A Bad Weekend

It was dark, despite the light from the street lamps. The silence that accompanied me while I was going back home felt lonely. Which was fine for me, to be honest.

Today has been full of surprises. Although our morning started out rather normal as I would say, the rest of the events that unfolded as time went by really felt good. The picnic I had with Yuumi, Shimamura-san, and Akito-kun, another visit to the household of the Shimamura, meeting the rest of the Shimamura relatives, and the popularity of Senpai-san.

This wasn't the weekend that I asked for, the one where only me and Yuumi were the ones in this day, spending our time together with no one to bother us, yet I could tell that I was satisfied with the outcome. Probably most to the fact that Yuumi was able to converse with another person, and even be comfortable to a kid.

Right now, though, my objective was to go home.

I tried to trudge, but my feet disobeyed, and I was walking faster than I usually do. In no time at all, I reached my house.

Opening the door, I took off my shoes, placed it neatly, and then called out.

"Yuumi!" I said, directed in the living room. "You know the lady from the convenience store near here? She's got something for you!"

I walked towards the living room, but there was no one there. No sign of Yuumi anywhere. I placed the plastic bag on the counter by the kitchen and then went upstairs to her room. I knocked once.

"Yuumi? Hey, you still wanna eat?" I asked through the door.

There was no response. I opened the door, and then flicked the light switch on. The only signs of things I saw here were five bookshelves filled to the brim with manga and light novels, and a few clothes lying around here and there. But the ones she wore today were nowhere to be found. There were her pyjamas from last night, her indoor clothes earlier this morning, but the white one piece and the hat she wore wasn't anywhere to be seen.

I turned off the lights and then went to my room. I flicked the light switch on, and there was no one here either. She'd probably be in my bed, either watching anime, reading manga or light novels, or just sleeping. But there were no signs of life.

"Yuumi…?"

That's when it clicked me.

Yuumi still hasn't come home.

My instincts rang danger. My sweat profusely dripped from my body at this realization. Then, without even thinking, I ran towards the front door.

I frantically put my shoes on, and as I did, I examined the other ones. There were both my school shoes and Yuumi's, but the one she wore today wasn't anywhere in sight. That was clearly a sign that she hasn't come home.

I exited the house and slammed the door behind me, which pretty much somehow caused an echo through the streets. But I didn't want to think about the other people right now. The only thoughts in my mind was to find Yuumi.

I ran throughout the whole neighborhood. Every time I saw someone, I would ask if they saw a girl with a white one piece and a sun hat on, but every single resident I saw just said they didn't. And every time that happened, I would just run again.

I was already running out of breath. There was still no sign of Yuumi. The heat from my body kept radiating out of me, and the only thing that was maintaining it was the sweat that came out with the wind that came while I was running.

I was already losing hope. My mind kept screaming to find Yuumi, yet my body was starting to give out. My breathing became more and more frantic, and I couldn't focus on running.

I stopped for a bit to catch my breath. As I placed my hands on my knees, sweat was dripping to the ground from my forehead and my hair. I was washed up pretty well, and I was feeling really cold due to the night.

I saw a passerby who looked to be just the same age as me and then came up to her.

"E-Excuse me…," I said as I struggled to even form the proper words because of me frantically trying to catch my breath. Running for thirty minutes really took a toll on me, since I never actually run.

"Woah, you're all beat up! Here," she said, offering me a water bottle. "What happened to you?"

I drank the contents of the water bottle. It made me calm down for a bit while making my body feel refreshed, and I could form the proper words now. After draining the entire bottle, I started speaking.

"Have you seen a girl wearing a white one piece with a sun hat? She's a third-year in junior high, and she has a basket with her."

"A girl, huh?"

She contemplated for a bit, and then answered for a bit.

"I did see someone like that," she answered. "I was just about to go home from the train station when I saw her. She seemed to be following a cat."

"The train station…"

If I remember correctly, there was only one station in town, and you would need to walk farther than that to reach another one.

Not only that, that's the only place where I remember the location. Yuumi has been there, but she doesn't remember anything there at all.

This was actually bad news. The station was full of people that come and go every single day. If Yuumi just so happens to get caught up with some guys there, I don't know what I'll do.

"Thank you, ma'am!" I said, bowing my head. "I truly am grateful!"

After that, I started running again. My mind was yet again engulfed with finding Yuumi, but something else was bothering me. Like some sort of person talking different thoughts.

***

I shouldn't have done that. Even if I was conquered by the cuteness of a child earlier, that doesn't mean I should let my guard down in other scenarios, like this one.

"What should I do…," I said, putting on a sad face. "Yuu-nii must be really worried right now…"

As I was walking home from the park we were in, when Yuu-nii and Shimamura-san were going home with Aki-chan since Shimamura-san couldn't carry Aki-chan, I got strayed from the path while I was walking. A cat passed by walking slowly, and my mind just somehow wanted to follow it.

Before I knew it, a random voice spoke, and when I looked, I was in the train station of Mitorishi, a place I had never visited before. The only times I visited this was when I was 8, with Mom and Dad still around, and with Yuu-nii in his recovery process from a certain illness.

I could tell that this was going to be a huge problem. Not only have I never visited this place, I've never even been to this part of town before. Every street that I see feels very unfamiliar.

I could call Yuu-nii, but since this dress doesn't have any pockets, I couldn't bring my phone. While I could use the payphones in the train station, due to a similar problem, I couldn't bring my wallet with me.

There was still the option of just asking people for money, but seeing as I'm very unsociable as Yuu-nii had already pointed out, that task seemed pretty much very hard for me,

I sighed. I entered the train station with no intention of riding any train, and then sat down on a nearby bench, setting down the basket beside me. There was a payphone, but I couldn't use it.

I didn't know what I should do now. Yuu-nii is probably already home by now, and we would've done something together, like watching a movie. That's what I initially planned when we got home, but…

"I just hope Yuu-nii got Aki-chan home safely…"

I shivered from the cold. Since I was wearing a dress, I was more sensitive to the cold than usual. I should've worn much more stuffed clothing, but I couldn't, since Yuu-nii said he liked this.

It kept getting increasingly worse. I kept shivering from the cold, and I even started sneezing every now and then. The only thing that was keeping me warm was the sun hat and the one piece.

I wanted to go home right now. It felt suffocating. I wanted to go home and stop making Yuu-nii worried. I want us to eat dinner. I want to sleep with him again.

I want hugs.

A train stopped, and when the doors opened, a man just about Yuu-nii's same age ran out immediately. He approached me and then took a seat. The only thing that kept us separated was the basket I placed.

"Aah, I'm gonna have to wait for the next train…," he grumbled. "Say, when is the next train gonna pass by here?"

After he suddenly asked me that, my mind suddenly went into emergency mode.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't been in this station before, so I wouldn't know the schedule," I answered. "But it should arrive in thirty minutes as it usually does."

"You're right about that. But still, it's getting pretty late…"

That was true. It was already 10:31 pm. I'm not exactly sure when the trains stop, but it does stop when it goes late.

I shivered more and more. The breeze picked up, and I couldn't keep focused. It kept striking me, hitting me where it was cold already, making it more cooler.

"Are you okay there?" the guy asked. "You seem to be shaking."

"I-I'm fine," I said. "It's just a little cold."

"I probably wouldn't be so sure about the 'little' part. You're wearing a dress, and the breeze is picking up. Here."

He took off his jacket and then gave it to me.

"Seems to me you need it more than I do."

"B-But…"

"Come on, just take it. I wouldn't want a girl suffering while there's nothing I can do."

Hesitantly, I grabbed the jacket away from his hands and then wrapped it around my body. Due to him wearing it, his body heat radiated from the jacket, and it felt warm.

"T-Thank you, sir…"

"That sounds lame! Call me Kentarou. Being called sir sounds lame and makes me feel old."

I wondered for a bit if this guy, Kentarou, was a woman or not from how he doesn't like himself feeling old.

"T-Then, you can call me Yuumi."

Since he's offering me what sounds like a first name, it would only make sense that I'll also offer him my name, so that we're both equal. It is unfair if I just gave him my last name, after all.

"Yep, nice to meet ya, Yuumi-chan. By the way, what are you doing here late at night? Shouldn't a girl like you be at home right now?"

"…As embarrassing as it is, I'm lost."

"Not embarrassing at all. It sounds pretty normal if you ask me. I've never even been to this station before."

That was true. Many people tend to get lost on roads and cities that they have never been to before. If they're not careful, they might get lost for a long time. However, that wasn't the case for me.

"Well, I live in this area, but I've never actually been to this location nor this station…"

Saying it out loud, it was actually pretty dumb. This was my own neighborhood, yet I don't even know where I was right now. This was where I actually knew that it was embarrassing and stupid.

"That actually does sound pretty embarrassing."

After that, silence enveloped the air. The breeze that felt extremely cold earlier was now reduced due to the guy's jacket.

But that wasn't my concern right now. I wanted to go home right now and reassure Yuu-nii that I'm doing just fine. The only plan that fits this is just wandering around. But even then, when I told Yuu-nii about that creepy old man, even though it wasn't real, the possibility of it happening scared me.

"Why don't we walk around for a bit?" the guy, Kentarou-san, suggested, when I was just about to stand up. "We might even find your house on the way."

"But what about your next train?"

"It's fine. It's not like I can't walk when they close. Besides, it's more important to escort a lady on this night. Who knows, you might get assaulted, so it's good to have a bodyguard by your side."

I still couldn't trust him. The fact that he willingly sat right beside me, and even willingly talked to me can prove that he's not the type of person to easily trust. Yet, somehow, as if a different person was controlling me, I could feel that I can trust him.

"…I'll take you up on your offer, then," I said as I stood up, carrying the basket. He also stood up with me, and we both exited the station at the same time.