A Single Footprint in the Snow (15)
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN: Ninomiya Kazunari, Age: 8 -- Aiba Masaki, Age: 8
A single street lamp on the perimeter casts its weak, yellow glow over the park. Aiba passes the bush where Nino is hidden several times, but the foliage and dark shadows effectively shroud Nino from his friend. Aiba doesn't quit. He knows Nino is here somewhere and continues calling until a quarter of an hour later.
Nino gives in. He stands up abruptly from the bushes, giving his friend a fright. Aiba swallows the beginning of a shriek and coughs violently.
"Why are you bothering me?" Nino demands. "Go home."
Aiba pulls himself together and gasps, "No."
Nino raises a clenched fist, but Aiba knows Nino will not hurt him. He is young, selfless and brazen. Without a thought, he grasps Nino's wrist and begins to drag his friend towards their home.
"It is not your fault, Kazu," Aiba says. "Don't run away."
Nino tries to put up a strong front, but Aiba's unwavering support chips away his armor. His eyes fill up with tears and he hangs his head as his friend continues to pull him along.
His parents had been arguing again. Once it began, Nino had run to his room, but even there he had not been able to keep their voices out.
Aiba's grip remains on his wrist, the strong grasp giving Nino warm steadiness. He swipes his free arm across his eyes and sniffs.
He hates it when his parents argue, but the reason he had run tonight is for a different reason. He'd overhead his mother threaten his father and he tells his best friend now, "Masaki, I might go far away."
Aiba's footsteps falter for a heartbeat. "Why? Where will you go?"
"If mom leaves and goes to grandpa, then my sister and I will go with her," Nino murmurs. His grandfather lives in a different prefecture far from here. If he leaves, he will never see Aiba again.
Aiba stops suddenly, knowing as much. He turns to confront Nino. In contrast to his previous forebearance, tears spring to his eyes. His fingers squeeze Nino's wrist until the latter flinches.
"No, you can't go," Aiba declares. He struggles to contain his sobs before bursting into tears. "Kazu, you can't run away. Not without me."
Nino feels powerless. He pulls his hand from Aiba's grasp and watches his forlorn friend as if from far away. He knows he is the cause of those tears falling from Aiba's eyes. When his mother had stated as a matter of fact to his father that she would be leaving and taking the children with her, Nino had panicked. Watching Aiba bemoan their fate, he feels even more pitiful.
"I'm sorry," he says.
Aiba reaches out and takes his hand again. "It is not your fault," he repeats. "Don't go away, Kazu."
* *
SIXTEEN
FIFTEEN: Ninomiya Kazunari, Age: 8 -- Aiba Masaki, Age: 8
A single street lamp on the perimeter casts its weak, yellow glow over the park. Aiba passes the bush where Nino is hidden several times, but the foliage and dark shadows effectively shroud Nino from his friend. Aiba doesn't quit. He knows Nino is here somewhere and continues calling until a quarter of an hour later.
Nino gives in. He stands up abruptly from the bushes, giving his friend a fright. Aiba swallows the beginning of a shriek and coughs violently.
"Why are you bothering me?" Nino demands. "Go home."
Aiba pulls himself together and gasps, "No."
Nino raises a clenched fist, but Aiba knows Nino will not hurt him. He is young, selfless and brazen. Without a thought, he grasps Nino's wrist and begins to drag his friend towards their home.
"It is not your fault, Kazu," Aiba says. "Don't run away."
Nino tries to put up a strong front, but Aiba's unwavering support chips away his armor. His eyes fill up with tears and he hangs his head as his friend continues to pull him along.
His parents had been arguing again. Once it began, Nino had run to his room, but even there he had not been able to keep their voices out.
Aiba's grip remains on his wrist, the strong grasp giving Nino warm steadiness. He swipes his free arm across his eyes and sniffs.
He hates it when his parents argue, but the reason he had run tonight is for a different reason. He'd overhead his mother threaten his father and he tells his best friend now, "Masaki, I might go far away."
Aiba's footsteps falter for a heartbeat. "Why? Where will you go?"
"If mom leaves and goes to grandpa, then my sister and I will go with her," Nino murmurs. His grandfather lives in a different prefecture far from here. If he leaves, he will never see Aiba again.
Aiba stops suddenly, knowing as much. He turns to confront Nino. In contrast to his previous forebearance, tears spring to his eyes. His fingers squeeze Nino's wrist until the latter flinches.
"No, you can't go," Aiba declares. He struggles to contain his sobs before bursting into tears. "Kazu, you can't run away. Not without me."
Nino feels powerless. He pulls his hand from Aiba's grasp and watches his forlorn friend as if from far away. He knows he is the cause of those tears falling from Aiba's eyes. When his mother had stated as a matter of fact to his father that she would be leaving and taking the children with her, Nino had panicked. Watching Aiba bemoan their fate, he feels even more pitiful.
"I'm sorry," he says.
Aiba reaches out and takes his hand again. "It is not your fault," he repeats. "Don't go away, Kazu."
* *
SIXTEEN