Updates resuming after a pause.
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“So — what happened between you two?”
“Started as a small disagreement. Escalated. By the time I noticed, I’d made her cry.”
(He hadn’t intended any of this.) Recent off-Ayato has been making mistakes he never used to — he’d probably blurted something he wouldn’t normally say.
“Last call with Suzuno?”
“About an hour ago — been looking for Suzuno ever since.”
”…And still no luck.”
(An hour ago Kano and I were already at her place. If Suzuno had gone home we’d have noticed. She hadn’t been home.)
The city is huge — random searching wouldn’t find her. Targeting places she goes is the move. But he’d already done that.
“You’ve checked everywhere she’d normally go?”
“The local park, the arcade she likes, the neighborhood pet shop, her favorite café — not there.”
“Got it — I’ll share with Kano-san.”
I LIMEd Kano the locations he’d already covered. (To avoid her duplicating his work. Normally Kano would’ve thought of this — but she was rattled too.)
(She’s strict on Suzuno because she cares. Cherished little sister in tears and unreachable — anyone’s calm cracks.)
“If not in usual spots — somewhere unusual?”
“No clue. Zero leads.”
(If she’s somewhere unusual, finding her is bad odds. He’d called all her close friends — so friend’s house is out.)
(He’s not trusted enough that her friends would lie? — actually he’s normally diligent and decent with others. Just nasty to me. So if friends said she’s not there, she’s not there.)
We checked remaining places — empty.
”…Damn, also a dud. Yuito, any other ideas?”
“School? Briefly considered — she wouldn’t go in summer break.”
“If she’s at school the club kids would’ve spotted her — I asked them all.”
(Many clubs practice in summer.) Probability low. As we walked, we’d crossed into the entertainment district.
Despite the night image, it was a Sunday afternoon — still busy.
(High schoolers don’t normally come here.) Then I spotted someone in the distance and shouted.
“Suzuno?!”
He saw too. We’d found her. But — beside Suzuno stood a man who looked clearly bad news.
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Side commissions wrapped — prioritizing this work, high-frequency updates in March and April.