Yu POV:
After seeing Hoshino off, I proceeded towards my house in silence. The smile I'd maintained during our time together dissolved into a heavy, lingering frown.
I try my best to be happy every day. I believe that if you're going to live, you might as well do it as happily as you can while ignoring the bad stuff. Maybe it's a little immature, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
But there is one exception to that rule, and that's Hoshino.
Specifically, whenever I see him like that, I can't help but feel a little hurt. It's the only time when I won't be able to simply laugh something off.
To be honest, I haven't really understood what's been going through his mind as of late. He says one thing and does another.
A prime example is when we jumped over the school gate. He acted like he was completely exhausted. Yet when we played basketball today, he was the only one who managed to keep moving until the very end.
It's almost like… I don't even know him.
But it wasn't always like that. When we were kids, he was such a simple boy.
It was that simplicity that made us friends...
No. That made us Brothers.
***
As a kid, my parents moved around a lot due to work, so I was never in one place for very long. As a result, I was forced to change schools constantly.
Even as a child, I was already really tall. I was taller than most middle schoolers, with tanner skin than anyone else's, to boot.
To the people around my age, I wasn't a kid; I was more like an intimidating teenager, which made it difficult to make any friends. On top of the fact that I never stayed in one place for very long, the friendships I did end up making never lasted long.
I used to cry about it all the time—but crying never helped. I learned that early. So, I learned to socialize. I learned that a bright smile, a happy attitude, and putting yourself out there went a long way.
It took a while to get the hang of it, but by the time I did, I was in the third grade. Coincidentally, I also moved to a new school around that time.
With new people and a new environment, I was excited to put my newfound skills to the test.
The moment I stepped foot in the classroom, I noticed my classmates shrink in their seats from the mere sight of me. It didn't discourage me anymore. By this point, I was already used to it.
The teacher introduced me. "We have a new student in today's class!"
He turned towards me with a gentle smile. "Would you care to introduce yourself?"
I nodded firmly as I faced the classroom. I made sure to have as bright a smile as I possibly could. When the kids saw that smile, they relaxed ever so slightly.
"Hello everyone! My name is Yu! While I may look scary, I promise I'm just a normal guy! I love reading, anime, and sports. If you ever want to play, I'm always willing to join! Thank you for having me!"
I bowed deeply, lowering myself to the height of the other kids. They all stared at me with wide eyes before clapping cheerfully.
I let out a relieved sigh.
Okay, that went better than it usually does. Good job, me!
With the introduction finished, I was led to my seat near the back of the classroom. As I sat down, I noticed the students around me giving me cautious side glances.
Well, that was to be expected. It's probably their first time seeing someone as big as me.
The teacher clapped his hands, drawing the attention of the whole class. Once everyone's eyes were on him, he began his lecture.
Even though I already knew most of the material, I made sure to sit up straight and listen attentively.
This was another important part of appearances. If the people around me saw that I was trying hard in school, they'd think that I'm a hard worker—and therefore end up being less wary of me.
Eventually, the bell rang, signaling that it was lunchtime. Everyone got up from their seats and headed outside to the yard. I did the same thing.
This was usually the hardest part of the day. Since I didn't have any friends yet, I was doomed to spend lunch alone.
It didn't matter how good I was at socializing; I couldn't just walk to a random group and barge into their conversation.
It's okay, though. I don't mind my alone time. It's just part of the process!
I grabbed the soccer ball that I had brought with me and began practicing my shots against the fence at the very corner of the field.
On one of my shots, I botched it so badly that the ball was sent flying toward the other side of the yard.
I closed my eyes and shook my head in disappointment.
Whatever. Failing is part of the process.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw a ball—my ball—gunning straight toward my face.
What the?!
I ducked as the ball grazed my knuckles and hit the fence.
"Goal!!!," a high-pitched voice screamed.
I looked up and saw a literal kid running toward me. He grabbed it before passing it to me lightly.
I stared at him, utterly confused.
He's... tiny!
If I didn't know any better, I would have seriously thought that he was a kindergartener.
That's when I realized that I had been staring at him for far too long.
Crap!
In a panic, I hurriedly turned away. I've made many kids cry because I've stared at them for too long, and I didn't want to make the same mistake again.
I expected someone as small as him to do the same thing, but instead, I heard a pure giggle.
What?...
I tried to sneak a peek at him from the corner of my eye. He was gone.
Well... I guess that's normal.
I let out a small, disappointed sigh and turned around.
*STARE*
"AHHH!!" I shrieked girlishly, falling onto my back.
The tiny kid was now standing two inches from my face.
"Oh, sorry about that!" he said, scratching his head guiltily. "I should have said something."
It was so strange. It was the first time someone had approached me first. Not only that, but he was talking to me like it was the most natural thing in the world. And I didn't recognize his face, which meant that he was in a whole other class.
I let out a sharp breath, taking control of myself once more.
Now's not the time for this! You have a golden opportunity shining right in front of you.
I pushed myself off the ground and put on a smile. "No, it's okay. I just got a little scared."
I stretched my hand out to him. "Sorry for screaming, by the way. My name is Yu. What's yours?"
He happily took my hand and shook it energetically. It was a flimsy shake, but I could feel his raw, unfiltered emotions.
"My name is Hoshino! Anyway, enough about that." He kicked the ball closer to me. "Wanna play soccer together?"
I didn't hesitate. "Sure! I'd love to play with you!"
He gave me a quick nod before turning around. He cupped both hands around his mouth. "Hey, Kevin!" he screamed, his voice booming. "Come over here! Let's play with him, too!"
For someone so small, he shouted loudly enough that my ears began ringing. It was unexpected, but it didn't bother me. People like him are my favourite kind.
After a few moments, a group of boys led by someone I assume was Kevin came toward us. Kevin looked me up and down, as if sizing me up, then looked at Hoshino. His gaze softened in an almost protective way when he did.
"What's up, Hoshino? Who's this giant?"
"Oh! This is a friend I made. I want to play with him, and I want to play with you. So, let's play together!"
Kevin gave me one last look before responding with a simple shrug. "Sure, I don't mind. He looks fun to play against. I'm down."
He walked up to me and held his hand out. "My name is Kevin. What's yours?"
I took his hand and shook it firmly. "My name is Yu. I just moved to this school, so thank you for letting me play with you."
"There's no need to be so formal," he said with a light-hearted chuckle. "All of us here just want to play. But, you should thank Hoshino."
He stepped in closer and whispered, as if wanting to keep it a secret from the others. "You know, he's kind of like you—as in he was a new kid at one point. The difference being that he isn't native here, so he couldn't speak the language at first."
I let out a quiet gasp. "Really? But he looks just like us."
"Well, he is Asian like us, but he isn't from here."
Kevin stepped back and gazed at Hoshino as he and a few others had already started their game. Even from where I stood, I could vividly feel the warmth of his smile as he watched his friend.
"He's struggled a lot, y'know," he said, his once confident voice carrying a gentleness to it. "But now he has friends. Maybe it's because of that that whenever he sees someone alone, he goes up to them and tries to be their friend. He's really simple, that one."
I followed Kevin's line of sight until I arrived at Hoshino. For the first time in a long time, I felt my smile reach my heart.
He was so bright, so innocent. He was almost like a little ball of happiness that just made me want to laugh and have fun. I didn't know that someone could be like that. It was a breath of fresh air.
Maybe, just maybe… I've found a lifelong friend.
After that, we played soccer together until lunch ended. In every game, Hoshino gave it his all. Even if it looked like all hope was lost, he kept playing until the very end. He never treated the game as just a "game." And when he lost, he took it personally. But even then…
He never stopped smiling.