Epilogue

It was May 3rd. My girlfriend Sanae and I walked west on Shijo Street, and, swept up in the crowd, turned north onto Teramachi Street.

“Hey, Katsumi, isn’t it exciting walking around in Kyoto? Like, what if we run into Aoi?” Sanae whispered, clinging to my arm.

We had come for our Golden Week trip to see the universities in Kansai and sightsee in Kyoto while we were at it. We went to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, wandered around Shijo Street, and wound up in Teramachi Street’s shopping district.

“Coincidences like that don’t just happen. Besides, it doesn’t matter anymore. She has a boyfriend now.” As soon as the words left my mouth, an uneasy feeling rose in my chest. Last summer, her good-looking boyfriend from Kyoto University had shown up in our hotel lobby.

“That was probably a lie,” Sanae said in a low voice.

“What?”

“My friend said that right before our school trip, she asked Aoi if she got a boyfriend, and Aoi said ‘Of course not.’ Then she asked, ‘Are there any hot guys in Kyoto?’ and Aoi said, ‘My coworker is, but we aren’t like that at all.’ I bet the guy who showed up was her coworker, not her boyfriend. She just asked him to pretend. That makes me feel bad...” Sanae looked down with a bitter expression.

“So basically, she asked her coworker to pretend to be her boyfriend, because it would’ve been sad to be alone when she met us?”

“I’m pretty sure.” She frowned, looking downcast.

Huh. Aoi pretended to have a boyfriend when she really didn’t. I felt bad for her, but at the same time, I was relieved. I was considering going to a university in Kansai. Sanae’s going to stay in our hometown, so if I do end up coming here, it might be a good idea to find Aoi and apologize to her. I tried to hold back my smile as we looked around Nishiki Market, visited the Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine in the shopping arcade, and continued north, holding hands all the while.

I glanced at my watch and saw that it was just past five. “What do you want for dinner?”

“I’m okay with anything. What about you?”

“I don’t care either.”

“How about that Italian place over there, then?”

“Nah, we came all the way to Kyoto. We shouldn’t get Italian.”

“Traditional cuisine, then?”

“Hmm, that sounds expensive.”

We walked around the shopping arcade, looking at the restaurants.

“Hey, there’s a nice, classic-looking place over there,” Sanae said, pointing at a small store. “Is it a cafe?” The store’s sign said “Kura.”

“Hmm, it doesn’t look like one.”

“Is it an antique shop?”

“Seems like it.”

“Hey, wanna go inside?” Sanae tugged on my sleeve.

I looked at the storefront again and gave a strained smile. It didn’t feel like a place we could just walk into. Upon closer inspection, there was a “CLOSED” sign hanging from the doorknob. The inside of the store was dimly lit. It’s already closed, even though it’s only 5 p.m. Slightly relieved, I said, “No, it looks like they’re already closed. See? Someone’s closing the curtain.” I peeked inside the store again and saw a slim, attractive man standing by the window, closing the curtain. There was a girl behind him, walking upstairs to the second floor.

We froze, lost for words. There was no doubt about it—inside the store were Aoi and that university student.

“S-So that’s where Aoi works,” said Sanae. “We should get away from here, Katsumi. They’re already closed, and it’d be really bad if we ran into her.” She frantically pulled on my sleeve.

I didn’t hear most of what she said. My heart was thumping like crazy. She’s working in such a small store, alone together with that man? My panic grew stronger, though I didn’t really know why.

“Sorry, Sanae. Wait here. I’ll be right back.” Before I knew it, I’d shaken her hand away and reached for the doorknob.

When I opened the door, the chime rang with a clang. The attractive young man who was closing the curtain said, “Sorry, we’re closed.” He turned to look at me and his eyes widened. “You’re...”

He must remember my face. I bowed, feeling awkward.

He quickly smiled, his nicely-shaped eyes narrowing into crescents. “Are you using your Golden Week holiday to visit universities in Kansai?”

I flinched, but then realized that I was holding the cloth tote bag I’d received from a university. It was full of brochures and whatnot. He must’ve seen it.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re here as a customer,” he continued, still smiling. Or it should’ve been a smile, but there was a strange feeling of oppression behind it. I took a small step backward when I realized.

“No, uh, I saw you from outside...and felt bad for causing you trouble.”

“Me?” He tilted his head slightly. Apparently he wasn’t expecting that.

“You showed up that time because Aoi asked you to, right? Sorry you had to get involved.”

“Ah, so that’s what you meant...” He looked amused.

“Thank you for taking care of Aoi,” I continued.

He froze. “Why would you say that? You don’t even talk to each other anymore, right?”

“Uh, yeah, but...I’ve known her for a long time, so...” I looked away, feeling uncomfortable despite the man’s gentle tone. The store was crammed full of various antiques, but didn’t feel disorganized. Although there were a lot of old things, the place felt fresh. I looked at a big jar painted with vivid colors and murmured, “Wow...” out loud without thinking. Behind it, there was a whitish tea bowl in a glass case. I stared at it.

“Are you interested in that tea bowl? Feel free to get a closer look,” the man said.

I nodded and walked up to the glass case. “It’s not that I’m interested... I was just wondering why this ordinary tea bowl is in the case, when the jar in front of it and the flower vase over there look more valuable.” I almost followed up with, “What a boring tea bowl,” but I stopped myself.

The man’s eyes widened, and then he chuckled.

“Huh? What’re you laughing about?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” He held up his hand. Suddenly we heard footsteps coming from the stairs. “Go behind the shelf and hide there. Don’t make any noise.”

Confused, I followed his instructions and hid behind the shelf.

“C-Can I really have this dress?” came Aoi’s voice.

I peeked out. It didn’t look like she noticed my presence at all. I, on the other hand, was startled when I saw her—she was much prettier now, almost as if she were a different person. She was wearing a chic dress that even I could tell was high quality. She had a shy but happy smile on her face.

“As I thought, it looks great on you. When I saw this dress, I knew it’d be perfect for you.”

“Yes, I was surprised by how well it fit. I like it a lot, but is it really okay for me to have it?”

“Of course. It’s one of your birthday presents. You seemed like you were having difficulty deciding what to wear to parties.”

“Th-Thank you. I have a lot of casual clothes, but I don’t really have any fancy party dresses. But what do you mean, ‘one’ of my presents?”

“The other present is this,” the man said, suavely placing a necklace around Aoi’s neck.

“Wow, it’s so cute! Is this a flower?”

“Yes, it’s an ‘aoi’ flower.”

“Oh right, aoi plants have flowers too. I always associated the name with leaves. It’s really cute—thank you so much.” Aoi blushed bright red, looking like she couldn’t contain her happiness.

“I’m glad you like it. Ah, sorry, but could you bring me my pocket watch? It should be upstairs, on the back shelf.”

“Oh, sure.” Aoi nodded and went back upstairs.

I waited behind the shelf. Once she was out of sight, the man looked at me and smiled. I flinched when we made eye contact.

“The tea bowl in that glass case is called a Shino tea bowl,” he said, walking towards me. “It’s a masterpiece from the Momoyama period, and it’s worth about sixty million yen.”

“Seriously?” I stared at it in disbelief. “Antiques make no sense.”

“Yes, that’s what most people your age say. Most of them pass by this shop without a second thought. There aren’t really any young people who would understand the value of this piece without knowing beforehand. However, she was different.” He looked up at the ceiling.

“You mean Aoi?”

“Yes, Aoi.” He smiled and nodded. “I must thank you.”

“What?” I had no idea what he was saying.

“Thank you for letting go of her. Because of that, I was able to take the hand of this wonderful woman. Aoi is devoted and open-minded, and she cherishes her relationships. If you hadn’t broken up with her, I’m sure she wouldn’t have paid me any mind. Actually, we wouldn’t have met in the first place. I’m glad you don’t have an eye for quality.”

“Huh?”

“However, that doesn’t mean I can forgive you for hurting her. If you feel any remorse for hurting her, could you leave? Your girlfriend is waiting outside, right? Today is Aoi’s birthday. It’s a special day for her. If she runs into you two, it’ll only bring back painful memories. If you really need to talk to her, please make it another day, and let us know in advance. Here’s our business card.” He handed me the store’s business card and pointed at the door, as if to say, “The exit’s that way.”

“Oh...okay.” I accepted the business card, too overwhelmed to say anything else. “Um, well, sorry for the sudden intrusion.” I wanted to say, “Please give Aoi my regards,” but I held my tongue and reached for the doorknob.

“Oh right,” I heard the man say. I turned around. “Thank you for taking care of Aoi,” he said, placing his hand on his chest and grinning.

I felt chills run down my spine. Unable to say anything, I bowed and fled the store. Sanae was waiting outside, and I took her hand.

“What did you talk about?” she asked.

“Uh, nothing important. Let’s go.” I walked quickly out of the shopping arcade, wanting to get away from that place as soon as possible. Let’s not go to university in Kansai. Not when there’s such a scary guy around.

◆　◆　◆

“I can’t find his watch...”

As I was searching all of the shelves, tables, and drawers on the second floor, I heard footsteps coming from the stairs. It was Holmes.

“Sorry, Aoi. My pocket watch was on the first floor.” He held it up for me to see.

“Oh, okay.” Holmes has a good memory, so it’s strange for him to make a mistake like that. I closed the drawer I was looking in.

Holmes sighed.

“Hm?” Why did he sigh? I turned around, and as soon as our eyes met, he smiled.

Hmm... That face is the same as usual, but something about it feels off. He has a different aura. When I was changing into this dress, I heard voices downstairs. Did someone come to the store?

“Holmes, did something happen?” I asked in a quiet voice.

“Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know, but it feels like something did...”

Holmes fell silent for a moment, then sighed. “It wasn’t anything pressing. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.”

“Huh? So something did happen?” I frowned.

“No, it really isn’t anything important.” He shook his head.

“But if you’re going to tell me tomorrow anyway, I want to know now. Did someone come to the store earlier?” I stared up at him. I only knew one person who could change his mood in an instant. “Was it...Ensho?” I asked cautiously.

Holmes blinked and then facepalmed. “I give up. I really can’t hide anything from you.”

“I-It really was Ensho?”

“No, it wasn’t Ensho.”

“Then who?”

“Your...ex-boyfriend came here,” he said quietly.

For a second, I didn’t understand what he said. My jaw dropped. My ex-boyfriend? Here? My ex-boyfriend... “K-Katsumi?” I squeaked.

“Yes.”

“Why did he come here?”

“He took the holidays to visit universities in Kansai, and he happened to see us. He also thought you asked me to pretend to be your boyfriend. He was probably considering going to university in Kansai, and wanted to keep you available for him until then... Sorry, I made the decision to send him away without letting him see you,” he mumbled, looking at the floor. He probably felt awkward. “Sorry for deciding on my own,” he continued, still looking down.

I smiled and shook my head. “Was he by himself?”

“Sanae was outside the store.”

I didn’t feel anything when I heard Katsumi’s name, but hearing my former best friend’s name stung a bit. That was when I realized for the first time: I didn’t feel anything for Katsumi anymore, but I still felt something for Sanae. Her betrayal still lingered painfully inside me...

But now I know that Sanae was hurting too. She fell in love with the person her friend liked, and couldn’t do anything about it. It must’ve been so painful. Even if he returned her feelings, she wouldn’t be able to be sincerely happy about it... I can’t tell her right now, but I’d like to someday. I’ll tell her, “I’m okay now. I’m really happy where I am. I think it was all part of fate, so you don’t have to worry about anything anymore. It’s your turn to achieve happiness, Sanae.” And...I can only think this way because I really am happy right now. When people aren’t satisfied with themselves, it’s hard for them to sincerely wish for others’ happiness. They don’t have the room in their hearts for it. People are selfish. I smiled bitterly. But that means I can’t let myself be caught up in the past forever. I want to focus on my own happiness, so that I’ll be able to wish for others’ happiness as well.

“Thank you, Holmes.” I think I’d be fine if I met them as I am now. But I’m still happy that Holmes was considerate of me.

Holmes looked down at me, not saying anything. I took his hand and squeezed it lightly. “You’re always protecting me...” I murmured quietly.

He firmly squeezed my hand back and said, “That’s not true, Aoi. I didn’t send him away for your sake. It was my selfish ego that didn’t want to let you see each other.”

Feeling the warmth radiating from his palm made my chest grow hot. I shook my head and said, “Even if that’s the case, thank you.” Even if he’s not lying, it was still for my sake. He’s always protecting me like this.

“Aoi...” Holmes reached out to me, touching my cheek with his large hand. He slowly brought his face closer. Just when his silky bangs brushed against my forehead...our lips touched. Afterwards, we both looked down. My heart was pounding furiously, and my face and ears felt hot.

“W-Well then, we should get going,” Holmes said, covering his mouth with his hand and averting his gaze. His face was bright red. “The party preparations should be finished.”

I nodded. “R-R-R-R-Right, let’s go.”

“A lot of people are coming to celebrate your birthday tonight.”

“R-Really?” Our conversation was painfully stilted, to the point where it was kind of funny. We looked at each other and giggled. “Who’s coming?” I asked, regaining my composure.

“Let’s see...” He began counting with his fingers. “First there’s my father, my grandfather, Yoshie, and Rikyu. Then there’s Ueda, Mieko, Kaori, Saori, Yoneyama, Yanagihara, and—much to my dismay—Akihito, who said he would be arriving later.”

“That many people? And even Akihito’s coming?!” I placed my hand on my chest. He must be busy.

“Oh right, Komatsu, Masami, and Yuko are coming too.”

“They’re coming together, huh? That’s so nice.”

“I’m sure there will be many others too. There are also several games planned.”

“Wow, I’m excited.” Being able to gather so many people was a result of the Yagashira family’s natural qualities, not the fact that it was my birthday. But I was still grateful and happy nonetheless. “I’m so happy to have that many people celebrating my birthday.”

Holmes slumped his shoulders. “Personally, I wanted to celebrate it with just the two of us.”

“Huh?”

“But we’ll do that another time.” He held his index finger in front of his mouth and smiled mischievously, making my heart skip a beat. “Happy birthday, Aoi. Let’s go.” He offered me his hand.

“Thank you...” I took his hand and left Kura with a spring in my step.