Author's Note: This is my first attempt at writing Manga. So please excuse my incompetence.

I have finally decided upon a title. Natsu Da Ne simply means "It's Summer".

You will gradually get to know the characters as the story progresses, so there won't be any need for full-profiles. I might slip in a character profile now and then, just like mangakas do, for fun. Please read and review. (Reviews inspire me to write even more! )

Well, well. Enough chitchat. Let's get the story started.

Part I

HIKARI

I swear to God, I’m innocent.

I wasn’t responsible for setting the woods on fire. I didn’t have any pyromaniacal intentions nor was I a disturbed girl seeking revenge on the world.

I was just standing there at that street corner, sizing up the view of a nearby tree-branch for a nature themed photo-shoot I plan on having this summer. (You see, I consider myself to be a junior professional photographer – a junior professional and innocent photographer, that is.)

I didn’t see it coming. Trust me, if I did, I would’ve dashed out of there and run for my life.

But it came. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a stampede of wild boars came charging towards me. One of them was a kid around my age, with rust-colored hair and an awkward looking nose. The other boar looked more like a swine. His hair was neatly parted down the side, and despite all that running, it still looked nice enough to be featured in a shampoo commercial. He was wearing a blue satin tie and faded jeans – something I should question, but I probably have no authority to.

The wild boars stopped short next to me, right when I was certain they were going to run me over like road kill. They hesitated for one or two seconds before shouting “Sparkbomb!”

I didn’t have time to react. I didn’t run or step aside like an ordinary person would’ve done. Somehow, my feet developed a world of their own and refused to budge. I stood there like frozen meat – helpless and immobilized.

Then I saw it. Something flew out of Satin-tie’s hands into the air. It looked like a cross between a Christmas ornament and a pineapple. Whatever it was, it sailed through the atmosphere and landed right into my hands.

“Sparkbomb!” Rusty-hair repeated as if saying it once wasn’t enough to scare the shit out of me.

Thankfully, my hands were smarter than my feet. They somehow detected that the Christmas-ornament-pineapple thing wasn’t safe. So they decided to do the most sensible thing. They sent the object flying on its way towards the forest.

There was silence at first. But it was followed by a strange fizzing sound – as if a whole sea of soda emerged from within the trees. Then,

KABOOM!

That was how I ended up in the soup kitchen where I was stuck serving food to men who hadn’t taken a bath in years. Of course, Satin-tie (that day, his tie was pink) and Rusty-hair were there too, along with some girl with curly-hair I haven’t seen before.

I didn’t know their names because my family had just moved into town two weeks ago. And knowing me, I wouldn’t even bother asking. I have social anxiety – a strange sickness that prevents a person from communicating with others in a proper way.

But since I’m extremely and undeniably observant, a skill I learned in photography class, I managed to find out more about them during that day without even the help of a conversation.

Rusty-hair likes to laugh a lot. I didn’t know if it was a futile attempt to be cute, or he was just born with the misfortune of having constant giggle fits. Meanwhile, his friend Satin-tie seems to believe that the world is his theater. He does everything with a flourish, and whenever he speaks, he seems to emphasize his every word.

On the other hand, Curly-top could be dubbed as “the Barbie doll that came to life.” That day, she wore skimpy clothes only real runway models would dare put on (a bright yellow mini-skirt and black halter-top). However, the worst part about her is that she refused to do anything. Anything. And no one seemed to mind – except me. Watching her primp herself while I was doing exhausting work was enough to make my blood boil. But my social anxiety kept me from doing or saying anything.

Finally, the last group of homeless men departed, unfortunately leaving their pungent aromas behind. I began cleaning up right away, and pretty soon, everyone else (except for Curly-top) did the same.

“Man, this is all your fault. You shouldn’t have thrown the Sparkbomb. I could’ve deactivated it, you know,” Rusty-hair complained as he arranged milk cartons on the counter. Although he sounded annoyed, a trace of a smile was left on his face.

“Don’t blame me!” Satin-tie retaliated, singing out the “me”. He pushed his friend aside and rearranged the milk in a fancier way. “That bomb could’ve exploded on you. If it wasn’t for me, you would’ve been dead by now.”

“Gee, thanks,” Rusty-hair replied sarcastically. A smirk formed on his lips as he walked over to the back of the room and busied himself with stacking up extra cans of peas on the shelves.

Curly-top, who had been busy filing her nails, suddenly spoke up. “I told you two not to play around with Daddy’s things.”

I saw Rusty-hair’s smirk once more. “You were the one who showed it off to us, Miya.”

Satin-tie nodded in agreement as he delicately placed an orange in the middle of his star-shaped display of milk cartons.

At that moment, I felt like screaming my head off. I didn’t care whose fault it was. Every single one of them was responsible for dragging me into this mess.

This is going to be the worst summer vacation ever.

-sneaks in-

Don't forget to review.

-sneaks out-