On a Friday morning a few days later, Heisuke noticed there were some movements coming from the vacant apartment unit. He had just returned from his midnight shift. The door was open wide and he faintly heard the sound of a broom brushing the floor.
'A new tenant, perhaps.'
The unit had been vacated for several weeks. The previous tenant was a salaryman who worked in the neighboring town. He only managed to find housing nearby his workplace last month.
Heisuke covered his mouth as he let out a big yawn. He handled a tiring labor task today as well. Because the supervisor, Mr. Kajiwara put him on the midnight shift again, he wouldn't need to go back to work until 12 AM.
Fortunately, Sunday was his day off. His job resumed on Monday morning.
"I'm home."
The house was quiet. His mother had gone to work at the inn. Her work hours started as early as six in the morning and ended around four to five in the afternoon.
Heisuke found a note left by his mother on the cabinet where they put their clothes.
[No need to buy groceries. Mom will bring some home. Let's have cold soba noodles tonight]
Heisuke faintly smiled. He remembered his mother had been saying they should have this dish as dinner. It must have been one of her cravings.
As usual, Heisuke handled the laundry first while showering. He took some time to tidy their home after that. He tried to do all the chores as much as possible because he didn't want to burden his mother.
Sometime later, a tired Heisuke lay on the futon in the middle of the living room. His eyes fell on the glass wind chime that was hanging outside the opened windows. Whenever the gentle summer breeze blew, soothing sounds echoed from the chime.
'So peaceful.'
That was what Heisuke often thought every time his mind would unintentionally recall the past.
His early childhood was filled with happy memories although his father always acted harshly toward him. It was fine because he had his loving mother. But, everything changed the moment their family was declared bankrupt.
Only hellish days awaited him and his mother. Fortunately, they no longer had to face the menacing man. He was still imprisoned and might not know that they had fleed to another place.
Heisuke lifted up his right hand. He stared at the palm where calluses formed due to the nature of his job.
With this hand, he stabbed his own father.
Heisuke shuddered as the image of the dreadful night flashed in his eyes. He quickly shook his head and let his eyes wander to the corner of the living room. The bright colors that came from there stunned him.
"..."
Heisuke blinked a few times.
"What the hell have I done?"
Heisuke reluctantly sat up from the futon. He grabbed the box that caught his attention.
Inside the box, he saw a garland made of crocheted daffodils. A few balls of yarn in the colors yellow, white and green lay beside the garland together with the hooks.
To be honest, Heisuke didn't understand himself when he began crocheting this garland a few days ago.
His mother casually mentioned that she wanted to hang a garland inside her bedroom thus she requested him to make some. After countless ideas popped into his mind, he chose to crochet a daffodils garland.
'Seriously... what the hell is happening?'
This all happened because of the stupid dream.
Did his dormant romance sense suddenly rise because of the woman in those dreams?
If Shuuya ever caught this uncanny behavior from him, Heisuke was so certain that his childhood friend would just make fun of him.
Heisuke put the box back in the corner. He forced himself to sleep although he knew maybe the dream and the song would haunt him again.
Without him realizing it, the young lady who he deemed as a ghost was actually nearby.
After signing the contract and paying the required deposit, Hisaki started her first day living in the apartment. Mayuka came to help her clean the house. Two men came to bring a futon and other heavy boxes to Hisaki.
She purchased a new set of quilts, kitchen utensils, cutleries, a bag of powder detergent and a pillow as well as some toiletries. She also didn't forget to buy fresh poultry, seafood and other cooking seasonings. The refrigerator was put to good use.
Once Hisaki got her first paycheck later, she planned to buy a few sets of clothes. She only brought three sets of summer clothes and two sets of autumn ones.
The others were too worn-out so she just left them at home. Her backpack also didn't allow her to bring too many things inside.
"All done!" Hisaki exclaimed in excitement.
"Congrats to us!" Mayuka happily chimed in.
The two ladies finished cleaning at noon.
This apartment unit may look small but, it was more than enough for a person to live in it. Although the apartment appeared bare with only a few items, Hisaki was delighted.
If only she was brave enough to defy her grandfather in her previous life, she could achieve the sweet taste of freedom sooner.
Nevermind. It was all in the past. She wanted to focus on the future, the new future.
"Hisaki, sorry that I couldn't stay for dinner," said Mayuka later after she emptied a glass of cold barley tea.
"It's alright. You and your mom should come later," Hisaki smiled in understanding, "I'll make sure to cook delicious food."
"Hehehe! Alright~ I'll go now. If not, I'll be late."
"Be careful on your way home. Thanks again!"
Hisaki sent Mayuka to the door. She stood on the balcony outside as she watched the young lady walk away from the apartment building. Hisaki waved at Mayuka when the latter glanced back and did the same.
Mrs. Ikeda and Mayuka were supposed to have dinner at Hisaki's new place tonight. It was her way to thank the ladies for their hospitality from the first day she arrived here.
But, Mrs. Ikeda needed to stay overnight at the nursing home because a problem suddenly arose. Mayuka was called in for extra hands after she finished helping Hisaki move.
"What should I cook tonight?"
Hisaki hummed as she threw her gaze at the sky. A few seconds later, she slowly turned her head to the farthest unit from hers.
Could she at least have a glimpse of him today?
Hisaki was quite frustrated actually. Her main objective coming here was to find him but, she couldn't even spot his shadow until now!
Since they lived in the same building, would it be too much for her to start befriending him?
"I miss you ah," Hisaki pouted, "But, I don't want you to think I'm a stalker."
If she suddenly popped up in front of him and called him 'husband', Hisaki was certain, totally certain that her old man might think of her as a creep.
A dejected Hisaki took one last look at Heisuke's apartment. She reluctantly returned to her own place.
'It's alright. I'll catch you soon! Huh!'
Hisaki took a long and cold shower to combat the heat. She planned to rest before thinking about what should she have for dinner tonight. She didn't have much appetite right now.
Thus, Hisaki had a peaceful afternoon nap. Unknown to her, her old man also was sleeping at the same time.
They were just separated by a few doors.
At five in the afternoon, Hisaki was already up and feeling refreshed. She filled her empty stomach with two slices of bread before thinking of taking a walk downstairs.
There were a few differences in nearby areas compared to the ones she remembered. Hisaki thought she might as well familiarize herself with them. She shouldn't rely entirely on her previous life's memories.
The neighborhood children were swimming freely in the river. A few of them played catch ball on the grassy field. Their happy laughter exploded in the air, the sound was carried by the summer breeze.
"Ah! My apples! Don't go rolling around ah!"
The panicked voice attracted Hisaki's attention. She quickly looked in the direction.
A woman was crouching on the road with her back facing Hisaki. It seemed like her items dropped to the ground. She was frantically putting them inside a grocery plastic bag.
Hisaki quietly approached the woman. She bent down to pick up the apples she met halfway.
"Ma'am, are these yours?"
The woman raised up her face. Her eyes shone in delight.
"Aiya, thank you, girl."
While the woman took the apples from Hisaki's outstretched hands, she didn't notice the look of surprise on the young lady's face.
This was her mother-in-law!
Hisaki pursed her lips tight. Her eyes twitched as they began reddening.
While she was missing her old man dearly, she also yearned to meet her mother-in-law again.
This kind lady gave her the maternal love she craved for. Hisaki was deeply affected when Mrs. Saeki passed away due to her old age.
"...girl? Are you alright?"
Hisaki was startled. She was met with a pair of concerned eyes staring at her.
"Ah, I'm alright," Hisaki quickly rubbed her teary eyes, "Sorry, the dust got into my eyes."
Mrs. Saeki smiled kindly. Before she could talk again, the sound of things dropping echoed between them. An apple stopped right in front of Hisaki's left toe.
"...my apples."
"I think the plastic bag broke."
Both of them shared a laugh.
Two chapters for today! I had a bad day at work so, I wanna be happy with these chapters. Hope you guys would enjoy them too :)
"Oh, you're a new tenant here? I live upstairs! Which unit is yours?"
"No. 2-5, the last one on the right."
"Hehe, I live in No. 2-1."
Hisaki followed Mrs. Saeki while cradling a few apples. The latter got other things in her hands. Both of them walked up the stairs on the left side of the building.
The closer Hisaki got to Mrs. Saeki's apartment unit, the heavier the pounding of her heart.
This would be her last step before meeting him!
Mrs. Saeki stopped in front of the door. She called out, "Son! Are you in there? My hands are full! Please open the door!"
Startled, Hisaki widened her eyes.
Was he really inside? She thought he was away working.
While Hisaki was desperately preparing her mind, the doorknob was twisted from the inside. The sound of a metal security bar getting unlatched was transmitted in between the narrow door gap.
"Mom, welcome home."
Heisuke appeared right after the door was opened. A loose sleeveless T-shirt and a pair of short pants clung to his tall body. He smiled at his mother before he realized there was someone else with her.
"This is..."
He had never seen her before. Was she a new worker at the inn?
Hisaki stiffened the moment their eyes met. A puzzled gaze from him sent shivers down her spine. She averted her eyes away and looked down at her feet.
'Calm down... He's alive...'
Hisaki silently battled with the sudden onslaught of feelings overwhelming her heart. No matter how much she anticipated this meeting, she couldn't help but be reminded of the image of his tombstone.
Mrs. Saeki joyfully answered, "The plastic bag's broken. This young lady helped me to pick up the items. Oh, actually she's a new tenant here."
"Ah, the apartment on the right?" Heisuke blurted out.
"How do you know?" Mrs. Saeki asked.
"I saw someone moving in this morning," responded Heisuke. He looked at the red apples cradled by Hisaki, "Let me get them. Thank you for helping my mother."
"Ah... yes," Hisaki absentmindedly nodded.
Heisuke carefully picked up the apples one by one. Hisaki tried not to flinch when his fingertips unintentionally grazed her arms. Her clueless old man just dutifully took the apples from her.
"Then, I'll leave," Hisaki smiled at Mrs. Saeki, "It's nice to meet you."
"Ah, don't go yet," Mrs. Saeki quickly said, "It's dinner time soon. Why don't you stay for a meal? Just treat it as a housewarming gift from us."
Hisaki blinked. She asked quietly, "...is that alright with you?"
At first, Hisaki wanted to politely reject the invitation because they were basically strangers at this point. She didn't want to forcefully intrude. But, her heart pushed her toward saying yes.
"Of course!" Mrs. Saeki was beaming, "We're neighbors. It's just me and my son at home and it's better to have company when eating, right?"
"Then, thank you for your invitation," Hisaki smiled softly.
Heisuke took all of the items from his mother's hands. He silently gave the new girl a look before he got back inside the apartment. Mrs. Saeki and Hisaki followed behind.
"Mom, I'll prepare the dish now," said Heisuke from the kitchen.
"Alright. Make it especially tasty ah! We have a guest tonight," Mrs. Saeki responded while putting down her bag on the cabinet.
Hisaki was invited to sit at the low wooden table. Mrs. Saeki excused herself to go and change her clothes. The middle-aged lady quickly disappeared behind the bedroom door.
"...is there anything I can help with?"
The silence was suffocating. Hisaki stared at Heisuke who was busy preparing dinner. The kitchen and the living room were only separated by a wooden partition.
"It's fine," answered Heisuke. As an afterthought and to be polite to a new neighbor, he asked, "Where are you from? I don't think you're from this city."
It was impossible for Heisuke to know all the residents of Kaagawa City but, he had a hunch that his new neighbor actually hailed from somewhere else.
"My hometown is a village in Najima City," Hisaki replied quietly. She was still feeling nervous communicating with a much younger version of her old man.
"Najima City?" Heisuke was shocked, "You came down from the north to here?"
If Kaagawa City was at the southernmost of the mainland, Najima City was located high up in the north, also bordering the mainland. It was a truly long distance for a young lady to come here alone.
Hisaki just nodded and smiled. She didn't offer any explanation.
Seeing Heisuke moving freely in the tiny kitchen reminded her of the times he prepared food for her. Due to her wrist injury that got worse over the years, her old man forbade her from cooking anything because she used to cut herself badly at one time she attempted to cook.
Mrs. Saeki finally came out of the room. She had changed into comfortable summer home clothes. She stared at Hisaki, "Girl, you're from Najima City? It's so far ah. Aiya, I haven't asked for your name!"
Hisaki let out a chuckle. She answered, "My name is Chisaka Hisaki."
"I'm Saeki Yasumi," Mrs. Saeki introduced herself, "My son's name is Heisuke. Since we're neighbors, you don't have to be too polite with me. Just call me Aunt Yasumi."
"Then, you can call me Hisaki, Aunt Yasumi," replied Hisaki who was pleased with her mother-in-law's friendly attitude.
Heisuke came out of the kitchen with two glasses of cold drinks. After serving them to the ladies, he quietly returned to continue making dinner.
Making cold soba didn't require too much time and effort. He had prepared the dipping sauce and the noodle soup base before his mother returned home. Frying some tempura and slicing some scallions for garnishes were the only things left.
"Hehe, sorry, Hisaki, it's too early to have dinner, isn't it?" Mrs. Saeki continued talking to the young lady.
"It's fine. I'm going to sleep early tonight anyway," Hisaki added jokingly, "Moving houses really tire people."
Heisuke was just as quiet as ever when his mother kept asking questions to get to know the new neighbor. He sliced the eggplants and mushrooms to be fried into tempura. Later, he would fry the shrimp before serving them with the cold soba.
Thirty minutes later, the three of them began their early dinner.
"Try the dishes, Hisaki," Mrs. Saeki put more shrimp on Hisaki's small plate, "My son is a good cook. I rarely cook dinner because of him."
"I'll eat well, Aunt Yasumi," Hisaki accepted the middle-aged lady's generous offer, "You should eat yours too."
While having dinner, Mrs. Saeki remembered a few things she hadn't asked Hisaki. Heisuke remained quiet as he enjoyed dinner.
"Are you still studying? Or, are you working?"
"I'd start working at Kinoshita Wholesaler this Monday."
"Oh?" Mrs. Saeki's smile widened, "My son works there too! Ah, so you two would be colleagues."
Heisuke finally looked at Hisaki who sat opposite him, "Are you the new assistant clerk?"
Hisaki nodded, "En. Are you one of the labor staff?"
"Yes," Heisuke picked up mushroom tempura from the plate. He said again, "I heard the office staff talking about it. It seems like Mr. Mayeda has a high expectation for you."
"It's nothing. I'm just applying for a small position," answered Hisaki.
She could feel her cheeks reddening as he continued staring at her. She hoped no one could see her blushing.
At this time, her old man was so young compared to when they first met in her previous life.
He was still taciturn but, the younger Heisuke exuded the air of energetic and capable youth, unlike the solemn yet dependable temperament he had later.
His swarthy skin was the result of him being beaten by the sun, wind and rain as he worked tirelessly ever since he was a young adult.
'He doesn't have the scar.'
On the spot where there should be a scar above his right eyebrow, Hisaki found none.
Once, her old man mentioned that he got it from a small incident during his youth.
Would it happen sometime later?
Hisaki just hoped it was really a small incident but, she also wished that no harm would come to him, no matter how big or small.
After dinner, Mrs. Saeki went to cut some apples. She insisted that Hisaki stayed longer before returning to her new place. The clock had just struck a quarter past seven.
"Did you say your first day is on next Monday?" Mrs. Saeki asked while bringing out a plate of sliced apples. She made them into bunny-shaped slices.
"Yes. Why, Aunt Yasumi?" asked Hisaki back in confusion.
Mrs. Saeki grinned. She glanced at her son who remained seated at the table.
"Heisuke, why don't you walk Hisaki there this Monday? After all, she's not a local here."
Stunned, Hisaki quickly shook her head, "Aunt, there's no need. I already know how to get there."
"It's alright," Mrs. Saeki continued smiling, "We're neighbors. My son's shifts always change so, since he works the morning shift this Monday, you two could just go together."
"But..."
Heisuke finally chimed in, "It's no trouble since we're going the same way."
Hearing that, Hisaki could only agree.
After finishing the apples and talking some more with Mrs. Saeki, Hisaki finally left. She thanked them for their hospitality.
Mrs. Saeki reminded her to check on her door lock and windows before going to bed. Even though this area was generally safe, it was better to be cautious considering she lived by herself.
Once Hisaki closed her apartment door, she dazedly walked to the living room and threw herself on the tatami floor.
"...I met him."
Finally, she saw her old man with her own eyes.
Her vision was blurred by tears that rapidly pooled in her eyes. Hisaki covered her mouth as her sobs echoed nonstop in the living room. She was both laughing and crying at the same time.
He was still alive.
He was still full of life.
She was extremely grateful for that.
FINALLY!!! If anyone has missed it, in Heisuke's dreams, he couldn't see the face of the woman so, he won't know that it was Hisaki for now ;)
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