2 (I) The path is painful to walk

The trail is littered with several broken branches, and the ground is uneven. What might a forest hold in store for us? A red carpet? In the unlikely event that I encounter such a red-carpet greeting within the forest, I'll turn around and sprint back, possibly breaking the world record for the fastest man alive. It stands to reason that human would find it challenging to navigate the forest. Browny enjoyed the trip by jumping on the broken branches on the ground and circling Rin in the middle, as Rin and I struggled to move through the forest with our luggage...

You might be thinking right now that Rin and I made a wonderful gesture by walking in the forest while holding hands tightly. Sincerely, I also wish that were the case. Let's face it, she is the one I love, so there is nothing wrong with expecting a romantic gesture. The reality, though, can be harsh.

You guys seem to have forgotten that we are in a forest and not at a party where we may hold hands and move around or dance with ease. In a forest, you must carefully prepare each step since you never know what will happen when you take it. Therefore, I should walk a little in front of Rin to avoid any unexpected situations. My major priority is to keep Rin safe from any danger. You folks are yelling at me, I can hear it.

"You're being made fun of for bringing a girl into the forest and then talk about protecting her". Although I accept your anger, we arranged this journey for a reason. You must be aware of Rin's identity if you would like to know the cause.

Our journey appears to be going smoothly so far, and I am walking in front of Rin and Browny to protect her as well as me. You might now be asking why I am with her, why I am protecting her, and whether it's because I love her. I don't know, but something inside of me tells me to protect her at any cost.

** Girl with a smile **

"Wait, let's stop here" a voice came from the back, it was none other than Rin herself. What occurred, I questioned? with a hint of surprise and uncertainty in my voice. "Nothing wrong, Lahsiv, there's a great spot where we can relax", she smiled and pointed to a spot where little grass was growing uniformly and sunshine was reaching the ground because the tree branches were not blocking the sun's rays.

I immediately responded that we could travel a little further, that it's not difficult to find a site like this in a forest, and that we could find a new one. "Don't be tough, I know you're tired, even if you're not tired and want to act tough, we're still going to stop here, Browny is tired and needs to rest its legs," she remarked angrily.

What did I do next!? I simply obeyed her without saying anything. Rin began distributing the sandwiches she had made, and Browny received its special dog food. She smiled at me as she always did. I remember the day we first met, and the one thing I remember most about it is the smile she gave me.

I was about ten years old at the time, and I used to be mischievous and carefree, causing trouble in my neighborhood. No one my age will play with me or even like me to begin with, but she doesn't care about that; she treats me as if I were her family. Honestly, I don't know why she liked me. Rin has spent her entire life in the church, and she has no idea if her parents are alive or dead. People in the village believe her parents abandoned her because she does not bring good luck, but the priest at the church is so good that he is the only one who truly cares about Rin.

If I were in Rin's circumstances, I would despise every one of my neighbors and turn into some kind of a villain, but Rin loved them back. She helps villagers in need, as well as the sick, poor, and everyone in need. I believe she picked up this habit from the priest, or from the preaching she hears at church, or maybe it's just her personality.

To put it simply, she did not have a pleasant upbringing like most girls, she regularly forgets her birthday, always wears a smile on her face, helps others, and treats me as if I were her family, and these are the only things I know about her. Because I am not particularly gifted at observing and interacting, I am likely to have overlooked many wonderful aspects of Rin. Ha ha ha