Lost Dreams and Hopeful Sons/Epilogue

Laughter echoed out deep within the forest. It came from below a mighty boulder, guarded by a great willow on each side. Behind a veil of willow and vines, a trio chuckled playfully.

"Do it again, do it again!" Kenji wheezed, barely controlling his laughter, his jet black hair flailing from side to side.

Daichi twisted his face into a knot, as if he had just eaten a handful of sour gum, tucked his feet under him and waddled around. "I am Daiki and I talk like a duck! *Daichi stop watching that anime! Daichi wash the dishes! Daichi where's my phone?!*" he quacked.

Kenji wiggled in his laughter, almost knocking Miki off her pillow. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Come on, it's hilarious!"

"Not when you've said the joke twenty hundred times", Miki continued wiping the dirt off the rocky roof of their hideout. "These moss just refuse to come off, help me since you're so *strong* Daichi. If not the spiders are going to come back and bite everyone."

Kenji sat up, squinting eyes, "That's not moss, the rock's just green." he commented, before falling back into the pillow.

Miki sighed in defeat. "Why don't you like your big brother, big brothers might be annoying sometimes but mine always helps me make hot chocolate in the morning" she says, shoveling a bunch of used tissues into her tiny pockets.

"Your brother is *sooo* nice, my brother is so bossy, he keeps asking me to stuff and says '*I'll call mom if you don't do them*'." Daichi rebuked, a smirk gathered on his face. "That's why I took his phone and I'll hide it here!" he announced, triumphally holding it out.

Kenji and Miki were in disbelieve, "How did it you get it from hi-" *Bzzzzz*

Everyone froze. *Bzzz*

Daichi, eyes widened, glanced at the back of the phone. *Mom is calling...* flashed across the screen. "Oh it's not my brother, just my mom" Daichi sang in relief. As he flipped the phone open to answer, Miki yelped in protest.

"Hey mo-" "Daichi? DAICHI!!! I KNEW IT, I AM COMING TO FIND YOU!" Daiki screamed. Daichi dropped the phone in shock and heard the muffled laughter of his two companions.

"Daichi, why did you take your brother's phone?", the rightful caller, his mom asked. "He kept saying he was-" His mom cut him off, "Just give him back the phone, I'll settle you two later. Your dad sent over some ice cream from France, we'll have some for tea. So come back now and bring your friends along too."

"We haven-", Daichi tried to interject. "Now." his mother asserted before ending the call.

Daichi looked up. Kenji already up, licked his lips, "French ice cream?! Let just go now." "It's been so long, since I've had ice cream." Miki agreed. Daichi smiled. He slowly stood up, then blurted, feet already at the exit "Okay, I'll race you back!". As if he had read Daichi's mind, Kenji dashed out as well. Miki slowest to react but fastest of the trio, darted after them. She yelled, "Wait, I forgot my bracelet!"

"We'll be back tomorroOW", the boys gasped in unison as she dashed passed them. "Hey, that's che-cheating!" Daichi chuckled breathlessly, both Kenji and Miki joining him.

Laughter echoed out deep within the forest, as they left, for the final time.