KITSUNE

➖ Aogiri Tree

ON SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY, THE LAUGHTER OF CHILDREN FILLED THE SUNNY PARK. Short legs of little humans rushed from one end of the park to the other, trying all the equipment the playground has to offer - from slides and swings to merry-go-rounds. Fun was guaranteed too all the children and to all the mothers a time to chat and relax was assured. But, not all the children enjoyed the fun objects in the playground. Two peculiar children were separated from the rest. They sat on the green grass, the high sun of spring warming them as they held their noses in the books.

The other children had gotten used to those two children, sitting alone by each other and minding their own world which was decorated with their own kind of fun. It was a strange kind of fun for the other children, but yet the boy and girl enjoyed the books with different stories and different worlds. Young girl, not older than 9, held the book with both of her small hands. "Gon, the Little Fox" said the title. A book with small number of pages. Her blue eyes that mirrored the sky moved from one side of the book to the other without a pause, swallowing the book with her mind.

"Oh." The girl murmured, her forehead wrinkling sorrowfully. "The fox dies." She said.

The boy next to her, reading a different kind of a book, looked at her to see the unhappy expression occupying her usually curious and joyful expression. She closed the book, staying silent for a brief moment, overly disappointed with the ending she had read. She was thoughtful for a moment.

"I though Gon will have a happy ending." She confessed.

"It's a sad story." The boy commented, closing his book - but remembering the number of the page on which he came to a halt.

"But's it's children's book. It shouldn't be sad. It should end with a lesson that when you give good, good will be returned to you." The girl palavered, her gentle emotions easily hurt by such undeserving ending.

The boy couldn't help but to chuckle at her innocent - easily touched by unfairness. "Every book has a lesson and not every book ends as we expect." He told her. "There are other books too that you could read. I can bring you books with better endings."

Her lips curved upward, bringing light into her eyes. "I would like that very much!" The girl exclaimed with content.

And the boy smiled, warm feeling filling up his chest how easily he could bring joy to her. The girl was a friend for quite a while. She enjoyed the books as much as he did. She enjoyed the silence and could sit next to him without saying a word. She was just like him. A bit lonely and living in her own world. And for every book he would bring her, she would read it and tell him her thoughts. The boy felt special. From all the children that played the most interesting of games, she chose to be with him.

He did not even try to befriend her and yet she came on bright sunny day. Just like the curious child that she is, she questioned his hobby of reading books in the playground instead of playing with other children. He expected for her to leave him, but instead, the girl sat next to him and asked him to read to her. And for the past few weeks, almost every day, the two of them would find each other on the playground and read books.

"Aya, sweetheart!" The sweet tone of her mother called out to her.

The boy looked at the woman with long dark chocolate hair which was pinned up by sunglasses and perfectly bright blue eyes - the girl resembled her mother so much. But those adult eyes were different. They were tired. Make-up only helped to cover the exhausted expression which hid underneath it. And she tried not to show it. She looked at him and she offered him a gentle and warm smile.

"It's time to go home."

"Okay, mama." And the girl swiftly jumped to her feet. "Thank you, Ken." The grey eyes of the boy looked up at her - the book which he had given her was now being returned back to him. "I'll see you tomorrow, right. With another book?"