Today, I had a little free time, so I went to the park by myself!
Going to the park alone might sound a little quiet, but for me, it isn't quiet at all.
There are swings.
There are wide paths.
There are fallen leaves.
There are white lines on the ground.
In other words, there are so many places to play!
🧡 Hinata: "All right! Today is my solo park challenge!"
First, I played a game where I could only walk on the white lines.
If I stepped off, I lost.
Next, I played a game where I had to move forward without stepping on any leaves.
If I stepped on one, I lost.
After that, I challenged myself to see how fast I could run from the bench to the tree.
That one wasn't really about winning or losing.
It was a battle against myself.
🧡 Hinata: "Ready... go!"
I ran with all my power, stopped with all my power, and breathed with all my power.
🧡 Hinata: "Hah... hah... This is fun!"
Even alone, it was still fun.
Actually, because I was alone, I could play however I wanted.
That was when it happened.
I heard a rustling sound from the grass.
🧡 Hinata: "Huh?"
When I turned around, there was a dog.
I couldn't see a collar, and there was a little mud on him, but his eyes were sparkling.
The dog stared at me.
I stared back at the dog.
🧡 Hinata: "...Hello?"
🐶: "Woof!"
🧡 Hinata: "He answered!"
I was surprised and took one step back.
Then the dog started wagging his tail like crazy.
He wasn't an enemy.
This was probably the face of someone who wanted to play.
🧡 Hinata: "Do you maybe... want to play?"
🐶: "Woof!"
🧡 Hinata: "Okay! Let's play!"
I took out a small ball I had with me.
When I go to the park, I always bring a mini ball just in case something like this happens.
Very smart.
Very prepared.
Mostly by coincidence.
🧡 Hinata: "Here we go!"
I tossed the ball gently. The dog ran after it at incredible speed.
🧡 Hinata: "So fast!"
And in no time, he came back with the ball in his mouth.
🐶: "Woof!"
🧡 Hinata: "Amazing! One more time!"
I threw it again.
He ran again.
He came back again.
Every time he did, his tail wagged even harder.
And I started having more and more fun too.
At some point, fetch turned into a race.
🧡 Hinata: "This time, I'm running too!"
I threw the ball, then ran after it together with the dog.
The result?
I couldn't win at all.
🧡 Hinata: "W-Wait for me!"
🐶: "Woof!"
The dog ran so lightly, and I chased after him with everything I had.
But I couldn't catch up.
It was frustrating.
But it was fun.
Really, really fun.
🧡 Hinata: "One more time! I'll win next time!"
🐶: "Woof!"
I think the dog felt the same way.
Before I knew it, I was completely serious.
A race around the tree.
A dash to the bench.
A jump over fallen leaves.
A sharp turn on the grass that almost made both of us tumble over.
🧡 Hinata: "Whoa, that was close!"
🐶: "Woof!"
🧡 Hinata: "Did you see that!? That was amazing, right!?"
Of course, the dog didn't answer.
But his tail answered for him.
Probably.
After a while, I sat down on a bench to take a short break.
The dog sat right beside me.
🧡 Hinata: "You're amazing. You have so much stamina."
🐶: "Huff, huff."
🧡 Hinata: "I'm pretty confident in my stamina too, though."
🐶: "Woof!"
🧡 Hinata: "Did you just make a victory face?"
Somehow, the dog looked proud.
That was frustrating.
But also really cute.
After a little while, I heard someone calling from far away.
"There you are!"
When I turned around, someone from the neighborhood was running toward us.
It turned out that the dog had slipped out from a nearby home.
🧡 Hinata: "Oh, so you were lost!"
The person thanked me many times, and they also told me the dog's name.
But while we were playing, I hadn't known his name at all.
So in my heart, I had already given him a nickname.
My park buddy.
Before leaving, the dog looked back at me one more time.
🐶: "Woof!"
🧡 Hinata: "Let's play again sometime!"
The dog wagged his tail, then went home together with his owner.
The park became a little quiet.
But the sound of us running, the energy of his wagging tail, and the speed of him chasing the ball...
I felt like all of it was still left in my body.
When I got back, I told everyone what happened.
🩷 Aine: "That sounds like such a Hinata kind of meeting."
🩵 Ruka: "Wait, you didn't take any photos?"
🧡 Hinata: "I forgot because I was too busy playing!"
💙 Rei: "That's also very Hinata."
💜 Shizuku: "What a lovely friend〜"
🧡 Hinata: "Yeah! My park buddy!"
🩵 Ruka: "If you meet him again, let me take photos."
🧡 Hinata: "Okay! But he's probably super fast!"
💙 Rei: "Then the photographer will have to go full power too."
I thought I had gone to the park alone today.
But before I knew it, I had made a full-power play buddy.
I wish I had remembered his name properly.
I wish I had taken photos.
I wish we could have played even longer.
But in that moment, more than anything else, the ball in front of me, the dog running toward me, and the time we spent laughing at full power were just so much fun.
So today was a huge success!
🧡 Hinata: "I won't lose next time!"
He probably couldn't hear me anymore.
But if we meet again, I want to race one more time.
My park buddy.
Let's play again someday!
To Be Continued...