For weeks, Akio's father had been in the capital, and the emptiness he left behind felt like a deep, unending shadow for Akio and Kiyomi. Each passing week chipped away at their hope that Ferruccio would return soon. Akio felt his father's absence most acutely. Concentrating at school was difficult, and the joy he once found in activities he loved seemed extinguished.
It was not long before Akios Birthday, that his father had left. His 6th birthday, celebrated without his father, was a heavy blow. Akio cried bitterly, feeling betrayed and abandoned. To the other students, though, he was just "the crybaby" who whined about everything. No one asked what was wrong, and Akio didn't tell them. The only constant in his life was his friends—Auron, Lirien, and Sophie.
But even these friendships seemed at risk as Akio's sadness clouded his view of the world. He began to see the worst in everything, and even minor setbacks deepened his pain.
During recess, Akio sat apart, trying to hide his tears. Sophie found him and asked, "Where are Auron and Lirien?" Akio just shrugged. Together, they searched for their friends but couldn't find them.
Back in the classroom, they noticed that Kevin, Jonathan, and a few other students were also missing. Then they heard loud voices from the hallway:
"You're friends with that crybaby!"
"So what if I am?"
"That makes you a crybaby too!"
Akio, Sophie, and their teacher, Mrs. Wirsing, rushed into the hallway. They saw Kevin shoving Auron, who tried to defend himself, but Kevin just laughed mockingly.
"Stop it! That hurts!" Akio shouted, running toward them. But Kevin's response was a hard shove that sent Akio tumbling to the floor.
"Why are you doing this?" Lirien cried as she helped Akio up. Kevin just grinned.
"If the crybaby falls, he has to cry!" he sneered.
That was too much for Auron. With a determined look, he charged at Kevin, shoving him in the stomach with all his strength. Kevin fell to the floor, gasping and surprised by Auron's sudden courage.
Mrs. Wirsing finally intervened, commanding attention. But before she could say anything, Kevin wailed loudly, "They hit me!"
Auron and Lirien immediately protested, "That's not true! Kevin started it!"
Mrs. Wirsing looked sternly around. "Kevin, I heard everything. You insulted and shoved Auron—and Akio too. What you did was wrong."
Kevin tried to argue, but Mrs. Wirsing didn't let up. Finally, he grudgingly muttered, "I'm sorry."
But when it came time to apologize to Akio, Kevin mumbled half-heartedly, "I'm sorry."
Akio crossed his arms. "You don't mean that!"
"I DO!" Kevin snapped angrily. But Akio shook his head. "You're lying. You don't feel sorry at all."
The situation seemed ready to escalate again, but Mrs. Wirsing stepped in. "That's enough. Kevin apologized, and we need to move on now."
On the way back to the classroom, the friends talked about what had happened. Akio couldn't ignore how Auron had stood up for him. "Thanks, Auron. You're a real friend."
Auron quickly shook his head. "I didn't do it for you." But Lirien chuckled quietly. "Sure, of course not."
Sophie grinned mischievously. "He'd even kiss you if he had to."
"WHAT?" Auron yelled, horrified. But before he could say more, Sophie turned to Akio and explained, "Friends sometimes kiss to show they like each other!"
Akio was confused but excited by this new rule. Without warning, he gave Auron a kiss on the cheek. "What are you doing?" Auron yelled, as Lirien and Sophie burst into laughter.
Sophie kept teasing. "Girls have to kiss on the lips to be best friends!" She grabbed Lirien and planted a quick kiss on her lips. Lirien protested loudly, but Akio was fascinated.
"Now you're best friends!" he said in awe.
When they finally returned to their seats, Akio reflected on everything. Despite the sadness that still weighed on him, he felt something else—he wasn't alone. His friends were there for him, even when the world seemed unfair.
"Maybe things aren't so bad," he murmured quietly. Tears welled up in his eyes—but this time, they weren't tears of sorrow. They were tears of gratitude.