All he wanted from the girl was for her to hold his hand again if possible. He wanted her to squeeze his hand again someplace where the two of them could be alone. And he wanted her to tell him something-anything-about herself, to whisper some secret about what it meant to be Aomame, what it meant to be a ten-year-old girl. He would try hard to understand it, and that would be the beginning of something, though even now, Tengo still had no idea what that "something" might be.
Tengo longs for a connection with a girl from his past, wishing for the simplicity of holding hands again in a private moment. He hopes for her to share a part of herself, a secret that reveals her world as Aomame, a ten-year-old girl. This yearning reflects a desire for intimacy and understanding, hinting at a deeper emotional bond that he is still trying to grasp.
Though Tengo is uncertain about where this connection may lead, he feels that discovering her thoughts and feelings could be the start of something meaningful. His longing emphasizes the universal human need for connection and the complexity of understanding another person's experience, especially during childhood.