⋆.ೃ [ 3 R D - P O V ] ࿔*:･

"Bokuto, are you sure we should wander off?" Bokuto's dark haired friend asks, panting a little as the little boy was following his energetic friend who was playing with a volleyball in one hand, and dragging a big stick they found on the side of the road in the other.

"Don't worry about it Akaashi! I told my big sis we'll be over in this park instead, so they know." Bokuto replies without a worry to Akaashi, the two walking to the park further down their neighborhood, "This park has better sticks to use!"

"Use them for what?" Akaashi replies, pondering why they were better.

"They look cooler." Bokuto bluntly replied, his answer carrying no weight in logic for Akaashi who just shrugged.

The two little boys finally got to the park. It was much bigger than the usual park they frequented in, and Bokuto was right about the sticks looking much cooler. Akaashi noted that Bokuto forgot to say they were longer and sturdier branches.

Bokuto and Akaashi started chatting with each other about a variety of topics, though Akaashi listened more to his close friend's ramblings while he drew on the sandbox with a stick. From trying to make a sandcastle, drawing letters, taking turns down the slide and playing by the swings, the two eventually started to pass each other the volleyball. Much more running after the ball after they couldn't receive it was involved though. The two had played from quite a distance from where they initially left their stuff, putting them down on the side of the sandbox in the small playground area built there. When they returned after a while to take a break, they were quite surprised to see such light hair play in the sandbox.

'Play' was a strong word to describe what she was doing, she was hunched over and playing with the sand using a stick. "Hey Bokuto—"

"—Akaashi! Isn't that the stick I was using a while ago?!" The young Bokuto exclaimed, pointing over to the girl, his white streaked hair standing up. Akaashi flinched at the loudness of his voice, trying to tell him to calm down, but before he knew it — he saw his owl-haired friend march over back to the sandbox to confront the person using his stick.

"Hey, you there!" Bokuto exclaimed, walking over to them with his volleyball in his hand. Though the young boy didn't look particularly angry, he was quite loud. He walked over there with his chest puffed and hands in waist, wanting to know who had dared take his precious stick that looked like any other branches there.

Standing just a few steps from the mysterious person, Bokuto stopped in his tracks as the young child looked at him. She was quite pretty he had to admit, he was a little startled to see her face when she looked at him, "H-Hey, do you understand me?" The young Bokuto thought she must not have spoken Japanese, she looked quite foreign after all.

Her hair was a light blonde color, and her eyes were a light lilac shade, it wasn't frequent that someone with such striking features popped around town even if they were in Tokyo. Bokuto met her gaze that stared at him up and down before she turned to stand and face him properly. Akaashi was not that far behind Bokuto, and even he was curious who she was.

The three stared at each other with silence, Bokuto and Akaashi feeling tense as her gaze, despite her pretty features, were quite intimidating even if they were the same height. The stick she held — Bokuto's stick was wrapped around her hand pointed to the ground.

Silence hung before she opened her mouth to finally speak after her brows furrowed at the two boys, "...Sorry, is this yours?" she says with a meek voice. She didn't look frightened by the two boys in front of her or anything, but Akaashi was sure she probably took that long to respond from trying to understand Bokuto's yelling.

Bokuto got a little shy, but regained his composure, "Y-Yeah!..."

His words hung, Akaashi looking at him with a blank expression, whilst the girl was confused, "...Can I have my stick back...?"

Akaashi was definitely impressed that Bokuto lowered his pride for something he was being dramatic about, Bokuto himself confused on where his sense of pride went when he first confronted her.

The light haired girl continued to look at him with silence.

She pouted her lips before moving the stick to her back, holding it out with her arms stretched, shaking her head, "No, I own this now."

Bokuto was surprised with her claim, and Akaashi was surprised she could match Bokuto's stubbornness.

The owl-haired boy was about to protest before he had become distracted, looking down at the sand to see such an intricate drawing. As someone who was definitely not artistic in any way, he had become distracted from the initial feud to compliment the sand art, "Woah! Did you make this... erm..." his voice trailed off, realizing he had not gotten her name. She looked at him with a blank look, tilting her head, just now understanding the young boy's words, she nodded slowly, a soft hum exiting her lips.

Akaashi could only slowly watch the situation unfold, seeing his friend start to become his usual energetic self in a short time, blabbing about the sand and how she could draw something so cool, and the girl looking at him with confusion, "Bokuto, you should slow down, I don't think she can understand from how fast you're speaking." Akaashi says, loud enough for Bokuto and the young girl to hear, the two turning their heads to the dark-haired boy. Bokuto had just realized Akaashi's words, turning to the girl to loudly apologize.

"Sorry! You can call me Bokuto! Bokuto Kotaro" He says proudly, his arm and hand stretching outward to point at his dark-haired friend, "and this is Akaashi!"

Akaashi meekly waved his hand towards the light haired girl, nodding at Bokuto's words, "Akaashi Keiji." He says, stating his full name.

The wind blew against the three young children, the young girl looking at the two, a faint expression of surprise plastered on her face before she eventually nodded and reached out her free hand, "Minatozaki Enkai."

Such a unique name did not go unnoticed by the eccentric boy, especially since he was quite familiar with the many people in this neighborhood after all. Bokuto was quick to shake her hand, a bit too excited to shake her smaller palm even when he thought her formality was odd, "Nice to meet you, Minatozaki!" His previous animosity towards her over a stick practically vanished.

From thinking an initial fight would happen, Bokuto and Akaashi were now waving goodbye to their new friend. The two little boys watched Minatozaki be accompanied by an older man in a suit, gray-haired yet looked well enough to work, and spoke with gentleness to all of them when he asked for Minatozaki. Holding her hand, the older gentleman helped her get inside the car waiting for them.

With the windows rolled down, they could see her still waving.

A sad pout on her lips had formed, Bokuto's loud voice insistent on saying goodbye over and over again.

The skies were orange after they had ran, played, and chatted to each other, the three of them spending time together. It didn't take long before even the old man had waved to the two boys from afar, finally getting in the car himself, and driving off — Minatozaki's gaze following Bokuto and Akaashi.

"Do you think we'll see her again? I don't think she's from around here, Akaashi." Bokuto says out of the blue, making Akaashi ponder if he was right.

"The sun's starting to set, let's head back now Bokuto—" Akaashi's words were halted when he took a step towards Bokuto, feeling something underneath his shoes. Looking down with Bokuto noticing, the two stare at a piece of cloth being stepped on by Akaashi, "Wait isn't this Minatozaki's...?" The dark-haired boy asks, picking it off from the ground and dusting off the debris.

It was a plain white handkerchief, yet it definitely was made with high quality fabric. A faint intricate pattern when looked in closely was present, "Woah you're right!" Bokuto exclaims, the two boys inspecting it closer, seeing her name embroidered on the fabric, "Should we keep it or leave it here..." Bokuto ponders on how they'll get to return it to Minatozaki. Akaashi does the same as he finishes dusting off as much debris he could take off, seeing a faint mark of his footprint from a while ago still present.

"Let's try and wash this up and return it tomorrow." The dark-haired boy suggested, Bokuto eagerly agreeing and nodding his head at the plan.

"But wait," Bokuto says, stopping in his tracks while he and Akaashi were getting ready to leave, "Did she mention anything about going back here...?"

The two had no clue whether or not the girl would return, yet they still made sure to dry clean the handkerchief properly before telling each other they'll head over to the park around the same time again tomorrow.

They in fact met again the next day.

And the day after that.

Up until the following week.

And until their second year in middle school where Minatozaki had to leave.

"What!?" Bokuto exclaimed loudly as the three now close friends walked out of their school, "What do you mean you have to leave!?"

"Bokuto, for the thirtieth time Minatozaki had to repeat herself, it's a family emergency." Akaashi explains, the light haired girl nodding again. Though Bokuto was visibly sad, Akaashi also had a solemn look on his face that made Minatozaki pout.

"Don't look so gloomy you two... I never said I wasn't coming back!" Minatozaki said, a smile on her face trying to assure the two, "So stop looking at me like that! I'll always call whenever I'm free."

The sound of the air blows against the three before Bokuto clutches his bag and practically jumps on Minatozaki, crying on her shoulders whilst hugging her, "A-Akaashi! Is Bokuto really crying—!?" The young girl stopped at her words to see her dark-haired friend holding his gaze at her, pursing his lips as his eyes were also getting watery, a frown on his lips as he tried to cover his eyes, "Are you crying too...?— Come here!" she sighed out, in frustration at one hand, and to comfort the two of them in the other.

The inevitable came as Bokuto and Akaashi watched Minatozaki with her luggage at the airport, "I'll be back in a year, so stop crying, Bokuto" she assures the teary eyed boy. Bokuto nodded, believing in her words despite having such puffy eyes. The three young friends hug tightly at each other. Minatozaki felt her stay was such a different experience than the usual she had expected.

"I'll make sure to call." Minatozaki assures the two as they pull away.

"We'll try to call too." Akaashi says softly, his sad eyes prominent with how he looked at Minatozaki.

"I'll also watch all your games! And cheer for you!" Bokuto swings his and her arms as he holds her hands. Minatozaki couldn't help but giggle at his antics.

"I'll make sure to do the same—!"

"Miss Minatozaki, we have to go, please say your farewells to Bokuto and Akaashi." The older gentleman who frequently accompanies the three says gently, Minatozaki's personal guardian who Bokuto and Akaashi also grew accustomed to like from how caring he was to all of them, "Goodbye Bokuto and Akaashi, thank you for treating the Miss so well."

Bokuto and Akaashi nod at the older gentleman, bowing to him and saying their thanks as well.

Minatozaki's eyes never showed sadness at the situation, she was always indifferent with her gaze.

As Minatozaki walked away with the older gentleman carrying her luggage, it was the first time Bokuto and Akaashi saw her turn back to look at them with such sad eyes.

The two young boys watch them enter one of the gates, seeing their figures merge in with the crowds before finally taking it as their sign to leave.

"She said she'll come back next year right?" Bokuto asks a rhetorical question with how much Akaashi and Minatozaki answered him.

"Yes, Bokuto, she'll just be away for a year." Akaashi corrects him. The dark-haired boy wonders why Bokuto still had a frown on his face, "Is something the matter, Bokuto?"

"With how mister spoke, I couldn't help but feel sad how he said it as if we won't see her again..."

A gloomy expression plastered on the amber-eyed boy, Akaashi putting his hand on Bokuto's shoulder, the owl-haired boy turning to look at him — wiping away snot running down his nose, "We should believe in Minatozaki's words, okay?"

Bokuto regained his senses and nodded, "Y...You're right! Let's just make sure to keep in contact with Minatozaki!"

The two were able to walk back home with a brighter outlook, making sure to safely keep the small piece of papers Minatozaki had given them — written with her number and email.

A short sweet note of 'Always do your best!' was neatly placed on the bottom, alongside a heart, and her name to always remember her by.

ﾟ･:,｡★＼(^-^)♪ありがと♪( ^-^)/★,｡･:･ﾟ

a/n: 

hello everyone !! thank you for reading my prologue, i will be posting the next chapters soon in bundles ! chapter one to three will be posted next week >< !! 

how much does bokuto and akaashi miss minatozaki hmmm...~ find out soon !!