Chapter 1: The Beginning
One snowy day (it was the middle of Winter). Little 6 year-old Suzuno walked around the playground wearing her hood on, she looked at the other children playing soccer together, unlike her, she always plays alone. She wanted to play with the others and have friends, but, they all laughed at her everytime her hood falls off, because she has white hair, and it's different from their's.
The others wouldn't stop laughing, calling her names and pointing their fingers at her. Suzuno cried and ran away from them hoping they wouldn't chase her just for laughs. She sat in a place where no one was there, she hug-kneed and cried.
"Why can't they like me...? Why do they always hurt me...? All I wanted was friends. I'm also a person, I have feelings too, why can't they see that...?" she cried.
Then a red-haired boy walked passed by her (it was Nagumo), he noticed Suzuno crying so he walked towards Suzuno.
"H-hey...! Are you okay? What's wrong?" Nagumo asked Suzuno.
Suzuno looked at him but immediately looked away from him with no response, so Nagumo took Suzuno's hand to make her stand. When both of them were looking eye-to-eye, Nagumo was still holding Suzuno's hand. Suzuno blushed madly and started to be confused, and accidently froze Nagumo's hand.
"...! COLD! COLD! COLD!" as Nagumo said as he flails his arm around till' it melts. Then he realized Suzuno backing away from him slowly staring at him frightened. Nagumo looked into Suzuno's eyes, he saw sadness and fear, suddenly the ice on his hand melted. Suddenly, Suzuno just ran away from him putting her hood back on.
"W-wait...! Come back!" Nagumo shouted while catching up to Suzuno.
Then he lost sight of Suzuno, wondering where she went, it's already been hours but he still went looking around for Suzuno. Then he noticed a blue jacket with a hood on behind a tree. He sneeked up to it hoping it would be Suzuno, when he peeked, he was right, it was Suzuno, only, she was sleeping. Nagumo didn't want to wake her up, so he went closer to her, removed her hood and stroked Suzuno's face with his hand to see her face. Nagumo felt his heart pumping harder than usual and he started to blush a bit.
"S-she looks so cute when she sleeps... I wonder who is she... Is she also in the orphange...? I never saw her around here before..." Nagumo said in his mind.
Suddenly Suzuno woke up startled of Nagumo, her eyes looked very scared and frightend, her tears won't stop coming.
"Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry I froze your hand! I didn't mean it! I swear!" she said as tears rolled down his face. Nagumo got a hanky from his pocket and wiped Suzuno's tears.
"Don't worry, I'm not mad. Did I scare you...?" Nagumo asked
"..." Suzuno didn't reply back
"...Oh, I guess... I did... I'm sorry. I shouln't have reacted like that..." Nagumo looked down ashamed
"I was just scared that you won't like me..." Suzuno looked down too. Then Nagumo looked up at her.
"What do you mean...?" Nagumo asked curiously, slightly blushing from hearing the word "like".
"It's just that..." she stopped for a while and got an idea. "I-it's because of my hair! It scares people!" as she did an awkward smile.
"I know that's not the reason, seriously, why...?" Nagumo looked at her with a curios face. Suzuno had no choice but to tell the truth.
"It's because..." Suzuno stared looking down. "...I never had a friend before... I don't know how friendship feels like." she said as he feels like to cry again.
"Have you even tried talking to anyone?" Nagumo asked him again.
"Yes! I did! A lot of times!" Suzuno started to cry again. "But no one liked me! The would tease me and call me names! I don't want to stay here anymore! Suzuno cried as she covered herself from crying.
"P-please don't cry..." As Nagumo went beside her and patted her back. "Where are you from anyway? I haven't seen you here before." Nagumo added.
"I-I'm not from here..." Sniffled Suzuno. "I live far away from here, I'm just getting used to places like this..." Suzuno added.
"Why are you here...? Aren't you supposed to be home by now? It's getting late..." Nagumo looked at him confused.
"...I can't" Suzuno became quiet.
"Why?" Nagumo asked curiously.
"I-I was sent here..." Suzuno said sadly in a low voice. Nagumo was shocked, that she's the new orphan that Hitomiko was talking about.
"Since when...?" Nagumo asked again.
"...Yesterday." Suzuno said in a low voice.
"Why...? What happened to your family..?" Nagumo asked her again hoping Suzuno won't get annoyed with him with his questions.
"...I-...I rather not talk about it..." Suzuno hug-kneeing again facing down crying.
"You could tell me...! Please...?" Nagumo pleaded.
"Okay... But promise me you won't laugh..." Suzuno looked up at Nagumo with teary eyes.
"Okay, I promise." Nagumo nodded and agreed.
"My mom and dad loved me very much, but mom loved me more than dad... My mom would do anything for me because I was their only daughter..." Suzuno paused and looked very sad like she was going to cry again. "Then one day, mom got really sick, dad was away that time, he was really busy at work... I would be bringing my mom flowers from our garden everyday, and my mom gives me hugs and kisses in return... Then..." Suzuno paused for a long time.
"Then what...?" Nagumo looked at Suzuno and he saw sadness and sorrow in her eyes.
"My mom..." Suzuno paused again.
"Your mom what...?" Nagumo started to feel worried about Suzuno.
"S-she... Passed away..." Suzuno said in a low voice
"Oh..." Nagumo looked down. "I'm very sorry about your loss." Nagumo looked back at Suzuno.
"..." Suzuno had no reply
"What happened next...?" Nagumo asked in a low voice.
"My father became a drinker... it's been months since he started drinking... He was really sad for mom's loss too..." Suzuno said
"What happened to your dad next...?" Nagumo asked
"He gambled, and he made the wrong friends... One day, he made a deal with his friend." Suzuno stopped there.
"Don't stop!" Nagumo insisted. "What was deal...?" He asked curiously.
"..." Suzuno had no reply.
"C'mon, you could tell me." Nagumo pleaded to Suzuno
"Okay, but promise you won't laugh...!" Suzuno said in a demanding way.
"I promise! Cross-my-heart!" Nagumo said with confidence.
"The deal was He was going to sell me to his friend..." Suzuno looked down hoping that Nagumo wouldn't laugh.
"WHAT?!" Nagumo shouted in shock
"...I knew you would say that, now your going to laugh at me." Suzuno still looking down, trying not to cry.
"No! Why would I laugh at that?! That's the most horibble thing to do to their own child! Why would he do that?!" Nagumo paused and glared at Suzuno "Wait... Why would you think I would laugh?! That's HORRIBLE!" Nagumo said
"Because everyone laughs when I get to this part of the story..." Suzuno felt really embarrassed.
"Then why would they laugh at you?!" Nagumo demanded angrily
"H-huh...? What do you mean...?" Suzuno faced Nagumo
"I mean, this is an orphanage! Everyone has been sented here by their own parents!" Nagumo said with rage.
"I-I think your right... Your actually the first one who understands me..." Suzuno slightly blushed.
"No one even understanded your story...? Well that's harsh of them to do..." Nagumo said, a bit proud of himself since he was right.
"I know... How could they be so heartless...?" Suzuno wiped her tears with the sleaves of his jacket.
"Well, it's a cruel world ya' know? But it's not all that bad, there still good people out there." Nagumo said. "So, what happened next?"
"I was sold by my own dad in return his friend gave him money" Suzuno said in a sad voice.
"So if you were sold, how'd you get here...?" Nagumo was confused.
"I escaped, Then I was looking for my dad, but instead, I got lost in the city... Then all I remember was waking up in the Hospital, I don't really remember what happened to me, but Hitomiko said I had an accident, but good thing it wasn't that serious, I still remembered my past." Suzuno said a bit worried.
"I see, you're very lucky." Nagumo smiled at Suzuno.
"Thanks, so are you!" Suzuno smiled back.
"Wait! I forgot!" Nagumo facepalmed in embarrassment. "I didn't tell you my name yet!" Nagumo laughed with an awkward smile.
"It's ok!" Suzuno gave a sweet smile. "Haven't told you mine either" Suzuno also gave an awkward smile.
"My name is Nagumo Haruya!" Nagumo showed a smile. "Yours...?" Suzuno started to be shy and blushed.
"Uhh... Um..." Suzuno started blushing madly and moved his fingers around.
"C'mon, I told you mine...! Don't be shy!" Nagumo laughed a bit.
"M-my name is... Suzuno Fuusuke..." she looked away again blushing.
"H-hey! Are you...? Blushing...?" Nagumo gave her a grin.
"N-no?!" Suzuno said with her pinkish face. "I-I'm not!" she shouted
"Okay, if you say so Suzuno..." Nagumo said in a sarcastic way.
"Ugh...! Nagumo!" Suzuno said frustrated
"So you wanna play soccer tommorow?" Nagumo asked Suzuno
"Sure!" Suzuno paused and thought for a second. "But why...?" she said tilting her head confused. Nagumo laughed and said...
"Well, of coarse! Because we're friends right?" Nagumo smiled widely. Suzuno blushed again upon hearing the word "friends".
"We have to go back to the orphnage, it's getting late..." Nagumo stands up and helps Suzuno up.
"Thanks Nagumo!" Suzuno smiled with a blush.
"No prob" Nagumo smiled back.
Nagumo and Suzuno walked back to the orphange together, then Suzuno stopped and looked at the night sky.
"Hi mom... I made a new friend... I hope you're fine in Heaven..." Suzuno whispered and smiled.
"Hey! Suzuno! You okay...? He was confused seeing him looking up the starry sky.
"Yeah... I'm fine..." Suzuno smiled.
"Okay, but you better hurry up! You don't want to be late for dinner." He said worriedly.
"Yeah, I'll catch up." she smiled again.
Nagumo was walking infront of her while they were going back to the orphanage.
"Thank you Nagumo, I would never ask for a better friend like you." Suzuno said in her mind smiling.
-End of Chapter 1-