Chapter 08- Home

Misaki looked at the clock as she finished cleaning. It had been an hour since her baby went outside to play and had yet to come back.

So, Misaki decided to go out and check on Sachiko, only to find out that her baby was nowhere in sight. There were no signs of a toddler playing in the vicinity of the house.

And, Misaki vividly remembered that she told her baby not to go far from the house and even though she knew Sachiko was a smart, outgoing and expressive baby, she didn't think her baby wouldn't listen to her words.

"What if someone kidnapped her?" The thought flashed her mind, although she knew their small town had practically low crime rates.

What if she was lost?

Almost panicking, Misaki first rushed to Yuki's house to see if Sachiko ended up going there.

"Sachiko chan? She's not here.." Yuki shook her head with a sigh and that made Misaki even more worried.

At that moment, a seven year old child with ash blonde hair leaned over to the door and pouted, "Sachiko chan went outside to play? But she didn't even come and get me..."

"Oh dear...do you think Sachiko chan got lost?" Yuki muttered.

Yumi wasn't happy with that as she frowned and said, "But Sachiko chan always say she's a genius so how can she get lost? Our houses are like right beside.."

"I know, Yumi chan. You're right.." Misaki said with a forced smile and mutttered the last part , "I hope that's the case.."

"We can help look for her." Yuki offered. "Where did she say she was going?"

"..She said that she wanted to go play outside and I told her to go ahead but not to go far from home." Misaki replied as she started to wonder if she did something wrong.

Yuki frowned a bit, that didn't really give any leads.

"Alright, we'll search around the house and then go farther into town."

"Mom...can I come along?" Yumi asked, tugging Yuki's sleeves.

"No, wait at home, okay?"

"I know Sachiko chan is not getting lost but..what if she is actually lost and scared? I have to find her if it's the case!!!" Yumi tugged the sleeves harder. She didn't really understand why the adults were so convinced that Sachiko chan is lost but if it somehow was true, she had to be there for Sachiko chan as well.

Yuki sighed, "Alright, come along then. We have to hurry."

Yumi nodded and ran as fast as a seven year old could and tried to find a trace of silver haired toddler.

"Yumi! Slow down! You'll fall!!" Yuki was telling her but Yumi didn't think about slowing down at all. She wanted to find Sachiko chan already and tell her mom and aunt Misaki that Sachiko chan was totally fine! She has to be, right?

Sachiko chan had always been the smarter one despite her being younger and she alwags taught Yumi about new things even though she mostly got into trouble by applying those things as Sachiko chan taught her. But, Yumi loved when Sachiko chan spent time with her and telling her to do things because kids in her new school never paid attention to her and they were mean to her.

While Sachiko chan also called her idiot Yumi, Yumi could tell that Sachiko chan actually loved her. Why else would she give Yumi all her toys and come to her house that often?

Yumi rubbed the tears that were falling onto her cheeks with one hand and continued looking for Sachiko chan. She started speeding up and then she felt herself slip.

Yumi felt pain in her knees as she tried to get up. She looked down and see blood on her knees. It hurts.

She wanted to go and hug her mom, then find Sachiko chan together with her.

Yumi wanted to get up and go to her mom but then she realized that she didn't recognize her surroundings.

"Mom....??? where..am I?" Yumi wondered in a small voice as she looked around. It was now dark and Yumi started to get scared.

"It hurts..."

With the pain in her knees and fear of getting lost, Yumi started crying.

"Idiot Yumi...why are you here alone?"

Yumi heard a familiar voice and cried harder.

"Sachiko chan?"

"Yep, it's me. Why are you out here alone and crying?" Sachiko replied as she walked towards crying Yumi. She had just finished killing a few more Grade 4 curses after running from the cemetery and was about to head home when she heard sobbing noises. So, she went to check on it and saw Yumi crying in the dark.

"Both mom and aunt Misaki think you got lost and they were worried. So, I was helping them look for you...and then I got separated from them and..fell..and I realized I don't know where I am.." Yumi said as she rubbed her eyes more.

Sachiko let out a sigh at this, "Idiot Yumi, don't go around and get lost like this. What if I don't find you here?"

"But you are the one who got lost!"

"Wrong," Sachiko said proudly, "I'm not lost at all! I can find my house from like hundreds of miles away, okay?" 'With my cursed technique, of course.' She thought to herself.

"But that's like impossible." Yumi frowned.

"Impossible? Who am I?" Sachiko asked proudly.

"Umm..Sachiko chan?"

"And I am?"

"A genius?" Yumi replied.

"Bingo!" Sachiko gave Yumi a thumbs up which wasn't actually visible, considering that they were still in the dark.

"Okay, so you are not lost." Yumi slowly said.

"Not at all!" Sachiko said cheerfully, before coughing a bit, "But I'm glad..that you came to find me..."

She remembered getting lost as child while she was in the orphanage in her past life, no one really tried to find her at all and she remembered being in the cold for the whole night.

Sachiko shook her head and smiled as she continued, "I'm happy that you're here, Yumi."

"I'm happy too!" Yumi sounded happier at that, which made Sachiko chuckle. "Come on, let's go home."

"Okay!" Yumi nodded happily as she got up but then let out a wince as her knees hurt.

"You hurt?" Sachiko asked in concern.

"My knees are bleeding." Yumi replied quietly.

"Let me see." Sachiko took a closer look at Yumi's knees and found that Yumi had scraped knees and they were bleeding a bit.

"Okay, I think you got scraped knees."

"Ohh..."

"Think you can walk?" Sachiko asked.

"Don't know. It hurts really bad tho." Yumi replied.

"Okay, I am not carrying you coz you're bigger than me but.." Sachiko sighed, "You can like hold my hands and walk if you want."

"Okay!" Yumi held her hands as she got up and walked, but because of their height difference, Yumi had to bend down a lot, which actually made her more uncomfortable but Yumi was happy that she found Sachiko.

"Sachiko chan, don't leave me, okay?"

"Huh, we're going home, right? Why would I leave you in the dark?"

"No..I meant when you grow up and get new friends at school, you can't leave me alone...." Yumi muttered. She knew Sachiko chan would have lots of friends because why wouldn't she? Sachiko had always been amazing and she was worried when Sachiko chan started school, she would become like everyone else at school.

But, Sachiko chan's reply made her smile again. "Don't worry, I won't leave you for some new friends."

"Promise?"

"Okay, okay, I promise!" Sachiko said with a laugh, "Seriously, Yumi, you act like you're the toddler."

"Because you always act like a smartass!" Yumi retorted which made Sachiko laugh even more. "It's because I'm a smartass! But, seriously, you took everything I told you to heart."

Yumi tilted her head and look at Sachiko in confusion.

"Nothing." Sachiko shook her head.

They continued to walk in silence for a few more minutes before they saw Yuki and Misaki in the distance.

"Mommm!!!!!" Yumi cried out as soon as she saw Yuki and Sachiko laughed at Yumi before she was pulled into a hug by Misaki.

"I was so worried, baby. I thought I was going to lose you.." Misaki said as she hugged Sachiko tightly.

"...sorry..I wasn't ..."

"I'm happy that you're back. I'm really happy that you are safe...Welcome home, Sachiko chan." Misaki muttered and Sachiko couldn't help but feel warmth in her heart.

Misaki was holding her like she was her own child and she was worried about her like a mother and welcomed her back home even though she had made her worry.

Home.

Sachiko never thought she would have a home again ever since she lost her parents in her past life but at this moment, she felt like she finally had a home again.