The blonde boy sat in the forest waiting for his friend, "Rin is late today." If she doesn't come in ten minutes he would go to her.
The boy lived within the forest with his mother, but she was always busy working and told him not to go out of the forest, so he would be left alone in the cottage. One day a crying and lightly injured girl intruded his home. Him, being the kind nature person he was, treated and comfort her. In return, she smiled and thanked him, "Thank you. My name's Rin." From that day on she would meet him in the forest in afternoon.
But today, she was late, oftenly, she would be later than the time she said she would come, not that he didn't mind, he was thankful that she spent her time with him from afternoon till sunset, but today, she was later than usual. Maybe she was spending more time with her other friends, she is a nice person, so it wouldn't be strange if she had other frien-
"Sorry I'm late, I had trouble getting here." He snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at the voice, "Not it's oka-What happened to you! ?" There was a few scratches, wounds and bruises on face, arms and leg, with dirt smeered on them.
"Hm? Oh this? Well, I told you I was clumsy…hehehe" She laughed it off and scratched her head. He took her hand gently, "Let's go to my house and treat it, okay?"
"Okay…" She whined like a child who was told to go to her room. He just smiled and lead her to his home.
Once they got to his house he told her to take a seat while he went to the came back with a towel, a bottle of antiseptic cotton balls and some band aids and bandages, he went back to the bathroom to get a basin of water.
He dipped the towel in the water before wringing it out and started to clean her face with it before cleaning the towel in the water and repeated the action but on her arms and legs instead. He dipped some antisepic on a cotton ball and lightly grazed it over her wounds before putting a band aid or bandage on it.
While the boy was treating her she looked around the house. "It feels like the the house is a bit ditier then last time." She stated. Len gave out a nervous laugh and explained "My home hasn't been home for a while."
"Then who makes your food?" She asked worryingly.
"I do. There's still some uncook vegetables and rice is easy to make." He answered.
"There! All done!" He exclaimed once he finished the wound on her leg and started to pack the things he took out to the bathroom. While he was walking out the room the girl looked at her arms and legs before smiling gently. "Thank you." He paused and turned his head to her with a grin on his face. "That's okay, you're my friend after all!" Then he continued walking back to the bathroom while the girl's smile grew a bit wider.
When Len came back Rin stood up. "Before playing, let's go see the cherry blossoms!" she exclaimed. Len nodded "Okay!"
—This isn't even one page on word—
"Waa! Kirei~" The two children exclaimed once they were under the tree. The boy sat down and said "I've never knew that it can be so pretty, even when it's fading."
"Yeah…" the girl replied "But you know what?" she asked. "This time is the most beautiful I've ever seen in my entire life!"
"Really?" He asked.
"Yep!"
He smiled gently, "Then I'm lucky I'm with you when you're seeing this." The girl giggled and sat next to him. "I've never enjoyed it as much as right now." She stated quietly. Her friend took a glance at her, "I never really cared about it. So it's the first time I did this." He blushed, embarrased that he never did friend stayed quiet with her eyes unfocus on anything particular.
"It wasn't that great." He turned his head to her with a questioning look. "It wasn't that great, so you don't need to worry about it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, so don't worry about it."
He nodded his head, "Alright, if you say so."
"Good." She stood up and brush the invisible dust her clothing then stretched her hand out to him. "Let's go."
"Alright!" He took her hand and they startedd running together and played hide and seek.
—Later—
"Hey Rin, what are the cherry blossoms like when they are in bloom?" the boy asked,
The girl turn her head to him and thought how to answer, "Not much different than today, just imagine the petals that were carried by the wind weren't there and were on the trees instead." She replied.
"Really? Becausse I wanna see it." His face turn down at the last sentence.
The girl notice her friend feeling a bit down so she spoke "Tell you what, how about we go to see the cherry blossoms next spring when they're in bloom?"
"Really?" His face brighten up but then fell. "I'm not bothering you right?"
She shook her head "No, of course not, you're my friend and friends do things for each other. I promise." She said
"'Promise'?" He repeated, then he took out his pinkie. "Promise me with your pinkie!"
The girl took out her pinkie, and together, they made a pinkie promise. "I promise on my pinkie." She said.
—a few months later—
The girl was standing in front of a tree with her eyes covered by hands. "...9,10. Can I find you?"
"Okay!" She heard, she uncovered her eyes and went in search for her friend.
It didn't take long to find him, it never took long to him, whether he was up in trees, behind them or in the bush, she would always find him. "Found you!" She said happily.
"Aww…You always find me so fast, how do you do that?"
"Heheheh… I'm really alerted if my suroundings."
"No fair!" He complained.
"It's a skill! Now turn around, it's your turn!" He complied, when he was about to cover his eyes, the girl interupted him. "Hey Len?"
"Yeah?"
"Your're my best friend." He had a gut feeling something bad was going to happen but before he could push further, she told him to start counting.
"… Can I find you?"
"Not yet!" he started counting a bit more "1…2…3…4… Can I find you now?"
…
That was strange, she would always answered him, whether it was a "yes" or a "no" she would still answer. "Rin! ?" He yelled in case she didn't hear, but there was still silence. "Rin!" he started to panic and ran in search for her. "Rin! Where are you? This isn't funny! Rin!"
He didn't know how long he was looking ut he knew that it was about time for her to say bye to him and head home judging from the colour of the sky. "Okay, it's sunset, you can come out now."
The only thing he was greeted by was silence. "Please… come out…I don't like being alone." He continued his search for her.
He stopped when he saw a colour contrasted with its surroundings. It was pink like the clothing Rin wore. He gulped and slowly walked towards it. As he got closer he was able to recognise the shape.
"…R…in?"
He was horrified at the sight. The girl's body was beaten and bruise, her head was bloody, shock was shown on her face and her eyes… No! They can't be her eyes! They just can't! Her eyes were always held a clear blue in them! Not like those...but they were still hers weren't they? Even with all the foggines in her eyes it felt as if them were staring directly at him.
He lowered himself to his knees and tried to get a response from her. "Rin?" She stayed still and done nothing. Tears started to form in his eyes and he began to weep. The weeping quickly turned into sobs and he held her closely to him.
"Please… don't leave me…I don't like being alone…"
No one found them.
Even with the nights turning into days and the days turning into the nights, he didn't leave her side, whether it's for food, water, or because it was cold. He stayed there by her side. And because of this, his body bacame weaker with his life slowly withering away from him. He couldn't focus on anything, his vision was burred and he barely could hear anything, maybe because there was nothing to hear, he didn't know.
"You… what are you doing here?"
He heard a feminine voice, maybe his hearing haven't dissappear quite yet...
"Your body is very weak and I can't carry you, and even if I asked for help, you'd probably die anyways…" the voice spoke worriedly.
…Or maybe he's just hearing things not that he cared, and even if he did, he couldn't find the strenghth to talk. He held onto his friend tighter.
"That girl… I see."
His grasp on her softend a bit for some reason,
"I heard her father left her a few months back."
What? How could he do that to her?
"She doesn't have much friends either, from what I heard."
She didn't? That was weird, he was sure she would have a lot, it would be hard not being friends with her.
"Not much people of the village like her."
That's a lie. It was so easy to like her.
"What about you? I've never seen you in the village."
He stayed silent because he couldn't find the energy to answer or the will to answer either.
"Well, then, I hoping you'll tell me, maybe in the next life?"
'The next life' huh? That sounds nice…maybe he'll be with Rin too.
The boy closed his eyes for the last time of his life with his soul slowly fading away.
Let's see the cherry blossom in the next life, that way we'll keep our promise….right?
The person didn't seem to be shocked at all and look up.
"The leaves are now red..."
So, even with the previous chapter —or whatever you call it— ended with "the cherry blossoms are fading" the story ended with "The leaves are now red" and I don't know why. Well, I have to hurry up to school now so:
Sorry, for any typos, grammar or spelling mistakes.
