“So...how long are we staying here?” I asked.
He considered it with a hum and pulled out his phone. He must have wanted to check the time.
The screen lit up his face, which turned forlorn. “Wait, I only have three percent of the battery left. Oh no...”
The device must have summoned up all its remaining strength just to start up. The light grew smaller in three stages before disappearing completely.
“It’s dead. I didn’t even get to see the time.”
“It’s 8:26,” I answered.
My phone was still fine. The battery was at eighty percent.
“How about we leave in ten minutes? We should be able to catch the bus then,” Kadzuki suggested.
He’d backed off with surprising ease. I’d assumed we’d be staying until 10 p.m. at least.
Ten minutes later, he stood up, brushed the sand off his butt, and said, “I hope I remember this forever...”
A lot of time passed between Toyota’s messages. Just when I thought we were having a solid back-and-forth, the updates suddenly stopped, and it would be a while before he sent me another photo. He must have been busy.
Still, I managed to get a glimpse into his life. I knew that he was working, that Suzuka was growing into a young lady, and that they fought sometimes but got along in the end.
I wanted to visit them at some point. One of the companies I was applying for was pretty far away. Once I left my hometown, his parents would likely never find me again—assuming they were looking at all.
I would be going back. When I eventually left Nishikawa, I would return to my previous life.
It was the third Tuesday of August when Fujieda Minami summoned me. She sent me a sudden LINE message, telling me to meet her in front of the station. I was already used to this sort of strange behavior from her, so I casually shook my head but headed to the nearest station anyway, only to find Fujieda there alone.
“What is it?” I asked on arrival.
“I need to talk to you. It’s about Kadzuki.”
“Let’s go find somewhere to sit, then.”
She’d gotten in touch with me on a day he wasn’t around, so I’d already assumed she’d contacted me to talk about him. He was all we really had in common. The only issue was, I couldn’t imagine what could be on her mind.
Fujieda said we could go anywhere, so I took her to the café I always met Kasumi-san at. I ordered the house blend out of habit, and Fujieda followed suit.
We sat there in silence until the coffee arrived. Fujieda was usually self-assured, but she was particularly unsettled today—agitated, even. Were we about to have a difficult conversation?
When Fujieda accepted her mug from the waiter, she thanked him cordially, but she immediately dropped the nice attitude for hostility when she turned to me.
“Did I do something...?” I asked without thinking.
“No, not really,” she answered. She paused awkwardly before continuing. “Are you really planning to leave Kadzuki?”
I sensed a hint of reproach in her words, and I frowned.
“Kadzuki told me that you’re thinking of working for a company that’s far away.”
“Oh, I mean, yeah.”
I couldn’t quite grasp what she meant by “leave Kadzuki,” so I tried to break it down. It was true I would be leaving. I expected I would move out when we graduated. I hadn’t asked him about his plans, but it was unlikely that we’d stay in the same area. Fujieda wouldn’t know this, but our contract would be over too. Did I really deserve this tone from her?
I mean, he and I weren’t even real friends.
“You’re not gonna be there for him?” she pressed.
“Why should I? He’s not a little kid.”
“Do you really not know, or are you playing stupid? You really haven’t noticed?”
“Noticed what, Fujieda?”
In response to hers, my own irritation grew. I tried to decipher her complete incoherence, but I lacked critical information. What was she even so mad about?
“So, you’re telling me you have no idea why Kadzuki is so nice to you?”
“No...?”
I’d like to know that myself.
No... I didn’t actually want to find that out.
It was my turn to do the interrogating. “Do you know why? If I asked you, would you tell me?”
“Well, I...”
Her previous boldness was gone, as if it had been a mirage earlier. I gave her a moment of silence to think.
“I can’t tell you. It’s not my place,” she finally said, having regained her usual confidence.
“Why not?”
“Kadzuki asked me not to.”
“Of course he did, that piece of—”
“Don’t you dare!”
Her demanding, high-pitched voice rang in my ears. It was so grating. At that moment, I concluded that she was blinded by her love for him. She had feelings for him, so she did whatever he asked. I didn’t know the full extent of his schemes.
I thought I was better off not knowing. This would all come to an end soon enough.
I’d been ignorant for so long; I didn’t want to find out the details after all this time.
He’d told me this was for the best.
He opened his wallet; I took the money. We renewed our contract every three months. That was the extent of our relationship.
“If he’s so lonely, why can’t you stay with him instead?” I snapped.
“Are you serious right now...?”
I didn’t like the way Fujieda was looking at me, so I averted my eyes and brought my mug to my lips.
“Can’t you at least consider it? Haven’t you enjoyed your time together?” she asked.
“You’re not making any sense. If you’re not going to tell me what you mean, I’ve got nothing more to say to you. Now, are we done?”
I snatched the receipt and stood up. Fujieda didn’t follow me.
After returning to our apartment, I checked my phone to find a new LINE message from her.
“I’m really sorry. Please don’t tell Kadzuki about today.”
I sighed. I knew how much Fujieda cared about him. She might have had a strange way of expressing it, but I knew for a fact she loved him more sincerely than my father had ever loved anyone.
I didn’t want to make Nishikawa sad. I didn’t want to stain him.
I was sure Fujieda and I agreed on this, at least.
Contrary to what you see on TV, I didn’t have any premonitions before it happened.
Five days had passed. The warm breeze licked at my bare skin, which was exposed from my short sleeves. I left the yakiniku place after closing up and found Fujieda waiting for me. It was summer vacation, so I hadn’t seen her since I’d stormed out on her.
After saying goodbye to Ozaki-san, I made my way to Fujieda. She kept her head down and wouldn’t look up.
“What do you want this time?” Having said it, I realized I sounded like an asshole. “I haven’t told Nishikawa. What’s up?”
That was better. Fujieda awkwardly avoided my gaze and finally said, “Uh...the same thing as last time...”
I sighed before I could help it. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and tapped a number in my call history.
“Who are you calling?”
“Nishikawa. I can’t do this anymore. It’ll be faster if he can tell me whatever you’re hiding... He’s not picking up.”