1 A New Friend, A New Start

I am Yuta Yuuidai and I live in Tokyo City. It's a warm and sunny day, and I'm playing baseball with my brother, Yano Yuuidai. He is teaching me baseball for my tournament match. I accidentally threw the ball too fast, and it went onto the road. I said, "Don't worry, I will get the ball," but he didn't listen and went to retrieve it himself. Suddenly, a truck appeared out of nowhere and hit him. At that moment, my heart felt empty, and I shouted my brother's name for about 5 minutes. Neighbors called an ambulance, and they took my brother to the hospital. Unfortunately, he passed away during the operation.

After that, I didn't talk to anyone for many days. I didn't go to school and rarely left my house. I stayed at home, unable to recover from that moment.

After two months, I started going to school, but I still didn't talk much. The incident continued to haunt me, and I would sit in my room, staring at the roof. One day, I overheard my parents talking to someone, so I opened the door. I saw my father talking to a family who had recently moved from outside Tokyo. They were going to stay in our house for rent. After hearing this, I went back to my room. The daughter of the new family, who was around my age, approached me and asked for my name. I reluctantly told her my name and closed the door, annoyed.

Later that evening, while sitting on the roof of my house, I could clearly see the sunset. Suddenly, she also came to the roof.

She: Why don't you talk to anyone, and why are you always in your room?

I am watching the sunrise

Me: what's your name?

She: My name is Sharin. I came here to ask if you could come out with me tomorrow. I want to explore this city, but since I don't know Tokyo well, I might get lost. Can you come with me and guide me?

I said, "No," with no expression on my face.

Sharin: If you don't show me around the city, I will tell your parents that you haven't been behaving well towards me.

Me: sighing heavily I have no other choice but to say okay.

The next day, I reluctantly prepared to go out with Sharin. We walked along the pathways, but I didn't know which places to show her since I wasn't the type of person who went out often. Suddenly, someone called my name from behind, and I turned to see my friend, Shota. He is my best friend, always there for me when I'm sad. He is very friendly and energetic.

Shota: Hey, is that you, Yuta?

I said, "Yes, are you blind?"

Shota: Looks like you've got a girlfriend there, you lucky bastard.

Me: She's not my girlfriend, you idiot. She's new in town and staying in my house. She asked me to show her around Tokyo, that's why I'm with her.

Shota: Okay, I get it now. But you're not the type of guy who knows good places to go. I'll guide you two today if you don't mind.

Me: Okay, as long as you keep that stupid mouth of yours shut.

We continued walking along the pathways. Shota told us some lame jokes that weren't even funny, but for some reason, I felt an enjoyable vibe and found myself laughing with Shota and Sharin. It was the first time I had laughed since my brother's death. I realized that I had missed this in the two months after his passing. It felt good, and I smiled while watching the sky.

After some time, we arrived at a museum. Shota enthusiastically claimed it was the best museum in the world. Sharin asked what was special about it, and I explained that Shota's father owned the museum. We entered, and while Sharin and I waited for tickets, Shota argued with the receptionist, trying to get us free entry because of his father's connection. Eventually, Shota's father arrived and let us in but not before giving Shota a slap for causing a scene. Inside, we explored old paintings and ancient artifacts. Soon, we grew bored and decided to go somewhere else.

Suddenly, Shota accidentally dropped a precious old vase, and his father started coming toward us, clearly angry. We quickly ran out of the museum, finding the situation amusing. We continued walking, heading towards the beach because Shota mentioned a festival happening there that night.

As we entered the beach, we were greeted by a bustling crowd. Sharin and I sat on the sand, gazing at the sky while Shota went to buy some snacks for us. Sharin shared stories about her childhood, mentioning how she used to play alone in the park in her village since there were few children her age. That's why her parents decided to move to Tokyo for her education. She found Tokyo beautiful and no longer felt lonely because she now had two friends. She thanked me, and I replied that I should be the one thanking her and Shota. Thanks to them, I had laughed and had fun again today.

Suddenly, Shota joined us, urging us to look up at the sky. We observed dozens of beautiful fireworks lighting up the night. It was a breathtaking sight, and the three of us watched in awe. In that moment, Sharin placed her hand on mine and smiled at me. I blushed, but our moment was interrupted as Shota exclaimed, "I dropped my ice cream, oh no!" Sharin burst into laughter, covering her mouth, and then she asked if we could go out like this again. I replied with a definite "yes," and we continued to admire the beautiful fireworks together.