𝑴𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅-𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄 ✓

ᑕʰᵃᵖᵗᵉʳ Tᵉⁿ

#10

' ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟʟʏ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀs
ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀs ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴀs ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅᴏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ, ɪᴛ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇs
ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴛʀᴀᴜᴍᴀ '

𑁍︎.𑁍︎.𑁍︎

ᴛᴇɴ ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴀɢᴏ

"Kagome~ Kagome~
The bird in the cage ..
When, oh when will it come out..
In the night of dawn,
The crane and turtle slipped,
Who is behind you now?"

Sang the group of kids in the park one evening. They were all having fun, taking turns blinding folding one of them, who would then sit on the ground as the others chanted until the song finished and they all stood still, then the one blindfolded must guess who is standing behind them.

Shuichi Saihara was watching from the swings. He was waiting for his uncle to pick him up from his way to work, but since Shuichi was too shy to talk to anyone, he didn't have any friends to keep him company until then. Ever since his parents basically left him to continue their careers as an actor and screenwriter in the states, Shuichi had felt abandoned. He was left behind in Japan with only his aunt and uncle to keep him company now.

Shuichi was a kind boy. He always behaved. He was quiet, but he would never hurt anyone. He kept to himself most of the time, if not always, but found enjoyment in reading – especially mysteries. He always liked the idea of somehow becoming a detective. Even if it sounded impossible for someone like him.

"Hey, Saihara-kun!" One of the kids from the Kagome game had suddenly started to call out and gesture for Shuichi to come over. "Come join us!"

Shuichi's eyes lit up. He hesitated. Could he really go and play with them? Shuichi was scared, but his uncle said being scared never helped... Slowly, Shuichi slid off the swing and shyly walked over. He pulled his cap down more to cover his face as he approached the group of other elementary students.

"Saihara-kun, you be Oni, okay?" A girl said, pointing at the ground. Basically Shuichi was going to be 'it'. The small blue-headed boy nodded with a weak smile and sat down on the grass. All the other kids held hands and formed a circle around him.

"Remember. Close your eyes. And don't open them until you guess right," another boy bluntly stated, as if Shuichi might screw up the game if he forgot how to play. Shuichi immediately nodded, and promised he would. He tied the blindfold around his eyes, easily securing a perfect knot for a kid his age. Shuichi sat up straight and carefully listened as the other kids began to sing. He needed to focus on who's voice he heard behind him last.

"Kagome, Kagome~
The bird in the cage ..
When, oh when will it come out..
In the night of dawn,
The crane and turtle slipped,
Who is behind you now?"

Shuichi sat there silently. He wanted to guess this right so badly. Not because he was competitive or anything, but because he wanted to impress his classmates so they could play together more often.

"Who is it.. who is it..?" He mentally pondered to himself, stressed as he tried to figure out who was behind him. Suzuki-chan? No, he was sure it was one of the boys now that he thought about it. Maybe Ryu-kun?...