Usami Akihiko strolled slowly through the large mall that his father had dropped him off at. Today was his 15th birthday. When he had woken up this morning, he had expected to go out to dinner with his father later that evening, since they had never really celebrated his birthday correctly since he was ten. But as soon as he made his way down stairs and in to the kitchen, his father, dressed in a grey suite apologized to him, saying that he had to go Yokohama and wouldn't be back until the next day.
"What about celebrating tonight?"
"I'm really sorry Usami, but I have to go."
"Can't you just say that you can't go because of family issues?"
Usami's father sighed heavily, and reached into his back pocket to pull out his wallet.
"I have to go on this trip or I will lose my job, then we won't have all the money we do. I'll give you some money so that you can go to the mall and but yourself what ever you want"
"Who is expected to buy their own birthday presents?" Usami mumbled to himself as he passed a small trinket kiosk. "He always bails on me, no matter what the occasion."
Usami shoved his hands in his pockets, passing up 15 stores before he finally decided to enter one, an expensive clothes shop. He sulked around the store, half heatedly glancing at the different shirts and pants that hung on the many racks scattered through out the store. When he stopped at a large pants rack, Usami suddenly heard a small noise that seemed out of place. It sounded like a child crying.
He parted the hanging pants, revealing a small, brown haired boy huddled in the middle of the rack. Tear trails stain his reddened cheeks, and his shoulders shook slightly with tiny sobs.
"Why are you in there? Come out." Usami said holding out his hand to help the child out of his hiding place.
"Again, why where you in there?"
"I-I lost my big brother, and I'm scared." the boy sniffed.
"What is your name?"
"M-Misaki."
"I'm Usami."
"Can you help me find my brother, I'm really scared with out him."
"I can take you to the front desk where one of the ladies there can help find your brother."
Misaki nodded, a small hiccup escaping from the back of his throat. As Usami began to walk out of the shop, he felt a small hand grab ahold of his. He looked back at Misaki. "I don't want to loose you in all the people." He murmured.
As they walked through the mall, Misaki's crying slowly subsided into nothing.
"So, why did you hide in the jean rack?"
"My brother always tells me if I get lost to stay in one place so he can find me, and I was there when he left. So I stayed there."
Usami laughed, humored at the child's logic.
"How would your brother be able to find you if you where hiding in the jeans rack?"
Misaki hung his head in shame.
"I didn't think about that."
Usami smiled and turned his head back to the front.
When they reached the front desk, Usami got the attention of one of the ladies that stood there.
"I found him in one of the stores, and he said that he lost his older brother, is there any way you could help?"
The woman nodded and turned to grab the intercom's microphone. "What is his name?" she asked kindly. "Misaki."
"There is a lost child up at the front desk named Misaki, if you are his parent or guardian, please come and retrieve him."
Barely five seconds later, a voice yelled out, "Misaki, is that you!?"
Misaki turned, a massive smile breaking out across his small face. "BIG BROTHER!" he shouted. He yanked his hand from Usami and ran excitedly away. "W-Wait, where are you going?" Usami said. He turned to see Misaki run into an older boy's arms, who hugged him tightly.
"Where were you? I looked absolutely everywhere for you! I even looked in the parking lot and half way down the next block!"
"I was hiding to try to scare you when we where in the clothes shop, but when I looked out you weren't there, so I got scared and stayed there, but Usami-sama found me, and took me here."
"Usami."
The older boy looked up, and stared straight at Usami.
"Usami-san?"
"Takahiro!"
The two boys stared at each other for a few seconds before Takahiro smiled.
"Thank you so much for helping my little brother Usami. I have the feeling, if you hadn't taken him up here, I wouldn't have found him, especially since he was hiding."
Usami nodded, his face heating up a little.
"Come on Misaki, let's go home." Takahiro said standing up from his crouched position.
Misaki nodded and grabbed his brother's hand.
"Bye Usami, see you tomorrow at school."
Usami woke up suddenly, sitting up in his bed. He looked to his side to see Misaki sleeping peacefully besides him.
"I completely forgot that we had even met. But that was nearly 14 years ago. I bet Misaki doesn't even remember that."
Usami smiled and lay back down on his pillow. Beside him Misaki made a small whimper in his sleep. Usami turned over and wrapped his arms tightly around the skinny man.
"It's like it was meant to be."