A day had passed since Yoshino disappeared. Shido and I decided to scout the area near the department store on our way home from school, hoping she might show up there.
“Haa... What if she’s not there?”
“That doesn’t mean we can give up.”
“Yeah, I know, but... huh? Yo, Yoshinon?”
Thankfully, Yoshino finally appeared.
The moment she spotted us, however, she turned and bolted in the opposite direction.
“Huh? Little lady! It’s okay! I’m not going to hurt you!”
At my shout, Yoshino stopped and slowly turned her head. Then, suddenly, her eyes welled up with tears and she buried her face in my chest.
“N-Night-san...”
“Y-yes? Me?”
I was momentarily thrown off by the sudden intimacy, but calming Yoshino down was the priority. I gently stroked her head and whispered, “It’s okay, little lady. I don’t know what happened, but you can stay like this until you feel better.”
I don't know how long she stayed pressed against me, but her breathing gradually steadied. Eventually, she lifted her head and whimpered, “I-I was lo-looking for Yoshinon...”
Glancing at Yoshino’s left hand, I realized that Yoshinon, who should have been there, was missing.
“When did you lose her?”
“Y-yes... yesterday... when I was attacked... I-I lost her...”
Hearing this, I pulled my phone from my pocket and called the commander.
“Well, look at this. You’re actually calling me first for once.”
“The thing is, I’m with [Hermit] right now.”
“...What?! Where are you!”
“We're currently at...”
I briefed the commander on everything: our exact location and what Yoshino had told me. After a brief silence, she promised to have the security footage analyzed and would assist in the search as much as possible.
“Thanks, commander.”
“Save the thanks for after you find that doll.”
-Click.
Once the call ended, I walked back to Yoshino, who was talking with Shido.
“Then let’s go find Yoshinon, little lady.”
“Huh? Find Yoshinon? Wasn’t Yoshinon the girl?”
Shido’s confusion made me realize something. Come to think of it, Shido still didn’t know Yoshino’s actual name; he only knew Yoshinon, the chatty puppet who never stopped talking.
“I-I’m not... Yoshinon, but... ‘Yoshino’... Yoshinon is my friend...”
“Yoshino? Wait, so you knew her too, Hieta?”
“H-Hieta...?”
Yoshino tilted her head. Right—I hadn’t told her my name yet.
“What, Hieta? You never even told Yoshino your name?”
“Ahem. Good day, little lady. To introduce myself properly, I am [Knight]. More precisely, [Knight] is my identifier, and my real name is Higakieta Hai. You can just call me ‘Hieta’ for short.”
After I finished, Yoshino muttered softly, sounding pleased. “Hi, Hieta...-san...”
“Yes? Did you say something?”
“N-no!”
Seeing her slightly overreactive response, I gave a small snort and suggested we start looking for Yoshinon.
“Ah, before we go, please use this umbrella, little lady.”
I handed Yoshino the umbrella I’d brought along in case of rain. She took it gratefully, and the three of us set off.
*****
“She’s not here.”
“N-not here either...”
“Not this way either.”
We searched for a long time, but Yoshinon was nowhere to be found.
Grrrgle—
“Huh? Little lady?”
As we walked, a distinct sound echoed. I looked at Yoshino, who was the source; her face was turning bright red as she pulled her hood down to hide.
“Yeah. Got it.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Ah, Kotori said to take a break and eat for a bit.”
At Shido’s words, I noticed the intercom earpiece tucked into his ear.
“Hmm. But all the shops around here are temporarily closed...”
Because of yesterday’s spacequake, the nearby stores had been shut down. While I was pondering the situation, Shido spoke up.
“Ah, then how about my house?”
“Your house, Shido-kun?”
“Yeah. Like Hieta said, everything around here is closed.”
He was suggesting we head to his place. Since I didn't have a home of my own yet, I figured it was the best option, provided Yoshino was comfortable with it.
“I don’t mind, but as for the little lady...”
“Yo, Yoshino...”
“Yes?”
“Please call me Yoshino...”
Just as I was about to ask for her opinion, she made a request instead. It was a simple one, so I happily complied.
“Yes, Yoshino. So, is that okay with you, Yoshino?”
At my question, Yoshino nodded shyly. “I-It’s okay...”
With her approval, we headed to Shido’s house.
*****
After arriving, I turned to Shido. “Shido-kun, would it be all right if I did the cooking?”
“Huh? I don’t mind, but why?”
“Well, you are the owner of the house. I thought I’d make something for Yoshino, and while I’m at it, treat you to a meal as well.”
Shido nodded, saying he was looking forward to it. With the homeowner’s permission, I brought out the ingredients I’d bought earlier.
“Hieta, can I ask what you’re making?”
“Let’s leave that as a surprise. For now, why don’t you talk with Yoshino?”
With that, I began to cook. I was preparing kimchi fried rice—a dish no Korean could possibly resist. Honestly, who could?
“That doll, Yoshinon... what kind of existence is she to you?”
“Yoshinon is... my friend... and... a hero.”
Listening to their conversation, I poured oil into the pan. Once it was hot, I tossed in the chopped kimchi I’d found at the supermarket. Thankfully, even Japanese stores carried it.
“A hero?”
“Yoshinon is... my ideal self. The person I admire... She isn’t weak like me... and she doesn’t hesitate. She’s strong, and cool.”
“Your ideal self, huh... Is it really necessary to chase an ideal? Of course, it’s good to have goals, but I don’t think you need to tear yourself down just to reach them. From where I stand, the Yoshino I see right now is perfectly fine as she is.”
As I spoke and turned around, I saw that Yoshino had pulled her hood down deep over her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Th-that... is the first time... I’ve heard something like that...”
I smiled faintly and continued cooking. Or rather, I tried to.
“What are you doing?! If you raise her affection any more, what am I supposed to do?! Her affection toward you is already twice what it is for Shido!”
The commander’s voice screeched through the intercom.
“No, commander! I didn’t do anything! I’m just cooking and saying what I think!”
“Haa... If that’s really true, then it’s even worse. How do you casually spout lines that seduce women without even realizing it?”
“What are you talking about...? When did I ever do that?”
“The fact that you don’t even realize it proves my point. If Shido could copy even half of your behavior, this route would be so much easier.”
I could hear the commander let out a deep, exhausted sigh. Seriously, she was interrupting me mid-meal. I clicked off the intercom and focused back on the stove.
Once the kimchi was stir-fried, I added the rice and minced meat. Vegetables? Kimchi is enough! Nothing else is needed!
I kept stirring with a spatula, mixing everything until it was evenly cooked. Then, right before turning off the heat, I stirred in a tablespoon of mayonnaise. And then—
“There. It’s done.”
“What is this?”
“Kimchi fried rice. Korean soul food.”
The two of them each scooped up a spoonful and tasted it simultaneously.
“Mm! This is actually delicious!”
Shido praised the dish, and Yoshino, instead of speaking, tapped the table and gave me a thumbs-up.
“I’m glad it suits your tastes.”
Honestly, I wasn't sure how much spice they could handle, so I’d added a bit of sugar to give it a slight sweetness. Yoshino was still young, after all.
I watched the two of them eat with satisfaction, waiting for the meal to conclude.
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