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Chapter One:
𝐫𝐡𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐦
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"HEY, SHOYO, WAIT UP!" Her long red hair was whipping in the wind, surely getting tangled up as she peddled after the boy ahead of her. The gentle ring of her bike chain and wheels against the concrete was the only sound amongst the calm neighborhood. She watched with a small pout as the younger boy ahead of her ceased to slow down, flying down the hill on his bike.
The cool wind began to nip at her exposed hands, her gripping the black peeling plastic of her worn down handlebars tighter in response. Her hands were beginning to turn a blistering red, and she wished to shove them in her pockets, but she couldn't take her hands off the handlebars. With a small smile, they turned off the road onto their path.
The sun had yet to fully rise, just barely peeking over the hills behind their home, but the light it created was breathtaking. One of her faults was her inability to ignore anything beautiful, so, of course, she had stopped at the top of their driveway to watch the sun rise.
The morning sky's bright red smoothly melted into orange and yellow, with splashes of pink and purple all over like someone had dropped a paint brush against their canvas. Though it grew lighter with each passing minute, there were patches that made the forest around her cast dark shadows where the light filtered through each winding tree. She could only compare it to a mixing pot of colors, one that ignited the land in a golden glow with the rising sun. It willfully chased the tree's shadows away and finally filled the forest around them with light. The rays peeked through the tree tops and danced along her face, making her pale skin glow, and her hazel eyes shine in warmth.
Her whole family had the same color eyes, and in the sun, it glowed like a warm jar of honey, at least, that's what he said.
In Shoyo's mind, the sunlight was like a divine warrior, destined to fight against all darkness hailing from the night. He loved his stories, especially anything with a knight or warrior. He, like her, found the beauty in the small things. Shoyo was like the sun. It always persevered, bringing each day forward with a rays of happiness.
Although watching the sunrise was so worth it, Akino Hinata had quickly fallen behind on time and now faced the consequences. She had rushed to catch up to her younger brother, a new brilliant smile lighting up her face. Because of their actions, they were forced to take the shortcut to school.
Her breath came out in short puffs as she forced herself to peddle faster, flying down the paths they had long worn in. She yanked on the handlebars, avoiding each rock and branch that stuck out on the forest path. Only a flash of red could be seen in the sea of green trees around her, her long red hair flying out behind her.
The grass underneath them was still wet from rain the night before, the occasional droplet flying up and hitting her bare leg. If it weren't for the school uniform, she might've had a chance at staying warm. Alas, their socks were bound to be wet when they got to school. Shoyo didn't seem to mind this as he kept pushing on through the foliage. Her legs were cold, and the water and wind combo made her wish she had her pajamas on still. She could imagine cuddling into the soft linen sheets under her quilt, awake, but content at the sounds of birds chirping and the cool breeze from her open window. She could almost smell the fresh summer air. It was nothing like fall, full of morning dew and the smell of burning firewood. Summer was like fresh cut grass, clean laundry, and barbecues in the afternoon. It always provided a different sense of comfort in her, and there was something about laying awake in her bed with the golden sun rays hitting her face that made her wish it still was.
