Kaho's went to bed as soon as she finished cleaning up after dinner. She woke up late, groggy and still thinking of what she'd heard her mother say. She still couldn't work out why that had happened. Nor did she understand why. Her gaze flickered to her wardrobe, where her box of letters lingered.
She thumbed through them and retrieved the first one, dated just a few weeks ago, back on the first day of school. She opened the letter back up again, her eyes scanning the familiar words.
Dear Kaho,
If you're reading this, then you're probably wondering what's going on, where those letters came from, and what is going on. My name is Kaho too, and I'm you, but from the future, I'm from a different Dimension Of Light within the same planet. And you don't need to believe me right now, but you will. It's important that you do.
I know this sounds crazy… but I heard from someone about the possibility of these letters getting to you, soon you'll find out how this is possible, but for now, I need your help. There's this really, really special person for me that was detrimental to me and our world. His name is Naseru Matsuoka. In my timeline, I failed…
To show you that I am you I'm going to tell you things only you and me would know: Himiko sang all morning about food and drove your mum crazy, she said she wanted fillet mignon and dauphinoise potatoes, a bottle of 'Ramune' and 'Twinkies'. Your mum will buy her those in a few weeks and she'll hate them because they taste like polystyrene, but a kid can dream, can't she?
Not good enough? After all Himiko always led with her stomach. Don't worry - you and Stupid Tamaki have been enemies since he pushed you off the swings when you were five. You threw wood chips and sand in his face. He doesn't remember why he hates you, but knows it as a truth that is as real as the air he breathes. But you remember. This morning Stupid Tamaki said that Rana would be hit by a car if you don't buy a tracker for him, and you can't shake the feeling that that stupid kid might actually be right about something. You don't have to listen to him, but listen to me when I say investing in cat trackers saves you a lot of time in the lead-up to your entrance exams next year.
You also nearly got hit by a rude guy riding a motorcycle this morning, because Tama tried to play with Rana on the side of the road. Your cats are many things, but intelligent? Maybe not... You thought the rude guy was cute, attractive, even if he wasn't kind to you – and you feel guilty because you love Tatsuya.
Right now, in your timeline, Naseru is in danger, and you're the only one who can save him. All the letters I've sent will give you detailed instructions about what you should correct personally so that it can interconnect with the Protocol being sent to help your generation save yourselves morally, and interpersonally, and, better yet, save the planet from Nuclear disaster… letters with details on what to do. Please, Kaho, you have to help me save Naseru. That's one of the first steps.
Don't worry - there'll be many opportunities but you have to notice the opportunities. I'll do everything to remember and list the events in these letters so that you can remember and understand the patterns and the sequences ahead.
Those sequences… those paths will determine so much for you and Naseru who will be transferring from the United States.
If only you knew the horrors your classmates and friends would be subjected to in the polluted viciously tampered attacked sabotaged environment. Then again, maybe it's better that you don't. Because I want this you, the you I wasn't, to be able to make the changes to stop it. You won't be the only one, Kaho, who gets letters like this; it's a plan, you see? But we don't know who or what the rest of us aim to correct. To someone like Eiji, Ryota's friend, he might tell his past self to pass the basketball to someone else in the preliminary match so he doesn't get embarrassed when he misses because he thinks fixing his pride is an important step – he might not care to remember when he missed a shot after all this time. But we are all trying to keep you from making mistakes. Catastrophic mistakes.
You've come this far, Kaho, and you're probably really confused, I would be too. This is a lot to take in, but I want to explain it to you properly – you and I coexist in parallel times, at different points, and in my world, people were selfish, and started a domino effect. Bad decisions, wrong decisions that changed our world for the worse. We are suffering through famines, illness, and loneliness where I am now. I don't want that for you, Kaho.
When I think of you, I think of how giddy you were to go back to school, and how much you loved your boyfriend. How you thought a catastrophe was the canteen shop only having melon bread left instead of milk bread or curry buns. And how much you adore your cats. You were good. I'd like to think I'm still good, somewhere here. Which is why I want the best for you.
We are malleable as teenagers, willing to listen, learn and change. Not always for the better either. Adults aren't. That's why I'm trusting you, Kaho, the you reading this right here and now to save Naseru and change the trajectory of the dominoes. You have to change your future.'
Was what happened last night something to do with a sequence or an opportunity? Kaho wasn't sure. There was another letter, in the stack she could open now. Maybe that would help shed some light on what was going on.
'Dear Kaho,
Did you know today is the fifth anniversary of the oil spill in Hakusan? Your first beach clean up was almost five years ago! Even if, by the time you made it, the locals had done most of the work. That was when you realised you wanted to work in conservation. I remember how heartbroken you were, I was, we were? I remember being heartbroken seeing the wildlife dead on the blackened sands. Your mum was so impressed with your determination. Being stubborn and determined is one of your best traits. Remember that.'
What a strange letter. Compared to everything else, this was far more cryptic. Was this one of these sequences she had to decipher on her own? Surely she wasn't going to get anywhere by cleaning up beaches, how was that supposed to help Naseru? The planet? Yes. Her future career? Yes. Naseru? She couldn't quite work that one out.
On Monday, she walked to school with Ryota, who had skipped out on basketball practice. Still sulking, it seemed, she passed him his neon pink basketball all the way up the hill to Hanagawa High School. She went through the motions he requested, as and when he asked. But her mind was on her most recent letter. Persistence and resilience were her strengths?
Captain Hirano was waiting for Ryota at the school gates that morning, and all but dragged him away, likely to chew his ear off. He deserved it, flaking on practice for three sessions in a row was a big statement to make, and he wasn't even attempting to conceal his disdain for the third-years and their desperation to have Naseru on the team. Kaho sighed and left them to it, and went inside to change her shoes.
Lingering by the stairs were some of the student council carrying little yellow buckets, shaking them, and making the coins inside jingle. As students passed them, their pace quickened.
Kaho spotted Maki hovering by Tsumugi's locker again, and then making a swift exit from the shoe lockers, completely ignoring the students by the stairs. Even Honoka, their class rep, was practically invisible to her as Maki ascended the stairs.
Honoka, Kaho's class rep, and two other girls on the council had adhered pieces of notebook paper to their buckets.
"Nakamura Sensei, the history teacher, had his car crushed by a tree last night in the storm!" Honoka exclaimed, "We are fundraising for transport for him!"
"He had to walk the three miles to school this morning!" a third-year student council rep shouted.
"He'd just filled up the tank and now he needs to get a whole new car!" Honoka added.
Kaho glanced at their bright yellow buckets, 'Nakamura Sensei' was written in bright pink letters. dug through her pockets to find loose change and put her few coins in Honoka's bucket. She smiled gratefully and bowed her head.
A few steps ahead, a third year was stood, accosting another one of Kaho's classmates with her own bucket. He reached into his blazer pocket and produced a fistful of notes, shoving them in the bucket. The third-year student let out an astonished sound as Kaho passed her.
"Hey! Matsuoka!" Kaho shouted, "Wait."
Naseru paused at the staircase, blocking the hall as Kaho picked up her pace and turned to face him.
"What?" he asked.
"What would it take," Kaho demanded, "What would it take for you to join the basketball team?"
He shrugged, "I said I didn't want to join. Just give up."
Kaho pursed her lips. In her periphery, she could see a familiar head of purple hair coming careering toward her.
"Kaho! She quit!" Mamoru exclaimed, slinging an arm around her shoulders and ensnaring her in a constricting hug. He was beaming, glasses jostled on the tip of his nose, eyes glassy, like he could just cry.
"She quit?" Kaho asked.
"She quit at the convenience store, Kaho! Kikiyo quit her job!" His voice cracked, "I think I did it! We did it!"
Kaho smiled and gave Mamoru a squeeze, "She quit her job!"
"She quit a job! She has time to sleep and study and pack."
Kaho squealed. She bounced on her toes. Mamoru joined her in the wordless squealing. He grinned at her, and slung an arm around her shoulder, "I can't believe she feels secure enough to quit."
"Is she eating?" Kaho asked.
"I bought her lunch today!" He declared, opening his school bag where the pink bento box he used to slip her sat, "Her favourites!"
Kaho grinned and walked down the corridor to rejoice with her friends, Naseru far from her thoughts.