最高のプレゼント

Sora had many toys, ranging from Legos that were as tall as a person to exquisite burr puzzles, and they were piled up in a storage room. Therefore, when his mother gave him a Rubik's Cube, this unremarkable little cube with only six colors didn't capture much of his attention.
It took him a few days to figure out a method to solve the Rubik's Cube. Approximately one week later, Sora would be able to quickly restore the cube no matter how badly his father messed it up.
When the clock struck 4, Sora stuffed a toy into his pocket casually, put on his sneakers, and told his mother he wanted to go for a walk in the children's playground in the community.
"Sora," said his mother while patting his head tenderly like always, "remember to return home before dinner and don't play too late."
Sora nodded and let his father help him put on a heavy coat. He hugged them adorably before going out.
However, he didn't go to the children's playground. Instead, he sat down in a corner sheltered from the wind near the flower bed and began to observe the busy ants. Sora's familiarity with the route showed that this was definitely not his first time doing this.
It is extremely easy for children to make friends. All it takes is a race, a soccer match, climbing up a tree together to pick fruit and getting chased off together by the security guard on duty... In the worst-case scenario, they'll become friends after having a fight. Isn't there an old saying that goes something like "no discord, no concord?"
Sora wanted to do that too, but it was only possible in his dreams. In reality, he had to follow the doctor's advice and steer clear of all strenuous exercise. After he rejected the children who invited him to join them several times in a row, they naturally no longer considered Sora as a playmate.
At first, he would stand by the slide and watch. After that, he consciously sat farther and farther away until he disappeared from everyone's sight.
"Mom and Dad work very hard every day, so I shouldn't make them worry about such trivial things. I'm used to being alone anyway, so it's okay." Sora comforted himself silently.
The sunlight that pierced the gaps between the layers of leaves created a faint halo that shimmered around his body. From the other side of the flower bed, he could faintly hear the sound of children's playful laughter, which made Sora's thoughts wander for two seconds.
He suddenly felt that observing ant colonies was boring. Even ants had companions, but he was sitting alone by the flower bed, waiting for time to pass.
So he took a deep breath and decided to kill time in another way. He took out the small cube he had forgotten about for a long time from his pocket. His fingers moved up and down quickly, changing the layout of the colors on the cube and then rearranging them in an instant with a dazzling flash of speed.
"WOW! How did you do that?"
A boy appeared suddenly, making Sora jump up in fright. He even almost dropped the cube he was holding.
However, the boy didn't notice this at all. He jumped across the flowers, landing in front of Sora, and stared at his hands curiously.
"That was so amazing! It was just like magic." The little boy marveled. I also have a Rubik's Cube that looks just like yours, but I can barely finish one face of it. Can you show me how you did that again?"
As far as he could remember, this was the first time Sora had been complimented by a peer in person. He turned his head sideways while he fiddled with the Rubik's Cube more nimbly because he didn't want the boy to see his ears that had become red from embarrassment.
"Why have I never seen you before? What's your name?"
"Sora Ichinose."
"You can solve it no matter how badly I mess up the colors! Sora, you're a genius!"
The loud voice of the boy quickly attracted the children playing in the corner of the children's playground. Sora's secret corner became the new gathering place for the children. This was the first time the unassuming flower bed had been so lively.
The colors of the Rubik's Cube were randomized again and again and restored every time. Sora and his Rubik's Cube became the focus of everyone's attention. He wasn't quite used to this feeling yet, but he liked the lively vibe.
"Hi, I'm Haruna Igarashi. Let's be friends!" A little girl reached over and shook his hand with a smile on her face.
"Hey, that's so cheeky of you! I met Sora first. I'm Sora's best friend!" The boy put his arm around Sora's shoulders as he childishly asserted his rights.
More and more children become friends with Sora and scrambled to offer olive branches to him. They invited him to watch anime together, to solve the Rubik's Cube together, to play house together... Before long, Sora's itinerary for tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after that had been booked by the children.
He was a little at a loss and a little curious and afraid, but the joy bursting out from the bottom of his heart soon overcame these feelings. His body reacted before his brain as the corners of his mouth began to rise, revealing his neat teeth, which were followed by clear laughter from his throat.
It turned out that it was such a happy thing to make friends! That Rubik's Cube was the best gift he had ever received!