Chapter 2: I won't let anybody hurt you

The next day, Suzuno went out to the playground to meet Nagumo to play soccer as he promised and said, first, she placed her hood on so no one could laugh at her nor see her. Then Nagumo walked around looking for Suzuno, immediately, Suzuno saw him and her heart started beating faster, but Nagumo was still looking around confused not noticing Suzuno.

"Psst! Nagumo!" Suzuno called Nagumo. Nagumo saw Suzuno immediately.

"Suzuno...? How come you're wearing you hood on...? I couln't recognize you." Nagumo asked.

"Remember...? My hair...?" Suzuno looked down blushing in embarrassment.

"Oh, yeah... Sorry." Nagumo laughed with an awkward smile.

"Do you have a soccer ball?" Suzuno asked curiously.

"Oh!" Nagumo facepalmed. "I forgot it at my room! Wait here Suzuno! Don't go anywhere, okay?" he tried to asure Suzuno.

"Ok, I'll wait here, I promise." Suzuno said in a worried laughing voice.

"Good, don't worry, I'll be back in a sec. I promise" Nagumo shouted as he ran back to the orphanage.

So Suzuno stayed in one place hoping that no one will notice her except Nagumo. Then about few minuites, Nagumo ran back with the soccerball.

"I got the soccerball!" Nagumo said to Suzuno with a wide smile.

"Oh, okay...!" Suzuno replied back with a smile.

So Nagumo and Suzuno found a good place to play soccer, but, the only problem is, most of the orphans were there playing soccer too. Suzuno was scared and worried.

"N-Nagumo...?" Suzuno said worried.

"Yeah? What is it Suzuno?" Nagumo stopped bouncing the soccerball on his feet.

"I-I think I don't want to play soccer anymore..." Suzuno looked down in a low voice.

"Why...?" Nagumo started to look sad. "Don't you like soccer? or you just don't like me?" Nagumo turned away a bit sad.

"N-no! I-It's not that!" Suzuno looked up at him and felt guilty. "And I do like soccer! E-especially you!" Suzuno started to blush. Nagumo looked back at Suzuno with his eyes shocked, and blushed upon hearing Suzuno say that he likes him.

"Then why you don't wanna play soccer with me anymore...?" Nagumo asked in low-sad voice.

"I-it's just that... The children around here are-"

"From the orphanage, I know." Nagumo butted in.

"Not only that." Suzuno started looking down.

"What is it?" Nagumo became curious

"...T-they were the same people who laughed and made fun of me." Suzuno said like she was whispering.

"Oh..." Nagumo rubbed his head and felt stupid to say those stuff to Suzuno. "Don't worry!" Nagumo kept positive. "C'mon, soccer will be fun! A little soccer wouldn't hurt! With me, no one can hurt you!" he said confidently and smiled.

"O-okay... If you say so..." Suzuno said hoping that he was right.

So Nagumo and Suzuno played soccer together, but Suzuno kept her hood on. Suddenly, all of the orphan kids started grouping up to watch them play, not knowing it was the kid they were making fun of.

"N-nagumo...! They're watching us...!" Suzuno was scared and frigthened. "I-I think I should go..." she really wanted to leave.

"N-no!" Nagumo stopped her from leaving. "I told you, soccer is fun! And with me no one will hurt you remember?" he said.

"Fine, whatever you say Nagumo" Suzuno sighed. Then she thought in his mind... "What if something wrong happens...? What if-"

Nagumo kicked the ball hard towards Suzuno, and Suzuno wasn't paying attention. Then Nagumo noticed she wasn't paying attention with just one look.

"SUZUNO! LOOK OUT!" Nagumo shouted as he looked terribly worried. Suzuno noticed the speeding soccerball towards her and froze in fear.

"..!" Suzuno swung his foot hoping she would kick the soccerball to defend herself, but, she missed... His eyes grew big of shock and she fell to the ground making her hood fall off her head making her white hair show, Suzuno immediately covered her head with her arms in shame/embarrassment. ...The soccerball bounced on the grass with everyone quiet, then it slowly rolled and stopped in front of the orphan children. The children looked at Suzuno and lauged.

"HAHAHA! It's the "White-haired freak"! Nitou laughed arrogantly. Suzuno started to cry looking down still covering her head.

"Epic fail! You thought you could stop Nagumo's kicks? I don't think so!" Netsuha insulted Suzuno.

"What a big embarrassment! You missed the ball like your father!" Haisuke added

"You even missed the ball in front of the whole orphanage!" Laughed Yagami. Everyone continued lauging at Suzuno.

"I-I thought soccer was fun Nagumo..." sobbed Suzuno.

"Suzuno, I-..." Nagumo became quiet and looked down.

"Y-you promised...! I-I trusted you...!" Suzuno cried and stood up and ran away from the lauging crowd of children.

"S-Suzuno...!" Nagumo looked up as he saw Suzuno run away.

"HA, HA! WEAKLING!" Netsuha said as Suzuno ran away. Nagumo gave a death glare at all of them.

"STOP LAUGING AT SUZUNO! IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Nagumo shouted angrily at them, everyone became quiet upon hearing Nagumo's angry voice. "YOU DON'T LAUGH AT HIM OR CALL HER NAMES LIKE "WHITE-HAIRED FREAK", JUST BECAUSE OF HER HAIR! SUZUNO IS WAY BETTER THAN JUST A "FREAK"! SHE'S MY BEST FRIEND! AND I THINK HER HAIR IS COOL! Nagumo added angrily "AND DON'T MAKE FUN OF HER BECAUSE HER DAD SOLD HER TO A BAD FRIEND, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU WERE ALSO ABANDONED BY YOUR OWN PARENTS' JUST LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO SUZUNO! SHE'S JUST LIKE US! SO TREAT HER LIKE ALL OF YOU WANT TO BE TREATED! Nagumo shouted. All of them were ashamed and speechless, most of them were looking down. "When I see you guys being mean to Suzuno again..." Nagumo said in a low angry voice. "You're all going to regret it..." Nagumo added.

Nagumo ran after Suzuno even though she was out of sight.

"Suzuno! Wait!" Nagumo went running leaving his other friends behind.

Nagumo stopped upon hearing cries nearby.

"T-that's Suzuno's voice...!" Nagumo thought in his mind. "Suzuno...? Where are you?" Nagumo shouted with both of his hands near his mouth.

Suddenly, Nagumo heared a sniffle after he shouted Suzuno's name.

"Suzuno is that you...?" Nagumo said in a sad-low voice.

"Leave me alone...!" Suzuno cried in a brittle voice.

"Suzuno... I'm sorry... I've been so careless..." Nagumo said sadly still looking around for Suzuno. Suddenly he noticed Suzuno under the back door's stairs hug-kneeing facing down.

"S-Suzuno..." Nagumo whispered sadly.

Nagumo went under the stairs with Suzuno and sat beside her.

"I'm really sorry about my friends... I don't know what gotten into them..." Nagumo said to Suzuno.

"..." Suzuno had no reply, still hug-kneeing facing down.

"Suzuno please talk to me... I didn't like what happened niether..." Nagumo faced her worried.

"I trusted you Nagumo...! TRUSTED YOU!" Suzuno cried facing down.

"I know... I was wrong." Nagumo looked away. "I was stupid... I'm stupid... I'm an idiot" Nagumo said hitting his head with his hands.

"...I know it isin't your fault Nagumo." Suzuno replied peeping her eyes out staring at Nagumo with teary eyes.

"Huh...? What do you mean it's not my fault?! I got you into this remember?!" Nagumo insisted that it was his fault.

"Is it your fault if they act like that towards others?" Suzuno asked cleverly. Nagumo was in shock and unable to answer her because Suzuno was right.

"Uhh... Um..." Nagumo said scratching his head.

"No, right...? Because it's their own fault for making others feel bad." Suzuno said in a calm voice.

"Y-yeah..." Nagumo nodded.

"I don't need your apology, because it's not your fault." Suzuno said with a little smile. Nagumo blushed slightly.

"..But still, I'm an idiot." Nagumo looked down ashamed.

"No you're not." Suzuno said a bit demanding

"R-really...?" Nagumo blushed a bit more.

"Yes." Suzuno smiled and nodded. "It was really smart of you to stand up for me like that." Suzuno smiled more.

"H-how did you know I stood up for you?!" Nagumo became red.

"B-because I heared your shouting from here..." Suzuno blushed too.

"R-really...?" Nagumo laughed awkwardly. "I was that loud?!" Nagumo said in is head.

"Yup." Suzuno nodded. "And it was really kind of you to have the guts to look for me in front of your friends." Suzuno smiled and sniffled. "See? You're not an idiot! You're my friend!"

Nagumo was happy to hear that, nobody ever called him smart before.

"T-thanks Suzuno...! You're very kind and clever to say that to me!" Nagumo smiled widely. Suzuno blushed again.

"N-no prob-..." Suzuno can't stop blushing and feeling wiered, his heart was pumping fast.

"What's wrong Suzuno...?" Nagumo asked him.

"I-It's just that... I never had a friend like you..." Suzuno turned a way and blushed. Nagumo hugged Suzuno.

"Me too! You're the bestest friend I ever had!" Nagumo smiled widely again. Suzuno was speechless blushing madly, but hugged back.

"I'll never replace you with someone else, because no one is better than you!" Suzuno laughed awkwardly.

"C'mon, maybe Hitomiko and dad might get worried about us, let's go back home." Nagumo took Suzuno's hand to help her up and smiled.

"Okay...!" Suzuno stood up and wiped her tears smiling, pressing back Nagumo's hand.

Then both of them went back to the orphanage holding hands hoping Hitomiko and their dad won't know what happened today.

-End of Chapter 2-