Volume 1 - CH 15

After returning to the boarding house to drop off our belongings, we decided to go out shopping again.

This time, I’m going to go to the city. I have sworn to myself that I will never shop in the shopping district.

“Well, let’s go get what we’re missing.”

“Sorry for the inconvenience, but thank you.”

As I was about to leave the front door, I heard a smartphone ring.

It was not mine, but Himekawa’s.

“Oh, wait a second.”

Himekawa began to speak on the spot.

“Yes, this is Himekawa”

Himekawa continues to talk for a while. What is she talking about?

Since a while ago, she has only said “yes” or “is that so?” or something like that.

“Right now? May I call you back again later?

Himekawa hangs up the phone right after saying that and sits down in the doorway and looks at me.

Himekawa sits in the doorway with her phone in hand.

What was the call about?

“Tendo-kun. Umm, it was from a lawyer named Imai-san. He asked if we could meet because he had something he wanted to talk to me about right away.

“Lawyer? He wants to talk to Himekawa? That’s good, isn’t it?”

“Yes, he wants to talk to me at…”

Himekawa, looking anxious by all accounts, showed no sign of calling back, even though she had said she would call back.

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“Yeah”

Himekawa called him back and told him she was going with me and we were going to meet up at a coffee shop in town.

We were supposed to go shopping, but oh well.

“Yeah”

Himekawa called him back and told him she was going with me and we were going to meet up at a coffee shop in town.

We were supposed to go shopping, but oh well.

Because of the earlier incident, I took the alleyway to the station instead of going through the shopping district.

Taking the train, we move to the city. Arriving at the coffee shop where we planned to meet, Himekawa makes a phone call in front of the coffee shop.

The person who comes out of the coffee shop is not the person who was at Himekawa’s house, but a young man wearing glasses.

We were led to a seat in the back and sat down side by side in front of the man.

“I’m sorry for calling you so suddenly. I’m Imai, your lawyer.”

After telling us this, Imai-san gave us his business card.

“Are you a lawyer, Imai-san?”

Himekawa puts the business card she received on the table and speaks to Imai-san.

“I am in charge of this case. I’m also in talks with Yuzo Himekawa on various matters.”

As far as Imai-san is concerned, he visited his home several times to talk to Himekawa but was told by the maid at his home that Himekawa was not home. He tried to contact her when he returned but never heard from her.

This morning, he went to her home again, but again she was not there, so he contacted her directly.

Then, Imai-san then told us a lot about this case.

“Himekawa-san. As it turns out, you can go right back to the life you’ve been leading.”

We’re speechless. She can go back soon? Isn’t that a good thing?

I look at Himekawa and she is looking at Imai-san with a blank expression.

“I’m not so sure. Can I go back right away? I was told by the HR department at home that I couldn’t go back”

“That’s weird, It’s not like you can’t go home. That apartment is owned by Yuzo-san, right?”

Something is not being talked about. Something’s not right.

“The man who claimed to be from the personnel department who was at the home, I think he is probably looking for something at Himekawa-san’s home. Perhaps it has something to do with this incident. Would you please investigate, just in case?”

“I agree. I’m a little concerned about it, so I’ll take care of it as soon as possible. I’ll take responsibility for handling everything else.”

“I’m happy for you, Himekawa. Now all we have to do is to go forward with Imai-san and everything will be all right, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yes, that’s right. From now on, I will proceed with all of Himekawa-san’s matters.”

Imai-san talks to us with a smile.

“Yes, but…”

Himekawa looks at me. Good for you, you can go back to your life.

And we’ll be like nothing ever happened. We’ll just go back to the way things were. Nothing will change.

“I’m going home now. Please take care of the rest.

I get up from my seat, bow to Imai-san, and head for the exit.

“Wa, Wait! Tendo-kun!”

Himekawa’s voice reached my ears, but I left the coffee shop without looking back.

We never had anything in the first place. It just goes back to the way it was.

And then something came back to me, something that made me want to run.

I left the coffee shop and started running as fast as I could toward the station. Why am I frustrated?

With these questions in my mind, I arrive in front of the station to return home and suddenly see a bench.

It is the bench on which Himekawa was sitting. It was the bench on which Himekawa had been sitting the last time I saw her. Almost all day.

I naturally sit at the same place where Himekawa used to sit and look up at the sky.

Many people come and go in front of the station, and I hear various conversations, but I don’t hear them.

Can I say that I am dumbfounded, or what am I supposed to do with this feeling?

After a while, someone stops in front of me.

Don’t talk to me. I don’t want to talk to anyone right now. Leave me alone.

“Tendo-kun. What are you doing here?”

I respond to the voice and immediately turn my attention to the person who has stopped.

“Hi, Himekawa? Why are you here?”

She’s gasping for breath, breathing on her shoulders.

“I ran after you. You’re fast, aren’t you?”

Talking to me in a stuttering voice.

What was Himekawa thinking as she chased after me?

Are you done talking to Imai-san?

“I’ll decide for myself. I’ll decide for myself what I’m going to do!”

Himekawa’s eyes are looking straight at me as she says this strongly.

“I see. So you decide for yourself. That’s okay, you can make your own path, walk it, and move on.”

Then Himekawa reaches out her hand to me.

Without thinking, I naturally took her hand in mine. Himekawa pulls me to my feet.

As I stand up, Himekawa speaks to me in a strong tone.

“Let’s go!”

Pulled by her hand, I began to run with Himekawa.