Dream, Cherry and Emerald Traveler

Summer is my favorite season.

The late summer sun is soft with light breezes and rivers.

Summer in Japan ruled by the monsoon climate is long.Every summer, I will think of youth, sadness, deep bone, sweetness, pain, coolness, heat, rain, and flowing tree shadows.These words, such a season, often make people confused, and it is easy to think of love.

Today, Kakyoin did not come.

This is already the second day he asked for leave for no reason.

Since he came back from Egypt a few months ago, he has been inexplicably different.

It's hard for me to describe that mysterious feeling.Except for me, no one noticed the abnormality. Maybe it was because I had been with him for a long time and I always watched him, so I was so sensitive to his demeanor and every move.

After class in the afternoon, I stood in front of the classroom window in a daze, and somehow remembered what happened when I was a child.

Every time I play hide and seek, no matter where I hide, the children playing together can't find me.They played several times, and I was still hiding where I hid the first time.Until the children were all gone, I was still foolishly waiting where I was.

Until the voice of Kakyoin came from the entrance of the alley.

"Come out, it's time to go home."

I just patted the dirt on my body and walked out from where I hid.I don't know why, but at that moment when I saw his figure standing against the light, my nose suddenly felt a little sour, and tears fell down my face.

Kakyoin, like a sensible and gentle brother, coaxed me a few words and handed me a handkerchief.

And that handkerchief was covered with tears from my crying, and with inexplicable selfishness, I never returned it to him.

Later, on the way to send me home, I heard the boy tell me in an excited tone that his Green Emperor can be used to investigate and search.

Kakyoin...

The hand trembled slightly, and the water splashed out.

I put the cup back on the table, dried my hands with a handkerchief, and looked at the familiar seat diagonally behind again.It was empty.

The sun is still shining, the trees are shadowed, and the running figures on the playground are full of youth.

I seem to have returned to the countless days and nights before.

Through the gaps in the branches and leaves, large swaths of sunlight fell on his shoulders.In the shadow of the tree, the boy was sitting there alone reading a book.

A few meters away from the balcony, night shrouded the window, with a snack in his mouth, he winked at me and waved the game controller in his hand.

I thought it was too troublesome to go downstairs and knock on the door of his house, so I somehow had a whim and asked him to use the Green Emperor to smuggle me directly from the balcony to his room.

When I was swept into the air by an invisible force, I didn't feel any fear. I only felt the hairs on my skin stand up due to excitement, and finally turned into heat and rushed to my cheeks.So much so that when I landed, I panicked and didn't step on it, and threw myself on him, hitting his head hard on his chest.

…………

Some people cannot meet loneliness.Met, still lonely.

**********

in a dream.

Kakyoin clearly knew that he was dreaming.

In front of me is the place where children are kept, and there are aunts in the mall wearing heavy makeup.

"Let's wait until Dad and Mom come back!"

Looking over my aunt's head, I saw my parents smiling and waving at him as they walked away. The two of them were walking hand in hand on the road between the glass display cases.

The aunt seemed to be afraid of his crying, so she hurriedly handed over the toys and books.But in the dream, I was still a child, but I didn't say anything, just smiled at my aunt, and sat down on the chair by the window.

He took the book and spread it out on his knees, pretending to be reading, but actually looking at a small green humanoid in front of him.

The one that no one can see but him - the Green Pope.

The storage room played music that I didn't know much about as a child.The sound of music spread to the first floor outside the window, and the crowd was deposited around the fountain like a stasis of water.

The tree planted in the middle of the fountain has huge branches and leaves, and it is the same color as his stand-in, so you can touch it just by reaching out your hand.

However, that young self didn't know that this was his own substitute.

Then he saw on the other side of the leaf, a naughty child climbing on the railing.

The music behind him stopped.Seeing that the child was about to slip off the railing and fall into the pool, the two adults next to him had no time to catch it.His eyes widened.

The next moment, the little Pharaoh in front of him stretched out his green tentacles, supporting the child's body at the critical moment.

Others didn't notice it.In their view, it is probably just that the child's hand is still attached to the railing, which delays the sliding trend.

It was still midnight when I opened my eyes, and the sky was dark blue at three o'clock in the morning.

For some reason, he recalled the scene when he used his stand-in ability for the first time. It was probably the first time in Tiantian's life that he experienced such a fierce battle.The ability that spontaneously erupted out of his desperation at the beginning made him clearly realize for the first time that he was different from others.

In the early morning, he borrowed Kujo's landline to make a call.The reason why he didn't choose to call his family was because he knew that his decision would fail because of his parents' concerns and intervention.

"Hey?"

There was a girl's voice on the other end of the phone.

"morning."

"Kakyoin! You didn't come to class yesterday, and you didn't go home. What happened?"

Through the phone, he could immediately imagine her worried expression: "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Then... are you still in class today?"

Kakyoin was silent for a moment, then suddenly said softly: "I'm very sorry during this time... something happened, I will tell you when we meet next time."

…………

The journey took place shortly after high school's summer break after the nightmare experience in Egypt.Not only did it change his life, but many scenes would never be forgotten by Noraki Kakyoin many years later.

Sometimes looking at a group photo of a few people and recalling it, I still feel that I am still a light traveler.

Walking on the long journey across half the world, crossing the desert with friends, crossing the seabed, enjoying the joy of the journey, and also experiencing the pain of parting.

But the beginning of this romantic journey was not so good——

*************

After returning from vacation in Egypt with her family, Kakyoin couldn't recover from the endless darkness for several days.

For holiday homework that does not want to start work, it is like a bird with learning ability avoiding the larvae of poisonous moths, not even touching them.As a result, I didn't write a single homework question, and my mind seemed to be emptied, leaving only fear and obedience to that person.

At the same time, when things happen, there are always dark and negative thoughts, and I can't suppress the irritability.The atmosphere at home also seemed to be affected by him and became depressed. When his parents talked to him, they unconsciously lowered their voices.

He vaguely felt that something was wrong with him, but he couldn't control his emotions and thoughts at all.

"Kakyoin?"

This sudden call brought him back from his contemplation.

Even the sound of the door opening and closing, the sound of someone's footsteps entering the room, and the sound of clothes rubbing against each other, all were not heard because they were too focused.

"What, it's Xiao Xing." He greeted casually, but didn't get up.

The light source in the room comes from the dim sunlight in the evening outside the window with the curtains drawn.

But even if the light is weak, he can't make a mistake.The person who came was Yuki Kazama who lived next door to his house.Because he has been studying in the same school since elementary school, and his parents are also close friends, so he can be regarded as his childhood friend.

She was holding the homework book in her hand. She must have encountered a problem, so she habitually came to ask him for advice.

However, on the way to him, her footsteps suddenly stopped.After staring at him for a while, the girl whispered in a hesitant tone:

"Recently... you always feel a little weird."

"What's wrong?"

"Everywhere is weird."

"Everything is the same as usual, you are thinking too much."

As soon as the words fell, the girl took a deep look at him, bit her lips, and the expression on her face couldn't tell if she was angry.Then she suddenly hugged the homework book, turned around and left his room without saying a word.

He just sat there quietly watching her leave, his mood unexpectedly not fluctuating.

Then came the long Cold War period.Not only did he refuse to go to school with him, but also the game discs and comic books left at his house.

This is a situation that the two have never met since they met.Even his mother noticed that something was wrong, and asked him cautiously during dinner if he had offended Xiaoxing.

"……No."

He didn't do anything to make her angry. Judging from the conversation that day, she should be baffled.

"That's strange. That child likes you so much. He has been attached to you since he was a child. He wished he could share all toys and snacks with you. How could he be alienated all of a sudden... Could it be that he has a boyfriend?" The mother muttered in a low voice, guessing the second half of the sentence, she couldn't help opening her eyes wide and raised her hand to cover her mouth.

impossible.

Kakyoin just felt a little ridiculous, and almost subconsciously made a conclusion.But then he was slightly taken aback by his natural attitude.

According to the theory, he and Kazama are young and tame, but they are not very close friends, and he has no right to interfere with each other's emotional life.

The chaotic and irritable mood continued into the night.

The moonlight and street lamps outside the window outlined the scenery in the room through the curtains. He saw the car model on the cabinet and remembered that it was a birthday present she gave him two years ago.

Probably influenced by her mother's words, Kakyoin lay on the bed and looked at the ceiling, recalling the acquaintance of the young girl who hadn't seen it for a long time.