Kou pot on her shoes at the door way her lunch box slung on her shoulder "Mom I'm going to the park now I'll be back later!" she called back for her mother. She walked up behind her and touched her cheek with a cold water bottle "You almost forgot these" she flinched at the cold bottle touching her skin and turned to look at her. In her other hand she held a UV umbrella he jumped up "Oh!" she had completely forgotten she handed the items over to her daughter who after taking them gave her a hug after taking them "Thanks mama!"
She chucked as she pet her daughter's head "Just remember to come back befor the sun sets, okey?" she looked up at her and nodded. Letting her go she skipped over to the door and opened it "I'm off!" With that final goodbye she left with an open umbrella skipping to the park. She watched as Kou ran out the door and down the street, she had been doing this rotten since last fall.
-last fall-
Kou played of hide and go seek with her friends Satou and Yokoo their families had planned a picnic during the weekend. Teru had dragged the two people he could moderately consider his friends Aoi and Akane, Lemon whoever tagged along with them which was a pleasent surprise. Akane would say he was strong armed in to coming but who's to say.
A gasp "You know what we should do?" Yokoo sprung out from where he was hiding with his doppy smile. Kou pointed at him "Found you" Satou steered with a smirk on his face. Yokoo eeked but quickly shoook it off as he remembered what he was going to say "So anyway" both children came closer "I was thinking what if we go into the fore-"
"No" Satou immediately cut him off, Yokoo puffed his cheeks at the immediate rejection.
"But you didn't even let me finish!" he whined, Satou only crossed his arms and geared at him. Kou only tilted her head and turned to Satou "Aww come on Satou we could at least hear him out" Satou turned the other direction to not look at either of them and their Puppydog faces. Eventually however Satou finally with a heavy sigh gave in "Fine what is it," "Well we could pick some flowers for our moms," Yokoo explained.
Satou thought for a moment "Huh, I guess that isn't so bad" he admitted. With that they went to ask for permission from their parents and were off, it didn't take long for them to find some but they decided that those weren't good enough and decided to look a little more and split off in different directions. Kou knew exactly where to go she had found some very unique and beautiful flowers before while exploring the other day. They were her mom's favorite shade of baby blue with frosted tips and gold shimmer when the sun hit it, it was perfect for her mom.
When she got there however their was someone already hunched over them. She stopped running they looked to be around her age with pink hair. She walked up as quietly as she could so she wouldn't disturb them. Stopping when she was a few feet away from them.
*click*
They moved their arms back to look at a camera they were holding "Finally perfect," they sighed happily while looking at the screen. Kou put her hands behind her back and lend forward "Excuse me" she said in a soft voice finally making her presence known. The other jumped at the sudden disturbance realizing they weren't alone they turned their head sharply in her direction. Kou lend back to keeping her hands be hind her "So-"
The other sputtered as an over flow of words spild from their mouth "STALKER! YOU'RE HERE TO KIDNAP A HANDSOME YOUNG LADY LIKE ME FOR RANDSOME!" Kou's mind blanked as she processed what the other had just said "Huhh???" The other had scrambled against a nearby tree and pointed an accusatory finger at her. Kou up her hands up defensively in front of her "No I was just waiting for you to move so I can pick some of them" she clarified inching over to the flowers. The other relaxed visibly relaxed a little letting a small "oh" fall from her lips as she continued to steer at kou as she picked a small amount of the flowers.
The pink haired girl got up and warily walked over to Kou, "Oh! I almost forgot" Kou turned to look at the other "I'm Minamoto Kou but you can call me Kou, nice to meet you" the other steered at her back as she picked a few more flowers "I-huu... Mitsuba, Mitsuba Sousuke" Kou got up holding the small bouquet of flowers turning to look at Mitsuba again "It's nice to meet you Mitsuba" she extended her hand for Mitsuba to shake. Mitsuba looked between both Kou's hand, her face and back to her face before taking her Kou's hand and shaking it "Sure" she whispered for only them to hear. Kou looked back down at the camera that hung off of Mitsuba's neak
"You like photography?" her hands both now clasped around the flowers in her hands. Mitsuba grabbed at her camera holding it gently in her hands "Yea... " Kou beamed "That's so cool what do you take pictures of?" Mitsuba squinted at the bright shining smile on Kou's face "almost any thing except I don't do people" she answered looking down at her camera as she played with the buttons. Kou tilted her head to the side in confusion "Don't you have any friends to help you or be your subject?" Mitsuba flinch at the question. "Don't you have any friends?" rang in her head. She hasn't had any, her position made it hard to make friends. She looked away not wanting to answer. Kou face fell "Mi-"
"What does it matter to you huh?! I don't need anyone. They're all just envy my handsomeness and elegance anyway!" Mitsuba yelled looking down so the other couldn't see the tears welling in her eyes. Kou looks at Mitsuba's shaking hands "I could be your friend" she took a step closer, close enough to place one of her hands on Mitsuba's. Mitsuba's eyes were now blown wide looking directly at Kou "I mean if your okey with it, I don't think your that graceful since you know"
"That's different! You surprised me" Mistuda indignatily clarified making Kou giggle. Kou tilled her head "And I guess you are pretty handsome but your also kinda cute with your pink sweater and camera" Mitsuba's face went bright red it wasn't every day someone much less another girl called her cute especially one that looked as adorable looking as Kou. Of course she was normal about the compliment "Ha! Now now I know I'm a looker but keep yourself in check! You can't go falling for any pretty face you see!" She continued laughing taking her had way from Kou's soft hand and waving it dismissively in the air.
Kou suck her head and huffed fondly at Mitsuba's odd antics "Kou!" Someone yelled out her name in the distance making both girls look in the direction the shout came from "oh!" Kou said asshe reminded herself what she was here for. She turned to Mitsuba "Hay Mitsuba! How about we meet here next week and play together then?" She patiently waited for Mitsuba's response not that she had to wait long with Mitsuba acceping Kou offer. Kou quickly gave Mitsuba a hug before running to the voice calling her name. Before Kou could leave Mitsuba's sight completely however she quickly lifted her camera at took a picture of her blue flowers in hand.
"I'm here" Kou shouted as she came into view to her friends "Did you guys get your flowers?" Yokoo and Satou nodded. Yokoo then started booking it out the forest "The last one there is a spoiled cookie!" he shouted. Kou and Satou ran after him "A head start isn't going to help you" Kou shouted back quickly tailing Yokoo closely, as Satou grounded being at the tail end of the three. Kou quickly overtook Yokoo and once she did he slowly down to not leave Satou completely behind. When Yokoo was closed enough to Satou he said "Guess we lost huh" Satou grumbled "I don't need your pity" he elbowed his friend. Yokoo chuckled "Nah I just wanted to ask you if you knew why Kou took so long" Satou huffed "How should I know, I was with you when she came back. Dummy".
Yokoo puffed his cheek "You're no fun" he huffed. Satou rolled his eyes "What did you expect me to say?" he said bluntly. Yokoo rolled his eyes "I don't know something interesting" he admitted, when Kou noted how far behind her friends were and that they were talking she decided to slow down. When Kou leveled with her friends she asked "What were you two talking about?" with a soft inquisitivly smile. Yokoo and Satou looked at each other and then looked back at Kou "Yokoo asked me what took you so long in the forest" Satou answer as Yokoo giggled giving a sorry even though Kou wasn't offended and shrugged it off.
-back to current day-
Kou ran into the forest with less weariness than she had before, this place wasn't as scary as everyone told her it was. Actually it was quite pleasent but she was still careful. She slowed down and was quiter when she got to the denser parts of the forest. Last time her brother and his friends were there so it was a bit safer that time. Apart from that time she has done this alone keeping her phone with her in case of emergencies. When she got to the spot where her and Mitsuba usually meet up the other was already sitting near by waiting for her fidgeting with her camera. When Mitsuba saw her she quickly got up, "You weren't waiting long where you?" Kou asked since as usual Mitsuba arrived before Kou did.
Mitsuba huffed "You keeped me here waiting for ever if I wasn't as amazingly as I am I would have left" she turned up her nose I the other direction. Kou sighed with a fond look in her eyes "Of course, how could I do something so~ disrespectful as leave you waiting for oh so long" she said drilly holding a hand to her head. Not a second later they both began giggling when they died down Mitsuba grabbed her hand and they begun walked farther into the forest to one of their favorite spots. The spot itself was a large glade of small flowers of all shape and colors, it was quite peaceful despite its location Kou brought out her picnic blanket and sprawled it out for the both of them.
The pair sat in comfortable silence, at least Kou thought so. However Mitsuba felt nervous it was probably the dumbest thing to be shy over asking for but it was for her so who cares. Mitsuba took a deep breath and sighed looking at Kou from the corner of her eye "Umm Kou" Kou turned to look at the one that sat across from her "Well I was wondering if you would like to exchange numbers with me... Since you know there might be bad weather or one of us might not be able too make it sometimes" she looked back down at her camera waiting for an answer.
"Okey, I thought you said you didn't have a phone Mitsuba"
Kou quickly took her phone out Mitsuba doing the same "I just got it actually, since I'm going to have more responsibilities and stuff, so I'll need it" they exchanged their numbers Kou sending a squishy tiger sticker with the word "boo" on it as her first message making Mitsuba smile.
"So Mitsuba, what are you going to be up to" Kou asked with a slight tilt of her head. Mitsuba sighed "Family business stuff" she answered with irritation and then she groaned "I'm only fourteen why can't someone else do it! It's not fair" she said as she fell back pouting. Kou took out her umbrella and opened it again covering herself once more and crawling over to Mitsuba covering her upper half. "If it's so important then doesn't that mean your even more special? I mean," Kou shifted in place as Mitsuba lifted her arm slightly to look as her with one eye. "It probably is a lot of work on top of all the photography things you do. But..." her grip on her umbrella titend as her eyebrowse knitted together. "If they're giving you this much responsibility doesn't that mean they trust you and think you can do it?" Kou finished her eyes lost in a haze.
Through her uncovered eye Mitsuba steered at Kou no matter how beautiful she may look right now it was an expression that didn't suit her features. Mitsuba quickly sat up snapping Kou out of her thoughts "Well~" she said witha cheeky tone "when you put it like that I guess they'd be so lost with out me" she boosted as she supported her self on one hand the other on her chest. Kou giggle at Mitsuba's bombastic and extravagant mannerisms. Mitsuba peeked at Kou from the corner of her eye and there it was back and as beautiful as ever, she'd call that a success.
They spent the rest of their time talking about this or that, eating some of the snacks they brought picking some of the unique looking flowers, making some flower bracelets and crowns. Soon enough, or too soon for Mitsuba's liking the sun began to get too close horizon of the trees. Kou looked up at the sun and got up Mitsuba stopping herself from grabbing her hand. Kou looked back down at Mitsuba "I-" Kou started "I know, we both have to go home now" Mitsuba cut off, getting up and off the blanket as Kou began to pack her things.
Mitsuba took the blanket herself and folded it for Kou so she could go. Kou soon stood up with her basket in hand Mitsuba handed it over to the other. Kou stuffed it into her basket after she finished Kou stepped closer and gave Mitsuba a hug which she reciprocated soon t hey let go and they began to part ways. Mitsuba waved Kou off staying longer just standing. She pulled out a small pocket mirror from her pocket and flipped it open looking through it she watched as Kou made her way back out of the forest. She had set up a had full of mirrors/reflective material to make sure she made it back safely. The first few times some insolent morons tried to attack the obvious dunce she dealt with them quickly pulling them through the mirrors and toss the somewhere else. With Kou now completely out of the forest Mitsuba finally closed her mirror and went home.