This memory...

It was probably a year ago.

Yeah, around a year before the day he disappeared.

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I had moved to a small village in the middle of nowhere with my parents and brother, after the city proved to be too unfriendly an environment to keep our small family business afloat.

It wasn't because of the quality of the food, both my mom and dad were in charge of the kitchen, and i can guarantee their food is quite good.

The problem was our location, as the prices in the main streets were too much for our humble finances, we had to make do with opening a small restaurant pretty much in the outskirts.

The people who did stop by and eat liked it, but the fact was that the influx of customers wasn't enough to sustain ourselves.

One day, when the situation had already become unsustainable, a foreign man with slanted eyes happened to stop by our restaurant.

He liked the food a lot, to the point he went to the kitchen to congratulate the chefs.

He eventually became a friend of our family, and he came to eat every now and then.

My parents told him about our financial problems, the man promised to help us, saying that "It would be a waste for such a nice couple of chefs to end up working as laborers"

After some time he came with an offer to work in one of the most prestigious restaurants of the kingdom, clearly this guy wasn't just any foreigner, he had his connections.

But my parents bluntly refused, my brother and i agreed with them. There wouldn't be any point in working in someone else's restaurant, we had our pride as owners after all.

"In that case" The slanted eyed man said

"Come work at my village, i can get you a nice location right in the center and i'm sure you'll get lots of customers"

After a couple of weeks we held our reinauguration in our new 'home'. The man was pretty loyal to his word, our restaurant was quite literally in the center of the village.

Our new restaurant became a success, the people were welcoming, and more importantly my parents didn't have that desperate look on their faces. I considered myself more of a 'city girl', but i couldn't deny the healing effect that small villages have on the soul.

If i had to mention a minus it would be, well, it was sort of boring.

My brother and i didn't have trouble to make friends, and they were all very kind people.

It was just... There wasn't anything interesting going on. That 'spark' characteristic of the bigger congregations of people wasn't there.

Everything was so slow and calm compared to the city.

I picked up the habit of taking walks, every time going a bit further away from the village.

All in an attempt to look for something that would catch my interest, something that could entertain me.

As a result i found a forest to my liking not too far from the settlement, whenever i was bored i would come and play with the squirrels.

At one point even animals seemed to be more interesting than human beings, i felt and unexpected sort of release after sharing my deepest secrets with a bunch of squirrels.

They wouldn't talk about dolls, fashion, or the posibility of X cheating on Z with Y. I never fancied such vain 'girl's talk'. I would rather sit listening to the squeaky rodents than hanging out with my human friends.

And so, in one of my expeditions to explore the depths of the forest, i reached a lake.

Beautiful blue water, the calming chirping of birds and the soothing sight of deers drinking the crystalline water.

I came closer and looked at my reflection, when i saw the blonde color of my hair mixing up with the deep blue of the water for a short moment i felt like a princess from a fairy tale.

I may have found a new favorite place, or so i thought before an apathetic male voice interrupted my emotional moment.

"Hey little girl, do you have a death wish?"

I looked towards the source, but i couldn't see anyone.

"Up here, in the tree"

Following the instructions, i looked up to find a boy with black, curly hair sitting on one of the bigger branches of a near tree.

"And who might you be? You certainly don't look old enough to go calling me 'little girl'."

I asked the corresponding question according to basic etiquette.

"Well, if i was you i wouldn't be standing there like a fool."

H-Huh? A fool? But there's only me standing here...

I checked my surroundings once again to see where this alleged fool was supposed to be.

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"And now instead of following my advice you're looking around like a fool. What a foolish girl."

F-Foolish girl!?

You talkin' to me!?

"How about you try to look at your reflection on the lake again?"

There's a lot of stuff i would like to say to this kind sir who seems to be too high on his damn horse, but his words had started to give me an omnious feeling about my current situation.

I carefully went and checked my reflection again. Nothing seemed out of ordinary with my face.

"Now try to look beyond the surface"

I did as he said, and squinted my eyes as i tried to see what lied beyond the superficial image, and i saw... Something.

"W-What is that?"

"You should get away first before asking dumb questions"

Ara? Arara? Did 'that' just... Move a bit?

Just as the realization that i should indeed get away fast hit me, the 'thing' hiding beyond the surface jumped straight at me.

Luckily i was able to fall back on my butt to avoid its first attack, and only then the identity of what i was confronting against was revealed.

"A... A..."

"A FRIGGIN' CROCODILEEEEEE!"

My heart almost escaping through my mouth together with the surprised scream, i hurriedly stood up and tried to run away, following the contour of the lake.

But i was wearing a heavy dress with a long skirt, designed for your average housewife to comfortably sit home as she sews her husband's boxers, and not for running from wild reptiles that mistook you for their dinner.

"Y-YOU! H-HELP ME!"

"Crocodiles are quite slow when running, that's why they rely in hiding underwater and making a decisive surprise strike"

Oh, really? ♥ You are so smart! ♥ I may even fall for you! ♥

I asked you for help, not for a damn lesson on reptilian zoology.

"WHY DOES THAT EVEN MATTER NOW!? PLEASE HELP MEEEEE!"

"Tsk, i told you crocodiles are slow, even slower than you, dimwitted and foolish girl."

"WHO... ARE YOU CALLING... DIMWITTED...!?"

I managed to spit out a retort inbetween my irregular breaths as i kept trying to run.

"Whatever, just look behind you."

Who is this guy even supposed to be? Why is he just watching me suffer like this? Is this funny for you? Am i entretaining you, you depraved microphone head!?

Having lost my breath already it seems i won't be able to ask him that, but i turned around to look anyways.

And there... There wasn't anything.

My alleged pursuer was standing still pretty much at the same place where he jumped out at me, looking at me with apathetic, almost pitying eyes.

"See? I told you he was slow. There wasn't any need for me to help you anyways."

I was relieved to know my life was out of danger, no doubt. But the good feeling lasted barely a couple of seconds before this irritating guy's voice spoiled my mood again.

"You...! You de- *cough cough*"

I couldn't finish my phrase, i still hadn't caught my breath.

"Heh, what a weird girl. You should come sit in here."

He said as he pointed a tree branch close to the one on which he was sitting.

"Why...*pant*... Should i... *pant*...?"

Why should i listen and do as you say?

"You're not out of danger yet."

*Gasp*

I quickly turned around towards the lake, as i was reminded of the possibility of another of those cold-blooded predators coming out to hunt me.

When did i become so popular? Sorry dad, your cute daughter has become a sinful woman...

That's what i would have liked to say if this whole thing wasn't about hungry crocodiles.

"Tsk, this is why city folk are..."

The curly haired boy said that in an unpleasant tone as he got down from the tree and approached me.

Wait, who are you calling city folk!? Well, it's true but...!

My thought process got interrupted as he suddenly held my hand.

"Hey! What are you doing!?"

He didn't say anything, he just started to pull me somewhere.

"Let me go! It hurts!"

It didn't actually hurt, though. His words may be harsh but seems like he at least knew how to control the strenght of his grip.

But of course, if i wanted him to release me i couldn't pass up the chance to use the innate womanly ability to make up things to complain about.

When he finally let me go we were standing in front of the tree where he was sitting before.

"W-What do you want?"

I limited myself to asking that.

First i needed to ascertain his intentions. Know yourself and know your enemy and you won't have to fear the result of a thousand battles.

"Here, climb up."

He pointed to a rope hanging close to the tree's trunk.

This guy... How can he make such obnoxious demands to a frail girl in a delicate dress with a straight face?

"I'm not goi-..."

He suddenly cut me off:

"Damn, another crocodile is coming!"

Ara?

Last thing i remember i was standing in front of a tree, now i'm suddenly hanging from a rope, some 5 meters above ground.

Once more i was reminded that life takes you to unexpected places when you less expect it.

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"So, why did you come here? This ain't no place for city gals like you"

That's what the boy sitting on a tree branch some 5 meters above ground, asked me.

"I was just... Looking for something fun to do."

That's what i, sitting on a tree branch some 5 meters above ground, replied to the boy.

"So, under what definition of the word 'fun' does getting chased by crocodiles appear? I would like to take a look at whatever dictionary you took that from."

"Of course i didn't want any of that to happen! Don't you have any common sense!?"

The more i talk to him the more irritated and lost i feel.

"Well, i do know a certain parent that is into that sort of stuff so..."

"Hah? Is he some sort of extreme masochist?"

"If i had to pick a word to describe it, it would be 'legendary' "

The boy replied to my question with a 100% straight face. He was serious. Spouting outrageous gibberish, but serious nonetheless.

"Pft"

"Pffft... Hehe... Hahahaha"

I couldn't hold back the laughter.

How long has it been since someone made me laugh wholeheartedly like this?

It may happen when i tease my brother, but that's more like me using him to amuse myself.

The reason behind my walks in the forest was precisely that i had grown bored of people.

And yet... Here i was, laughing so happily with this random boy.

"You okay? That suspicious laugh doesn't seem like a good sign. Should i get you some papayas?"

"Papayas? Just what... Fwahahahahaha"

How can he come up with all that?

Such a weird boy...

"My name is Iris Allegro." I decided to introduce myself properly. "What's yours?"

I looked at the boy again. His irreverent comments delivered with a straight face and that curly hair that makes his head look like a microphone...

Quite a promising candidate to be the buffoon in charge of bringing a bit of entertainment to this boring villager life.

He looked at me skeptically for a moment and then looked away, pondering about something.

I guess he found my change in attitude a bit puzzling.

But nonetheless he looked back at me and correspondently introduced himself.

"I am Noah. Kurohara Noah"

Maybe...

Maybe we could become friends.

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*riiiiiiiing riiiiiiing*

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock.

It's 7am, the usual time to wake up and start to get ready to open the restaurant.

It's a working day like any other.

So it was supposed to be.

But i don't want to stand up. I can't stand up.

The dream i just had...

Kurohara Noah.

Mentioning his name is enough to cause a stinging pain inside my chest.

And that's because...

I may never see him again.