HEART WORLD

~ Michi ~

The first memory I received went like this:

"There's someone I want to introduce to you today," Toma was saying.

"Why?" I hadn't had to look up at him when he talked back then. The middle school versions of the two of us were like cuter miniature ones, except Toma hadn't had a growth spurt yet.

"It's mostly because you've been at this school for five months now and I'm still your only friend."

"So what? All I need is you," I grumbled.

"Come on, Michi. It'll do the both of you good to meet someone new."

"Fine. You know what, you're always messing with my plans. I was going to get some frozen yogurt and ponder the universe later, but no. Not today, it seems."

"I'll treat you later, then."

"Yay! You're the best, Toma."

"Why do I get the feeling I've been taken advantage of…?"

"I was just kidding, you know. Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He took us to the park and we met a dark-haired boy near the pond there, the three of us sitting on the grass with Toma in the middle as the link between us. "Shin, this is my friend Michi. Michi, this is Shin. We've basically been friends ever since we could remember."

"Hi. Nice to meet you." I offered a wave and a tiny smile.

"Hi." Shin was frowning at Toma. "You said it'd just be us today. Why did you have to bring her?"

"Come on, don't be like that."

"Hey, no need to be rude. Toma's just trying to be nice." I glared at Shin.

"Well maybe I'm not in the mood to hang out with the girl who always smells like feet," he muttered in retaliation, glaring right back at me.

"You, you're…!" I sputtered. At times my dad and I had to choose between water and electricity, so I didn't always get to shower as much as I liked. Of course nobody else except Toma, and he had sworn not to tell, knew the circumstances, so… I guess my reputation had just preceded me.

"Shin, come on…" Toma jumped up as I started sprinting away, into the wooded area of the park. It wasn't my fault at all. I tried so hard, double layers of deodorant when we didn't have water, everything I could, but it wasn't easy.

"Forget them, just forget them…" I crawled under a bush and hid there, completely immersed in the foliage. Once it got dark I realized that my dad would start to worry even though I told him I'd be hanging out with Toma today. I wriggled back out and looked up to find Shin standing there. "What do you want?" I mumbled.

"I heard you crying."

I wiped at my face and sniffled. "Go away."

He sat down instead. "I'm… sorry."

"Shut up. It's not like you said something I didn't know."

"Toma told me."

"Ugh… I'll hit him later."

"Don't. He was only trying to help. Look." Shin looked away. "I'm… not good around new people. And I'm… sorry, okay?"

"It's fine." I guess I couldn't blame him…

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm…" I started sobbing again without warning. "A-afraid. Of being a-a-alone…"

"… Me too." Shin offered me his hand. "Come on. Toma's really worried about you."

I wrapped my fingers around his tightly. "O-okay."

That memory faded, and went on to this one:

"Shin! Shin!" I caught up to him, hopping around him in circles. It looked like we were in high school now, both taller and with less-rounded faces, new uniforms. It actually felt like a fairly recent memory… But when, exactly?

He plucked one headphone out, raising his eyebrows at me. "What?"

"Can I come over in the morning for the next week or so, maybe a few days more?" That day back in middle school, Shin had explained to his father what had happened, why he had gotten home so late. The arrangement of me taking showers at his place when I needed to had just happened somehow with both our parent's permission and had been going on for years now.

"Water off again?"

"Yeah, you know. It's better to have light than water. I guess?" I tilted my head, frowning. "Yeah, I think it is."

"It's fine. I'll just tell my dad ahead of time."

"Thanks."

"It's no big deal."

"No." I stopped walking in his path so he would have to stop too. "Really. Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

He looked away, face reddening a bit. "Cut it out, Michi."

"Fine, fine. Alright, cool. I'll be seeing you in the mornings, then." I ambled beside him, content to walk in silence.

"Hey, are you free this Saturday?"

"I should be. Why?"

"There's a meet for the track-and-field club. Do you want to come? Toma already has plans, so."

"Ah, so I'm your last option, huh?"

"It's not like that."

"I know, I know, I'm just teasing. Sure, I'd love to come. I've never seen you run, come to think of it…" No wonder he was skinnier than me.

He nodded. "Good."

And we went to the meet together that weekend, him driving in his dad's car.

"Haha, you look so funny not wearing red and black." The uniform for the track-and-field club was a white shirt with green shorts.

"You look funny today too."

"What, this?" I was wearing a pink skirt and a gray tank top. "It's too hot outside to wear regular clothes! I need to breathe. You should be appreciative, Shin. I shaved my legs for this."

"Please stop talking."

"But I'm excited, too," I said as we got out of the car.

"Why's that?"

"Like I said, I've never seen you run. I knew you were in the club, but I've never been to any meets. It's exciting. Aren't you feeling it too?"

"I guess so. Look, I have to meet the team beforehand. Can you find seating by yourself?"

"Yes, I can follow these huge signs with arrows on them with little problem."

He rolled his eyes. "I'll see you after then."

"Shin!" I threw my arms around him and squeezed him for two seconds in a hug before backing away. "Good luck, okay?" We'd been friends for a long time now, so hugs had become a normal occurrence. But it felt different, lately. Strange.

"… Yeah." He jogged off and I found a seat in the bleachers, playing Minesweeper on my phone until the race started. There were a few opposing clubs from other schools it seemed, and this relay race was a gateway into a much larger competition on the way to the nationals. I didn't really get it, but all that mattered was that I was here to root for Shin.

I waited on the edge of my seat until it came time for his turn. It was pretty much neck and neck between our team and one of the opposing, with the other ones being left behind by a few people who were just simply faster than others at some points. Shin seemed composed throughout, waiting patiently until the baton was passed.

"Go go go!" I yelled when his turn finally came. Man, he was fast… "Beat the other guy, go!" He actually ended up crossing the finish line pretty well ahead. I jumped up and down, laughing. "Hell yeah, Shin!"

From across the field. I could see him laughing at me making a fool of myself, smiling in a way that for the first time I realized was absolutely mesmerizing. This memory was a beautiful one.