Part 1

“G-Guys! Wait for me! Please?!”

“Ohoioioioi, you’d better hurry up you slowpoke! I already climbed to the top!”

“Yeah! Hurry up or we’ll leave you behind!”

He was going as fast as he could, but Yuuko’s small legs were unaccustomed to climbing such uphill terrain. Every time he dug his heel in to move forward, the loose dirted molded around his shoe and created a miniature hole his foot sunk into. To make things worse, he couldn’t properly grip any of the surrounding plants for support. The trees were much to thick, and the flowers were plucked from the ground at the slightest provocation.

He felt sad pulling them out of the ground, his mother likes flowers, especially gold ones that match her eyes. They went on a picnic last week, his father helped him pick some out for her— she looked so happy when he gave them to her.

Maybe he should bring some back to her today! His father would say it’s a great ide—

*snap*

“Eh?”

*snapsnapsnap*

“That is….not!”

*snap*

“N-No— wait!”

But it was too late. He only had enough time to cover his head as he began rolling backwards down the hill. He had been so distracted that he hadn’t noticed the small stem he held snapping at the roots.

His mind panicked. The sick feeling of falling backwards enveloped him and everything became a blur of blue, brown, and green. The sensations of dizziness mixed together with the soft dirt made it hard to tell where he was going, only that he was going very, very fast. A part of him realized he was hurting, but another screamed that something had to be done!

He extended his hands out in front of him, reaching for something!— anything!— that could help; and the smell of earth hit his nose while a warm mush surrounding his fingers.

Hands? Yes— his hands were in the dirt!

Feeling himself going slightly slower, he did the same thing with his feet, and sure enough, the malleable earth began piling beneath his sneakers as his roll turned into a slide, and his slide slowly descended to a stop.

Everything…..is spinning…..

The many shades of brown and green were still mingling together; and moreover, his stomach was doing sickening flips and churns, as if it hadn’t realized he stopped.

Not wanting to throw up; he sat underneath the nearest tree, although it looked more as though he collapsed against the of it rather than peacefully sit down.

It took time, but eventually the brown and green separated into the ground and the trees. When the world became right, he closed his eyes, focusing on his stomach, and it too became calm.

*fuuuahhhhhhh*

He let out a long sigh and stood using the tree for support. He still felt dizzy, but that didn’t bother him as much.

As the tension left him, the first thing he felt was the itchiness that covered his entire body. He looked down at his arms— red, but not bleeding. There was an uncomfortable pricking feeling inside his shoes, poking at his socks. When he scratched the top of his head, dirt fell out. The only thing left to check was—

“Ouuuuhhhhhhh……….”

Yes, his clothes were covered in stains. He could already feel the presence of his mother.

“Hey! Are you okay?” said a boy with glasses.

He wasn’t okay. Not in the slightest. Yuuko wanted to run away, run back home. He felt like crying, it had been scary not being able to see anything; what if he hit something? But he couldn’t. Not now, not in front of his new classmates. This was his only chance to prove to them….. he had to be brave…. yes, a hero is brave!

Stifling his tears, Yuuko muttered a quiet— “yes...”

“That was so cool! I want to try too!” spoke a boy in a baseball cap.

“N-No! It hurts-”

The third boy who hadn’t said anything until now interrupted Yuuko. “Don’t! We don't have time!”

“Let’s hurry up and explore!” he said.

The other two began arguing as to whether they should slide down or not, until the third friend—

“Fine! I’m leaving!”

—marched off without another word.

The other two reluctantly followed suit.

“Wait, guys, this is not good! Let us go back!— guys?”

“Stop being so scared! Let’s go!”

“Yeah Yuuko it'll be fun, come on!”

His pleas fell upon the deaf ears of his new classmates. As the others faded into the sunlight, Yuuko thought of what his father would say. That he must be brave!....... he had to do it for his father. Even if he didn’t want to, he already wasn’t brave once. He had to prove it this time.

With little choice left, he endured and continued climbing the hill.

In that moment he could only think of two things: how he managed to get into such a situation, and the fact that….

……..well

……….it was kind of cool.

Part 2

The family of three stood outside the gates of the three story building. They were not out of place in the slightest, as there were already a few families moving about; entering and leaving the building at differing paces. Amidst the small group, a mother could be heard talking to her son.

“And you have everything? Your lunch, books, pencils? Yuuto, you double checked while I was wrapping his lunch right?”

“You shouldn’t worry so much Hikari,” said a man with sharp eyes. “All that stress isn’t good for you; it’ll ruin your youthful skin.”

Yes. The three had woken up earlier than their usual time in order to ensure that they would arrive early to Yuuko’s first day at a new school; or rather, Yuuko’s mother had woken both of them up. His father usually had trouble waking up, but as for Yuuko; he had not slept the night previous as a result of all the worries building up within him.

And there were many, many worries.

All the people he would soon meet…..what would they be like?

Would he get along with them?

He was hoping he would, but they’re new people! Even without his classmates, what would his new school be like? Well, he had already seen the inside of it, but the teachers.

Nice?

Hopefully.

But what if he got in trouble for doing something by accident?

What if— what if one day he was climbing down the stairs— and a teacher was walking up the stairs—? and then he tripped and fell on the teacher! What if the teacher gets hurt?! Then he would get in trouble!

Heroes aren’t supposed to get into trouble!

When he told this to his father, his reaction was to laugh and tell Yuuko that things like that don’t happen. As long as he’s good, people will like him, because they like heroes.

People like heroes— but he wasn’t a hero yet. What if they didn’t like him?

His mother had told him that he would do great, he would make friends and it would all work it out. But how?

Yuuko did not understand at all.

How do you not get in trouble when you trip?

Or how do people start talking to each other?

How do you make friends?

He wasn’t tired at all, and yet the next time he closed his eyes, it had suddenly become morning. He could hear his mother calling him to get ready.

………….but it was just nighttime.

What happened to the night!?

A flood of possibilities crossed his mind; but only one struck as the only possible answer.

That he somehow managed to travel through time.

Even if this was the answer, surprisingly!.......he didn’t care. He only wanted to try and sleep.

He didn’t understand why he wasn’t actually tired, but even so; he didn’t want to get up from his bed. Upon hearing the voice of his mother once more; Yuuko *hhmmouuuuuu* let out a groan as he went to brush his teeth.

“Good morning mother…..father….”

“Oh my! Yuuko, is everything alright?”

“Noooo…….” he said slouching.

“Couldn’t sleep?” his father asked

And groggily, he nodded his head.

“Hmph, well, lucky for you, your mother has just the solution!” she said as she poured Yuuko a small cup of liquid.

“Drink this.”

………………………………………….

“Hikari……. dear……. I’d expect this from someone like me, but why are you giving our six year old son coffee?”

“Today is an important day, so this is an exception.” she said in a tone that was either playful and whimsical, or dangerously serious. Yuuto could not decipher which.

“Does…..it taste good?”

“Your father drinks it; don’t you want to try?”

“Ohhh! Father, does it taste good?”

“Well…..that’s…..”

“See if you like it, but hurry because we need to leave soon.”

Yuuko grabbed the small glass and drank the few ounces of liquid inside the cup. And as soon as the warm liquid touched his tongue—

“Plbegrbyee!” he said spitting the liquid back into the cup. “F-Father!...mother!…...I am going to die!….”

He sounded half mad as he spoke. His father passed him a napkin.

“Feeling a little better now?”

“C-Can I have juice instead?”

As his mother poured him a glass, Yuuko began asking away his worries.

“Mother, father, how do you make friends?”

It seemed to catch both of them off-guard. His father leaned back in his chair while his mother simply closed her eyes before opening them with a confident smile.

“Like I told you yesterday, making friends is easy.”

“It is?”

“Errr, dear, that might be a bit unfair since it’s coming from you.”

“Ara? What do you mean?”

She sounded genuinely astonished.

“When we were in school together, anyone that didn’t know you thought you’d make a perfect fit for the student council. Considering how you were back then…..and those that actually did know your personality…..”

She stared at him for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter.

“Well, I had no choice back then, you know that.” she said wiping her eye. “Anyway Yuuko, all you need to do is reach out your hand with a smile.”

“Like….shaking hands?”

“Ufufufu, no silly. I mean—”

“A smile!” his father said suddenly standing at the table.

“A man must always smile Yuuko! Just like how a man must always be brave, a man must always smile!”

“Why?”

“Hmph,” his father said crossing his arms, “Because!………. because…..”

“Because it shows how nice you can be.” his mother finished. “A friend is a nice person after all, and people like nice people.”

“Ohhhhh, so I just need to smile!”

“And reach out your hand,” his mother added. “Sometimes, that’s all someone needs.”

Though he didn’t understand the final part of his mother’s words, he didn’t wish to push the topic further. With his questions answered, the family finished breakfast, washing and returning their dishes. Yuuko’s parents got up to finish getting dressed. However—

“There is…. still some left….” Yuuko said as he grabbed a small cup. Inside was, quite literally, only a droplet of the brownish liquid left. As it touched Yuuko’s tongue once more, he licked his lips, concentrating on the flavor.

“It is…… kind of tasty…..”

Without further incident, they arrived at the school. A wide, spacious lot greeted them as they passed through the gleaming iron gates. The soft cherry blossoms fluttered through the air, as though encouraging all those who saw them to move forward without hesitation. This is precisely what they did, but the moment could not last for long.

As Yuuko’s mother prepared to leave, she suddenly brought her hands forward, remembering something.

“Oh! Before I forget, let’s take a picture! The three of us!”

“Hnnmphn, you’re right about that! We must preserve this memory!” his father exclaimed, “But won’t you be late for work?”

“I should be fine if it’s just one,” she said as she took out a camera from her bag. “This is more important after all.”

Quickly rushing to the nearest family, she handed them the camera after a quick conversation.

Yuuko felt a growing sensation from the midst of his chest. It wouldn’t be the first time they had taken a picture together as a family; but this time, it was about him!

“Father!”

“Hmm?”

“I…….. I want to be in the middle!”

His face appeared surprised for just a moment before changing into amusement.

“Ahahaha, I think that was the plan anyway.”

“Yuuto, stand behind Yuuko’s right shoulder, and I will take his left.” His mother had come back while the strangers were getting in position in front of them.

Aahhhhh! Already? A pose— he needed a pose! What were his parents doing?

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he felt his mother’s hands lay on his shoulder; and looked back to see that her head was rested on his father’s chest. At the same time, he wrapped an arm around her. His other hand was on Yuuko’s shoulder.

And both of them…..

“Okay! Big smiles, big smiles!” said the stranger with a camera.

Quickly breathing in as much air as he could, Yuuko thrust out both his hands in a thumbs up position.

And like his parents, put on the biggest smile he could.

“Wonderful, I love it! Get ready, one…...two…...three!”

*schschee*

The stranger had been complimenting his mother for almost three consecutive minutes before she returned the camera, speaking mostly of how beautiful a family she had. Although Hikari was happy, this was much to her embarrassment. When she managed to break away, she returned to her son who was giddy with excitement.

“Mom! I want to see! Can I see it!?”

“Ara? Yuuko, who is ‘mom’?”

He let out a small gasp, instinctually covering his mouth with both hands.

“I—I am sorry mother. I meant mother.”

And hearing his apology, she let out a small giggle.

“I suppose it can’t be helped, it is my fault after all. You’re a good boy, but be calmer when you ask for something. Okay?”

“Y-Yes!—I will be careful.”

She simply smiled as she leaned down and handed him the camera.

“Here, take a look. Do you like it?”

“Yes! I like it a lot.” he said, careful with his tone. “Look father.”

“W-What crisp quality!” he said taking the device. “You can see every hair on our head Yuuko; and look here.”

“............where?”

A flash of light appeared in Yuuto’s eyes. No, the light was much brighter than a mere flash, it was more comparable to a star briefly manifesting in the face of opportunity. This is precisely why it did not go unnoticed by his wife; who immediately attempted to stop him.

But she was too late. For he had already spoken—

“Right here!” he roared, “Your mother’s skin!”

“Mother’s…. skin?”

“Of course my son! It appears I was right after all...” he said standing up.

“Yuuto, this isn’t really—”

“Hmmm, yes yes, this is of excellent quality,” his father said as he walked around his mother.

“W-What is?”

Multiple times he looked up from the picture to stare at her; and just as many times he returned to studying the picture. All of this while mumbling incoherently before finally approaching Hikari with his conclusion.

“My wife, wouldn’t it be a shame to ruin such beautiful pale skin with excess stress?” He lifted her arm, “And this texture—! Please Hikari, allow me the honor of giving you a massage to lessen your stress before you go.”

Hearing those words, her entire body shook as though a jolt ran through her, similar to receiving an electric shock; but with speeds just as fast she managed to regain her composure. To the untrained eye, a shock might be the most probable explanation. With a trained eye, however, one could safely, and unfortunately, assume that she must have had much practice in this sort of thing.

“A—Ara? Yuuto, it’s neither the time nor the place for this sort of thing. Also we’re in public, so do think of how we will be perceived….”

“Oho?” he said turning his attention to a certain part of her face. “You say that, but this part of you is already turning red. How cute! Your body is so honest in its reactions Hikari~.”

His words were true, but because he spoke them aloud the crimson color began spreading from her ears through her face.

“Ara ara,” she said, placing a hand on her cheek. “Will have to get the ladle again dear?”

“By all means, please do so.” he said leaning closer to her face, “But if you plan to serve me something, I highly suggest wearing your apron. We wouldn’t want to make a mess, now would we?”

He paused.

“Well, not too big a mess.”

Though her position had not changed, the crimson color had spread to her neck, turning a shade deeper.

Yuuko looked on in confusion, until he hit his hand with his fist.

“Ohhh, I get it! Don’t worry father, mother makes the best food! And the tastiest dessert!”

“Oooohohohohohoho— my dear son! You haven’t the slightest ide—AHOH!”

A great force had suddenly slammed into Yuuto’s chest.

“Dear, I do believe I told you not to teach our son such strange things.” she said, still holding a hand to her smiling face.

“Hnnnmmmnnnn……...n-noted…….” he said doubling over.

Hikari leaned down close to her son.

“Your mother has to get going now Yuuko. Are you going to be okay?”

With all the excitement that happened, it had slipped Yuuko’s mind that today was still the first day of classes. The jubilation he had from taking pictures and watching his parents was being replaced with a sense of anxiety.

No, not nervousness. It was more like—

“Well...I’m still scared, a little. There are a lot of people....”

“But remember what we talked about. It’s okay to be nervous, even a little scared,” she said lifting his chin. “But no matter what, I believe in you Yuuko. Do your best and you’ll do great, I know it!”

Her tension from earlier had almost disappeared, replaced with an excitement shown through clenched fists and sparkling, sun-filled eyes.

This, and her supporting words, lifted his spirits once more. His mother believes in him.

He…..can definitely do this!

“Hmm! I’ll do my best mother!”

“Ara, there’s my cheerful son.”

“Hnnnnnmm……..Yuuko……...please don’t ignore your father in painnnnnhhhhh......”

He raised his chin, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He would hate for her to be late, she’d get in trouble if that happened.

“I’ll see you both at dinner!”

“Goodbye mother!” Yuuko waved as she made her way through the iron gates of the school.

“Yeah…..goodbye dear!” his father said still holding his stomach.

“Hnn? Father, are you okay?”

“Just…. peachy son.”

As expected of his father; even when he didn’t feel well, he always kept going! As Yuuko mentally noted another cool thing about him—

“O--Oh! Dad, people are here! They’re coming!”

Grimacing, his father looked up, “Oho, looks like you’re right about that. We’d better hurry too, I have to leave after the ceremony.”

“R-Right!”

Thus, both left to the ceremony grounds, but as soon as they turned around—

“Ufu!”

“O-Oh! Yuuko, are you alright? — We’re terribly sorry about that, please excuse us!”

“I-I’m sorry! Are you okay?”

—they had immediately crashed into another family that had been standing directly behind them.

In reality, it had been more like one son crashing into another, with Yuuko having accidentally knocked the other boy down due to his momentum.

It appears they too were in the middle of taking of photo, and it was because their son was standing still that this happened.

“Not at all,” the father of the boy responded. “We should have been in a more open area. Hajimu, are you alright?”

“Yuuko, don’t stare, help him up.”

After a brief moment of embarrassment, he extended his hand to the boy still on the concrete.

But as he came closer the boy slapped his hand away.

But………….huh?

The boy, Hajimu, then turned his head toward the face that belonged to that helping hand. Yuuko saw only gritted teeth and narrow eyes.

Without saying another word, the boy rose and marched to a less populated area of the school yard.

“Oi, Hajimu come back!”

But those words were no use; for the boy was already out of earshot.

“I’m terribly sorry for that, truly. We should have been more careful.”

“Please, don't be,” Hajimu’s mother sighed. “He just had a rough morning is all.”

With that, bows were exchanged, and just like that the parents were gone.

As though the situation never happened in the first place.

As more people filed into the school, the pair remained silent; staring at the parents catching up to their son.

“Father?”

“No Yuuko.”

He looked up at his father confused.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. That’s what you were going to ask right? If you did something wrong?”

He merely nodded his head.

“Sometimes accidents happen Yuuko. You didn’t see him, and they probably didn’t see us. It’s no one’s fault. Okay?”

“I do not get it….……...is he mad?….”

His father slowly scratched the back of his head.

“Alright, how about this. The next time you see him, try and make it up to him. That way, you can say your sorry.”

“Will that be okay?”

Yuuto was faced with a difficult situation. He could see on his son’s face that the joy he had felt mere minutes ago had been replaced by a sense of guilt. Definitely a misunderstanding. The way he smiled earlier….he absolutely needed to get that back.

Suddenly, he was struck with an idea. And he could not help but laugh.

“Of course it will be Yuuko!” taking on an overly-dramatic pose. “Because this is an opportunity!”

With his son appearing mildly annoyed with his lack of an explanation, Yuuto quickly continued.

“Yuuko, what’s something that all heroes have in common?”

“I don’t know…..they’re cool?”

“And they also have a lot of friends! But they never start out that way, do they son?”

He could see the gears inside the mind of his child slowly turning, attempting to piece together what his words meant.

That he might be able to turn them into actions.

“So...I make friends with him?”

“Of course! This is your first chance to do something heroic; to make friends with someone who’s angry!”

He leaned down as he spoke his next words, “You did say he looked mad, right?”

Yuuko stood there as the words processed in his mind. Slowly but surely his mouth became agape, and the brilliant light in his eyes began to shine through once more.

“Then— Then this is my first chance to be a hero right!?”

“That is exactly right son. A hero always needs a good friend by his side—” he paused his sentence.

“But heroes are also often alone, at least at first. Even so, remember that they will always come out on top!”

“But-But after that I get to be a hero!”

He gave a hearty laugh. “After you make friends.”

As he finished his sentence, he took out his cell phone and began leaning toward his son.

“Father, what are you doing? We already took a picture with mother.”

“But this is one of father and son; and we must remember this day for when you finally do become a hero!”

It seemed his words had their intended effect.

“Remember Yuuko, smile bright so people can see you!”

As he positioned the phone, his only thought was that he would not trade in the smile his son made at that moment for the world.

I knew it would all be worth it.

With the two of them fully in the screen, his father pressed a button causing a momentary blink on the screen.

“A memory to be cherished,” he affirmed.

“Father?”

“Shhhh shhhh shh.” he said placing a finger on his son’s lips.

“No more words son. Just remember what I told you. And remember your mother’s words.”

“..to…. smile...?”

“That’s right. And when the time is right, I know you will do the right thing.”

“I….. do not think I get it.”

His father let out yet another laugh.

“Maybe not now, but you will soon. And Yuuko—”

His son looked up at him.

“Well…. actually…. nevermind. I’ve said enough. Now come on, we’re going to be late!”

“Yes!”

Yuuko turned around, eyes shining like the sun in the sky—

“I’m going to do my best!”

—and his fists were clenched.

“I can do this!”

* * * * *

“.....and that should be it! Again, welcome everyone to our first day, and to your new classroom!” said the energetic teacher.

“Miss Natsume, can we start the introductions now!?” called a random voice.

“I do believe it’s about that time! Would you like to go first?”

I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I

wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna

go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go

home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.

This was the only thought that had run through his head for the past hour. When he looked to the clock on the wall to check, however, he found it had only been fifteen minutes. In order to calm down, he attempted to remember the words his parents had spoken to him earlier— only to suddenly find.

I can’t remember anything they said! I can’t remember at all!

He had finally made it to his homeroom class. After the ceremony commemorating the start of the school year, he had been led to his class where seats were determined, and his teacher was introduced. All of this should have been exciting— he was excited when first entering the class— but now he could not focus for one very specific reason.

He shifted his view to the left side of the classroom. There, in the first row, was the boy he had run into earlier today.

This should be a good thing right? He can say he’s sorry, and be friends with him.

Yes, friends, now he remembered! His mother had told him to make friends and that it would be easy!

Or…. was that his father…….

Either way he still didn’t know how to be friends with people. Was he still mad? Sad now?

To make things worse, he hadn’t thought of making friends with so many people. Well, he thought of it, but seeing all of them here now was…...

Someone tapped his shoulder.

“Uyh— Yes!”

Laughter could be heard from around the class.

“Well, it’s your turn to introduce yourself silly! Tell us your name and something about yourself.”

“Yes ma’am!” he said standing up.

He looked around the room— there were so many people staring. And one of them was the boy. He needs to do something that will let him make friends with that boy and everyone else.

Something cool.

“Do your best.” that’s what his mother said.

“——————————” that’s what his father said.

What did dad say again!?

He couldn’t think. All he could remember was his mother’s words; but it was enough to start.

“M-May—My! My name is Yuuko. Y-Yuuko Asahino! And I...I.......”

Something cool.

Something cool for friends.

Friends?

Mom and dad……

Smile. The picture. They were smiling.

Remember to smile.

Those….were also his mother’s words.

He needs to smile too.

And dad’s picture. He was smiling.

And his father’s words…

A man smiles!

……….a man…...

………………….!

A half smile soon creeped onto Yuuko’s cheeks but was…. squiggling. He could feel it shake, and his legs soon followed; but he knew exactly what he was going to say. With a deep breath, Yuuko pointed at the ceiling and spoke from his heart.

“I want to be a hero!”

It seemed like time grinded to a halt. Everything froze. The silent stares of his classmates were burning into him without mercy.

But then there were voices.

The voices were met with a mixture of laughter. Looking around, some people did neither; only staring in silence. A handful actually…… started clapping.

“Well, that’s!.....admirable. Well done Yuuko, I’m so glad you’re here. Right everyone?”

He took his seat after the rest of the students began to clap.

He…...did it.

His legs stomped the floor in excitement as he bent over, clutching his fists.

He did it!

He hadn’t seen the boy’s face, but with such a cool introduction he’d surely be his friend!

"Thank you mother!" He spoke in his mind. "Thank you father!"

You guys are the best!

Part 3

“You are the absolute worst.”

His boss didn’t mince words. Straight to the point.

How very like him.

However, he couldn’t fault him. He had every right to speak in the way he did.

“You have the audacity to show up an hour and a half late to work today of all days? Do you care nothing for the people you work with? The people of this company?”

Yuuto remained in a deep bow, “You have my sincerest apologies. I am truly sorry. It’s just that…..today was an important day sir.”

“Yes. It was. Not that you were here for our partnership review with Fable that ended twenty minutes ago.”

Yuuto remained silent, and his boss heaved a sigh.

“Get back. I’ll decide what to do with you later.”

Rising, he bowed once more, and left without another word.

It had been an important day today. Although he would never say it out loud, he would always choose anything of mild importance over the company he works in, as the mountains of paperwork on his desk made quite obvious. Any sane man would be worried about his job, worried about the repercussions that would surely come from having consistently awful reviews. But he couldn’t bring himself to care about that. His boss, his work, his career, his coworkers. Only two things were at the forefront of his mind.

He started on his work.

Yes. It’s always those two. Hikari seemed to be well this morning— he felt guilty, lying about when he needed to enter work today, but she would have insisted on staying with Yuuko for his ceremony if he hadn’t; and her job was far more important and productive than his— at least for the moment. He had also taken all the pictures she asked for regarding the ceremony, so it should be fine. He took them on both his phone and the camera she gave him after his…… invitation for a cooking session.

In nothing but her apron.

He began imagining her smell, how her body felt so warm when she lay next to him. And her voice…..delicate, sweet, yet firm……..much like a flower. Not to mention her frightening intellectual prowess, and wisdom only a mother could have. She was a flower of steel.

Of course, all those things about her were wonderful, but her figure was exceptional as well….

It’s not weird I have her three sizes memorized right? I’m her husband after all. If I can recite them again—

—no no no! Not now, not at work…...come on, focus…...

Reigning in his imagination, Yuuto began looking for a distraction; and his mind provided just what he needed. The other person that was never far from his mind.

There is definitely something wrong with him.

Should a father even say such a thing? That there is something wrong with his child?

………..truth be told, he knew he was partially responsible for the way his child was turning out, but regardless of his influence, Yuuko shouldn’t be thinking the way he is. No, he shouldn’t be thinking that way for at least a few more years. He was no expert in psychology, but he was fairly certain that a child shouldn’t be developing a false sense of guilt.

Why would a child feel such an emotion in the first place? In his many years of fatherhood, he had never heard about a child as young as his developing guilt for something they were not directly responsible for; some children don’t even feel it when they are responsible.

So why?

Of course, he knew the answer. It came when he told his son that he possessed something valuable. Something he, himself, did not have.

He reclined back in his chair.

Hikari had mentioned before that Yuuko was far too young to understand what an ideal is. But is that really true? If it is, can that truly prevent him from following one?

What scared him most was the fact that he absorbed knowledge like a sponge. Not necessarily academic pursuits, though he was happy his son was excelling in those areas too, but the knowledge of the world around him. He wanted to know about right and wrong so he knows how to act, and where to go, metaphorically speaking.

He raves on and on about heroes, but the topic is rarely their powers or possessions. It’s always about what they do.

As though he already knows a hero is measured by their actions.

……….as though he genuinely believes in heroism.

This then begs the question: Is it even a good idea for him to follow one?

An ideal?

Heroes are often times alone.

That’s what he told his son. Any father should feel terrible for saying something so harsh; but not him. It’s probably— no— it’s absolutely selfish; but he needs to prepare him for the hardships that come from a desire to be a hero. For a child as rare as his own, it’s absolutely needed. And it’s not as though he was unfamiliar with the process; the only difference being in his case…..

Yuuto *fuahhh* let out a long exhale.

“What am I doing to my own child?”

He looked up at the clock, it was right before lunch. He should probably go and eat something, but didn’t want to break his concentration by leaving. The good thing about being distracted is that his mind goes on autopilot, and he can complete his work without feeling like he was working. It helps the day pass quicker too.

It also helps that none of his coworkers bother him. The less distractions, the sooner he can leave. The sooner he can see the only people that give his life meaning.

He spent a long time learning how to build a home; how to live peacefully with himself.

That’s why he would not let that once familiar numbing return.

Because he has a home to return too.

“I’ll be fine.” he whispered into the silence. And he believed those words.

Yet, as he recounted the events of his life, a numbing sensation in the back of his heart reminded him.

It reminded him that he would not promise such a thing.

Part 4

“Aren’t you the one who said something about being a hero?”

Yuuko had his hand outstretched as the first day of school had come to an end for the students. Well, almost all of them. Because his parents still didn’t want him walking to and from school by himself, Yuuko was enrolled in the school’s after-class care program. Very few schools offered it, and it’s for this reason they decided enroll him. They even let him see the announcement for it:

「A program specifically designated for children whose parents both work, students can partake in the various activities the school offers while waiting for their parents to finish their work for the day. As primary school students can’t enroll in any official clubs, many teachers offer “miniature clubs” for children. These “mini-clubs” offer children the chance to safely experience anything from sports to calligraphy, from baking to simply studying. We are confident you and your child will find something you enjoy! Extensively monitored, parents can rest easy knowing that their children are supervised at all times during all tasks. We look forward to working with families to bring an enriching experience for all!」

Though Yuuko couldn’t understood everything, he grasped the basics of doing something while waiting for his parents. He tried telling his parents that he could walk home okay, but they always told him the same thing over and over.

“Once you’re older.”

Or

“Once you’ve stayed at the school longer.”

Heroes could walk home fine!.......but they also listened to their parents. At least, that’s what his parents said.

Earlier in the day, as soon as they had free time, he wrote down everything they had told him about friends so that he wouldn’t forget.

I have to smile. And then shake hands? Mother said something about a hand. And then be a hero! Or a man, like father. Both? Oh! And I have to be nice. I think mother said that.

But still, he could still hardly believe how lucky he was. Except for one other person, there were no other people in the classroom. The teacher was gone, as it wasn’t time for the program to start, and would be back when she knew where to send them.

In the meantime, his focus would be the boy slouched on his desk. The one from this morning.

Slowly walking towards where he is sitting, Yuuko recalled the notes he wrote, and stretched out his hand. The boy looked up with a bored expression.

“Aren’t you the one who said something about being a hero?”

“I-I’m Yuuko Asahino. I’m in your class and I sit over there—”

He pointed in the direction of the desk closest to the wall.

“I know you’re in this class. I can see you.”

“Oh! Yes. Ummm…I think we shake hands now.” he said shaking his entire arm for emphasis.

Propping himself up with both elbows, the boy now looked at his hand with a slight curiosity.

“Why do you talk like that?”

“Hmm? Like how?”

“You just said ‘yes’. Why do you talk like that?”

“I…. umm……. is it bad?”

“You two boys, come with me, it’s about time we started.”

Before giving a response, the two were called down by their teacher entering the classroom.

“Do I really have to?”

“Yes Hajimu. Your parents trusted us and we can’t have you walking home by yourself. But cheer up!—” she suddenly emphasized her tone. “We’ll play games and get to know each other. It’ll be loads of fun— I promise!”

Left without choice, the two followed their teacher into the school’s track field.

The afternoon sun wasn’t as hot as it appeared to be; and though it was a bit more humid, the pleasant temperature from this morning was very much the same.

As Yuuko and Hajimu were herded into a small group of other first-years, Yuuko tapped on the shoulder of the boy with straight black hair.

“What?”

“We still need to shake hands!”

“I don’t wanna shake you hand.”

“But…..why not?”

Yuuko’s outstretched hand slowly returned to his side, his smile along with it.

When the boy made no attempt to answer, he reached into his pocket to retrieve his notes. He smiled, tried the handshake, maybe he wasn’t nice?

“OH!”

It was a good thing they were in the back of the group, because the sudden outcry from Yuuko caused several people to look at him.

“Sorry! I—I am sorry.”

He suddenly thought of the one thing he needed to do. Of course! Why didn’t he say that the first time?—it was the most important part!

He tapped the boy’s shoulder once more.

“What?” he said in a much more aggravated tone.

“I am sorry for bumping into you this morning, I did not mean too. Are you okay?”

Seconds after he finished his question, the boy turned red in the face and his arms began shaking. Was he sick? Yuuko once felt really sick and looked the same way. Could that be it? He didn’t feel well?

“No. I’m not. Wanna know why?”

Yuuko had no chance to respond before the boy began speaking again—

“Because I hate today! First, my mom and dad didn’t make my favorite breakfast even though they promised they would! Want to know what else? I had to walk all the way to school when they said we were taking our car. We took forever! I hate walking, and my shoes got dirty on the way here!”

“.....but…..I like wal—”

“I’m not done!” he growled. “We had to pass by some stupid dog that kept barking at us, and when we finally got here, I was supposed to take a picture with our maid! She wasn’t here because they said she was ‘busy’. I love her, and they don’t even let me see her! I didn’t want to take a picture without her and they made me take one anyway!”

Yuuko seemed stuck in time; rehearing the one part of the story he could relate to.

“A dog? Did you say a do—”

“And to make it all worse,” the boy said as he approached Yuuko, “I have to get stuck with some weirdo who doesn’t leave me alone!”

A great weight was suddenly thrust against his chest, and before he knew it, he was lying face-down in the dusty field.

He didn’t understand. He didn’t understand why the boy had pushed him. He didn’t understand if he said the wrong thing. He didn’t understand why he didn’t want to be nice.

He didn’t understand. Not one bit.

The only thing he did understand— why everything looked so watery.

“Ahhh, Hajimu what are you doing now?”

“Come on, you’re going to get in trouble like last time.”

His train of thought was interrupted by two boys approaching their group. One had on a baseball cap, while the other one had glasses that covered most of his face.

“Sora, Daisuke! What are you guys doing here?”

Exchanging high fives, he greeted the boys with a smile as they joined the group.

The one with the cap, Sora, walked over to where Yuuko still lay on the floor. Pretending to examine him, he walked around, mumbling various phrases to himself as Yuuko hurriedly wiped the liquid forming in his eyes— the boy finally stopping before him.

“So, why’d he push you?”

“Don’t talk to him,” Hajimu warned, “He’s weird.”

“He doesn’t look weird.”

“Are you weird?” asked Daisuke.

I……..was……..weird?

“N-No….I do not think so….”

“Yes he is, he talks about shaking hands and being a hero and stuff.”

“Heroes are cool….” Yuuko mumbled weakly.

“The coolest one is always going to be Night.” Daisuke said pushing up his glasses while staring at Sora.

He must have been louder than he thought.

“You’re always going to be wrong,” his friend said as he rose and dusted off his pants. “Day is the best hero, Night is just weird and he has lame powers.”

“Night wins in a fight. It rhymes so it’s true.”

“It’s not true and that’s just a lame excuse!”

“Do you guys always have to talk about this?” Hajimu sighed.

Yuuko stared absentmindedly at the two as they spoke. Night and Day? But they were talking about people. That means….

“I-I like Hiro the best!” he half shouted and whispered.

The two quickly turned around from their argument. Sora squinted his eyes as he spoke—

“You watch Night and Day?”

“It is not my favorite anime, but I like it a lot.”

And it was true. Though he may not have anything related to the anime, he still liked watching it with his father and mother on TV. Sometimes they would even watch new episodes on the computer.

Daisuke was the first to come to his senses.

“Why Hiro? He doesn’t have any powers?”

Yuuko slowly rose from the ground as he spoke. “Father says that Hiro is the best because he doesn’t have any powers. He says it’s easy to be a superhero when you have them, but it’s hard when you don’t. A hero always does the hard thing.”

“But you can’t be a superhero without any powers,” Daisuke retorted.

“Yeah, and plus, having superpowers seems awesome! Day melted that giant robot with the sun and always beats up the people! Hiro doesn’t do anything.”

“Night also gives people nightmares, that’s really scary, he could do it to Hiro and he’d lose.”

“He takes them on adventures. Also, when they lost their powers, Hiro saved them. That means that if Hiro gets powers, he would beat them, cause he beat them when they did not have any.”

“Oi that’s not true!”—“No he can’t!”

The two friends shouted in unison.

“Will you guys be quiet!” said the third voice. “Talk about something else!”

As soon as he spoke, a teacher called for all students’ attention. Yuuko almost forgot where he was— it would seem that the program was about to begin.

“I don’t wanna do this!” Hajimu complained to his friends. As they agreed with him, he suddenly went silent.

“Follow me!” he said as he began moving towards the fence that separated the school from the small patch of forest surrounding it.

“Wait, where are you going?” asked the boy with the cap.

“On an adventure! Only real men are allowed to break the rules.”

He turned towards Yuuko. “If you wanna be lame and play hero, then you can stay here you weirdo.”

“Ohhhh, that rhymed!” gleed the boy with glasses.

Watching the two follow their friend into the forest beyond, Yuuko felt a heavy weight build inside his chest.

He’s not lame or weird…...but most importantly, he is a man too! But before he completed his second step, he froze in place.

…...heroes are not supposed to break the rules….

...but this was okay. Yes! He has to show them that he’s cool, that he’s definitely a man!..

As the weight inside him became just a bit heavier, he grit his teeth and followed the figures in front of him.

Part 5

The roll down the hill had left him feeling sad for dirtying his clothes, but glad because he did a cool move in front of his classmates. Surely, it was only a matter of time now before they became his friends! They would do all kinds of things together, like eating lunch, talking about anime, and doing homework together! Well, he would need to finish his homework before he can watch anime, otherwise his mother would catch him. One time his mother had left him to do some math sheets while she went out for a little while; he started watching TV instead and when his mother came back and caught him….

He shivered when he remembered.

Besides that…..friends also go on adventures, right? They could explore around the town and visit shrines full of mystery! Maybe they’d find a shrine right now?

The thought caused Yuuko to stop.

“Hey, guys, where are we going?”

It seems that Sora and Daisuke also wondered the same thing because they too, came to a stop.

“I dunno…..hey Hajimu! Where’re we going?”

The boy came to a stop and turned around triumphantly.

“We’re hunting!”

There was a brief respite as the three boys processed the words he just said.

“Why?” asked Sora.

“Because it’s fun!”

“But there’s nothing here.” added Daisuke.

“Yes there is— look!” he said as he pointed to a squirrel twenty feet away. The small creature had its back turned, perhaps looking for something.

Without delay, Hajimu quickly picked up the nearest rock and threw it with all his might in the direction of the animal.

By coincidence or sheer luck, the stone struck the back of the animal, causing it to quickly flee in the opposite direction. Soon, it began climbing up the branches of a tree and disappeared from sight.

“HA! Told ya hunting was fun!”

His friends stared at him in awe.

“Hajimu that was awesome!”

“Leave it to you to do the impossible.” said Daisuke pushing up his glasses, but quickly pointed upward. “Look!”

On one of the branches of a great thick tree, was a small, yellow bird. The boys watched as it carried sticks and added them to a small pile. After a few minutes, its blue beak began expertly crafting and intertwining the various wooden pieces it collected into what soon became a very beautiful nest. After what seemed like tens of minutes of adjusting, the bird sat down in its new home, closing its eyes.

“That’s our new target, whoever gets it wins!” screeched Hajimu

“But…. we should not hurt it.”

“Haaaaaah? What are you talking about you weirdo? We’re not going to kill it.”

“But it worked hard on it….” he softly responded.

“Yeahhhhh, I’m with Yuuko. I don’t wanna, plus, it’s too high.”

Unexpectedly, the Sora joined in with Yuuko.

“Y-Yes, I think so too! We should just go bac—”

“I bet you just can’t reach it.” interrupted Daisuke.

And Sora’s eyebrow twitched.

“What did you say?”

“You can’t reach it. You want to be on a baseball team and can’t throw high. I bet I can reach it before you can, and if I win, you have to let me talk to your sister.”

“Oh! Me too!” added Hajimu.

“There’s no way I’m letting you guys do that!” he shouted.

Grabbing the nearest stone, Sora threw it with all his might, wildly missing.

“Hahahah, that was bad!” Hajimu pointed at Sora, but then shifted his attention to Daisuke. “If I win, you have to let me sleepover and stay with your mom!”

“No!” his friend said, angrily taking off his glasses to clean them. “But if I win, you have to give me your allowance for a month!”

“If I win, you both have to let me hit you with a rock for making fun of me!” interjected Sora.

“Guys— friends— we should stop, we’re going to hit it!”

“Oi! Shut up Yuuko! That’s the whole point!” shouted the once friendly Sora.

“I bet he’s scared he can’t hit it.” laughed Daisuke.

“If you’re not going to do anything than leave and find me some rocks.” said Hajimu, briefly turning around. “Only real men get to play, not stupid weirdos like you.”

The words bounced around in Yuuko’s mind.

Stupid. Weird. Slowpoke. Not a man.

A bubble of anger formed inside his chest, right where the heavy feeling was.

“I’m...”

He thought he was doing a good job of being cool. He thought he was nice to them.

He was doing his best, wasn’t he?

“I’m......”

He had to reach his hand out…….right?

“I’m...!”

And the bubble erupted.

“I’m a man too!” he veered at the top of his lungs.

Grabbing the closest stone he could find, Yuuko hurled it towards his target; and the yellow bird’s home disappeared in an instant.

With precision he didn’t intend for, not only had the stone hit the bird’s nest, but it connected to the bird itself, hitting it right in its wing. This became easily noticeable when the bird desperately tried to correct itself during freefall; and at the last moment, just before striking the ground, it did.

All four boys stared in quiet shock at the scene. The bird lay on the ground, erratically moving its body and wings. This made it all the more strange to hear it chirping soft and beautiful sounds.

Engraving the flailing bird into their memories, Daisuke finally spoke up.

“Does…. this mean that Yuuko won the bet?”

“As long as you guys didn’t win that’s fine!” Sora said turning around to put a hand on Yuuko’s shoulder. “Thanks Yuuko, I didn’t want them to win.”

“How’d you do that anyway?” Hajimu uttered in disbelief.

“I…. did not mean to.”

“You won the bet, so what do you want?” the boy in glasses asked.

“I do not know….. are you guys my friends?” he asked.

Before any of them could answer, the bell for the school began ringing, signalling their return.

“We have to go back fast! Come on guys!”

As Hajimu, Sora, and Daisuke ran towards the sound of the distant bell, Yuuko stood still. He didn’t want to move.

No— it would be more appropriate to say that he couldn’t move even if he wanted.

He clutched at his chest.

His three classmates were soon out of sight; leaving him alone.

"I should go back…."

Slowly, he placed one foot in front of the other. And then the next.

One more.

Soon, he had a steady, albeit slow, pace back to the school grounds.

Before leaving the area, he turned back; and saw something reflected back into his golden eyes.

It was the yellow bird, hopping around in the dirt, collecting the sticks it once used as its home. As it moved around, Yuuko saw something strange about it, but wasn’t until it tried to fly back to the branch that he noticed it didn’t fly as easily as it had earlier. Its wing might be broken.

Yet it still flew.

As Yuuko watched, the bird repeated this process time and time again; and even though its tiny beak only held one or two sticks at a time, it kept going.

It would build its home once more.