Chapter 13 - True End

1

Cherry blossom petals floated in through the open window, carried by a gentle spring breeze. It was the first day of a new trimester, and the classroom was filled with nervous excitement. The fact that they were now in their last year of middle school was at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Everyone including Hiroshi.

He’d arrived to class early and took his seat, cracking open the thick tome on molecular genetics that he’d bought over spring break. But for some reason, he kept reading the same sentence over and over; nothing was sticking in his brain. He’d been like this all morning. The nerves were almost unbearable. The itchy fidgeting was so bad that he could almost swear a bug had crawled under his skin overnight. He had no idea why, either.

He just couldn’t shake the feeling that something special was going to happen today. And his hunches were almost always right. They had been ever since he was a kid.

“It’s true! I was almost at the top of the mountain when a bear appeared in front of me!” Takeshi declared from behind Hiroshi.

He seemed to be bragging about something as he leaned against the supply closet, surrounded by a gaggle of their classmates. While Hiroshi recognized many of the kids around Takeshi, he couldn’t keep track of their names. It always impressed him just how wide Takeshi’s circle of friends was.

“The other guys ran, but I was like, ‘How often do you get to see a wild bear up close?’ So I stayed.”

“Liar. You probably only stayed behind because your legs gave out and you couldn’t’ve moved even if you wanted to.”

“N-No...”

“Oh, that’s it, huh? I hit the nail on the head, didn’t I?”

“No!”

Hiroshi’s gaze shifted away from the panicking Takeshi, wandering over to the windows. Sitting in front of them were Takuro and Mika, who had shoved their desks together and were gleefully looking at their smartphones. They’d said something about going to Disneyland over spring break, so perhaps they were looking at pictures and reminiscing.

Someone then suddenly patted Hiroshi on the shoulder.

“Good morning.”

It was Anna.

“Oh, class president. Good morning.”

“I’m not the president anymore,” she said with a shrug before pointing to Hiroshi’s book. “Is this what you bought at the bookstore by the station? I remember something about a book on butterflies as well. Let me borrow it sometime.”

“How did you know that?”

“My mom saw you. She’s a big fan of yours,” she said with a smile. “She wants me to invite you over if you’re free. Something about wanting your autograph before you become super famous.”

“I see...” Hiroshi said half-heartedly, unable to tell if she was joking or not.

Their conversation, however, was interrupted, and their homeroom teacher entered. It was Mr. Inoue, just like last year. Seeing him, all of the students scurried to their seats. But they were quickly abuzz with all kinds of whispering. An unfamiliar boy had followed Mr. Inoue in. He looked nervous.

“I’d like to introduce you all to the new transfer student,” announced Mr. Inoue.

“My name is Shun... It’s nice to meet you all,” the boy muttered shyly, almost hunched over.

Hiroshi hadn’t been able to make out his last name, but for some reason hearing “Shun” gave him an intense feeling of déjà vu.

“Okay, Shun, you’ll be sitting over there.”

“Yes, sir.”

Shun quietly walked over and took the seat the teacher had pointed out for him.

2

On the outskirts of town was a great mansion. Violets were blooming with abandon all across the yard. An elegant woman with a wide-brimmed hat was sitting among them pulling weeds. A young, vibrant girl was running circles around her.

“Don’t trip now, darling,” the woman said to the girl, wiping sweat from her brow.

“I won’t!”

The girl looked up. Her right iris was blue, strikingly unlike her left... and just like the woman sitting among the violets.

“Mama, is there anything I can do to help?” the girl asked.

“Well, I’m going to water the flowers after this, so can you fill a watering can and bring it to me?”

“Yeah, sure!”

The girl nodded and, practically skipping, cut across the yard and went inside.

As the woman watched the violets swaying in the breeze, she felt happier than ever before. Compared to 20 years ago when she was called a heretic just for believing in a different god... When she had to hide her family in a cellar, fearing for their lives... Compared to all that, this felt like a sweet dream.

May these happy days never end... she looked up into the sky and prayed.

The girl found a large bucket next to the washing machine and filled it to the brim. Carrying it with both hands, she waddled along, nearly spilling it every other step of the way.

Mama said to bring a watering can, but then I’d have to take lots of trips to get enough water for the whole yard. This way, I only have to make one trip! Mama’s gonna think I’m so smart.

But unfortunately, the bucket was heavier than she’d expected.

“Ah!”

It didn’t take long before it slipped her grip, sending water all over the hallway. The girl panicked, taking off in a hurry.

Oh no! Mama’s gonna be so mad! I gotta find a towel!

The mansion was quite an old building. The flood of water in the hallway seeped through the thin floorboards, dripping down into the basement and onto an ancient wooden box that began to shake and rattle mysteriously.

-THE END-