The landscape near the outskirts of Nara relaxed the train's atmosphere in a way.
The sun penetrated the train window, and the students talked with pals in high school. As the train rolled to a stop, she took a deep breath. Through her gaze, confidence burned. Her whole body was blazing with fire of determination.
"Alright! Don't let it down, Ichika! Midterms are starting!!"
As the train's roar resonated behind it, her heart went down the other side of the track.
"Ichika, if you want, I could accompany you to the classroom"
"N-no! That would be embarrassing!"
"Haha, I'm just kidding"
"Hmpf…! You're making me embarrassed right now—"
"—please wake up"
"..."
"..."
"Huh?"
"..."
"Sho—"
When her consciousness came back, a faint sound, like an alarm, made her head spin. Her once closed eyes are now opening up, and the first thing she saw was a dark roof of a dark room—her bedroom.
"..."
Her mind baffled from her dream, she woke up from her bed and sat on the edge of her bed. Her mouth wide open, no words were coming out, warm breaths instead came out.
Her eyes turned towards a table near her bed, a clock was on top of it, showing the time was 05:27 a.m.
"There's still a lot of time…"
Getting up from the bed isn't that bed for her. The bed was already uncomfortable to begin with. Everytime she comes home at night, she wishes she had bought a better mattress.
Her apartment was dark, all lights had been deliberately switched off. Her windows don't have shutters, not only to preserve electricity, but also to hide their presence within. But she turns on only the lights in the morning in the room, which she considers important every morning.
The kitchen was clean. The sink was empty, there were no dirty dishes to wash. The plates were neatly placed, everything was in place and easy to find.
The fridge was no different. Drinks, snacks, and ingredients to cook were all placed neatly and in an order that is easy for Ichika to remember. She always eats her favorite food at the end of the day, and her least favorite at the start of the day.
But today…
"I guess… I'll make miso and…"
—coffee.
In the cold morning, it would be good to have a warm coffee. But, no other coffee except 'signature coffee' fulfilled her wish. However, she'd rather prepare a fast coffee instead of ingesting plenty of sugar rather than go to the market and buy energy drinks.
She watched over her apartment's other side and opened the window near her living room. She watched people practice in the park nearby. There was a park. But in the Park there was no person nearby, the sky was cloudy, gray.
When the clouds above struck her nose forcefully by a smell of water and dirt, it was too distinctive. It's going to rain.
"I should get going"
Having said that, she immediately went to her bathroom, bringing nothing else but her towel.
Though her kitchen was well-kept, her living room was filled with cardboard boxes. Inside the boxes were clothes and items she was going to move to a new apartment near Chigasaki station. The building was tall, but not the tallest. It had good views of the city and good services.
It was already wet outside. Rain was softly falling on the terrace roof. Ichika then opened her umbrella as she ate a piece of bread.
It wasn't difficult to reach Mino-Yanagi station on foot. On foot, it took her around twenty minutes to get there. She could save time if she had a bicycle or other mode of transportation. When she arrived, she sat on a bench with her umbrella closed, waiting for the train to arrive.
She sang a song she remembered from her childhood while she waited for the train.
Time had flown by. By the time she finished her song, her train was approaching the station.
"..."
Silently approaching the train, the alarm bells rang, and then the doors opened. The train inside looked full but Ichika could squeeze her tiny body inside of the train.
Once the train doors closed, her body was pinched against the door, her face facing outside.
Machine beeped in the background as she poured hot water inside her glass. Stirring the water, mixing the coffee within.
"It's useless…"
"What's so useless, honey?"
"I can't even make a good coffee like my brother…!"
Mia leaned against a table behind her.
The room was cold, the air conditioner kept on blowing cold air everyday. The machine still beeped, every passing second.
"Hufufu… that's true. No one can brew a coffee like your brother"
She stood up from a seat near Shouta's bed.
The woman made her way to the bathroom before Mia stopped her, holding her hand.
"Could you take care of brother, mother?"
"Of course!"
Mia's mother answered with a smile, tilting her head. The doors to the bathroom opened, then Mia's mother took off her clothes.
After asking her mother and getting a positive answer, Mia grabbed her bag and headed out of the room. She walked down the stairs and walked out of the front doors into the front of the hospital. There, someone was standing and waiting for her.
"Miss Minase? Why are you here?"
"There's a promise I made with your brother…"
—before the incident happened.
Koharu Minase wore a long choco dress, She carried a small purse in her hand. It was still raining, an umbrella would protect her from the falling water.
"What promise?"
"..."
Koharu's gaze slid to the left. A brother and sister were walking together, hand in hand. They appeared to be in good spirits as they walked through the facility. Koharu kept her attention fixed on them the entire time.
"To take care of you"
"..."
A thought. A thought came up Mia's mind.
A question.
—did he plan the incident?
"No!" her mind dismissed the question.
"What is it, Mia?"
"N-nothing! Let's go, I need to meet up with a friend"
"Alright, let's go!"
On time, the train arrived. The station was frigid since it was so crowded. The rain hasn't stopped, and it's getting heavier.
Her right arm held a warm, half-eaten cream bun, while her left hand held her closed umbrella.
She wore the uniform of her school. Being a sore thumb in the station, she was the only one who wore that uniform. And people recognize she was the only one who stood alone, with no one standing near her or with her.
lonely. shame. Strange. Words she could hear coming from the mouths of high school students who were also waiting for the same train. She understands what would happen if she boarded the train with her back to it.
She's been through it several times.
And it will happen again and again, despite the fact that she has reported it to the authorities.
"..."
As the train halted to a stop, and the doors opened and the warning bell—
"hoh?! Ih Ha't yoU? Ta'anAshsHi!?"
(hoh?! Is that you?! Takanashi!!"
"Huh?"
A girl's voice. A girl was calling for her. Her voice sounded older than hers. The girl ran from the stairs and into the platform of the station. She was wearing the same uniform as Takanashi Ichika.
"Nakamura…?"
"Good' Mouuning!"
"Good morning…"
"Min'd i I oin uo?"
(mind if I join?)
"...could you repeat that?" Ichika signed.
"Minnd i I ooin yu?"
(mind if I join?)
"No problem"
Nakamura walked up right beside Ichika. They both went in together, and luckily for them, there were two empty seats right next to each other.
As expected, for Ichika, the train wasn't empty. A lot of people were using the train at this time. Not just business workers or students, citizens like families, planning to go on a vacation, mothers going to the market to buy supplies for their family.
"Say, Mia. Why do you like your brother?"
"..."
"Come on! Please, tell me!"
"...I don't want to"
"Okay then. Don't wanna force you"
They took a stroll through Fujisawa's streets.
The atmosphere was subdued by the cold morning air.
Mia was on her way to a neighboring eatery near Shichirigahama High School. It was just in front of the school, and students would frequently come to the restaurant to purchase drinks or even eat dinner.
When the two of them arrived at the front door, Mia could see her friends already waiting for her.
"Do you want me to wait for you…?"
"I'm not like my brother! I don't need a woman to wait for me!"
"..." Koharu was shocked. "Y-yeah… I guess that's true…"
"If you want to, I'll contact Miss Yamamoto to make you food…"
"N-no, no need for that…!"
"So, you're not hungry?"
"Who do you think I am? An unhealthy artist and actor, going around and complaining about being sick?"
"..."
"..."
"I mean… it's not impossible that could be you"
"Shut up…!"
Koharu punched lightly on Mia's arm. It would be wise if they would stop joking around and get to work.
"I'll see you later then"
Koharu walked away from the restaurant, waving her hand up high.
"Alright! Bye-bye!"
Answered Mia, her hands waving at Koharu.
The red light stopped her.
It was still too early to study at the time. But Sara doesn't want to waste any time.
If possible, she wants to finish it as quickly as she can.
Only bringing her bag, filled with books and her pencil case. She wore her casual dress.
Casual in Sara's eyes are different from others.
"Good morning, Fujiwara"
"...? Ishigami, good morning"
"Why are you looking so down today?"
"What're you talking about? I'm not even feeling depressed"
"Liar. I could read you"
"Is it as easy as Kazehaya?"
"Well, Kazehaya is the easiest to read, his emotions and feelings are too obvious. I bet people who just met him could even read him."
"You're not answering my question…"
"Yeah, you are easy to read like Kazehaya... You may not notice, but I believe everyone's been reading you quite lately"
"How do you know?"
"Well, If I tell you, the people around us will stop"
"But…"
Sara looked around, turning her head right and left, she looked behind him and even tried to look above the stairs she was walking up to. But...
"You're making things up?"
"No… I have keen eyes"
"..."
"..."
Both of them looked at eachother. Sara's confused face and Aoi's confident, yet strange face.
"There's no one around!!" Sara shouted.
"I was joking about people looking at you… But the 'easy to read', I was telling the truth"
Aoi lowered his head, his hands behind him.
—Those who want friends will act in a way their friends would like them. Sometimes even making fake personalities to fit in with the class.
"So, what are you doing this early?"
"Why do you want to know? Stranger"
"...do you really think I'm a stranger?"
Aoi stopped at his track. They already made it to the top of the stairs and the campus was in front of them.
"...no, I don't think you're a stranger to me"
"Then why did you call me 'stranger'?"
"It's just that… I don't feel anything now…"
"Depressed?"
"Probably… not only me… Koharu too"
"...something I could help you with?"
"No... There's nothing you could help"
"B-but, come on! Aren't friend—"
"—you'll never replace him…"
"—huh?"
Sara walked away, her eyes aren't looking at him.
Aoi was left empty, without anything. He took a deep breath and exhaled as he walked down the stairs.
"Mister Kado, your coffee is ready"
"Ah! Thank you, Kaede"
"Your welcome, mister"
Yamamoto dropped her head and walked out of the living room. She grabbed her mop and walked over to Shouta's room, where she was going to mop the floor.
Inside the room, it was left untouched by anyone except Yamamoto. No one was allowed to enter by Kado except Yamamoto. But, no reasons were given. His futon and a spare one were in a corner near his table. The lights were turned off and only lights were only from the hallway and the bathroom.
On top of Shouta's table were some of Mia's customary outfits. Ichika Takanashi wore the garments while sleeping in the room for three days.
"Kaede", Kado called her, his voice was right behind her. He was leaning against the opposite wall of the hallway and sipping his cup of coffee.
"Yes, mister?"
"Have you taken a break?"
"Uhmm, if I remember, the last time I took a break is when Master Shouta made me to"
"And, when was that?"
"New years"
"...four months ago, huh?"
"Why is it? I don't really need a break, this is where I feel alive, mister"
"No, you need to take a break. I'll pay for a vacation for you"
"N-no thank you, mister…"
"Come on, where do you wanna go? Europe? Korea? Southeast Asia?"
"P-please stop, mister! I don't need a break!"
"Is it that you're waiting for my son, Shotua?"
"..."
"I don't like it when someone goes quiet when I ask a question, Kaede. Answer my question…"
"...I believe it is wrong to have some sort of interest in a client, but I couldn't stop myself from believing I am some sort of a mother figure to him."
"...so, have you 'touched' him?"
"No, I am not that kind of person"
"Then? What kind of feeling makes you not choose to take a break?"
"...I"
Yamamoto was bowing down, all the while Kado crossed his arms. The whole time, Yamamoto's heart was racing, her cheeks were going red.
"I couldn't understand…"
"..."
"I'm sorry to not be able to answer your question"
"It's fine, I won't force anything else out of your mouth"
"Thank you…"
Kado walked back to the living room, with his cup of coffee in his hands.
Yamamoto continued to mop Shouta's room, her face still red.
"Tomorrow's the festival?"
"Yeh! he lub ai hoin ich ghoin ou dlaw magaa!"
(yea, the club I joined is going to draw a manga)
"Manga? Oh, you joined the manga club…"
"Wahna hoin?"
(wanna join?)
"Alright!"
After ascending the stairwell to the third floor, they parted ways and went to their respective classrooms.
Before she could reach the handle, the sliding door of her classroom slid open. Someone on the other end of the line opened it, and he dialed Ichika's number.
"Takanashi! How have you been? You weren't taking classes!"
Wearing the school's uniform, which is black and white. His voice sounded immature for his age. Because of his voice, he is sometimes mistaken for a small child.
"Nakajima… I'm sorry…"
"Why are you apologizing, you didn't do anything wrong"
"...you, don't know?"
"Don't know what?"
"...no, it's okay…"
Nakajima is aware that she is a happy girl. Her cheerful grins greeted her friends every morning. Her smile was missing today, and she was down at the floor, not even making eye contact with her classmates when they greeted her.
—The schedule was the same as any other school.
Ichika and Nakajima were strolling down the stairs to the cafeteria when it came time for a break. Nakamura was waiting for them there.
Nakamura scrawled a note in her book without saying anything.
Want to eat together?
"Sure!" Nakajima smiled.
"...I guess…"
Ichika's voice and face made both of her friends worried. Their eyes looked at eachother, and looked at Ichika who was walking to the table.
Is there something wrong with her?
"I don't know myself…" Nakajima scratched his head. "But… I don't want to ask question, it'll probably make her feel even worse"
Should I do it?
"...maybe give her some space, don't ask her questions"
Roger that!
A soft beep made her phone vibrate. Her hands went in her purse and she grabbed her phone.
Someone messaged her. It was Nakamura Tsubaki.
Good evening, miss Koharu. I am Takanashi Ichika's friend, Nakamura Tsubaki. And I would like to invite you and Takanashi's friends to our school's festival!
"—?! It's the girl Sara talked about…"
One week prior, when Sara visited Shouta's hospital, Kado told her about the story of how Shouta became someone that he was before the incident.
With her slender, white hands, she replied to Nakamura's message.
Sure, I'll make sure everyone goes to the festival!
And before she could put her cellphone back, another message came.
Thank you very much! We are awaiting your arrival!