"We embraced the beginning of our journey
Unchanging and definitely unfading,
That day's promise was
Just to strive for the future we are guided to
That is the proof that I met you."

- Akashi, Ryotaro Okiayu

Xx xX

α. Alpha. The first letter in the Greek alphabet. The beginning.

It was just one of those typical Saturday afternoons I had when I was a kid. The blue skies were starting to be painted by streaks of orange across it as the sun was about to set. My father usually has his Saturdays off from work (except when their bosses demand them for extra work hours so they can meet the nearing deadline for a project) and when he does, he spends his Saturday afternoon on the basketball court about three blocks away from our humble house. I normally tag along with him whenever he goes there, and that Saturday wasn't an exception.

After my dad had finished helping Mom in doing the laundry, he decided to go to the basketball court and do some practice-shooting, and of course I tagged along. We were happily talking to one another about the most random things we can think of as we paced the way to the courts under the almost-setting sun. We talked about how beautiful the skies were, how my mom scolded my dad for not separating the white clothes from the colored ones (he always forgets to do this), and how fun that day was going so far. Hence, it was just basically the same routine we do during Saturdays, having our own father-daughter bonding that we don't usually have during weekdays.

Or so I thought.

I watched the redhead boy in front of me. Beads of sweat were dropping from his forehead down to his chin and he was breathing heavily as my father and he continued playing under the almost setting sun. But despite that, he looked happy. He loved what he was doing and he loved where he was. And perhaps, deep-inside, he wanted the time to stop. He wanted the minutes to slow down into hours and he didn't wish to depart from his source of happiness yet, but sadly it couldn't happen.

I wanted to freeze the time for him so he may cherish his happiness for a few more hours. Yes, I didn't know him fully well because it was the first time I met him. But through his companion that time I got to know what he's going through—what kind of life he has—and at that moment, I pitied him more than I probably have ever pitied any of my friends or my family.

Everyone deserves to be happy, including him.

My timer beeped and I frowned upon hearing its sound. I hate alarms even until now, but I hated them that day the most. The beep of the alarm tells you that your resting time is up and you need to rise from your bed and face another day ahead, whether good or bad. And likewise, the alarm of that timer told him that it's time to stop being happy and face another evening in his dark small world, his home... or probably not.

My dad and he looked at me because the sound was loud enough to touch their ears, but I focused my gaze on him. He was breathing a bit heavier than the normal because he was playing for ten minutes, but he probably didn't mind that. However, what had hurt a lot was the sight of his smile slowly fading away and being replaced by a sad frown. I looked at his companion who was sitting beside me, only to see that they were sharing the same expression. She would love to allow him play to his heart's content, but according to her, she doesn't have the authority to do so. "I so wanted to help him feel that there is nothing wrong to be happy even if someone's preventing him to have that priceless possession. It's his right. He fully deserves it. No one has the right to take it away from him," she said and sighed. "But there's nothing I can do more than this. I can only give him a few minutes to enjoy all these things that can make him happy. I may not be able to grant him his happiness for a long time, but this is the best thing I can do for him."

The redhead started to approach us and his expression still hadn't changed. "I really hate to see him like this, but this is he almost every day," she whispered to me, making sure her words would not reach him. Nonetheless, it must be really hard for her to see him like that. She said she treats him like her own son, and nothing could ever be more painful to a mother than the sight of her hurting child.

She stood from her seat to give space for him, and he obliged, settling down next to me. She handed him a towel and he took it and wiped the sweat on his face. "Did you have fun, Sei?" she asked him. Maybe she only wanted him to remember the fun he had, to focus on the good things that had happened and not on the sad things that were probably approaching.

Akashi looked up at her and her question seemed effective because his expression brightened. He smiled and I didn't know that seeing someone smile like that could be as priceless as a rare diamond. "Yes, I did," he said, still smiling. "Thank you, Mrs. Shuuko." I stared at him, completely in awe that even though he was having a difficult life at his early age, he still can smile like that though rare. He was pretty strong. But for how long can he stay that strong?

I lifted my gaze at Mrs. Shuuko and waited for her to look at me because I needed a go-signal for what I had planned right after I've heard something about Akashi's life. I really didn't understand why I felt that impulse. Maybe it was sympathy for him that I felt the need and impulse to do that. I didn't even know how I'll be able to accomplish it because I'd gotten some warnings from Mrs. Shuuko, and there was a high probability that I'd also get some from Akashi.

But there really are things worth risking for.

Mrs. Shuuko felt my gaze on her and her eyes were immediately set on me. She read my expression and that made her look away for a few seconds. Then, she turned to me again and nodded her head with obvious reluctance.

Still, that was my go-signal.

I was about to say something when I felt someone touch my shoulders, making me flinch. But it turned out it was only Dad. He was sweating a lot and he looked exhausted because unlike Akashi, he had been playing for about twenty minutes or something. "May you hand me my water bottle, Kotoha?" he asked, still catching up to his breath. I smiled at him and gave him his water bottle. He took it and smiled back at me, ruffling my hair. "Thank you, my dear."

I was about to grin wider at him but it suddenly felt kind of uncomfortable to talk with my dad like that in front of Akashi, knowing what he has been going through. And what made it more uncomfortable was that I could feel his eyes on us as we talked. I turned to him but he instantly looked away and pretended as if he wasn't watching us.

"Uhm," I said, but I didn't have the least idea how to create an actual conversation with a single uhm. Nevertheless, I was able to gain Akashi's attention back since he instantly glanced over me. I tried my best to smile at him regardless of how hard my heart drummed inside me. "Hi, Akashi. You're so great a while ago!" I continued as energetic and convincing as possible and wished that it could make him smile again the way Mrs. Shuuko did.

"I'm pretty sure you'll be a great basketball player when you grow up so..." I paused and smiled a bit wider, giving him a thumbs-up. "Don't give it up, okay?"

Akashi's eyes widened for a second, but mine were a whole lot wider when he suddenly smiled and nodded his head in response. And like what I said, it was one of the rarest and most priceless smiles I've ever seen. "Yes, I won't. Thank you... Chiaki, right?" he asked to which I nodded my head as I grinned at him.

"Excuse me, Sei," Mrs. Shuuko said, causing the both of us to glance at her. "I'll go to Kawata, okay? Make sure you'll be there in five minutes. We'll wait for you there," she added, patting Akashi on his shoulder. She was about to turn her heels around when she gave me one last look, and I still wasn't sure if that was another warning or that was just her way of giving moral support.

When Mrs. Shuuko was out of my sight, I was surprised when Akashi sighed and looked at me with an "I knew you two talked about me" expression. "Mrs. Shuuko told you something about me, right?" he asked and not like I can do anything so I nodded in response.

I didn't know what to tell him. I was just a little child that time, and how was I supposed to comfort someone when I didn't understand how it exactly felt to be in his place? We didn't—and we still don't—live the same kind of life; our lives are almost the opposites, so I will not fully understand how he truly feels. But I wanted to help him, and I still do until now.

We were just strangers back then. However, the strong desire to help him came rushing inside me and maybe that meant that we aren't just meant to be strangers.

"She told me a lot of things about you and I became sad when I heard them," I said but I didn't look at him since I didn't want to see his frowning face again. "But my grandpa, when he was alive, always tells me that we shouldn't let these problems take away our happiness. He said we should always find reasons to smile and be happy because in the end, we will surely find them if we try." I looked at him and grinned, and I was surprised that he was still listening to me as I talked. "You have your mother, your friends, and basketball that'll make you happy. It's okay to feel sad when you have problems, he always says, but there's also nothing wrong to feel happy when you have problems," I trailed off and thought for a moment if I should tell him what I was thinking, but my mouth seemed to have its own mind, spilling out the words circling in my head. "I hope you stay strong!"

I didn't have the slightest idea if he agreed with what I'd said because he was just looking at me like I'd said something wrong. Nevertheless, he lifted the edges of his lips a little after a few seconds, and that was more than enough for me. "Thanks. I'll try. But," he looked at his wristwatch then at me. "I need to go now. My father's expecting me by 5 PM."

"Oh, okay but before you go," I laid my right hand in front of him and flashed an ear-to-ear smile. "Let's be friends?" I asked and then waited for his reaction. Right after I'd heard from Mrs. Shuuko some parts of Akashi's life, I wanted to be his friend because I wanted to help him. I may only be a little kid back then but that doesn't mean I can't feel the wanting to help somebody.

He avoided my gaze but before he looked away, I'd gotten a glimpse of his apologetic expression. And I sort-of expected his reaction because Mrs. Shuuko said that it might be a little risky to befriend him. Or maybe it's an understatement—it is actually risky. "I'm sure she told you about my father. It won't be easy having me as a friend."

"A friend stays during easy and hard times, right?"

He looked over me again and he looked as though he was surprised with what I had said. I lived up to what my grandparents and my parents teach me, and they sure taught me what makes a true friend. "And I don't mind risking even my life for my friends! I promise I'll be careful," I said with a bright hope that I'd be able to convince him. I chuckled and did a peace sign. "Hehe. Sorry, I'm really stubborn."

Akashi stared at me and I stared at him back as I waited for him to speak.

He sighed and then he smiled at me, shaking his head a bit. "I'll soon get used to your stubbornness, anyway, so I guess it's okay."

My eyes widened and I could so feel a wave of excitement rushing through me. "So we're already friends?" I asked him again, still unbelieving.

"Yes."

I jumped excitedly in front of him and I grinned widely as though I've just accomplished something I think I couldn't. Well, I really did.

I extended my hand in front of him and in return, he also extended his hand, about to shake mine. "Wait, I'm not asking for a handshake, Akashi!" I interrupted him, making him stop and look at me with confusion. "Sign on my hand, and promise me that we'll be friends forever."

Akashi couldn't be more surprised and I swear I can still hear his voice in my head saying "What?" out of disbelief. I can't remember where exactly I got the signing-on-a-palm stuff though, but I thought it's cool.

"It's like you put on your invisible signature on my palm and then I'll put mine on yours," I explained as I demonstrated it by running my index finger on my own palm. "But it's only that nothing and no one can erase it unless we both agree to do so. I just hope that would not happen."

Akashi gave me a blank expression at first. However, a few moments passed when for the first time I heard him chuckle at me although he didn't say anything back at all. He gestured me to hold out my hand, and so I did.

He ran the tip of his index finger on my palm as if he was writing on it. I tried to contain my laugh because it surely tickled, but I failed and broke into laughter. Signed, Akashi Seijuurou.

"Your turn," he said after. He laid his right hand and on his palm I wrote my name that I thought would remain there forever, my signature that symbolizes the promise I gave him. And on my palm is his name invisibly written as well that will always remind me of his own vow too.

I thought it was just a typical, ordinary day for me, but boy I was wrong. Funny how the appearance of a stranger transformed my normal day into a day that I won't ever forget throughout my lifetime. And it's amazing how a single person changed my whole life at that very moment when I've met him.

But sometimes, we regret the choices we've made. Maybe because these choices changed our life in a way that we thought is good for us but is actually not in the long run. And then we'll start blaming ourselves for making that decision because now we cannot bring back what everything used to be before we made our mistake. If only we could repeat time and undo what we've already done the way we do when we've added a paragraph on the essay we're typing on our computer but will later on realize that adding it didn't make the essay any better.

If only we could. Sadly, we couldn't.

"Akashi, I should have listened to you," I internally said as I took off my gaze from that same place and walked away, yet still thinking if regretting everything would make my life any better.

Xx xX

Note:

Hello! I don't know if there are still people who are following this story here, but I still decided to post the revised prologue here. As you can see, I deleted most parts of the story, and the Through the Skies as well because I'm currently revising the two. I hope you don't mind! (Btw, thank you for your reviews. I have them screen-captured before deleting this hehe)

The plot is still the same, worry not, so most likely major events will not be removed. But some fillers will be because I think they're completely unnecessary. Hahaha. I just... want to make this fan fic better in the best of my ability because these may be the last fan fics I will write ever because... priorities in life hehe. That's all! I hope you understand. Please don't hesitate in letting me know your thoughts! I'll appreciate them. :-) Thank you!