You Were Stolen from Me, so I Will Live for Myself - Chapter 1

Promise with Childhood Friend

“Hey, let’s get married one day!”

Sitting on the swings in the park, Yuki said those words. Bathed in the warm glow of the sunset, her voice sounded very innocent and sincere.

“Yeah! I promise!”

Yuto replied so without any hesitation. Even though he was just a child, that promise was very important to him. Then, Yuto held Yuki’s small hand tightly and made a pinky promise.

“If you break your promise…I’ll cut your finger off!”

Yuki said so with a mischievous grin on her face.

“Scary!”

Yuto couldn’t help but laugh, but Yuki just pouted and looked at him with serious eyes.

“You have to keep your promise!”

“Alright, alright. I’ll definitely keep my promise.”

Finally satisfied, Yuki regained her smile and started swinging on the swing again. Somehow, just seeing that smile made Yuto happy.

The two of them were always together back then. Since their houses were close to each other, they were always together from kindergarten to grade school. They would always walk to and from school together, play together, eat together, whatever they did, they always did it together.

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“Hey, look at this!”

Yuki would always talk happily, showing off her favourite books and stickers. Each time she spoke, Yuto would respond with a cheerful, ‘Uwaa, that’s awesome!’.

“My mom made my favourite tamagoyaki in my bento today!”

“That’s nice! I want some too!”

“Then I’ll give you one!”

Yuto took a bite of the tamagoyaki Yuki gave to him, it tasted slightly sweet and delicious. The two of them shared their lunch as if it was the most natural thing in the world. The two of them kept laughing together.

Yuto truly thought those days would last forever.

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However, little by little, the world around them began to change.

When they entered middle school, their classmates started asking—

“Are you two dating?”

“No, we’re just childhood friends!”

“Yeah, just childhood friends!”

The two of them frantically shook their heads at their classmate’s words. However, from that moment on, Yuto started to become more conscious of Yuki. Before he knew it, the time they spent together began to feel more special than ever.

‘What does Yuki think about this?’

Even though that thought crossed his mind, the two of them continued their relationship just like before.

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In the winter of their third year of middle school, they took a break from studying for entrance exams and went to the park for the first time in a while.

“Hey, do you remember? We made a promise to get married here when we were kids.”

Yuki let out a small laugh as she said so.

“Yeah, I remember.”

Yuto smiled too.

“…back then, were you serious?”

“…yeah.”

Yuki nodded slightly, gazing into the distance. Yuto’s heart started pounding loudly in his chest.

“…then, if we get into the same high school, let’s make that promise again properly.”

After saying so, Yuto was surprised at his own words. However, after a moment of surprise, Yuki smiled happily.

“Yeah!”

In the cold air, the two of them quietly hold each other’s hands.

That was their new promise

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Finally, the day of the high school entrance exam results were announced arrived.

“Yatta! We passed!”

Yuki jumped into Yuto’s arm. Yuto was also overjoyed.

“Now we can be together again!”

The two of them laughed and hugged each other. The promise they made in the park back then still lives inside their heart.

“Hey, once we’re in high school…let’s really make that promise again.”

“…yeah. I was thinking the same thing.”

Yuki smiled with relief. And just like that, the two of them stepped forward again, towards a future together.

‘I will definitely keep that promise.’

Yuto vowed so in his heart.