Chapter 6: Evening Encounters

Hoshino Kaito POV:

After walking together for a while, Mio and I finally reached the point where our path diverged. She slowed her pace, glancing at me with a small, tired smile.

"Well, this is where we part ways." She adjusted her grip on the bike handles.

I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for walking with me."

"Shouldn't I be the one thanking you? You saved my bike. Again." She let out a soft chuckle.

"True. But hey, it was nice having company." I smirked.

Mio looked at me for a moment. "Yeah… it was."

A brief silence stretched between us.

"See you tomorrow, Hoshino-kun."

She stopped and ride her bike.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow Asakura-san."

"Bye-bye..." she waved her hand.

I watched as she pedaled away, her figure gradually fading into the evening glow. Something about her words, her expression—everything from today—lingered in my mind. But for now, I just sighed and continued my way home.

The sky painted in warm hues of orange and pink, with gentle rustling of leaves and distant chatter of people added to the peaceful atmosphere. I took my time walking, enjoying the quiet moment of solitude.

As I strolled through a small park on my route, a soft sniffling caught my attention. I glanced toward the swings and saw a little girl sitting alone, rubbing her eyes while clutched a small stuffed bunny in her lap.

I decided to approach her.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The girl looked up, her big teary eyes locking onto mine. She sniffled again, clutching her stuffed toy tighter.

"I… I can't find onee-chan…"

I crouched down and smiled.

"You got separated? When was the last time you saw her?"

She wiped her nose with her sleeve.

"We were walking home, and then… and then I stopped to look at the flowers… and when I turned around, she was gone."

Her voice wavered, and I could tell she was trying her best not to cry again.

I nodded, keeping my voice gentle.

"Alright. Don't worry, we'll find her. What's your name?"

The girl sniffled.

"Miyu."

"Nice to meet you, Miyu-chan. I'm Kaito."

I glanced around the park, scanning for anyone who might be looking for her.

"What does your sister look like?"

"She's really pretty! And she has long hair, like this—"

Miyu gestured dramatically, stretching her hands far apart.

"And she wears a white sweater."

That narrowed it down. I stood up, offering my hand.

"Come on, let's look for her together. I bet she's looking for you too."

Miyu hesitated before reaching out and took my hand.

With that, we began searching the park, hoping to reunite her with her sister before the sun fully set.

As we walked around, looking for any signs of Miyu's sister, I suddenly heard an all-too-familiar voice from behind me.

"AH! ONII! I'LL CALL THE POLICE!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin as I turned to see Reina, my little sister, standing a few feet away, pointing at me like I was some kind of criminal.

"Wha—Reina?! Why the hell would you say that?!"

"You're walking around with a little girl in a park at sunset! You look suspicious as hell!" She put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes.

"Kaito-niichan isn't bad! He's helping me find my onee-chan!" Miyu clung to my sleeve, startled by Reina's outburst.

"Huh? Wait… for real?" Reina blinked, her dramatic expression faltering.

I sighed. "YES. For real."

"Hey, kiddo, is my dumbass brother telling the truth?" Still skeptical, Reina knelt down beside Miyu.

"Un! Kaito-niichan is helping me!" Miyu nodded rapidly.

"Hmph. Alright then, I guess you're off the hook." Reina stood up, crossing her arms.

I groaned. "You're so damn dramatic sometimes."

She grinned. "Well, I gotta make life interesting, right? Anyway, since you seem useless on your own, I'll help you find her sister."

"Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes.

Reina nod proudly, and she approached Miyu.

"What's your name kiddo?"

"My name is Miyu!"

"Ah, Miyu-chan, that's a really cute name. My name is Reina, and I'm this stupid guy's little sister."

Miyu nodded "Un, nice to meet you Reina-neechan!"

With Reina now tagging along, we continued searching the park. Miyu seemed more at ease now, walking between us, her tiny hands occasionally tugging at Reina's sleeve.

As we searched around the block we decided to go back to the park, I finally spotted a girl pacing near the gate, anxiously looking around. She had long dark hair and was wrapped in a white sweater—just as Miyu had described.

"Is that her Miyu-chan?" I asked, pointing toward the girl.

Miyu gasped, her grip tightening on my hand.

"Onee-chan!"

She let go and ran toward her sister, who turned at the sound of her voice. The moment she saw Miyu, relief flooded her face.

"Miyu! Where have you been?! You had me worried sick!"

"I-I got lost! But Kaito-niichan and Reina-neechan helped me!" Miyu threw herself into her sister's arms, clinging to her tightly.

"Thank you so much for helping her. I don't know what I would have done if—" The older girl looked up at me and Reina, her eyes full of gratitude.

"It's no problem, Miyu was just scared, that's all." I said, waving my hand dismissively.

Reina smirked. "Yeah, yeah, my idiot brother actually did something good for once."

"You need to be more careful next time. No running off, okay?" She smiled, while ruffling Miyu's hair.

"Okay…" Miyu nodded.

I took a step back, ready to leave them to their reunion.

"Well, we should get going—"

"Wait!" Miyu tugged on my sleeve.

"Can I see you again, Kaito-niichan?"

I blinked. Her big, hopeful eyes stared up at me, and for some reason, I felt like saying no would be a crime.

"I walk this way home all the time, so who knows? Maybe we'll run into each other again." I chuckled.

"Okay!" Miyu smiles brightly.

"Thanks again. Seriously. You're really kind." Her sister let out a soft laugh.

"Hear that? Someone actually called you kind." Reina nudged.

"Yeah, yeah." I rolled my eyes.

With that, we gave them a final bow before heading home.

The evening air felt a little lighter now. Maybe it was because of Miyu's smile, or maybe it's just the feeling of helping someone in need.

As Reina and I walked together down the quiet street, the street lights beginning to flicker on, she suddenly spoke up.

"Hey, Onii…"

"What?"

She hesitated for a second before muttering.

"I'm… sorry."

"Huh?" I stopped walking.

"For earlier. Yelling at you like that. I guess I overreacted a little…" Reina turned her head away.

"Wow. Reina apologizing? I must be dreaming."I let out a dramatic gasp, clutching my chest.

"M-Mouuu! Onii!" She balled up her fists and lightly smacked my arm, her face turning slightly red.

"Relax, relax. I'm just messing with you ahahah." I laughed, ruffling her hair.

She huffed, smoothing down her hair, but I could tell she wasn't actually mad.

"Thanks, Reina."

"Whatever. Just don't get caught in weird situations like that again, okay? I don't wanna actually have to call the cops on you." She turned away again, but I saw the corner of her lips twitch up slightly.

"Ahahah, okay." I let out a small chuckle.

For a while, we walked in silence. The cool evening air brushed against us, and the faint sounds of distant traffic filled the quiet spaces between our footsteps. Then, out of nowhere, Reina spoke again.

"Hey, Onii… Do you remember when I got lost that one time? Back when we were kids?"

I stiffened for a moment. My heart stopped beating for a second. Kaito's memories weren't fully mine. There were gaps, moments I had no recollection of. But lately… there were fragments. Blurry pieces that felt familiar, even though I knew they weren't truly my own.

"Which time? You got lost a lot." I tried to act as naturally as I could.

"Geez, I wasn't that bad! But you know… that time at the summer festival..." She puffed her cheeks.

As soon as she said it, something flickered in my mind—a faint, hazy image of bright festival lights, a small hand slipping away into the crowd, a voice shouting a name over and over. Was that Kaito's memory? Or was I just filling in the blanks?

I forced a nod. "Oh, that. Yeah... I remember. You were like, what? Five?"

"Six! I was six. And you were eight." she corrected.

"Still tiny." I smirked.

She pouted.

"I remember wandering off because I saw a stall selling these cute little hairpins. And when I turned around, you, Mom and Dad were gone. I was so scared… I thought I'd never find you again."

A sharp pang of emotion ran through me. It felt real—like I could almost see that little girl crying in the crowd. Even if I hadn't truly experienced it, I could feel how much it had meant to her.

"You were cried a lot when I found you." I said automatically, unsure if I was recalling or just guessing.

"I wasn't!" she argued, though the red creeping up her ears betrayed her.

"Oh, you totally were, I had to bribe you with a candied apple just to calm you down."

"Maybe… but you were really cool back then, you know?" She huffed again, but a small smile tugged at her lips.

"Huh?" That caught me off guard.

Reina looked down at her feet as we walked.

"You ran around the whole festival looking for me. You didn't even stop to eat or play any games. Mom said you wouldn't stop shouting my name until someone finally saw me crying and pointed you in the right direction."

"Well, yeah. Of course, I'd look for you. What kind of big brother would I be if I didn't?" I scratched my cheek, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Yeah… But still, back then, I thought you were the coolest person in the world." She glanced up at me, her eyes is softer than usual.

Something about those words hit differently now. Kaito was her big brother—her real big brother. And yet, here I was, standing in his place. Did I deserve that admiration?

"Back then? So, what, I lost my cool factor now?" I forced a chuckle.

"Oh, definitely. Now you're just a weirdo who picks up lost kids in parks." She stuck out her tongue.

I groaned. "I knew you were gonna bring that up again."

"But seriously, Onii… thanks. For today, I mean. Even if you're an idiot most of the time, you're still my brother. And sometimes… you still act pretty cool." She laughed, bumping my shoulder playfully.

I felt a warmth spread in my chest. It wasn't often that Reina said stuff like this. Usually, our conversations were filled with bickering and teasing, so hearing her speak so sincerely caught me off guard.

"Well, I gotta keep up my reputation somehow, right?" I smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't let it get to your head." She rolled her eyes.

The rest of the walk home was filled with Reina's usual grumbling, but something about the moment made me smile. Maybe I didn't have all of Kaito's memories. Maybe there would always be gaps.

But for now, maybe that didn't matter.

For all the teasing and arguments, we were still siblings. And sometimes, even she could surprise me.

When we finally arrived home, I kicked off my shoes and stretched. Reina headed straight to her room, probably exhausted from all the unnecessary energy she spent teasing me. I sighed, making my way to the dining table, where dinner had already been prepared.

"Welcome home, Kacchan." My mom greeted as she placed a plate of food in front of me.

"You're a bit late today. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just ran into some stuff on the way back." I replied vaguely.

I sat down and started eating, the warmth of the meal finally allowing me to relax.

As I ate, a strange sensation washed over me. A fleeting moment—an image of this same dining table, laughter filling the room and Reina pouting about vegetables while I teased her. The memory was faint, like an old dream, but it felt… real. It felt familiar.

I blinked, gripping my chopsticks a little tighter. Was that one of Kaito's memories? It has to be. But why now? Is my mind slowly stitching itself into this world?

After finishing dinner, I took a quick bath, letting the warm water ease the tension in my body. Today had been… eventful, to say the least. First, Mio, then Ren and Ayane, and finally, the whole thing with Miyu and Reina. And now this—fragments of Kaito's past trickling into my consciousness.

Lying on my bed, I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts swirling.

Had my interference changed the course of events in this world? Is it my presence that shifted the story away from what I knew? Or is it because this wasn't a game anymore—there were no scripts, no programmed responses, no predetermined paths? Everyone is real... Everything, is real.

And then, those memories… would they keep coming? Would I eventually remember everything? Would I even still be me?

"Heh, I wonder." I smirked to myself.

With that final thought, I closed my eyes, letting sleep take over. Tomorrow was another day, another set of choices to make, and another step into this unpredictable world.