Chapter 38: new neighbor, new friend

"Kazumi, did you sleep late again last night?" asked Yumi. "I sleep after watching my favorite cartoon" "Look, a new neighbor" Kazumi followed Yumi's eyes in where they are looking at a new family who just arrived in their neighborhood. "People are keep on leaving yet other people are keep on coming" "Nyah, I am here too" said Kurumi running towards them with a piece of loaf on her mouth" "Kurumi, if we both are gone. Mom is gonna get angry at us, no one will take care of the house while she's on the market" "But I want to play too" "You can play when mom arrive, for now, go back to the house" Kurumi pout her lips and go back to the house.

"You must be the new neighbor", said Kurumi to the kid who is in the swing at the playground alone. The kid doesn't answer. She sit on the other swing beside him. "I am Kurumi, we just live a few meters from yours. What was your name?" The shy kid answered in a low tone staring at the sand. "Hi…Hitoshi" "Hitoshi, if you don't know someone in here or have any friends. I can be your friend" From looking at the ground, he raised his head and looked at Kurumi. "My brother always left me at home and play with Yumi and the other kids. He's a nice person though. So I don't have a lot of friends and there are times that I play alone. So if you want, you can play with me. You will have a friend and at the same time, I will have a playmate, it is a win-win, right?" "I don't think I can have friends" From her, he go back on staring at the sand. "Huh?! Why?" "We will leave this place anyways" "But you just arrived" "That is how my family is, we transfer from one place to another. My mother is having an affair and my father can't take it. So every time that guy finds us and try to took my mother away. We will leave." "You must be sad, I wish that you can stay forever here though. I hope that man will not find you again and took your mother away. But instead of letting yourself in prison, why don't you just go out and play. It won't hurt to make friends even it is just temporary. You are still a kid so you should enjoy being a kid and let the adults handle their problems"

"Hitoshi!!! Hitoshi!!!" shouts Kurumi in front of Hitoshi's house. Hitoshi went to the balcony to see her then run down the stairs inside the house and opened the front door. "What are you doing here? You don't go on other people's place and shout their name" "C'mon let's play. My brother, Yumi and the other kids are in the playground, I'll introduce you to them" Kurumi grabs Hitoshi's hand and was about to go but Hitoshi didn't move. "I'm sorry, I told you already. I can't have friends, we are leaving soon. The man had found us" "So soon? But we just started knowing each other" "I'm sorry" Hitoshi turned his back and entered to the house. "I will still be your friend, remember the name, it's Kurumi. Wherever you go I will still be your friend, Hitoshi!"

That night, Kazumi went to Kurumi's room. "Huh, you startled me. I was about to have a heart attack. How many times do I need to tell you to knock before entering" "Then you should lock your room" "Tsk" "You are being friend with the new guy next door" "Yes, why?" "He is new here. We don't know anything about him so you should be careful" "What's the deal? He will leave this town soon" "Hugh?!" "They always transfer to one house to another" "Why?" "It is a family problem" "Still, you keep your distance to that guy" "Hitoshi is not a bad person" "How can you be so sure?" "Because I know" "You can't just say that. You can't just trust the person you just met and befriends. You can't just—""Then you should've let me join your group in the first place so that I won't make friends to the other kids" "Why don't you just stay at home and help mom" "Then why don't you do that?" Kazumi turn his back. "I already warned you, be careful with that guy", then he leaves.

The next morning, Kurumi found Hitoshi sitting in front of their house. "Hitoshi. What happened" Hitoshi was crying like a baby hiding his face then when Kurumi talks to him, he raise his head. He sniff and wipe his tears using the sleeve of his shirt. "My…my mother leave us already. She went away with that guy. We just woke up this morning and found that all her things are gone" Hitoshi burst into tears again.

"Moooom, I'm home!!" Kazumi went directly to the kitchen only to find out that Hitoshi is having a snack with Kurumi and his mother. "What he's doing here?" "I saw him crying in front of their house and Kurumi is comforting him so invited him over to have a snack and calm a little", his mother answered. "His mother just leave them when they are all asleep, don't you pity him?" "I don't care and I don't pity him at all" He turned around and went to his room. His mom called him and Kurumi too yet he don't listen.

"Yumiii—" Kazumi stopped running toward Yumi when he saw Hitoshi is with him. They look like having fun telling stories to each other. "Hitoshi?! What are you doing here? And why are you with Yumi" "C'mon Kazumi, Hitoshi is fun to be with and he is a good guy" "Huh?! What are you saying, he has been brainwashed you and Kurumi" "Why would a kid do that" "Because….because…." "Hitoshi here will be part of our group now" "Yumi you don't—" "Kazumi, you are my best friend. I hope you can respect my decision"

That night, Kurumi went knocking on Kazumi's door. "I heard—" "It was all your fault. If you didn't introduce to us that Hitoshi. Yumi won't get angry at me" "Why are you so angry at Hitoshi, you don't even have an evidence that he is the bad guy" "It was just I hate him, I really hate him. I hate him" "Why are you talking that it was like your job to hate him. Are you thinking that he will take away everything from you?" "You want to accept him but something is blocking you, isn't it" "I feel that he will betray us someday" "What if it is not. What if Hitoshi will turned out to be your best friend to the end. Hitoshi won't do that if he don't have a reason to" "He just came here a few days ago and you talked like you already know him for a long time" "I know Hitoshi will be with us to the end"

"Yumiiiii, Hitoshiiiiii!!!" Kurumi came running to the two. "Kazumi brother has something to say to you, especially you Hitoshi", said Kurumi smiling at both of them. "Huh, me?!" asked Hitoshi pointing at himself. Kazumi went to the playground walking shyly with eyes on the ground taking a slow step one at a time. "That was not like you Kazumi, look up" said Yumi as he put his arms around his shoulders. Kazumi was bit startled as he raised his head and looked at Yumi that is been smiling at him. "You want something to tell us?" "Uh…hehehehe" Kazumi scratch his nape as he was shy to talk. "For what happened yesterday…I…I am sorry. Hitoshi…I'm sorry" "Awww our Kazumi is a young man now" said Yumi. "Shut up!!" "So what are your answer Hitoshi, Kazumi apologized" "Uhmmm… it was not like you really have a fault or something. Well, I can't blame you if you hate me. Lots of people do, wherever we go if people will learn what our situation is. They will talk behind our backs and sometimes they turned hating us even we are not doing anything, maybe they just hate family like ours. But since you apologized, I don't have a reason to not forgive you. Let's be friends, Kazumi" Hitoshi offered his hand to Kazumi smiling with a slightly slant head. Kazumi smiled back "Hmmm" he nods and shake Hitoshi's hand.

"Then when I came to see who it is, it doesn't have a face" said Kazumi with a flashlight under his face. "Ahhhhhhh!!!", screams Hitoshi and Kurumi. "Wahahahaha you two are scaredy cat" laughed Kazumi. "Are we really need to tell ghost stories at times like this?" "This is what makes a sleep over fun, we always do this whenever we have sleep overs, you should use to it Hitoshi", said Yumi. "Now it is your turn Hitoshi, tell us something scary that will make us all tremble in fear", said Kazumi. "Uhmmm I'm not really fun of horror stories so I don't watch or read such things but I do have an experience" He took the flashlight from Kazumi and do the same. "I already heard a lot of rumors to the school where I was last in. They said that there are a kid who was once killed by a teacher in that school. They said that the kid was been punished to write I am sorry and I will never do it again a hundred times on his paper than the teacher will let him go home. The moon was starting to rise yet the kid is not yet finished writing and keep on complaining that he is already tired. The teacher really wants to go home that time so he whip the kid to finish writing, yet the kid's hand is already trembling with full of scars and whips. He was keep on apologizing to the teacher saying how sorry he was and he will never do it again with tears on his eyes kneeling in front of the teacher. No one is already at school that time so no one listens to his cries. The next day, they just found the kid's body at the back of the school. He was already dead and until now no one knows what is the reason behind his death" "The teacher probably killed him" "Yeah it was so obvious that because the teacher is angry at him, the teacher killed him" "Until now, they said that every evening at the same time , when the moon start rising, they hear a kid's voice saying sorry while crying near the faculty office" "Woah, that give me chills" "You said it was your own experience but it was just a rumor going around your old school" "This is where my experience goes. I have a test on the next day so I have to review yet when I was looking for my book, it is not in my bag so I must left it in my desk at school. That night, even I was afraid because of the rumors. I gathered all my strength to climb on to the school gate and went to my room. I was right, my book was left in my desk so I went to get it immediately and while I was walking on the corridor to leave. I heard someone crying. I remembered the rumors going around the school and some pupils says it was true. As I walk, the cries echoes louder and louder like it was begging for help. I was trembling in fear yet I ran and went home. After that night, I already hate going to school at night" "You are just a coward Hitoshi. Someone might be pranking you" "Who? No one knows that I left my book and I will going to get it on that time" "Okay, Okay I am next" says Yumi clapping. "This happened last summer while we went on the beach—"

"Kazumiiii that was not ripe, the one in your left. Yes that is, that is!! A little more!! Yes, that one, can you see it?" shouts Kurumi to Kazumi who is up in the tree picking guava. "Sooo, let's see. Who got more guavas" Kurumi starts counting guavas from Kazumi to Yumi and tell who got more guavas from them. "Kazumi got eight. Hitoshi got three and Yumi got eleven. So the winner who got more guavas is Yumiiii" "Argh", said Kazumi messing his hair. "Every time we got to pick guavas, you are always in the last place, but this time you're not" As they all turn their heads to Hitoshi who is already eating guavas. "Woooy Hitoshi. Don't eat all the guavas", said Kazumi and sit beside him to eat guava.

"If you had five candies and you gave me two. How many will left?" asked Kazumi to Hitoshi. "Uhmmm two?" "Noooo it's three. Let's try it again" Kazumi's mother and Kurumi are smilingly watching them while eating snack. "Who knows that those two will be good friends, it was like yesterday when Kazumi hates him", said their mother. "Kids! Why don't you take a break first! I brought pie!!" "Oh cool, a pie" said Kazumi then stand. "Don't forget, we will continue this later", he said to Hitoshi. "He is like a strict teacher", said his mother.

"Reallyyyyy, you are going to our school?" asked Kurumi with sparkling eyes to Hitoshi. "Hmmm" "Yeeeey then we can still hang out at school" "Hmmm" answered Hitoshi smiling. "Are you that happy Kurumi?" asked Kazumi. "Of course, the four us can go to school together, that would be fun" answered Kurumi in full energy.

"Hitoshiiii!!!" "Kurumi, what are you doing going in to other's room" said Kazumi. "Huh where's Hitoshi?" "He go out with Yumi" "Tell him to come to me later, I'll introduce him to my friends" Then Kurumi left.

"Hitoshi pass me the ball Hitoshi!!!" So, Hitoshi pass the ball to Kazumi and Kazumi shoot it to the ring. Kazumi went to Hitoshi to take high five. "Nice man", he said Hitoshi.

"I, Ruwasaki Hitoshi. Is running fro president. Please vote me" bows to everyone. Kazumi and Yumi are both on his sides holding flyers and banners of pictures of Hitoshi running for school president.

"That was near man, you were two points behind", said Yumi as he raise his glasses. "Even though at least we are done campaigning. It was pain you know" said Kazumi. The three of them lift their glasses to toss and drink their milks after. "Good job Hitoshi", said Kazumi tapping Hitoshi's shoulder.

"Moooom", called Kazumi running on where his mom is. "Do you think, this will fit on Hitoshi", he said showing her his old shirt" "But that was your favorite shirt, are you giving them to Hitoshi" "I have plenty of clothes but Hitoshi wears the same old clothes all the time so Yumi and I agreed to give some of our clothes to him" His mother get near him to pet his head. "You sure are a good friend Hitoshi" "Maaa!! You're messing my hair" "Sorry sorry" "Ersh" while fixing his hair.

"Woah. Those clothes are good on you. Why does it makes you more handsome having them rather than Kazumi and Yumi wearing them" "What did you say, Kurumi!!" "Nothing"

"I'm sorry guys it was so sudden. My parents' business overseas are growing good. They thought that they might not take care of it if they keep on traveling from there to here so they decided that we will just live there" "Then why don't they just build their business here?" asked Kazumi. "The exchange of dollars abroad are much easier" "Take care Yumi. Don't forget to contact us okay. We will always be your friends, we will wait for you. Promised us that you'll come back", said Kurumi between her sobs. "You were always a crybaby", said Yumi while patting her head. "Don't say that. I'm a lady now", said Kurumi while wiping her tears. "Take care guys, I'll come back for sure. Hitoshi, I'm glad that I met you, take good care of these two troublemaker siblings for me okay" "What did you say?!" Kazumi and Kurumi says at the same time. "Yumi!!! We have to go. We'll be late in our flight" "See you", said Yumi walking away while waving his hands to them. Kurumi starts bursting into tears.

A week later. "We…are going to transfer again" said Hitoshi. "Huh I thought you are going to stay here for good. Since your mother left you already, you don't have a reason to leave now", said Kurumi. "Kurumi" said Kazumi. "I'm sorry", said Kurumi. "I don't know, my father just decided last night. He said that so that if my mother wish to come back. She won't find us anymore. She left us without saying anything so she don't need to come back anymore. And my sister is about to give birth to her child so we need to stay where hospitals are near. I'm sorry Kazumi, Kurumi. I thought we can grow up together while waiting for Yumi and yet I am leaving the two of you"