We Are Never On The Same Page - Sk8 the Infinity [Joe x Cherry]

2. The Day I Met You

Many years earlier, though, to me, it feels like yesterday.

It was February, which meant green and pink and uniforms. Seasons in Okinawa did not present themselves with the same ebb and flow that normally marks the transitions of the year, but it still felt like Spring. Everything was waking up.

Kojiro trampled down the stairs, buttoning up his shirt, brushing back his shock of green hair. He swung his backpack over his  shoulder and grabbed his skate board.

"Bye, Ma!"

"Oh, no you don't!"

His mother raced in from the kitchen, grabbed his arm, and hauled him back to the door. She muttered orders and prayers as she attempted to shove protective gear on him.

"You! Are! Going! To! Wear! A! Helmet!"

Kojiro weaved evasively between her arms, darting out of reach. "Ma! You're gonna mess up my hair!"

"Kojiro Nanjo, you listen to your-"

But he was already out the door. Kojiro checked his watch. Sheeesh. Running a bit late. The board smacked against the concrete with determination. He zoomed past other students, who didn't look up, who didn't care or weren't so baffled by the speed at which he flew through the streets.
They were used to it by now.
It made him feel a bit glum, sometimes.
He missed the attention he used to get when he performed new tricks in front of his classmates. They didn't know enough about skating to understand exactly how good he was.

"Woah! Did you see how fast that guy was skating?"

"That was INSANE!"

"He looked pretty cute, too!"

Kojiro's ears burned and he puffed his chest with pride.
Maybe some people still had common sense. He turned back to throw a wave or a wink at the group of girls that had just called out, but when he looked over he saw that they were pointing out something beyond him, past the corner. Kojiro's eyebrows knit themselves together and he pulled ahead.

February is also when the cherry blossoms come. The trees on the main boulevard to school burst with energy, their gnarled branches basking in the sun, bathed in pink. He could smell them, too. A sweetness pulled out by the nearby sea, spread through the air.

But... he forgot how to breathe in for a moment as his eyes tried to discern what was ahead of him. Kojiro stumbled, nearly tripping over himself.

There was no wind, but the tender flowers were being torn from their branches to swirl, to follow, caught up in the wheels and the equally pink hair of the boy moving before him.
Kojiro fully stopped, dumbstruck, watching.

He was fast.
So fast the very rule of nature seemed to bend before him.

The boy was wearing their uniform, but Kojiro had never known any other skaters to go to their school.

"HEY!", he yelled out, coming to his senses. Kojiro jumped back on his board, pushing hard.

"HEY! WHO ARE YOU?"

The figure in the distance turned, just slightly, and Kojiro caught an unusual flash of silver. He had definitely heard him, but the boy in front turned back around and offered no response.

Kojiro tore into the school yard long after losing sight of the mysterious skater.
He scanned the other students but saw no flash of pink, no long hair, no other boards. Kojiro fumed silently, folding and cracking his knuckles.
Who was this punk? Why had he ignored him? He stalked through the locker room and then wound his way through the other floors, peeking into windows, only to get weird looks in return. The search was doing nothing and he was only making himself later to class.