RED-EYED PRINCESS

Chapter 12: When They First Met

This happened a few years back . . .

When Shizuka was a child, she had a vibrant personality and was very outgoing. She loved spending time with her peers and was known for her playful and cheerful demeanor. On the other hand, Shiro, a boy who was her senior by five years, preferred to spend his time alone. He had no friends and would often be found standing near a lone tree, watching others play. He would climb up the sturdy oak tree and spend hours gazing at the playground from afar.

Shizuka would sometimes notice Shiro's presence and feel a tinge of sadness for him. She would wonder why he was always alone and contemplate inviting him to play with her and her friends. However, she would always be hesitant, unsure of what to say or do, and would find herself silently observing him from a distance.

As time passed, Shizuka noticed that Shiro had already entered adolescence and seemed to have lost interest in spending time with younger children. Although he would often be seen around the kids' playground, he never engaged in conversations with others his own age. Instead, he would always be seen sitting alone under the shade of a tree, engrossed in reading a pocketbook.

As Shizuka swayed back and forth on the swing, the gentle voice of a stunning young woman called out to her. "Shizuka! It's time to go," she said, approaching the young girl with a warm smile on her face.

Shizuka's joyful swinging came to a halt as she let out a disappointed exclamation, "Already?? Oh, come on!"

The woman let out a light-hearted laugh and said, "Leave some of that energy for tomorrow, will you?" Her voice resonated with a sense of amusement and affectionate concern.

The woman with disheveled blonde hair happens to be none other than Shizuka's mother. Shizuka, being a pre-schooler, would eagerly wait for her mother at the playground after school. It was a daily ritual for her mother to pick her up from there.

Shizuka's mother beamed with excitement as she extended an invitation, "Come on, Shizuka, let's go to the kitchen! I'll prepare your absolute favorite dish - the mouth-watering chicken curry!"

Shizuka stands still, her tiny fingers clutching the chains of the swing tightly. She looks hesitant, as if she doesn't want to leave the comfort of the swing. After a few moments, she gradually lets go of the chains. As she turns to walk, she can't help but mutter under her breath, "But your chicken curry sucks, mom!" The other parents at the playground can't contain their laughter and burst out into fits of giggles.

"Shizuka! Stop it. They can hear you!"

This brat has some words at her age

As the group of parents chatted animatedly, one of them made a playful remark about how challenging it can be to handle kids nowadays. Shizuka's mom smiled and responded, defending her daughter's behavior by saying that she's actually a well-behaved child. But before she could finish her sentence, she grabbed Shizuka's cheeks, playfully annoying her, while the sound of adults' laughter filled the playground.

"Mommy, that hurts!"

Despite the loud guffaws of the nearby parents around the park, her mother eagerly spoke up to suggest, "Anyway, I will ask your dad to cook dinner for tonight. Will that be okay?" The words were delivered with a sense of urgency, as if the idea had been brewing in her mind for a while.

"Yey! I love Dad's curry!" Shizuka's body suddenly tense up in anticipation before she springs up into the air, her face beaming with excitement and joy.

The mother of the little girl then gently hoisted her up and secured her onto her back. The child was full of energy and enthusiasm, as evidenced by her lively movements and spirited play in the playground. Reluctantly, they both bid farewell to the fun-filled area and made their way towards their home.