Chapter Text
“Hey, can you toss that to me?”
Stopping short in his step, Takeshi blinked. He just happened to pass by a middle school field when the other second-grader called out to him. A dirty volleyball lightly bumped his skinny ankle. He raised it in the air. “This?”
The smaller boy nodded, beaming. “Yeah!”
Despite the boy’s smaller stature, Takeshi knew an athlete when he saw one. He wasn’t a baseball maniac for nothing, and his mom used to be an awesome volleyball player too! Takeshi grinned. Anyone one who played sports was a friend on his list!
He nodded. “Okay!”
Pulling his arm back as if he was throwing a pitch, Takeshi realized his mistake far too late. He rubbed the back of his head, laughing sheepishly. “Sorry, I was thinking about…baseball…”
His eyes widened when the boy sprinted across the field. He was fast, really fast. His short legs looked like they were working overdrive and his eyes were trained on the sailing ball. Under the light, they looked more amber than brown. It was almost scary. Takeshi saw that same look in his mom when he watched her old volleyball matches.
Finally, as the volleyball descended, the boy dove on the ground, his short arm barely reaching the ball. It sailed back in the air before falling a few feet away, rolling for a few seconds. Pouting, the boy looked over his shoulder. “Mou, it never goes far enough.” He stood up, dusting off his dirty shirt and pants. Streaks of dirt painted his chubby cheeks and arms.
All Takeshi could think about was the boy running across the field. The more he thought about it, the more his heart picked up its own pace. He had never felt like this before about anything other than baseball. Sure, his mom would always ask him if he wanted to give volleyball a try but baseball was his first love.
“—ou there?” The other boy’s voice snapped Takeshi out of his thoughts.
Takeshi blinked, staring at the brunet in front of him. I’m taller, Takeshi realized.
“That was so cool!” he blurted out, flailing his arms in the air. “You were here and then you were suddenly over there! Like—Like Ultraman!”
Blushing, the brunet scratched his cheek. “Ah, well, I, uh, thank you.”
“What’s your name? I’m Takeshi! I just moved here yesterday.”
The brunet grinned. “I’m Tsuna! I’ve lived in Namimori for as long as I can remember.”
They both laughed. It felt really nice, Takeshi thought. He didn’t feel as alone anymore. Moving away from his friends wasn’t fun but making new friends could be!
Tsuna glanced at the setting sun with a frown. “Oh, I have to go back home. Mama will get worried.”
Takeshi frowned. He didn’t want to leave yet but his parents would get worried if he stayed out too long, too. “Oh, okay.”
“Where do you live?” Tsuna said, his eyes brightening. “I can walk you there so you don’t get lost.”
Takeshi instantly beamed. “Thanks! It took forever for me to find the grocery store. I don’t know why my mom told me to go since I’m not that good with directions. But she sometimes forgets that too.”
Tsuna gave him a thumbs-up. “Alright, let’s go! Do you remember the neighborhood?”
“I think it started with a M? I know it’s near Kokuyo.”
“There’s only two other neighborhoods around Kokuyo. I live in Midori.”
“Yeah, that one! I live there!”
Tsuna was literally bouncing on his toes. “Really? I hope we’re neighbors!”
They started walking towards Midori with Tsuna leading the way. Tsuna was a really good listener, almost like his mom. It was weird but he kind of felt like home. Sure, Takeshi missed his friends back in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture—Namimori was pretty far in the Yamanashi Prefecture, which was right next to the Tokyo Prefecture—but he didn’t mind making new ones here. And he had a feeling Tsuna would be just that.
“Hey, Tsuna,” Takeshi said, “why are you alone? Did your friends leave early or something?”
Tsuna’s face fell, making Takeshi’s stomach feel a little queasy. “Well, uh, I don’t…have any friends?”
Takeshi blinked. “Eh?” How could no one want to be friends with Tsuna? He was nice and funny. Were there not a lot of kids in Namimori?
“Ah, look we’re almost there!” Tsuna said quickly. “See, it’s not that far! Do you see your house?”
Takeshi frowned. It was true. They were getting closer to the familiar neighborhood and he could already see his house in the distance, a big building painted in beige. It belonged to his mom’s family before it was “put up in the market” as his dad said. They had moved here to keep the house; plus, both of his parents missed Namimori, even though he’d never heard about it.
“That’s mine,” Takeshi said, pointing it out.
Tsuna grinned. “My house is right next to it! I didn’t know it was you moving in!”
Takeshi’s shoulders relaxed a little. His new friend was his neighbor—awesome! That’d make things easier. He didn’t have to get lost trying to find him tomorrow!
Tsuna walked Takeshi home first, even though his was closer. He played with the hem of his shirt as they stood outside the small house gate. “I’ll see you again, right? But you don’t have to if you don’t want to! I mean, we don’t have to meet again ever again if that’s what you want. I’ll understand. I can be…weird sometimes.”
Takeshi grinned in hopes of making Tsuna smile again. “You’re not weird! I want to see you again! Besides, we’re friends! Friends always see each other again!”
His heart nearly stopped when Tsuna looked up with wide eyes. He’d never felt so proud for cheering someone up before.
“Really?” Tsuna said, his voice cracking. “We’re really friends?”
Takeshi ruffled his fluffy hair, which felt soft underneath his hand. Tsuna squawked indignantly from the sudden contact, drawing a laugh from the taller boy. “Yeah, we’re friends.”
Tsuna grinned. “Okay. I…really like that!”
“I’ll see you around, Tsuna!”
“I’ll see you, Takeshi!”
Ringing his doorbell, Takeshi waited for his mother to open the door. He didn’t miss Tsuna waving at him and disappearing inside his own home. He smiled.
Maybe Namimori wouldn’t be so bad after all.