The summer sun hung lazily above the small suburban town, bathing the streets in golden warmth. Cicadas cried endlessly in the trees, their chorus filling the air with that familiar sound of long, endless afternoons.
For an eight-year-old boy named Riku Aoyama, summer meant two things: freedom from schoolwork and hours of adventures that stretched until dusk. He clutched a plastic water gun in his hand, darting between the narrow lanes of his neighborhood as if he were a soldier on a secret mission.
Turning a corner, he stopped abruptly.
There, at the small park with rusting swings and a single worn-out slide, stood someone unfamiliar. A girl—around his age—dressed in a simple white sundress, her long black hair tied loosely with a ribbon. She stood near the swing set, clutching the chain nervously as if unsure whether she was allowed to play.
Riku narrowed his eyes. He knew every kid in the neighborhood. But her? She was new.
"...Hey," he called, not unkindly but with the bluntness only children had. "Who are you?"
The girl turned, startled. Her eyes were wide and dark, shimmering in the afternoon sun. She hesitated before replying softly, "...I'm Miyu Takahashi. We just moved here today."
Moved here? That explained it. Riku lowered his water gun and approached her with the curiosity of a cat.
"New kid, huh? You can't just take the swing without asking. That's the rule," he declared, puffing his chest a little.
Her lips parted in a small 'o', then she frowned. "What rule? Swings are for everyone."
Riku blinked. No one had ever challenged his made-up rules before. He opened his mouth, then closed it. "…Fine. But you have to play with me first."
Miyu tilted her head. "Play with you?"
"Yeah! I'm on a mission," he said proudly, holding up his water gun. "There are enemy spies everywhere, and I need a partner. You look… okay, I guess. So, you'll do."
For a moment, Miyu just stared at him. Then, to his surprise, she giggled—a small, bell-like laugh that made Riku's ears burn for reasons he didn't understand.
"Alright, I'll be your partner," she agreed. "But only if I get a turn on the swing later."
"Deal!" Riku grinned, handing her a spare water gun from his backpack. "Let's go, Miyu."
The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon running through the park, spraying invisible enemies and shouting battle cries. Riku was surprised at how quickly Miyu kept up, her steps light and quick, her laughter ringing through the summer air.
When they finally collapsed on the grass, sweaty and breathless, the sky had already begun to shift to orange.
"Hey," Riku said suddenly, turning to her. "You're not bad. We can be… friends, I guess."
Miyu turned her head, meeting his gaze with a small, shy smile. "Friends."
In that simple word, something unspoken settled between them.
Neither of them could have known then, under the fading summer sun, that this was the first chapter of a story that would last far beyond their childhood.
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✨ End of Chapter 1.
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