𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧' |𝐭.𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐢

44- castles can be rebuilt

He saw you before you saw him.

Of course you didn't notice him right away, you were sat in the sandbox with the seriousness of a tiny architect, carefully shaping your crooked sandcastle.

Your hands were dusty, your knees deep in sand, and your focus absolute. Nothing could distract you, not even the group of loud boys running nearby.

You looked peaceful. Untouchable. Magical, even. And for a boy like Tenko, who didn't quite know how to be around peace, you were terrifying.

But still, he stared.

The sandbox was your kingdom.

You sat in the middle of it, legs crisscrossed, barefoot and dusted with golden sand from head to toe.

You were humming to yourself, quietly narrating as you built.

"And this is where the dragon sleeps. But she's nice, she just likes snacks... and naps. Same. The knight lives next door, but he brings her cookies on Tuesdays."

You didn't even notice the quiet boy watching you.

Tenko stood frozen by the monkey bars. He didn't know you. Had never seen you before. But there you were, building a magical kingdom and talking to your pinecone like it was a person. You were smiling at your own little story.

Everyone in the park avoided you, said you were weird for talking to yourself and being distant. And it was true, even to Tenko you were the weirdest kid he'd ever seen.

And because of that, he couldn't look away.

Every so often, you'd whisper something to a pinecone, then giggle to yourself like it whispered back.

And Tenko froze.

Something warm pulled tight in his chest.

He didn't understand it. He didn't even know you. But he couldn't look away. He didn't know how someone could glow like that, all soft edges and sunlight. You weren't loud. You weren't trying to be seen.

But to him, you were everywhere.

You looked up for half a second, brushing hair from your face, and your eyes met.

Just for a moment.

Tenko's breath caught.

You smiled. Just a little. Then went right back to building, as if you hadn't just unknowingly destroyed every thought in his little brain.

He blinked. Swallowed. Panic bubbled in his stomach.

'Do something' it screamed.

He wanted you to notice him. God, he needed you to.

So when the ball some kids were tossing rolled too far, he saw it as a perfect excuse.

He chased it, calling out a half-hearted, "I got it!" even though his eyes weren't on the ball.

They were on you. Watching how your eyes flicked up. Watching the way you tilted your head when you saw him.

He could've just walked over. Handed you a smile. Asked what you were making.

But that would've been too easy. Too normal. And nothing about Tenko was normal.

So he did something stupid. He dove for the ball, tripping while doing so.

And falling, hard.

Right into the sandbox.

Right into your castle.