UNEDITED.
SANDBOX LOVE (FIGHT) NEVER DIES chapter one
𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 was at the sandbox today. At such early in the afternoon where the sun could still burn one's skin and cause a terrible irritation, make them profusely sweat and yet — that certain someone was still at the sandbox. They had [Hair c.] in a bobcut with their chubby hands gripping the plastic shovel as they pushed it through the sand, filling the empty castle, doing the same process a couple of times until they finally made a bunch of castles surrounding themself. They held a flowery aura around them, though a boy watching them couldn't just feel the same.
From a few feet away, a brunette with golden eyes couldn't help but huff and puff his cheeks, crossing his arms as he intently watched the new face. He hasn't seen this face before and he didn't like the way that they were stealing his and his friends' sandbox! So he must find a way to deal with this [Hair.c] kid before they finally steal his sandbox away from them!
He huffed and strutted towards the sandbox with an attitude on his feet, not taking that long with the fast pace. With brows furrowed and nose scrunched up, arms still crossed in attempt for intimidation — he opened his mouth to word out his complaints but, to his annoyance, the kid before him beat him up to it.
" You look like Yagi-chan. " They spoke with a blunt voice that made him stagger a foot back. It wasn't just by that though, the first thing that came into his mind was his new best friend, Shizusumi. As far as he knew, Shizu's surname was Yagi. Was there any chance that this kid knew Shizu? Ugh! Not only that the sandbox were what they're stealing but his new best friend too! He brought his foot where it was with a stomp and parted his lips and this time he managed to word out his frustration, " This is our sandbox! "
" Here, let me show you a picture of my Yagi-chan. "
Confused by their statement, his stiff shoulder dropped a little as he watched them stood up from the sand carefully as to not to break the sand castles that they made. They hopped down the sandbox and went over the nearest tree to fetch something and with his eyes adjusting, he saw a phone in their hand. They paced back towards him with a small smile, stopping in front of his form with a halt whilst they seemed to doing something with the phone. Why is that they have their own phone at such an age and he doesn't? He was only allowed to use whenever his parents weren't using their own! Now he was jealous!
" Here he is! Yagi chan's eyes and yours are the same! He's so cute! " He was taken aback, once again with their demeanour. A big smile plastering their lips, that showed they had a missing tooth with the arm that held the phone outstretched so that he could (not so) clearly see the picture they're excitingly showing him. When his eyes adjusted, he could a picture of the same kid hugging this Yagi-chan who have dark brown fur and striking golden eyes. He would have thought of it as a compliment but with his thoughts going back to the sandbox and being territorial, he thought of it instead as an insult. Why would they compare him to a pet? An animal, in that matter! He didn't look like an animal, did he?
Hmph!
Of course he doesn't!
" Listen, I...I don't care about your Yagi-chan. What I care about is you stealing my sandbox. This is mine and my friend's sandbox, so if you can find your own, please scram! " He knew how much the word 'please' could persuade a person to doing something that he wanted. Afterall, he's used that word to his mother every time he wanted something and she always complied to it. But it seemed like it wasn't working to them.
How troublesome, he couldn't help but think of it, a pout painting his lips.
" But I don't see your name around here, " They even had the nerve to search for it around the sandbox and tilt their head innocently. Behind that cute gesture they have was a hiding devil child that's definitely plotting on ways to fully steal his sandbox — so he did the only right thing to do. For further intimidation that is, he hopped over the sandbox and kicked the sand castles while having eye contact with them. He stared at them with a fusing face, red and puffed up.
" My sand castles, " They frowned and went over the sand filled box, crouching to pick up the shovel and castle mould that was temporarily hidden from the sand. They reverted their head back to him and their [Eye c.] stared at him with disappointment. " You ruined them. "
He couldn't help but feel that too, with the fact that they didn't cry and ran away.
But then, he also felt a little...guilty when he saw that frown on their face. " I made this for my big brother, he's sick and can never go out from home and but he wants to know what it's like to play in the playground so I did this. " They began to explain with sadness in their tone, the frown never leaving their lips. Meanwhile, another stab of guilt pierced through the little boy's heart — another one piercing through when they let out another explanation on why they were here. It was too much to bear on hearing such a sad story that he couldn't help but tell them that he'll make them a new one. For their brother who was sick. The way that their eyes lit up with joy brought a soft blush on his cheeks.
The brunette then started to build the sand castles with the small help of the [Hair c.]. Through the process, they started to talk to one another and introduced themselves. The boy found out that they were [Last Name] [Name], they just moved this earlier morning from Kyoto because their older sister said their father went out to buy some milk. The boy was a bit confused and asked what it meant but they shook their head and said that they were just as confused as he was with their sister's words. He also found out that the house that faced the playground was owned by them, a disadvantage for the boy since they'd definitely be always the first one to arrive at the play site than them. But he already had an idea, he just have to go earlier in the playground than usual with his friends so they could not steal the sandbox!
" Will your brother be happy now? " His shoulder was no longer stiff as he patted the sand that got stuck on his hand against his shorts. The boy was a bit happy with his hard work, the one that he made was twice larger than what they have done and that made his pride rise up. It came to his confusion though when they tilted their head and gazed at them with a questioning look.
" Huh? What brother? "
" You said you have a brother and he's sick so...! "
" Oh. I was 'guilt tripping' you, it's something I learned from the internet and it seemed like it worked out! " The grin that was on their face brought the irritation back on his nerves. Guilt-tripping?? He didn't know what it meant but the look on their face was just so...!
" OW! "
Let's just say that was the first time you met Hiiragi and fought with Hiiragi in that same sandbox.
It was late in the afternoon the next time [Name] went to the sandbox. Two weeks they were grounded for getting into a fight, today was just a miracle that their mother was on a three day businesses trip and their older sister was too lazy to check on what they're doing.
To their curiosity, they saw four boys playing.
Two, were at the sandbox while one was playing with what seemed to be a paper airplane, the other following the boy. They walked over to the sand box and immediately recognized the boy that they met last week, Hiiragi, was building sand castles with a ravenette. They coughed in a faux manner to gather Hiiragi's attention and his face that was plastered in confusion quickly contorted into something territorial upon seeing who was before him.
He looked at their face first which had an apologetic pout (weird) and lowering his eyes brought him to see that they were holding a plastic.
" My mom said to give you this as a way to say sorry. " They outstretched their hand towards him and the other boy beside him rose a brow at the gesture when the brunette took it from their grasp. " My older sister said I don't need to say sorry since in the first place, no one owns this sandbox and with me fighting for my wellbeing was good — but, " Stepping over the sandbox, they took something out from their messenger bag and it was the familiar phone that they had. Hiiragi looked at them confused as they scrolled through their gadget.
" My mom said that I should say sorry and give you an apology hug so can you, " They crouched in front of Hiiragi but had their head turned and hand stretched towards the ravenette. " Please take a picture of us so that my mom will actually believe me and will let me play in the playground again. " He nodded wordlessly and waited for them to give his friend an embrace. The sound of the camera's click brought them to let go from their (forced) hug and they walked over to the boy who took the picture, careful not to ruin the sandcastles that they made and took their phone.
[Name] hummed in appreciation, sending the picture to their mother with small smile. Now I can still play in the playground!
They turned to the ravenette and asked what his name was and he introduced himself as Shizusumi Yagi. He said that he had arrived in the neighborhood a couple of days earlier than [Name], and with that they learned that his house wasn't that far from where they live at (they're still the one nearest to the playground though). But how come he never met them the first time they were at the sandbox if he had arrived days prior to their arrival? Hm, that was a question that they no longer need the answer for, they gained more interest with his name.
" You have the same name as my pet dog, though that's his first name and yours is your last. It would be weird if I call you Yagi-san because that'll remind of my Yagi-chan. Should I call you Shizu instead? " They scratched their cheek in deep thought of what they could call him and unbeknownst to them the two boys who were running around halted and stared at the commotion that they were causing.
" What makes you think that you can call him that? You're not even close to Shizu! "
" Well, a friend of yours is a friend of mine right? "
" What makes you think that we're friends?! "
" Why are you shouting? " Curious by the new voice, you turned to your left seeing a boy with light gray hair where on his limp right hand gripped a paper plane. Beside him was another boy with bright salmon pink hair who had a shy gaze as he stared [Name]. Feeling the need to introduce themself for the addition of neighbor friends, ( their mother said that they should be more friendly to other kids so that they wouldn't be lonely living in the neighborhood since this would be the last time that they were going to move) they stretched both their hand in an introduction manner for the two to take and smiled, ignoring the paper plane boy's as they said their name.
That was the first time they met the four boys together — the ones that would soon be one of the few to influence your life in the near future, they were to be their best friends and sometimes 'enemies' when times were rough between them.
Yuki Yoshida.
Mafuyu Sato.
Shizusumi Yagi.
Hiiragi Kashima.
They were only seven when they met through the game of sandbox and managed to create a bond.
However, despite those happy moments that they share, there will also be the time where it will be the the complete opposite.
Afterall, strings, especially the one's tied to an instrument would eventually snap and break, right?