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Ness had been at home just a moment ago, playing football in the front yard. Alone, of course, because his siblings dismissed his new-found passion as childish and pointless.
But now, he was standing in the middle of an unfamiliar playground.
Everything was old and broken. The swing chains were rusted, and the seat tilted to one side like it would snap if someone sat on it. The walls around the area were covered in graffiti–not the fun or colorful kind, but messy words and drawings Ness didn't understand but knew weren't meant for kids.
The air smelled like alcohol and cigarettes, even though no one else was around. It was like the smell had soaked into the place over time. In one corner, trash was piled up and spilling over.
It looked nothing like the playground near his house, which was clean, bright, and full of laughing kids.
Ness hugged his ball tighter against his chest. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he began to sob.
The unfamiliar environment made him anxious. Where was this place? How did he get here? What if he couldn't go back home? What if someone found him and tried to kidnap him? What if–
"Shut up."
A voice cut through his panic.
Ness startled. He looked around frantically, until he saw a blond boy peeking out from behind the wooden playhouse nearby, scowling like he’d been disturbed.
Startled, Ness wiped at his face with the back of his hand. He wasn’t crying anymore, but his eyes were still wet with unshedded tears.
He stared at the boy.
He wasn’t a grown-up. He was just another kid, maybe even his age. Ness’s fear eased a little, replaced by something lighter. Hopeful.
Maybe this boy would play football with him. Even better, maybe this boy could be his friend.
Ness ran toward the boy excitedly, clutching his ball tightly in both hands.
"Hi there! I'm Alexis. What's your name?" Ness asked, smiling brightly once he got close. Now that he was near, he could see the boy's face more clearly.
The boy had light blond hair, messy and unwashed, sticking out in uneven clumps. His eyes were a pretty shade of blue but his gaze looked dull, almost lifeless. Even with the bruises marking his face, his features were delicate, almost sweet. His baggy clothes hung off him, making it obvious how thin he was.
"Untermensch," the boy said. "My name."
Ness frowned. Subhuman? It wasn't a name.
"Haha… That was funny," Ness laughed awkwardly.
"But really, may I know your name?"
The blond boy shot him an unimpressed look. Ness suddenly felt like he'd asked a very dumb question.
"Why should I tell my name to a stranger?"
"Because I want to be your friend. Friends call each other by their name."
Ness gave the boy the most sincere look he could, his eyes wide and hopeful, his face practically shouting 'Please be my friend'.
The boy stared at him silently. Ness's heart pounded hard in his chest as he held his breath, waiting.
"Michael Kaiser."
The boy finally answered, and Ness's face lit up with joy.
They had exchanged names. That meant they were officially friends now–right? And if they were friends, Ness could ask him to play football together!
Ness held the ball out in front of him with both hands, smiling brightly. "Michael, do you want to play?"
Michael looked at the ball, then back at him. He didn't say yes or no.
"Is Alexis your first name or last name?" Michael asked instead.
Ness blinked, a little confused by the question. What did that have to do with anything? Still, he answered honestly.
"It's my first name."
"What's your last name?
"…Ness. Why?" He tilted his head.
"Then I'm calling you Ness," the boy said flatly. "And you'll call me Kaiser. We're not friends, so don't call me by my first name."
Then he stood up, reached out, and took the ball from Ness's hands.
Ness's smile faltered. His lips pressed into a wobbly line, tears welling up once more.
Michael… no, Kaiser, didn't want to be his friend. Of course he didn't. No one ever did. Not even his own siblings. He'd probably end up playing football by himself. Again.
"Stop crying. You're such a crybaby."
Ness heard a sigh, and when he looked up, Kaiser's face was suddenly so close he could feel the other boy's breath. Ness's cheeks turned red. His heart raced, and he was actually a little relieved when Kaiser pulled back. If those pretty blue eyes had stared any longer, he might've fainted.
"I haven't hit you, have I?" Kaiser asked, sounding confused. He held Ness's ball in one hand and punched it lightly with the other, like giving an example. "So why are you crying?"
Ness sniffled, trying to hold back the tears. "Because… because you won't play football with me. You said you don't want to be my friend."
"No, I didn't," Kaiser rolled his eyes.
Ness looked up, hope creeping back into his chest.
"I don't want to be your friend," Kaiser nodded. "But I never said I wouldn't play with you."
The clarification didn't make things feel much better, but Ness accepted it anyway. At least Kaiser agreed to play football with him, and that was a start. The next part was simple: befriending him. Ness could work with that. He was good at football, and he believed with all his heart that a little bit of skill–and a little bit of magic–could win Kaiser over.
Kaiser watched how quickly Ness's expression shifted from sad to cheerful after just a few words. He scoffed. How naive.
"You cried over that? How old are you? Three?"
Ness's cheeks turned red with embarrassment. 'It's not stupid!' he was about to argue–
But Kaiser cut him off. "I only cry when I'm being hit."
His lips shut. That… explained a lot. The bruises, the lifeless look, the way Kaiser acted like kindness was some kind of trick.
"Who hit you?" Ness asked. He wasn't sure if Kaiser would get mad at him for asking, but he couldn't help it. Just thinking about someone hurting his maybe-future-friend made him upset. He wanted to help Kaiser get revenge.
"It's none of your business."
Ness's shoulders slumped. He guessed there wasn't much he could do if Kaiser didn't want to talk about it. Still, he didn't give up. Maybe once they got closer, Kaiser would open up.
"Now, do you want to play or not?" Kaiser grunted, clearly annoyed. "Or are you just gonna stand there and be annoying?"
That snapped Ness out of his thoughts. Right–first, he needed to win Kaiser's heart. Everything else could wait.
"Sorry," Ness said with a sheepish laugh.
Without thinking, he reached for Kaiser's wrist and gently tugged him toward the open space next to the old wooden house. To his surprise, Kaiser didn't resist. He let himself be pulled along.
Once they were standing across from each other, and Kaiser had the ball in his hands, Ness waved eagerly.
"Kaiser! Kick it over here!"
Kaiser dropped the ball onto the ground, took a few steps back, then ran forward and kicked it with all his strength.
The ball shot through the air and whooshed right past Ness's face before he could even move.
"…Huh?" Ness turned to look behind him. The ball had already bounced off the wall and was rolling away. He blinked, stunned for a moment, then walked over to pick it up like nothing had happened.
As he turned back around, ball in hand, he called out, "Don't kick it so hard, Kaiser! I can't catch it if it's that fast."
He set the ball down, aimed, and gave it a softer kick. It rolled steadily across the ground and stopped right in front of Kaiser's feet.
"Like that," Ness said proudly, hands on his hips.
Kaiser stared at the ball that had stopped neatly at his feet. He glanced up at Ness, then back down. Without saying anything, he gave it a small kick–much gentler than before.
The ball rolled back toward Ness.
"Nice!" Ness grinned, stopping it with his foot. "That's way better."
They started kicking it back and forth. The ball sometimes went a little too far or off to the side, but neither of them seemed to mind. Ness laughed each time he had to chase after it, and Kaiser slowly began to relax.
After a few more rounds, Kaiser actually started to smile.
Ness noticed and nearly missed the ball when it rolled his way. He stared at Kaiser, eyes wide. "You smiled!"
"I didn't," Kaiser muttered, looking away. But he didn't sound angry.
Ness giggled and trapped the ball under his foot.
"Wanna see something cool?" he asked.
Kaiser raised an eyebrow but didn't say no, so Ness took that as a yes. He stepped back, then rolled the ball toward himself. He tapped it with the inside of his foot, bounced it off his knee, and spun around to stop it with his heel. It wasn't perfect, but it looked flashy enough.
He turned around proudly. "Tada!"
Kaiser's unimpressed look slowly melted into curiosity. "How did you do that?"
"I'll show you," Ness offered, kicking the ball toward him. "Try it!"
Kaiser stepped forward and tried to do what Ness did. He tapped the ball and tried to bounce it with his knee, but it bounced sideways and rolled off. He chased it down with a frown.
Ness ran up to him, still smiling. "That was a good try."
"I messed it up," Kaiser said.
"That's okay. You just need practice. Wait, have you ever played football before?"
Kaiser shook his head. "No."
"Oh!" Ness's eyes lit up in realization. So that's why he didn't know how to control his strength earlier. He beamed. "I'll teach you then!"
"…Fine."
Ness clapped his hands, clearly excited. "Okay, let's start with the knee bounce. That part's a little tricky."
He placed the ball on the ground, then rolled it up with his foot. "First, use the top of your foot to flick it up–like this." He flicked the ball upward with his foot and let it land on his knee, bouncing it once before catching it. "Then, when it's in the air, use your knee to hit it straight up. Don't let it fly off."
Kaiser gave it a try. He nudged the ball upward and lifted his knee but it was too late. The ball hit his shin and rolled away again.
Ness chased it and brought it back. "You have to lift your knee a little earlier. Like, right before the ball falls."
"I am lifting it."
"You're lifting it late." Ness pouted, then smiled again. "Here, I'll help."
He walked behind Kaiser and gently nudged his leg. "Try it now. I'll tell you when."
Kaiser looked stiff, but nodded.
"Okay… Now!"
Kaiser lifted his knee just in time. The ball bounced off it–wobbly, but it stayed close.
"You did it!" Ness cheered.
Kaiser blinked. "That counts?"
"Of course it counts! It's your first time!"
Kaiser didn't smile this time, but a faint spark of pride lit his eyes. He looked down at the ball again, like it wasn't so useless after all.
"Now do it again," Ness said. "And again. I bet you'll get three bounces by the end of the day."
Kaiser muttered, "That's dumb," but his foot was already moving.
And Ness just giggled. Because Kaiser was trying, and that made Ness's heart feel warm.
They spent the next few minutes practicing together. Sometimes the ball flew off to the side. Sometimes it hit Kaiser's calf instead of his knee. But Ness never stopped encouraging him, shouting "Almost!" or "You've got this!" every time. And each time, Kaiser tried again.
When Kaiser finally got it right again and again, Ness clapped and cheered like it was a goal in the World Cup.
Kaiser kicked the ball back, and there was a smug grin on his lips. "Teach me the next part. I'll crush that too."
Ness's breath caught. This–this was it. The magic he'd always clung to, the kind no equations or logic could explain. It wasn't in spells or sparks, but in this: someone kicking the ball back. Someone staying.
For the first time, he wasn't alone. And to Ness, that felt like the beginning of something special.
—
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the playground. Ness and Kaiser sat side by side against the graffiti-covered wall, their backs resting on the chipped paint and crumbling concrete. Both of them were sweaty and breathing hard, their legs stretched out in front. The ball sat between them like a shared trophy.
Ness looked over at Kaiser with a big smile. His hair was even fluffier now from the wind and sweat, sticking out in all directions. "Hey, Kaiser."
"What?"
"Do you think I'm your friend now?"
Kaiser didn't look at him. "No."
Ness's smile dropped. He hugged his knees and turned his face away slightly. "Oh…"
There was a short pause. Then he asked quietly, "Why not?"
Kaiser didn't answer right away. Then he sat up a little and pointed lazily at Ness. "You."
Ness blinked. "Me?"
Kaiser nodded, then moved his finger up and down, gesturing from Ness's head to his shoes. "Your clothes are clean. Not cheap ones either. And your shoes still look new even after running around."
He pointed at Ness's hair next. "Your hair's fluffy, which means someone takes care of it. It even smells nice. You use brand shampoo and stuff, right?"
Ness nodded slowly, still confused.
"You're a rich kid," Kaiser continued, like it was obvious. "You don't belong here."
"But…" Ness looked down at his clothes, then back at Kaiser. "What does that have to do with being friends?"
Kaiser leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. "It causes problems. If your parents find out you're hanging around with a ‘bad' kid, they'll freak out. Maybe call the police or something. You'll get in trouble. I'll get in more trouble."
Ness stared at him. "They wouldn't-"
"You don't know that."
Ness opened his mouth, then closed it again.
"And you don't know anything about me," Kaiser added, quieter this time. "You don't know where I live. What I do. You only know my name."
Ness looked down at his hands. The warmth in his chest from earlier had dimmed.
"…Then tell me," he said softly. "Tell me more about you."
Kaiser didn't respond.
They sat in silence, the fading sun stretching long shadows across the ground.
After a moment, Ness opened his mouth, ready to say something, to ask something more. He wanted to understand Kaiser and be his friend. But before any words could leave his lips–
He blinked.
And suddenly, he was home.
He sat in the front yard, back against the short brick fence, grass tickling his legs. The ball rested quietly beside him, as if it had been there the whole time. The warm glow of the afternoon sun remained, but Kaiser was gone. The wall with graffiti was gone. The silence felt louder without the other boy beside him.
The front door creaked open.
His older brother stepped out first, peering around. "Where'd you run off to all day?" he asked with a frown.
Before Ness could speak, his sister followed behind with a smirk tugging at her lips. "Probably off 'practicing magic' again," she mocked. "Talking to fairies? Summoning invisible dragons?"
Ness didn't say anything. He stared at the ball, fingers curled into the grass. The warmth in his chest from earlier had cooled. The spark of excitement, of maybe making a new friend, felt distant now, like a dream fading on waking.
"Come on, Ness," his brother called, already turning back inside. "Dinner's ready."
Ness stayed on the grass a moment longer. He shut his eyes and clenched his fists in the dirt. Maybe someday he'd see Kaiser again–if he kept believing.
Finally, he got to his feet and brushed off his pants. He picked up the ball and followed his siblings into the house without a word.
The hallway lights flickered as he passed. Dinner would come soon.