August 13th: A Husky Situation Yesterday was fun, I wish I could do that with Sylvia, Ashley and Ashton and friends back home. That'll be fun, but I did enjoyed a lot of fun with my new friends I recently met. I'm sitting on a stone bench at the park, I was reading. The sun is shining than ever before. A beautiful day to spend it with no interruptions from anybody, just me and Ashley's graphic novel, nothing else. The sound of children playing around the park, and birds signing, and the trees rustling by the wind was a nice place to rejuvenate. "Masashi-kun!" A deep voice I hear calling out a familiar name that I've heard before. "Masashi-kun! Where are you!?" The loud deep voice was getting closer from where I'm sitting. It sounds like something had happened. "Kelly-kun?" The same voice then calls out my name (or nickname), do I know this person? I lowered my book and stare at the person who was calling me. I almost forgot who he was for a second. It's no other than Kouya's father, if I remember correctly, his name is Mitsuhisa Aotsuki. He was now in front of me. "Huh? Ao-Aotsuki-san?" I surprisingly said. "You remember." He said. "Y-Yes, we've met the other day about the whole movie sword subject that I was dealing." I said, it was the only thing I remember. "Yes, of course." "So… how's everything… and why you were calling out Masashi-kun? Is everything all right?" I asked. He sighed and he looks worried and spokes up. "I lost sight of Masashi, and I can't find him." "What happened?" My mind was puzzled. "Masashi's grandparents went out and Saki-chan asked us to take care of him and while she's working at the infirmary. My wife told me to keep an eye on him while she went off for groceries. I take him to the park so he can play with his friends and told him not to go far away from me. I was… sitting and reading the newspapers and when I checked on him where his friends were and he wasn't there, I asked them but they don't know where he went, I asked them to find him, I still haven't heard from them, we're still looking." He explained… that can't be good. "I see, so, do you want me to find him?" "I was hoping for that." He said. "I could be in real trouble if Saki-chan finds out or his grandparents. Wait, have you met Masashi-kun?" "Yes, I've met him the other day. He admires your son." "Very well, then." He said. "He could be still around the park, so look over there while I look over there." Aotsuki-san and I split up and the search of a little young husky-boy begins. Thinking what is the most possibility of where Masashi is. First of all; I barely know him, and second of all; I don't know his usual every day activities are. He's only eleven-years-old, and finding him is not an easy task. I'm walking around the park and calling out his name so he can replied back, but no response from him. Where he can be? This is really getting worrisome, and I don't like it at all. "Hi, Kelly-san!" A girly voice calls me and I know who she is. "Kimi-chan, hi." Next to her is the young tanuki I've met at the hardware store. "And hi, Yukiharu-kun." "Hi, Kelly-san." He greeted. "Kelly-san, have you seen Masa?" Kimi-chan asked. "Aotsuki-san already told me about it, I'm also looking for him. And yet no sign of him." I said. "Oooh, where is he? Kelly, we must keep finding him!" Kimi cried. The three of us together continue our search party. I keep calling him, but he's not responding. Where's Masashi? Where is he? Where did he go? We better find him. "He's really good playing hide-and-seek, Kelly-san." Yukiharu said. "You guys were playing hide-and-seek?" I asked. "Yeah, we came back to our home base, which was the tree, when we came back he didn't come." Kimi said. "Did you guys upset him or something?" I asked. "No, we didn't say anything offensive to him." Yukiharu said. "Okay, so, you two seem to know him more than I do, so tell me, what would Masa-kun do when he's all alone?" "Hmm…" the two beast-kids began to think hard. "I got nothing." Kimi-chan said flatly. "Me either." Yukiharu the same. "Ugh, this is terrible. Let's split up, okay." I said, the two nodded and split. I checked under the trees or on top of the trees' branches. He could be anywhere and soon, if we take so much longer, everyone in the village will volunteer on a mass search. I hope we find him, he's only a young kid. While looking on a large bush and calling his name. "Masashi-kun! You there?" I shouted. "Kelly, what are you doing?" A familiar female voice was heard from behind me, I normally got my head out from the bush and stand up and turned around and face Saki, wearing her nurse uniform. Oh crap… "Ah, Saki-chan, what a surprise!" I don't like where this is going. "Kelly-kun, have you seen Aotsuki-san and Masa-chan? And why are you calling him?" She said in a curious, confused, and serious tone. I have no choice but to tell her the truth. After telling her what happened recently, she somehow understands. "I see, he had done this before, so don't worry. So, where's Aotsuki-san?" "He's still looking, also Kimiko and Yukiharu are also looking for him." "Well, tell them to stop looking, because I know his hiding place." "Hiding place?" "Whenever Masa-chan have an emotional issue, he goes here and hides under a tree. This is the third time he has done it, I wonder what his issue about." "Huh, now then, let's find the others and find Masashi." After gathering everyone, Saki lead us to the tree that Masashi is supposedly is hiding. There was a little cave made naturally by the tree's roots, a little kid can fit in there, so it is possible. Saki-chan, Aotsuki-san, Kimiko-chan, and Yukiharu-kun, and me peek inside the little cave and see a little figure, I can see his red hoodie jacket and his sharp, spiky black hair, and… he's sobbing… "You guys stay here, I'll talk to him." Saki-chan said and crawls inside. The four of us waited outside, while Saki is talking to her little brother. "Thank you for your help, Kelly-kun, you too, Kimi-chan and Yukiharu-kun." Aotsuki-san thanked us. "Aw, it was nothing, good thing Saki-chan found me, and good thing she knows more about her little brother than any of us." I said and smiled. "Without her, we would've never found him." "You're right. Good thing this didn't turned into a serious situation. You're one bright kid." Not too long, Saki-chan and Masa-kun, got out from the little hole from the tree. Saki, holding her brother's hand once they got out. Masashi doesn't look happy, his sharp ears are now lowered and he's all calmed down. "I'm sorry Aotsuki-san, I didn't mean to cause trouble," he said and continues, "is because, this is my last day that I'm staying over and… I… wish… I can stay a little longer with Nee-chan." Masashi's eyes were in tears, but I'm puzzled. "I don't understand. Does Masa-kun lives here?" I asked Saki. "No, he still lives with my parents in the big city while I live here with my grandparents." She said. "W-why you live apart from your parents?" I asked, a curiosity grows on me. "Where I used to live, an earthquake hit our old town. I was so traumatized that my parents convinced me to move to Minasato with my grandparents ever since. I didn't mean to be separated from anybody, I'm still in touch with them, and I'm happy to see my little brother come over for the summer for the first time." She said. That left me speechless. "Sorry for all the troubles you guys, he didn't mean to." Saki said. "Is all right, Saki-chan, take care." Aotsuki-san said. "Come on, Masa-chan, let's go home." She said as she and her brother walk away. Looking these two reminded about me and Sylvia. We always were inseparable, we grown up together, we attended the same school, we've done everything together. And after learning these two siblings are living in two separated towns. I feel bad for hearing this, Masashi wants to be closer with his big sister in Minasato. I wish I could do that with someone I know, who… "Kelly-san, are you okay?" Kimi-chan snapped from my thoughts. "Huh? Oh… yeah, I-I fine, why wouldn't it?" I said. "Do you have a sister or brother?" Why she asking this? "Uh… just me and my younger sister." I said. "Oh, so you're the older brother, then." "Well, actually, I'm the…", my sentence was interrupted by Toshi, he just arrived in front of me, sliding from my left side view, he got here with his roller skates. He made a screeching sound until making a complete stop. "Kelly! There you are. I'm glad I've found you." Toshi said. "What is it, Toshi-san, what's the hurry?" "I wish I could've said it earlier, but tomorrow, if you're interested, we're going on a camping trip. So, are you in?" Toshi-san said. He's offering a trip? "That sounds good, but, why tomorrow?" I asked. "Well, we planned this a few days ago and the others agreed on August 14th, and then I thought, and also Torahiko and Hiroyuki, if we could invite you to come along with us, if you're interested." Toshi said. "Yeah, sure I'll go." "Splendid, I'll see you tomorrow." "Onii-chan, can I go, too?" Kimi-chan cried with big begging eyes, she so cute! "Of course you can come, Mom and Dad are gone for their anniversary, and I can't leave you alone." Toshi said. "Yay!" She cried. "Yukiharu, wanna come?" "He's also coming, Kounosuke was forced to, by his mom. Come on you two, time to go back." Toshi said and rolled away with them. "Well, I better get myself ready for tomorrow. See you, Aotsuki-san." I said as I walk away. "Same to you, Kelly-kun." He said. Back at the Ooshima Inn, I'm getting myself ready for the camping trip. It's been quite a long time since I've been on summer camps. I don't have anything specific for camping, except a flashlight and some clothes for hiking, but I also don't have a tent, maybe the others have a bigger tent that have more space that I can sleep in. It least I have a sleeping bag with me. So I guess that's enough, I'm prepared for tomorrow. As a near pro-traveler, this is going to be a great trip. You know, I should enjoy this, even if is ruined by an unthinkable event that separated me from my relatives. "Yawn! I'm gonna take a nap."