254 Chapter five, 2017, years end: 2 (1/2)

Birthday, first his, and a week later, Kyoko's. Both were among the kiddies in their respective class. Today he joined the league of sixteen, and he did so together with his girlfriend.

So all should be sunny and well. Well it wasn't. The last weeks Kyoko's parents, not only her stern father, had looked at him with something akin to pity in their faces. The worst was that sometimes Kyoko joined them as well.

Yukio knew her parents really didn't see him as a proper match for her daughter, but they were more than a little grateful for him trying to save her twice.

So why the pity?

”Careful!”

Yukio hit the brakes, and Kyoko got off the bike. Two on one bike wasn't too smart anyway. The police didn't like it too much. Well, and there was that part of it supposedly being dangerous as well, which normally was the kind of concerns parents had. Problem being both Yukio and Kyoko had good reasons to respect the danger aspect themselves, what with hospitals a common stay-over and all.

”Hang on, I'll lock the bike here,” Yukio said and did so.

Behind him the old mall saluted memories from days gone by, and to be honest neither he nor Urufu spent much time here any longer.

'Easier days,' Yukio thought. He looked at Kyoko, who seemed to be in a good mood. 'But I wouldn't say better days. Sorry, man, but Kyoko's the most important one for me.'

”Yukio?”

”Yes?”

”This station.”

Huh? Oh, OK. ”Sure.” Silently Yukio thanked Kyoko for suggesting they take the train from the station closest to home. Less risk of meting people they knew, and he really wanted to spend the day alone with her.

These were streets he seldom walked. Urufu used to bike them, and Yukio trudged along enough times not to get lost. Some low rise office buildings, mostly a residential area and the occasional shop. The years hadn't treated the buildings too kindly, and the muted yellowish colour displayed drab lines of blackened dirt. The kind of Tokyo their parents grew up in.

”Where?” he asked when he saw the station ahead of them.

Kyoko smiled and placed a finger on her lips. ”Shinjuku. Or rather the park.”

Sure, if she wanted to walk, then walk they would. ”Let's see where we change,” Yukio said and sauntered away to a map. For Kyoko, at least sometimes, he wanted to look cool. Usually she just laughed at him, or when she felt considerate, giggled. He loved that part of her as well.

He found the station where they needed to get off, and with her hand in his he navigated the crowd to their platform. Not too many minutes later they left, climbed a few stairs and after that they headed down into the subway area. Trains arrived every ten minutes or so, and shortly after they were at Shinjuku.

The park lay a fair distance away, still in the same range as what they walked to school every day, and Yukio had to agree it was worth it. Entering the park the heavy Tokyo traffic suddenly vanished into the background and gave way to a luxurious greenery.

”We're here. Just walk around, or did you have somewhere in mind?”

”Follow me,” Kyoko said rather than answering him.

Yukio let go of her hand and stretched his arms into the air. ”Sure, wherever you go.” 'Cause I'll follow you wherever you go.'

She ran ahead, and Yukio literally had to follow her until she found what she was looking for. A great lawn under the shade of trees. It looked like somewhere where he'd like to take her on a summer's day.

At that time Kyoko dropped her backpack by a tree-trunk and produced a blanket from it.