Chapter Five

Yume didn't start running through the nearest park until Ms. Eguchi took her to it. She always takes the woman's offer to go there, and mainly plays in the sandbox. When she runs through the park, it's after her morning nap. A few shop keepers know who she is, and the Sunday after her second week of dance is when they all ask where she's been. Nine out of ten shop keepers smile when she explains she started ballet; the tenth one rolled her eyes and said Yume should try hip hop.

Yume runs towards the park, bright smile on her face. She loves dancing, yes, but running all-out like this is freeing. Her hair shines more red in the sun than black if she stays still, so Yume tries to go as quick as she can to make it a black blur in the shop reflections. It's a nice challenge; something different than staring in the dance hall mirrors six days a week.

Yume puts her head down and sprints the last dozen feet to the park. Then she springs through the entrance, trying to do the leap the experienced dancers were practicing yesterday.

She fails. Miserably.

"Ow," Yume quietly groans, picking herself up from the ground. She sniffs, arm stinging from the road rash. Her toes are sore from her overbalance.

"Are you okay?" a voice shouts, rushing up to her.

Yume blinks and looks wide eyed at the boy about her age. His dark hair sticks up, his clothes are ruffled, and there are some bruises on his legs. If Yume was honest, it looked like the kid rolled down a hill. "Yes. Thank you."

"Good," the kid huffs, hands going on his hips as he glares down at her. Then he shouts, "Now, where have you been?"

Yume blinks; wipes her bloody arm on her shorts and stands up, muscles protesting.

Nope. New angle and still don't recognize him.

"Have we met before…?" Yume asks, positive she doesn't know any boys around her age.

"I've seen you running through the park before," the boy says, as if that answers 'yes' to her question. "You weren't there the last time I came by. Where were you?"

Yume blinks again, still kind-of cradling her arm. In a confused, almost apologetic way, she says, "I've been taking dance lessons…?"

He wrinkles his nose and a tiny part of Yume silently squeals at how adorable this kid is. "Ew. Why would you do that?"

"Because I want to dance," Yume says with a shy smile. She stands in superhero-like pose. "I'm going to be a ballerina."

The other kid snorts. "That's stupid. You can't be a ballerina."

"Yes I can," Yume says, blinking. On one hand: adorable. On the other: should she be offended?

"No you can't!" the kid pouts and stomps his foot. "My mother says you have a runner's spirit! That means you're gonna' be a runner!"

Where's a camera when you need one?

"Why can't I be both?" Yume says. "I like running and I like dancing. They're both fun!"

The kid looks so offended; she wants to smush his cheeks. "Dancing isn't fun!"

"Yes it is!" Yume pouts at him. "I can bend down at touch my toes because of it!"

"I can do that anyways!" the boy shouts, easily bending down and touching his toes. Yume sulks. "See- hey! What's wrong?"

"You're more flexible than me," Yume mutters.

"Well, duh," the boy says. "I was in acrobatics classes all winter."

"Were they fun?" Yume asks, brightening at the thought.

"Sure?" the kid scratches the back of his head, kicking at a rock. "They weren't my thing. I think I want to be a runner, like you."

"I run for fun," Yume says, pursing her lips childishly. "Do you… want to run with me?"

"Heck ya!" the kid cheers, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the unused soccer field. "Hey! What's your name?"

"I'm Yume," the girl says, giggling and moving her legs faster until she keeps even with his longer ones.

"I'm Ryuji!" the boy shouts over his shoulder, letting go of her hand. They stop beside the goalpost. He proudly puffs his chest. "I'm four!"

"I am too."

"No way!" he refuses, patting the top of her head. "You're too short!"

Yume bares her teeth in a smile. "I am four! And I bet I can run faster than you!"

"First one to the goal post!" Ryuji shouts, smiling widely.

"You're on!" Yume cheers back, just as excited.

And that's how Sakamoto Ryuji and Ishii Yume become friends.

A/N: I loved writing Ryuji. He's such a bro and deserves so much better. Thanks for reading!

Thank you, Harukawa Ayame, for your review! I want to fill this with so much childhood friendship... and plot, but that can wait a little bit longer. I'm glad someone's worried for her, 'cause next chapter gets a bit... Whoops. And with that to look forward to, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you again for reviewing!