7 Lost and Found

"What do you mean you're not coming?!" I shout as Hina checks out the groceries that I bought, placed on the small dining table.

"C'mon we just reached our quota, can't I have some time to relax?" she complains as she search through the groceries.

"Ah! what's this?" she reached for the bag, her eyes shine with curiosity.

She's currently on her loli-form as she run through the bag that I bought from the clothing store, she reached at the bottom of the bag with her small arms and she pulls out revealing a pair of shorts in her hand.

"Tell me human, what's this?" she asked while dangling the shorts, her black tail swaying this whole time.

"Those are stretchable shorts, it's suitable when you change form as it can adjust to your body without getting torn." I explained to her, from what Hina showed lately, she's pretty accustomed at being nude, maybe that's because she lived with grandma before and they didn't bother since they're both female, or she just stayed in her full cat-form most of her time with grandma, but living with a half-naked shape shifting cat-girl would be very uncomfortable for me, at least she has to be fully clothed.

"But how do I wear these things?" she tries to insert both her arms through the shorts' holes.

"Wihke Thehf?" her words we're muffled as her face we're enveloped by the shorts.

"No! those are for your legs!" I don't know if she traded her brains for super human strength or she's just plainly stupid.

"Are you seriously not gonna' help?" I asked her once more, I promised the ghost girl that I'd help her, it would be embarrassing to come empty handed.

"No, I don't give charity time for work, tell her to wait next month before I do her." she struggled to insert her stubby legs before ripping the shorts apart with her brute strength, and just like that a two days worth of allowance ascends into the afterlife.

---

Hina does only view this as a boring monthly task, and I can't really expect her to just follow what I say.

As I'm lost in thought under the night sky, I saw the ghost girl waiting just outside the gate of our school.

Her emerald eyes shine brightly as the moonlight project their bright color, she's still wearing our school uniform.

"So can you help me R.I.P now?" she asked, stressing on the three letters.

"Yeah, about that... there's a slight change of plans." I scratch my head.

"I can't really help you until next month." I told her with much sympathy I can gather.

"That's a shame, but It's okay. I can wait." she gave me a look of reassurance.

"Well uh, since we'll be meeting a lot from now on, and you're always at this school, right?" I asked her and she nods enthusiastically.

"I figured we should introduce each other." I remarked.

"My name's Amano, Hayato." I introduced myself first so she can follow suit.

I was expecting her to say her name right about now but she just stood there frozen still.

"Are you alright?" I asked her.

Her eyes widen, and brightens as if she just realized something very important to her.

"Haya-tan!!" She shouts.

Her sudden shout caught me off guard, but the sound of that nickname was very familiar.

She quickly lunged forward towards me and held both my hands.

"I finally found you!" She happily spinged up and down as she hold my hands, her skirt and hair swaying as it follow her moverments.

Found me? I'm really confused at this very moment.

"Who are you exactly?" I asked her and she finally stopped jumping.

"It's me!" she says in excitement.

"Who?"

"Kaori! Your best friend!"

Kaori? I think I've heard that name before.

Kaori.. Kaori..

How could I forget!

Those emerald eyes and light brown hair.

"You we're the girl I used to play with back in Osaka!" I finally realized.

"Yes!Yes!" She nods profusely.

"I was super worried when one day you we're suddenly gone, and they told me you moved to Tokyo." her grip on my hands grew tighter as she starts to tear up.

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye back then." I used to play with her all the time when I was eight years old until we moved out to Tokyo when I turned ten.

I still remember our cheerful smiles and laughs as we run through the fields back in Osaka, free from responsibilities.

But I can't believe she died before we could have even meet.

"After my sixteenth birthday I followed you here in Tokyo, but uh you see I was hit by a car before I can even meet you." An embarassed chuckle escapes from her.

"But you enrolled here In my school though, you we're one step away from me, how did you know I study here?" Tokyo is a huge city, our meeting would have been below five percent possibility, but somehow she got here.

"I couldn't recall much of what happened back then, but I guess it was destiny." She lets go of my hand.

"it's a small world we live in." She gently wipes a tear with her finger.

Kaori's appearance changed a lot since we we're kids, she's almost as tall as me, her skin now is smooth and fair unlike when we we're kids, she was a bit tanned since we always play outside from noon to evening, puberty gave her the curves she would need to allure a man, I'm lying If I say I'm not kind of attracted to her now that she's older.

"I'm sorry I couldn't see you when you we're still alive, but I promise you, I'll help you go to the afterlife." I held both her hands with resolve.

"It's alright Hayato, I'm not In a hurry." her smile gives me a warm feeling but there's a hint of sadness in her eyes.

She breaks off from my hands and starts to jog past me, after a few distance she turns back to face me.

Her lips formed a pout and she puts a finger under her chin, she stared at me in this position for a moment.

"What's wrong?' I asked her.

She didn't respond and stayed silent for a while.

And then she opened her mouth to say

"How about we go on a date, Hayato?" she casually said.

"Date?"