And so I told Oginome-san that Kanba and Himari had left the house. I needed to tell her something, after all—maybe not the full story, but given how frequently she liked to come over, she was bound to notice sooner or later. She was a treasured friend, especially to Himari, and right now, she was the only person I could talk to about my family situation. It was killing me to keep it all bottled up inside.
There was no one around to hear me say “This is delicious,” or “That’s hilarious,” or “I’m tired,” or “It’s cold.” And I was terrified that I would never get to share those feelings with anyone ever again.
“I went down to the police station with Uncle Ikebe to file a missing persons report,” I muttered as I put the small amount of groceries I’d bought into the fridge.
“Why didn’t she just go to your uncle’s house like she was supposed to?” Oginome-san asked, sitting slumped over the coffee table, her book bag beside her, along with the “gift” she claimed to have received from Double H.
They were old friends of Himari’s from elementary school, and at one point, Himari herself wanted to audition with them. I had no qualms with them wanting to thank her for the scarves she knitted, but given their history, I wasn’t enthusiastic about the prospect, either. Himari struggled with her illness for years—they could have come to see her literally any time they wanted, be it at the hospital or right here at home. Himari would have been overjoyed to see them too; she would have thanked them with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. But now she was nowhere to be found.
“What happened to that penguin hat?”
“Oh, the hat? Yeah, Himari took it with her.”
And yet she left behind the things that tied us together—the pink pirate teddy bear and the old scarf. I sat down on the opposite side of the table, teapot in one hand, two teacups in the other.
“I was stupid. I should have paid more attention to Himari’s condition, both physical and mental,” I muttered to myself half-deliriously.
Oginome-san looked up at me with concern. “Still no word from Kanba-kun? I figure Himari-chan’s probably with him.”
Maybe so. But either way, Kanba refused to take my calls.
On the day Himari left…the day Kanba quite possibly killed someone…I wasn’t feeling well, so I wrapped myself up in my blanket, flopped down on the tatami, and fell asleep without eating anything. Around midnight, I awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. The intense hunger made me feel even sicker.
“Hello?”
“Shoma? Did I wake you?” asked Uncle Ikebe, sounding a little rattled.
“Yeah, sorry… What’s up?” I replied hoarsely.
“Himari was supposed to arrive today, right?”
“Uh, yeah…? Why?”
I looked up at the clock on the wall and checked the time. According to my uncle, he tried to call me several times before dinner, but I was dead asleep after all the crying and vomiting. Hastily, the two of us tried to track Himari down. I attempted to get in touch with Kanba, but he wouldn’t pick up. Figures. Next, I called the hospital. A few seconds later, Dr. Sanetoshi himself picked up—no phone receptionist involved.
“Hello?” His voice was low, leisurely, and playful, just like always.
“Hi, uh, Dr. Sanetoshi? Sorry to call so late, but…um…Himari’s gone missing, and I was wondering if she was with you.”
“No, unfortunately, I haven’t seen her,” he replied apologetically. “I’m not sure where she could have gone.”
“Yeah, me either. Sorry for bothering you, but I couldn’t think of anywhere else.”
“Oh, that’s quite all right. Your sister doesn’t have long left,” he continued in a gentle, sympathetic tone that left me speechless. “So if you need to talk, I’m available anytime. Seems reasonable, doesn’t it?”
“Hold on a minute! Wasn’t your medicine supposed to cure her?!” I shouted.
“The thing about medicine is, the longer your body is exposed to it, the more resistant you become to its effects. Much like falling in love. Hadn’t you heard?” I could practically picture Dr. Sanetoshi’s smile, framed by his long rainbow-hued hair.
“The hell do you know about love?” I muttered before I could stop myself.
“Ah, you Takakura kids are all so very alike.”
“So Himari…?” I fell to my knees, still holding the receiver.
“Yes, I’m afraid she’s going to die soon,” Dr. Sanetoshi replied offhandedly. And with that, he hung up on me.
My mind swam with dizziness and hunger and the memory of Himari’s teary smile.
“Shoma-kun, you’re looking kinda pale. Have you been eating enough?” Oginome-san asked suddenly.
“Oh, uh, yeah,” I replied absently. “But I’m on my own right now, so I haven’t made anything fancy.”
Cooking for one was highly inefficient and not nearly as cost-effective. Plus, I generally wasn’t motivated to make anything nice for myself.
“Okay then…what if I made you some curry or something?” Oginome-san suggested tentatively as she sat up to take a sip of the tea I made. “Then again, curry’s kind of the only thing I know how to make anyway.”
“Good idea… I’ll help. Otherwise I’m just going to forget how to cook anything.”
I forced a smile. Times like these, the best option was to go all-out with tons of spices, grate up a ton of apples and ginger, and make a truly decadent dish. In winter it would keep for a quite a while, too, so we could safely make a big batch.
Oginome-san beamed. “Awesome! In that case, let’s swing by the store later.”
Right, of course. In times of emergency, I needed to make doubly sure I wouldn’t get sick, too. I needed to keep living my life as Takakura Shoma—clean the house, do laundry, eat three square meals a day, do a little studying, and get a full night’s sleep.
At this rate, with Oginome-san commenting on my complexion, I’d never find Himari…and if Dr. Sanetoshi was telling the truth, then I really needed to be by her side, spending the last few moments of her life as her former family.
Kanba continued to bring Sanetoshi money, no different from before. Regardless of whether he and Himari were living together, she would still need to go to the doctor either way. Sanetoshi took the envelope and checked the contents, but instead of pocketing the money, he tossed it down onto the desk. “Stunning, yes, but I’m afraid that medicine won’t work anymore.”
“The hell do you mean?”
Kanba jumped up from the stool and stormed over to him.