Five Centimeters Per Second

My name is Kotaro Naoe. Age: 17. Class: 2B. Or at least it was until I moved from Tokyo to Misaki Town located in the southern end of Osaka Prefecture yesterday with my mom. Everywhere I looked, mountains loomed high and whenever the wind blew from Osaka Bay in the northwest, the air smelled and tasted like salt.

It's not that I hated Misaki. I called this town home ten years ago. I saw familiar faces at school today, but no one recognized me. All the relationships I formed had disappeared under the fabric of time. This town no longer felt like home. That's what saddened me.

On my way home from school, I stopped at a playground in Misaki Park surrounded by trees. I gazed at the rusted swing set, dented slides, and broken seesaw with a sense of nostalgia.

Suddenly, I felt someone's gaze on me. From the corner of my eye, I saw a silhouette join the rows of students heading home. Right when I decided to join them, my phone vibrated. When I checked the display, my feet ground to a halt.

I received a friend request from Haru Sakurano on Facebook. His name looked like an illusion on my screen created by the haze rising from the burning concrete. With sweaty hands, I opened the app and accepted his request. Seconds later, a message arrived.

Haru: I didn't expect to see you back. Don't you dare message me until you remember what you did!

Could that person have been Haru just now?

Haru was my best friend when I lived in Misaki. Knowing he remembered me after ten years, a flood of emotions surged through me. Suppressing the urge to scream his name to find him in the crowd, I moved my thumbs to formulate a reply.

Me: It's good to hear from you, Haru!

Haru: If I need to be bored to sleep, I'll message you again. I'm busy ignoring you right now.

His immediate reply made my happiness evaporate in the heat. He seemed angry at me for some reason. Maybe it was best to let him cool down for now. I sighed in resignation as I made my way home.

☆☆☆

The bell rang at 12:10, signaling the start of lunch. As I made my way to the cafeteria, I passed by many students happily chatting with their friends. I used to spend my lunches like that in Tokyo. Even on my second day in Misaki High, I didn't have anyone I could have lunch with.

I wonder if I should eat outside today…

As I considered the thought, someone popped out of the corner in a hurry and crashed into me. I didn't take any damage, but I couldn't say the same for the lunchbox that slipped out of the person's hands. As if everything was moving in slow motion, I quickly knelt and caught the box before it's contents spilled with both hands.

"That was close," I sighed in relief, eyeing the lunchbox, making sure its contents were safe. "Are you okay?"

The moment I raised my head, I forgot how to speak. A girl with a flawless visage graced my presence. Her flowing black hair reached down to her hips, contrasting with her white skin. Her black pupils reflected my image as she looked down on me in displeasure, radiating an icy beauty. Despite wearing the same uniform as all the faceless girls in my class, she stood out like a lone cherry blossom tree blooming in the height of spring.

"How long do you plan on staring with that dumb expression?" she spoke. "Give back what you stole."

Her harsh voice and frigid expression made me stand up straight with a jolt. "Right! Sorry, here you go!" I offered her the lunchbox with both hands while lowering my head in apology.

She made me apologize on reflex! How terrifying!

She snatched her lunchbox with a scowl, eyed it suspiciously, then let out a cold sigh. "Maybe I should buy lunch today."

"But it didn't even touch the ground," I said.

She glared at me with narrow eyes like I was a piece of garbage, sending shivers down my spine. "Why're you still here?" Without waiting for a reply, she swept back her hair and turned on her heel. A well-worn baseball cap that looked too boyish for her to wear hung from the strap of her backpack in place of a mascot decoration. "I'll buy something after all," she declared as she walked toward the cafeteria doors in a huff.

My self-esteem took a major beating just now. Maybe I should go hungry today, I thought, afraid of eating under the same roof as her for much longer.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. I fished it out in hopes of finding an excuse to skip lunch. It was a message from Haru. Forgetting about the Ice Queen from earlier, I eagerly opened Messenger.

Haru: I'll give you until the end of the day to remember. After that, I'll forget you. I need you to promise me you'll do the same.

My hands trembled as I read Haru's message repeatedly, hoping to find a typo. I couldn't understand what he meant. We were best friends when we were kids and it's not like we parted on bad terms. We always had each other's back. Did he not think of me as a friend anymore?

Haru: You've read the message, but I'm not seeing a reply. Whatever, it's fine. Promises aren't worth much anyway.

I pressed a hand to my temple and recalled bits and pieces of the memories of the time I spent with Haru. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure it out. What did I do to piss him off!?

☆☆☆

That night, I had a dream—

The sun had set and the sky slowly darkened. In an empty playground, two boys covered in dirt sat on a swing set. They looked like they were in elementary school. One boy wore a baseball cap and the other had sleek black hair. The boy wearing the cap was me.

"You know," I turned to the boy next to me. "My mom said I don't need a hundred friends to be happy. I only need to make friends who mean as much to me as a hundred friends."

"Your point…?" The boy stared at me with half-lidded eyes.

I stifled a laugh and continued, "Even if the whole world turned against you, I'd still be on your side. You mean as much to be as a hundred friends, so I'll always be your friend, Haru!" I looked him in the eyes and grinned.

With a beet-red face, Haru jerked his head the other way. He swiped my cap and hid his face behind it. "W-what are you saying stuff like that for!? Are you an idiot?"

"I dunno… I just felt like saying it." A sad smile spread across my face as I stared at the sand below. "Haru, I've got something important to tell you tomorrow."

At that moment, two girls in makeup wearing fancy dresses passed by. They happily chatted amongst themselves about their plans for the night. Haru stared at them with a distant look in his eyes. When they disappeared, he pressed his lips together and nodded to himself. "I've got something important to tell you, too," he said, avoiding my gaze.

"Alright." I extended my pinky and grinned. "Wanna meet here at the usual time tomorrow?"

He entwined his pinky in my own and nodded. "Yeah. It's a promise."

☆☆☆

My eyes opened with a jolt and I sat upright on my bed. Thanks to the heat, the back of my shirt was drenched in sweat as if I'd just taken a shower. Realizing I'd forgotten to turn on my fan, I sighed.

"I remember now," I muttered, pushing the hair stuck to my forehead to the side. "Maybe he's waiting there even now."

My gaze fell on my digital alarm clock on the nightstand. 10:57... I can still make it!

I kicked off my blanket, ran to the washroom, washed my face, and changed my clothes before making my way out the door, careful not to wake up my Mom.

Unlike in Tokyo, I could see more than just the moon tonight. Countless stars scattered across the sky like gems strewn on a sheet of velvet. As I ran, the tranquil cool air helped me relax. Or so I'd hoped but it was terrifying. Misaki looked like a deserted town straight out of a zombie movie at night.

When I entered an area with lots of trees, the feeling of terror skyrocketed. I heard something hooting in the distance and whenever the leaves rustled, I nearly had a heart attack. Trembling on the inside, I came to a halt and scanned the area. Before me was the playground I visited yesterday. A few streetlamps dimply lit the area. When I squinted my eyes, I saw the back of a girl with flowing black hair sitting on a swing. Her white skin glowed under the silver rays of moonlight. I heard her humming a familiar tune ever so quietly, its melody pleasant to my ears.

What's this girl doing? It's dangerous to be here alone at night.

Thinking I'd warn her out of the goodness of my heart, I made my way to the swing set. When I took the first step, a twig snapped under my shoe and her humming immediately ceased—

"Who's there?" she jerked her head and questioned.

"…t's me," I replied, walking up to her with a wave.

"…?"

"Don't give me that quizzical head tilt!" I retorted. "We met this afternoon!"

"Oh…" She looked at the dirt apologetically. "I'm sorry, your face was so easy to forget, I…"

"A-anyway, what are you doing here so late?" I asked.

The girl faced forward and stared into the distance. "Waiting for someone," she replied with a sense of melancholy.

"A person who makes you wait this long has to be a jerk with a rotten look in his eyes…"

"I couldn't agree more," she giggled. With a lonely smile, she pulled out her phone from her skirt pocket and began fiddling with it.

Seconds later, I felt a vibration in my pocket.

Haru: Took you long enough, idiot.

My hands trembled as my mind went numb. This was timed too well. There was no one else here but us, so how did Haru know I had arrived? When I took my eyes off my phone, that's when I noticed.

The girl before me was glaring at me intensely. Her expression was somewhere between sadness and anger, the two emotions conflicting enough to make tears roll down her cheeks.

"Haru…?" I asked in disbelief.

"Who else would wait for you in the middle of the night?" she retorted, stifling her sobs.

"But… the Haru I remember was a boy. We played together and got into fights with the other boys at the park and—"

She sprung off the swing and yelled, "Why does that matter!? Why don't you remember!?"

My gaze fell to what was in her hand. Not her cellphone, but the cap Haru took from me the evening before I moved.

Biting my lip, I lowered my head in a ninety-degree bow. "I do remember. I'm sorry for bailing on you the day of our promise. We had to leave earlier than planned, so I couldn't make it."

The feeling of not being able to say goodbye to my best friend was so painful, my subconscious must have decided it was better to forget about our promise.

"I knew you must've had your reasons, but I couldn't accept it," she started, letting her tears drip from her chin. "I waited and waited but you never showed up."

"I'm here now…" I said. "Even though its been ten years, if telling me that 'important thing' will bring you peace, then I'll listen."

Haru looked speechless for an instant then smiled in resignation, wiping her eyes. "Its right in front of you," she whispered in a voice only I could hear. "I knew you thought I was a boy. I was okay with it. But when I came to think of you as a real friend, I wanted you to know. I wanted you to see the real me." A cool breeze blew, making her skirt and hair flutter about as if to highlight her feminine qualities. "The day of our promise, I came to the park wearing a skirt. The boys all laughed and called me names. It was mortifying, but I endured and continued to wait for you." Suddenly, her gentle expression grew bitter and transformed into the icy one I'd become accustomed to. In a low voice, as if whispering a threat, she continued, "Then ten years later, you fail to recognize me after assaulting me in the hall and attempting to steal my lunch. It was the same just now, too. I guess I was the only one who valued our time together."

I winced as a shiver ran down my spine. "How could I? I thought you were a guy the whole time!" I retorted, hoping that fact would pacify her anger. "And even after all this time, you still mean more to me than a thousand friends, Haru."

"A-are you an idiot? That's ten times more than last time!" she retorted and jerked her eyes away. "I hate that earnest side of yours. It makes me feel like I can trust you…" she said, her voice trailing off.

Her mumbled speech failed to reach my ears. "Umm… Haru, I couldn't hear you. Can you repeat that?"

"Only friends use nicknames, so stop calling me that!" she said with knit eyebrows, hiding her red face behind the cap.

Without another word, she turned her back to me. A salty breeze blew, creating a barrier between us, reminding me things couldn't return to how they were. Despite that, I lowered my head.

Overcome with a sudden sense of loss, I bit my lip. "Please, give me a chance to restore what we lost!" I pleaded.

Time passed and neither of us said a word. From the corner of my eye, I spotted a movement. Haru turned around and approached me with quiet steps. She brought the cap to her head and pulled it over her eyes.

"Miharu Sakurano," she uttered an unfamiliar name.

I gazed up and saw her figure glowing under the moonlight. Despite having longer hair and grown taller, she still looked like the Haru I played with at the park.

"That's the important thing I wanted to tell you." She held out her hand as if welcoming me back into her world.

Her warm smile served as a gentle reminder that it was the middle of spring. Just how spring always returned, maybe Miharu and I could recover what we lost, even if was at five centimeters per second, the speed at which cherry blossom petals fell.

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve before taking her hand.