It was summer, Mia had transferred to a town due to her father's transfer. She was lonely and didn't make much friends as they all were left behind as she left those places behind.
"Mia, daughter why don't you check out the playground opposite to our house? The sun hasn't set yet and papa and mamma needs to unpack lots of stuff so go and play there okay?~"
"....okay mom" though she agreed but she wasn't really fond of making new friends.
Mia went to the playground with her teddy bear in her arms. As she looked around, some children were playing in the sand making sand castles, some in the jungle bar or swing, some are playing tag; there are giggles and sound of tapping footsteps of kids everywhere. Mia felt quite out of their world. She thought to herself " I should return.." but thenー
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
"!?.." A scream surprised Mia and she turned to see from where it came from. She spotted a boy getting bullied by a bunch of kids in an empty corner of the playground.
"LEAVE ME ALONE DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?!!"
"Oh shut up~! Rio tell us! why are you such a freak?? hehehehe!~"
What does they mean and why are they calling a poor kid a "freak"? Mia was curious so she went closer to that group.
"IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS JERK!"
"YOU DARE CURSE ME?! GUYS! HIT HIM HARDER!!" As the kids started kicking and throwing stones at that kid on the ground and he was barely able to defend himself. Seeing that Mia rushed over and started hitting the boys who were bullying the kid on the ground with her teddy bear.
"GO OFF YOU BAD KIDS! DON'T HIT HIM!! LEAVE!!"
"AH!ーHEY!! ARE YOU CRAZY!! STOP HITTING US!! AH!ーMY EYES OUCH!!ー STOP!!" Soon the troublesome kids ran away but Mia got hit as well and her teddy bear, it got torn in it's arms and was all dirty. As Mia stoop at that injured white haired boy to check if he's alright that boy jumped up and quickly wiped off his tears.
"....umm here, take thisー" Mia offered that white haired boy her handkerchief but instead of thanking her the boy glared at her and ran away.
"uwaah! he glared at me! so rude!!"
The next day same thing happened and it continued for few more days, though Mia was angry with that boy but everytime they bullied him she stood up with him, got hit and helped him fight those bullies back. Finally one day when the white haired boy was severely injured and Mia was helping him walk towards a fountain in the park to clean his wounds and hers as well that boy spoke;
"...thanks..."
"?! wow! it's the first time you thanked me! so you aren't dumb.."
"hah?! you thought I was dumb??!!"
"then?~ everytime I helped you and cleaned our wounds you never uttered a word! So I thought either you were one of those bad kids with no manners or dumb.." this statement of Mia embaressed the boy.
"...sorry... I'm Rio...and... I'm not a bad kid, I even eat my vegies..."
"me too!~ oh! and my name is Mia!"
"...new here?"
"..yes.."
"i see...so...friends?.."
"huh? what?"
"I said now...could we be friends?" Rio said shyly. Mia chuckled at him being shy.
"Yes! let's be friends!~"
"mm!" hearing Mia's reply Rio smiled. Mia had nearly forgotten about the cheerful warm smile of a "friend" but thanks to Rio she could see it again.
"Rio.."
"hmm?.."
"tell me, why did those kids back called you a freak?"
".... it's nothing...just, I have white hair and I run faster than them..." Rio after answering Mia avoided her eye contact he felt that she might freak out as well and he didn't want to see that express on her face as well.
"WHOAAA!! THAT'S COOL!!"
"?!! what??"
"no I mean! I can't EVEN run properly a meter and you say you could run faster than the kids of our age?? It's cool!! "
"... really? y-you think so??"
"yeah!!...and your hair is unique! so what's there to freak out?? tch! those unreasonable brats!!"
"..pfft!ー you calling "them" brats... that's funny.. hahahaha"
"heyy!! you should be on my side!! don't make fun of me!!"
"yeah~ alright!!~"
Few days passed as they started playing together and going to the same kindergarten.
"Rio!.."
"what's the matter?.."
"today's embroidery class! let's sit together and embroider something together!"
" eh?~ but I'm a boy and boys don't do embroidery~ and it's boring as well"
"... fine then I'll sit with someone else then..ー"
" what?! no!!ー I m-mean I guess I could do embroidery...so let's do it together.. and sit with me" Rio said will flushed cheeks with serious eyes.
"okie!!!~"
Soon they became best friends and like this two years passed and it was time for Mia to go to another place.
"Here, take it... it's my parting gift for you" Mia hands over a handkerchief in which she has embroidered together with her best friend Rio for the first time to him as she is leaving the village to continue her middle school studies in the city.
"No I won't!... it's yours and... it'll remind me of you so, I don't want my eyes to cry..." The shy boy Rio said in a gravelly voice while looking away, avoiding eye contact with Mia.
"pfftー!"
"HAHHH??! WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT BRAT??"
"a~h! c'mon Rio! we're of same age! and that's 7!!~" Mia pouted.
"Anyways...take it Rio, the handkerchief...at least you won't forget me and if it means your "eyes will cry" then that's fine" Mia chuckles.
"....fine... I'll take it but...ー" Rio looks for something in his pocket and pulls it out presenting it to Mia with flushed cheeks and teary grumpy eyes.
" Here! Take it!..."
" A MAPLE LEAF?..." Mia takes the bright orange-red maple leaf in her hands from Rio and smiles.
" It's beautiful..thank you Rio..."
"...yeah I just found it on a tree in the playground..."
"I need to leave now..."
" !? i-its already time??"
"yeah... it's almost sunset, mom might scold me if I come any late"
"...okay..take care! see you soon! " Rio left first acting all tough.
Mia also turned the opposite way and was walking away, back to her parents.
Soon everything was ready and packed. The neighbors came and wished them safe journey, then the last truck carrying Mia's family and few stuffs left. Mia was looking outside the window as the truck was moving out of the village. Then suddenly Mia heard a faint familiar voice calling out for her approaching near. She quickly opened the window and looked outside.
" !! RIO!!"
It was Rio who was running as fast as he could to catch up with the truck but was still led back by much distance.
"MIA!!!! huff! haa! huff! mph!ー" Rio was slowly slowing down as he was getting tired.
"RIO!!! "
"MIA!!!! huff!ーMIA!!!! I'LL GROW UP!! huff! ha!ー I'LL COME TO THE CITY TO MEET YOU!!!!!
MIA!!! IT'S A PROMISE!!!" He raised the handkerchief that Mia gave him while he was still running in spite of being exhausted. Mia got teary as well and held the Maple leaf firmly and raised it to show Rio.
"YES!!!! WE WILL!!!!! RIO!! IT'S A PROMISE!!!!" saying this Rio finally rested on the ground gasping for breath and basking in the sunset's rays and his sweat.
Days passed into weeks, weeks into months and months into years, seasons changed as well, yet didn't change at all. It has been 10 years since then.
"A seventeen year old student of Shimezukawa prefecture, Rio, who had represented Japan in the last year's Olympics 500 m race, 100m race and 100 m relay race, had won two Gold medals and a Silver medal, we have received news that he'll be transferring schools in the end of his semester..." The news was displaying on the display televisions in a shop.
"Mia!! c'mon we're gonna be late !!" a girl running down the footpath shouted.
" COMING!! RIGHT BEHIND YA SHIMA-CHAN!ーhuff! ha!" Mia shouted back as she was running late for school. She's now 17 years old and a high school student of Kawazuki high school.
Mia and her friend Shima barely managed to reach before time in class and hurriedly too their seats. Soon teacher entered the classroom.
"Class, it's a moment of pride that today one of the youngest representative of Japan in Olympics who had won several medals will be joining our high school and he'll be in our class!" hearing this the class started murmuring and Mia was half puzzled and half clear about what the teacher was trying to announce.
"okay! quiet now!! ...class, welcome your new student, RIO.."
SLLRRR!ー
The sliding door of the classroom opened and a tall, fair skinned, white haired, quite a looker 17 years old boy enters the classroom.
"!?" Mia recognised that boy in an instant and was dumbstruck, her eyes were fixated on him.
"Good morning, Rio here.." Rio had a straight, cold poker face on but as his eyes landed upon Mia he recognised her in an instant as well! And he let out a small yet satisfied-teasing smile at Mia.
"!!"this made Mia flinch and brought her back to reality, her cheeks were flushed slightly. Rio took a seat in front of Mia and first thing he pulled out of his pocket was the handkerchief given by Mia that they embroidered together and kept it on his desk in a way from where Mia could see it. Seeing that Mia was surprised for few seconds but later she too pulled out the maple leaf given by Rio 10 years ago from the pages of her book and kept in front of her on the desk.
Rio saw it and both felt something tingly in their heart and chuckled silently.
Rio kept his promise, Mia kept her promise. The future ahead of them holds more beautiful moments like this and much more which they'll both witness together. And if you're wondering what will happen in the future then do not fret!~ They're later married happily and are living together with their small kid, a happy family of three.
And what was embroidered in the handkerchief? It was a Maple leaf; A little crooked, a little messed up but they did it together, an Autumn leaf.
