A New World
IT’S LIKE WE’RE LIVING IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD.
That was what I thought as I cast my gaze skyward, taking a single swig from the bottle of mineral water that the teachers had bought for me after I finally finished crying my eyes out on the bench outside the museum.
It really did feel like a completely different world to me now.
A newer, brighter one. And—for the most part—a better one.
The clear blue skies. The clouds drifting slowly overhead. The gentle breeze caressing my skin. The leaves rustling in the trees. The warm sun shining down.
This was the world they fought so hard to protect.
This was the peace they sacrificed their lives to attain.
Directly up above me, I watched as a plane flew by, painting white vapor trails across the vast blue sky. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath—taking a moment to just enjoy the feeling of sunlight on the backs of my eyelids.
Back in that era, people couldn’t even gaze listlessly up at the sky like this without a tiny fear in the backs of their heads that they might see a squadron of bombers coming their way. But now, things were different. In this Japan, planes flying overhead was never a cause for concern.
A few hours later, we got back on the bus and headed back to school.
After disembarking, we had a quick debrief meeting out on the field before we were all dismissed for the day. I headed back into the school building, though, because I needed to use the bathroom. Sure enough, my eyes were as swollen and red as I expected. Hashiguchi had lent me a frozen water bottle that I’d used on the bus ride home to ice them, but with how much I’d cried, I wasn’t surprised to see it hadn’t made a huge difference.
I let out a sigh, then headed back to my classroom.
Everyone else had already gone home, so it was completely empty.
Out the window, I could hear the soccer and baseball teams shouting on the sports fields. And if I listened closely, I could hear the wind ensemble practicing down in the music room, as well as the sound of basketballs being dribbled in the gym. I sat there at my desk, listening to all of these sounds punctuated by the incessant chirping of cicadas as I waited for the swelling on my eyes to go down a bit more.
As the sun began to set, slowly bathing the classroom walls in a deep shade of orange, I finally rose from my chair to leave. After collecting my sneakers from my shoe cubby in the entryway, I headed outside—where I was greeted by the smell of summer.
I took a long, deep breath. It really is a whole new world, I thought to myself once again as I passed through the main gate, feeling strangely refreshed.
After taking a few steps down the sidewalk, though, I came to a sudden stop.
There was a boy peeking through the gaps in the tree barrier onto campus. He was wearing a uniform from a different school—one I didn’t recognize—and was watching the soccer team as they practiced out on the field. Finding this a little weird, I kept an eye on the boy as I slowly walked past, trying to figure out whether he was up to no good. He must have heard me behind him, and he quickly whirled around.
“Ah…”
I stopped dead in my tracks.
The moment I saw his face, I knew.
This boy… He was… He was Akira.
This boy tilted his head and gave me a confused look before eventually softening his expression into a friendly smile. And once again—it was the exact same smile as Akira’s. Gentle and transparent—I’d never mistake it. There was something almost…calming about it.
“Excuse me…” he said. “Do you go to school here, by any chance?”
I just stared at him blankly and nodded.
“Nice… What year are you?”
“S…second year…” I mumbled.
His smile broadened at this.
“Hey, same as me, then!” he said. “That’s great. See, I’m actually transferring here starting next week—maybe we’ll even be classmates! Anyway, nice to meet you!”
He offered me his hand, and I reflexively reached out to shake it.
As he wrapped his fingers around my palm, my whole body went stiff.
I knew this touch—this big, soft palm, these slender, bony fingers.
In my mind, I called out his name: Akira. Although that wasn’t the name he gave me.
“Nice to meet you too…” I said—then looked up into his eyes.
His pupils were pure and clear, and they glistened like starlight.
A new world.
That’s right—I was going to go on living in this beautiful new world.
A world that had been built upon the suffering and sadness of so many innocent people, one that cost countless lives in order to achieve. I would never forget those brave souls—not just for the sacrifices they had made, but for the lives they lived, and the love they carried in their hearts despite it all.
Dear friends who scattered on the wind that day—can you hear my voice?
I’m still here—alive and well, in the future you fought so hard to protect.
We’re all living together in the bright and shining future you all dreamed of.
Thank you for giving us the beautiful gift of a world to cherish and explore.
I’ll never forget you all. Never forget what you gave up so we could live.
I’ll live my life to the fullest—in this peaceful world you helped create.
Sleep now, dear friends. May you rest your weary heads in peace.
Are you out there, Akira?
Can you hear me, wherever you are?
Is it somewhere safe and quiet?
Free of pain and suffering and sadness?
I can only pray that you’ve found peace at last.
For your life was as fleeting as a petal on the breeze.
I hope you’re at rest now—in a soft and gentle dream.