The Way We Are (part 6 of 20)

Homecoming

On the last day of school before our break began, I met up with Natsuki after the bell rang and the two of us rode her bike back to my dorm. She had volunteered to accompany me to the airport after I had confirmed to her that I had bought a plane ticket back home to Kyoto. I had told her it wasn’t necessary, that I was highly capable of handling everything on my own, but she insisted that she tag along so I wasn’t about to turn down her offer.

I had packed a single suitcase the night before, making sure I had enough clothing to last me the week first and foremost. Besides, if I forgot anything important, I could always buy it once I was down there. Despite the fact that none of the owners were residing there at the moment, there were still housekeepers living inside the Fujino manor, so I was sure it still contained most of the items it had when I had left three years ago. I made sure to call beforehand of course, not wanting my visit to become a surprise one. Apparently the small amount of staff members that were still around were quite excited about my return. They were looking forward to seeing me again, the older maid Mrs. Hoshiro had informed me, and I think in a way I was interested in seeing them again as well. I mean, I had spent a majority of my childhood around these people…I wonder what they were like now?

“Are you sure you’ve got everything? This thing feels pretty light to me, and you don’t seem like a light packer, Shizuru.”

I turned to see that Natsuki has picked up my suitcase and was currently bobbing it up and down in an attempt to determine its weight.

“Ara, I’m only going to be gone for a week. I really don’t need to take all the much with me.”

She cocked an eyebrow as she continued to eye the case curiously, “Yeah, but I thought that most girls end up taking more than they really need to when they go on trips.”

“Maybe I’m not most girls,” I replied somewhat mischievously.

“I think we’re both quite aware of that already,” the raven-haired girl responded, obviously taking note of my little joke and choosing to add to it.

After I had gone through the dorm making sure that all my electronics were off and that I had indeed packed all that I thought I was going to need, the two of us headed out.

Natsuki refused to let me carry my own bag as we walked to the bus stop. We had decided that it would probably be too cold to take her bike all the way to the airport, so instead we resolved to just take one of the buses into town. A few minutes after we arrived, one of the giant white buses pulled up, and after Natsuki paid for both of our tickets, much to my protest, we sat down in a pair of seats near the back.

“I’m paying you back for the ticket,” I stated as I began to dig through my purse for my wallet.

“No you’re not. I said it was fine.”

“Natsuki, just take the money,” I ordered, waving the slip in front of her.

“No.”

“Natsuki—“

“I said NO.”

A short staring contests ensued before I sighed and shoved the bill back into my bag, “Fine. But I’m paying you back in some form or fashion eventually.”

“Uh huh,” came her mocking reply. She was obviously proud of herself for winning this round; the grin on her face is proof of that.

Just you wait…

After about a thirty-minute ride, the bus slowed to a stop in front of one of the airport’s many entry points. We disembarked and hurriedly made our way inside, not wanting to spend any extra time out in the cold than we need to.

Natsuki and I stood in the large building that was bustling with people. It had been three years since I was last in this place…I had forgotten how very big it was in that time.

“So, uh, what terminal are we looking for?” the younger girl questioned me as she swiveled her head back and forth, trying to take the whole place in.

I fetched my ticket from my bag, and once I’d found the slip of paper, I quickly scanned it over, “236A. It should be on the second level.”

I made my way to the escalator, Natsuki close on my heels, squishing onto the thing that was horribly packed with travelers. I received a small push in the back from the girl when a man behind her accidentally bumped into her. He muttered a quick apology to her, but it sounded more like an obligation and wasn’t very convincing. When she snapped her head back around, I could tell Natsuki was quite agitated with this obvious invasion of her personal space.

Once we were off the escalator, and actually had some room to breathe, we continued conversing.

“Geez, are airports always so busy?” Natsuki agitatedly commented with a roll of her shoulder, “Oh, and sorry for hitting you.”

“That wasn’t your fault…Haven’t you ever been to one before?”

“I dunno…”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“Well, I don’t know. If I have, then it must have been when I was little.”

“So I guess that means you haven’t traveled much?”

“Mmm, not really. What about you?”

“Every now and then when I was younger, father would take me along with him on his business trips, but I haven’t been anywhere since I came to Fuuka.”

“You nervous about flying?”

“Not really, if I was I could have just taken a train to Kyoto.”

Well, I guess I was a little apprehensive about the whole thing to be perfectly honest. After my father had died in that plane crash, I hadn’t been on one since. In fact, I had ridden a train from Kyoto when I had first arrived at Fuuka Academy. But Natsuki was right, I couldn’t run away forever…I had to face my fears, and with this being one of them, a plane was my only means of returning home in my mind.

Pushing these thoughts aside, a playful grin appeared on my face and I gave the girl beside me a little poke as I turned the conversation in her direction, “What about Natsuki? Is she afraid of flying?”

“What?! Of course not,” she defiantly replied, “I drive a freaking motorcycle for god’s sake. There’s no mode of transportation that scares me.”

“Flying and driving are two very different things though, ne?”

“Psh, whatever. I’m not afraid.”

I chuckled at her tough-guy act. Natsuki was always like that, and I found it to be oh-so cute. Although I had joked about it with her before, and despite that fact that she was actually younger than me, I really did kind of picture her as my knight in shining armor…Silly, I know, but I couldn’t help it. Not that I couldn’t take care of myself, I was relatively strong in my own right, and I had trained in the art of naginatajutsu while growing up in Kyoto. Still, knowing that Natsuki was around to protect me, not just in a physical sense, certainly put my mind at ease on more than one occasion.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to test that sometime,” I challenged her.

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“We should take a trip together one of these days.”

“…Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Where would we go?”

“I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to discuss that another time,” I said as we reach the security checkpoint that cuts off the terminals from the rest of the airport.

There were already lines of people standing at each station waiting to be screened. We stopped a little ways before this, making sure to step over to the side, before we turned to each other.

“Well, I guess this is where we part,” I stated.

“Yeah…You sure you’ll be alright? I’m sure I could find a way to get around them,” Natsuki offered, looking past me to inspect the wall of security behind me.

“It’s one thing to sneak into a school, but trying to sneak through airport security probably isn’t a very smart idea.”

“I guess you’re right,” she shrugged, saying it like it would only be a mere annoyance if she were to be caught.

“Don’t even think about it,” I warned Natsuki, giving her another poke to the midsection to make sure I have her attention, “The last thing I want is for you to get arrested for my sake.”

She just shook her head at me, shrugging again while giving me one of those ‘I’m going to act like I don’t know what you’re talking about’ expressions.

“Anyway…” I began, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear before stretching out my hand.

“Oh, right,” Natsuki mumbled, handing me my suitcase.

“I guess I’ll see you when I get back then?”

“Y-Yeah…I can come pick you up…or something.”

“I wouldn’t want to be any trouble,” I replied, using a line that’s more likely to come out of Natsuki’s mouth.

“No, I want to.”

“Alright, then I’ll see you when I get back. Goodbye, Natsuki.”

I gave her a small wave as I took a few steps back towards the security line.

“Yeah, bye…Oh! Hey, call me when you get there, Shizuru. You know, so I know you got there safe…or whatever…” the raven-haired girl sputtered out quickly.

I smiled at her over my shoulder, and gave her a simple nod of understanding before disappearing into the herd of people waiting to be screened.

Once I got off the plane and collected my bag, I began looking for Mr. Tanaka, one of the housekeepers that was sent to pick me up. Mr. Tanaka had served as my father’s personal driver among a number of odd jobs around the house, so it was no surprise to me that he had been sent.

It might sound cliché to say that I spotted him amongst the crowd holding a little sign with my name written across it, just like a scene from a movie or something, but that’s exactly how it happened. The middle-aged man, probably in his late forties or early fifties, still looked the same as I remembered, albeit with a little more grey in his hair.

“Mr. Tanaka!” I proclaimed as I approach him, waving with my free arm.

I saw his eyes light up once he’d spotted me, “M-Miss Fujino? Miss Fujino!”

“Mr. Tanaka, it’s good to see you again,” I said with a small bow.

He returned the gesture, “It is a pleasure to see you again as well, Miss Shizuru. My how you’ve grown in such a short time…Ah! Where are my manners? Please, let me take that for you.”

He moved to take my bag, and not wanting to be rude, I willingly handed it to him, “Thank you.”

“Well then, if you are ready, shall we head to the manor?”

“Yes, please. I’m anxious to see how things have changed since I was last there.”

I let a small sigh escape my lips when the car came to a stop. Mr. Tanaka was quick to come around and open the door for me, and I slowly stepped out into the cold night air of Kyoto. Once he had retrieved my bag, the two of us made our way to the front entrance of my Western style home.

This is it…No turning back now.

Mr. Tanaka opened one of the wooden double doors to reveal a small audience of people standing inside. I was met with three friendly faces, two familiar, and one that was new to me.

“Oh, Miss Shizuru, it’s so good to see you again,” the oldest of the group declared as she stepped forward and drew me into a warm embrace.

I full-heartedly returned the action, “Mrs. Hoshiro…”

The short and slightly round elderly lady before me, Mrs. Hoshiro, had been my maid since the first day my parents brought me home from the hospital. The woman, now in her mid sixties, did everything from cooking meals to washing clothes in the house. She was the one who kept things up and running on the inside, and she still did even though the family was no longer living here. She was also in charge of the other workers around the house. This kind old lady had been more of a mother to me than my own biological one growing up. I owed her more than I could ever hope to pay back in a lifetime.

Breaking our hug, we both took a step back to look at the other.

She cupped my cheek in her hand as she looked up at my face, “You’ve grown so beautifully. Why, the last time you were here, you were still a mere child at my height...Now you’re a grown young lady.”

“A lot has happened in three years,” I replied, smiling at her genuine kindness.

“Indeed, but it is still hard to believe that you’re sixteen now,” she stated, letting her hand return to it’s usual resting position on her stomach.

I turned my attention to the younger woman behind Mrs. Hoshiro, giving the familiar face a small nod, “It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Sato.”

Mrs. Sato hadn’t been around as long as Mr. Tanaka or Mrs. Hoshiro, but she had still been working at the Fujino manor for several years before I left. She was in her late thirties, had long dark brown hair that was always in a single braid down her back, and stood around my height. She had always been quiet, serving as a helper to Mrs. Hoshiro mainly, but she had always been kind to me.

She returned my nod with a small smile, “You as well, Miss Fujino. I hope the flight here was pleasant.”

It seemed as though she was as shy and soft-spoken as ever.

“It went about as well as it could have,” I responded before turning to the last member of the group, a young man probably not too much older than myself.

He must be new…

“Oh, forgive me, Miss Shizuru,” Mrs. Hoshiro’s sweet voice piped in, “This is Shinji Takahashi, he’s the new grounds keeper in place of Mr. Endo. He’s usually only here on the weekends since he’s taking classes at the university.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said with a small bow to which he stiffly nodded without saying a word.

“Well, you must be weary from the trip, would you like anything to eat or drink?” Mrs. Hoshiro asked me.

“No thank you, I’d just like to retire for the night if it isn’t any trouble.”

“Of course not, dear. Let me accompany you to your room,” she offered as she began walking towards the wide set of stairs in front of us, Mr. Tanaka following behind with my bag.

We made our way up to the second floor and down a hallway to my room. After entering the door, I saw that it looked exactly the way that I left it, just like the rest of the house from what I can tell.

“I made sure to place some new sheets on your bed, and there are also clean towels in the bathroom should you want to get cleaned up,” Mrs. Hoshiro informed me.

“Thank you very much.”

“Would you like me to wake you up in the morning for breakfast? We generally eat around eight o’clock.”

“Yes, please. I haven’t had a home cooked meal in a very long time.”

“I’ll see you in the morning then. It truly is wonderful to have you home again, Miss Shizuru. Goodnight.”

I couldn’t restrain my wide smile, “Goodnight to the both of you, too.”

Mr. Tanaka placed my bag on my bed before wishing me good night as well, closing my door behind him.

Once I was alone, I immediately flopped down on my bed with a tired sigh. I blindly fished around inside my purse for my cell phone, and once I had found it, I pulled it out and flipped it open, the bright screen illuminating my face in blue light.

It’s already past twelve…I’m sure she’s still awake though…

I scrolled through my contacts list until I found Natsuki’s name and press the call button. It rang a few times before she finally answered.

“Yes?”

“Hey.”

“Oh, Shizuru, hey. Did you make it home alright?”

“Yes, I’m in my room right now actually.”

“Well that’s good to hear. So how are things there?”

“Pretty normal. Everything seems like I remember. Granted I haven’t really had the time to look around much…I just got back a little while ago.”

“Oh, well, if you’re tired or something then we can talk later. I wouldn’t want to deprive you of your beauty sleep.”

“Mou, what’s that supposed to mean, Natsuki? You don’t think I’m attractive?”

“Eh! No! I didn’t—You know I didn’t mean it like that...”

“So Natsuki does think I’m pretty…how sweet.”

“SHIZURU…”

I chuckled into the phone, visualizing a very flushed Natsuki.

I can even tease you when I’m not there…You make this way too easy.

“Well, now that Natsuki has professed her love for me, I think I’ll be able to sleep quite well. Thank you, Natsuki. I’ll talk to you later.”

“WHAT?! I never said—!”

“Goodnight, Natsuki.”

“...’Night.”

I hung up the phone, flipping it closed once again before tossing it back in my purse, laughing all the while at the little conversation that just took place. Sitting up, I opened my suitcase and began to unpack, placing the articles of clothing into the wooden antique dresser that still contained some of my old clothes. Once I was finished and changed into my robe, I made my way over to the bathroom to start my usual bedtime routine. Choosing to just take a shower in the morning, I simply washed my face and brushed my teeth before returning to my bed and slipping under the covers. Before long, the comforting warmth lulled me into a deep sleep.

“I’m so sorry, Miss Fujino, he…got away from me…” Mrs. Sato’s apologetic voice came from my doorway.

“Causing trouble for Mrs. Sato, are you?” I playfully inquired the cat, giving him a gentle scratch on the chin, before looking back over at the woman at my door, “Since when have we had a cat here at the house?”

“He just showed up one day, ma’am,” she responded, taking a timid step into my room, “We didn’t see any harm in keeping him…but we will get rid of him if you wish it.”

“Nonsense. What did you say his name was?”

“Augustus, ma’am.”

“Like the Roman ruler?”

“Mmh.”

“I see,” I mumbled before looking down at the fur ball in my lap, “It seems you have quite a reputation to live up to.”

Augustus looked up at me, merely emitting a little ‘mew’ for a response.

“Oh, breakfast is ready if you would like to eat, Miss Shizuru,” Mrs. Sato stated before bowing and exiting, leaving me with my newfound companion.

Looking at him closer, I noticed that Augustus’ paws seemed to be larger than normal. Apparently the little guy had been born with more toes than he should have, an anatomical abnormality that I would later find out to be known as polydactyl. It was odd, but absolutely adorable since his feet seemed too big for his little body.

Picking up the unique little kitten with both hands, I dangled him in front of my face, “How does breakfast sound, hm? Maybe I can sneak you a scrap or two.”

Setting the “little emperor” down, I got out of bed and made my way downstairs, the small mass of fur bounding right behind me.

After a wonderful breakfast, and a much-needed hot shower, I decided to spend some time simply roaming around the house. I skipped the upstairs, which mainly consisted of bedrooms, but that was really just to steer clear of one in particular: my parent’s bedroom. The only person who had been inside since my father’s death was my mother, and now that she was gone, the door was kept closed. No one went inside. Not the maids, not even me, and even though I had sworn to myself that this trip was meant to put the past behind me, that room was still something I wasn’t ready to face just yet. So instead I walked around downstairs, Augustus trailing after me all the while.

It’s amazing how much information the human brain can sustain. I remembered every little detail of every room, and the new details stood out clearly to me. I traversed from room to room, unconsciously leaving one very important place for last.

When I found myself standing outside the double doors of our music room, I didn’t even notice that I was holding my breath until my lungs began to burn from the lack of fresh oxygen.

Father used to play the piano when he was younger, so whenever he was home he’d always play for me. He was the one who had insisted that I learn to play as well. I always loved listening to him play those slow melodramatic tunes, and although I wanted to make him happy by playing the piano too, my true love was the violin. I had been forced into it at first, but over time I came to absolutely adore the instrument. I had actually become quite talented in the Classical style, but after my father died, I slowly stopped playing. In fact, when I left for Fuuka I didn’t even bother to bring the thing with me. There were so many happy memories in that room, and I didn’t want to disturb that peace. I didn’t want it to change. I wanted it to stand still like the rest of the house had.

Taking hold of one of the golden handles, I release the breath I’d been holding and turn it, pushing the heavy wooden door inwards.

The room was cast in darkness due to the thick material of the curtains covering the windows, blocking the sunlight from filtering in. I could see the dust floating in the air, my opening the door causing this disturbance. I took a small step forward before a sudden flash of grey and white went streaking past my legs.

“A-Augustus!” I stammered, chasing the creature further inside. When I finally caught the little monster, scooping him up in my arms, I looked up to see that I was standing in front of father’s grand piano. A small, sad smile formed on my face as sat down on the jet-black bench. I didn’t dare move the covering over the keys as I stared at the instrument, but I did stretch a hand out to stroke the polished wood.

“I wish I could hear you play…one last time…”

August squirmed under my arm before clamping down on one of my fingers. I gasped at the sudden prick, releasing him in the process as I look down at the spot of blood beginning to form. The cat stared up at me, blue orbs sparkling almost apologetically.

“Baka…” I whispered before sucking on the small puncture.

I watched as the cute fluff ball trotted off to explore some more, and in doing so, my eyes skimmed over a small brown case resting in the corner. I stood and slowly made my way over to it, taking a seat on the floor before it. I placed the case in my lap, and after releasing the latches, I opened its top to look down at the contents inside.

The violin inside, my violin, was custom made in Italy. It had been expensive, but money was never really an issue for the Fujino’s. It was a beautiful mahogany color, and it still looked the way it had when I first got it since I always took great care when handling it.

Picking it up from the case, I placed the violin’s end in the crook of my neck. I delicately laced my fingers around the bow, and carefully placed it on the strings. Closing my eyes, I brought back the memories of those countless lessons I attended growing up.

Just like this…

As I pulled the bow across the body, my fingers moved on their own accord on the neck, the notes seamlessly flowing from the instrument in my hand. I played from memory, so the occasional mistake happened here or there, but I was honestly surprised that I remembered as much as I did.

When I finally stopped, a small quiet round of applause started from behind me. I whipped my head around to see Mrs. Hoshiro, Mr. Tanaka, and Mrs. Sato standing in the doorway.

“That was wonderful, Miss Shizuru,” Mrs. Hoshiro praised me, “Have you continued playing while away at school?”

“No…Actually, I haven’t touched a violin since I left.”

She seemed slightly taken aback from my reply, but she soon smiled again. “You always were so gifted with the instrument…It shouldn’t surprise me that you remembered, considering how much you seemed to love playing it.”

I placed the violin and its bow back in the case, and once the top was secure, I grabbed the handle and stood.

“Truly, you give me too much credit, Mrs. Hoshiro.”

“Lord knows you deserve it, child.”

I could only smile sadly.

If only mom and dad could have felt the same…

During one of these trips I picked up a black sweater for Natsuki. She never let me buy things for her the few times we did go shopping together, well, it was more like I drug her along with me, but that’s irrelevant. This time she couldn’t stop me though. I had never really seen her wear any fancy clothing, so she could use it, right? The sweater was a little on the expensive side, but it looked nice so I purchased it anyways.

I win, Natsuki.

Time flew by quickly, and before I knew it, it was the day before I was to fly back to Fuuka...and I still hadn’t done what I came to do. I stayed in bed longer than I really needed to, lying on my back staring up at the ceiling with Augustus curled up in a ball at my side. When I ignored the call for breakfast Mrs. Hoshiro came up to make sure I had heard, but I just told her I wasn’t very hungry at the moment. She was overly concerned at first, just like she always was, before finally leaving me to my thoughts.

How come you always get like this?

“Hm?”

When it comes to your father, why do you always quit functioning like this?

“…”

So you don’t want to answer that question…

“…”

But we already know the truth, don’t we…

“Stop…”

How you really feel about you father…

“Please…”

How you secretly ha—

“STOP IT!”

I angrily rolled out of the bed, much to Augustus’ displeasure, storming off to the bathroom to get cleaned up. I needed to do something to keep my mind busy, but unfortunately this probably wasn’t the best idea. I watched my reflection in the mirror, staring at my father’s crimson tainted eyes…the ones he had passed on to me. Tears welled in those typically strong and sturdy orbs, but none flooded over.

This whole trip will be pointless if I don’t go there…

Leaving the bathroom, I walked to my dresser, pulling out a thick sweater and jeans, and after properly dressing myself, I headed out into the cold December wind.

Trudging across the snow covered lawn, I reached the large garden on our estate. I wandered around for a bit even though there was nothing to see but dirt and bare branches.

Lifeless…How fitting…

Eventually I made my way to the center where a large stone monument resided, stopping before the block to bow.

“Hello again, father. Forgive me for not coming sooner…”

Silence.

I straightened again, my breath coming out of my mouth like small white wisps of smoke, “School has been going well. I transferred to Fuuka Academy a few years ago. It’s a fancy private school, so I’m sure you would have approved of it. I’ve been…working really hard…”

Silence again.

The wind blew my hair over the bottom part of my face, but I didn’t bother moving it.

“I wonder if I’ve…made you proud…”

Silence.

Clasped hands gripped tighter.

“…If I’ve ever made you proud…Neither you nor mom ever seemed to see how hard I was trying to please you…trying to live up to the Fujino name...”

My arms wrapped around my body on their own accord.

“And then right when I thought you were beginning to see…right when we were finally starting to understand one another…you left me…You left me with her.”

I shook my head as my voice deepened, “No, you both left a long time ago, didn’t you?”

Were you even there to begin with?

I looked up at the stone block, finally releasing the tears that had built up behind my eyes.

“I hate you, father. I hate you for leaving me here all alone.”

A single hand rose up, fingertips delicately touching the skin right below my right temple.

“But you never really did leave me did you? You made sure of that. I see you every day, father. Every single time I look in the mirror to see those eyes staring back at me.”

The hand dropped, entering my coat pocket to wrap around the cold metal object inside. I pulled out father’s watch and stared down at the ticking hands, stroking the silver plates with my thumb.

“But no matter how angry I get…no matter how much my hatred grows, or if I can ever forgive you…I still love you. For the few things you did do right, I’ll always love you.”

After I got back to the house and ate dinner with the rest of the crew there, I locked myself in my room. I was still quite emotional, so I had remained rather quiet since I had came back to the house. Mrs. Hoshiro and the others were worried, I could tell by their expressions, but they were kind enough not to ask any questions.

Augustus was still sleeping on my bed when I came trudging inside. He merely popped his head up and gave me a wide yawn for a greeting. I plopped down beside him, and lying on my side, I began to pet him, causing the little creature to purr loudly.

At least one of us is happy…

I eyed the object on my nightstand.

I wonder if she’d mind…

I unplugged my cell from its charger and dialed anyway.

“Hello?”

“Hey.”

“Hey, Shizuru…Is something wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“You sound kind of upset.”

“All I said was ‘hey,’ Natsuki.”

“Yeah…Well, is there?”

I smiled inwardly.

Funny how you can just sense these things within me…

“Shizuru?”

“Mmh, it’s nothing important really. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“O-Oh…”

I could practically hear the blush over the phone.

“You haven’t forgotten about tomorrow, have you?”

“Of course not. What time should I get there?”

“The plane is supposed to arrive around six.”

“Alright. And where should we try to meet up?”

“I think there’s a Starbucks on the first floor. How about there?”

“Sounds good.”

“Oh, and I have a present for you.”

“Huh?”

“I got you a little something while I was here.”

“I thought I told you…” she began, slight agitation evident in her voice.

“Yes, yes, I know, but Natsuki wasn’t here this time to stop me.”

“That still doesn’t mean that you had to buy anything.”

“But I wanted to.”

“…Whatever.”

I chuckled into the phone, “You’re so cute when you’re being stubborn, Natsuki.”

“Eh!”

“Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Bye, Natsuki.”

“Bye.”

I spent the rest of the night just watching random shows on television while I repacked my bag, making sure to go to bed early so I would be well rested for the day ahead.

When it was time to leave, there were many long and tight hugs as well as exchanging of kind words. Mrs. Hoshiro got teary, as expected, but I assured her that I would visit again. I gave Augustus a kiss on the head, the little guy squirming in my arms all the while. Mrs. Sato suggested that I take him with me considering that he had become quite attached to me in the few days I was here, and I probably would have if it weren’t for the school policy about having pets in the dorms.

They all saw me out to the car, Mr. Tanaka helping me inside, and after our last goodbyes were exchanged, we took off for the Kyoto airport. Once there, Mr. Tanaka saw me to the security checkpoint, just like Natsuki had. We said our farewells, and I was sure to thank him before finally proceeding onward on my own.

Luckily the boarding process went smoothly for me, and soon enough, I was hundreds of miles above the ground, watching the land of Kyoto disappear behind me.

Once I arrived back at the airport, I quickly make my way to baggage recovery, and after picking up my single bag, I jogged towards Natsuki’s and my proposed meeting place. I was excited to see her again and to tell her about my trip in person rather than just over the phone, but once I reached the Starbucks, I found that the raven-haired girl was nowhere to be seen. I waited for several minutes before giving in and buying myself a cup of tea and sitting down at one of the small tables. By the time I had finished drinking the entire thing, she still hadn’t come.

Eventually I pulled out my father’s watch to check the time, and I noticed that the hands had stopped moving.

I tried calling her cell, several times actually, but the automated voice just kept telling me that the number couldn’t be reached.

Natsuki never showed up.

The watch…the now broken watch…I should have known, right then and there, that it was a sign of things to come.