The boy whose sandcastle had been destroyed shoved one of the boys in response. Almost immediately, a scuffle broke out as they began to push and grapple with each other, trying to wrestle the other to the ground.
The other children cheered them on, further provoking the fight, while the little girl, likely the younger sister, screamed desperately for them to stop.
“They’re fighting…” little Freya whispered. “What if something happened to them? Shouldn’t we go and help break it up?”
The butler remained silent, simply watching the scene unfold. Moments later, an adult approached, stepping in to break up the fight. The man separated the boys and led the boy and his younger sister away.
“Is that their father?” little Freya asked, her eyes wide. “He came just in time.”
“The boy’s name is Leon,” the butler said suddenly.
Freya turned to him, surprised. “You know him?”
The butler smiled. “I know a bit about him,” he replied.
“Did you look into them because I wanted to make friends with them?” little Freya asked, sighing softly.
“Leon and his sister,” the butler continued, “no longer have parents.” He paused for a moment before going on. “The man you saw is their uncle.”
Freya was taken aback by this revelation. “So… they’re just like me,” she said quietly. “What happened to their parents?”
The butler shook his head, smiling gently. “I didn’t find out that much, Miss Freya. But if you want to, you can try to be friends with them.”
“Does their uncle treat them well? Do they go to school? I wonder why they lost their parents, too… Did their parents have an accident too, like mine?” she asked softly, almost to herself.
A few days later, little Freya finally mustered the courage to step out of the car and try to make friends with the children playing in the park. She stood there, searching for a way to blend in. However, no one seemed to notice her at first. As she walked closer, a few of the girls glanced her way while the boys stopped their game and slowly approached her.
“Hey, are you a rich kid?” one of the boys asked.
Freya was startled by the question. She glanced down at her outfit, which she had carefully chosen to look as ordinary as possible. Yet, she still stood out, cleaner and different from the other children.
“Uh… no… I’m not that rich,” she said hesitantly.
“Hey, you’re so cute. Want to play with us?” another boy chimed in.
“Come on, do you like basketball?” they asked.
“No! I don’t play basketball!” little Freya replied defensively.
“So, what do rich kids play with, huh? Dolls?” one of the boys retorted, prompting laughter from the others.
“I play archery!” little Freya responded firmly. “Do you think girls always play with dolls?”
“Archery? Ha! Are you trying to be in a movie? What’s fun about archery, huh?” another boy sneered, and the others laughed again.
“Leave me alone!” little Freya demanded, growing visibly upset.
“Haha, this is our place. You’re so bossy for a rich kid, huh?” the boys taunted. “Why don’t you buy the park and play by yourself if you want?”
“I want to play, but not with you,” little Freya shot back.
One of the boys then shoved her shoulder. “Hey, you snobby rich kid, just because you have money, you think you can talk however you want? No one wants to be friends with you.” Little Freya, filled with anger, pushed the boy back. “Stop it! What have I done to you?”
The boy looked enraged and was about to push her again when suddenly, another boy forced his way through the crowd and grabbed little Freya’s wrist. “She’s my friend. Stay away from her,” he said. It was Leon, the boy Freya had noticed earlier.
Leon pulled Freya away from the group. “Losers only play with other losers! Haha,” the boys mocked as they watched them leave.
Freya complained as she was pulled by Leon. “Let go of me! Why are you dragging me around? Who are you, anyway? You said you’re my friend, but I don’t even know you!” she exclaimed.
Leon released her wrist and replied, “I did that to make it look like you have a friend so they wouldn’t underestimate you.”
“I don’t need you to pretend to be my friend!” she said firmly.
“You should be thanking me, not complaining.”
“You just ruined my chances of making friends with them because you claimed to be my friend first,” she countered.
“At least it’s better than having no friends at all.”
Leon then turned and walked away to join his little sister at the sandpit, leaving little Freya standing there. Determined, Freya chased after him and sat down nearby as they played.
The little girl, Leon’s younger sister, looked at Freya with curiosity.
“Hey you, you haven’t apologized. Do you understand the mistake you made? You ruined my image by pretending to be my friend and fighting with them,” Freya said, her cheeks flushed
with frustration.
Leon turned back to her. “You’re the rich kid who always arrives in a fancy car, right? This is probably the first time you’ve ever stepped out. You think you can just play with them because you’re rich? You should be hanging out with kids on your own level. What were you thinking coming here alone without any protection? Where is your butler?”
Freya bristled at his words. “I came here to make friends just like everyone else. And how do you even know I’m rich? What makes me different?”
“That fancy car shows up every few days. It’s impossible not to notice it,” Leon replied. “People like us can only admire such luxury from afar, while you lounge comfortably inside.” Freya felt another wave of frustration wash over her. “So, you helped me because you knew I was rich and wanted something in return?”
Leon answered with a flat tone, not looking at her this time. “I helped you because you’re so weird. What were you even thinking?” He turned his gaze back to her. “Pretending not to be rich and trying to make friends? I think you’ve watched too many dramas. Why play here if you can achieve more with your money?”
“Who do you think you are to speak about me like that?” Freya snapped.
“I helped you, so you owe me thanks,” Leon replied nonchalantly.
At that moment, the little girl walked over to Freya. “Hi, would you like to be my friend? My name is Lily. What’s your name?” the girl asked with a sweet smile.
Freya’s anger melted away instantly, and she smiled back at Lily. “Hi, Lily. My name is Fre…” She paused briefly. “Freda. Nice to meet you.”
Lily’s face lit up, and she grabbed Freya’s hands. “He’s my brother. His name is Leon. Do you want to play with us? My brother is good at fighting, so he’ll protect you if those boys bother you again,” she said, giggling.
“Yes, Lily, I’d love to play with you. But playing with your brother doesn’t sound very appealing, so I think I’ll pass on that part,” Freya replied.
Leon looked up from his sandcastle. “No one asked for your opinion,” he said tersely.
“I don’t care about you either,” Freya shot back, then playfully kicked a small pebble that bounced off Leon’s foot.
Leon paused for a moment before standing and facing Freya. “You dare to do that to someone who helped you? Now feel my revenge.”
Freya grinned and stood up as well. “No, please don’t,” she said, laughing as she sprinted
away.
Leon gave chase, weaving around trees as Freya tried to evade his grasp. They both seemed to be enjoying the game?
Lily watched them, tilting her head in confusion. “Have they made up?” she wondered aloud.