201 || Red String
It all started with…
A pair of purple eyes
Raven hair
And a yellow scarf
Seven-year-old Todoroki Shouto stood near the big central fountain with chubby hands tucked inside his coat pockets. His father, Todoroki Enji, will absolutely kill him in no doubt. However, he couldn't careless at this moment. He wanted to see his mother, and so he did what he ought any child will do.
Shouto's mother, Todoroki Rei, was apparently sent into a hospital for allegedly spilling boiling hot water into his face. But, he didn't care if his father said that he should not go after his mother because she is a psycho. For him, his mother meant the world to him and he will overcome any boundaries just to see her.
Apparently, he escaped from the Todoroki household to go sneak into the hospital where his mother is currently admit. Unfortunately, because he is just a little kid, he admittedly got lost on the process. And that was how Katsuki found himself in this situation.
He is a bit torn in his situation. He wanted to reflect on his reckless behavior that will cause his sister and brothers unnecessary worry to his situation. However, he won't ever regret that he disappeared for a while in his father's eyes. Now, he didn't want his plan to go waste, and still, wanted to go after his mother but he's been wandering for hours already and he is starting to starve. He clutches his bandaged eye in wary. At this moment, he can't do anything on his own.
The sun was beginning to set and Fuyumi was definitely yanking her own hair out of frustration and worry for him. He was hungry, cold, and scared. All he can think of right now is his mother.
"Hey, are you lost?"
He snapped his head to the right. And he was met with the roundest face he'd ever seen. It was a kid around his age. A girl. The first thing he noticed was her pink cheeks. Raven hair framed her moon face and fell within her shoulders. Her striking purple eyes met his. She stepped closer to him and he stepped a foot back. Her lips pulled to a frown as she reached for him again. Shouto, being wary of the stranger's presence,
"Hey, hey! I am talking to you." The stranger called again, worrying about him.
"Mom said that I should not talk to strangers…" He mumbled quietly.
The girl puffed her cheeks and made it impossibly more round. Right now, Shouto can only imagine a big round mochi, resisting the urge to bite her face. This is bad. He is getting crazy for not even eating.
The girl noticed that Shouto has been uneasy since they've met. She wants to calm him down and stop him from fretting in his own boots. At the corner of her eye, she saw that his other eye is covered by bandages. Worried by his injury, she tried to ask him behind its story.
Her little palms reaches for his eye, "Hey, what happe—", for her to only get interrupted by him.
"Don't touch me!" Shouto snapped making her retreat her hand, earning a squeak and an apology. The stranger retreated for a while, leaving him alone that's when Shouto casts his head down, clutching over his pants and gnashing his teeth in frustration. He's been a dead weight ever since he's born in their household and now here he is—seeking for help. He's also agitated to the fact that he can't do anything just to see his mother. Gradually, he tries not to break down and cry in a public place because that would be really horrifying.
"Hey,"
Shouto pulls his head up and is met with an onigiri in front of him. The girl smiled to him, urging him to take the rice ball in her hand. Shouto wanted to refuse the gift—still keeping that he should not accept anything from a stranger—but the rumbling of his stomach chose to oppose his principles. He meekly grabbed the onigiri on her hand, placing a small 'thank you' in advance and proceeded to consume the snack. The girl pull out a sigh of relief but still kept on lingering on his stance.
"I am Harumi!" She introduced herself. Then continued to yap on her own, "Harumi continued to talk, "I am five years old! You know what, I have this big house with lots of kids there. Then, we have these many sisters and brothers that take good care of us. And, hey, listen to this, I—" she cut herself short when she noticed how Shouto still didn't reply and is busy with his food. With a loud harrumph from the girl, she places her tiny hand in his, and grins at him, "Everything will be alright," she reassures him.
When Shouto heard her kind words, it felt like he has an automatic switch in him and accidentally slips his name to her, "I am… Todoroki Shouto…"
"Well, then, Todoroki-kun, everything will be alright!"
What stretched between them was a few minutes of silence where Shouto took the time to think. Will he vent all these thoughts in this stranger? Plus, how was he going to the hospital? Will he even be able go there? Fuyumi must have been worried. His brothers must be searching for him. And his father, well, he knows that he didn't care at all.
"You should go home. Your parents might be waiting for you." He tried to brush her off but she held on stubbornly.
"Can't."
He decided to humor her. "Why's that?"
"You will be left alone here." She replied abruptly, "I don't want to see people get lost."
Shouto froze.
Why would a random stranger even care for him? How about her parents? He is confused. No people will stay with another stranger in this cold weather. But apparently, she belonged to that 0.0001% of that population.
"In a serious thought, your parents might be looking for you, too." He tried to send her home. But her answer surprised him again.
"Don't worry, no one is waiting for me."
Shouto is shocked. He's confuse to her reasons. There's no way she had no parents to begin with. Did she also ran away from home and got lost as well? Thoughts began to circulate in his own mind that he got really tired of it eventually. There's also a story behind those words but unlike her, he can't form words that can also calm her heart. Harumi figured that Shouto is lost on her train of thought, and noticed how he shivers from time to time. She reached towards him and he shut his eyes tightly to avoid looking at her. Then, Shouto felt something soft around his neck and chin. When he opened his eyes, the girl was standing closer to him that he could see the little puffs of breaths that she exhaled. She had wrapped her yellow scarf around them both. He tried to search her face for any ill intentions. Did she want something? Why was she being so nice to him? For goodness sake, she is a stranger.
The girl tugged them both to sit at the edge of the fountain. He sat quietly, hand clutching the yellow scarf around his neck.
"Merry Christmas!" She greeted him, "They say Christmas is the time were we give gifts to each other. That's why, I am giving this to you!"
"Why are you being nice to me?" he mumbled and willed his ears to stop burning red.
"You looked like you were cold!" was her cheery reply.
Shouto glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Her little legs swung back and forth as they dangled over the fountain edge, the other half of the scarf around her neck, and hands covered in pink mittens. She was cute.
"Ah," Harumi stood up from her seat, pointing onto the sky, "It's snowing!"
Silvery flakes drifted down, glittering in the bright light of the harvest moon. The two kids were left mesmerize by the scenery slowly unfolding to them. Harumi began to dance in the middle of nowhere as she tries to catch its flakes in her little hands. Somehow, he was a bit surprised how his companion got this huge chunk of energy. For a while, Shouto wishes that he is with his mother watching how the snow touches their skin; together with his siblings. He misses them.
"I!" Shouto shouted out of nowhere which made Harumi stop dancing for a bit, her attention focusing to him.
"Hm?"
Shouto stood from his seat, fumbling with his words. He wasn't so sure why he'll this stranger his problems but his urges tells him to, "I… ran away from home!"
Harumi's mouth opens for a bit, her eyes flickering from the sudden declaration. One minute he's adamant to not even talk to her, even brushing her off. Then in another minute, he began to burst out of his bubble. Harumi's confuse but still she has the urge to listen to him. She stops from twirling on her boots and heads off towards him.
"I wanted to see my mother but I-I'm lost… I just wante…d,"
I just wanted see my mother!
As much as Shouto wanted to hold it in, he can't. His mind flashes back to the time where his mother takes good care of him and shields him from his father's carelessness to his mother furiously throws burning water to his face. He's confused to how these things turned out. He still remembers how his mother apologizes to him for the umpteenth time and his father dragging her out of the room. This is just too much to process for a seven-year old boy.
The pain he tried to endure came out like an uproar from his throat. Tears started falling one after another, without a sign of stopping. Clutching to his chest, he sobbed heavily to himself, seemingly everything in his environment turns into a blur. As he being wreak havoc by his emotions, tiny arms began to wrap on his body, pulling him closer. He misses this kind of warm, just like when his Rei cradles him in her arms.
Harumi pats the back of his head, whispering to his ear, "Don't worry, I will stay with you—nobody gets left behind."
Another lapse of silence filled the space between them. It was entirely dark out now. The streetlamps were all lit up, illuminating the park with a soft glow. The moon was full, and stars filled the night sky. He squeezed back to the little girl in front of him, sobbing ridiculously on her small body. Just like that, he felt that he wasn't so alone anymore.
Shouto woke up to someone shaking his shoulder.
When he squinted an eye open, he was met with the image of Harumi grinning widely at him.
Too bright.
He yawned and stretched, back aching from where they fell asleep on the ledge of the fountain. Her scarf hung from his shoulders and most of his chest. Her black sweater also covered him, and he realized that she was standing in front of him with only her little undershirt and leggings.
Did she... covered him with all of her stuff?
He was already wearing a coat! Yet he couldn't deny how his body was racked in chills last night with how cold the marble of the fountain was. His heart thumped wildly in his chest. His face felt too warm.
"Good morning!" Harumi chirped.
"Good Morning," he greeted back. His eyes were a bit sore from last night. He didn't expect to just breakdown in front of a stranger. Now that he realized it, it's already morning. He wants to be stubborn and still wanted to go to the hospital. However, the thought that his siblings were already worried about him flashed into his mind. Alright, this time, he'll have to pass on visiting his mother and go home, even he hates the thought of it.
Shouto looked around. The park was scarce of people, except for a few old women out jogging who looked on curiously at two children sleeping on a fountain. Harumi appeared in his line of sight, bubbling and jumping and so full of energy.
"Look, look!" she gestured to the two small plastic wrappers in her hand. She offered one to him and eagerly opened hers.
Shouto sniffed the round, bread thing when he opened it, "Melon bread?" he asked.
The girl nodded, face stuffed with the sweet bread, "The nice old ladies gave it to me for free!"
Shouto looked at the women he'd been seeing jog earlier. They paused and were whispering and pointing at both of them. One was on her cellphone and another was coming over at them. Harumi paid no mind to the women, joyfully eating the rest of her bread.
"Hello," one of the women cooed and crouched down to Shouto's eye level. "Are you two lost? We saw you here yesterday and you're still here. No one really sleeps on the fountain overnight."
Shouto nodded his head, a determined frown set on his lips. He was a bit guilty for making his siblings a bit worried about him disappearing all of a sudden. And he knew his father will totally add another punishment for causing a ruckus. His father is running for a specific position in the government and will totally straighten up his children with all his might even if it means to use rough strategies. He will go home for his siblings and not for him. Plus, it really wasn't so bad… meeting such a bubbly stranger all of a sudden.
"I'm lost, old lady. Can you call my sister—or the police?" Shouto threw a thumb behind his shoulder. "She's lost, too?"
"Erm, not! I am staying with you because you appear to be lonely!"
The old lady nodded once and pointed to one of her friends a little back, "Those nice women over there are also calling police now. Don't worry, okay? You'll be home soon. No need to be scared."
Harumi said, "Yes, thank you so much!" the moment Shouto grumbled his own, "I'm not scared."
The lady smiled lightly at them before walking back to her friends. They continued to talk whilst gesturing at the two of them, and Shouto couldn't really care less. He shifted his gaze onto Harumi who was staring at the ground in such concentration.
He bumped his hip lightly on hers. "You okay there?"
"Hmm?" She seemed fairly out of it. "Yeah, I'm just thinking."
"Of what? Going home? I told you your parents are worried about you. You should not stay with me as well."
Harumi replied with a smile. Shouto felt his breath catch.
.
.
.
.
I don't have a home, Todoroki-kun.
"Hey, Todoroki-kun, what's your dream?" Harumi asks, drawing a cute bunny on the snow.
"Dream?" He questioned.
"Yeah," She nods, then resumes to drawing a carrot beside the bunny, "I… I wanted to be an artist! I will draw my own characters then write my own story! Then, people will watch them and be inspired by it!"
Shouto's eyes landed on her scribbles, "I-I don't have one."
"Eh? Why?" She grumbles to his lack of enthusiasm.
"My father tells me what he wanted me to do," He replied, "he said that I should become a lawyer or the boss of a company."
Upon hearing his gloomy explanation, Harumi puffed her cheeks and flicks Shouto's forehead, earning him a loud 'ouch'. Then, she stands up from the snow, hands on her waist and scolded him, "No! Todoroki-kun, you seemed like a robot. My big sister says that we should dream big and make it happen! Think of something you wanted to be when you grow up!" With a stick on her hand, she started to write things she wanted to do when she grows up. The first one is to become an artist, followed by having her own show then lastly a family. Shouto glanced from the scribbles to her frame and noticed how her eyes gleams in stars when she talks about the things she wanted when she grow up. Harumi passes the stick to Shouto, "You write too, Todoroki-kun!"
Shouto is surprised for her extra aggressiveness and decided to write his own as well. He starts to think with all his might but all he has imprinted on his brain is how his father decides his future and that thought merely sent a shiver towards his spine. Come to think about it, he doesn't have one—a dream. He didn't know what to do, he didn't really know what he wanted, he didn't really know what will happen in the future and he didn't know the meaning behind this so-called dream. What does he want for now?
When he thought of that question, he began to write down things he wanted to achieve right now and somehow his scribbles led him to three things—to see his mother, to play with his siblings and have a friend. Come to think about it, he never had one—a friend that is. His eyes linger to Harumi's surprise look. Harumi is the first kid who talked to him and tumble down his walls. She is the only one who has this urge to be with him in this cold weather. All throughout the hours they spent together, the girl had been a constant ball of sunshine. She wasn't scared spending the night with a stranger. She gave him her sweater so he wouldn't be cold. She was nice. Like a friend. He never had one before. And when she smiled like that, Shouto decided that he wouldn't mind it if she'd be his first official friend.
"Hey, Harumi-san," her name rolled out of his tongue and somehow the sound of her name doesn't feel so bad, "C-Can I be… your friend?"
She chuckles on her own, "Sure, Todoroki-kun!"
He stuffed his little hands in his coat pockets. He'd given her back the yellow sweater so she wouldn't be cold, but her pink scarf still hung tightly around his neck.
"Hey, kids!" The old lady waved them over.
Shouto and Harumi walked quickly and were immediately ushered to sit on one of the park benches.
"The police are on their way with your guardians. Don't worry, okay? They'll be here soon." The old lady told them.
Harumi bowed lowly. Shouto followed suit. "Thank you so much for your help, ma'am." The lady blushed. "My, what polite children."
"So," he started lamely. "This is it, huh?" Harumi nodded. "This is it."
Silence.
Shouto itched to break it. Their parents were coming in a few minutes. There was a chance that they wouldn't talk to each other for a long time. He just made a friend and somehow drifting away again doesn't seem to ring a bell to him.
"Will I ever see you again?" he whispered quietly.
His first ever friend was sitting right next to him. And he wouldn't even get to talk to her tomorrow or the next few days. They might not even see each other anymore. Shouto felt like crying.
"Of course!" Harumi took his hand and brought it to their eye level. "Did you know that special people are connected by a string?"
"Are you imagining stuff?" Shouto started but she shushed him.
Harumi gestured to their hands. "Each people who are special to each other are connected by a string. It's a special string that won't break even with how far they are apart. That's the unique connection we have."
"That's silly," he said because he refused to believe that such a thing existed. "What string? I can't see anything."
Harumi rolled her eyes. "There's a string! You just have to imagine it. See? It's red and it's really thin, like yarn. I have one end wrapped around my pinky and the other ends in yours!"
Shouto squinted really hard. If he thought about it hard enough, he could see the red string. It was faint. A thin red string was wrapped several times around his pinky and pooled around them to wrap around hers. It reminded him of last night when she had wrapped her scarf around them both.
'A special connection, huh?'
He gasped. "Harumi, I see it."
"Yeah?" She laughed and let go of his hand. "No matter where we are, we'll always be connected by this little string."
Shouto nodded, eyes fixated on his pinky.
"Shouto!"
He snapped his head. Fuyumi rushes towards him and he jumped up.
"Nee-san!"
They clashed together in a fierce hug. His head was tucked between her shoulder and neck and he could hear his her sob a bit.
"Shouto, where were you? We are worried, you know!"
"Sorry, nee-san…" He apologized.
"Oh, who's this?" Fuyumi looked over his shoulder to stare at the girl who waved at her. Fuyumi waved back and raised an inquiring eyebrow when Shouto took the girl's hand and tugged her forward.
"Nee-san," he said, eyes downwards and a blush climbing on his cheeks. "This is Harumi-san, she's my friend."
Fuyumi's eyes widened and mouth went ajar. She couldn't believe what she heard and saw. Her beloved little brother just made a friend—his first one. Somehow, she's a bit proud that Shouto met such a cute young lady on his way.
"Hello Todoroki-san's sister," Harumi bowed lightly.
Fuyumi covered her mouth with one hand. The girl was absolutely adorable! Utterly charming! However, she's a bit confuse for a girl to be alone with Shouto at this very moment. Where are her parents?
"Where are your parents, Harumi-chan?" Fuyumi asked.
"I don't have one," Harumi revealed.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"I'm an orphan." She added, then she motions her arms forming a big circle, "I live in this huge house with lots of kids! Well, they'll notice sooner or later that I'm gone. And since you're here, I might as well head out,"
Both the Todoroki siblings were a bit shocked, especially Shouto. So, she was really telling him the truth? However, it's a bit bad that no one came looking for her even if she's an orphan. Didn't she say that nobody gets left behind? But it seemed like, she was left behind? These questions encircled his mind for a moment. Fuyumi is called by the police to call off the search operation.
"Hey," Shouto said quietly.
She switched her gaze to him. He scuffled his tennis shoes on the ground, one hand buried deep in his coat pockets. Her scarf still hung from his neck, other hand nestled in it.
"We'll see each other, right?" he asked, voice shaking.
"Quit the drama, Todoroki-kun." She teased. Just when Shouto is about to retort from her response, she smiled and raised her pinky. "I'm not moving anywhere. On this day—this snowy day—we will definitely see each other! We're friends!"
He smiled back and raised his as well. They locked pinkies and pressed thumbs. "If we ever forget our special string, don't worry. I never forget a promise!" Harumi sounded confident.
He replied, "I won't forget our string, and I'll remember our promise. How's that?"
She giggled and Shouto's chest filled with warmth. He raised his other hand to unwrap the scarf from his neck but Harumi told him to keep it as a Christmas present since Christmas is getting near.
"Say good bye, Shouto," Fuyumi stated.
They were walking off in opposite directions and Todoroki Shouto hesitantly waved his fingers into a goodbye, eyes locked on Harumi's.
See you soon, she mouthed. She raised her pinky.
He raised his pinky back.
Sometimes, getting lost isn't that bad, huh?
Author's Note:
This will be a Normal! AU for Todoroki Shouto. Meaning there will be no quirks and stuff, just ordinary ppl doing their ordinary businesses. I am found of childhood friends troupe soooo,, don't blame me! Thank you for making it till the end. Please comment down your thoughts!
Thank you so much!
