27

“P.S. I Love You” echoes around the dark-brown interior of Radio Club. There are no customers in the bar. Jinnai is wiping glasses behind the counter, Kuga is standing by the door. As always.

What was that? Jinnai tilts his head. It’s almost as if he can hear some customers in the booth at the back of the bar, enjoying a quiet conversation and good-natured laughter.

They’re fondly remembered, those customers, a group of really decent people who often used to meet, both in reality and in dreams. I wonder if they’ll ever be back, thinks Jinnai. How long is it since they were here?

He looks up to see his old friend Kuga standing by the door with his back to him, completely motionless. As always.

Jinnai can no longer resist the urge to call out. “Hey. We were fighting, weren’t we?”

Kuga doesn’t turn, but the trace of a smile on his lips broadens a little. “Yes. We were fighting,” he replies. He almost looks as if he’s asleep.

Jinnai nods twice before going back to his wiping. He smiles in satisfaction; his mouth seems about to break into a chuckle. He waits a moment, then, as if to confirm what he heard, calls out to Kuga once more. “And we were courageous, weren’t we?”

“Yes. We were courageous,” Kuga replies with a groan.

Jinnai looks happy as he increases the vigor of his wiping. But there’s something he still finds hard to comprehend. He remembers what it is and the smile leaves his face. He mumbles a question, neither to himself, nor to Kuga.

“So – it was all a dream, was it?”

Kuga doesn’t answer. His back is still turned. His eyelids are closed, as if he were deep in meditation. It’s not certain whether he knows the answer or not. The smile on his face makes him look more and more like an image of Buddha.