Back to our little hero.

He had already left home, venturing alone into the vast world ahead of him.

The weather that day was cold, and some small puddles of water were still scattered here and there.

Haruki walked on the same path he had walked hundreds of times before, heading towards his mother.

His memory was blurry, not entirely clear, so he would occasionally look around, searching for any thread that could lead him back to the forgotten features of the road.

On the side of the road, he spotted something that confirmed he was on the right path:

The toy store, the one he passed every week, gazing at its display with longing, wishing he could own just one of the toys behind the glass.

But he never dared ask his father for one, as he was certain the answer would be an inevitable no.

Right after that, the bakery's delicious scents wafted through the air, pulling him in for a moment.

Haruki continued on his way, passing these two landmarks that reassured his heart that he was still on the right track.

However, after just a few steps, he suddenly stopped in his tracks... He turned around, confused.

He no longer remembered where he was heading.

The eyes of the passersby followed him with curious and puzzled looks, silently asking.

"What is a child his age doing here alone?"

Haruki remembered his grandmother's instructions, when she always told him that if he ever got lost, he should head towards the first policeman he saw.

He looked around, searching for any officer in his vicinity until he spotted a traffic officer standing at a signal, directing traffic.

Without hesitation, he ran toward him.

At first, the officer didn't notice the small figure, until he felt a hand tugging at the hem of his pants.

The officer turned and looked down at Haruki.

He smiled and bent down toward the little boy, speaking to him in a friendly manner.

"What do you need, little one?"

Haruki looked up at him and returned the smile, then said with no trace of fear or worry.

"I'm lost."

The officer was initially shocked by the child's bravery, noticing there was no panic or fear in his eyes, but he admired him greatly.

He reached out, patted Haruaki's head, then took out his walkie-talkie connected to the main station and spoke directly into it.

"Hello, this is Officer Jo. Please send someone to cover for me, I've found a lost child."

Officer Jo received confirmation from the police station for that neighborhood, and after a few moments, another officer arrived to take his place while the search for Haruki's parents began.

As Officer Jo walked alongside the little boy, he began to ask him questions about his situation.

"So, what's your name, little one?"

"I'm Haruki"

the boy answered cheerfully, with a big smile.

"Haruki... What a beautiful name. And where are your parents, Haruki?"

Haruki answered without a moment's hesitation, as if the words had been carved into his memory after repeating them countless times over the past four years.

"At the hospital."

The boy's answers kept surprising Officer Jo, one after another, stirring a growing sense of curiosity inside him. After a brief pause, he asked, hesitantly.

"And why are they at the hospital? Are they visiting someone... or...?"

Haruki smiled as he looked up at the older man walking beside him, then answered with all the confidence a child his age could muster.

"No, my mom has been sick for years. We were supposed to visit her today, my dad and I… but he left me at home and went alone."

The officer furrowed his brows in thought, as if slowly peeling away the fog surrounding this child's harsh reality, one the boy himself didn't seem fully aware of.

He ran his fingers through his hair before asking another question.

"And why didn't you listen to your father and stay at home?"

Haruki scowled, his face that of an angry child, and looked down at the envelope in his small hands, clenching it tightly. 

He glanced back at the officer and lifted the envelope to show him, then answered.

"My dad forgot the money at home."

Officer Jo's eyes widened when he saw that the money inside the envelope was not a small amount at all, judging by the size of the stack inside the white paper envelope.

His eyes softened, and a small laugh escaped his lips before he spoke with pride.

"You're a little hero, aren't you?"

Haruki smiled brightly at the title the officer had given him, a warm feeling of strength rising in his chest, alongside a growing hope that one day, he might live with both of his parents again.

Officer Jo continued walking alongside the little boy, until all that separated them from the hospital entrance was the main road.