“Still,” Yanagihara continued, “there are times when an idiot can be cool, right? Like, you know, those heroes in action movies—when you really think about it, they’re total idiots. But they’re really cool.”
“That’s that,” she explained. “This is this.”
“Well, that’s what I think.” He was no longer even listening to what Rikoko had to say.
Again, she sighed. But this time, though she didn’t notice, it was a lighter sigh compared to the ones that had come before. Through this back-and-forth chit chat, this seemingly meaningless, idiotic conversation, she was able to release a bit of her depression. She felt just a bit better.
Suddenly Yanagihara’s expression changed. His brows furrowed, and his entire body began to emit a greasy sweat. Well, he didn’t really sweat, but he did wear a pained expression that seemed to suggest he was sweating heavily.
“What is it?” Rikoko asked.
Yanagihara didn’t answer but instead just stared into space.
Suddenly he yelled, “…It-it’s going to…!”
—Ring, ring, ring, ring!
The ring tone of a cellular phone clamored through the room.
Rikoko was startled, so much so that her heart felt like it was about to pop out of her chest.
Her bag was thrown haphazardly on the floor; her phone dangled beside it and rang out a melody in an explosion of sound. The incoming-call light blipped on and off.
Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring…
The electronic rock music continued to ring. Because she had set the volume to the highest level, the speakers buzzed.
The music was rock, but to Rikoko it sounded like the blues.
Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring…
It wouldn’t stop ringing. The lights blinked on and off. This song, which she had heard over and over, rang around and inside Rikoko. In the past, she had waited eagerly for this melody to ring out. But now it seemed she didn’t want to hear it at all.
Not anymore…
Our dreams
In that moment
We couldn’t reach them
We pulled back our outstretched hands
We felt as if we could reach the moon
We were a bit scared
We could laugh a little bit
Those were the lyrics of the song that the phone’s ringtone had been based on. At that particular moment, they were almost frighteningly appropriate, so the melody held an ominous resonance.
The band behind the song was an indie newcomer, freshly entering the music scene. Though they were new, they had already generated quite a buzz. They sang and performed awfully. But for some strange reason people identified with their music.
I liked them from the beginning. Even now… they go straight to the point. Nobody understands what’s so good about them, but they became a fad. They became a hit.
It hurts.
Without thinking, Rikoko picked the phone up off the floor. She had decided never to answer the phone when this melody rang, when this number showed up. But she had picked it up without being aware of her actions.
Crouching down, clutching the phone to her breast, she looked down at it. The caller’s name and phone number showed up on the screen.
“………”
She could only stare at it. She could do nothing. She hardly even breathed. She felt pain in her chest. Her heart hurt.
“…!”
Rikoko closed her phone, then threw it against the wall.
Clack.
It hit the wall and made an empty sound. The main body broke away from the battery pack.
“………”
The room sank into silence.
“…Why didn’t you answer the call?” No longer agitated, Yanagihara spoke in his usual manner again. Rikoko didn’t answer him, but stood up and dove for the bed. Her skirt billowed up, almost allowing Yanagihara a peek at her underwear, but she paid it no mind.
“You disappeared just now, didn’t you?” she asked.
“Oh, you knew?”
Rikoko had noticed that Yanagihara had vanished. He had been nowhere to be seen the entire time the phone was ringing.
“You know, ever since I became a ghost, it seems I don’t have an affinity for mobile phone wavelengths, so it’s really hard for me to be around a ringing phone. It probably has something to do with the magnetic field, I’m sure…”
“…Pfft…” Rikoko burst out laughing.
That’s why he looked so serious. The reason was, of all things, the wavelengths of mobile phones.
“So what in the world are you?” Rikoko asked. She laughed out loud, not caring if she woke the rest of the family up.
Yanagihara also laughed. “A ghost!” he answered, still laughing.
They seemed to be having fun. But it was certainly nothing to laugh at.
Soon the entire town had settled down for the evening, but Yanagihara’s useless talk about the old days continued. Rikoko didn’t care anymore but decided to go along with it. Besides, she couldn’t sleep anyway.
Yanagihara talked about his grade school athletics meet, his students’ literary arts exhibition, and even of things that had happened when he’d entered junior high, which Rikoko knew nothing about.
Technically, she was being haunted by a ghost, but nevertheless it was a little fun. Talking about useless, trivial things right then made her feel just a bit lighter.
Ah, I guess once in a while hanging out with an idiot is all right.
Eventually, before she knew it, she fell asleep. Yanagihara peered at her sleeping face.
“…Good night, Kagawa-san. This is just about all I can do for you. I wish I could take away all of your depression. But I can’t. I’m not capable of that, and it’s probably not my job to do so. The only person who can do that is you.”
Yanagihara’s eyes looked a little sad. His gaze fell upon the cell phone, which had been thrown against the wall.
“…So Kagawa-san likes them too… Rude Rainbow…”
Yanagihara remembered the melody.
Then, slowly, he began to sing. He sang the very song Rikoko used as her ringtone.
Our dreams
In that moment
We couldn’t reach them
We pulled back our outstretched hands
We felt as if we could reach the moon
We were a bit scared
We could laugh a little bit
Our sky
In that moment
We felt as if we could reach it
We pulled back our outstretched hands
Even that moon
Even the stars
Just like that moment
One day, we’ll reach it
I’m sure, definitely
Just like that moment
One day for sure
Above the clouds.
Yanagihara looked at Rikoko’s cell phone. As he was singing, he gradually faded, until he disappeared from the spot.
A single tear fell from Rikoko’s eye as she lay on the bed. It created a moist spot on her peach-colored pillow. In truth, within her heart of hearts, she prayed. She acted tough, talked big, and lied to cover up her tears.
But in reality, she hoped this instant was real.