Girl Next Door

Girl Next Door Special Part One

Four-year-old Kyosuke Matsumaru peeped out through the bars of the wooden gate to his house for an occasional vehicle that passed through the peaceful and quiet neighborhood in which he lived in. In the background, his three-year-old sister, Hinako, played around in the sand box while their twenty-nine-year-old mother, Matsuko, watered the plants with a hose, several feet from her children. Her long dark blue hair was tied under a red handkerchief as she worked.

Little Kyosuke waited patiently for any passing vehicle. He was a curious boy, though not as curious as other boys his age, and was often shy towards other people, especially girls his age. This next event, one that would change his life forever, made sure of that.

A moving van stopped and parked right next to the house beside Kyosuke's. Kyosuke had never seen a moving van before, and was very curious.

"Mommy, Mommy," he said, "what's that?"

"Oh, that's a moving van, Kyosuke," replied his mother, smiling sweetly at him. "We must have new neighbors."

"Neighbors?" asked Kyosuke, curious indeed.

"Yes, Kyosuke," said Matsuko, turning off the hose.

"Neighbors! Neighbors!" chanted little Hinako, jumping around and out of the sandbox.

Kyosuke watched as the door of the moving van opened. Out stepped an old lady in her late fifties, followed by a little girl about Kyosuke's age, with shoulder-length auburn hair. She wore a big white ribbon on the back of her head and a cyan dress. Kyosuke looked at her in wonder.

"Why don't we wait for them to get settled in before we come over and welcome them?" said Matsuko, rolling up the hose and setting it against the fence. Then she walked up to Hinako and carried her in her arms.

"Kyosuke, dear," she said. "Let's go inside the house for a bit."

Kyosuke then ran up to his mother and walked with her and Hinako into their house.

About an hour and a half later, the new neighbors have settled in around their new home. It was time for Matsuko and her children to welcome them into the neighborhood.

"Honey, me and the kids will just come over to next door and meet the new neighbors," Matsuko called out to her husband as soon as she exited the house carrying Hinako and with Kyosuke in tow. Then the three made their way out the gate and went over to their new neighbors' house.

A knock was heard on the door, and the old lady ambled towards the door and opened it.

"Hi there," said Matsuko with a sweet smile. "Welcome to the neighborhood."

"My, how nice," replied the old lady kindly. "Please come in."

"Thank you," said Matsuko as she walked in carrying Hinako and followed by Kyosuke.

Later Matsuko knelt at the table in front of the couch while the old lady served both of them tea.

"Thank you very much, Mrs..." said Matsuko, pausing, as she didn't know the old lady's name.

"Takanaka," said the elderly woman, "Sakura Takanaka."

"Thank you, Mrs. Takanaka," said Matsuko cheerfully as she took a sip of Granny Sakura's tea.

Kyosuke and Hinako meanwhile walked around the house, letting their curiosity guide them.

"Careful, you two," Matsuko called out to her children. "Don't touch anything."

"Oh, don't mind them," said Granny Sakura, grinning as she knelt at the table with Matsuko. "They're just kids. Let them play."

"So, Mrs. Takanaka, do you have anyone here keeping you company?" asked Matsuko.