in between ?.? jo togame???

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11 YEARS AGO

IF YOU TRY TO THINK BACK TO YOUR MEMORY OF WHEN YOU WERE FOUR, IT'S HAZY, YOU CAN'T TELL WHETHER IT WAS REAL OR A DISTANT DREAM.

That was for me too when I met Togame. It felt like a distant dream, but It was real.

I remember often seeing a cat, chubby and grumpy. It was hazy, but digging back into my memory, I know the cat doesn't like me. In an attempt to pet it, on many occasions, I would chase the cat but never be able to touch it.

Until one day when I saw the same cat, sitting on the fences of a stranger's lawn. I rushed over to the cat, once my hand touched its fur, I felt a sharp, clean cut across my hand.

I cried, holding my hand that won't stop bleeding.

Through the corner of my blurry vision, I saw a boy coming out to their lawn and I stopped crying.

Togame and I stared at each other, confusion written all over our faces as I forgot about my pain.

After what felt like forever, his mom came out of their house, calling for Togame, to which I realised the lawn where the cat had been sitting was theirs.

Togame's mom asked worriedly whether he hurt himself again but he instantly pointed at me.

His mom was pretty, like the sun. I could feel the warmth when she smiled at me.

"Oh my, you hurt yourself?"

Remembering my bleeding hand, I cried again and rushed toward her, where I stepped on a rock, fell flat on the ground with a pain shot up in my ankle.

Talk about double trouble.

I remember them rushing me to a hospital, after the doctor's checkup, he told us I had sprained my ankle. Togame's mom reassured me I'd be fine in no time. Meanwhile, Togame didn't speak once, he just stood next to us, holding his mother's purse as he watched in interest when the nurse started bandaging my ankle.

And when they treated the scratch wound, the ointment stung so much for my four-year-old self that I cried again and saw Togame putting his hands on his ears to muffle the sound.

His mom borrowed a paper and pen from nearby as I told her the contact info for my parents. Since she forgot her cell phone, she ordered us to stay put in the emergency room and Togame to take care of me while she used the phone booth nearby.

Once she was out of sight I decided to talk to the boy.

"[LAST NAME] [NAME]" I had said.

"Huh?" He replied, looking confused.

"My name," I laughed. "I'm [LAST NAME] [NAME]"

"Oh..." That was all he said.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Uh...Togame Jo."

With a new burst of energy, I chuckled. "Is that cat yours?"

He nodded shyly until he realised his mom's purse was still with him. His eyes widened as he started panicking and tried to make a run for his mom.

"Wait, don't leave me!"

I added to his panic more. Remembering his mom's words he came back to me, he turned his head from left to right, trying to figure out how to help me. He then turned his back on me and crouched.

"Climb."

Once I did as he said, I was shocked at how easily he stood up while carrying me. Although he was one year older, back then we were the same height. Without wasting a second, he rushed out of the emergency room, and we passed the entrance hall where we received gawking from the adults and the staff.

Once we made it outside, Togame jerked his head around searching for his mom but there was no sign of her. He proceeded to carry me around the hospital grounds before looking at every street across from a distance.

"Do you know where the phone booth is?" He had asked.

I shook my head. "We just moved here."

"Oh."

"I think your mom abandoned us," I said.

"No, she doesn't." He scowled, but for five-year-old Togame, it sounded believable, I could see his eyes growing watery.

"She's gone," I mumbled.

He burst into tears and I did as well.

"Why are you crying too?" He asked shakily.

"I don't know!" I replied in the same shaky tone.

"Stop crying!" He ordered.

"I can't!"

"Jo!" We turned to his mom who was behind us.

"You forgot your purse." Togame quickly explained himself, still sniffling.

She chided us for leaving the room but stopped mid-way after realising how her son had been doing his best to take me with him. She laughed, feeling so proud of her son.

"Ah, I have a few coins with me."

┉

Since our house was near, my parents rushed to us in no time. As Dad carried me, they both began to thank Togame's mom. Mom tried to pay the money back but she kept refusing, after long pressure, she finally accepted the money reluctantly with a sheepish smile. They both exchanged contact info and had a small chat until she said it was getting late and time for them to go.

As she held her son's hand, Togame turned back once more to me. I grinned and waved at him energetically, his eyes widened and quickly turned his face away.

He was always so awkward and shy.

"Mom..."

"Yes, honey?" She stroked my [COLOUR] hair.

"Can I go to the same kindergarten where Togame goes too?"

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help...he's so adorable here