A SINGLE BLUE FLAME ;; T. DABI

the night we met (2)

AN: I believe children in Japan are allowed to wander around on their own since the streets are safe there, so if you're wondering why a 10 year old reader is going to the park on her own there you go.
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3 years ago

"Mama! I'm going to then park." I yelled at my mother who was sitting on a rocking chair, feeding my baby sister Nanami. Akihiko and Sakura sat on the floor playing with toy cars.

"Alright sweetie, but make sure to be back before 9." My mother replied, sending me a kind smile. I firmly nodded at her before wandering off to my room to go look for my toys. My favorite thing to do in the park was play with sand, making my own castles and pretending I'm a hero that needs to protect the small castles from villains. Usually my friends play the villains and me and my bestie Hanako play the heroes! Diving into a different story everyday was something I could never get tired of. Someday all those stories will be true. One day when I'm a hero.

We had all decided to meet up today so I happily stuffed the toys in a red wagon I carried and began making my way to the park. It wasn't very far from home. It was about a 5 minute walk so mama and papa could come pick me up or watch whenever they wanted.

I walked down the street and kicked some rocks, the small boulders landing on puddles that had formed on the street from the earlier rain. The red wagon I was pulling made a slight screeching sound. It annoyed me a bit but also made me feel like I wasn't alone, so I dealt with it.

I headed towards the silver gate that always greeted me, noticing my friends already gathering around the sand box area. Hanako stood in the middle, chatting along with my other friends. It seemed they were already planning today's story!

I cheerfully opened the gate and skipped over to the corner of the playground where the large sand box was built. From the corner of my eye I could see other kids on the swings and see-saws. The squeak of the wheels announced my arrival to the others that were huddled around Hanako. Suddenly they all seemed to tense, their gaze landing on me. Some of them went silent from the lively conversation they were holding and others went back to murmuring in a lower tone. I didn't pay mind to it and spoke up anyways.

"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late , I was getting my new toys to play today!" I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck, yet I gave them a bright smile nonetheless to show I was excited for today's game. "It's not a lot but I hope we can all share and have more fun!" A few gazes landed on the wagon, earning slight praises from the others.

Hanako, my best friend for as long as I could remember, gave me a thumbs up , disregarding the murmuring children around her. Her eyes scanned the new toys I had brought to the sand box, a small hum coming from her pursed lips. Suddenly her gaze lit up and she snapped her fingers "I got it!"

She skipped and kneeled down next to the wagon , picking up a few things. One of them being a dark cape for costume purposes. She got near me holding the costume item and wrapped it around my small back, clicking on the emerald brooch to hold it together.

"Today will be very fun! I have an idea. It'll be even better than usual (n/n)!" She cooed, her soft words sounding odd to me. They were soothing yet had an edge to them, cutting through anyone who dared to comment on her decisions. That was classic Hanako though, always a leader.

I nodded, dismissing the skeptical feeling in the back of my mind. "Alright! What will we do today Ko?" I questioned, using the nickname I had given to her when we were 7.

"Well, today's game will be called "The Princess and The Witch" , how does that sound?" She spoke. The crowd around her nodded slowly. I felt fond of the idea, so I nodded as well. That sounds fun! Usually our kingdom games are the best.