“T-Thanks for helping me.......... I guess.............”

The young boy looked at her with stifled shock. He’d never heard her speak any kind words, let alone thank someone.

“You..... umm.......... you are welcome.”

He extended his arm, offering his hand to the girl who was still on the ground, but she simply shook her head.

“You don’t have to do that anymore. Fine......... it’s fine now. You can go.”

“But..... you do not sound okay. You sound like—”

“I said it’s fine!” she said, holding back tears. “You already helped me, stop doing this!”

“What?” he said, starting to get angry. “No, I won’t leave, you still look like you hurt!”

“You won’t always be here to help me you know!”

He stumbled backwards. Seeing her face that held back pain, along with the words she said—

“I’m already used to it! I’m already used to being alone! I don’t want to be alone again after having someone close to me!”

—it hurt. It hurt the inside of his chest.

Tears streamed down her face, and all he could do was stand quietly by as she struggled through her words.

“Y-You won’t always be th-t-there! So j-just go already!”

He clutched his chest. Mother always told him that a boy shouldn’t make a girl cry, he didn’t know what to do now. The only things he knew were what father and mother taught him.

In that instant, he felt his heart beat out of his chest. He lifted his head to the ever-brightening sky, remembering what his father had told him a long time ago.

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So I can become..........

“T-Then I will marry you!”

The young girl looked up at him with a look of total confusion.

“Since you are a girl, and I am a boy, we can get married! That way, I will always be with you! You will never be alone, ever again!”

The red on her face became even deeper, but he couldn’t tell if that was from her crying or not. “Idiot! We can’t get m-m-married! E-Even if I say yes, we’re not adults!”

“Then I will stay with you until we are adults— then we will get married!”

“You’re just forcing yourself, you don’t mean it!”

“No I am not— I mean it!” “I’ll be fine by myself!”

“But I want to stay with you!”

The girl abruptly closed her mouth in shock. She didn’t know how to react, much less what to say. The boy offered his hand once more, and after much hesitation, she took it, staring hard at the grass.

“Do..... do you mean it? You won’t leave, even when we grow up? You won’t leave me alone?” “Please look up.”

She’d heard him say that phrase so many times she almost despised it; but even so, she obliged. When she looked up, she saw the boy wearing the brightest smile she’d ever seen. It was strange. Unlike the smile she saw him wear at school everyday, this one seemed impossibly bright but at the same time......... soft.

It was like watching the sun at sunrise.

“I am never going to leave you alone, not even the day I die! I will always stay with you!”

Dawn began to shine, illuminating the world in those first few rays of golden light, and allowing him to see the last few tears escape her eyes as they struck the ground beneath them. He didn’t notice how close she’d gotten until she tugged at the bottom of his shirt.

“Yuuko.......... do you promise?”

Despite her tears, she could clearly see the newfound smile he wore on his face.

“Hm, Yuya. I promise that I will never leave.”

Her catharsis relieved, he gently took her by the hand, and she couldn’t help but think of how warm it was.

“Let’s go.” “O-Okay......... let’s go!”

With an enthusiastic nod, Yuya let herself be guided down the hill they stood. It wasn’t until they ran past the halfway mark she realized the sensation she felt on her face was her own smile, and the laughter she heard was her own shared with his.

It was this morning that marked the beginning of their promise.