Chapter 18: A Helping Hand

The Act of Helping

A hand outstretched, and a voice so kind,

A guiding light for those confined.

Not for gain, nor for pride,

But to stand with those who cry.

For in the act of lifting one,

We find ourselves, our hearts undone.

"Uh... Ma'am, do you need any help?" Hiro asked.

The woman looked at him, with a puzzled expression. "I'm sorry but, what did you just say?"

"I asked if you needed any help."

Her eyes widened, shimmering with hope as she stepped in closer, grabbing onto both his hands tightly. "Are you really? Really going to help me? Help me find my daughter?"

Hiro sighed internally. 'Now you're making it sound like I don't have a choice,' he thought.

But as he looked into her desperate eyes, he knew his answer. "That's right. I want to help. Tell me, when was the last time you saw her?"

The woman sniffled, wiping the tears in her eyes. "We came here for a haircut. But she was with me when we both entered the salon. I told her to wait while I got mine done, but when I looked up, she was gone." Her voice cracked, her distress evident. "I tried looking everywhere, but I can't find her..."

Hiro placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay. I promise I'm going to find your daughter, so please stop crying, alright?"

His words seemed to calm her, and she nodded, wiping her face. "Okay..."

'It would be helpful to know when exactly she was taken... or I could just call Kai and ask him to check the security cameras. But if only I had the guy's damn number,' Hiro thought to himself, as the frustration flickered across his face.

"Is something wrong?" the woman asked, noticing his expression.

"Huh? Oh, no. Everything's just fine," Hiro quickly covered. "I was just wondering, how long has it been since your daughter went missing?"

She thought for a moment. "About... nine minutes."

'Nine minutes, huh? So they couldn't have gotten far.'

"Alright, there's no time to waste. We need to start searching for her immediately. Do you have a picture of her I could use? It'll help me recognize her."

"Y-Yes! Just a second." She fumbled through her purse, finally pulling out a small photo.

Hiro studied it. 'Black hair and purple eyes. Ha, just like her mother. Not so hard to spot.'

He said, sliding the photo in his pocket. "Okay, I need you stay here and wait for me. I'll go and look for her."

The woman hesitated. "Are you sure? I can call the police—"

"No, that's not necessary. The cops would just get in the way."

"I know, but—"

Hiro cut her off, as he handed her his grocery bag. "If you could hold onto this for me. That would be a huge help."

She blinked in confusion but accepted it. Hiro then gave her a confident nod. "Don't worry. I'll find her and bring her back. Count on it. Oh by the way, before I forget—what's your name? And your daughter's?"

"Oh, my name is Ayaka Fujiwara. And my daughter's name is Sayuri Fujiwara."

"Sayuri, huh? That's a nice name. Alright—I'm off."

Before Ayaka could respond, Hiro dashed down the street at incredible speed. She watched in awe. "He's so fast..." She murmured, gripping the bag he left in her hands. "Please, please be careful."

Hiro sprinted through the streets, as he scanned every single corner. 'If what Miss Ayaka said is true, the kidnapper couldn't have gone far. I just need to keep my eyes open.'

However, a voice in his head scoffed.

"You and I both know it's a lost cause. She's already gone. So just forget about it. You'll never find her."

Hiro tightly clenched his fists, as the dark memories of his past, flashed through his mind. His mother... lifeless... the feeling of helplessness creeping in.

"Shut up," he growled. "I told her I'd find her daughter. And that's exactly what I'm going to do—no matter the cost."

Shaking off the doubts, he continued on his search calling out to her. "Sayuri! Sayuri, where are you?!"

Spotting two girls walking nearby, he rushed up to the both of them. "Excuse me, sorry to bother you, but have any of you seen this girl anywhere?" He said, as held up Sayuri's photo showing to them.

The girl on the right shook her head. "No, I haven't seen her. Sorry."

Hiro pressed on. "Take a closer look. Are you sure you haven't seen her—"

Before he could finish, the girl on the left spoke up. "Actually... now that you mention it, I think I did see a girl like that around here earlier."

Hiro's eyes sharpened. "You did? Where? Tell me!"

"I'm not completely sure it was her, but a little while ago, we saw a woman walking with a kid who looked a lot like her."

Hiro grabbed her shoulders. "Seriously? What did this woman look like? Was she her mother?"

The girl hesitated. "I mean... she didn't look like she was related to the kid."

That was all Hiro needed to hear. "Which way did they go?"

She pointed out the way. "That way. They both went that way."

"Thanks!" And with that, he took off running.

"I hope you're able to find her!" the girl called out.

Hiro muttered under his breath, "Don't worry. I will."

And as he sprinted through the streets, something in the corner of his vision caught his eye. A small figure, black hair, with purple eyes, disappearing into an alleyway across the street.

'There's no doubt about it—that's her!'

Acting on pure instinct, Hiro darted across the street. A car screeched to a stop just in time, the driver honking furiously.

Another vehicle rushed towards him, but Hiro leaped over the hood, sliding across it smoothly.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" the driver shouted, but Hiro was already gone.

Turning the corner into the alley, he skidded to a stop. For what was in front of him stood a man, a woman—and Sayuri.

The men, a rough-looking guy with a scar across his cheek, spotted Hiro. "Who the hell is this kid supposed to be?"

Hiro flipped his hair back, his gaze dark and dangerous. "I could ask you bastards the same thing."

His eyes locked onto Sayuri. "Now, tell me, what exactly are you planning on doing to that little girl?"

End of the 18th Chapter.