Chapter Text
First Meeting — 8 years old
The countryside was peaceful, slow and calming. Growing up in this village was extremely comfortable, everyone knew and helped each other; it was made of and for community and care. The animals and plants all served to nurture everyone and then go back to the earth. The kids played together after school, the animals ate calmly; bickering around, and the adults often got together to cook and spend time with each other. The village was a family full of love, something that was, more often than not, hard to find.
Nanami's family was new to town, running away from the hectic and heavy city life brought them to this small place. Everyone received them with warmth and spirit, your parents being the leaders of the village, were more involved and you, as the mischevious boy you've always been, went to take a look at the new kid.
You walked past everyone at the welcome party since Nanami's parents said he was near the fountain in the town center. Thats when you noticed him, sitting on the floor, he had a book on his hands; it was... Pastry Coloring Book, Bake Shop Edition? Huh. Walking closer, he looked up at you with an expression that could be read as "Leave me alone, I'm a grouch." Not like that kind of face had ever stopped you.
You sat next to him without an invitation and leaned over to look at his coloring book, the page he was looking at was a half colored croissant that... actually looked nice; either he loved to color stuff or just pastries maybe... hm, who knows? Maybe he will tell you sometime.
"Hey! What's your name? You're the new kid, right? Oh, I like your book! Everyone calls me Jet—they say I'm like one."
Nanami didn't know what to do... or say. Did he really have to answer to all of that? Well... his parents told him to be friendly and try to smile, ugh. Straightening up slightly he looked at you, his hazel eyes locked coldly on yours and with a small sigh he decided to talk.
"My name is Nanami Kento."
Uh. Wow, how... cold. Was he one of the mean kids? Well, it was too early to really tell; mom said you shouldn't judge based on first impressions. This was actually kind of funny, well everything was for you, but this too! If you came up with a nickname for him, maybe he will cheer up a bit? Everyone at the village had one so he should too!
"So Kento... Ken... K...Kenny... hm. Maybe Kenchi? Nanami... Nana... Nanamin?!"
Nanami, no. Nanamin couldn't be more... confused and irritated at the same time. Nobody at the city was like this... why were you talking to him as if you had been born at the same hospital? But at the same time he didn't quite know what to do... he just huffed and his face changed into what seemed like his default expression, just for loud people probably.
"You can't just call me that. Thats not my name."
Oh, that was a funny expression alright, but it didn't matter if he liked the nickname or not, it was already in your head and it wouldn't go away; from now on he was Nanamin. He didn't seem so bad, maybe he could play after school with you like the others? but it was summer... Oh! Maybe you could take him to the Super Secret Hide out you had, it was only yours but... it would make no harm inviting him, would it? He didn't look that mean.
"Nanamin, you want to see something nice? its a bit far from here, though. Maybe when the party is over... or tomorrow?"
Oh. Getting out of the party didn't sound terrible, not at all. Yes, Jet was kind of annoying but it was just one kid compared to all this nosy people wanting to know his name and age and where he comes from—ugh. Yes, it didn't sound that bad.
"...Okay. Let's go, now."
Yes!! Super yes! He wasn't mean at all, he wanted to see your Super Secret Hideout! Maybe you will get a new friend today! Thats sooo nice!
You quickly stood up as if your batteries has been just changed, a bright smile on your face; you offered him a hand so he would stand up and go with you.
"Now!? Super! Come on then!"
...Nanamin was a bit thrown off by the bright expression on your face, your boyish smile and easy laughter. Were you really that happy when he was just using you to get out of this welcome party? Hm. You were weird to him, in a good way, probably.
But he took your hand, tight. His skin was cool to the touch or maybe you were too warm? Or both, could be both. Was he cold? But it was summer... Maybe he would warm up if you ran?
And you did, you just started running as you held his hand tightly and he didn't even try to loosen his grip, that was... nice of him.
He wasn't used to move around a lot so after you both ran through some streets and towards the river that flowed by the village, he tugged at your hand, making you both stop. You turned to look at him and noticed that he was out of breath, his flushed cheeks, disheveled hair. He looked... cute, somehow, not like the grumpy look he had earlier at the party.
"Oh are you tired? That's okay, we can walk. We have to cross the river! Don't worry it's through the narrow part of it, I do it everyday!"
He exhaled deeply and nodded as he looked around for a bit, this was nothing like the city, the trees; the river, the mountain; the birds... everything was so... peaceful and calm. He... didn't hate this place, not at all.
After regaining your breath and with your fingers still interwined together, the both of you started walking slower and towards the riverbank. Carefully, you crossed, stepping on stones that looked as if they had been made to form a bridge over the river. The water that grazed your ankles was cool and nice, a huge contrast with the heat of the countryside in summer. The sound of the stream created a symphony that Nanamin had never heard before in his life; it seemed... refreshing, clean... peaceful. Like he could sleep and spend his whole days here, just existing. It was the first time he ever felt that.
But wasn't he annoyed? You were loud and active and... all smiles and laughs—he shouldn't think about that. He... was having a good time, that's it, a good time with someone else. Huh.
After a bit more of a walk, you both arrived at the Super Secret Hideout. It was a small clearing among the dense trees on the mountain, the breeze ruffled your hair gently and the sun made this place fill your minds with a feeling of tranquility. Nanami was... speechless, it felt as if the clean air filled his lungs completely for the first time in his life, like he had just woken up from a long dream.
Finally letting go of his hand, you stretched lazily and took a deep breath. Turning to him, you smiled and pointed to the one and only Super Secret Hideout. It was a treehouse, well... it's not like I was exactly at the top of the tree, you had no idea how to build that but—it was a treehouse... on the ground. That didn't matter. You had the space just for yourself, and your plants; and now Nanamin...
"Do you like it?! It's great, isn't it? I've got a bed, a bookshelf; my rock-friends, my plant-friends; my drawings... You can officially come here too! You can hang your cake drawings here!"
You spoke loud and cheerful, it wasn't everyday that you got a new freind, let alone one you took to your Super Secret Hideout! It was a bit small for two but you both could build more and play and—wait, did he like it? What if he found it boring?
You waited to see his reaction, his face was... unreadable, he looked serious but not cold or mad like at the party... hm.
Without saying a word, he opened his Pastry Coloring Book, Bake Shop Edition to a page with a finished cream caramel pudding that looked so good and so ready to eat. He tore out the page and, using some tape he found lying around, stuck his drawing to the wooden wall of the hideout.
"So you like it!!! That's so nice! I hope you hang more pastries on the wall, we might get hungry though..."
And just like that, the both of you spent the rest of the afternoon in the Super Secret Hideout, and Nanamin quickly made himself at home; he started coloring with a serious expression, but... it wasn't like the other serious expressions he'd had—this one was... not annoyed. You just talked a lot about everything, about the village, the animals, school—one might even think Nanami wasn't listening but you noticed that whenever you got to an interesting part, he slowed his coloring to pay more attention to your words. That was nice, this was nice; he was nice. You started to feel like you could understand him a little bit more now.
When it started to get a little dark, you two made your way back to the town where the adults were still talking, laughing and drinking juice made for adults. You walked in a comfortable silence to what Nanamin told you was his new house. And the greatest part of it all? It was just right across from yours! Wasn't that sooo perfect!? You would be able to see him everyday! What a great way for a friend to be so close.
"Oh! We're gonna have a blast everyday of the summer and not summer and just all days!"
Nanamin wasn't... bothered by the fact that he lived so close to your house, it was going to be loud and probably messy to have you around but... he didn't hate the idea of a new friend.
"...If you say so..."
And with that, you hugged him tight and quick in case he wasn't a hugger, waved goodbye with a bright smile and ran towards your house across the street; waving at him once more before finally getting in. This had been a wonderful day! You had a new friend!
He waved at you too, a bit less enthusiastically and got inside his own house. He felt... different, a kind of sentiment that he never got back at the city. Could it be the nature of the countryside? The town that looked trapped in another age? Or the Super Secret Hideout? Maybe just all of it.
The next day you woke up super early! You didn't even get up this early for school, but this was summer you were talking about, a new summer day up ahead to do whatever you wanted to do. After waking up your dad to beg him to feed you breakfast and eating everything super nicely, he let you go out to play like everyday. This was your favorite time of day, the whole village was asleep and the air was crisp, with your toys gathered, you decided to look around and see what wonders the day held.
Nanamin wasn't precisely an early riser, he had to be because of school, but if he had nothing to do; he would naturally wake up around 9 or 10 AM. He liked to take things at his own pace too, eat slowly and get ready for the usually boring summer days. His mom practically told him that he had to get to know the town and the people, so he reluctantly walked out of his house pondering on what to do to pass the time.
He remembered the hideout and decided it would be nice to color a bit and enjoy the comfortable bean bag you had there, besides; he was officially invited to the Super Secret Hideout whenever he wanted to go. He walked around a bit before finding the bridge made of stones and eventually got to the hideout.
He was ready to start a new page of his coloring book when he heard some sniffles near the hideout. He looked up but no one was around, standing up and checking behind a sturdy tree, he found you sitting on the ground, wipping your tears away. He was—he was shocked to say the least, yesterday you had been all laughs and smiles; he never thought you would be one to cry... how was he supposed to comfort you? Why were you crying? He sat slowly in silence looking at you then at the ground, his fingers idly picking at the grass.
"...What happened?"
He spoke... rather soft as he looked at you. He really wanted to know the source of the problem so he could fix it and you would smile again.
Sniffling some more and rubbing your eyes so the tears would stop faster, you looked at him for the first time today; he looked... concerned. Taking a breath you turned slightly towards him and decided to tell him about today. He listened patiently as you decribed everything you did and even more attentive to the part where you told him how you were playing uphill and fell down; He looked at your knees and in fact, they were scraped and angry.
He didn't say anything when you finished your story, he just stood up and offered you a hand so you could go with him. Walking slowly and hand in hand, you both got to the town and eventually to his empty house, taking you to his room, he led you to sit on the carpet and disappeared behind the door. You were more calm now, taking the time to look around his room; blue walls yellow stars on the ceiling, a toy box at the corner and drawings of pastries hanging on the walls, everything looked neat, it was... nice.
He eventually came back with the first aid kit and kneeled before you, opening it and taking out some alcohol and band-aids that had little cakes all over; they were cute and that made you smile. Taking his time and with careful hands, he wipped your knees and placed two cake band-aids on both your knees. Looking up at you he noticed how you were smiling now. Relieved, he couldn't help but crack a small smile.
"Oh!!! You smiled! I saw you smile just now! Its the first smile I see on your face—wait, you weren't making fun of me, were you?
"...No, I wasn't making fun of you. I just... don't mind it."
You laughed, not at him but with him. And the sadness you had vanished quietly, leaving you both alone and happy. Ready to keep playing, you stood up and looked at the toy box at the corner of the room and walked towards it.
"Can we play with your toys? I don't really feel like playing outside anymore today..."
"Oh... sure. Why not."
The day went by with you two playing, talking and laughing. It had been a really nice day, he had been really kind, he helped you with your scraped knees and let you play with his toys... He was... a really great friend. You really, truly hoped he'd think you were great, too; at least nice? You had the feeling that he came into your life to stay, to stay and change it to a point of no return.