Prologue: How to Search for a Missing Best Friend
“Have you seen this student before?”
It was early evening in front of the station, where the evening rush had started to clog up the area.
Holding a flyer in my hand, I raised my voice, trying not to be drowned out by the surrounding noise.
Not that it was doing much good.
Most people just glanced at it, shook their heads, and walked off without even taking a flyer.
Even so, I kept at it—until someone called out to me from behind.
“What are you doing in a place like this? Even if it’s summer break, you know the school rules forbid part-time jobs.”
I froze.
The firm tone nearly made my heart jump out of my chest as I whipped around in a panic.
Standing there was a girl with long black hair tied neatly into a braid down her back.
“…Oh, it’s just the class rep.”
…Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be a classmate.
I thought for sure it was someone here to reprimand me or something.
That wouldn’t be surprising. After all, every high school around here bans part-time jobs.
There’ve been more than a couple times I got stopped by patrolling officers while handing out flyers late at night.
But it seemed like this time wasn’t one of those occasions, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“‘Just the class rep,’ huh? That’s quite a greeting, Yousuke-kun. And for the record, that’s not actually my name.”
She adjusted her glasses with a push, giving me a sharp look.
“S-Sorry. Everyone in class calls you ‘class rep,’ so… uh, you’re… Koshimizu-san, right?”
“…You don’t have to add the ‘-san.’ Anyway, like I said, part-time jobs are against the rules. If you get caught, you could be suspended again, you know?”
“Ah, no worries there. It’s not a job—I’m just looking for someone. I already cleared it with the school.”
“...Looking for someone?”
“Yeah.”
I handed a flyer to Koshimizu, who tilted her head in confusion.
Printed on the flyer was a photo.
It showed a young boy with a cheerful, friendly smile—still with some childlike innocence left in his face.
“Who’s this?”
“His name’s Hikari Mikoto. Ever heard of him?”
“…That name does ring a bell.”
Something about it seemed to catch in her mind.
She pressed a long finger to her lips and fell silent for a few moments.
“…I remember now. Wasn’t he the kid who went missing about a year ago? It was a big topic at my middle school too. Like, we were all told not to walk to and from school alone. —Wait, could it be?”
Seeing her eyes widen, I gave her a small nod.
Then, keeping my emotions in check as best I could, I opened my mouth.
“…He’s my childhood friend. Disappeared out of nowhere when we were in our third year of middle school—and I’ve been looking for him ever since. Not that I’ve gotten anything useful so far… Most of it’s just been prank tips.”
“…Sorry. I didn’t know, and I just came in criticizing you like that.”
“Nah, I haven’t exactly told anyone about it… So it’s not your fault.”
I told her not to worry, but knowing how responsible she is, that was probably impossible.
Still holding the flyer, she lowered her gaze to the ground.
Silence fell between us.
But it didn’t last long.
A petite woman ran past and bumped into me from behind, nearly sending me stumbling.
“Whoops—! …Yeah, maybe standing around chatting in a crowd isn’t the best idea. We’re kinda blocking the way.”
“…Sorry for holding you up.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ve been pushing myself pretty hard lately, so talking like this helped. Thanks, Class Re—uh, I mean, Koshimizu.”
“If that’s how you feel, then I’m glad…”
Koshimizu, who had been looking rather down a moment ago, thankfully seemed to perk up a little. She gave me a soft smile.
“Well then, see you in the second semester.”
With that, I turned to leave.
“…Wait, could you hold on a second?”
“Huh?”
I heard her mutter behind me and instinctively looked back.
“Um… next time you go looking for someone, could you let me help?”
“I don’t mind, but… why?”
“Would it be weird if I said I just want to help? Besides, with that leg of yours, it’d be a problem if something happened…”
Her gaze drifted toward my left leg, and even I could tell what she meant.
…My left leg had always been bad.
I could walk just fine, but running or jumping was out of the question.
And if I stood too long, the pain would eventually set in.
To be honest, the reason I got knocked off balance earlier by that petite woman was because of this. If I’d been prepared, maybe I could’ve braced myself, but when caught off guard, I was helpless.
Not that Koshimizu knew my situation in detail—most of our classmates were aware of it anyway.
Ever since I entered the school, I’d always sat out of P.E., and when people asked, I’d explain:
“Had a bad accident when I was a kid. Doesn’t move right anymore.”
“…So yeah, I’m only offering because I’m concerned. Don’t get the wrong idea, okay?”
Even though her cheeks were faintly red, her expression was serious—clearly not joking around.
It was an honest offer, and I had no reason to refuse.
“Got it. I’ll definitely reach out next time. Thanks, Koshimizu.”
“You said it, now you’re stuck with me. But don’t forget we’re still students. You are keeping up with your homework, right?”
We exchanged contact info, bowed to each other, and said goodbye—only for her to throw in a little scolding, like it was second nature.
…Yeah. Definitely got that class rep spirit.
It’s no wonder everyone calls her that.
I let out a wry smile and finally turned my back to Koshimizu, slowly walking off into the crowd.
—Following the vivid trail of memories stirred up by explaining everything to her.
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