My Net Savior (Rewrite)

Chapter 3

"This looks great, Miyu!" Kaori exclaimed, clapping her hands. She surveyed the operator's room, approving of the new layout.

"You think so?" Miyu asked.

"Definitely. Now that most of your things are unpacked, you can head out to get to know the area!" The green-haired Navi excitedly opened a map of her town on the PET's screen. "I marked important places down, like the school, the park, and the subway! It's a small place, but I figured marking them might make it just a tad-bit easier to make your way around."

"Subway?" Miyu blinked. "Here?"

"Yes! It's right down the street too!" Kaori added, buzzing with excitement. "We can get a ticket and visit the shopping district!"

As Miyu's eyes scanned the map, a small smile grew on her face. Kaori must really want her to get out and try to enjoy herself.

"Alright. Let me get ready, and we can head out," she said, setting her PET down. Kaori nearly burst out of its screen to hug Miyu.

"Yay!" Kaori pumped her fists up in the air. "Exploration! Adventure!"

"It's just a walk," Miyu giggled. She undid her bun, her hair falling down as she got her brush. Brushing her hair, she walked to her closet to get dressed. She changed out of her comfy pajamas, into her usual outfit. A white sleeveless turtleneck, with a simple blue skirt along with a black belt that had a butterfly on it. It was a simple outfit, but good for a sunny day. She put her hair back up.

After getting Kaori's approval on the outfit she chose, Miyu quickly put a few belongings in her bag before slinging it over her shoulder. She picked up her PET and headed out of her room. Passing her dad watching TV on the couch, she slipped off her indoor shoes and put on her black slippers.

Her dad looked over as she reached for the door. "Heading out?" He asked, and Miyu nodded.

"I'm going to check out the area," she said.

"How long?"

Miyu adjusted her bag's strap. "Maybe a couple of hours?"

After checking his watch, her dad rested his arm back on the top of the couch. "Have fun."

Miyu took her cue to leave, closing the door behind her. It was a hot summer day, and the one solemn tree on her block provided virtually no shade. Miyu regretted not bringing a hat, or at least sunscreen, but it seemed like heading back inside would suck out the motivation to leave in the first place. Directly cross the street from her home was a blue roofed house next to a pink roofed house. The girl couldn't help but stare at the two as she walked down the sidewalk. It was so cliche, like Romeo and Juliet. She wondered who lived there. Did they get along? Her thoughts were distracted by the sound of kids laughing. She turned to face it, seeing the park was right across the street. She kept her hands on the strap of her bag as she looked around, absorbing the scenery. There were more streets than she was used to, and she doubted there was a lake like the one from her old town nearby. Raising one of her hands to protect her eyes from the sun, she faced forward again to look at the park. There were a few children there, but they weren't her age. Not in the mood for little gremlins, she checked the map Kaori made her. The school was only a block away, and she decided she might as well check it out.

She crossed the street, watching the kids play in the park as she made her way to the school. There were more trees here, and Miyu sighed happily in the cool embrace of the shade. Something caught her eye, and she stopped short under one of the trees. Water from a fountain glistened under the sun. She stared at it for a good minute. A fountain? At a kids park? What kind of place is this? A "wow" escaped from her lips as she looked around, wondering if there would be more bizarre things to see. Across the street from her was a little shop, with a large sign that read "HIGSBY'S" in red letters. But what caught Miyu's eyes was the giant house looming behind it. She gawked at it, wondering who could possibly live there. Maybe some rich business owner? She remembered passing by a few buildings that looked pretty important, but she couldn't remember what they were for. Snapping out of her stupor, she faced forward again where she could see the school. Seeing as it was only half a block away and reenergized from the tree's shade, she quickened her pace to a light jog. What a curious town this was turning out to be.