'Just like I told you, it was raining heavily that day. I had opened my umbrella, and since I could hide my face with it, I was walking closely behind his friend and him. At some point, he parted with the young man Inaba to cross the road. Just at that moment, I heard a loud screech and saw a car skidding its way towards him. Even before I knew it, I had closed the small distance between us and pushed him violently out of the way. The minute my head snapped around to look at the upcoming vehicle, it was too late for me to get out of the way.'
My breath caught.
'The car hit me head-on. I crashed into the windshield and rolled my way down the bonnet, only to make several rolls on the wet asphalt to come to a stop several meters away from the vehicle, which had finally come to a halt.'
***
Flashback
The two young men were petrified with shock. They stared frantically at their brown-haired classmate who was lying face flat on the wet asphalt a distance away, covered in blood.
It took them a whole minute for them to recovered their mental faculties and run to the girl, getting down on the ground by her sides to stare at her frantically.
There was so much blood that they thought she was dead.
Several people had grouped around them by now to cover the girl with their coat and umbrellas, to shield her from the pouring rain, while a few other people ran to the help the man who had lost control of his vehicle.
Dōsetsu Inaba looked at his dark-haired friend's face.
The latter seemed completely paralyzed; he was hardly breathing, while his hands were shaking.
'Somebody call an ambulance!' the dark-haired young man would cry out, when he would finally break out of his trance-like state.
***
Katsura-san straightened up again to look at my fazed expression for a second or two, before she scratched the back of her head, as though, embarrassed, and tell me, with a smile, 'Yare! Yare! I had almost died that day!'
My expression turned awkward. That's not something to be smiling about!
'When I woke up, I was in hospital. I had a concussion, several broken ribs, and an arm and a leg in plaster,' she continued, cheerily.
That, also, is not something to be smiling about!
She sighed, her gaze returning to her lap.
'And, he started to visit me every day at the hospital. He told me that he felt responsible for my accident, even if I would insist that it was not his fault or anyone else by the way. He would bring me notes every day from school, so that I wouldn't get any lateness in my studies. As such, the young man whom I had always secretly watched from afar and to whom I had ever truly spoken only once- which was to confess my feelings to him- became more... present in my life.'
She glanced at me, to point out, 'Oh, but I had not forgotten that he had rejected me; that he didn't share my feelings. So, I guarded my heart carefully. After he had rejected me, I had decided that I would avoid him as much as I could, but fate seemed to have decided otherwise.'
Her expression became afflicted, suddenly, and placing her hands over her heart, she informed me, 'You have to know that I have no one in this world. My parents have died when I was a kid. It was my maternal aunt and her husband, who live in Nagano, who would take care of my expenses at the time, even if I hardly had any contact with them.'
She paused again.
'And as I have just told you, it seemed impossible for me to avoid him. When I got my discharge, my aunt and her husband came to visit me.'
***
Flashback
'Phew! What a relief that the father of the boy whom she saved is a doctor and the director of the hospital. By taking care of all her medical charges, he has taken a real burden off our heads! If he hadn't, we would have most certainly thought her better dead!' the man declared to his wife.
'Don't rejoice yourself too quickly! We're not out of the woods yet!' the latter muttered at him. 'That girl! What a nuisance, I tell you! She's a real source of trouble for us! We both have to go to work. I can't afford to remain in Kokubunji just to take care of her! And we can't afford to take her home either. We're not at home most of the time. And I don't like the idea of having her around our children; she could have a bad influence on them, given that she has been living all alone and has never received any parental guidance in her life! Sometimes, when I think about it, she would have better died with my sister and her husband!'
Katsura's heart clenched.
Her aunt had never been cordial with her. She had never shown her any kind of tenderness and affection, but Katsura had always regarded her husband and her with great esteem and gratitude, for everything they have been doing for her. She had infinite respect for them.
At that moment, she felt, as though, their words were a knife that had sliced her heart at several places. She felt hurt. But there was also, that feeling of shame. She looked at the face of the young man whom she loved and his kind father, where they standing behind her just outside of the slightly opened door of her room, and who had overhead everything just like her.
She wanted to run away and find herself a hiding place to cry, but she couldn't even afford herself this luxury; she was in a wheelchair.
The moment they pushed her inside of her room, the man and his wife stopped talking dead and turned around to look at the three of them with a startled expression, without any doubt, wondering if Katsura, the doctor or his son had overheard their conversation.
The doctor and dark-haired young man didn't tell them anything and simply stared at them with a severe expression, while Katsura averted her eyes, putting on a fake smile.
She didn't address the matter with her aunt and uncle immediately and waited for until a few minutes had elapsed.
'Ojisan, Obasan,' she started, with due respect, 'I wanted to thank you for having come all the way to Kokubunji to visit me. But, I wanted to tell you that you do not necessarily have to stay back to take care of me. I'm sure that I'll be able to manage. I can still use my other hand.'
She showed them her good arm, putting on an encouraging smile.
'What are you saying, Katsura?!' her aunt chided, in a tone that was meant to sound worried. 'You live all alone, and on top of that, your apartment is found on the first floor! You can't be serious!'
'I was thinking that maybe she could move in with us until she's back to feet,' declared the dark-haired young man, unexpectedly, and Katsura's head snapped up instantly to look at his face, astounded.
'In effect, I exactly wanted to talk about this with you,' the boy's father seconded, addressing Katsura's aunt and uncle. 'I'm indebted to this young girl here for having risked her life to save that of my son; it is only natural that we take care of her until she is fully recovered.'
Katsura's heart accelerated in her chest.
He and I under the same roof?!
She would have most certainly found the idea attractive, had she not confessed her feelings to him and been rejected!
She was about to open her mouth to oppose herself to the idea when, abruptly, the dark-haired young man caught hold of her hand, and staring at her straight in the eyes, whispered to her, 'Please?!'
She stared back at him for a few seconds, before she looked at her aunt and uncle, who were both exchanging looks with each other and visibly trying very hard to resist from smiling in rejoice- their lips were twitching.
Lowering her eyes, the brown-haired young girl whispered, reluctantly, 'It's very kind of you, doctor. You really don't have to.'
Though, she felt utterly grateful towards the latter, she still didn't like the idea, but decided that it was probably better for her to pretend otherwise for the time being until her aunt and uncle were gone.
'Indeed, it's very kind of you, doctor,' the husband and wife declared together, and after having thanked the man, and said goodbye to Katsura, they scooted away very quickly.
Once they were gone, the brown-haired girl spoke to the doctor to tell him, timidly, 'Thank you for having helped me out with my aunt and uncle. But I have to decline your invitation.'
The man exchanged a look with his son, before he put a hand over her shoulder, bent down, and told her, very seriously, while staring at her in her eyes, 'Katsura, listen to me carefully! You're in no state to stay all alone. I have just told your aunt that I'm taking up your responsibility until you're fully recovered. I think you realize that I can't allow you to go home after this, don't you? If something happens to you, I'll be held responsible. I'm sure that you can understand my position and you'll respect that.'
She gulped hard. He can be so scary!
'You can understand that, can't you?' he asked, for confirmation, and she bobbed her head up and down, gulping hard again.
***
'The doctor and his wife were extremely kind people, even if, I would find him quite intimidating sometimes.'
She chuckled.
'And, in this way, I started to live with the young man whom I loved. My feelings for him were still intact, even if I was heartbroken. I guess you can imagine how much I was troubled by this sudden twist of fate.'
I guess so! I thought to myself, trying to imagine myself in such a situation.
'Since we were staying under the same roof, he became ever present in my life, and the degree of formality that existed between us, evaporated completely. But, as I told you earlier, I was careful to guard my heart against him. Time elapsed, and I left for my own apartment. Very soon after that, we sat for our final year exams. And then, came the day of the graduation ceremony.'
The day of the graduation ceremony?! Their last day at school?! The last time they'd have the chance to see each other in this context?!
My heart was now palpitating.
Did something special happen on that day? What happened?
She paused down to take a deep breath and sigh. I waited for her to continue, my stomach twisting with anticipation.
'He confessed to me.'
My breath was taken away.
She smiled melancholically at her lap.
'He explained to me that during the time we had spent together, he had had the chance to learn to know me and had developed feelings for me.'
I see…
'Of course, I didn't believe him.'
***
Flashback
As he reached out to cup the side of her face, suddenly, the brown-haired girl slapped his hand away, exclaiming at him, with tears in her eyes, 'Please, stop that! What you feel for me is not love! You only feel guilty because of the accident! And you feel pity for me!'
The young man stared at her breathlessly and without speaking.
Her tears had now started to flow, and brushing her arm over her eyes to wipe them dry, she ran out of sight, while he stood there, motionless, as if, frozen into place.
***
I stared at the brown-haired woman voicelessly, with tears coming to my eyes.
Is this it?! Is this really the conclusion to their story? It's so… sad!
'Directly after that, I left Kokubunji to join a faraway university. I tried to go out with several young men in my life, but I never could; I would always back out at the last minute. I started to write by that time, and would go on to become a published author. And then, a few months ago, I decided that it was probably time that I return to Kokubunji.'
She sighed again.
'Very often, I ask myself if it could be that, I had been wrong that day in judging his feelings, and I try to imagine what would have happened if I had believed him: would we be living happily together today? I often wonder if it was not because I was simply scared of being hurt again, that I had refused to recognize his feelings at that time.'
I lowered my head to ponder over these questions and guessed that the answer was perfectly clear.
'And the young man, where is he today?' I couldn't help asking her, my chest feeling heavy.
Pressing her eyes shut, and smiling, she answered, 'Oh, I guess that he must be happily married today and that his wife and he must have a child or two.'
She "guesses"?
Does it mean that she doesn't know where he is today, what he is doing, and if is he is ACTUALLY married?
I guessed that if she didn't inquire about him upon her return to Kokubunji, it was for fear of what she might find, and I could understand her.
'No, genuinely,' she added, with a sincere smile, 'I really hope that he's happy in his life! That he has found love, and loved back.'
I smiled too, though with sadness.
Three questions occupied my mind: And what is he is still single? And what if he still has feelings for her? And what if there could be a different conclusion to their story?
But, I couldn't make part of these thoughts of mine to Katsura-san, because I didn't want to get her hopes high, when I didn't know any of the answer to these questions.
We continued to clean up the shrine after this, putting an end to our conversation. By the time we were done, I received a text message from Shunsui, who was asking me to get myself to his home to do my "slavery" hours.
It was on a pensive state of mind that I parted with Katsura-san. I found the conclusion of her love story very upsetting and I wanted desperately for a gayer conclusion.
***
A moment later...
'Eh?! You look very pensive since this morning!' Shunsui Shigeizumi pointed out to Gōjun Shoran, teasingly, and approaching the sofa where the latter was sitting, he rested his arms over its head to look at his face more closely. 'Wouldn't it be because of a certain dark-haired girl? You see, when I couldn't reach you on your cellphone this morning, I called Kenren and he informed me that you were out of home the whole night, and when I happened to pass along the street where Hime lives, I saw your car parked in front of her grand-mother's shop!'
A large cocky grin came to the reddish-brown-haired young man's face, and he jumped onto the sofa from where he was, to join the other male, nudging him playfully, as he taunted, 'You cheeky bastard! What happened with Hime, huh?'
Gōjun's face scrunched up at the clear connotations in his words, and he exclaimed, 'Nothing of the sort that you're thinking happened!'
Shunsui made a disappointed face, before he threw himself at Gōjun to rub his cheek against his, telling him, in a babyish tone, 'Oh, come on, we're like brothers, yes? You can tell me everything! Even the most salacious things!'
Gōjun was completely riled by now. 'Oh please, will you shut up?!' he growled, pushing the reddish-brown-haired young man's face away with both of his hands.
The latter resisted.
'I told you; nothing of the kind that you're thinking happened! I was just wondering why she lives with her grand-parents, and therefore, where her parents are!'
Shunsui stopped struggling at that moment, to look at Gōjun's face again, his expression becoming serious. The latter stared back at him, waiting for him to say something in connection with the questions he had been asking himself.
A small silence fell between them, before Shunsui got to his feet, held his face with his hand and shook his head, sighing, 'And I who had been expecting some crusty details!'
Gōjun knew that the reddish-brown-haired young man was still teasing him, but he ignored it, to ask him, 'You know why she lives with her grand-parents, don't you?!'
'Yes,' Shunsui replied, as he stopped joking, becoming serious again. 'But, I can't answer you. I believe that it's for Hime to talk about it.'
Gōjun stared at his friend, thoughtfully.
The matter needed to be quite sensitive for Shunsui to refuse to tell him anything and preferring to leave it to the dark-haired girl to choose to talk about it or not.
The two young men heard the gate of the property open by that time, and they both knew that it was the said-girl who was arriving. They decided to change the subject immediately.
***
A short while later…
As I was preparing today's dinner for the boys, I couldn't help ponder over what Katsura-san had told me. I couldn't deny it to myself; I really didn't like the conclusion of her love story and I wanted a different, a happier conclusion.
I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't realize that my hand was approaching dangerously with the pressure cooker which was on the stove, until my skin came into contact with the burning metal.
A shriek of pain escaped my mouth, and I pulled my hand away in a reflex to hold it with my other hand.
'I can't believe it!' came Gōjun's voice, abruptly, as he rushed to my side, arriving out of nowhere. 'You're really way too distracted!'
Grabbing hold of my hand, he took me very quickly to the sink and turned on the tap to allow warm water to pour onto my hand. It was burning terribly and pearl of tears escaped the corner of my eyes. I brushed them away with my forefinger.
When he had closed the tap, he pushed the large bowl which was sitting on the counter on my left out of the way and sent his other arm around my waist to pull me up to make me sit onto the surface.
I blushed a little.
'Stay here! I'm going to fetch the first-aid box!' he told me, in an urgent tone, and moving up to one end of the kitchen counter, he bent down and took out a small transparent box from under it, to carry it up to me. He placed the box next to me on the counter and opened it to grab an ointment. Taking hold of my hand then, he gently applied the cream on my burn, before he put a dry gauze bandage over it, tying it softly.
'Thank you,' I whispered, and lifting my hand up to my face, I gazed at it, blushing once again.
'Be a little more careful, will'ya?!' he muttered, as he put the ointment away in the box and closed the lid.
I nodded, in embarrassment.
'Are you... still upset about this morning?' he asked, in all of a sudden, and I looked at his face, taken by surprise.
'Huh?'
I could read it in his expression: he believed that I had burnt my hand because I was busy thinking about the incident with Obā-san; he felt responsible for this morning.
'No, it's not that! I was thinking about a friend!' I assured him, sincerely, even if, I was also a bit uncomfortable to address the subject of this morning.
'Natsui Mizoroge?'
'No, another friend of mine,' I murmured, lowering my head, feeling upset as I thought about Katsura-san's love story once again.
For some reason, I started to tell him about the young woman and her story. Perhaps, it was my need to speak out the questions that occupied my mind; perhaps, I wanted some advice.
'I see,' he declared, thoughtfully, after I was done. He was leaning backward against the kitchen counter now, with his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't looking at me directly, but was watching me from the corner of his eyes. 'It is perfectly possible that the guy that she used to love in high school is still single and that he still has feelings for her; it could be possible that this is not the conclusion of their story! This is what you must be thinking to yourself, right?'
I held my breath, my eyes widening at him. He read my thoughts!
'Well, since it seems to be affecting you so much, why don't you do this? If she's too scared to inquire about him, you could do it in her place without her knowledge. You told me that you consider her as your friend, yes? It's your right. If he's still single, you inform her about it!'
My eyes grew wider at him. Why didn't I think about it?!
'What's his name?'
'Huh?'
'The guy that she told you about, what's his name?'
My expression turned awkward. I-I didn't ask her about it!
He gave me a flabbergasted look. 'I can't believe it! You didn't ask her his name?!'
'No,' I mouthed, and feeling ashamed of my own stupidity, I covered my face with my hands.
'You're really way too distracted!' he muttered, and without giving any warning, he flicked me on the forehead with his forefinger.
'Ouch!' I whined, rubbing my forehead with my hand.
Shaking his head at me, he exhaled, 'Never mind! You can still ask her the next time you see her!'
That's right! Katsura-san has invited me to visit her at her home the upcoming Sunday. I'll ask her about it then!
I smiled to myself.
Gōjun started to move away after that, heading for the door.
'Gōjun,' I called out softly to him, as I remembered something at that moment, and he paused to look around at me.
Lowering my eyes again and squirming a little in embarrassment, I asked him, 'Last night, when I fell asleep in your car, why didn't you wake me up?' Very quickly, I added, 'Oh, but I don't have a grudge against you. In fact, I should be apologizing to you; because of me, you were forced to sleep in your car the whole night! I'm only... curious.'
He seemed to ponder over the question for a minute, before he replied, nonchalantly, 'Because I took pity on you! Shunsui makes you work like a slave all the time, and you, you were sleeping so peacefully!'
I cringed, my expression turning awkward.
I would often make to myself the reflection that Shunsui treats me like a slave, but hearing somebody say it to me, made it all the way truer, and as such, the most cruel!
I hung my head.
I think I'm going to fall into depression!
***
The following day, during Osoji...
'Uh, by the way, Hime, there's something that I wanted to ask you,' said Natsui, and pausing down, I looked at the ginger-haired girl.
She had stopped cleaning the window panes and was playing nervously with the piece of cloth and bottle she had in hand, her eyes lowered.
'Yes, tell me,' I said, encouragingly.
'Do you remember the young man who invited me to dance during the party?' she asked, squirming in embarrassment, and I nodded in answer.
'Well, he has asked me out. We have a rendezvous with each other tomorrow after school!'
My cheeks took a shade of red. A romantic rendezvous!
Even before I could express my joy for her at her first romantic rendezvous, she took hold of my hands, to ask me, in a pleading tone, 'Hime, please, you have to accompany me! I don't know him all that well yet, and I'll feel way too nervous and uncomfortable if I find myself all alone with him! What do you say? Will you come? Will you come?'
Huh? I cringed. How can I accompany her? I'll feel way too uncomfortable, for its supposed to be a romantic rendezvous!
'Hime, please!' she said, staring at me in the eyes, her expression begging, and I couldn't, but give in, at the look in her eyes.
'O-Okay,' I replied.
At this, a large smile came to her lips and crying a big "yes", she hurried off happily, after informing me that she was going to fill her empty bottle with cleaning solution again.
I followed her with the eyes, scratching the back of my head and smiling uneasily at the thought of the morrow.
'What's going on?' Shunsui asked me, casually, as Gōjun and he joined me at that moment.
'It's Natsui; she has a romantic rendezvous tomorrow with the young man who danced with her at the party, and she has asked me to accompany her,' I replied. I had been about to ask him for his permission to go when, unexpectedly, Gōjun interrupted me, to ask me, testily, with narrowed eyes, 'Why are you going to attend on somebody else's boyfriend? Don't you think you'll be a little too much of the party?!'
I flinched. 'But- But she has asked me to come!'
'I don't think it's really done either!' Shunsui seconded. 'But what you could do instead is to make it a double date! Everyone will be at his place and comfortable in this way!'
'A double date?'
I blushed at the idea, and lowering my head, I blushed even harder, as I informed him, in embarrassment, 'But, I don't have a boyfriend! In fact, I have never had a boyfriend in my life!'
With my family problems, I never had the time to think about boys. Not to forget that all boys seemed to be obsessed with sex, while I was totally opposed to sex before marriage!
'That's not a problem!' the reddish-brown-haired young man declared. 'Gōjun will pretend to be your boyfriend!'
'Huh?!' I uttered, and both Gōjun and I looked at his face, startled.
'And I, I'll be your chaperon!' he added, cheerily, sending his arms around our necks. 'How do you like my idea? Isn't it superb?! The more we are, the merrier!'
Gōjun and I stared at each other's face, utterly speechless.
Very quickly though, I turned my head the other away to hide the flush of color my face had taken.
On his side, Shunsui had already started to move away to catch up with Natsui- who was returning by that instant- to inform her about his plans for tomorrow, without even asking Gōjun and I for our opinions.
The ginger-haired girl didn't seem to dislike the idea, and in fact, on the contrary, she seemed to appreciate it.
I sighed.
Thank you for reading!
Glossary
Ojisan - uncle
Obasan - aunt