If I could turn back time once, I wish I could turn back time to that day.
"Ohayo~," a voice cheerfully yelped out behind me.
I turned around only to be surprised by a hand almost coming into my face. Wait no, it WAS coming onto my face.
*Slap!*
"Heeargh…" I groaned. My whole body twisted and spun around in the air from the force before collapsing onto the ground.
An ethereal soul rose out of my mouth before being desperately swallowed back up by me. "Akari, you meanie!"
Her long, black hair shimmered as it flowed down her back. Her dark brown eyes, full of curiosity and mischief, sparkled beneath her neatly cut bangs. Akari's fair skin seemed to glow in the sunlight as her cheeks had a rosy hue. She wore her favourite soft white dress with ruffles, which fluttered lightly in the breeze, and a matching ribbon held her hair back.
"Oopsie, why'd you turn around? I was going to hit your shoulder not your face," Akari pouted, putting her two index fingers together.
I rubbed my hand against my swollen cheek as I pointed at her accusingly. "Why are you trying to hit me in the first place!"
"Tee-hee!", she replied while poking her tongue out.
"Don't tee-hee me. I'm getting assaulted in broad daylight," I complained.
"It's not my fault you're so short," she laughed.
"Keuk." An imaginary arrow seemed to pierce through my chest from the insult. "SHORT!?! Y-You! I'm only 10, I haven't had my growth spurt yet," I refuted.
"Stop being arrogant, you're 10 as well. You're just a big gorilla, who grew earlier than me," returning an insult.
*Squeeze.*
"I didn't hear you. Did you say something Kei?" Akari asked as she put me in a headlock.
"Uaergh! You're beautiful! You're beautiful! Let's just go already, we're going to miss the train," I begged, while gasping for air.
"That's more like it", she said in response, basking in her victory and her nose a bit too pointy in that moment.
It was the summer break and I had been invited out by my childhood friend Akari. Akari's family had moved in next to my house when I was 3 and ever since then our parents have gotten along together. Going to check out our new neighbour with my parents, I remember seeing a cute, shy girl hiding behind her parents. It's been 4 years. How has she changed so much?
"Here we are!" Interrupting my reminiscence, Akari presented our destination. "Akihabara!"
"Akihabara? This is where you wanted to go?" I asked, evidently confused with the word 'BRUH' plastered on my face.
"I want to go shopping, walk around and have fun, but I don't want to go alone", she replied.
"Eyyy…? We're only kids, I didn't even bring any money", I said as I showed my empty pockets.
"Are you stupid? I'm the one shopping, of course I brought enough money. Just hang out with me today," she said with a look of disdain at my idiocy as she walked ahead.
The sun was just beginning to bathe Tokyo in a warm, golden glow, casting long shadows across the streets and giving the scene an almost magical quality.
Akari and I stepped off the train at Akihabara Station, our excitement bubbling over.
Towering buildings adorned with giant, colourful billboards showcased the latest anime, video games, and electronics. Neon signs flickered, even in the morning light, competing for attention. The streets were a tapestry of colours, from the bold reds and yellows of storefront signs to the more subtle pastels of vending machines lining the sidewalks.
The street was already bustling with activity despite the early hour. Salarymen hurried to work, their briefcases swinging in rhythm with their brisk pace. Tourists, easily identifiable by their wide-eyed expressions and cameras, snapped photos of everything in sight. Cosplayers, dressed as their favourite characters, added a splash of fantasy to the urban landscape.
In my daze, I could hear Akari shouting something as she waved her hands in a frenzy.
"Stop zoning out. Let's go!" she said with a smile as she grabbed onto my hand and pulled me along with her.
Akari walked down the Chuo street with an enthusiastic bounce in her step, her eyes wide at the sheer scale and vibrancy of the place. She pointed excitedly at a giant anime character on a screen.
Their first stop was a bustling arcade. Inside, the dim lighting and bright screens created a world of excitement. Akari's face was a mix of concentration and determination as she manoeuvred the claw in a claw machine. She was aiming for a pink pig with a derpy face that she found cute. When the claw successfully grabbed the plush toy and dropped it into the chute, she jumped up in triumph, raising the derpy pig plushie up high as I cheered in response, giving her a high-five.
Leaving the arcade, Akari grabbed my hand and we took off running down the street. She darted in and out of shops, giggling and calling out my name as I followed behind with a shy smile at how carefree we were acting in front of so many people. We dashed into a manga and anime store, where shelves stacked high with manga volumes and anime merchandise surrounded them. Akari picked up a brightly coloured manga volume, her eyes lighting up, while I carefully examined an action figure, mimicking a battle pose with a soft chuckle. Our laughter filled the store as we compared our finds.
As we continued our exploration, we encountered a group of cosplayers dressed as characters from a popular anime. Our eyes widened in amazement. Some of the female cosplayers, noticing our admiration, struck a pose and blew a kiss. Akari quickly snapped a picture with her phone, and I gave a hesitant thumbs-up, the cosplayer responding with a playful salute that made me blush slightly.
Feeling hungry, we decided to take a break. We sat on a bench outside a convenience store, munching on onigiri and sipping on some Yakult. Akari's cheeks puffed out as she took a big bite, and I laughed softly, nearly spilling his drink. The shared moment of joy was a perfect snapshot of our day.
"Hey Kei," Akari said as I bit into my onigiri before nodding my head for her to continue speaking.
"If by 30 years old, we both don't have anyone we love or are married to yet. Will you marry me?" she asked, averting her gaze, but I could tell she was blushing by the redness of her ears.
I was taken aback by the proposition, but nevertheless gave it a thought for a moment before answering with a wide smile. "Ok, I guess if that really happens then we'll be each other's white knight in shining armour."
Akari, surprised by my response, suddenly stood up before turning back around to me. "Let's visit that shop next."
It was a clothing store with mannequins dressed in trendy outfits. Her eyes sparkled as she dragged me inside. We began picking out outfits and headed to the dressing rooms. Akari emerged in a cute dress and twirled around to see if there was any change in my expression. However, the skirt flew too high and I accidentally saw her teddy bear underwear as I received the second slap of the day. I tried on a cool jacket, striking a shy, dramatic pose as my nose continued to bleed from earlier. We laughed and took pictures of each other, capturing the fun of trying on different styles. In the end, Akari decided to buy a new outfit for herself, carefully choosing a dress and matching accessories.
After purchasing the clothes, we continued running around the streets of Akihabara before stopping at a small shop filled with trinkets. Akari picked up a keychain shaped like a popular character, while I tried on a silly hat and surprised her from behind, making Akari laugh so hard she nearly dropped her keychain.
We then sat down at a maid café and made an order. A friendly maid, dressed in an elaborate outfit, drew a cute face on my omurice with ketchup.
"Oishiku nare, moe moe kyun!" the maid said, casting a magical spell on the omurice to make it yummy.
My face lit up at how delicious it looked as I turned to the maid to thank her before realising it was a crossdressing man. Unfortunately I couldn't hold back my scream of shock as I sobbed, while apologising profusely for my rudeness as Akari burst into laughter at the scene. Akari's parfait soon arrived, topped with an intricate design and a cherry on top. We both exchanged an excited look as we stuffed our faces.
As the sun began to set, we started to walk back to the station as I performed a big stretch in contentment.
"Today was really fun. Thanks for hanging out with me today," Akari smiled with gratitude.
"No problem, I had a lot of fun as well. We should do it again sometime," I replied.
Akari looked at me wistfully before responding. "I lied."
"Huh," I thought, obviously not understanding what she meant.
My body froze.
"That's the wrong way, the station's up ahead. Why are you walking over the railway crossing?" I asked as she crossed the tracks.
*Ding, ding, ding!*
The gate arms closed down, signalling an approaching train.
"Today, I actually came to say goodbye. My dad got promoted and we're moving to Hokkaido." she finally continued as I saw genuine tears start to roll down her face.
"I'm leaving tonight. I'm glad I met you and that we got to be childhood friends, but this is goodbye." Akari revealed, her face a mess.
"I don't understand anything you're saying. Wait right there, I'm going over to that side right now," I yelled as the strength in my legs started to return as I grabbed onto the gate arm.
"Goodbye dummy, don't forget our promise. I really lov-..." she said before being interrupted.
The train flew past my face as I had ducked under the gate arm and was about to cross.
"What was she about to say…" I thought.
As the train soon finished passing through, so did Akari as the night grew relentlessly darker and colder.