Chapter Text
Friday went by normally. Taro didn’t see Ayano, but he thought he passed by her on his way home. He hoped he hadn’t bummed her out by venting like that. But she was a good listener, at least.
At home, dinner was the way it had been for the past couple weeks: tentatively lighthearted in order to mask the sombreness. But the conversation turned to the Najimis anyway.
“Just last night, they thought they heard someone moving around in the kitchen. But no one was there,” Taro’s mother said.
His father furrowed his brow. “Well, it is getting warmer out. Houses tend to expand and shrink with the temperature changes, so maybe that’s what they heard.”
Taro forced himself to eat, despite not feeling very hungry. He looked at his sister. Hanako poked at her dinner, eating a few bites here and there.
After dinner, his sister lingered in the kitchen. She looked as if she wanted to say something, so Taro stayed back with her. Before he could ask what was on her mind, she spoke.
“I want to transfer to your school.”
He frowned. “Why? Is something wrong?”
She shook her head. “No, everything's fine, it's just… what if something happens to you, and I'm not there to help?” She looked off to the side. “I don’t want you to end up like Osana.”
Taro wanted to slap himself. Why didn’t he notice before? He was too wrapped up in his own grief to see that his sister was suffering, too.
“Hanako, you don’t have to worry about me.”
“But I do!” Her eyes flashed. “The police… they said she was poisoned.”
Poisoned. The word hit him like a brick. Against his will, his mind conjured the image of Osana writhing on the ground, scratching at her throat. He had avoided any news about her death, too busy trying to function like a normal person. He had thought her death was a horrible accident (that he could have prevented, if only he was quick enough).
“I don’t understand… How could someone do that?” he finally asked. Osana wasn’t always the nicest person, but her abrasiveness was meant to mask her worry.
“I don’t know, it’s all so horrible!” Hanako’s lip quivered, and she looked at him with pleading eyes. “Promise me you’ll be careful?”
All he could do was nod. “I promise.”
***
The weekend passed by in a blur. Taro’s thoughts were consumed with the horrifying revelation. His one distraction was listening to the classical music CD while caring for his new bonsai.
Monday morning came all too soon. Taro dragged himself to school, and took his usual seat by the fountain. He had planned to spend the morning reading his new book.
Imagine his surprise when the leader of the Drama Club marched up to him and demanded he star in her next play.
Kizana launched into a whole speech about how his misery would lend authenticity to the role, and how he could use his negative emotions as fuel, or otherwise it would be a complete waste.
Taro sat in shock. He almost pinched himself to see if he was dreaming. This had to be a joke, right? Surely no one would have the audacity to use his grief for their own gain?
Once the initial shock wore off, he had to admit there was some truth to her words. If the last week taught him anything, he needed a healthy outlet for his emotions. But he didn’t want to risk embarrassing himself again, especially not in front of the entire school.
When she was finally done, Taro said, “I’m sorry, I’m not comfortable with this.”
Kizana spluttered. “Excuse me?”
“I'm flattered that you think so highly of me, but I'm not the right person. I don’t know anything about acting, I’d just embarrass myself and you.”
“Don’t worry about that! I could teach you!”
“I really don’t think so.” His voice was more firm. “No offense, but I’m going through a lot right now, and I don’t know if I have the energy to do something like this. But I bet you’ll find someone else.”
For a moment, Kizana just stared at him. Her mouth opened and closed.
Then, her shoulders drooped. “Well, if you insist…”
She turned and walked away. As soon as she was out of earshot, Taro breathed a sigh of relief, and returned to his book. He caught a glimpse of a dark ponytail darting behind a tree, but he chalked it up to a trick of the light.
***
Taro didn’t see Ayano until lunchtime. He pulled out his lunch. No onigiri this time, just braised pork belly with potatoes. His stomach growled. He began to eat, savoring the meal.
He spotted Ayano by the pillars again. Like last time, he invited her to sit with him. Like last time, she hesitated before coming over. She didn’t have any food with her, claiming she already ate.
They sat in comfortable silence. After the events of that morning, Taro gained a new appreciation for it. After he finished his lunch, he set it aside. He checked the time. There were still twenty minutes left before class began again.
“My sister’s thinking about transferring here,” he said.
Ayano frowned. “Why?”
“Well, she’s always been a little clingy. She actually wanted to go here originally, but her grades weren’t good enough. And after what happened to Osana, she doesn't want the same thing to happen to me.”
“Oh.” Ayano’s eyes were filled with sympathy.
Not wanting to completely ruin the mood, Taro changed the subject.
“Do you have any siblings?”
Ayano shook her head. “I am an only child.”
That made sense to him. For some reason, it felt strange to imagine her with a brother or sister. But it would be even stranger for him to say that, so instead, he nodded.
They kept chatting about other things—school, family, hobbies. He learned that her parents were overseas, and she didn’t know when they would return. He learned that she also liked classical music. Compared to their previous conversation, the small talk was refreshing.
All too soon, lunch ended. Taro went back to class, feeling slightly better.
***
Later that evening, Taro was doing his homework when his sister interrupted him.
“They caught him! They caught Osana’s killer!” Hanako dragged him to the living room, where the news was on.
Taro’s eyes were glued to the television.
The killer was Sutemi Okada, a greasy-haired, gangly man around twenty years old. Yesterday, the police received an anonymous tip that pointed to Sutemi Okada as the culprit. The report disclosed his obsession with Magical Girl Pretty Miyuki, and how it morphed into obsession with Osana. The police found her cat’s carrier in his house, along with the poison used to kill her. Furthermore, they found his DNA in the Najimis’ kitchen. The police speculated that he broke into Osana’s house and poisoned her bento before school.
Many emotions ran through Taro. Why didn’t Osana tell him? He could have helped her, maybe gone to the police.
But then again, it was Osana. Always willing to give out tough love, but never willing to accept help. A part of him still thought there was something he could have done to prevent her death.
Taro went to bed that night, feeling some sense of closure.
***
Little by little, life got easier. He could think about Osana without hurting so much.
Taro saw Ayano around more and more. They started meeting up at the rooftop every day for lunch. She didn’t speak much, preferring to let him talk. She hung onto his every word. She was also content to sit by him in silence.
During one of those lunches, he pulled out his new book. He was about halfway through it now. Ayano’s gaze was drawn to it.
“How are you liking your book?” she asked.
“It’s good, I like it a lot!” He paused. “Someone left it on my desk a couple weeks ago, but I have no idea who. Whoever it was also gave me a CD and a bonsai tree kit. At least, I think it was the same person. They used the same wrapping paper for all of them. I wish I knew who it was.”
She blushed. “...I was the one who sent you those gifts.”
Taro was touched. “Really? Thank you. I… I don’t know what to say.”
She looked away. “When we first met, you seemed like such a nice person. After Osana died, I wanted to cheer you up, but I was too shy to talk to you.”
“Thank you,” he reiterated. “That was so thoughtful of you. I’m so glad I have a friend like you.” Although he could guess that her feelings went deeper than friendship, he didn’t want to be presumptuous.
Ayano beamed. “Of course.”
Maybe one day, if she wanted to be more than friends, he would gladly accept it. But for now, he was happy with her friendship. The weight of the past couple weeks lightened a little more. Things would never go back to the way they were before, but for once, Taro thought he would be okay.