Chapter 20: Redemption
"What to do..."
A sentence that popped up my head as I think for a solution.
As I sat down on a wooden bench, my mind was consumed with the weight of my problems. The park around me was bustling with energy and excitement, I found myself in the "Wild West" section of the park, with its unmistakable theme of cowboys and saloons. The employees wore cowboy hats and boots, and the rides had names like "The Gold Rush" and "The Sheriff's Shootout."
As I finished assessing my surroundings, taking in the sights and sounds of the Wild West section of the park, I slowly lowered myself onto the bench and leaned back, feeling the cool wood against my back as I let out a deep sigh.
the anxiety of not being able to find my group began to weigh heavily on my mind. I need to find the group, but how can I do that? Even if I manage to find my way back to the same ride, there's no guarantee that they'll still be there. Knowing my mother, she's probably gone to security by now.
In addition, there's the matter of Kano. She also got separated from the group, should I try to look for her or just prioritize myself, if I try to look for her and somehow find her, 100% certain that her affinity level will increment, whilst I do not know what will happen to her if I do not try.
I'm in a dilemma right now. The big crowd that separated me from Kano suddenly disappeared, which makes me even more suspicious that the goddess might have had a hand in this.
Alright, let's see if there is a security station around here.
In the most likely case, the group will spread more ground by having Rumi look for Kano herself, while Mother and the rest go and report to security.
I really don't want Kano's affinity to increase this early, but at the same time, I feel bad prioritizing myself.
I stand up from the bench and begin to walk aimlessly, hoping to come across someone distributing pamphlets or maps to gain a better understanding of my current location.
As I wander around, I catch sight of a male employee holding several maps in his hands. Intrigued, I approach him to see if I could acquire a map from him.
"Hello mister, is it ok if I could have a map?" I ask politely.
"Oh sure thing kid!" The employee gladly gave me a map. "Where are your parents though kid, I don't see any adults with you." he added with a tint of concern.
Or I could just forget looking for the security myself and let one of the employee take me there.
"I-I got separated from my family while we were walking," I said, trying to make my voice sound trembly to make it convincing that I'm a lost child.
"Oh dear, that's not good," he exclaimed, placing his hand on his mouth in shock. "Alright kid, what's your name? Let's go to security together so they can help you find your family, okay?" he said with a reassuring tone, trying to cheer up the sad and lost child.
"Hayato" I responded to him whilst I try to look sad.
"Ok Hayato, hold my hands and let's go now ok?" he asked as he reached his hands to me.
I held his hands together we journeyed to the security station.
Quite dumb of meto be honest to not have thought of this, I sometimes tend to forget that I am in a child's body, should really take full advantage of me being a child whilst I am one.
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oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no
My poor boy is lost in this huge park.
Currently trying to go look for a security station in this park, so we can go and report the situation, hopefully the security here are competent enough to do their job.
"Where is that useless husband of yours anyways Maeko." Slandering my husband once again, Rumi behind me asked as she frantically rub her arms in worry of her own daughter.
Rumi, always quick to criticize, keeps asking where my husband is. As if that matters right now! My son is missing, and all I can think about is finding him. "My husband is no priority right now he is already an adult, plus we need to go look for my son and your daughter first, I am sure he will understand once we catch up to him." Giving Rumi a proper respond.
Rumi remains quiet but the look of worry is greatly shown in her face, with Kano being her only child, It is understandable.
My poor boy Hayato is lost in this huge park, meanwhile, Minami and Kaori are holding onto my hands tightly, their faces twisted with worry. I can hear them murmuring to each other, wondering where their beloved little brother could be. I wish I had answers for them, but all I can do is keep searching and praying that he's okay.
The thought of my son alone in this park, scared and helpless, makes me want to scream. But I can't afford to lose my composure now. I have to be strong for my family, even as my heart is breaking with fear and uncertainty.
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So the name of the employee I am with right now is Hiroto, he told me his name as we traverse the park, I try to remain quiet but the employee is quiet a blabbermouth, I do not criticize him as his intention is I guess trying to comfort a lost child.
Still in the Wild West, I am in awe on how large this park really is, as I walk alongside Hiroto, he continues to talk about the park, providing me with all sorts of information that I never knew before. Hiroto explains that if you were to try to walk from one section to another, it would take an entire day due to the park's immense size. It's no wonder there are trains and other forms of transportation available for guests.
As we walked towards the security station, something caught my eye. I saw a young girl sitting alone on the ground, with her head buried in her arms, crying. I stopped in my tracks, staring at her from a distance.
that couldn't be Kano now is it...
No, it can't be, this is just a coincidence, no way... I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt in my chest. The way she sat there with tears in her eyes...
It reminded me of that time..
That time when me and my little sister got lost in a similar park years ago at my past life.
My sister was scared, just like Kano is now. I remember how my sister's tiny hand had clung to mine tightly, her fingers digging into my skin. Her eyes, filled with tears, looked up at me with so much trust, so much hope, so much fear. I had been scared too, but I had tried to hide it. I had told her that everything was going to be okay, that I would find a way out.
But the truth was, I had no idea where we were going. Night swallows the empty park, surrounded by silence and darkness. My heart raced as I tried to navigate our way through the dark, but every turn we took seemed to lead us deeper into the maze.
Eventually, we had found our way out of the park, but it had taken a long time. My sister had never forgotten how scared she had been, and I had never forgotten how guilty I had felt for not being able to protect her and make her feel safe. The memory of that day had stayed with me all these years, haunting me and filling me with a sense of shame and failure.
I remember how she was so scared . And now, seeing this girl in the same position, it was like looking into a mirror of my past mistakes.
I shouldn't risk it. I will just let the employees handle her, yeah that's a good idea... But why are the employees also just passing by her, can't they not see the poor girl crying.
I felt conflicted once again, torn between my desire to help a child in need and my fear of the consequences. I stood there, frozen in place.
As I hesitated to help Kano, I felt that same guilt creeping up on me again. I couldn't bear the thought of letting another child go through what my sister had gone through. So, after a moment of hesitation, I finally decided to go and help Kano, just like I should have helped my sister all those years ago.
Hiroto, the park employee, noticed my hesitation and asked, "Is everything okay?"
Hiroto looked at me quizzically, but I didn't wait for his response.
"KANO!" I exclaimed, barely able to contain my excitement. I could see her head turn towards me, and I watched as she made her way towards me, her eyes filled with tears.
When she reached me, she threw her arms around me in a tight embrace, and I could feel her body trembling. It broke my heart to see her in this state, but I knew I had to be strong for her.
Looking into her eyes, I could see the fear and sadness etched in them. I wanted to do everything in my power to comfort her, to make her feel safe and loved.
As she hugged me, I could feel her knees buckle, and I quickly wrapped my arms around her to support her weight. She began to cry uncontrollably, and I held her tightly, whispering soothing words in her ear.
"Thank you, thank you so much," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I was so scared and lost, I didn't know what to do."
"It's okay, Kano," I whispered back, rubbing her back gently. "But you don't have to be scared anymore. I'm here with you, and we'll go back to them now together."
I could feel her grip on me tighten, and I knew she was still scared, still shaken by everything that had happened, being in such close proximity to her, I couldn't help but feel a sense of danger.
"Why did you even bother looking for me?" Kano asked, her voice trembling. "I barely even talked to you earlier, and I've been nothing but trouble."
I gave her a small smile, reaching out to wipe away her tears. "It doesn't matter," I said softly. "You reminded me of someone I was very close to in the past. She was in a similar situation as yours, and I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't want to repeat that again." But as I said those words, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that came with being around her. Helping Kano was the right thing to do, but at what cost?
Kano's eyes widened, and I could see the surprise in her face. But as she looked at me, I saw something else too. The happiness my sister would have gotten if I were just strong enough for her.
In that moment, I knew that I had made the right decision in coming to look for her. She needed someone to be there for her, and I have mixed feelings being that person.
As she clung to me, I could feel her heartbeat against my chest. It was a moment of pure connection, and I knew that I was becoming an important part of her life.
"Together... I want that too," Kano whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to be alone anymore. I don't want to feel lost and helpless."
"Of course." I said softly. "You're not alone anymore. We're in this together."
As we walked back together with Hiroto, I couldn't help but feel a sense of redemption, but at the same time, the feeling of unease that came with it. I hoped that I had made the right decision in helping Kano, but only time would tell.
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