𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒. ᴀᴍᴀɴᴇɴᴇ

𝐎𝐍𝐄

0 1 ; A SECRET

━━━━━ HE LOOKED AT THE CRAWLING ANTS AT HIS FEET AS HE HELD ONTO HIS ICE CREAM. They were so small, hardworking - and fragile. He couldn't help but wonder how it was like to be an ant; it must be fun because the regular things for them are gigantic and really weird. But then again, all he knew was that they work all day - ugh, and just at the thought of it already made him grimace.

Amane Yugi pursed his lips as he narrowed his eyes and thought about another idea; but of course, it was still about the ants he's looking at intently for a couple of minutes now.

"Amane-kun," a soft voice called out from beside him. "Your ice cream is melting. You better finish it all up now."

"But, Yashiro," he whined as he glanced at her, not really minding how his ice cream is currently dripping and flowing onto his hand, getting stickier by the minute. "Don't you think that the ants are so, I don't know, industrious? Like, all their life, they're actually just going to do that?"

"I think so, and I really think that you should better finish your ice cream because - ah!" Nene Yashiro gasped as she just watched the dessert melt away and finally fall onto the ground with a splat. She tutts at him. "Amane-kun, look at what you did."

"Oh," was the only thing he could say as he diverted his attention from her and towards the wasted treat. "Sorry."

"I think you really need to stop spacing out, Amane-kun. Don't mind the ants that much; I mean, they don't really mind you at all," the young girl shrugs and stands up, stretching for a bit. "They're already used to giant things, the way we see tall buildings."

"I guess you do have a point," Amane shots her a lopsided smile. "Come, let's go back now, Yashiro."

With that, the both of them left the park and onto the streets that will lead them back to their respective homes. They walked in silence as they stared out at the horizon, the mighty sun slowly setting, painting out several splashes of active colors before it left.

Then, they heard an unmusical remainder, almost sounding like a roar, making them look upwards towards the endless sky. It was an airplane. It flew above them, creating a bit of disturbed noises that wouldn't quite mingle with the nuisances they hear from the crossroads because it was louder.

It soon left, making the sound fuzzy now and like that of a bee's buzzing. Amane finally broke the silence from between the two of them as he began proudly, "You know, I'll fly higher than that pilot's airplane."

"Yeah? Then where will you go?"

"To the moon," he says and points at the said place from afar, up at the sky as the heavens slowly dimmed. Nene followed his gaze and found the moon glowing quietly, unlike the bright sun during daytime. It just kind of sat there, beautifully and elegantly. Maybe that's why Amane loved the moon so much. "I'll go to space and stay there when I grew up."

"That sounds hard," she says. "I heard that you can't breathe there."

"Yeah, but there's no gravity either," Amane grins at her. "You can just kind of float around and no one will think you're weird."

"Well, even if that happens, I'd think you're still weird."

They continued to walk at the side of the street, with Amane at the side of where the cars were riding off, and Nene, at the safer side beside him. The young boy always remembered how his father had told him and his twin, Tsukasa, to always walk by that side when with a girl. Amane never knew why, but maybe it's because of courtesy or something. Either way, it feels like he was protecting her and that felt fine.

"Amane-kun," she called out suddenly as a car sped by. He turned to look at her, humming as a response to her. "Do you have a secret?"

Amane just stared at her for a few seconds, before looking up and thinking. He hummed again, "I don't know. I tell my mom everything. Call me a mama's boy or anything, but I really love her homemade donuts. I'd do anything for them - and the bakery's donuts from near the station."

Nene giggled. "I see."

"How about you, Yashiro?" Amane nonchalantly threw his head back a bit as he relaxed. And then, he threw the same question back to her. "Do you have a secret?"

Nene spared him a glance and looked at her feet as they walked. She didn't respond to his question for a couple of minutes that he almost thought that she was either not listening, or didn't really want to talk about it. "I do."

"You don't tell them to your mom?" He wondered.

"No, Amane-kun; that's why they're called a secret."

"Oh, okay." Amane nodded slowly.

Silence reigned over the two of them again, with the exception of some insects' noise. The dark-haired boy stole glances at her as they walked back; to be honest, he was terribly curious of what was her secret - he wanted to know and he wanted her to tell him. Amane thought that it wouldn't be good if he'd fuss her over something like that though, that's why he wanted her to tell him voluntarily- he wouldn't have anyone to play with if he forces her to do it.

So he waited.

And then, "I do have a secret. Want me to tell you?"

"Yes, yes!" He bursted as his face lits up. "What is it?"

Nene shushed him as she gestured for him to come a bit closer, glancing at both sides, as if wary that someone might hear a child's secret. She leaned near his ear and whispered with her oh-so soft and careful voice - Amane's breath hitched as he prepared for it, thinking if it was just something about a girl's perspective and all, but what came out and rolled out from her tounge was something unexpected that it made his excitement die down.

"I'll just tell you tomorrow, then."