Part 2

Where am I. I’m Hachinoya Nagi.

(It’s such a dire situation that I couldn’t help blurting out that classic line. Just 30 minutes ago, I should have been in HAMA’s city center, but before I knew it, I’d lost track of Kafka and ended up in a place where I couldn’t tell which way was up.)

(Along the way, this and that happened, and a crow took my phone away. I managed to get it back safely, but the signal is really spotty.)

Well… What should I do from here…

< Ah, Nagi!? Great, I finally got through. >

Sorry, Kafka. I’m sorry for the trouble.

< Not at all. This kind of thing happens all the time in business, so don’t worry about it. >

Ooh, that’s our President for you. So dependable.

< Sakujiro’s back from work, so if we can just pinpoint your location, he can come pick you up… What do you think? See any landmarks? >

Trees… and, right in front of me, saplings… baby trees growing like suku-suku¹...

< Suku-suku? >

Oh, that means they’re growing up healthily.

< No, that’s not what I meant— >

…And as the cherry on top, my phone ran out of battery.

(I have to find a way to let Kafka know where I am. I won’t be able to return the watch otherwise…)

Hang in there, Shirato-san’s pocket watch. I’ll definitely return you to your owner.

(I wonder if there’s anything in my backpack I could use. Something that could let the world know where I am…. Ah.)

“You Must Absolutely Do This Outdoors! Or Else You’ll Choke And Die! Ghost Smoke-Kun LV100”...!

(According to Akuta’s sources, this is a rare, notorious item that emits an incredible amount of smoke, despite being a children’s toy.)

(I packed it just in case it could come in handy as a smoke bomb…)

In that case…

Guh, cough, ahem. Wow, there’s like 180 times more smoke than I’d imagined. It definitely would’ve caused an accident if I’d used it indoors.

But if I could just use a fan to blow the smoke into the sky…

Heave-ho. Heave-ho.

Well, that blows.

But, I can’t just give up—

That sounds like… a helicopter?

< Hachinoya-san! Are you alright—! >

< Young Master has informed me that this was the site of a recent tree planting event, and as soon as I made sense of this information, I rushed over here at once! >

Jiro-san… Of course, Kafka’s a master of deduction.

Shirato-san. Here’s the pocket watch you left behind at our store.

Ah… What a relief. This watch was a gift from my wife. It’s a special present, the only one of its kind in the world.

Thank you so much for returning it.

Not at all. I’m relieved that it got returned safely.

(I’m glad Nagi is safe, but… I’m relieved he isn’t hurt.)

(...He’s looking a little ragged, though.)

By the way, my wife really loves the flowers from your shop. Could we set up a regular delivery from now on?

Of course. flower LAUNDRY is here for you every day. We deliver with care.