The walk started normally enough.
Well, seeing a child covered in dirt and dressed in nothing but rags wandering around the city totally sounds like the average day-to-day experience.
That was sarcasm, obviously. Nothing about this looked normal.
Tall buildings, packed streets, bright digital billboards flashing advertisements every few seconds. Cars clogged the roads while the sidewalks remained mostly empty, save for a few pedestrians passing by.
Naoki walked through it all with his duffle bag slung over one shoulder, still covered in dirt and wearing torn clothes like a homeless child who had wandered into the wrong district.
Surprisingly, most people ignored him.
Well... a few definitely stared.
One woman even pulled her kid slightly closer while walking past him.
'Understandable, but still... rude.'
Though, he did notice something strange. Despite how some people seemed absolutely masterful in the art of ignoring him, Naoki hadn't actually seen any other beggars wandering around the city.
So how were they all so good at it?
Or were they just that dedicated to ignoring him specifically?
Then again, maybe beggars were normal around here and he'd simply had the misfortune of not running into any others. After all, he wasn't exactly paying attention.
'And either way, it's not my problem.'
Eventually, Naoki learned to ignore those little reactions. Nobody caused an actual scene. No one stopped him, questioned him, or told him to leave, so pretending not to notice became easy enough.
Still, it was a long walk.
As he continued forward, the city slowly began thinning out around him.
The towering buildings became smaller. Glass walls slowly becoming old concrete. The roads widened slightly, emptier now, with fewer cars passing by every minute.
Soon, even the advertisements started disappearing.
The constant noise of the city faded as well.
In its place were small convenience stores and aging apartment buildings, their faded signs buzzing weakly overhead. Some structures still looked relatively new, while others seemed completely abandoned, their windows cracked or boarded shut.
Even the air felt different here.
Drier.
Colder somehow.
'Maybe that's just because the sun's going down.'
He adjusted the strap on his bag and kept walking.
The roads gradually grew rougher, patches of grass forcing their way through cracked pavement. Streetlights became rarer too, many crooked or completely dead. Eventually, even the apartments and stores started disappearing altogether.
Then came the outskirts.
Small houses built too close together, rusted fences that looked like they served no real purpose, stray cats wandering through narrow alleyways, the exposed sewers, people sleeping outside on flattened pieces of cardboard.
And of course, children.
Some sat quietly near corners watching people pass by. Others rushed through the streets in dirty clothes, looking like they were in a hurry to get somewhere. A few were still playing outside, chasing stray cats or each other through the alleys.
Naoki slowed his pace slightly.
"..."
'Yeah, this definitely feels like the kind of place where people could disappear unnoticed.'
***
Still... he was exhausted.
Naoki slumped down in a random alley beside another child like they were old friends or something. Honestly, he didn't really care. His legs were sore from the walk, and sitting down for a bit sounded really nice right now.
The trip had probably taken around five hours. At least, that was Naoki's estimate. He hadn't brought a watch, and he'd intentionally stuffed his duffle bag full of heavy rocks the entire way here, so his sense of time was probably off.
But there was a reason for all of that.
'Simple. No beggar looks fully rested. Even the kids playing around here have bags under their eyes. So the least I can do is look a little tired too. And honestly, what better way was there to look tired than actually being tired?'
Naoki opened the bag and started tossing the rocks out one by one.
Clunk
Clunk
Clunk
Once the bag was finally empty, he shoved it down a nearby sewer opening. Conveniently, the drain was right beside the alley, so he barely even had to stand up.
'It's also perfect because kidnappings usually happen at night, right? And the sun already went down.'
Naoki scoffed to himself.
'It's like killing the stones with the birds. I'm such a genius.'
...
Actually, that didn't sound right.
Whatever.
Enough narcissism. He needed to focus now.
'I need to find that church and settle down somewhere nearby. Not too close though. And it'd probably help if I stayed near other children as well...'
"Uh... hello?"
'Wait, no. Maybe it's better if I'm alone. Makes me look like easier prey and all that.'
"E-excuse me."
'Should I even stay in one spot? Maybe I should wander around during the night instead.'
"..."
'Yeah, wandering around could get me lost in some gang territory or somewhere worse, but if sitting around does nothing, then it might be worth the risk.'
"Hey, you!"
"WHAT?!"
Amidst his train of thought, Naoki had completely ignored the child beside him.
Well, not completely.
He noticed him earlier, but deliberately chose not to respond.
"Can't you see I'm trying to plan my very elaborate and smart strategy right now?"
And when he finally did respond, he sounded way harsher than intended.
The child immediately flinched.
'...What's wrong with this kid? Didn't he just yell "Hey, you!" all confidently a second ago? Now he looks like he's about to wet his pants from a few words.'
It was Naoki's fault for snapping at him.
Unfortunately, Naoki chose to ignore that fact immediately.
'What? No, it isn't. I just thought he'd be tougher than that. He's a kid from the outskirts, for God's sake.'
It was still Naoki's fault.
'...Okay, maybe a little. But only because he's a child and I'm technically an adult.'
Naoki should apologise.
'...Fine. But first I need to stop him from crying.'
"I-I am..." the child tried speaking again.
But this time, the words got stuck halfway through.
'What's a word that makes people feel familiar again...?'
'Hmmmm... oh, I know.'
"Wassuuuuup."
"..."
"..."
The child looked even more frightened somehow.
***
My name is Ren.
Well... I think that's my name.
Mum used to call me that sometimes, mostly when we were outside. Though for the most part she just called me "you" or "move."
Has it been two months? Honestly, I've lost count.
Still, I remember her bringing me here.
At first, I thought we were just going somewhere far away for a little while, like usual. She held my hand during the walk, so everything seemed normal.
Then she stopped near one of the alleyways.
Told me to wait there.
And left.
"..."
She still hasn't come back yet.
But she will... eventually.
After all, there could be loads of reasons why she hasn't come back yet. Maybe she got lost. Or maybe she's just busy with grown-up things.
So for now, I'll wait here.
Usually in the same alley so she can find me easily once she's back.
The corner between the two buildings blocks the wind a bit, and when it rains the water usually doesn't reach this spot unless it gets really bad.
Most days, I can sleep here without too much trouble.
Food is harder, though.
Almost every day, I search through rubbish bags behind shops a long walk from here, hoping someone threw away something edible.
I beg for food as well, though that usually works even less often.
Most people just ignore me. Some pretend not to hear me at all. Others look annoyed the moment I go near them.
A few do give me food.
But honestly, it's better to just look through the rubbish.
Sometimes the food is only dirty, which is actually really lucky, all things considered.
And sometimes it's completely rotten.
Well... I can still pick off the non-rotten bits, so at least I have something to eat.
Most of the time, though, I don't find anything at all.
And even when I do, the older kids usually nick it from me anyway.
I'm still new here.
People can tell pretty easily.
The moment someone raises their voice; my body freezes up on its own. And once they notice that, it's over.
Sometimes they don't even have to threaten me properly.
They just walk closer.
And I pathetically hand over my food.
They usually come after me whenever they see me holding something, so eventually I learned to eat whatever I find straight away.
Even if it tastes awful.
Food is food, after all.
Because if I wait too long, someone notices.
One time, I found a triangular looking sandwich behind a convenience shop. It was still wrapped in plastic.
A proper jackpot.
Though I only managed to get two bites off of it before three older boys noticed me.
One grabbed my arm.
Another took the sandwich.
And the last one just... laughed.
That somehow made me feel even worse.
Just weak.
Pitiful.
"..."
So eventually, I stopped trying to fight back.
Not that I ever put up much of a fight to begin with.
A lot of them are bigger than me, older too. Even the small ones somehow seemed tougher. Like they understand how this place works better than I do.
Honestly...
That's probably true.
I still don't really understand this place.
Some kids carry on playing outside like everything's normal. Chasing each other through alleyways, throwing random bits of rubbish at stray cats, laughing at things I don't get.
Others are the sort I mentioned before.
And the adults mostly ignore everything.
"..."
Usually, after coming back from looking for food, I just go to sleep.
It helps me ignore the pain in my stomach for a little while.
But today was colder for some reason.
Cold enough that I couldn't really sleep.
So I was still awake when I noticed a strange kid walking into the outskirts carrying a giant bag over his shoulder.