Usually, as a kid, you don't remember much as you grow older.
However, those moments I do remember.
I was running around the park. It was packed with kids. It always was. The slides here were the best in the city, according to everyone's opinion.
But then, out of nowhere, something fell from the sky and collided with my head. I barely had time to register what had happened before I found myself on the ground, my face meeting the earth with a thud. Pain surged through me, and a lump formed in my throat as I struggled to hold back tears.
"Um… Are you okay…?" A soft, gentle voice interrupted my misery. I turned my head slightly to see a girl standing over me. She appeared concerned, her eyes reflecting genuine worry.
I wasn't known for my social skills, then, now.
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I couldn't contain them any longer. It was as if all the pent-up emotions of a lifetime had been unleashed in that moment.
And then, amid my tears and pain, I felt it, a soft, delicate hand tenderly touching my cheek. She was wiping away my tears. I couldn't help but wonder if she had experience comforting others, for she seemed so natural, so caring.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice tinged with remorse.
Her words had a soothing effect on me. Gradually, my tears were wiped away, and I began to regain my composure.
After a minute, I managed to stop crying. "I-I-It's okay," I stammered, "It was my fault for running without thinking."
She smiled, a warm, genuine smile that reached her eyes. "I'm Nakamura, but you can call me Ichika," she said, her tone friendly and inviting. "What is your name?"
My name. It was a simple question, but it caught me off guard. Since when did someone outside of my teachers want to know my name? I swallowed hard, "Oh… I-I'm Yamamoto," I managed to say, though the words felt like lead on my tongue.
I wanted to ask her for her name, will she think I'm weird? No, she can't, I must fight this problem I have.
I blurted, "What's your name?" and cringed the moment it left my mouth.
"I just told you! Ichika, Nakamura Ichika," she said in such a sweet way.
"So… what should I call you?"
"K-Kenji."
I looked away as fast as I could. But then I heard her say, "That's a great name!"
I blinked in surprise. No one ever said stuff like that to me.
"Y-you have a beautiful name too."
The words spilled from my lips without thought. I clutched my shirt as Ichika's smile widened.
"Aww… thank you so much!"
Ichika tilted her head, studying me for a second.
"You look like you could use some cheering up," she said, her voice lighter now.
Before I could figure out what she meant, she crouched down and pointed. "Look!"
I followed her gaze. A ladybug was climbing a thin blade of grass, its tiny legs gripping like it was on some dangerous mission.
"Make a wish before it flies away," she whispered, as if the bug could hear us.
"…That's not real," I muttered.
She gave me a mock gasp. "You don't believe in magic?"
"Not really."
"Well, you should. Go on, try it. You can't break a ladybug's heart like that."
I didn't want to admit she'd made me curious, so I shut my eyes and made a quick, silent wish.
When I opened them, the ladybug took off, wings flashing in the sunlight.
Ichika grinned. "See? It's listening to you already."
I rolled my eyes, but… maybe I wanted to believe her.
She stood and dusted off her knees. "Okay, I have something even cooler to show you."
"Cooler than a bug?"
"Way cooler. Come on."
Before I could ask what she meant, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the far end of the park. We weaved past slides and swings, laughter and shouts fading behind us. At the edge, she ducked through two overgrown bushes.
"Uh… is this allowed?" I asked, ducking after her.
"Shhh. You'll ruin the secret."
The narrow dirt path smelled like sun-warmed leaves and earth. After a short walk, it opened into a hidden clearing. A wide old tree stood in the middle, branches low enough to touch. Its bark was covered with carved hearts, stars, and messy initials.
"This is my spot," Ichika said proudly. "Only me and my cousin knew about it. But she moved away, so now it's just me. And now… you."
I couldn't meet her eyes after that. My chest felt warm in a way I didn't understand.
We sat under the tree and talked. About her dog who ate her sofa, about how she wants to learn how to do a gum bubble, about my Lego tower that collapsed on me. She laughed at all my stories, like every word was worth hearing.
At one point, she suggested a climbing contest. I refused twice before giving in, and she beat me to the lowest branch, dangling her legs while I was still halfway up. She teased me the whole time, but it didn't sting the way teasing usually did.
After that, we sat side by side under the tree, our knees bent, grass tickling our ankles. The afternoon was so still that even the breeze felt like it was holding its breath. Sunlight dripped through the leaves in scattered patches, sliding across her cheeks whenever the wind swayed the branches. I could hear the faint hum of cicadas in the distance.
She was quiet for a long moment, drawing circles in the dirt with her fingertip. Then, out of nowhere, she asked, "Kenji… what do you wanna be when you grow up?"
The question caught me completely off guard. "…I don't know," I mumbled, shifting my weight and staring at a particularly stubborn blade of grass.
"No ideas at all?" she pressed, tilting her head toward me, her eyes curious but not judging.
I shrugged, still plucking at the grass between my fingers. "I guess… a doctor?"
Her brows lifted. "A doctor?"
That's at least what my parents want me to do. I tried to make it sound like I believed it, but my voice cracked just slightly.
She gave a soft hum, then smiled faintly. "Doctor is amazing. I think I want to be a singer, you know? Making songs, having fans all around the world… Pretty nice, don't you think?"
I blinked at her. "Wow… singing is hard."
She let out a small laugh, brushing a stray leaf from her lap. "My little brother says I'm the worst singer ever, but I think he's lying."
"W-well…" I hesitated, glancing at her from the corner of my eye. "You could… try to sing."
Her grin widened like I'd just given her permission she'd been waiting for. "Right now?" she asked, almost bouncing in place.
I felt my ears warm. "I-I mean… if you want."
She leaned back against the tree trunk, took a deep breath like she was about to perform on a stage, and began humming a soft, slightly off-key melody. It wasn't perfect, her voice wavered in places, but something about it made me want to keep listening.
When she finished, she peeked at me through her lashes. "Well?"
I looked away. "Y-You sing well…"
Her face lit up, and for a second, it felt like the whole world existed just in that moment under the tree.
We continue talking, letting the minutes slip away like water through our fingers. We hop from topic to topic, school, the weird shape of clouds, which snacks are the best, never staying on one subject for too long. Every now and then, she laughs at something I say, and the sound is so light that it almost blends with the breeze rustling the leaves above us.
The sunlight started turning orange through the leaves. Ichika stood up from the ground. "I should go before my mom comes looking for me."
I nodded, reluctant to move. "Oh, okay…"
A warm smile played on her lips. "Do you… Maybe wanna hang out again?"
Wait-what? I wasn't expecting that.
"Yes? Weird.
No? Too cold.
Yeah? Too eager.
But I'm weird anyway, so I might as well."
"Y-y-yeah… I'd like to."
"Great! Um, I don't have a phone yet, so could you give me your number? I'll give it to my mom."
"uh.. How do you plan to.. R-remember it?"
"Oh, right, so, can we hang out here after school tomorrow? I'll try to get a phone and then we can talk!"
"O-okay. Tomorrow. After school. I'll be here," I said, probably too fast.
She didn't have a phone at age 10. I figured maybe her parents were strict or something. I didn't ask.
"Bye, Kenji! See you!"
"Bye, Ichika!"
Looking back, I don't think I understood what I was feeling. I just knew she made the world feel less cold.
We didn't attend the same school, still the thought of seeing Ichika again filled me with anticipation and a sense of adventure. Little did I know that this chance encounter in the park was the beginning of a friendship that would change both our lives in ways we could never have imagined.
The next day arrived, and I awoke with a scratchy throat and a stuffy nose. It seemed that a mild cold had decided to visit me, but it was nothing too debilitating. I lay in bed, staring up at the familiar cracks in my bedroom ceiling, my thoughts consumed by the events of yesterday.
I couldn't shake the feeling of amazement that had settled over me. I had made a friend, a real friend. It was a concept I hadn't entertained much in my young life. I mean, I wasn't entirely friendless. Some classmates exchanged words with me during school hours, but none of those interactions had ever transcended the classroom.
And then, it hit me like a ton of bricks, I've caught the flu, and I can't get out of my bed.
The realization settled over me, dampening the excitement and anticipation that I had. How could this happen now, just when I was supposed to hang out with Ichika? The thought of missing our planned meeting weighed heavily on my heart.
With a sigh, I sank against the pillows, feeling utterly powerless in the face of my illness. The world outside continued to buzz with activity, 'Hey! Wait for me!'
a Cruel reminder of the adventures I was missing out on.
Each movement sent waves of pain radiating through my body.
I heard my mother's voice calling from upstairs. "Kenji, it's time to wake up! You don't want to be late for school again, do you?" Her cheerful tone pierced through the heavy fog of my sickness, a stark reminder of my obligations despite my current state.
Summoning all my strength, I attempted to respond, "Mom… I don't feel good."
"I know school is hard for you, Kenji, but not this trick again.."
"No, Mom, I'm serious, I don't feel so good."
Her footsteps echoed down the stairs, growing louder as she approached my room. "What do you mean, you don't feel good?" she asked, concern evident in her voice as she entered the room and saw me lying in bed, pale and sweaty.
I could only offer a feeble shrug in response, too exhausted to muster up much of a reply. Her worry only intensified as she approached me, placing a gentle hand on my forehead to check my temperature.
"You're burning up!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with worry. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"
I felt a pang of guilt at my mother's concern, knowing that I should have spoken up sooner. "I thought I could shake it off," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
Her expression softened as she fetched a thermometer and some medicine from the bathroom cabinet, urging me to rest while she prepared a bowl of soup.
"You can stay at home this time, just rest for today."
"Thank you", I replied.
My mind raced with self-recriminations as I replayed the events of the previous day. I had finally mustered the courage to make a friend, to step out of my comfort zone and connect with someone new. And now, just when it seemed like things were looking up, I had let it all slip through my fingers.
The world didn't want me to make friends?
Then, a troubling thought crept into my mind. My parents didn't know about this newfound connection. Would I go and tell them? The mere idea of their reaction made me hesitate. I could almost hear their playful teasing, the sarcastic comments masked as humor. "Oh, Kenji actually has friends now! I hope he didn't have to pay her." They meant no harm, of course, but their jests stung, a reminder of the isolation I had felt for so long.
With a sigh, I decided to keep this secret, at least for now. I would wait until our friendship had solidified, until the bonds of companionship were stronger than any doubts or fears.