The Moshimo Railway line was a single track running along the coast from the city to our small town. Moshimo Station was the last stop.
In the past, it had carried droves of tourists headed for swims at the beach or visits to the town’s iconic lighthouse, but since then, it had become run-down and lonely, hardly used by anyone other than local residents. There had been talk of shutting the line down within a few years. The story gained some credence when Moshimo Station had been converted to a self-pay, completely unstaffed stop two years ago.
When Nazuna and I arrived, we sat on the bench in the old wooden waiting room, doing nothing in particular. Our only companions were the station’s lonely machines, selling tickets and drinks. I glanced around the room, desperate to find some conversation piece I could use to break the awkward silence between us. My eyes fell on a poster advertising the day’s fireworks display.
That’s right… I completely forgot!
I wondered if Junichi and the others were already on their way to the lighthouse.
The hands of the clock had just passed five. I flitted my eyes from the clock to Nazuna. She was sitting just far enough away on the bench that another person could have fit between us.
Even though she was the one who asked to go to the station, she hadn’t made any motion to buy a ticket once we’d arrived. I had no idea what she intended to do there. Wasn’t our plan to go see the fireworks?
“…So by the way…”
“Huh?”
“Are we still planning to go see the fireworks display?”
“…Do you want to?”
“What do you mean? You were the one who said you wanted to go.”
“Did I say that?”
Nazuna giggled. I couldn’t tell whether she was faking it or if she’d really forgotten. Her yukata was slightly disheveled, probably from all the running and riding on my bicycle. The modest, grown-up design of her yukata seemed to suit her well, but I knew I’d never be able to summon up the courage to tell her that. I found I wasn’t even able to keep looking at her. My eyes wandered back down to my feet.
Beyond Nazuna’s sandals lay the little suitcase with its checkered pattern. It struck me that a yukata and a suitcase were an odd combination.
“That, um…”
“Huh?”
“That suitcase. What’s it for?”
“Oh, this?”
Nazuna pulled the suitcase closer to her and unlatched its metal clasps. The contents stuffed inside burst outward and littered the floor.
“Whoa!”
I was surprised to see T-shirts, a dress, socks, camisoles, a sweater…a stuffed animal, and a little pouch, like a…cosmetics bag? Was that the right word?
At any rate, none of it seemed like stuff you’d take to a fireworks display. What on earth was she planning?
“Ah, shoot. It fell open.”
Nazuna crouched on the ground and began to gather the things strewn about. When she picked up the stuffed animal, she turned to me with a mischievous grin.
“Aren’t you going to help?”
“Uh… Okay.”
I squatted down and, as instructed, started picking up shirts, socks, and assorted items nearest me.
I’d never touched women’s clothes, except for maybe my mom’s. Nazuna’s filled my nostrils with a faint, sweet smell—far unlike the plain detergent used to wash my own clothes. I’d caught traces of that fragrance when we were on the bicycle. It was Nazuna’s scent.
Nazuna stood once the bag had been repacked. She began examining the timetable posted on one wall. “So where to, then?”
She had murmured quietly. Her words seemed half directed toward me and half meant for no one in particular. But we were the only two people in the station, so I decided she must be talking to me.
“Um, are you planning to catch a train?”
“Isn’t that the point of coming to a station?”
“But I mean, the fireworks display—”
…was what you invited me to, I started to say, but Nazuna cut me off with an excited proposal.
“How about Tokyo? Or Osaka?”
“Huh?”
“Anywhere’s fine with me. But the farther away, the better.”
Tokyo? Osaka?
I had trouble processing the words themselves, since they were so far removed from what I was expecting to hear. I was starting to panic. Nazuna was smiling with what appeared to be her usual cheerful smile. However, something about it felt hollow to me. We were sitting right next to each other, but I was having trouble grasping how she truly felt.
I concentrated as hard as I could, both to keep from losing myself to frustration, and to try to work out the situation logically.
Maybe she’d never planned on going to the fireworks display in the first place. But what is this talk about Tokyo or Osaka…? Is she planning to…? No way…
“Are you running away?”
A part of me felt like I’d finally put two and two together: the contents of her suitcase and the places she was talking about.
“That’s it, isn’t it? You’re running away from home, aren’t you?”
My words were growing more and more confident, until Nazuna brushed them all aside.
“No, I’m not.”
“Then what are you doing?”
Nazuna was frowning, clearly serious. My own voice was getting more agitated with each question I asked. We were at a train station that only headed out of town—toward the city. Her bag was full of clothes, and she was talking about Tokyo or Osaka… If this wasn’t running away, then what was it? After a bit of silence, Nazuna mumbled a single word.
“…Eloping.”
Eloping…? My brain was reeling from yet another unexpected word. I was having trouble parsing what it even meant.
“…Eloping? Is that when two lovers…die together?”
“No! That’s a suicide pact!”