[b]Hat-chan ~ ハットちゃん[/b]

Something was missing.

Those were the thoughts of the teenaged girl known only to her compatriots by the moniker of "Hat-chan" as she inspected herself in the full-body mirror. Her reflection seemed off, strange, as if a puzzle that was missing its last piece. It was as if there was a gap in her sense of identity, as if her very self was incomplete. It brought a confused frown to her face. The expression on the mirror's image did the same. She rotated her body around to observe her back. Nothing. It didn't help.

She brushed strands of blonde hair away from her eyes.

Nothing.

Something was missing.

She scratched her head, lost in thought.

Oh. There it was.

Hat-chan reached for the aviator cap on the nearby stand and took it.

She tugged it down onto her head.

Her lips quirked into a smile.

There it was.

Something was no longer missing.

~~~

Something was missing.

Those were the thoughts of the teenaged girl known only to her compatriots by the moniker of "Hat-chan" as she counted the shining metal coins sitting within the palm of her right hand. Their weight seemed off, strange, as if a recipe that was missing its last ingredient. It was as if there was a hole in her pocket, as if a Kickstarter was incomplete. It brought a confused frown to her face. The expression on the salaryman before her did the same. She allowed her eyes to roam up towards the man's face to observe him. Nothing. It didn't help.

She brushed strands of blonde hair away from her ears.

Nothing.

Something was missing.

She recited the exact price of the coffee again, lost in memory.

Oh. There it was.

Hat-chan reached for the wallet in the salaryman's hands and took it.

She shook out a single one yen coin.

Her eyes scrunched up into a smile.

There it was.

Something was no longer missing.

~~~

Something was missing.

Those were the thoughts of the teenaged girl known only to her compatriots by the moniker of "Hat-chan" as she commuted along the silent concrete pavement on her way to her newest school. The atmosphere seemed off, strange, as if a revanchist republic that was missing Alsace-Lorraine. It was as if there was an overabundance of quiet, as if life's energies had dulled to a low ebb. It brought a confused frown to her face. The expressions on the nearby youths on their way to be educated did the same. She breathed in a deep breath, tasting the air. Nothing. It didn't help.

She brushed strands of blonde hair away from her mouth.

Nothing.

Something was missing.

She listened to the shouts of hot blooded young men, lost in the sight of a boy on a flying bicycle.

Oh. There it was.

Hat-chan reached down into her pocket for her smartphone and took it.

She snapped a photo of the scene.

There it was.

Her brows rose up into a smile.

Something was no longer missing.