The One Who Goes Looking [A Few Months Later / New School]

At his new school, Hara kept a low profile.

He no longer hunched his shoulders and pretended to be weak.

But he had no reason to show anyone how strong he really was, either.

On weekends, he joined a youth rescue program at a local safety center.

How to search for someone lost in the mountains.

How to separate important sounds from background noise.

How to follow scent.

How to move an injured person safely.

It suited him almost too well.

An instructor asked,

(Instructor) : “Thinking about doing this for a living someday?”

Hara smiled.

(Hara) : “Maybe.”

[Afternoon / Riverside]

Koharu waited with her bicycle.

They went to different schools now, but they still met.

She held out a bag of taiyaki.

(Koharu) : “How was training?”

(Hara) : “Missing-person search.”

(Koharu) : “Did you find them?”

(Hara) : “It was a drill.”

(Koharu) : “I know. Did you find them?”

(Hara) : “I found them first.”

Koharu laughed.

They walked along the river.

Hara suddenly stopped.

Far away, he heard a small, sharp sound.

Branches shifting.

Then a familiar cry.

Squeak.

Hara turned.

A weasel sat in the grass by the river.

The old scar on the back of his hand grew faintly warm.

Koharu looked at it too.

Once, she wouldn’t have known what it meant.

Now she did.

(Koharu) : “Is that the one?”

Hara nodded slowly.

(Hara) : “Maybe.”

The weasel watched them for a moment.

Then disappeared into the grass.

Koharu asked,

(Koharu) : “Are you going after it?”

The old Hara might have run alone.

Hara looked at her.

(Hara) : “Want to come?”

Koharu smiled.

(Koharu) : “Thought you said that was my choice.”

(Hara) : “That’s why I’m asking.”

Koharu took his hand.

(Koharu) : “Let’s go.”

Together, they walked toward the place where the weasel had vanished.

Hara finally understood.

Power doesn’t decide what kind of person you are.

What matters is where you choose to use it.

And this time,

he wasn’t alone.