Saki had given me a bottle of tea with the label Oi Ocha. We sat across from each other, and she flicked on the switch for the fan. We felt a cool breeze circulate around us.
“Hey, Saki,” I started, finally voicing what had been on my mind for a while now, “what do you mean by rented out?”
The dormitory was deathly quiet apart from our own room; no sign of life anywhere else. So I listened intently as she explained.
Hinata Dormitory was comprised of two buildings: one for junior high school students or younger and another for senior high schoolers with individual rooms. The latter had to be expanded due to its limited capacity, which was why there was another dormitory next door, which was brightly lit.
“That one looks pretty new,” I said, looking out the window at the brilliant building standing tall against the silhouette of night.
“No. Everyone is happy with the individual rooms and the dormitories that look like ordinary homes, so they use them carefully, making them look cleaner than here. But they are quite old,” she replied.
Perhaps the darkness made the dormitory over there, which resembled a house, appear newer than the one we were in. The light emanating from it also seemed to radiate warmth.
“Huh? You’re a high school student. Aren’t you over there?” I asked her what had popped into my mind.
“Yes, that’s right. Usually, I live in that dormitory, but because there aren’t enough rooms, I share a room there. They only let me stay in this dormitory at night,” she replied.
“Does that mean there are extra rooms here?”
“Are there any leftover rooms? Well, actually, no one is staying here now,” Saki explained.
“Why not?” I asked.
“This dormitory is scheduled to be demolished. Evereyone living here will be relocated, starting with the younger children who have already found new homes,” she told me.
“Oh.”
“The last child left three days ago. Now this dormitory is empty.”
Now I get what’s going on. “So, it’s like a private rental…”
“Yeah.”
The room filled with silence as if even the faint sound of the fan had been sucked out. A chilly breeze flowed between us, making the atmosphere even more uncomfortable. I desperately searched for a topic to break the awkward silence and finally found one.
“Hey, um…” I said hesitantly, my words echoing off the walls.
Saki gave me a curious look as she waited for me to continue.
“What’s that white cloth hanging there?” I tried to recall the nostalgic scent that filled the room but couldn’t quite remember it. My curiosity was piqued by the object placed in front of the large glass window.
Maybe that was why Saki rented this room.
“This?” She gestured toward the white cloth before walking up to it and running her fingers along its edges.
“It’s a painting,” she replied.
“A painting?” I repeated, trying to recall our previous conversation.
“Oh, right. Your hobby is painting, isn’t it?”
Saki nodded. “Yes.”
“I would love to see it,” I said eagerly.
Saki looked surprised by my request.
“Huh? Really?”
“Yes, please,” I insisted. “I’m curious to see your work.”
After I made my request, I noticed a slight blush on Saki’s cheeks. The darkness of the night outside seemed to be pressing against the large window. As Saki stood there, her silhouette was etched into the blackness.
“It’s nothing special,” she said hesitantly.
“If you don’t want to show me, it’s fine,” I replied.
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” she said after hesitating for a moment.
“Okay, I’ll show you. But I don’t think it’s very good.”
As she pulled out a white cloth, I could tell she was giving a warning. Suddenly, the space was filled with colors, and I found myself staring at a beautiful spring scene.
The gentle flow of water looked just like the real thing, and the night sky above was painted with a large blue full moon and countless stars shining brightly.
As I looked closer, I noticed the blue full moon’s reflection on the surface of the water, which added to the picture’s beauty. And standing beside the spring was a little girl gazing up at the full moon floating in the night sky.
The world depicted in the painting was surprisingly blue and breathtakingly beautiful. It felt as if I knew the little girl in the world and the picture. I stood up and approached the painting, completely captivated by it.
“Is this you in the painting?” I asked.
Saki confirmed with a nod. “Yeah, you figured it out.”
I examined the figure closely. “Did you draw the person too?”
Saki shook her head. “I usually stick to landscapes. Drawing people is not my forte. I don’t have the skill for it.”
I nodded in understanding.
“I’ve never tried drawing people before. But after saying goodbye to you yesterday, I decided to give it a shot for the first time and worked on this painting from last night until this morning.”
Saki’s level of concentration was truly remarkable. As I gazed at the painting, I couldn’t help but feel she had infused it with her very essence. It was as if her power was imbued in every stroke of the brush. I had heard somewhere that creating art was a form of self-sacrifice, and that the soul of the artist was embedded in the work itself, able to captivate and move people.
It was clear that Saki had poured all her emotions into this painting. I could feel the depth of her feelings as I studied the intricate details and colors of the world she had created. It was a world I had never known, and its delicate and transient beauty left me in awe.
In the painting, Saki stood beside a serene fountain, depicted as a much younger version of herself. Despite her diminutive size, her presence was palpable, and I couldn’t help but feel drawn to her image. This was a painting I would want to keep looking at for a long time to come.
Had Saki always lived there, since she was young? All alone, for a long time?
“Keiichi, you’re staring too much.” She laughed shyly. “Let’s stop now. I’m bad at it, and it’s embarrassing.” She tried to recover the painting with the cloth, but I reflexively grabbed her thin hand.
“Huh?”
“I still want to see it.”
“…”
“Is that okay?” If it was not okay, I’d give up. I didn’t want to do something Saki didn’t like.
But I really wanted to keep looking at this painting. It felt like I had found something important, like a landscape I had known long ago. I wanted to keep this painting vividly in my mind.
“I understand. But I… I think I’m thirsty,” she spoke haltingly, moving away from me and sitting in front of a small table.
She opened the cap of the plastic bottle she had brought earlier. As she lowered her head and sipped her tea, I returned my gaze to the painting. I was immediately drawn into it. Her painting moved people’s hearts. A piece of art created with the soul moves the soul of the viewer. My heart, which had always been said to be distant, was now so hot.
I wondered if it was because Saki had painted it. Or was it the power of the painting itself?
As I thought about it, I realized that even if I hadn’t known Saki had made the painting, I would have been captivated by it. If I could get my hands on it, I would want to keep it with me forever. As I immersed myself in the delicate use of colors, I found solace and healing. However, amidst the beauty, I couldn’t help but sympathize with the underlying sadness captured within the painting. The artwork evoked a mix of emotions, blending tranquility and melancholy in a way that resonated deeply with me.