09 Lost Ones
"Hey—Mio. Where are you?"
Jin calls out Mio's name as he searches.
The stuffed animal shop is fairly crowded.
He’d lost track of weekdays entirely, but Jin recalls today is a holiday according to general public standards.
A side effect of extended leave.
Regardless, there are many children of similar build, making the search difficult.
"Bad idea… maybe I should just make an announcement?"
He begins to think it’s no longer a matter of embarrassment.
The possibility is low, but abduction cannot be ruled out.
On a migration fleet that functions as an ultimate surveillance society, most crimes are apprehended immediately.
Numerous surveillance cameras installed throughout the city.
Citizen IDs linked to DNA profiles.
Such technologies leave no privacy—exposing the location of every individual at all times.
No one dares such reckless actions under these conditions. Yet crimes still occur.
And even if apprehended immediately, the victim remains.
Furthermore, Mio’s identity remains unconfirmed.
The possibility that she is being pursued cannot be ruled out.
Jin decides to issue an announcement after all, redirecting his path.
“Kyaa…?”
“Whoa…?”
At that moment, he nearly collides with someone emerging from behind a shelf.
Jin avoids it with reflexes honed by training, but the other person is not so fortunate.
They lose balance and drop to their knees.
“Sorry! I was in a rush…”
Apologizing, Jin extends a hand.
“No, I should be sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going either.”
As she speaks, she takes Jin’s hand and rises.
A young girl, perhaps a student, with golden hair braided into three strands.
Jin thinks, perhaps a bit younger than me.
He realizes, without noticing when, he has become a full generation older than the student.
“Um, sorry. Have you seen my companion? She’s around chest height, red hair in a loose ponytail, and has an unusually arrogant air about her.”
The girl gestures to her own chest, describing her companion’s features.
Jin recalls the path he took here, but remembers no such distinctive girl.
Perhaps she’s wandered off with her sister.
“Sorry, I don’t recall…”
“Ah, I see… no, I just thought I might’ve seen her, so please don’t worry about it.”
She bows slightly, then turns to leave.
“Actually, I’ve also lost my companion… I was about to request an announcement inside. Would you like to come with me?”
She hesitates, as if considering.
Yes, that’s right. Honestly, I’m tired of searching—I think I’ll do the same.
Just as the two decided on their next move—something happened that overturned that decision.
◆ ◆ ◆
“Alright then. That should do it.”
“Thank you, big sister.”
The red-haired girl effortlessly returns the stuffed animal Mio had been struggling to retrieve.
Though petite in build, she was still taller than Mio—tall enough to reach the high shelves.
Mio, having been helped, offered her thanks without hesitation.
“Big sister… heh, that sounds nice.”
“Huh?”
The girl tilts her head slightly, as if struck by Mio’s words.
Mio tilts her head in confusion—she doesn’t understand why the girl reacted that way.
“By the way, miss—what happened to you? Why are you alone? Aren’t your father or mother with you?”
“Daddy… Mommy?”
Mio tilts her head at the unfamiliar word.
The girl frowns slightly at the reaction.
“Um… wasn’t there someone else with you here?”
“Jin?”
“Jin… yes, that person. Where is he now?”
“Jin is lost.”
Mio’s reply makes the girl’s eyes widen.
She nods slowly, solemnly.
“Coincidence. I’m actually looking for someone who’s gone missing too.”
“Kigū da ne.”
Two who believe themselves not lost, meeting here.
“Miss, what’s your name?”
“Jin said not to tell names to strangers.”
“Ah. Indeed. Then let me. I’m May. Now we’re not strangers.”
“…! Really? I know you!”
Mio stares, eyes wide with surprise. The girl who introduced herself as May smiles.
“Mio. Mio, okay? Meio-neechan.”
"May-neechan... That's a nice ring to it. Yes, truly nice. Now, Mio-chan. Let me teach you the secret tactic for finding lost children."
"Hisaku?"
"That's right. Master this, and lost children are instantly defeated."
"Mei-neechan knows some complicated words, huh."
The girl beams, pleased by the child's reverent gaze, her chest swelling with pride.
"Leave it to me—everything will be resolved. All will be as if it never happened, yes!"
"Oooh."
Mio claps her hands, unsure of what it means but sensing it's impressive.
"So, what do we do?"
"That would be..."
And thus, the girl's secret tactic is activated.
◆ ◆ ◆
"Miss Yuria Nastin from Sector Three. Your companion is waiting. Please proceed to the Entrance Customer Center."
"Hoah!?!"
The golden-haired girl suddenly shrieks.
Jin lets out a wry smile, as if amused by the fact that the errant companion had opted to rely on the announcement system without delay.
『Jin-sama from Sector Seven. Mio-chan is waiting. Please proceed to the Entrance Customer Center.』
"Ah…"
Jin’s expression shifts, caught off guard by the sudden call of his own name.
He wonders whether the clerk has found Mio alone.
Either way, her location is known—no further searching required.
"Um, since my companion has been found, I’ll head to the Entrance…"
As Jin speaks, the golden-haired girl flushes, whether from embarrassment or anger, and nods.
"I’ll go to the Entrance too. I was the one who got lost…!"
Jin smiles faintly at her half-hearted, emotionally charged complaint.
To have a friend who can speak so casually with you—something he can only view with quiet envy.
Of all the people with whom Jin had formed such a bond, Jake was the only one still alive.
As they approached the entrance, they saw the girl matching the description Jin had overheard earlier—the one with red hair ribbons—talking with Mio.
“Hm. Mio-chan has her own troubles, too.”
“Troubles of her own.”
The two nodded solemnly, though likely they were merely mirroring each other’s expressions, exchanging nothing of substance.
“Ah, Jin-dan!”
“Finally you’ve come, Yuriya. I’ve been waiting forever.”
“You’re the one who wandered off! I’m done with this. It’s embarrassing…”
Jin nodded, understanding the flush on her face as a mix of anger and shame, then crouched to meet Mio’s gaze.
“Mio, that’s not right. You can’t just wander off on your own.”
“No. It’s Jin who disappeared.”
Mio pouts and counters.
Upon hearing, Jin had gone searching first, and Mio had returned to the original location.
“Even so, you were the one who left first.”
“…I’m sorry.”
She looks up, unable to refute Jin’s words, and apologizes.
Petting her head, Mio points at the girl with red hair.
“Listen. May-neechan took down the enemy with a secret move!”
Jin pauses, considering the meaning.
Then the staff member explains.
“This customer brought the young lady here.”
“Is that so… Thank you, little one.”
Jin rises and bows to the red-haired girl.
The blonde girl, who had argued with her earlier, smirks proudly.
“No, no. Naturally. Well then, Yuriya? I did help someone, didn’t I?”
"Already feeling good, then. Sorry for the disturbance."
The two parted ways there, saying they were heading to another shop.
"Then, Mio-chan, let's meet again somewhere. Adiós!"
"May-nee-chan, bye-bye!"
The two, now seemingly close, continued waving from the storefront.
Once their figures disappeared, Jin pointed out something he'd been noticing since earlier.
"...Mio, didn't I say not to give your name to strangers?"
"She's someone I know, right?"
Jin rubbed his temples, searching for a way to explain it, then turned back into the store.
In the end, Mio bought two stuffed animals.
One was the penguin she'd chosen herself.
The other was the two-dimensional stuffed assault frame Raven, which Jin had subtly hinted at.
From that day on, residents had moved into the bed where the two slept.