Fan Fiction ❯ A Love Story ❯ Our Little Promise ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One Our Little Promise.

"Higher! Kei, push me higher up!" Junko giggled as her friend pushed the swing a bit more forcefully, and she was now high up in the air. "You'd better be careful there, Junko, you might just fall off the ground for all I know," warned Kei, Junko's life-long friend. Junko replied with a giggle again. Kei sighed.

They knew each other since infancy, and were the best of friends. They were both 10 years of age, and both equally naughty. They love to spend their evenings in the playground, and they've been dubbed the "King And Queen of the Playground". True, both of them were liked and respected by the kids around that neighbourhood. Not just because of their talent at swinging their legs and kick bad, bad boys around, but also because they're very kind, friendly and most probably the richest kids there. Half the whole neighbourhood loved them. And Junko and Kei loved being the centre of attention.

"Oi Junko, I'm getting tired of swings lately, let's play tag instead," inquired Kei hopefully. He was getting tired with pushing the swing then, and he wanted to play something else for a change. Maybe some running around would help. Junko glanced at Kei, and blinked. At the same time, she saw a man selling balloons far off at the corner. Then a grin crossed her adorable little face. "I have a great idea, Kei," she said. Uh-oh, Kei thought. What's with that goofy smile on her face? He knew he was not going to like whatever that struck Junko's twisted brain right then.

Junko got off the swing. She glanced at Balloon man once again, and said, "We'll play tag, and if you can catch me, I'll do anything you want me to do. BUT if you can't, you'll have to buy me that balloon." She pointed to a very catchy balloon in Balloon man's hand, in the shape of a heart. Kei's mouth hung open for a few seconds. "You get more and more girly everyday, don't you, Junko?" he groaned. Junko smirked at that, and then came her confident remark: "Well, you're gonna love me for that one day, Kei. All guys love that." And she giggled to herself. Kei could only manage to roll his eyes.

They're both of the same age, and yet so different in maturity. Junko was already thinking on how to flirt with boys, boys and more boys, and Kei was still hesitant to wear underwears or get into the bathtub- his worst nightmare. He shrugged. "Okay then, I guess," he muttered.

And so they ran around like two innocent children they were, giggling and laughing all the way. Junko had been able to run very fast lately, Kei found her hard to catch up with. He forced himself to pump his muscles a bit more, and managed to finally catch up to her. When he was about to reach his hand out to grab her, he tripped over a little stone on the ground. Damn it all! Junko stopped running and offered him a hand to get up. She smiled sweetly and victoriously at the same time. Kei cursed under his breath.

"Balloon," she nudged at the direction of the Balloon man once again. "Heart shape." She giggled. Kei groaned, but walked over to the Balloon man nevertheless. He took out a small coin and handed it to the man, and filled with shame, picked the heart-shaped balloon Junko so wanted. He gave the balloon to Junko, and a giggle escaped her lips once again. Giggling should be forbidden, God! Kei thought to himself.

A heart- shaped balloon. Very pink, very bright, and certainly very catchy. And Junko was waving it around, telling practically every kid in the area that Kei bought it for her! Kei could see boys pointing at him and sneering, and girls giggling and whispering among themselves- obviously about him buying Junko a HEART- SHAPED BALLOON. Kei wished a lightning would strike him and that he could die right then and there.

Junko stared at him long and hard, and smiled sweetly. She took both Kei's hands and wraps them with hers. She stared at his eyes and smiled hesitantly. Kei was taken aback by this sudden emotion, and moreover, Junko was actually blushing. "Hey," she began. Kei stared at her. "What?"

"Let's make a promise."

Kei was definitely taken aback.

"What kinda promise?"

Junko shrugged, and laughed awkwardly. "Well, I don't know…I just thought that today we should make a promise," she said. There was an awkward pause after that.

Kei shrugged, and held out his little finger. "If that's what you want, then let's think of something to promise about," he smiled sincerely. Junko's eyes widen, and she grinned nervously. "Let's get our brains geared out, then, shall we?" she said cheerfully.

Both children closed their eyes and thought hard. Junko had already set her heart on something, and Kei, well, Kei's brain was as mundane as Monday morning. He couldn't think of anything.

Junko snapped her eyes open. "Kei, have you ever been in love?" "WHAT!?" Kei's eyes widen and he automatically backed away from Junko. That was a very sensitive issue for a boy, that was. Junko shrugged. "Just asking."

"Kei, do you love me?" she mumbled quietly. Kei was shocked. Absolutely, utterly, totally shocked. He couldn't believe that Junko was asking him this. They're both just kids, for God's sake! He sighed and lay his back on the sandy ground. "Well," he began. "For one thing, I don't even know what `love' really means. I mean, yeah, my parents love each other, we love our country, I love sausages and you love Barbie. But I just don't get it. Where does love come from? What's it all about? Why do we love?"

Junko kept quiet. She was kind of shocked. She couldn't believe Kei was able to be intelligent for once. She smiled to herself. "…and I just wanna ask, what's love?" he continued. Junko wasn't sure how to respond to that, but suddenly she remembered a line in a film which could definitely be the answer to his simple, and yet complicated question.

"Love is…" she hesitated. "Friendship."

"Friendship?" Kei sat up.

"Yeah."

"Hey, we're friends," he protested.

Again, silence hovered in the air. Kei hesitated at first, but he decided to break the uncomfortable silence anyway.

"So we love each other?"

Blush.

"I…I guess."

Stammer.

"But in the movies, when people love each other, they get married!"

Pause.

"…so we'll get married when we're old enough," Kei said quietly, again, feeling himself blush furiously.

Junko's face lit up.

"Is this a promise?"

"It's a promise!"

"Promise!"

"Promise!"

And a hug.