ホタルは精霊のようなものですよね？

1.ねー,  徹

it's warm
the water caresses me softly
but i also feel empty.
like i've left something important behind.
6 months previous
i have always been a problem child i guess you could say. but i've always chosen to live life to the fullest. to always smile and look at the bright side. but it was getting dull, until i met him.
it was the week before summer break...
i was spending extra time after school to catch up on homework, and left to go home
his eyes sparkled but i was quickly brought back to reality when i had saw the blood, the boys picking on him looked at me intimidatingly
"leave, it's okay" the boy said
i don't know why, but i turned away and left.
that was our first encounter.
little did i know that wasn't going to be our last either.
i ended up bumping into him a lot more often in school but usually resulted in him running away, it was cute though.
it happened again, i bumped into him again, however this time i grabbed him before he could run.
"your name, what is your name?"
silence.
"..toru, higari toru"
i smiled
"i'm kanemoto akeno"
after that, he stopped running every time he saw me, but he never spoke to me either.
i'd always have to say something first.
"what class are you in?"
"..3-c"
"what's your favourite food?"
"sweet bread"
"do you want to grab something to eat?"
"no thanks i'm not hungry"
"aren't you interested in me even just a little bit?"
"i don't know"
. . .
"let's eat lunch together!"
he looked up at me from his desk, the rest of the class confused that i was speaking to him.
"no thank you"
i grinned
"today, i'm not taking no for an answer"
i grabbed his arm and pulled him along with me, and for the first time, he spoke first.
"it hurts"
i looked back at him
"i'm barely touching you"
"it hurts, let go"
i let go and he started tearing up
i don't know why, but it made my heart hurt.
"what's wrong?"
"why are you being nice to me"
i didn't know how to respond
"i don't know, let's go eat"
no longer talking he nodded and followed me silently outside to go eat.
"how tall are you?"
"191cm"
"how much do you weigh?"
"143lbs"
"what's your favourite colour?"
"i don't know"
"don't you want to ask me anything?"
"no"
i lean back sighing almost giving up.
"..are you trying to be my friend"
it almost didn't sound like a question
but it was
more importantly it was the first question he'd asked.
"i don't know, probably"
he nodded picking up his food, leaving
"wait for me"
he continued to walk away, going into the halls and into an empty classroom
he stopped and looked at me
"i'm not allowed to have friends"
i laughed taking it as a joke
"of course you are, let's be friends"
he sulked, sighing deeply afterwards
"impossible, im not allowed"
he said lifting up his shirt a little, which revealed a huge scar upon multiple small ones.
"this is what happened the last time i tried to make a friend"
"did those boys do that to you?"
"no, what they do is nothing i don't mind"
"you should mind! who did this to you?!"
"my father."
for the first time in my life i was speechless
"your...father..?"
he nodded fixing his shirt, taking a seat on one of the desks.
"we cant be friends."
"i want to be friends toru, please"
"do you meant it?"
"yes toru, i mean it"
he looked at me as the room fell silent.
"i'm scared"
"why are you scared, toru?"
"if my father finds out, he'll hurt me again"
"well just have to keep it a secret from your father"
though i did have other plans.
he nodded getting up and grabbing his bag
"let's go then, class is about to start"
he nodded again tagging along behind me.
"this is my class, goodbye"
i smiled grabbing his hand, which incidentally caught the attention of his classmates
"see ya later toru, and also, call me by my name i would prefer it"
he nodded again.
"okay, goodbye akeno"
"bye toru"
class had finished and i ended up waiting outside of toru's class
"let's go home together"
he nodded "okay."
"what is your favourite animal?"
"fireflies, i like fireflies"
"eh? why specifically fireflies?"
"they look pretty, like stars, what is yours?"
"i like all wild animals, they're free to do whatever they like, with no restrictions"
he nodded.
"i live here"
it turned out he lived on the street next to mine
"ah, okay! see you tomorrow then!"
he nodded"mmh"
he started to walk down the street but stopped and turned around.
"your email, let's swap emails"
my face lit up as i skipped towards him
"okay!"
. . .
we ended up walking together the next day to school
"do you play any video games?"
"no"
"like any shows?"
"not really"
"have any siblings?"
"no, i'm an only child"
"you're not a talker are you"
"..."
i sigh stepping out in front of him
"today you'll promise me you will open up to me someday about everything okay"
silence
he nods "mmh"
"come onnn toru! you can speak ya know!"
"okay"
"no! i want to hear you say it! i promise kanemoto akeno that i will open up someday!"
"okay"
"say it!!"
"i promise"
"this isn't going to go anywhere is it"
"no"
"well, i figured" i said pouting
we walked the rest of the way quietly until we reached the school gates
"i've decided!! you're going to eat lunch with me in my class until the summer break!"
i stated pointing at him
"no thank you"
"what do ya mean no?! i said so!!"
he looked at me, turned around and started to walk away
"hey!!! where are you going!?"
"to class"
"ill come with!"
"that's not necessary"
"well i want to!"
"okay"
i ended up walking with him to his class, and had one of his classmates walk up to me
"why are you hanging out with him all of a sudden?"
"we're friends!"
"friends? toru doesn't have any friends he sits in here all day alone"
"me and him get along, right toru?"
he ignored me and walked to his seat.
"toru, hey toru!"
the boy walked up to him, making toru look up
"you friends with akeno?"
silence
"hey, i'm talking to you, are you friends with toru?"
the classroom falls silent as the boys voice gets more aggressive.
"this son of a bitch"
the boy grabbed toru and threw him to the floor
"what's your problem?! cat bit your tongue?!"
"whats YOUR problem?!"
i shout approaching toru
"are you okay?"
he nods "mmh"
he stands back up and walks to his seat again
the bell rings
"tch, what a waste of space"
. . .
it was lunch break and i came back to toru's class, a girl approaching me
"who you looking for?"
"toru"
"why him?"
"he's my friend"
she looked back and called out for him
"toru! you have a visitor!"
he along with the rest of the class, which started to murmur among themselves, looked towards the door
he packed his bag quickly and walked towards me
"hey toru"
"hello"
"let's go eat!"
he nodded "mmh"
we walked together to my class and sat down together
"you really like sweet bread huh?"
"mmh"
"don't you eat anything else?"
"rice"
"what does your mom cook at home?"
"i don't have a mom"
"oh.. i'm sorry i didn't know"
"its okay"
"so it's just your father?"
"yes"
"say..toru"
"yes"
"how about, you live with me?"