Secret (SoraMafu/UraSaka)

✧ Prolouge ✧

7 years ago....

It was a beautiful day outside, the cherry blossom trees swayed as the wind made the cherry blossom petals dance around the air. The sunny April weather was perfect, perfect enough that anyone, anyone without allergies that is, can enjoy the nice temperature and go outside.

Adults are busy talking with one another over trivial things that would bore a child if they bothered to listen or pay attention to it. It was Sunday, meaning no school, meaning that children can be seen playing around in parks or other places suited for them.

The small town was nothing special, just your regular stores around the corner, houses painted in colorful shades of the rainbow, parks here and there. The town was always quiet, nothing ever really happened to it. Pretty much everyone knew each other in the town.

Two young children, around the age of ten, were walking around town. They were enjoying the spring breeze as they talked about pointless things that only they would understand. They were friends, childhood friends in fact, as they had been together since birth that they could practically be called brothers if they wanted to.

One of them was wearing a black T-shirt with blue jeans while the other was wearing a sweater-like shirt with black jeans. The hair of one of them was flowing along with the breeze as they walked.

They had reached towards their destination, the park, and the first thing they did was go on the swings that were left alone. They went on and one of the boys began to swing. He just lazily swung his legs back and forth to get the swing to move. He was enjoying the breeze flow by his hair as the swing continued to move.

The other one was looking around the area, mostly looking at the trees, hoping to find what he was looking for. Where could she be? They heard a rustle in the bush and both looked at the direction of the sound, the one swinging used his legs to stop the swing as he looked at the bush with a bored yet curious expression.

They waited in silence, except for the noise of other children running around, as something emerged from the bush. A small, brown tanuki had left the bushes and walked towards the two young males. The boy in the sweater-like shirt got off the swings and scolded the small animal.

"There you are! Where did you run off to?"

After the statement left the boy's mouth, the other one noticed the animal had something in its mouth. He just laughed as the tanuki had a piece of food in it's mouth while the other wasn't amused and scolded it again.

"Hey Yamadanuki! Don't just eat whatever you find." The boy bent down to pick up the small animal.

"Just let her be. She's probably hungry right now."

"That doesn't mean she can eat anything. What if she stole it from someone?"

"I don't think she'd do that."

"She could, she's pretty sly. Where did you get that?"

At the question of the little boy, the tanuki named Yamadanuki just jumped out of the boy's arm and looked back up at him innocently, the piece of food still in her mouth. Her eyes could show the sadness she felt, melting the boy's heart.

"Aw~ I can't stay mad at you." The boy cooed as he crouched down to pet the small animal.

The other boy just smiled at the scene, he looked up at the clear sky, he had always been fond of it as it showed how nice it was. He liked how it'd change from time to time, season to season, whether it'd be day or nighttime.

The tanuki stayed in her spot as her owner took the food from her mouth and fed her. She finished nibbling the piece and smiled in satisfaction.

The boy went back on the swings and both of them continued to talk. They enjoyed their time at the park and would watch Yamadanuki run around the place, sometimes kids would see her and try to play with her. After awhile one of the boys looked at his friend, who seemed to have zoned out.