It had been about an hour since we'd started wandering around the shopping district.
The soles of my feet were starting to hurt. Maybe I should've worn more comfortable shoes.
"It's bigger than I expected."
There were plenty of people, along with rows and rows of shops.
A long line stretched out in front of the bakery, and the small variety store was constantly filled with people browsing. Hator stared at every single one of those things with fascination.
I was gradually getting used to showing her around like this.
Hator seemed interested in a lot of things.
Whenever she saw something, she always asked about it at least once. After hearing my answer, she'd nod and ask about something else. I answered her kindly, thinking of it as explaining things to a child.
"Hator."
"Hmm?"
"Would you like to take a little break?"
"I am fine."
"I'm not."
I let out a sigh before I could stop myself. The weather was starting to get hot, and this was taking a toll on me physically.
"Want to go to a café? You said earlier that you wanted to try working at one."
"A café..."
Hator turned her head.
That was when it happened.
A strange sound came from somewhere.
"Oide~!"
Hator's eyes widened.
"...What did you just say?"
"Huh?"
"That sound."
"Oh."
I tilted my head toward the direction of the noise.
A mechanical voice was coming from across the shopping district.
"Oide~ Oide~."
"It's probably some kind of event vehicle... You don't need to worry about it."
Then I turned back to Hator.
But...
She was gone.
"...Huh?"
I looked around.
Hator, who had been right beside me a moment ago, had disappeared.
"Hator?"
There was no answer.
"Hator!"
I searched through the crowd, but she was nowhere to be seen. Hair that color should've stood out no matter what.
"Oh, come on..."
My face twisted. I had definitely told her to stay by my side...
No, I'd told her several times not to wander around alone in crowded places!
And yet she'd disappeared while I was talking about something else for a moment. It had only been a split second. Barely any time at all.
"Hator!!"
I hurried around the area looking for her.
Meanwhile, Hator stood on an unfamiliar street. She had followed the sound, but all she could see were machines clapping and shouting Oide, along with transparent boxes containing who-knew-what.
She thought it strange. Hae-na had definitely been beside her just a moment ago, but now she was gone.
Hator slowly looked around.
There were a lot of people.
Far too many.
"...Lee Hae-na?"
There was no way she would hear an answer. Hator pondered the situation for a moment where she stood.
Then she reached a conclusion.
*Humans really do get lost easily.*
"It cannot be helped. I shall go find her."
Hator calmly started walking. She was the one who had gotten lost, of course.
After she'd walked a little while, a black-and-white vehicle passed by.
WEE-OOO—WEE-OOO—!
Hator stopped.
Red lights flashed on its roof.
Hator narrowed her eyes.
"A combatant of this society?"
The vehicle disappeared from sight in an instant.
"Quite fast."
Hator was impressed.
Then a loud voice came from ahead.
"I told you not to say it like that!"
"What do you mean, 'like that'?"
A man and a woman were shouting at each other.
The people around them kept sneaking glances in their direction.
Hator stopped walking.
The two continued arguing.
"Humans fight everywhere."
Hator nodded.
Having seen humans and other races fight countless times in another world, she found the sight fairly familiar.
The only difference was that there were no weapons here.
"It seems they fight by relatively peaceful means in this place."
Thinking that, Hator started walking again.
Then, suddenly, a voice came from behind her.
"Excuse me."
Hator turned around.
Two men were standing there.
"Are you speaking to me?"
"Are you alone?"
*What are they planning to do with that information?*
Hator looked at the two with an uninterested expression.
The men looked at each other, then...
"Want to hang out with us?"
"No."
Her answer came so quickly that the two men were momentarily flustered.
"Whoa, you didn't have to turn us down that fast..."
"What would you have me do when I do not wish to?"
"Then at least give us your contact info. You use LINE?"
"What is that...? Is that all you wanted?"
"Why are you being so prickly?"
Hator looked the two men up and down.
Then she said in a perfectly matter-of-fact tone,
"Do humans normally engage in this much unnecessary conversation?"
"...What?"
"Do you want something from me?"
"We just want to grab a drink with you."
"There is no need."
"No, seriously, what's with the way you talk?"
Hator tilted her head.
"I mean... you're acting like you're looking down on us."
"I am. You are rather perceptive for a human."
"What?"
Hator was serious.
"I have no time to waste on things without value."
"Hey."
One of the men's expression hardened.
"Are you looking down on us right now?"
"I am."
"Hey, what is this girl, anyway?"
Hator sighed.
"I am busy. I need to find my companion."
"Your companion?"
"Yes."
"Then we'll help you find her. First, come with us..."
"Did I not say there was no need?"
Silence fell again. Of course, the shopping district remained crowded and noisy.
In the end, one of the men grabbed Hator by the shoulder.
"Come on, let's go."
Hator's eyes narrowed.
"Remove your hand."
"Nope."
"I shall say it again."
"And what are you going to do?"
Hator looked down at the man's hand, then grabbed his wrist.
"I did not wish to hurt you."
"What?"
With a BANG!, the man's body hit the ground. It was supposed to be nothing more than a simple move to pry his hand away by the wrist, but Hator was so strong that the man went sprawling across the street.
"Hey!"
The other man charged at her.
Hator turned her body slightly and dodged him.
At that, the passersby around them all stopped and stared in their direction, murmuring among themselves.
"What the hell? Is there a fight?"
"Call the police!"
Hator looked around with a troubled expression.
She had only come to find Lee Hae-na... She couldn't understand why she had ended up fighting again.
At that moment—
"Hator!!!"
When she heard a familiar voice, Hator turned her head.
Hae-na was running toward her from far away.
"...Lee Hae-na?"
Hae-na approached Hator, panting for breath.
Then she took in the situation around them.
The man lying on the ground.
The crowd gathered nearby.
And Hator, looking completely unfazed.
Hae-na's expression hardened.
"You."
"Yes."
"What on earth were you doing?!"
"They picked a fight with me first."
Hae-na let out a deep sigh.
"I told you not to walk around by yourself!"
"But you disappeared."
"I didn't disappear. You did!"
"...Is that so?"
"Yes, that's exactly what happened!"
Hator thought for a moment, then nodded.
"My apologies."
"Whatever. Just come with me."
"Where are we going this time?"
"Home."
"What about the café?"
"Forget it."
Hator looked disappointed.
I did my best to ignore her expression and grabbed her by the arm.
"Let's go."
"Wait. The fight is not over yet..."
"There's no need. Let's leave before this turns into a bigger problem."
"A problem?"
"Just come on!"
I grabbed Hator by the wrist and ran, leaving behind the men shouting as they helped their fallen companion to his feet.
Even as she obediently let herself be dragged along, Hator kept looking back.
"Lee Hae-na."
"What?"
"What should I do if those humans come after us?"
"Do nothing!"
"If they attack me, may I attack them?"
"Didn't you just hear me say to do nothing? Absolutely not!"
"Understood."
"And from now on, never, ever wander around by yourself again."
"...I said I understand."
"I'm serious."
I sighed as I continued holding Hator by the wrist.
What a way to spend Saturday in broad daylight.
All I'd wanted was to take a quick break at a café.
But instead, while looking after this strange neighbor I'd only met a few days ago, I had nearly made my first-ever trip to a police station.
On top of that, Hator still looked like she didn't fully understand what she'd been scolded for.
I thought to myself,
*I guess I can't stop helping this dragon until she adapts completely.*
And so the two of us fled the shopping district as if we were running away.