. Was there anything about those times that could be useful now?
"Hey look!" Matsu yelled out.
"What?! Did you find her?" She didn't answer him. Instead she ran off as if she didn't hear him. Unfortunately, it wasn't Yurisa. What caught her attention was some run down swing set. Nothing that most people would get excited about.
"Really…" Arata and Yuriko said in unison.
"Oh come on." She hopped onto one of the swing. "Arata, can you give me a push?" This was getting ridiculous. If she didn't care about this, why'd she come in the first place? She was just wasting his time, and running his patience thin.
"What are you doing?" He yelled at her. "We've got more important things to do right now!" She looked down, dejected. Not that he cared, but her reason for being sad wasn't what he was thinking.
"So you really don't remember me?" She said, her happy attitude gone now.
"Remember?"
"Wow, nice job." Yuriko said sarcastically.
"Why are you on her side?!" He responded to her. Arata sighed, turning his attention back to Matsu. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about here. As far as I know. The first time we met was at the dance."
"No!" She shouted back at him. It made him take a step back from the shock. "That's not true. You can't honestly tell me that you don't remember this place. Where we first met?" So he had been here before, but when?
"Look, do we really have time for this? Just tell him so he can know what you're talking about." Yuriko was much less patient than he ever was. She was getting tired of this interaction between these two.
"He has to remember, I refuse to believe he'd forget something like that."
"Look, you clearly have some idealization of the real world. I haven't thought like that since…" Wait a second. What he was about to say? Why did that stir something in his mind?
Right, he hasn't thought optimistically of life since that moment. The day he was beat up. Arata didn't like thinking of it, but the memories were coming back to him. The place, the pain… the girl…
"Ahhh!" He screamed. "You… You're the girl?!"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Yuriko had no clue what was going on.
"Yay! You really do remember after all." She leaped up and gave him a big hug. "My hero!"
"Hero? What is she talking about?"
"It's a long story…" He told her. Once he got Matsu off of him. He could tell Yuriko about his true first meeting with matsu.
"So that's what happened. I never would've guess you were the type to stand up to bullies."
"Yep, and he's so brave too." She spoke proudly of him, but he was feeling the opposite of pride.
"No, I'm no courageous person." He sat himself on the swing set. "Look Matsu, you clearly don't know me, or what I've done since that day."
"But…"
"No… I made a vow that day. I promised myself that I'd never bother with people ever again."
"But then what's with this whole babysitting deal? Or the fact you've spent so much time with us?" He realized that recently, that promise has been broken. Pretty badly at that.
"Look, this job, or any that I take. It's just for the money." He explained. "And with Yogi, well Yuriko, I'm sure you can read the writing on the wall." He didn't want to mention his blackmail to Matsu. She really shouldn't be involved with that harem at all.
"I can take a good guess on that one." She said. Understanding why he wasn't being open about that.
I'm sorry Kusano, but I'm very much nothing like that hero you spoke about so highly." He apologized. "If anything, I'm just some nobody that's not even part of the hero's story."
"Hmm." He was expecting her to cry, or maybe just seem sad about this revelation. However, her face was different that that. It looked more like a look of determination. "No, that's not true."
"What? How can you be the one to decide that?" He was hoping she'd just give up at this point. He really didn't think he was worth the trouble.
"Because, I know if that was true. You'd already have told me to leave."
"What are you talking about, I… Wait, if I just told you to leave me alone. You would?"
"Of course. A lot of people have told me I'm annoying and to leave them alone. So that's what I've done." Sounds harsh, but convenient to him. All he had to do was say the words and she'd be out of his life.
"Fine then. Can you please…" He paused, mid-sentence.
"Well? Aren't you going to say it."
"Uh…" This sounded harder than he thought. He looked at her, her sad expression. It reminded him of that time, even though he never paid attention to her during that time. He remembered, he remembered why he stepped up for her in the first place.
Those kids, they were so mean. She didn't let it get to her then. But here, she was sadder about this. Was it because it was coming from him?
Why was he even thinking of all this, he couldn't help but wonder. Before, he'd just do this without a second thought. It seems like he had grown soft.
"Well, then. I'd like it if you'd leave… Huh?" He was about to say it, when something caught his ear.
"What? What's wrong." Asked Yuriko.
"Hold on." He motioned for them to be quiet. "Is that… Crying?" It's wasn't a sound he was unfamiliar with.
"What are you talking about? I don't hear anything." Said Matsu. Despite what he was about to say to her. She had that usual naive look to her again.
"I do hear it. I'm sure of it." He focused on where it was coming from. The bridge it seemed. The girls had no choice but to follow. As they got closer, they began to hear it to.
He rounded over a notch in the corner under the bridge. There she was, the girl they had been looking for the whole time.
"There you are." He could finally breath a sigh of relief. Thankful that she was here and anything worse. Yurisa looked like she had been crying for a while now. Taking a closer look at her, she didn't seem to be hurt.
"I'm sorry." She barely said over her tears.
"You really had us worried, but we found you. So no big deal." He said. He didn't want to scold her. From the look of her, he figured that she understood what she did was wrong.
"I'm always such a bother to everyone. It would be better if I just stayed here, so no one has to worry about me." She said.
"Aww. That's not true." Matsu jumped in. "There's plenty of people that care about." She gave the girl a pat on the head, trying to make her feel better.
"But because of me, you had to go hungry during lunch." She directed this towards Arata. "And my sister's always has to watch me, even though I know she wants to do other things." He looked over at her. Yuriko couldn't even keep an eye on this conversation.
He left Matsu to try and cheer up the girl. She was saying things like jokes or anything to make the small girl happy. Arata was going to try and figure something out. He knew it was going to have to start with Yuriko.
"So, uh, you do love you're sister, right?"
"Well she's my sister." To anyone that didn't know her, they'd think she really didn't care about the girl. But knowing what he knew, that wasn't the case.
"Then can you talk to her?"
"Fine, I'll do it."
"And please don't sound like it's an obligation." He told her before she marched off. "I'm sure you've done this plenty of times, but don't act like it's a chore."
"W-what do you mean?" She asked. He could tell from the look on her face how unsure she was of doing it.
"Look, we hardly know each other. But I do know one thing, and don't try to deny it." He was referring to her feelings for Yogi. He didn't care how or why she felt that way, it just was simply the truth.
Not only that, but he could tell from the way she acted towards the boy. She really wanted to keep her feelings hidden. He knew it then, she was a classic tsundere as he told Erina.
"I don't care if you want to be like that with him. I do benefit from it, but she is family." When he first met Yurisa, he didn't think the two sisters were that similar. The younger being so meek, with the older having her sharp tongue. Now though, he understood that they had the same reason for being that way. That the two had a hard time expressing their feelings to others.
"I'll… I'll try." She left him to go to her sister. Seeing her try to talk with Yurisa. He could see the struggle to be honest to her. But he was glad that she was making an attempt. Yet, Arata couldn't help but wonder, was he really any better? Was he just keeping people away like they were?
Seeing the two sisters hug each other. He was glad to see this problem resolved, for now at least. He didn't think that things would be fixed so quickly, but at least it was a better direction.
With that settled, Yuriko messaged the others and they went on their way back. He was happy that this day was going to come to a close, but there was something that he was forgetting.
"You know, I don't think you're a bad person." Yuriko said out of the blue.
"What? Where's this coming from?"
"From before, when we were talking." When she mentioned it, he realized that he never gave his answer to Matsu. "The way you put it, you made it sound like you only do things that benefit you."
"That's pretty much what I said." His primary motivation was usually money, though in the case of his blackmail. That was for reputation's sake. "This is odd, coming from you."
"Well I just figured that Kusano wanted to hear it." He quickly looked away from him. Same old Yuriko, as always. "Besides, shouldn't you finished what you were about to say to her?"
"Right." He looked at Matsu walking beside him. She really wasn't the type of person that he'd dislike. She was kind to Yurisa, which was rather helpful. "Kusano, if you want to keep trying to be my friend. Then I guess I won't stop you." He tried to play it off like nothing, but Matsu leaped and hugged him in joy. Almost making him regret his decision.
"I'm so glad to hear that!" She was not even trying to contain her excitement. "I promise, I'll make you see what I see in you."
"Ah. I doubt that." He replied.
"I don't know, she might not be wrong." He really didn't think Yuriko would be the one to say that.
"Whatever, let's just get back now." They made it back without incident, where the rest of the group was waiting for them. They expressed joy when they say that the little girl was unharmed.
"I'm glad that ended well." Said Yogi.
"Yeah, I'm glad too." Arata responded.
"Say, by the way. What's up with Kusano?" The entire way back, she had this beaming glow to her. It was a bit hard to any of them not to notice.
"Oh, funny story actually." He explained to them why she seemed to know him. Why she had an interest in him. In fact, from the sounds of it. She never really fully explained it to her friends, given their reactions.
"Aww. That's so sweet." Erina was such a sucker for something like that. He was certain that was exactly what she wanted Yogi to do for her one day.
"It was really kind of you." Added in Akaki.
"Oh no, it's really no big deal." He said, wanting to deflect from this. It was not something he liked to remember, for more than one reason.
"No big deal? But you were sent to the hospital." Misao look befuddled at him. The others sharing her confusion.
"I mean really, it's not like we really need to dwell on it or anything."
"Aw really? But those girls were so mean to you." He really wished that matsu would've just stayed shut up.
"G-girls?" Asked Misei. He looked nervously back at them. Erina gave little effort to stifle her laughter at him.
"Okay look, there were like, four of them…" As he tried to defend himself. He was at least glad, that this was the worst thing for him today. Ever since he was forced to join them, it was just one thing after another. Arata was going to be happy when this whole blackmail ordeal goes away, or was he?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone