"Did you get the eggs, Suki?" her mom asked her but she was just catching her breath from running with full speed.

"Mom, actually... um-" she stuttered, not sure what to say as she herself hadn't checked how much eggs were intact yet.

Her mom peeked from the kitchen to the living room where Natsuki was standing still at the doorstep like a statue in confusion.

"Why are you just standing there? Come on in."

She stepped inside, putting her slippers aside.

She pursed her lips, breathing in before saying, "I'm sorry but some eggs are broken and I forgot to bring the wallet with me, a gentleman helped me and he's moving in next, next, next door too, we need to pay him back." she said all this with her eyes closed, and in one breath as if her mom was going to run away.

Actually, it was her courage and confidence that was going to run away.

Her mom shook her head, knowing her daughter pretty well.

"It's okay, put it on the kitchen counter, then go wash up, I'll serve the dishes." her mom went back to the kitchen as Natsuki ran upstairs to her room to wash her face and hands before lunch.

After she came back, she sat on the chair waiting for her mom to be done, watching her in silence.

The silent voice of the oil splashing on the surface of the pan as her mom flips the eggs turning the golden side up. The aroma hit the walls of the kitchen, returning back to Natsuki's nose as she took a deep breath.

"Smells good, Mom." she exclaimed eagerly.

"You can eat only one. Half of the tray was destroyed. What did you do on your way home?" she scolded her but Natsuki shrugged it off, not wanting to bring the topic up again.

The food was now served, as she thanked her mom for the food before digging in.

"Ah, someone just moved in around here. Is that what you were talking about earlier?" her mom asked, taking a bite from the plate.

"Mhm, a guy probably same age as me. I saw him at the convenience store and he helped me pay for the eggs. He also has a puppy." she quickly stuffed her mouth with rice, chewing it down.

"Eat slowly," her mom warned her.

"Yes," she replied, but no progress in her speed of eating.

"Where is Kei?" Natsuki suddenly remembered as she was almost done eating.

"Did you not close the door again, Suki?"

"No, no way. I remember I did...?" she turned around only to find the sliding door half open. A small dog like Kei could easily pass through that gap.

She quickly stood up, going to wash her hands and put her dishes in the sink.

"When you go outside, take some snacks to give for the new family and say my greetings to them." her mom yelled, still not finished with her food when Natsuki gulped down the water.

"Okay, I will," she brought out the snacks from the cupboard and ran off outside with her hat and slippers while her mom again reminded her to be careful but her voice remained as an echo in her already occupied mind.

She needed to find Kei as soon as possible.

•~•~•

"Kei!" she calls out loudly, running under the shadowy trees that were lined up beside the road.

She can hear all the usual voices but not Kei. Where did that dog go after all?

"Kei! Kei! Come back!" she keeps yelling looking around here and there. She even checks the bushes of the neighbours' houses.

She walks a little far from her house where a little hill is situated. There are stairs for going at the top of the hill, there is an old shrine. She decides to go up and check in case kei climbed up there.

The hillside place is rather secluded with minimal people around so it is a good place for animals to roam around freely. She quickly starts to climb the stairs. Her feet making the thup-thup sound was the only active noise when her feet made contact with the leaves scattered on the stairs, other than that, there is kind of a white noise of insects and trees, leaves etcetera.

Among all of these, the one thing that remains constant is the peace and calm surrounding the shrine. No matter the season, it always remains peaceful.

Leaving all these aside, she quickly looks for kei in every possible place he can hide but to her dismay kei was no where to be found.

She sighs, going back down and towards her house.

"Kei!" she tries calling him again but this time she hears a response, of course a barking sound. It was definitely Kei.

She calls out again when she's turning the corner of the street, Kei runs out of Taehyung's house.

What?

She is confused as Kei runs towards her and she picks him up. "Why were you here?" she asks kei as if he were going to answer just then Taehyung comes after Kei as well.

"Hey, is he your dog?" he asks her when he sees Kei in her lap.

"Yes, his name is Kei." she says as Taehyung nods.

"He's really cute." he says again.

"Oh, I almost forgot this." she extends her hand to give the snacks she brought with her. "Mom asked me to bring this to you and she sent her greetings as well." she finishes with an awkward smile.

"Thank you!" he bows, taking the snacks from her as Yeontan comes out of the house while barking at who knows what.

But suddenly when he comes in sight Kei starts to bark too, making Natsuki frown. It was okay until Kei decides to jump down from her hands and barks ferociously towards Yeontan.

"Eh, what happened between them?" she asks Taehyung who scratches his nape and answers, "We didn't know Kei was your dog and he broke- I mean came into our house and happened to eat Yeontan's food so they kinda..." he sighs looking at the barking dogs.

"Seems like they don't get along." she nods and Taehyung agrees too but the air feels awkward now.

Natsuki quickly picks Kei up, "I'll get going now. Don't forget to eat the snacks." she picks up the pace while yelling- "Give my greetings to Uncle and Aunt." and she disappears into her house as Taehyung watches her stumble on the doorstep and snickers.

•~•~•

"Did you find him?" Natsuki's mom asks as soon as she returns.

"Yes, Mom." she keeps the details to herself and puts Kei down on the floor.

She crouches down to his level and whispers, "Don't embarrass me in front of him again, okay? Be a good puppy." she scolds him while remembering about the incident and cringes at how embarrassing it was.

Meanwhile, there is a knock on the door. Natsuki's mom asks her to get the door and she does.

"Hi!" Taehyung greets her. She's actually surprised but somehow manages to greet him back and calls her mom.

"Oh! You're the new kid in the neighbourhood, right? Come inside." she welcomes him.

"Yes, my name is Kim Taehyung." he bows.

"You can sit at the veranda." her mom says again as he nods.

Natsuki's house is the traditional Japanese style house which is called minka; The usual imagination your mind creates when you talk about Japanese style houses. So as usual, the house is surrounded by the veranda and trees of course.

Taehyung takes a seat at the porch, facing the street. He can easily see the people walking by, the stray cats meowing and sitting on the tree branch. He smiles at the warm breeze gushing through his hair, making them billow. He sighs in contentment.

"Do you like summer?" Natsuki comes from behind taking his attention.

"I do." he says shortly as she nods.

"I hate it." she says and takes a seat beside him but leaves some distance between them.

"Huh?" he looks at her.

"Even though I was born in summer and my name literally means 'summer child', I just don't like it because I have to stay at home, doing nothing." she sways her legs and the overgrown grass brushes on her feet making it tickle.

Taehyung looks at the ocean in distance as the birds fly over the waves, chirping on their way.

"Are you sure?" he says, now looking at her.

She blinks, as if in a daze, she can't find the answer.

"Kids, have some watermelon." her mom interrupts them.

Taehyung smiles at her mom as she sits down on the tatami mat. They both take the cool slices of watermelon her mom just cut up.

"Mhm, it was on my bucket list to eat watermelon in summer in Japan." Taehyung says happily while eating.

"That's silly," Natsuki laughs at his random words.

"Oh, so I assume, you're from Korea. Why did you move to Japan?" her mom asks.

"My dad was transferred here and it was a promotion so we were more than happy to come here." he explains as they both nod their heads.

"Then, do you have a Japanese name?" Natsuki asks him.

"Of course I do. It's Yukio; cute, isn't it?" he says with a chuckle.

Natsuki humms pronouncing his name again, "Yukio..."

"Right!" Taehyung says putting the rind of watermelon back in the tray.

"Suki, you should take him to look around the town sometime. He's new here and you're getting lazy being at home." her mom suggests.

"I'd love that." Taehyung says enthusiastically.

"Mom!" she whines at the mention of being lazy, "...okay, I will." but agrees at the end.

Natsuki looks at taehyung to find him gazing at the trees in the veranda. The sweet osmanthus hasn't bloomed yet, but the plant looks beautiful as ever, no doubt it would capture anyone's attention; but the way he is gazing at the plant lovingly makes Natsuki curious about Raehyung, too.

■□■□

Ready to explore the summer afternoons of Japan? For it, wait for the next chapter. Hope you liked this chapter.
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