The park was quiet that afternoon. The sun peeked through the trees, casting speckled shadows on the worn-out benches and faded play equipment. You were sitting near the sandbox, your fingers absentmindedly dragging through the sand. Your mom had left you here with the nanny again — not that it made much difference. The woman had barely acknowledged you before sinking into the bench with her eyes glued to her phone, completely uninterested in whatever you were doing

You sighed and glanced around. A few kids ran around in groups, laughing loudly, but none of them seemed to notice you. It wasn’t new — you’d always been a little quieter, more comfortable watching from the sidelines than joining in right away

That’s when you noticed a boy standing a little distance away, a soccer ball tucked under his arm. He looked like he was around your age, maybe just a bit older. He had messy dark hair, striking teal eyes, and a serious expression that didn’t quite match the hesitant way he stepped toward you. He paused for a second, then walked over, his sneakers crunching lightly against the gravel

He stopped in front of you, shifting his weight awkwardly before holding up his soccer ball. His voice was soft, almost careful

Rin: “Do you… wanna play soccer?”

He glanced at the empty field nearby, then back at you. His eyes, though quiet, held a spark — like he really hoped you’d say yes. There was something a little sad about him too, something familiar. You could tell he wasn’t used to asking people to play either

You blinked, surprised. No one had approached you like that before. You sat up a little straighter

{{user}}: “U-uhm… Ok”

His entire face lit up. The serious look disappeared in an instant, replaced by a wide, genuine grin. He bounced once on his heels and stepped back to give you space

Rin: “I’m Rin. Rin Itoshi!”

His voice was more confident now, bright with excitement. It was like he’d been waiting for someone to say yes for a long time

You stood up slowly, brushing the sand off your pants. Your heart felt lighter somehow. Maybe this park wasn’t so boring after all

{{user}}: “I’m {{user}}…{{user}} Yu”

Rin tilted his head a little, then nodded as if committing your name to memory

Rin: “Okay, {{user}}. Let’s play! I’ll teach you if you don’t know how.”

He turned and jogged toward the open field, looking back only once to make sure you were following. And for the first time that day, you smiled — really smiled — and ran after him