The doctor kept working, seeming not to notice us. The seal was on top of his surgical instruments. “Excuse me…” I gingerly took the seal. Immediately, someone knocked on the door. A few ghosts looked inside through the window. “NOOOOOOOO!!” Fushimi ran up and started clinging to me again. Then we heard a voice. “You should not be here. Leave right away.” “Huh? Wha?” “What did you just say?” “You should not be here. Leave right away.” Oh. They’re telling us to leave. The doctor was pointing at the emergency exit. “Let’s go.” I pulled Fushimi by the hand and left the surgery room through the emergency exit. We followed a string of arrows down a hallway and finally made it out of the haunted mansion. “We did it!” Fushimi basked in the sunlight as though she’d just escaped hell itself. “As one would expect from a theme park attraction.” I put the seals in a box the staff had set up near the exit. “What was up with that guy at the end?” Fushimi asked. “He was probably supposed to be a doctor who continues treating patients even after death.” “Oh! How lovely. He sounds like a real professional.” I wasn’t sure I’d call him lovely, but he was probably meant to be our ally in the story. Once we finally reached the vending machine we’d originally set out for, Fushimi got herself a can of juice. Unfortunately, it was considerably more expensive than what you’d find outside the park. The can fell with a thud, and I took it out and opened it before handing it to her. “Th-thanks.” “Don’t mention it.” Fushimi must have been really thirsty; she gulped down the juice. “I’m alive again!” she exclaimed after finishing. “It’s just juice, you know.” I chuckled and bought a bottle of iced tea. After I’d taken about two sips, the rest of our group found us. “What were you two doing?” Himeji, Mana, and Torigoe were eating ice cream. “We had a hard time finding a vending machine,” Fushimi lied easily. I glanced at her skeptically, and she stuck out her tongue. “We just decided to have an early lunch,” Himeji said on behalf of the others. Apparently, they’d all discussed it and agreed while we were gone. It was about twenty minutes to noon, so it wasn’t really that early. Fushimi and I had no objections, so we all started looking for a good spot to eat the lunch Mana and Torigoe had prepared… But it turned out Torigoe already had a place in mind. “There’s an eating area over there,” she said. “You’re well prepared, eh, Shizu?” Mana giggled. “Shii, you should never say you can cook in front of Mana,” Fushimi warned her. Torigoe shook her head. “It’s okay. I’ve already dueled with her.” “And I seized a crushing victory!” Mana said triumphantly. I don’t remember that part. We moved over to the eating space and found some weathered white tables and chairs. Mana and Torigoe started laying out the food. “When did you learn how to cook?” Shinohara asked Torigoe. “I mean, you gotta know at least a little, right?” she replied, timidly evading the question. “Shizu’s here to rack up the Bubby points. And in my arena, the cheeky brat.” My sister really was super picky when it came to cooking. ““……”” Did Fushimi and Himeji just look really angry, or am I seeing things? “I can cook, too,” said Fushimi. “But I yielded since the two of them had already volunteered.” All you can cook is pumpkin. “My cooking would steal the show, and that would be unfair,” Himeji added. Your dishes sure are interesting, but not in a good way. If I were to rate Mana’s cooking skills as a nine out of ten, Torigoe’s would be a five, Fushimi’s a three, and Himeji’s a one. Thankfully, there was no need to worry today, as the two people with the most cooking sense had brought the food. Some side dishes overlapped, but switching between the two kept things fresh. Torigoe’s had her family’s special touch, while Mana’s flavoring was more like a professional chef’s. We talked about our school festival, Mana’s future, Shinohara’s school festival, and so on. And before we knew it, lunch was over. “I, for one, am delighted to have had the chance to taste Torigoe’s home cooking,” Deguchi said. He was gazing into the horizon with a smile on his face, like he could die happy at any moment. “You’re overreacting.” Torigoe chuckled. “What did you think, Takamori?” “I could tell you probably eat this a lot with your family. I liked the homey favor.” “I’m glad to hear it. Although I figured you liked it, considering how fast you wolfed it down.” Did I? I guess I was pretty hungry. Shinohara gestured toward Torigoe. “Shii may seem fickle, but as you can see, she is very devoted.” “Stop it, Mii!” Torigoe said, shoving the other girl’s hand away. “Devoted or not, I am Bubby’s cook. Stay away, Shizu.” Mana didn’t appreciate having her territory invaded. Just then, I got a text. It was from Mr. Matsuda. I tried calling Satomi a few times, but she’s not picking up or returning my calls. The text came with a sticker of a cutesy character with teary eyes. He was trying to tell Ms. Ashihara that Fushimi wanted her to come to the festival, but it sounded like things weren’t going well. She’s not returning my texts, either. This is why she has no friends! I stepped away to call him. “Good afternoon. Sorry to call you without asking.” “It’s fine. I’m free right now.” “Could you please tell me Ms. Ashihara’s number?” These days privacy concerns were no joke. It was improper of me to ask, and I expected him to refuse outright. I was already thinking of my next move when he took me by surprise. “Sure!” Really? I can get a famous actress’s number just like that? “This is what she gets for ignoring her friends. Heh-heh.” “Thank you, but are you sure?” “What? Are you gonna dox her?” “I would never.” “So what’s the problem? She’s my friend. What’s she to you? Just an actress?” “She’s my childhood friend’s mother.” “So what’s there to worry about?” Right. Her celebrity status aside, I just wanted Fushimi’s mom to see how hard she’d worked. And this was what Fushimi wanted, too. Mr. Matsuda sent me her number right away, along with a message saying, Let’s hope she picks up. I sent back my thanks. I wondered if she was usually busy on the weekends, but then I remembered her job wasn’t the usual nine-to-five. Everybody else was still having fun at the lunch table. I made up my mind and dialed Ms. Ashihara’s number right then and there. After a few rings, I was sent to voicemail. Maybe she’s at work. I did as the voicemail suggested and left a message after the beep. “I’m sorry to call you out of the blue. It’s Takamori. Mr. Matsuda gave me your number. I asked Fushimi, er, Hina, about the school festival, and she said she’d like you to come see—” Another beep cut my message short. “Hey! Takayan! We’re done here!” Deguchi shouted at me. “I’m coming!” I replied before sending Ms. Ashihara a short message. One I’d rejoined the group, we walked over to the merry-go-round. The others had chosen it while I was away. I thought we were a little old for it, but the girls insisted, leaving Deguchi and me without a choice. After that, we went to the rapids, and then to a mini arcade. Everyone was hyped up, and I had more fun than I would have normally. Deguchi screamed and shouted dramatically whenever something happened, and by evening, his voice was hoarse. I kept wondering if Ms. Ashihara would reply to my text, but she never did. Once we had enjoyed most of the attractions, we decided to close out the day with the Ferris wheel. “It says four people to a pod,” Shinohara said, pointing to the sign. We had to split into two groups. I went with Torigoe and Fushimi, while Himeji, Mana, Shinohara, and Deguchi got in the other pod. “Whaaa? But then Deguu will be all alone! Poor guy.” Mana was casually trying to cut Deguchi out of their group. Himeji nodded firmly. “We’ll have to rethink this.” “Wait, wait, wait,” said Deguchi. “Why would we split into two groups of three and send one person in alone?! The max number of riders is four!” Torigoe pulled on my shirt. “It’s time to get on.” “Let’s go, Ryou!” “Well, you guys talk it out,” I said. “See ya.” I left Deguchi behind and headed for the pod. The park staffer welcomed us. Torigoe got in first, followed by Fushimi. “Hmm.” I was next, but I stopped for a moment. I thought they would sit side by side, but they’d sat down across from each other. The two girls glanced at me before turning to look out the opposite window. ““……”” I decided to sit beside Torigoe, since we hadn’t talked much that day. “Mmm…?” Fushimi whimpered. “You picked my side?” Torigoe blinked repeatedly. Before I could say anything, the staffer closed the door, and the pod began slowly rising. The three of us talked about everything we’d done that day as if it was already a treasured memory. Come to think of it, this was the first time I’d come alone with friends to an amusement park. Apparently, the same was true of Torigoe and Fushimi. “I would’ve thought Hiina would come to places like this all the time,” said Torigoe. “No, not really. Though I get asked a lot.” “By boys?” Torigoe asked. “Girls, too,” Fushimi replied. So boys do ask her. “I bet they were asking you on dates.” “…Let’s forget about that.” I knew Fushimi was popular, but being reminded of it made me feel strange. Lots of boys confessed to her, and even more probably asked her out. She wasn’t friends with only me. She was friends with everyone… I was just her childhood friend, and I’d selfishly assumed that made us close… “Ryou, look! I bet that’s my house!” Fushimi pointed out the window, her eyes shining like a child’s. “Your house isn’t that big,” I said. “I think that’s the city hall, Hiina.” “O-oops…” Fushimi smiled shyly in the early evening light. Just as I found her smile cute, other boys did, too. Just like me, they thought it was directed at them, and fell in love with her. “Ah! There’s a couple…up there…kissing!” Fushimi pointed up with a trembling finger. Torigoe and I followed her gaze. Although we couldn’t see clearly due to the angle, we could tell a guy and a girl were above us, cuddling. “““……””” We all stared at them awkwardly. “I wonder what happened to Deguchi.” I changed the subject and looked down below. It appeared the four of them had gotten on together. Just then, I felt my phone vibrate. I slid out the top part and checked the screen. I had a text. Hurriedly, I pulled out my phone and opened the messaging app. Just as I’d thought, it was from Ms. Ashihara. I don’t think I can go, considering my schedule. I’m sorry. And I don’t think I have the right to see her acting. Good luck. Mmm… This isn’t going to be easy. Why had she replied to me, and not to Mr. Matsuda? “What’s wrong, Takamori?” asked Torigoe. “Uh, er… Fushimi, do you mind if I tell her? About watching your play.” “………To Shii, sure.” As the pod slowly moved, I told Torigoe about what had been happening, including the text, but I kept out the fact that we were talking about Satomi Ashihara. I only said that Fushimi hadn’t seen her mom since her parents’ divorce. “So she can’t make it.” Fushimi dropped her shoulders in disappointment, but her smile was part troubled, part relieved. “She’s a busy woman, huh?” remarked Torigoe. “But can’t you just send her a video of the performance?” “The drama club does record the play every year, and I’ll be getting a copy.” While the two of them talked, I thought about how to respond to Ms. Ashihara. I’d told her Fushimi wanted her to come watch the performance. But she’d insisted she didn’t have the right, probably because she hadn’t spent much time with her daughter and had barely done anything to help raise her. The conversation moved on to Fushimi’s rehearsals, and the topic kept shifting until they were talking about something else entirely. I pictured Ms. Ashihara’s face. She was so pretty, it was as if I was looking at Fushimi twenty years in the future. Were their personalities similar, too? She could have just told Mr. Matsuda if she was busy. Yet she hadn’t. Could it be she was still uncertain? While the two girls chatted jovially, I came up with a reply. You are the person she looks up to the most, and she wants you to see her best side. A reply came right away. Thank you for worrying about her… I’m sorry for what I said. At the time, I thought she was apologizing for saying she wouldn’t come.
Chapter 152
12 min read