Autumn Leaves Fall and Wither

Chapter II : I'll be your Side.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Why are you crying?”
Kazuha remembered how he met Gorou years ago. He was sitting on a park, alone and drenched in tears. It was a few hours after his mother's funeral. Then this small boy with brown hair and bright blue eyes came to his side, examining him from every angle, raiding his private bubble.

“Hey! Stop crying! Look at me!”

The boy waved at him, jumping up and down, and then climbed a slide. He stood on top of it, then slid down so fast he was bursting into laughter. “I'm flying!”

And then he crashed to the ground. Real hard. Little Kazuha jumped from the bench he was sitting on, and ran toward the boy.
“Are you okay?” He asked the boy whose face was still planted on the ground.
“I'm fine. I'm used to it.” Was the boy's answer.

“You're used to fall?”

“Yeah.” He gathered himself up. Dirt was on his face and shirt, but he smiled at Kazuha. “See? I'm fine!”

“You're not crying?” For eight-year-old Kazuha, crashing from such height and didn't cry was impossible. If it were him, he would cry so loud it would wake the whole house. It usually his mother who would wake up first and console him. Thinking that his dear mother wasn't here now brought a sting to his heart.

“Why should I? Crying is no fun.” And soon, the energetic boy jumped back to his feet as if he never fell in the first place. “I'm Gorou Kurosawa, by the way. What's your name?”
“Um, Kazuha Kaedehara.”

“Whoa! Are you one of those people living in that big house?” Gorou pointed at Kazuha's house direction.

“Uh, yeah.” He looked down, unable to face Gorou since now, he knew where he lived and what his last name was. He heard that some people got scared just by learning his last name as if it was a curse. He took a mental note to never mention his last name ever again.

“Cool! I heard the Kaedehara are super famous and super awesome! May I come to your house and play with you there?” Gorou's eyes were sparkly and he sounded so excited Kazuha forgot the fact that Gorou just faceplanted to the ground.
“Sure.”

“Then, let's be best friends forever!” Gorou grinned as he reached Kazuha's hands. “Because you have a best friend now, you shouldn't cry anymore! Remember, crying is not fun! When you feel like crying, just think of me, your bestest friend Gorou! And you will smile again!”

Little Kazuha wondered how this Gorou Kurosawa could be this cheerful. But nevertheless, the beam of joy from Gorou was contagious that Kazuha wasn't that sad anymore.

The memory brought a smile to Kazuha's lips as he sipped Sparkling Peace of Moon Gorou packed. The sky was purple and orange. Lamps were turned on here and there. People were chatting and strolling around the crowded park—the same park where he met Gorou ten years ago. The scent of roasted corns and cotton candies hanging in the cool air.

“That man,” Gorou said from his side, sipping his own drink, “was suspicious.” “Who?” Kazuha glanced at his friend.

“You know who I'm talking about,” Gorou replied sternly. “I mean, why would THAT guy suddenly walk up to you and ask you to be his partner for a college project? What was he? A friendless college student? Nu-uh. Don't think so. I know that kind of guy—remember, I've been working at many places before and I've met a lot of people. With that attitude, I'm sure he has more friends than ours combined together. He can just pick one of his friends, can't he?”

“He was just trying to be nice, Gorou.” Kazuha hid a smile by placing the cup on his mouth.

“Uh, I don't know. He scared me, you know.”
“Was it the first time he visited?”
Gorou gulped his drink, silent for a second, and answered, “No. He came for a few times, ordering bitter coffee and other sugarless drinks. Never caught his name, though.”
“His name is Tomoya Sasaki or Tomo for short.” Kazuha's mind flew back on the moment Tomo typed his number on his phone. Tomo said, it was for the sake of the project even though Kazuha hadn't agreed to it yet.