Chapter 177 – The Lost Child’s Identity

I felt relieved that Umi and I weren't in any kind of danger, but something equally troublesome showed up.

This kid appeared suddenly from the area outside the walking trail, so he must have gotten lost while playing in the mountains alone.

His face was a mess with tears and snot all over it and his clothes were stained with both dirt and sand. Fortunately, he didn't seem to have any visible injuries.

"Umi, let's hear him out first, okay?"

"Okay."

Since we couldn't continue what we were doing in this situation, we quickly fixed each other's clothes before going over to the boy, who was currently sitting on the ground.

"Who are you guys?"

"This big brother and I are staying at an inn nearby, what about you? Can you tell us your name?"

"Reiji… Okamoto Reiji…"

According to Shizuku-san, we were the only ones staying at her place today, which meant that this boy was a local.

"Reiji-kun, is it? Alright, come here, you're safe now."

"…Mm."

"You stopped crying? Good boy, good boy."

After Umi wiped Reiji-kun's face with a handkerchief, she gave him a tight hug. That was sufficient to make him stop crying.

As expected of Umi, she knew how to handle a child. I still wasn't sure how to handle him, she completely surpassed me in this regard.

"So, Reiji-kun, where are your parents? Are they not with you?"

"Mm. Mama told me not to go out, so she isn't here."

"But, you went out and played anyway?"

"…"

He seemed to be aware that he had done something wrong. Reiji-kun nodded his head to Umi's question.

Children his age tended to let their curiosity dictate their actions. They didn't have the capability to judge whether their actions were wrong or not, so they would occasionally disappear whenever you took your eye off them for a second. I've heard many stories of children his age going missing, so he was lucky to stumble upon us when we were outside.

…Well, we were outside for a reason, but let's forget about that for now.

"I guess we'll have to continue our adventure tomorrow, Umi. Let's go back to the inn first. Can you contact Riku-san?"

"I've been trying to call him, but he isn't answering at all. That stupid brother of mine is definitely sleeping right now…"

"Well, let's get back first and let Shizuku-san handle the rest."

"Alright. Reiji-kun, can you walk?"

He shook his head weakly at that question. This whole affair had probably drained his strength. He tried to stand up, but his legs looked shaky.

"I'll carry him then. Umi, can you carry my bag? We'll use another route this time since the route we took before was a little steep."

"Okay, but if you feel tired, make sure to tell me, okay?"

"Got it. Alright, Reiji-kun, come here."

"…Mm."

I carried Reiji-kun as I let his arms dangle over my neck. He didn't seem to mind this position, so I just rolled with it.

There was still time until the sun set, but the path was dimmer than when we first got here. We likely wouldn't find any wild deer or boar at this hour, but we still need to be careful with our footing since Reiji-kun was with us.

After we walked over the slope, we went downhill to go back to the inn. This was a roundabout way, but according to the map, this was a recommended route to traverse on when you had a child with you.

"Maki… Huh, is he sleeping?"

"Yeah, he must've been exhausted."

Since all his tension had been released, his fatigue took over. Currently he was peacefully sleeping on my chest. 

This child was heavier than I thought though. My arms felt sore already, but I tried not to make any sudden movements that would wake him.

"…Papa… Mama…"

"Hehe, you hear that? Does that mean you're the papa and I'm the mama, Maki?"

"Maybe. But aren't we too young to be called that?"

Well, I guess someday when we get children of our own, they would start calling us that. If everything went well, we would graduate from high school and college in a few years, perhaps, we would be able to reenact this scene with our own children.

I knew that future was still far off, but we'll get there, eventually.

"…You know what, Umi?"

"Hm? What's up?"

"Uh… Actually, never mind, I forgot what I was about to say."

"Eh? You can't just call out to me like that and not say anything. C'mon, say it clearly, or else I won't be able to sleep tonight."

"Isn't that normal for you?"

"The occasion is different! This time, I'll be ridden with anxiety over my boyfriend leaving me hanging. Lucky you to have a girlfriend like me who wouldn't forget any of your words, huh? Take this~"

"Stop that, you'll wake Reiji-kun up."

"So you care about him more than me, huh?~ I won't forgive you! Well, I will if you give me a tight hug~"

"My hands are full right–"

"I won't take no for an answer~"

"…Jeez."

In the end, I managed to get back to the parking lot under Umi's relentless attacks while carrying Reiji-kun in my arms. This was the first time in my life that I had carried a child in my arms and I was at a loss because I didn't know how to handle him. I managed to do it though, thanks to Umi's help and Reiji-kun himself being a docile child.

"Alright, now let's get to the front desk and… Huh?"

As we entered the parking lot, we spotted Shizuku-san right around the corner. I thought that she was probably cleaning or something, but the look in her face said otherwise.

She didn't bring anything with her either, so it was clear that she wasn't cleaning up the place.

"Reiji! Where are you, Reiji?"

"Oi~ Reiji-kun!"

Those shouts explained a lot of things.

"Is that my brother? So he's been with Shizuku-san all this time instead of sleeping?"

"I guess. Anyway, the Reiji they are looking for is probably…"

Reiji-kun who was sleeping in my arms.

We established that he wasn't a guest of the inn. But from the looks of it, he and Shizuku-san were… Well, let's report the situation to her first.

"Shizuku-san!"

"Maki-kun and Umi-chan?"

"Uh, we found this kid, he was lost in the mountains, so we brought him here… Could it be?"

"Reiji!"

Reiji-kun, who had been asleep, opened her eyes in response to Shizuku-san's voice.

"…Nn?"

"Reiji!"

"…Mama? It's mama!"

After seeing Shizuku-san, he regained a bit of his energy, so I put him down and let him run to Shizuku-san, who opened her arms with a relieved look on her face.

"…You know, what, Maki? I thought of this possibility before, but I didn't tell you because I didn't think I would be on the money."

"Honestly, I thought the same… Well, I guess our lines of thought are quite accurate this time."

The lost child we picked up was Shizuku-san's son.