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https://ncode.syosetu.com/n5612jg/46/
“I wanna ride that !”
“Okay ! Let’s go for a ride !”
“I wanna do that next !”
“Do it whenever you feel like it !”
It’s been an hour and a half since we started looking for her parents.
Since Sasagawa agrees with all of the attractions that Koharu chan wants to ride or do, she is not even looking for her parents to begin with, let alone heading to the Lost Child Center.
Even if I tried to stop her, Koharu chan would look me in the eye, and I would end up allowing her to do so.
Sasagawa is also very excited, probably because Koharu chan’s height doesn’t allow her to ride the screaming type.
Tired, I sit on a bench and wait for the attraction to finish.
After a while, the two of them come back with drinks, perhaps having bought drinks.
“Thank yoiu for waiting.”
“We’re finally done. This time, we’re gonna go look for them. Koharu chan, I’m sure even your parents are looking for you.”
“I know. I’ve had enough fun. Let’s get going.”
Sasagawa held her hand and tried to walk away, but she was staring at a point and did not move.
Ahead of her gaze, there was a photo shoot in front of the characters and a family that was getting along well with each other.
(That must be sad, right?).
I heard that Koharu chan was five years old.
I guess a child of that age would not be able to fill the time away from her family, no matter how much we entertained her.
“I wanna take a picture of that !”
It turns out that it wasn’t that she was lonely, but that she just wanted to take a photo.
I almost shook my head.
“That’s great ! Let’s take a picture !”
Sasagawa was strangely enthusiastic.
I was honestly not in the mood.
“Do you really wanna take pictures? Koharu chan.”
When I asked her that, she nodded with a big smile on her face.
I had no choice, so I decided to tell her the truth.
“Listen, Koharu chan, that character is, in fact–”
Just as I was about to tell her, Sasagawa gave me a fist-bump.
“What are you trying to say ! Don’t crush her dreams !”
“I’m just trying to tell you the truth–“
“Don’t tell her that yet !”
Koharu chan watched this exchange with amusement.
“Don’t be a nag, we’re gonna take pictures.”
“…….It’s really the last time.”
I take her hand in mine and we line up for the photo shoot.
When it was our turn, the lady in charge was tilting her head.
“Erm…..is she your daughter?”
“No !”
I strongly denied it.
The lady in charge apologizes.
Did I look that old?
“Pfft, you must have an old face.”
Sasagawa’s mocking laugh made me angry.
“I’m telling you, if they think you’re her mother too, that means that’s what they think.”
“Eh…that’s shocking….”
“I’ll take your picture.”
The lady in charge calls out to us and we make peace signs with our hands.
We just bow to the person in the character behind us and leave.
It seems that the photos are developed on the spot, and we each receive one.
“Looking at it like this, we really looks like parents and child !”
Sasagawa said as she looked at the photos, and I felt a little embarrassed.
“…Rather than parent and child, we’re more like brother and sister.”
“But the lady in charge seemed to think we were a parent and child.”
Sasagawa says again teasingly.
I decided to ignore her because I didn’t want to argue with her.
“Onii chan, expressionless.”
Next, Koharu chan muttered as she looked at the photo.
I was just making a straight face while Sasagawa and Koharu chan were smiling.
“I’m a little scared…”
“I can’t help it. I’m not used to it.”
I don’t take pictures when I play with Makoto and the others, and I have only a few memories of going out with my family.
“Onii chan, you didn’t have fun?”
Koharu chan asks me with a downcast look on her face.
I relax my expression a little and crouch down.
“It wasn’t like that. I had fun playing with you.”
“Really?”
“Really, will you play with me again?”
When I say that, Koharu chan smiles and nods.
Tired, the corners of my mouth turned up and I stroked Koharu chan’s head.
Sasagawa was watching this scene in amazement.
“………..What is it?”
When I call out to her out of concern, she starts to speak in a bit of a panic.
“Eh !? No, it’s nothing, I just thought Kenchi would make a face like that too…”
“What kind of face? Like what?”
“Well, I don’t know, like a loving father’s face, I guess.”
“Don’t tell me you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Wha !? I gave you a compliment !?”
I’d like to know what part of that was a compliment.
“Koharu !”
While we were talking like that, I heard a loud male voice coming from a little distance away.
“Daddy !”
Koharu chan runs toward the owner of the voice and hugs him.
Apparently, she had found her father.
“I’m sorry I took my eyes off you. You must have been scared.”
“I was scared ! Onii chan and Onee chan were there !”
She pointed at us.
Her father rushes toward us and bows his head.
“Thank you ! For watching over my daughter!
“No, no, no ! It’s no big deal. Please raise your head “!
“Thank you so much ! Let me give you something, anything !”
“It’s fine. I didn’t ask for anything in return.”
“But !”
“Well, next time you see me in town, give me something in return.”
I suggested, since I really didn’t need any compensation.
Sasagawa nodded her head in agreement.
“I see. I’m really sorry.”
“Let’s play again, Onii chan, Onee chan !”
We also responded to her words.
The man took out something and handed it to me.
“I’ll give you my business card, not as a thank you, but I’ll be of help to you if you need anything. If anything happens, I’ll be able to help you, and Koharu also seems to want to meet you again.”
I don’t know if it’s something to be given so readily, but I accept it anyway.
His business card says, [Uchida Soushiro.]
“That’s my name. It’s a coincidence that we met here. May I ask your names?”
Uchida san does not seem to be a bad person, so we say our names.
“Sasagawa Kaoru.”
“Mitsui Kenshiro.”
“Mitsui, Kenshiro?”
At the mention of my name, Uchida san froze for a moment, but we didn’t notice.
“….I see. So you’re……..”
“Daddy?”
At the sound of Koharu chan’s voice, Uchida san reacts and turns to smile.
“Thank you so much for today. See you again, Kaoru san and Kenshiro kun.”
After saying goodbye, we parted ways.
“We made an unexpected connection.”
“I guess so.”
I never thought that the day would come when I would be friends with a grown man.
He looked about the same age as my dad, but he was much more mature than him.
“Oh, it’s Kinako. It’s about time for us to get together.”
“Rikuto is here, too. Well, it’s about time.”
It was already around 2:30 in the afternoon.
“Well, let’s have fun from here on out !”
“What’s next?”
“Wait ! Kenchi !?”
The four of us met up and played until the end of the day.
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“I’m home !”
Koharu shouted as soon as she opened the door and went up to the house.
“We’re home now.”
“Welcome home. Did you have fun?”
“Yeah ! I met Onii chan and Onee chan who are so nice to me !”
“I see. That’s great.”
Her mother smiled back at her satisfied smile.
“She was even kinder than my real sister !”
“What~! You ungrateful brat !”
Her real sister chased after her at her comment.
“Ah Onee chan got angry !”
She runs away while laughing happily.
“Both of you, stop ! Kanata chan, take a bath !”
“Okay~! Do you wanna go in too?”
“I’m going in !”
With that said, Koharu and her sister headed for the bathroom.
“Kanade kun, are you hungry? I made you some food.”
“No, I ate outside. I’ll eat it for lunch tomorrow.”
“I see. Okay, Kanade kun, after those two take a bath, you can go in.”
“Hey, Sakura.”
“Yes?”
“…..The person I met today, his name is Kenshiro.”
The moment she heard that name, she stopped moving.
“I’m not so sure. But his last name is Mitsui and he looks just like Kenya. I’m almost certain.”
Saying this, Soushiro glanced at his wife.
His wife turned her head down and looked gloomy.
“…..I’m sorry. That was insensitive.”
“It’s okay. Besides, I’m sure he’s a stranger.”
“No, but–“
“Because, you know?”
The woman interrupted Soushiro and said.
“There is no way that God would grant me such a miracle.”
There were tears in her eyes.
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