Water brushed against the grass of the river bank, touching it gently before moving on in its cool, calm way. Each tiny wave reflected a different part of the clear sky, shining as if diamonds lined the currents and individual drops.
Gradually, the hum and fuss of voices lowered as did the sun, until the two were sitting alone in the night. Not that this stopped the brightness of the sky's liquid mirror. Starlight was sprinkled across it, and a fair share of moonbeams danced along.
A pair of feet kicked dreamily through it, their owner humming softly. Her fingers played absently with her scarlet hair, twirling it around her hand and then letting it fall back to her shoulders. Her back was resting against steady tree, as her other hand traced over the growth notches its relatively young form had attained.
"Shiori-chan?"
Dragged out of her reverie, she turned to find the boy addressing her.
He was about six, her own age. Despite his youth, his hair was a dark grey, the colour of charcoal,and his smile showed a wisdom beyond his years.
With neither word nor hesitation, he sat down beside her, and looked at her. Just looked at her. With his electrifying blue eyes, that was all it took to send a tingling shiver on exercises up and down her spine.
"Hai?"
"It's late. I was wondering where you were." A result of the long winter that had just passed, his voice was rough, still recovering from a sore throat. Yet it was still, to little Shiori, perfect in every way. The slick, charismatic tones of others she had heard were nothing compared to the way her friend had acquired just the right balance of tenderness and awkwardness.
"You should have known I'd be here." His chapped lips broke into an affectionate, knowing grin.
"I did. Kirameki Park... You're always here when you're lost."
"And you always find me!"
The two smiled happily as they settled into one another's arms, hugging each other for warmth against the still icy blackness of the recovering spring season. Neither felt the strong need to return home – at least, not as long as they had each other.
Time passed, however, and soon they were forced to rise. Ash brushed Shiori's hair away from her face, his young innocence suddenly becoming more serious.
"I won't see you soon, Shiori-chan, because I'm traveling far away."
"Why didn't you tell me before?" Her face frowned itself into distress, and in his six-year-old way he kissed her cheek, lips bumping clumsily against her smooth, pale skin.
"I couldn't. I'll be back soon, though. Buh bye!"
With that, he disappeared out of the arched park gates. Shiori became a lone figure in the middle of the path, her small hand clenched as if ready to fight off the tears. No anger at Ash was felt; ever faithful to him she assumed correctly that he had his reasons, and it was better not to have been worrying about it since whenever he had known.
A section of her easily hurt heart, however, called after him through the darkness, pleading for him to return.