After school, it is a daily routine for Suiso, Koga Auntie, and Yuki to go to Koga's house to do homework, or to go to the Uesugi's house together. The two mothers prepare dinner while the children do their homework, and their relationship has become very harmonious over time.
Today, the children chose to do their homework at Koga's house. Yukino Uesugi, who works at the supermarket's cash register, couldn't come over as she had something to do. After Koga Shie finished preparing dinner alone, she didn't want to disturb the two little girls who were studying diligently, so she went for a walk alone in the nearby park.
In the park, in the evening, many parents gather in the children's playground area, where there are sand pits, slides, and swings. In such places, parents chat with each other, and children can make friends. It is a growth experience that every housewife and child will go through.
However, Koga Shie and Koga Mizuo do not have such memories. Koga Shie, who considers herself the cause of the problem, feels very uncomfortable and heartbroken whenever she sees or passes by such places. It feels as if her heart is being squeezed and in pain. It was only after she recovered a normal mother-daughter relationship with Suiso that this pain started to alleviate. Until now, she even started to not mind going for walks in such places. In the past, she would go out of her way and spend twice or thrice the time to avoid such places.
Today, there are a few faces in the park that Koga Shie has never seen before. There is a middle-aged man with a young girl, and they are happily building sand castles together in the sandpit.
"Little Moe, quickly, dig a moat, the enemy is about to attack!"
"Why should I dig a moat? There's no enemy! Daddy, stop being childish!"
Judging from the way the girl addresses the man, they should be father and daughter, but the age difference is quite significant, which makes Koga Shie wonder if this man is a late-in-life child.
With this doubt in mind, Koga Shie's attention towards the middle-aged man unconsciously increased, and then, she started to feel that she knew this man from somewhere. It seems that she has seen him in some important event before...
"Daddy, stop messing around!"
The little girl seems to be dissatisfied with the man's skills and pushes him out of the sandpit, taking on the responsibility of building the sandcastle herself.
"Wait a minute, the little girl... kidnapping... Akai!"
The train of thought flowed like an electric current along a wire. After grasping the breakthrough, Koga Shie's doubts were immediately resolved. She remembered that this man was related to the previous event, and he was one of the main characters...
He was one of the police officers who arrived timely later. She remembered his surname...
"Pardon me for interrupting. Are you Officer Dojo?"
Koga Shie is not a timid woman, so after recalling and speculating about this possibility, she boldly approached the middle-aged man and struck up a conversation.
Being approached by a stranger and having her surname and profession revealed, the middle-aged man was not surprised, but just slightly stunned before quickly showing a professional smile and replying, "Yes, may I ask who you are? How can I assist you?"
As an active and high-profile police officer, Kazuaki Dojo is used to being approached and talked to in various places. As an exceptional officer, while answering, he observed the person's appearance and body shape, reviewed recent events and people he had encountered, and quickly remembered the identity and name of this woman.
"Oh, if I remember correctly, you must be Mrs. Koga, right?"
If there was a key factor that made Koga Shie decide to seek help from Kazuaki Dojo, it would have to be his keen insight and outstanding professional quality.
Today, the dinner for the two little girls may be delayed by a few minutes.
