Beneath The Maple Tree

"State your name... And race"

"Argh... I.. I... I am Ray... I... I am a snake...!!" The boy tied up to a chair said in fear. His body covered in bruises, wounds and blood, his eyes blindfolded.

"Why are you hurting me... Please let me go..."

"Heh...? Why am I hurting you...? I don't know... Maybe because you were talking with Hikaru..."

"Huh... We... We're just friends...!!"

"You. Stay away. From Hikaru. Or next time I see you around him... You are dead..."

"I... Yes...!!"

I put my gloves and mask on and left the abandoned building after calling the ambulance from his phone. Returning back home I thought to myself.

[Why did I do that... Yes that's it...! Black magic! Higan you gotta do something about this black magic...!]

I convinced myself it's a black magic and went on to sleep.

.

.

.

The next day at school, I shadowed Hikaru like I always did, watching his every move with a focus so sharp it could probably cut through metal. My heart skipped a beat every time he smiled or turned his head in my direction, even if it wasn't at me.

The boy from yesterday, Ray, wasn't in class. A part of me felt guilty- maybe I'd gone too far- but another part of me reassured itself. He was the one who got too close to Hikaru, after all.

The bell rang, and the students shuffled to their next class. Science.

Miss Thompson stood at the front of the classroom, her clipboard in hand. Her gray hair was tied back neatly, and she had that overly cheerful look that teachers only wore when they were about to drop big news. The scary part was she was happy, the only teacher who everyone was scared of.

"Good morning, class," she started, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "I have your results from the last suprise test. I must say, I'm proud of all of you. Every single one of you passed"

The class collectively exhaled in relief, a few cheers breaking out from the more energetic students. I glanced at Hikaru, who flashed a small smile at me before jotting something down in his notebook. My stomach fluttered.

"But that's not all!" Miss Thomson continued. "Because of your hard work, the school has approved a three-week trip to the beach outside the city!"

The classroom exploded into excitement. A beach trip? Three whole weeks with Hikaru in the same place? This was more than I could've dreamed of.

"We'll leave in two weeks, so make sure you're prepared. Details will be sent home with you today." Miss Thompson's words were drowned out by chatter and laughter, and I could barely sit still as I imagined the possibilities.

The moment class ended, Hikaru turned to me, his bright eyes sparkling with excitement. "Hey, Higan," he said, leaning a little closer than usual. My brain froze.

"Y-yeah?"

"So, the trip sounds fun, right? We'll need to pick up a few things. Wanna go shopping with me this weekend? You know, to get ready?"

My heart stopped. Shopping? With Hikaru? Alone? My brain instantly betrayed me, painting a picture of the two of us strolling through the city, laughing and teasing each other like a couple.

He was asking me out. It had to be a date.

"Y-you mean, like... together? Just us?" I stammered, trying to keep my voice from cracking.

"Yeah, of course." Hikaru grinned, completely oblivious to the storm in my chest. "Who else would I go with?"

I nodded quickly, maybe too quickly. "Okay! Yes, let's go. Saturday. Perfect. I'll be there!"

He chuckled, ruffling my hair like I was some kind of puppy... Even though I am still a lion, "Great! I'll text you the details."

As Hikaru walked away, I sank into my seat, clutching my desk to keep from floating away.

[A date with Hikaru...]

This was the best day of my life.

Saturday came faster than I expected, and I was a nervous wreck the entire morning. My room looked like a tornado had ripped through it as I tried to decide what to wear. Should I dress casually? Look cool and sophisticated? Or maybe something that screamed, "Notice me, Hikaru!"

Eventually, I settled on a simple white t-shirt, black jeans, and my favorite hoodie. Cool, but not like I was trying too hard. I stood in front of the mirror for a few minutes, debating whether I looked okay. Finally, I sighed and told myself to stop overthinking.

Hikaru texted me the meeting spot- a small shopping plaza in the heart of the city. When I got there, he was already waiting by a fountain, looking effortlessly perfect in a blue flannel and jeans. His smile lit up the entire plaza when he saw me.

"Higan! Over here!" He waved, and I hurried over, trying not to trip over my own feet.

"Hey," I managed, my voice cracking a little.

"You ready?" Hikaru asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Y-yeah! Of course!"

We started walking through the plaza, stopping by different stores to pick up what we needed for the trip. Hikaru grabbed sunscreen, flip-flops, and a beach towel with a goofy cartoon shark on it.

"What do you think?" he asked, holding up the towel. "Too childish?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, it's... cute."

Hikaru laughed. "Alright, this one it is. What about you? Got everything you need?"

I nodded, holding up a small basket with my essentials. But then Hikaru spotted something on a nearby rack and grabbed it before I could react- a pair of sunglasses with bright pink frames.

"These would look great on you," he teased, sliding them onto my face.

"Hikaru!" I yelped, trying to pull them off, but he held my hands away, laughing.

"Come on, Higan. Look in the mirror. You'll thank me later."

Reluctantly, I turned to the nearest mirror. I looked ridiculous. But Hikaru was grinning so hard that I couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"Okay, okay, you win," I said, finally managing to take them off.

After a couple of hours, we decided to grab some food from a nearby café. Hikaru ordered an iced coffee, and I went with a smoothie. We sat by the window, the sunlight pouring in and making his hair look almost golden.

"You're pretty quiet today," he said, sipping his drink.

"Am I?" I asked, nervously stirring my smoothie.

"Yeah. Something on your mind?"

I hesitated. You... I wanted to say. You're always on my mind... But instead, I just shook my head.

"No, just... excited for the trip, I guess."

Hikaru smiled, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, me too. It's going to be awesome. Three weeks at the beach? What could be better?"

I nodded, hoping he couldn't see the blush creeping up my face.

As we left the café and walked toward the bus stop, Hikaru suddenly stopped in front of a small shop.

"Wait here for a second," he said before disappearing inside.

When he came back, he handed me a small, gift-wrapped box.

"What's this?" I asked, staring at it in confusion.

"Just something for the trip," he said casually, his hands in his pockets.

I opened it carefully and found a small, silver bracelet with a simple charm shaped like a wave.

"Hikaru..." I whispered, staring at it in awe.

[Yes... I should lock him up in my private house-]

"It reminded me of you," he said, looking away like he was embarrassed. "You know, calm and steady... like the ocean."

[On second thought... Nevermind he looks beautiful being free...]

My heart felt like it was about to explode. I tried to say something, but all that came out was a quiet, "Thank you."

Hikaru smiled and started walking again, leaving me to trail behind him, clutching the bracelet like it was the most precious thing in the world.

This wasn't just a shopping trip. It felt like something more. Something I didn't dare hope for.

_To Be Continue_