"Kisame! Let's play ninja!"

The boy with shark characteristics pressed his lips together, knowing full well who that voice belonged to.

What an annoying girl...he thought with irritation. He could feel the stares of the kids from the academy. He could hear the whispers that awakened to gossip about Kisame and Amaya.

"Look, I told you I don't want to." Kisame faced his neighbour, turning half his body towards her.

"That was yesterday. Today is today. Do you want to play today?" Amaya asked with a smile.

Kisame wanted to rip that smile off her face; why was she smiling so happily at him? Was she pitying him because he didn't play with the others?

"I. Don't. Want. To." Kisame hissed each word and glared at the female with night coloured eyes.

The kids around the area were all watching closely. They were shocked that Amaya had even gone up to the dangerous child with sharp teeth – something they wouldn't dare to do. Why did she extend a hand out to him? What was she trying to gain?

Kisame took a glance at Amaya's expression. The happiness had dimmed down a notch, but was still there. His eye twitched, seeing her still display that emotion.

"Don't ask me again." Kisame frowned and stomped off, his fists clenched.

Amaya followed his body with her eyes. He was angry because she had asked him to play? Why? Amaya didn't get it.

"Amaya-kun, don't talk to him! He'll eat and kill you if you become friends with him!" A female classmate whispered to the girl.

Amaya ignored the masculine honorific (which was due to her short style and clothes) and stared at Kisame's retreating back, choosing not to reply back to her classmate.

He'll eat and kill me, huh?

Amaya glanced at the girls on the side lines. They were watching her and the boys play a game of catch, where they had to throw a ball at each other and catch it. If they dropped it, they were out.

Amaya was the only female playing. She normally played with the boys and was sometimes mistaken as one. She didn't mind too much, since she thought highly and equally of both genders. But it did irk her when she wasn't able to play with the girls because they thought she was too much like a guy.

"Amaya! Over here!" A boy jumped with his arms stretched, hoping for her to pass to him. The young female threw the ball. As she did, her eyes caught sight of a flash of blue.

It was Kisame. He was watching them play from behind a large tree. His gaze lingered on Amaya, who had caught him, before he left with an impassive expression.

"Ah! You dropped it! You're out!" A few boys cheered. The boy that Amaya had thrown the ball to had dropped it. He groaned and made his way to the sidelines where the other kids sat.

Amaya's dark blue eyes had gone back to tree. Her gaze loitered for a moment before she made up her mind. She focused her attention back to the game.

I'll definitely get him to say 'yes'.

"Kisame, let's play together!"

"Kisame, do you want to play with us?"

"Kisame, are you free right now?"

"Kisame, I think you'll be really good at this game! Come play!"

"Kisame, join us!"

"Kisame, come on, let's go play!"

"Kisame, let's make a tag team!"

The blue skinned boy clenched his teeth together and finally exploded. Amaya had repeatedly pestered him like an annoying mosquito to join her and play games over the short course of the week. He could feel his anger bubbling over the top.

"Shut up!" Kisame snapped. Amaya bore a surprised expression as she listened to his outburst. "I don't want to play! Stop asking me! It's annoying! You're annoying!Don't ask me ever again!" He shouted.

Amaya stood there dumbfounded, her eyes wide. The other kids had watched the whole situation unfold. They were shocked, to say the least, but they expected that to happen. She had bugged him for the whole week! The only one who didn't expect that to happen was Amaya.

"I can't believe she's still asking him to play with us..." A boy muttered quietly.

"I know right..." Another boy shook his head with exasperation.

Amaya heard what the other boys said. She narrowed her eyes and turned around to face the boys, giving them a piece of her mind. "Don't say that! I'm asking him because he looked like he wanted to play! And it will be more fun with more people! He's probably really good at catching and playing what we play! And don't be mean! He's actually really nice!" Amaya exclaimed. Her small hands had clenched into fists and she was slightly frowning at the boys.

Her classmates stared in shock as she reprimanded them. She was telling them off?

"Nice? He'll eat you!" A boy retorted with a scoff.

"That's mean! He won't eat any of us! He's human like us too! Plus, if he wanted to eat any of us he would have already done it by now!" Amaya responded, placing her hands on her hips.

The boy glanced at Kisame, who had the most astonished expression on his face, and then at Amaya, before shaking his head and stepping down.

Victory, Amaya thought. She glanced around to see if anyone else was going to say anything, but thankfully, no one took the opportunity. Instead, they all went to another area, leaving Amaya and Kisame alone.

"If she comes back alive then we know he's no trouble."

"If she comes back alive."

"Yeah."

"They're gone." Amaya stated bluntly. She saw their backs a hundred or so metres away. They were no doubt watching Amaya and Kisame. They just wanted to retreat a safe distance so that if anything happened, it was not their fault.

"...why did you defend me? I'm nice?" Kisame was stupefied.

"Yeah? Everyone's nice." Amaya grinned and pointed to him, "And I think you're nice too!"

"The hell...?" Kisame grumbled, frowning. He met her dark eyes with his own. He was honestly flabbergasted that this girl was even thinking that way. Was she okay in the head?

"I've been purposely rude to you so you could go away! Why do you keep annoying me?" Kisame's anger had been replaced with sincere disbelief.

"Well, I did say I wanted to be your friend, didn't I?" Amaya's words never faltered. Her eyes held a clear truth and one goal.

Kisame just gaped at her. This girl was serious!

He ground his teeth and sighed deeply, pressing his lips together. Turning his head and staring at the ground, he mumbled, "Fine. I'll play."

Amaya froze at those words and she just stared at him, speechless. She opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish before she grinned, extending her hand like she did on their first meeting.

"Come on, Kisame! Let's go play!"

His eyes flickered to her hand. He remembered how he brushed her off rudely before. Hesitantly, he raised his arm to take her hand. Amaya just stood there, patiently waiting. She had a smile on her lips the whole time. Once he took her hand, her smile changed into a wide grin. Her hand squeezed his and she pulled him towards the others, running to them whilst dragging him along.

"O-Oi!" Kisame nearly tripped over from the sudden pull. His eyes carefully watched the female in front of him, who was joyfully shouting out to the others and telling them that he was joining.

Why is she so happy that I'm playing? What am I to her? Only a stranger...thoughts circulated in Kisame's head. As she dragged him with her, a tiny pull of the lips upwards caused a tiny smile.

Maybe she's not so bad, after all.