Chapter Text
The kids inside the room are starting to be noisy once their teacher announced that they're going to have a new classmate. Almost everyone, except the kid at the back.
"Hajimemashite..." A petite voice of a boy made the room silent.
Yuto, who was sitting in the back and silently staring outside the window, turned to look infront and saw a boy about his age, with a round face and bumpy cheek smiling at everyone.
"My name is Yamada Ryosuke. I'll be your new classmate. I hope that we'll get along. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!" The boy then bowed and his new classmates, especially the girls, have shown interest in being his friend.
"Thank you, Yamada-kun. Please take the vacant seat beside Nakajima-kun." The teacher gestured her hand where the seat is and Ryosuke bowed politely before going to it.
The entire class, including Yuto this time, watched him walk and smile at everyone like his smile is already tattooed on his face.
He sat beside Yuto but his smile faded when Yuto turned his gaze back outside the window. Ryosuke sat silently and just listened to their teacher during the entire discussion.
It was like that until their break. The new classmates tried communicating and being friendly to the newcomer and Ryosuke is very glad to have this kind of new friends. However, he can't be really stay at ease since the person closest to him, literally, seem to be unfriendly and he finds it awkward.
The bell rang for the end of the class and to Ryosuke's surprise, the guy beside him is staring, more like glaring at him. His looks made Ryosuke move a back from his seat.
"D-doushita no?"
Few more moments of glaring, and Ryosuke couldn't deny that he's already shaking from his glares.
"I'm Nakajima Yuto." he suddenly smiled widely and offered his hand to Ryosuke. "Welcome to our class!"
Ryosuke blinked. And blinked again. Trying to figure out if this guy talking to him is the same guy who was glaring at him a while ago.
"I-I'm--" he stuttered as he reached for Yuto's hand.
"Do you think I'm not listening? Ryo-chan?"
"E-ee?"
Yuto laughed and it seems to get the other kid's attention.
"It's okay to call you Ryo-chan, deshou?"
"Nakajima-kun..."
Yuto shuffled Ryosuke's hair and smiled even wider. "Don't be too formal towards me. We'll be classmates so it's okay to just call me Yuto."
Some of the kids started mumbling random noises. Well it was new for them to see Yuto being this friendly. Although he gets along with them, he's not the type to drop all formalities since he always feels almighty when he's being called with honorifics.
"Ryo-chan, where do you live?" Yuto asked while they're cleaning the classroom.
Ryosuke told where he lives and it looks like Yuto is living in the same neighborhood.
"Issho ni okaerou!" Yuto invited and Ryosuke is just beyond happy to find a nice friend on the first day of their meeting.
"Unn!"
It became their routine everyday to go together, home and school. They are also building a good friendship and the one that Ryosuke thought is a cold and awkward person is actually this nice and kind. He never felt alone because Yuto was always with him, helping him familiarize in his new neighborhood, in school and also with making friends. They would also sometimes stay at night in the nearby playground where they spend the time stargazing. Ryosuke loves competing with Yuto in looking for constellations or tracing the stars to write their names. They are both having a great time together as days pass.
"Ryo-chan..."
Ryosuke looks at Yuto when he tapped his shoulder.
"Obaasan told me to do the groceries for today. Will you be okay going home alone?"
"You're doing the groceries? Can I come with you? I want to help."
"But it may take me some time and come home late. Your mom might scold you."
"I'll just give her a call. I can use this school's phone to tell her. It will be okay!"
Yuto smiled widely and nodded. He and Ryosuke approached their adviser to help the latter call his mom and ask permission which was given to him.
They went to the grocery together. Yuto followed what was written on his list while Ryosuke checked his allowance to see if he can also do some shopping.
"Sou ie ba, Yuto-kun lives with your obaasan only. Deshou?"
Yuto nodded. "Otousan died on a plane crash 3 years ago. And okaasan married someone else. I have a younger brother though. His name is Raiya and he's living with them."
Ryosuke suddenly felt sad and sorry for asking these. Yuto must be hurting right now that he's reminded of it. But when he looked at Yuto, he was still smiling while taking a bag of sugar. He felt awkward to continue such conversation so he looked somewhere else, trying to find a new topic.
"Uwaa-- Yuto-kun. Hora, mite." he went to the next shelf where picked up a candy bar and showed it to his friend. "Tutti Fruitti..."
"What's with that?"
Ryosuke pointed him. "Yutti."
"Huh?"
"Mattaku. You're so slow! Don't you get the rhyme? Tutti Fruitti Yutti."
Yuto blinked confusedly, Ryosuke deadpanned and returned the candy bar back to its place.
"Whatelse is written on your list?"
"Ryo-chan, what was that?"
"Hm? Which one?"
"Is that a nickname?" he grinned.
"Which one?"
Yuto points himself. "Yutti."
It was Ryosuke's turn to blink in confusion this time, and Yuto just rolled his eyes.
"You're the slow one here!"
"Oi! I am not!" Ryosuke complained immediately which just made Yuto chuckle.
"Kawaii~"
"Kawaii janai!"
"Uwa-- tsundere ka?"
"Mou, Yutti! Let's just get this done! It's getting late."
Yuto laughed his heart out and shuffled the other's hair. "Hai, hai."
They were stopped when someone bumped into Yuto from behind. He almost bumped into Ryosuke too but he was quick to find his balance. They both looked at the man who didn't even bother to apologize and just went on his way on the grocery.
"Daijoubu?"
"Unn. Daijoubu desu."
"No. I mean... Is it okay to call you Yutti?"
Yuto's smile widen and he nodded happily. "Unn! It's a name only Ryo-chan calls me. Ureshii!"
"Jyaa, from now on, I will call you Yutti, Yutti." They both giggled.
After that, they headed to the counter to pay for their groceries. It took a little late than Yuto thought since the two of them are having fun together at the shop.
“I’ll just pay for these. You can go ahead and wait for me by the exit.” Yuto suggested and Ryosuke obeyed.
He went out first and while waiting for Yuto, he saw his friend from the other school he came from. They had a little talk when he realized that it’s been few minutes and Yuto is still not finished. There’s only less than 10 people on the counter so he should be finished by then. He excused himself from his friend to check Yuto, but the kid is no longer on the line. What caught him rather was the group of people, and an obvious police’s hat.
“Kids these days are really… I wonder what their parents are doing.” One of the saleslady sighed as she watched the group walk to the emergency exit.
“Kid?” he thought to himself. Then he checked the counter where he left Yuto, and saw the items they put together on their grocery basket. “Could it be..”
He gasped with the thought and immediately chase the crowd.
“Wait up! Wait! I’m with him!”
“Ryo-chan!” he heard Yuto shout, he knows that his friend is crying.
He pushed his way to get pass the people around Yuto, being held by a policeman.
“Yutti! Let him go!” he tried to pull the man’s hands off of Yuto, but he failed.
“Ryo-chan…”
“I am with him! He didn’t do anything bad! I’m with him, I can prove you that!”
“So this kid is your accomplice?”
“NO!” Yuto shouted loudly. “I… I did it alone! I was alone! He’s lying, you didn’t see him with me, right?”
Ryosuke stopped from fighting the police. His eyes widen as he watched Yuto being taken away.
“Go home, Ryo-chan. Your parents must be worried about you.” Yuto smiled before going inside the police car.
“Yutti…”
“Gomen ne? For today, I won’t be going home with you.”
He can’t believe of what’s happening, or what happened. He doesn’t know what happened and why was Yuto taken by the police.
“I… I should be the one to say sorry.” His tears started to flow as he watched the car go. “If I didn’t go… If I stayed with you, I could’ve defended you. I’m sorry, Yutti.”
- - - - -
It’s been a week since the incident and Ryosuke haven’t heard anything from Yuto, nor he attended the class. When Ryosuke tries to visit his friend’s place, no one is home. Even Yuto’s obaasan is not around. He’s worried about how his bestfriend was doing.
He heard from the rumors that Yuto picked-pocket that day. He knows Yuto wouldn’t do that. He is with Yuto and he saw his purse before they went in. The rumor spread in their neighborhood and in their school. And it worries him even more. He wants to speak for Yuto, but he doesn’t know what to say. He’s not sure. He is just a new boy and he is afraid that no one would believe him. Not even his parents believe him. He even got scolded for going with Yuto that day, and was told to stay away from him.
It hurts him to know that Yuto is suffering alone, when he could’ve done something. But he stayed silent.
He decided to drop by Yuto’s place again. And he caught Yuto’s image in the backyard.
“Yutti!” he quickly ran and almost climbed up the fences. “Yutti, please talk to me!”
Yuto stopped and looked at him. He froze on his place when the kid smiled blankly at him.
“We have nothing to talk about, Ryo-chan.”
“We have a lot to talk about!” He continued climbing the fences which made the other panic.
“Are you stupid? Get down there!”
“It could’ve been easier if you opened the gates for me—“
Both of them fell on the ground when Yuto tried to catch him.
“Baka!”
“You are the baka one here, Ryo-chan! What if I didn’t catch you? What if you fell in a bad shape?”
They both got up and sat on the ground. Ryosuke was looking down while holding on Yuto’s knees.
“You are the most stupid person I ever met.”
“I’m sorry, Ryo-chan.”
“If I didn’t leave you back there… If I just stayed by your side…”
“…It’ll be a bad thing for both of us.”
Ryosuke lifted his head and looked at Yuto.
“Their accusations about me are true, Ryo-chan. I did it. I don’t have money.” Yuto’s voice broke. “I’m really sorry, Ryo-chan.”
“I don’t care! Don’t listen to what others say!”
“But it’s true!”
“I said I don’t care!”
Yuto stopped when Ryosuke yelled.
“You are kind. You are hard-working. I am happy being with you. What they say about you is not what I see from you.”
“Ryo-chan…” Yuto started crying loud. “I’m tired already. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Ryosuke pulled Yuto to a hug. They are still young, but Yuto is already living a tough life. He also learned that the obaasan Yuto refers to is not a relative but a friend of his late father. He just kept on hugging Yuto as he cried until he calmed down.
“Don’t think that everyone hates you. The Yuto they speak about is a different Yuto from what I am seeing. I’m with you. Tomodachi dakara.” He smiled and patted Yuto’s head.
Yuto nodded before pulling away from Ryosuke.
“Arigatou…”
“Ne… Can you come to school tomorrow? I miss going home with you.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry, Ryo-chan.”
“Ee? Why?”
He saw Yuto bit his lips before looking at him.
“Hontou ni gomen. From now on, I can no longer go home with you.”
“But why?”
“I’m moving away, Ryo-chan. My mom wants me to be with them, so they can watch over me. Tomorrow, I’ll be transferring school.”