Chapter 10 : A Game of Tag

                                    

                                          
Sumire's pov
                          
"Tag, you're it!" 
                          
"Aw, you're too fast!" I whined, the boy giggled. I looked at him with sad puppy eyes, I saw him grew pink. I chuckled and started chasing him around the playground. 
                          
"Sumire, it's time to go home!" Kaa-san held my hand. "But Kaa-san, I'm not done playing with Kōshi yet!" I whined facing my mother figure. 
                          
Koshi looked at me as his mother came to pick him up too. "It's okay, Sumire. We could play tomorrow." Koshi confidently grinned beaming with energy. I smiled back and hugged him tight. 
                          
"Promise?"
                          
"Promise."
                          
We bid our goodbyes and went home... we didn't finished the game. 
                          
~ Time Skip ~
                          
Beginning of the third year in middle school. Nothing has change, me and Kōshi were still friends, no one wants to be my friend, and I'm still shy and timid. But the only one thing that I love about attending Nagamushi, except for Kōshi, I joined the calligraphy club. 
                          
I walked inside the club room to see a new girl. Her greyish black hair swayed in the wind from the window, her olive eyes shined from the sunlight. She's so pretty. 
                          
"Hello there." 'Wait, did I greeted someone who I don't know? Improvement!'. She jumped when she turned to me. She nodded and sat on the floor. 
                          
'This is your time, Sumire, she's going to be your friend!'
                          
"Um... hi, I'm Hashimoto Sumire." I smile at the girl. She nodded and looked at the floor holding a brush, my eyes sparkled in glee. "So, first year?" I walked to her, she flinched but kept holding the brush close to her chest. 
                          
I sat down, while waiting for the other members. "What's y-your name?" She looked at me, her lips quivering. "Ono Yukari..." she's so cute.
                          
"That's a cute name for a cute little girl!"
                          
As the other members came in she became more distant from the others. I glanced at her. Her face was full of anxiety. 
                          
After taking a small break, I approached her. "Hi, it's me again... I notice that you were anxious, is something wrong?" She flinched and glanced at me. Still quivering she shook her head, but after being friends with a motherly boy who could read someone, I instantly knew something was wrong. 
                          
"Do you wanna talk about" She shook her head and ran to another corner. I looked at her anxious figure, her face was still has anxiety written on it. 
                          
"Okay, see you next time!" The president of the club waved at us. I walked outside the club and changed into my uniform. 
                          
When I was done, someone was in front of the door of the club room. It was Yukari. I walked up to her and tapped her shoulder, she let out an "eek!". Her anxiousness became more noticeable after she saw my face. 
                          
I chuckled and gave her smile. "Ono-san, want to walk with me to gate?" I asked her, her figure from scared to a calm one. She bit her the bottom of her lips and nodded. She's so cute! 
                          
"... Hashimoto-senpai, why are we waiting at the gates...?" She spoke with her soft voice, my face was at awed on how she acted, look, her everything was just so cute! 
                          
"We're waiting for someone..." she looked at me with confusion. "Oh there he is, the one the silver hair!" I gleefully pointed at Kōshi, Yukari looked at me. 
                          
"Is he senpai's boyfriend?"
                          
I felt blood rushing to my face as it's becoming red. "N-no, we're just best friends." I heard my quivered voice while begin to pull my raven hair.