The day, I could remember every distinct about the day. About which birds were outside chirping on the tree in our yard. How there was a nest on the tree and how many little birds were just there waiting for their mother to bring them food. The model of the clock that was ticking in the living room. The food mom made that day for our breakfast and the exact time when dad left for his job.
"Kazuki, the food is ready," mom said from the kitchen and I ran from my room to the dining table with excitation in my eyes. The food that mom cooked was always the best meal I have ever tasted. No professional chef from a Michelin star restaurant could make food as good as she did. It was just out of this world.
"What is for breakfast today?" I said moving my hand closer to the dish but instantly got slapped in the hand with a ladle. I held my hand and looked up at her.
"Did you wash your hands and brush your teeth before sitting down to eat?" she asked me by raising her eyebrow. Though she had the sweetest smile in the history of smiles, I could feel that if I lied, death would be a better option.
I got off my chair and ran to the bathroom to quickly brush my teeth and wash my hands like a good boy who doesn’t do anything wrong, please don’t be angry, mom.
I came back and sat on the chair again eager to eat. She finally let me and I just munched that thing down faster than a world-class eater.
"Slow down Kazuki, or you will have food stuck in your throat. I always tell you to not do it. You’ll get fat if you eat too quickly," she said and I just nodded my head and slowed down a little.
"But mom do people really get fat if they eat too quickly?" I asked her and she just nod her head. "And why is that?"
"Well, when you eat too quickly. Your body does not get enough time to realize whether the food its eating is enough for it or it does it still needs more. And by the time that realization is hit, you have already eaten an amount greater than you were supposed to," she said while patting my head.
I could proudly say that mom was the best teacher I had ever met. She would tell me random facts like this every day which I am not supposed to really know as a little kid but I loved to learn and know more about what she is talking so I asked her to tell me more about it.
The food could be expressed in one word: amazing.
I finished the glass of milk quickly and then mom took a tissue to wipe my mouth. I was more excited about today than anything else honestly. Today was the day we were going to the summer festival. I looked out the window a bit sad for some reason as if I wished someone else to be there with me.
Someone I had forgotten.
Someone I needed to be there with me.
I got off my seat and then went to the front door starting to tie up my shoes. "Kazuki, before going outside, did you finish your homework for the holidays?" mom asked and I froze in place. I turned around and smiled awkwardly while tying my shoes as fast as I could. I need to make a run for it.
"I’ll do it later!" I said at the top of my lungs and rushed to the door opening it just about escaping the clutches of mom.
"Kazuki! Kazuki! At least make sure you don’t fall while running!" she shouted from the house door.
"I will," I said and kept running while giggling and slowly started to slow down after I got far enough from our house.
I was hanging out with my group of friends back then. That was the one thing I didn’t remember. Them. Their faces, their names. I completely wiped those off my head afterward. It started with hate, and despise for these people but after they profusely apologized to me on the back but acted like I was at the fault for whatever happened, I didn’t ever want to be associated with them. Some people would want to revenge but I didn’t want that, I just wanted them to disappear from before me and never come before my eyes. Another reason why I moved in with Natsumi-san at that time since she lived away from where we lived so we had no way of meeting each other, at least the chances were not big. Tokyo is the most populated city in the world after all.
"Oh, there is Kazuki," one of them said. I happily waved at them and ran towards the group of seven boys already present in our usual meeting spot. Since it was our last time for summer vacation, we wanted to do something different.
"So, what are we doing?" I asked them curiously looking over at the little map they made for some reason. "What is up with that weird drawing?"
"Weird- how rude Kazuki, I made this map with great details," the guy holding the map said to me holding it up with pride in his eyes. I took the map from his hands and stared at it and then looked at him. It was all bunch of curved lines.
I gave him the map back and he held it proudly. "Okay since I made the map, I will be the leader of this mission," he said and everyone had a sour expression on their face.
"Eh? But I wanted to be the leader," shouted one.
"Me too."
"No guys, I will be the leader."
"Can we just go?"
"I know what to do," I announced and all their eyes were set on me and I puffed my chest proudly. I walked in between the group and raised my hand in a fist. "We will decide who the leader will be in the fiercest way known to mankind," I said dramatically and they looked at me with expectations in their eyes.
"Yes, Kazuki is right, the leader of this mission should be the one who can pass the hardest trial," shouted the one, and the boy who made the map wanted to retaliate but he couldn’t at all since he was outnumbered by the people who were in my favor.
"So, Kazuki, what is the way?" the boy asked me and I snickered proudly.
"Rock," I said.
"Rock," the repeated in excitement.
"Paper."
"Paper."
"Scissors."
"Yaay."
So it was decided that we will decide who the leader is by rock paper scissors. We all huddled together in a group and started playing stone paper scissors. We made three groups of two and the one who didn’t have to play in these groups was the boy who made the map because he already went through the trouble of making the map.
First, it was me and another boy.
"Rock, paper scissors!" We both brought down our hands and I had rock and he held scissors. Seeing that, his face dropped and I jumped in the air happily.
Next was two other boys who had their hands behind their backs staring into their eyes looking intently as if trying to figure out what the other person was holding. They kept staring at each other and then brought their hands up.
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
They brought their hands down at the same time and I saw as both of them held rock. They looked at each other and chuckled. All that intensity for just a draw. What a bummer honestly. They went back and the intense environment completely vanished between them.
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
they brought down the hands and they both held scissors again. This time they let out a laugh and did it another time.
"Rock, paper scissors."
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This time, they lazily brought their hands down and one guy still held scissors while the other held paper. He smirked at him and the other guy just shrugged his shoulders.
The next was the last group and they both were about to get ready for their round but the guy quit instantly. "I don’t want to be the leader anyways," he said.
Next was me and the guy who won. We held our hands behind our backs and while he was intently staring into my soul looking for any hint as to what I will pull out. I just looked at him and closed my eyes having a confident smile.
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
"Yaay."
I held my hands up in pride as I pulled out paper and he did rock. He fell on his knees dramatically losing to me. I looked down at him and laughed proudly.
"Kazuki always wins. This is so unfair," he complained and I walked past him.
"No complaining. It’s rock, paper, scissors and there is no way I could have cheated."
I walked and joined the ones who lost and the only match left before the finals were the guy with the map and the other guy. They looked at each other in just one moment.
"Rock, paper, scissors."
The guy with the map won.
Now it was time for the finals. Me against the guy with the map. The person who proposed the idea of having this competition and the guy who made the map. We stared into each other’s eyes with our hands right behind our backs and I again closed my eyes and we began.
"ROCK."
"PAPER."
"SCISSORS!"
We both had our eyes closed when we brought our hands down I looked at those and I pulled out scissors while he had rock in his hands. I raised my hands up in defeat and the boy jumped in happiness for being the leader. I just looked at him with a little smile.
Anyways, I never really wanted to win against him honestly. I just did it for fun. He stood right before us and told us to stand up in a line.
"My soldiers, get ready," he said in a commanding voice.
"Aye, sir," we all said saluting him.
"Now we will go on an adventure in a very dangerous and scary place. Make sure you don’t get lost, stick together, and most of all. Don’t die because we would try our best to retrieve your bodies. Remember soldiers, no man left behind," he said and we all saluted him.
"Where did you even learn this?" I asked him and he scratched the back of his head.
"Hehe, it was on a movie on the television the other day," he said and we just laughed together.
"Okay, let’s go my soldiers."
"Aye, sir."
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