"Yeah. I'm going there right now." I stopped in front of the gatekeeper's booth. He nodded at me, and the pedestrian gate opened for me to pass through.
"You are?" He sounded surprised. "Okay, great!"
"Why though?" I asked.
I could hear his smile. "There's a nice surprise waiting for you."
"Okay..." I replied. I wasn't very fond of surprises though. "It better be nice. If it isn't... I will get revenge."
He laughed. "Okay, Captain. Bye then."
"Bye."
I walked over to the set of swings and kicked at the dirt floor. This obviously wasn't a very high-end park. Even though it was so close to that rich neighborhood? How surprising. I shut my umbrella, standing under the shade of a tree. Today was pretty nice. The sun was warm, and there was a light breeze rustling around.
"Rika-nee!"
I froze. That voice.
His black hair was as dark as his brother's, but he had it cut in a much shorter, cleaner style. His dark brown eyes were wide, and he looked as innocent as he had been years ago.
"Oh my God." I said, gaping at him just like how I'd reacted when I saw Mickey. I launched myself at him and threw my arms around his skinny frame. "Oh my God, Yuuta!" I started laughing in happiness. He caught me, swinging me around in a semi-circle. Damn it, why were they all so much taller than me? So unfair!
"Rika-nee! I can't believe it! So Mikiya-senpai was right." He set me back down and adjusted his gray hoodie. Dang it, he's like a whole half-head taller than me! "He said I'd find you here."
"Yeah he called me and told me to come here." I replied grinning. "Ah! You've grown so much, little Yuu-chan! You're taller than me! So what grade are you in now?"
He smiled in that kind and soft way of his. "I'm a third year in middle school. I'll be going to high school next year." "Akawari High?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yeah."
"Graduating from middle school," I said with a small, amused smile. "Amazing! And last time I saw you, you were still in elementary!" He chuckled. "Yeah."
"So how is it? What's it like back there?" We started walking slowly away from the swings.
"It's very peaceful now, thanks to you and Akane-senpai." He replied, then started laughing quietly. "If you were there, oh, you wouldn't believe it. The Red Dragons are really famous now, and you're like an urban legend."
"What? How is that possible?"
"Because when Akane-senpai finally got all the gangs to quiet down, you were already gone. But they all talked about you, and the other gangs all know about you. The other gangs don't have a very good impression of you, of course, always saying how freaky and scary you were. The town thinks you're some hero though. Some people don't believe it since you just disappeared and no one could find where Akamatsu Rika went off to. And Onii-chan is always complaining about how every year people try and join the club."
"Still the Town Adventurers?" I grinned, and Ryota had called that a lame name.
Part 29
Start from the beginning
