"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." — Walter Winchell
"That's nothing serious," The doctor promises. "But you'll need to not run nor jump for some times. You can do that, right?"
The black haired girl nods. It seems easy in her naïve mind. She wants to heal the faster possible, so she could play with her friends again. And she's ready to say yes to anything (and everything).
She hurts her ankle pretty badly when she was playing tag, an hour ago. All tears abandoned her tiny six years old body as one of her classmates runs to found the teacher and, from that, to take her to the infirmary.
And now, her leg is trap between a splint. She stands up, walks a bit to see how she can move. She probably looks weird. At least, it's not as painful as she thoughts. She's almost disappointed it's not broken because she could have a plaster cast: everyone would have made nice drawings on it.
Oh, well.
The doctor said she would have to stay in class at the playtime. She's depressed about it, but didn't argue. She just pouted in a fit of pique to be excluded from her games and friends. What else could she do anyway? Her parents are probably the most irritated and annoyed by the situation in that regard. She could still hear their scolds even now...
When the playtime finally comes, she takes some felt-tip pens and a white sheet of paper. The child sight, thinking at this point it would be better to have stayed at home — and just like that, she starts drawing her house.
"What are you doing?"
Her orange eyes look up. It's a boy from her age — his name is Nikaidou if she remembers well. She knows him; he's in her class, after all. But she wouldn't say they are friends, not even acquaintances. He's just there, in the background of her life.
"I'm drawing my house," She answers a bit flatly. "And you?" "Nothing for now. Can I draw with you?"
She nods, and he sits quietly on the chair next to her. Minutes go by in the complete silence, save from the screams from the outside et and rubbings of the felt-tip pens. She looks at the clock, apprehending the end of this quiet moment.
"Are you done?" She asks. She's curious about what he made.
"Almost." He looks very concentrated on his task yet a bit unpleased judging by the frown on his forehead. The girl leans to have a peek on his work: he is doing a house too. Probably his she supposes.
"Don't look! It's not complete!" He screams as he puts his hands on his sheet to hide it.
"Sorry!"
She straightens herself, looks away before returning to her drawing. She already added the most colors, the most details as possible. There is nothing she could add... except maybe her name at the back. So she does, in her struggling and shaking handwriting.
kOTonE.
It's perfect now!
"I'm finished!" Nikaidou beams at her as he moves his drawing to her face.
She blinks, a little startled by his brutal swinging mood, before taking it. He takes her in exchange. Both children examine their respective artwork like some art connoisseurs, trying to discover all the details and hidden messages.
"Is it your dad?" Kotone asks while pointing to the man with black, spiky hair and a tie bow. "Yes! He's always coming piking me after school."
"Uh-uh! Me, it's my mom. If I have been good, she buys me nice snacks before coming back home!"
There is something else that draw her attention: the cars. There is one black, flat car, but it's the other one who intrigues her the most. A red cross is on the top, remembering her an ambulance. Maybe he wants to become a doctor? He seems to have drawn himself inside.
"Your mom?" He shows the woman surrounded by pink hearts.
"Yes! There is a lot of hearts because I looooove her!"
"She looks scary..."
"It's because she is! When she screams, even the neighbors can hear her! That's why I dress her as an Oni with a yelling mouth."
"Oh, that's made completely sense!" He approves.
"Thankfully, she's not always like that. She can be very nice too! Otherwise, I wouldn't like her, tehehe!"
His smiles got wider, his legs start kicking the air under his chair with excitement.
"My mother isn't very often at home," Nikaidou comments, "But she is really nice. So is my father! How is yours?"
"My dad... is always tired. All he does at home is sleeping, watching the TV and smoking! He's not really fun. Super boring!" She adds while dramatically rolling her eyes. Suddenly she wonders: "Do you wanna be a doctor?"
"Huh? Not especially, why?"
"Why did you draw an ambulance?"
"Oh," His excitement fades instantly. "It's because I have to go to the hospital. My dad is going to go with me and will drive me back once I'm better."
At first, Kotone thinks nothing of it... Until it rings a bell. She remember in the beginning of the year, their teacher have said to the classroom Nikaidou has a medical condition. It's still pretty vague in her mind, but little girl understands better why he pictured that.
Her thoughts quickly leave her mind as she focuses again on the paper. "Your rainbow is neat!" Kotone compliments with a very serious face.
"Thank you! I really did my best to not exceed!"
With that, his cheerfulness comes back. They both continue chatting until the next class.
And this is how their friendship starts. For all the following playtime, the two would draw, make puzzles, read stories (or at least, try to) and play with anything they could find worth of interest. Like sticks, a snail she had sneaked on her way to school (she was caught and scold by their teacher. Before leaving, she had to clean the classroom. Even if Nikaidou only watched her slimy friend discovering the table, he helped her, so she could leave sooner.), her collection of Pokémon cards (she was green with envy at his. She has no idea how it's possible to have so many cool cards.), nice rocks where they drew funny faces and gave them silly names...
However, even if these times were precious and amusing, Kotone couldn't help but languish of the outside. Moving, running as she pleases, jumping in the water's puddles...
"To think I was the best at tag," The girl mumbles as she puts her chin on the table. "Being inside is so lame."
Nikaidou eye's raise up to his drawing to her, before turning his gaze away. He looks thoughtful. "Isn't it how you ended up hurting yourself?"
"Uh? Ah, yes. Takashi was after me," She looks straight into his eyes as her face becomes dead serious. "He was getting closer and closer, like a hungry wolf hunting a delicious rabbit. But! I wasn't going to get caught. I was going to use my ultimate technique: the banana strategy!"
"The banana strategy?" Her friend repeats with incredulity.
"Yes! It's my ultimate technique. When someone is running after you, you slow down to make them believe they won — and at the very last moment, you turn around and double faster! Your trajectory is then just like when you open a banana!"
"Clever!"
"Indeed!" But her proud expression turns into a disgruntled one. "At least, until you fail to notice the small stair between the red and the grey space. And then, BAM!" She screams as she pushes the table, making her chair topples and her with it.
"Nakagawa! Are you okay?" The boy stands up and quickly approaches her. "No: I am dead." Kotone says dramatically, eyes closed and tongue out. "Ugh."
Nikaidou snorts, making the little girl snaps open her eyes and smiles. She tries to get up, only to let a "Ow!" as a sharp pain jolt her ankle. Without hesitation, the boy reaches out to her and she
gladly accepts his help.
"Thanks." Even though her thankfulness is sincere, her eyebrows knit together as she stares her splint. Kotone's cheeks swell: she is disappointed that after three weeks her ankle still hurts.
"This doctor was a dummy! Some times, some times — more like FO-RE-VER!" she screams as she kicks the chair with her good leg.
"Nakagawa! Stop messing around!" The teacher snaps as she comes closer. "What happen?"
Both of the children become awfully quiet, looking the floor as it could turn them invisible. The teacher simply sights, asks them to be quiet as she puts the chair up. Without out, an idea lightens her eyes as she cheerfully proposes to the students: "Hey, what if we made drawings on the class board? You would like that?"
"Yes please!" They cry as oneself.
Once the chalks in hand, doodles full the blackboard before the adult could blink. Too soon for them, they have to clean it as the bell rings the end of the playtime.
Soon enough, Kotone could walk without pain. Days passed has July come in and, with it, the suffocating summer warmth. But do kids care? Absolutely not. If anything, they play even harder until tiredness and thirst knock them out. And Kotone plays, plays in all the games she couldn't during this never-ending half month. Yet, she couldn't help but feeling she is missing something. It's not as fun as before. The girl doesn't understand why, couldn't find the word on this strange feeling. Probably because this is the first time she is experimenting this mixture of emptiness and bitterness.
The balloon flies away, escaping the playground where the children were doing their party of dodgeball. Kotone, already been out, runs toward it as she screams to her classmates: "I've got it!"
But as fast the black haired kid runs, the balloon rolls faster only to stop its course when it meets the wall of the elementary school's building.
When she picks up with the balloon, her eyes meet Nikaidou's ones.
He is sitting on the stairs, not quite alone as their teacher is watching him apart, but somehow she could tell he felt lonely. Without thinking much, she comes to him with a bright smile on her face.
"Nikaidou! Come play with us! We're playing dodgeball!"
But as soon she reaches him, a shadow passes on his face. "It's too hot for him," The teacher cuts. "He mights get very sick if he goes with you."
"Uh?" She glares at him, seeking any clues of illness, but he just looks as usual for her. She frowns as he looks away with an annoyed expression. "He doesn't look sick."
"Too much exercise may cause him to faint." The adult explains.
The girl keeps staring with a disgruntled face, her eyebrows narrowing further. "Well, see you when you feel better!"
It's probably what she would have said if she didn't get a splint. But instead, she stays quiet. She thinks, thinks that she would have been ever more bored if Nikaidou haven't been there. Nobody
did reach her — not necessary out of spite, more because of ignorance and brushing it off as not being a big deal. Kotone has come to realize it because not long before, she thought like them. And, more she watches Nikaidou, more it becomes obvious he's dying to join them, twisting his tiny puzzle piece in his hands with a pout.
"I'm coming back." She says in a determined voice.
It's not she didn't want to play anymore. In all honesty, she would have preferred to go back with the other kids. But Nikaidou is her friend, and friends stay with each other in need or joy. Even if it starts with a fortuitous meet, if he's going to bore, at least she'll be bored with him.
As she gets her way back, the boy's face is radiating happiness.
