Summer's Dream

The Boy in the Yukata

"Haaah...What am I going to do?" asked a chestnut haired girl. She sighed and took a seat in the lush grass on a slope. She sat underneath the shade of a tree growing on the side of the road, shielding her from the hot sun. Just four days ago, she just arrived from a bustling city to a quiet, peaceful town near a mountain.

From what she learned, not much actually happened around here. The people were nice and easy-going with practically anything they did. The adults would greet her with a smile or even give her a small treat from their goods. She figured that they were nice to her because of her grandparents. Practically everyone knew each other since it was a small town.

Asuna loved how the town was full of life. The trees were big and the grass was lush. Flowers practically bloomed everywhere she looked. Although, what surprised her the most was the lack of children. When she looked at the few shops around, she noticed that everyone was older than her.

"Ano, excuse me, but are there any children around here?" Asuna asked one day. The young lady at the flower shop, Sakuya, blinked at her question before smiling.

"Ah, well, we are a small town, but we do have about...nine or so," she answered as she cut the stem of a tulip. "But, right now, the younger children are at a summer activity at school. You'll see them around later in the day when they come out to play."

"Oh, I see." Asuna said, feeling a bit relieved. For a moment there, she thought she was going to by herself all summer.

"I know the Kirigaya siblings should be around your age and I know that Suguha-chan is helping out." Sakuya said. She looked up and pointed out the window. "Although, you can find Kazuto-kun in the tree house down the road...if he's up for it. It's just a bit away from the house all the way down the road. It's at the base of the mountain."

Asuna sighed once again as she laid down on her back, placing her hands on her stomach and closing her eyes. Just yesterday, she went to see if that Kazuto person was really there, but she didn't see anyone around. At the very least, she knew where the tree house was. She had to admit, the house looked pretty cool from the outside.

A gentle breeze blew by, ruffling her bangs a bit. She didn't know how long she laid there, or even if she fell asleep. But who could blame her? The day was nice and she was determined to enjoy it.

"Uhm, are you okay?" came a hesitant voice. Asuna snapped her eyes open in surprise when she heard the voice. A black haired boy stood towering above her with a slightly worried look.

"Who are you?" she asked him.

"Who me? I'm Kazuto. Kirigaya Kazuto." the black-haired teen said with a smile. He held out a hand to Asuna. "Who are you?"

"Yuuki Asuna..." she said, taking the offered hand. Kazuto's grip on her hand was a bit weak, so Asuna ended up having to pick herself up. She dusted herself off and took a good look at the boy before her. Kazuto was wearing a soft blue yukata with a pattern that resembled ripples in water. A dark blue, outlined koi fish was near the bottom near his knee. He had a black sash tied around his hip with a ceremonial tie. On his feet was the traditional geta.

Asuna blinked. This boy in front of her was Kazuto? She kind of found it hard to believe that he was. After all, he seemed to have those faces that resembled a girl's features...or maybe he was a girl.

"Ah, you must be the new girl everyone is talking about." Kazuto said.

"Everyone?" Asuna questioned. Kazuto breathed a laugh.

"Well, it is a small town. I'm surprised that I didn't meet you until now, though. Welcome to Hirarima!" he said with amusement clear in his voice. Asuna placed her hands together.