Chapter 12

CHAPTER 3 PRESENT. Kagiura was standing at the meeting spot by the central exit ticket gate of the station, grinning like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Hey, Hirano. Been a while… Or not, I guess. That outfit looks good on you.” It almost tickled to be complimented so openly, and Hirano couldn’t help but look shy as he raised a hand in greeting and said, “Thanks. You too, Kagi.” He fell into step behind Kagiura but almost ran into his huge pile of luggage. They’d talked on the phone nearly every day since Hirano had gone home, making plans. They were just scant five-minute calls after lights-out, but the voice on the other end of the line sounded different from the one he was used to. Now, once again seeing the soft-spoken Kagiura face-to-face, Hirano felt like the other man had grown even taller. He couldn’t hold back a wry grin. They’d hardly been apart long enough to “miss” each other properly—summer break had only just begun. And yet here he was. Hirano’s mother had greeted his announcement that he was going to go visit a junior schoolmate in the country with surprise, while his father had looked amused. “That’s a bit sudden, but…well, all right,” his mother had said, not sounding completely sure about it. Only then did Hirano realize how high-handed he’d been with Kagiura, as if he was the only one who needed to get permission. What am I, his older brother, ordering him around? The embarrassment of it caused his proverbial tail to stay between his legs, and when they saw each other, they exchanged greetings but not much more. Hirano’s luggage consisted of a gray Boston bag and a small bag he’d borrowed from his mother. The small bag held some modest gifts for his hosts; the day after he’d told his parents about this trip, he and his mom had gone to pick out snacks that would last all day at room temperature. But what would be the right time to give them to Kagiura? He’d always been the older dormmate, the guy on the Disciplinary Committee—but in the eyes of the wider world, he was still just a kid in high school. He’d pictured how they might spend time in “the country”—playing in the river, swimming in the sea, watching fireworks—and he’d carefully researched how to buy a long-distance bus ticket. But he hadn’t even thought to consider how he would say hello. The night bus, with its four-wide rows of seats, left the terminal at ten thirty PM and would arrive at Kagiura’s rural station at nine thirty the next morning. Over the course of nearly half a day of travel, how could they not get hungry? As such, as soon as they had double-checked where the boarding area was for their bus, Hirano and Kagiura went to the convenience store to procure provisions. As they worked their way around the almost blindingly bright convenience store together, all the awkwardness of meeting for the first time in a week melted away. “Think a five-hundred-ml bottle of tea will be enough?” Kagiura asked. “I’m sure there’ll be a service area on the way. We can top off there,” Hirano replied. “Ooh, how about some fried chicken?!” “The entire bus’ll be able to smell it!” “Good point… I wonder what we should bring, then…” They didn’t want to be a nuisance to the people around them, so they needed something that wouldn’t spill, wouldn’t smell, and wouldn’t make a bunch of noise while they were eating it. That narrowed down the possibilities pretty quickly. “For a night trip, you want something that’ll stick to your ribs. Like rice balls, maybe,” Hirano said. “Think that’ll be enough? Ooh, I want kelp in mine!” “You do like your kelp, don’t you, Kagi?” “Uh-huh!” Being away from school helped ease the sense that they had to act like an upperclassman and his junior. Instead, they just felt like a couple of guys going on a trip. They scarfed down the rice balls almost as soon as they were on board, and while they were still checking out the onboard equipment, the bus driver gave the announcement that the lights would soon be put out. He politely requested that those using the reading lamps should take care not to bother their neighbors, after which there was much shuffling as people turned on their individual lights. Hirano was one of them, switching on the reading lamp for the sheer novelty of it, but all his stuff was in his Boston bag, so he didn’t actually have a book on hand. Unsure of what to do, he looked around and discovered that Kagiura had a blanket out and was very much settled in. He’d pulled his sling bag around in front of him to keep his most important belongings where he could see them. The seat, though, looked a bit cramped for someone as tall as he was. “Not sleepy, Hirano?” Kagiura asked, adding that since he’d had a nice snack, he was ready to get some shut-eye himself. And indeed, it was obvious he was fighting to keep his eyes open. Hirano didn’t blame him—it was already after eleven o’clock. Hirano turned out his reading lamp. “Yeah, I am. I’m ready for some rest, too.” He spread out his blanket, adjusted his footrest and reclining seat, and pulled out a little bag with an eye mask. He glanced one more time around the bus and saw that only a handful of people still had their lights on. Hirano opened his eyes again when he felt a gentle squeeze on his upper arm. The streetlamps were shining outside; they seemed so bright. At some point, his eye mask had begun to slide up, until it was just barely clinging to the top of his head. “Hirano, we’re there. At the service station. Let’s get out,” Kagiura whispered, touching Hirano’s arm hesitantly. “Oh… Kagi,” Hirano grunted, blearily thinking back to the schedule. They were supposed to arrive at the service area around one in the morning. He’d only been asleep for a few hours. Hirano was hardly a morning person—on an average day, well, it wasn’t impossible for him to get up, but it could be a struggle. But he knew it was even worse for Kagiura. Yet now it was Kagiura waking him—what could he do but drag himself out of his seat? He worked his way up, noticing how cold his exposed arms felt in a short-sleeved shirt. Just standing up started to get the blood moving. “They said we’ve got fifteen minutes. It’ll make life easier if we get out and stretch a bit. Most people have.” Hirano took a look around, and it was true; most of the seats were vacant. He was afraid to work his way down the narrow aisle to use the onboard toilet. Going outside seemed like a better idea. Hirano let Kagiura lead him outside, where the lights of the service area buildings shone under a night sky that stretched as far as he could see. There were several other buses there, too, along with a crowd of private cars; the place was actually pretty busy. “Night buses turn out to be pretty chilly,” Hirano remarked as they walked toward the facility. He wished he’d brought something with long sleeves. “Yeah. The blanket’s not quite enough, is it?” Maybe it was all the greenery around that made the night air tingle even though it was the middle of summer. “It hardly feels like summer,” Hirano said. “Wish it was this cool during the day!” Kagiura said. As they walked along, he swung his arms and legs cheerily. The bus must really have been a tight squeeze for him. They headed for the restrooms at a quick trot and took care of business, then Hirano got some corn soup from a vending machine that dispensed its product into a Styrofoam cup. He wasn’t hungry—he just wanted something warm in his belly. “Hot! Hot!” he said, blowing on it, but unlike in winter, the soup didn’t seem to want to cool down. He was taking little sips, trying not to burn himself, when Kagiura, who had been off buying more rice balls, gave him a funny look. “You gonna bring that on the bus, Hirano?” “Nah. Smells too strong.” “Can I have some, then? We’ve only got three more minutes.” “Ugh. Sure. All yours, Kagi.” “Don’t worry—I’ll take care of it!” When he grinned, Kagiura’s handsome features made him look like a pop star. Hirano overheard a couple of what he took to be college girls walking by whisper to each other: “Check that guy out!” and “Yeah, he’s a hunk, huh?!” Kagiura wolfed down half the soup and handed the cup back to Hirano. “It’s not hot anymore, so no worries.” Hirano obligingly tipped the cup toward himself, feeling the temperature of the soup against his lips. “Hey, you’re right.” He finished the snack in two big swallows, then tossed the cup and hurried back to the bus. They made it with a minute to spare—they were the last of the passengers to get back on board. Hirano and Kagiura chuckled at each other (just moving their lips, not making a sound), and Hirano made sure to pull his blanket all the way up to his shoulders. There was another brief announcement, and then the bus trundled off once more into the night. Thanks to the warmth radiating from his tummy, Hirano slipped quickly off to sleep. They took their time having a breakfast of curry at a café by the station, then people-watched in the station shopping center until their ride came. Kagiura’s aunt greeted Hirano warmly. “It’s so sweet of you to come from so far away. Our Akira owes you so much.” It seemed they were going to stop at a supermarket on the way before they got to what everyone referred to as the “main house.” From what Hirano could see of Kagiura’s aunt as she drove along, she looked a lot like Kagiura. “You and Kagi look a lot alike,” he said. “You think?” Kagiura grinned broadly, and that expression of warmth made them look even more similar. When Hirano got out of the car at the main house, he stopped and stared in amazement. “It’s huge!” “Right? Perfect for big gatherings,” Kagiura said. Hirano had already been overwhelmed the moment he noticed there were six parking spaces, and as he started to grasp the scale of the house, he found himself even more speechless at just how big Kagiura’s grandfather’s home was. Sure, Kagiura had said it was large, but this was at least twice the size Hirano had been imagining. The style of the house was old, but it had been well-maintained—you could nearly call the place a mansion. Just like Kagiura had said, they were out in the countryside, with rice fields and idyllic scenery as far as the eye could see. The sky spread wide above their heads, a river burbled nearby, and there was an irrigation canal for farming as well—fast-flowing, Hirano noted, and probably dangerous for kids. “Geez, this place really is gigantic… Do you ever do cookouts by the riverside?” “I haven’t, no,” Kagiura said. “But I used to play in the water a lot there. It’s easy to get down to, and there’s all kinds of fish and animals.” “Huh…” The path to the front door was paved, so Hirano didn’t have to worry about his footing as he took in the scenery. It was a long way from the house, and it threw off his sense of distance. As they walked through the front door, he counted more than ten pairs of shoes immediately in the entry hall. The entry hall was especially spacious, and the step up into the house itself was, likewise, wide and inviting. It was as if he’d stepped into the past—right into an old photo of a traditional Japanese home. “We’re here!” Kagiura called. “Thanks for having me,” Hirano said. He followed Kagiura’s example and left his luggage by the door, only pulling out the snacks he’d brought as a gift and then following Kagiura into the house. They were greeted by a couple of noisy, grinning children. “Akira!” one of them said. “Akkii!” squealed the other. “Whoa! Haven’t seen you since spring break!” Kagiura said. Judging by their ages, maybe they were his cousins? Kagiura was certainly the oldest of them, and was acting like it, making him look more mature than he often did. Where were the adults, though? Kagiura’s aunt, the one who had driven them here, had left them at the front door, saying she would go around to the side entrance. Where and when can I give them these? Hirano thought, uncomfortably aware of the heavy paper bag he was holding. “Oh—ahem—this way, Hirano,” said Kagiura, who was working his way down the hallway while in the midst of a sword fight with a boy who looked to be about five years old. They were each wielding newspaper swords (where had those come from?), Kagiura holding his in just one hand. Hirano thought he might take it easy on a five-year-old, but he parried every one of the child’s attacks as if loath to ever let himself be struck. He was grinning, but also clearly serious. It looked like a hard-fought battle. Kagiura beckoned Hirano down the hall, and as he followed, he found a little girl falling into step beside him. She definitely reminded him somehow of Kagiura, especially her hair. He thought maybe she’d mistaken him for one of the adults, since his legs were probably about all she could see. When he asked “How old are you?” however, she responded cheerfully, “Four!” Whatever she thought of him, apparently she wasn’t too worried. She helpfully held up her fingers so he could see them—three of them. He found it oddly amusing not to be sure which was the right number. He couldn’t help picturing his roommate at that age, making the same kinds of silly mistakes. It helped him relax a little, so he was able to amicably greet Kagiura’s grandfather, who was relaxing in a Japanese-style tatami-floored room, listening to the radio. He delivered the treats he’d brought, which would be offered on the family’s Buddhist altar before being put out as snacks later in the day. Soon enough, they were being called to lunch, and Hirano was introduced to the family properly. Kagiura’s parents and siblings would be here during the Obon holiday in August, the others said. When asked why he’d chosen to come back now, Kagiura said, “I wanted to be here before the jellyfish came out in the ocean.” He took some ribbing for his “weird reason,” and it turned out the family didn’t swim that much anyway, since riptides were common at the nearby beaches. Just at that moment, Kagiura’s eyes caught Hirano’s, but quickly flitted away again. The real reason seemed to be that it would have been uncomfortable asking a friend to tag along during a holiday. The afternoon turned out to be very busy. After lunch, they took the kids down to the river to play, and no sooner had they gotten back to the house to rehydrate than they were playing ball. There wasn’t a moment to rest. Hirano had every intention of keeping up with Kagiura, but by now, the difference in their stamina was clear, and before he knew it, Hirano was mobbed by small children. He thought they were just playing, but when one of them said “I’ll save you!” he realized they were taking pity on the guest. He’d borrowed a straw hat to keep off the beating sun, but he had changed into a swimsuit to get in the river and ended up with his torso pretty badly burned. The prickling pain got worse and worse, and when he got into the bath, he took a critical hit. Hirano was lying limply in the second-floor bedroom he’d been given when Kagiura, who’d gone to bathe after him, appeared with a tube of some kind of cream. “They said your back is bright red, Hirano. Here, let me put this on for you. It’s meant for sunburns, and it should help a little.” “Oh. You heard?” “Yeah. Sounds like you were in a lot of pain when you washed your back.” Hirano, who had been watching over the kids, had also somehow found himself in charge of bath time and wound up in the tub with three boys ranging from kindergarten to lower-elementary-school grades. One of them had been the enthusiastic newspaper swordsman. “I was! I hadn’t been thinking about it too hard, but scrubbing my back was agony.” “Must’ve been tough to keep them calm.” “Yeah—I didn’t. They won’t even hold still while you’re trying to dry them off.” It was nice that the kids weren’t intimidated by Hirano’s golden hair, but they were always jumping and running around, so they seemed to get wet again as soon as they were toweled off, and in the end they put on their pajamas with their hair still damp. It was a real chore. “Huh? They can dry themselves at that age,” Kagiura said. “You’re kidding.” Kagiura chuckled. “You’re just a softy, Hirano. You take it too easy on them. Take off your shirt, all right?” “You’ll put that stuff on for me?” “Sure.” Hirano pulled his T-shirt over his head, cringing as the fabric scraped across his back. The feeling of cool fingers working their way around his shoulder blades was indescribably wonderful. After such a hectic day, Hirano had expected to turn in early, but strangely, he just didn’t feel sleepy. “There’s a lot of manga in this room,” Kagiura suggested, so Hirano grabbed the middle volume of a comedy series and started reading. He was worried that reading in bed would make his eyes go bad, but there was no chair in the room, and anyway, this was nice. Had the little kids already gone to sleep? When he glanced at the clock, he suddenly realized it was nearly midnight. Where had the time gone? He glanced over at Kagiura. This would have been well past Kagiura’s bedtime as recently as the previous day, but he was still wide-awake. “Not sleepy, Kagi?” “Ehhh. I took it easy this morning, so I’m all right.” Right—with the night bus getting in as late as it did, Kagiura had probably gotten a good three hours of sleep more than he did on days when he had practice in the mornings. Hirano, not much more of a morning person than Kagiura, had likewise gotten a little extra sleep today. If they didn’t get to bed soon, though, it would leave them sleepy the following day. “I think we oughtta turn in soon anyway,” Hirano said. “No, give it a moment longer,” Kagiura said. “Hmm? Thought you already reached a good stopping point in your book.” The manga had been put away, and Kagiura had looked even more ready for bed than Hirano—but for some reason he shook his head. Then he pulled his cross-body bag over and took out a little paper bag. “Birthday,” he said, holding the bag out to Hirano. Hirano’s eyes widened. “Huh?” He shook off the surprise and looked at the clock, then burst out laughing. It was just past twelve AM on August 1st. He had to try not to laugh too loud because it was the middle of the night, but it was awfully hard on his abdominal muscles! Kagiura looked concerned for a moment, not sure what to make of how Hirano kept laughing, but when he realized Hirano was accepting the present from him, he smiled, satisfied. “Happy birthday, Hirano.” “Look at Mr. I Know Everyone’s Birthdays over here!” Hirano said. But then he added, “Thanks. Heh. Sorry for laughing.” He’d been surprised—and happy. He didn’t say it out loud, but the fact that he couldn’t keep the smile off his face probably gave him away. “I’m glad you’re having fun!” Kagiura had a goofy smile on his face, and by now Hirano was sure he looked exactly the same. He looked in the bag to discover a small box. Some sort of accessory. Feeling a rush of excitement, he popped the box open. The inside was lined with velvet, on which sat two studs in cool blue. “No way…,” he said. “It’d suck if your piercings closed up, right? You can use these every day, Hirano.” Nodding in agreement, he went over to the mirror stand in a corner of the room and tried the studs in his ears. Maybe the holes really were closing up, because they didn’t go in quite easily; there was a little resistance as he slid them into place. Once he had them both in, he went back over to Kagiura, who grinned again at the sight. He looked so happy it was almost hard to tell which of them had gotten the gift. Hirano took the studs right back out again—it would be too easy to lose them, sleeping with them in—but he knew he would put them in first thing when they got up in the morning. With that thought in his mind, he went to sleep, and it was a very sound sleep indeed.