As the light dimmed down, I could see the entrance to the university once again. It felt as if everything that had just happened was nothing but a dream.
"One day," I said to myself. "One day. One day."
I kept repeating it like I was trying to engrave it into my brain. I had to tell my parents good-bye in one day. Twenty-four hours. That was all I had.
I decided to not go to school, and instead I called my parents' home number that they gave me the day that I moved. After a few rings, someone picked up.
"Hello?"
It was my dad.
"Hey dad it's me, Hiro." I said.
"Hiro? Well this is a surprise. I never expected you to call us."
"Yeah, well surprise!"
"So how's college life treating you?"
I stiffed up when he asked that question. I know that I shouldn't be lying at a time like this, but how would him and mom feel if I told them how I really felt?
"I actually wanted to talk to you about that," I said trying to improvise something. "Do you think we can meet up somewhere? Oh, and bring mom to."
"Ok...uh...sure thing. Where do you want to meet?"
"How about at that new fast food place near my place?"
"Ok, sounds great. Wait...what time?"
"Two hours."
"Ok, I'll see you then. Good-bye."
"Hey dad, wait."
"Yeah?"
"I...I love you dad."
For a while, dad didn't speak. I could hear his faint breathing, but no words. Then eventually-
"I love you to...son."
And with that, dad hung up.
I arrived at the fast food place ten minutes early. I've been practicing on what I should tell them and how I can say good-bye. The hard part was obvious: Actually telling them.
Another fifteen minutes passed before my parents arrived.
"Sorry we're late," dad said. "Your mother was paranoid about going out in public.
"Would you be quiet," mom said. "You're disturbing the other customers."
"I think the customers are more disturbed by your excessive make-up."
When the two finally stopped exchanging comebacks, they eventually sat down across from me.
"It's been so long since we got to have a conversation," mom said. "What's it been; three, four months now?"
"He said it had to do something with his college life, so it must be important enough for him to call us here." dad said.
It wasn't only about college life, but he is right about it being very important.
"So, Hiro," dad said. "What's going on with college life?"
"Well...you see...um..."
Oh no. I was starting to blank out. It was as if everything I had remembered had suddenly disappeared.
"Maybe he called us over to tell us how exciting his life is here in Tokyo is." mom said
No, that's not why. In fact, it was the exact opposite.
"You might be right," dad said chuckling. "I can't imagine anyone being able to contain their excitement when moving to a place like this."
You're wrong. You're both wrong. I don't want to be here anymore.
"So did you make any friends there Hiro?" mom asked me.
My head felt like it was on fire. I could feel sweat dripping down my face. I could also feel something inside me wanting to scream out. I didn't know how long I would be able to contain it.
"Did you finally find a girlfriend?" mom asked.
"Oh I hope you did," dad said. "And if so, please introduce us to the lov-"
"I HATE IT HERE!!!"
Every head turned to face me. My parents were completely frozen in place. Silence filled the room. Nobody said a word. Nobody...except me.
"I…I'm sorry… I just…can't take this anymore. This wasn't what I wanted. I never wanted this. I…hate it here… I hate it here!
I couldn't stop. All of this anger and frustration was kept all bundled up inside me for years. I started crying a little.
"I hate it here so much that I wish I could restart my entire life!"
That was true.
"I hate it here so much that I want to kill myself!"
That was true.
"I hate it here…I…"
I wanted to keep going, but I had nothing left to say. I didn't know what to say. I just sank down in my seat with tears streaming down my face.
"Hiro..."
My mother started to reach her hand out to me but she stopped herself before she got to me. She then pulled her hand back.
"Hiro, talk to us," dad said. "What's going on through your head?"
There was no point in my backing out now. I told them how boring it was to live here. How I didn't feel any excitement. I told them how stressed I was at the university and how I only kept going so that they wouldn't be sad.
"Hiro, why didn't you just tell us?" mom asked.
"I didn't want you guys to be upset with me." I said.
"But Hiro, it's your life not ours," dad said. "If you want to do something different with your life then do it. Don't let anyone, not even us, hold you back from your goals."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I always thought that making my parents happy was what I had to do, but hearing them tell me to live my own life was like someone breaking the cage full of depression and stress that I've been trapped in for my entire life.
"Hiro...I...I'm so sorry." mom said.
"For what?" I asked.
"We always thought that we knew what was best for you, when it was actually you who knew what was best for you."
"Don't worry Hiro," dad said. "From now on, we won't interfere with your choices. Your life is yours to live, so live it."
It had felt like someone had just lifted a huge weight off of me when those two said those words to me. However, there was still something else that I had to tell them.
"There's something else that I have to say to you guys." I said.
"What is it?" dad asked.
"I'm going to be leaving the country, and I don't know how long I'll be gone.
"Why do you have to leave?" mom asked.
I didn't want to tell them where I was going because they obviously wouldn't believe me, but I didn't want to leave them in the dark.
"I'm going on an adventure." I said with a smile.
It was all I could think of to say. I had nothing else. I thought my parents were going to get mad at me for giving them a dumb reason, but instead of glares, I got heartwarming smiles.
"Ok Hiro," dad said with his smile still on his face. "If you want to go on an adventure, then go on an adventure."
"If you're happy, then we're happy to," mom said. "So be sure to have the greatest adventure ever told by man."
Tears started welling up in my eyes again. I never thought my parents would agree to this. I always thought that they were your stereotypical parents in TV shows that only let you do what they see fit. Knowing that they were parents who care about me and love me sent a relieved feeling through my entire body. However, I didn't want to leave things like this. I wanted to do something with them one last time before I left.
"Hey, I still have about twenty one hours left before I have to leave. So how about we have some fun until then?" I asked.
"That sounds like a great idea!" mom said.
"It does, but what should we do," dad asked. "There aren't any festivals happening at this time of the year."
Don't worry," I reassured them. "I'll figure something out."
Believe it or not, I actually did figure something out. We spent the entire day doing whatever was considered 'fun'. We went from eating sweets to arcades to book stores (I only went there to read doujinshi) to movies all the way back home where we just played party games all night.
"Ok, ready," we all said. "One. Two. Three. Who is the King?"
We decided to end the day with a few or so rounds of the King's Game. Basically, whoever gets picked to be the King, by drawing straws, gets to tell someone else from the game to do whatever they want them to. However, they have to say the number of one of the sticks that the other person drew, not the person themselves.
Since this game was between a mother, a father, and their son, and not between friends, we made the orders pretty simple and silly.
"Looks like I'm the King." mom said.
Dad and I both sighed because this was the fifth time in a row that mom drew the King stick.
"Ok, number 2 has to chug a can of Oolong Tea." mom said.
My stomach churned immediately after I heard those words. The reason was because I was number two.
Oolong Tea tasted like black coffee. Now, I don't mind coffee at all, but only if it's hot. The Oolong Tea that we had was in a can that was refrigerated.
"Should I go get the can for you?" dad asked me.
"No, I'll be fine," I said. "I'm a man, and a man has to face situations like these with an iron fist."
Yeah, I'd rather not be doing this…
I walked over to the refrigerator to get the tea. When I picked up the can, it was ice cold. My stomach churned once again. I opened the can of tea and walked back over.
"I'm getting my phone ready for this." dad said.
I wanted to tell him not to record this, but I guess it didn't really matter since I'm going to be living in another world in a few moments.
"Ok, I'm ready," dad said pushing the record button. "Take it away Hiro!"
I plugged my nose tightly and brought the can to my lips. When the liquid found it's way into my mouth, I immediately swallowed it. However, the cold liquid kept filling up my mouth again so I had to keep going until the can was empty.
"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"
Hearing my parents chanting made me swallow faster. I wanted this to be over with, so I went as far as to swallowing so much that it hurt. I didn't care though.
At long last the can was finally empty. I quickly chunked the can across the room and collapsed on the floor taking deep breaths.
"He really is a man!" dad said with excitement.
The taste of that cold tea lingered in my mouth for a while. It made me want to throw up.
"You ok Hiro?" mom asked me.
"I'll be fine," I said. "But seriously, how the hell do you guys drink this stuff? Way too bitter for me."
"You kids and your sweet tooth's," dad chuckled. "You know, not everything has to be filled up with sugar and spice. Makes the taste feel unnatural."
"Oh come on dad," I said back, nearly choking on the bitter liquid. "There's nothing wrong with a bit of milk and honey."
Mom and I laughed a little bit after hearing that. I took a bite out of an apple that I grabbed from the fridge once I had calmed down. I caught a glance at the clock on the wall. I had three minutes left...
Looking at the clock made me excited, but also sad. It was time for me to leave. It was time for my adventure to begin. After all, it was me who wanted this.
"Hey mom, dad." I said to them.
Their heads turned to face me.
"It's time."
They immediately knew what I meant by that, but even so, they smiled.
"Ok Hiro." dad said.
"Have fun." mom said.
Two minutes left.
I quickly got up and ran to them with open arms. I wrapped my arms around them tightly and started to cry like a baby.
"I love you guys so much," I said through my sobs. "I had so much fun with you guys."
"We did to Hiro," dad said trying to hold back his sobs. "We haven't had this much fun with you in so long."
"Thank you so much for spending your last day here in Japan with us Hiro," mom said. "It means so much to us."
One minute left.
"Mom. Dad. I love you."
"We love you to Hiro."
Once we said our goodbyes, I got up and began to walk out the door. Before I left, I took one last glance behind me. I could see my mom and dad with their arms around each other waving at me while smiling. This gave me a warm feeling that I've never felt before in my life. I wanted to cherish this feeling I had for the rest of my life, because this was my first good feeling that I've ever felt because of my parents.
I opened the door and walked out into the cool morning weather. I could see the sun begin to set down the fields. I can't remember the last time I actually enjoyed the sunset at my parents house. Seeing the country-like landscape around me gave me a brief feeling of nostalgia.
Before I knew it, a bright beam of light appeared before me, and I was gone. Gone from the world that I despised so much, but also from the world where I was able to smile and have fun for the first time in so long...
I hope they throw that apple away. Kind of a waste though since I only took two bites out of it.