NOVEL NEXT Chapter 372
I had been to another place in Tokyo with Kagami and Dad before.
Even when I visited the grave of the one who saved me, it wasn’t nearby our house.
It seems like I am being watched.
But it doesn’t feel that way. Is it because it’s government-related? Or maybe Mako’s dad is quite exceptional in that field?
I thought maybe they wouldn’t be surveilling me and Kagami separately, but… um, somehow, that doesn’t seem likely.
Well, it is Tokyo, after all.
If I lived somewhere in the mountains, anyone following us would stand out, but being in the city center means they could easily hide among the people.
The sound of the waves wasn’t very loud. The bustling noise of the city was enough to drown it out.
No, more than that, there were way more people than I thought. Since we’re right in the city center, there would definitely be a lot of visitors even without taking a vacation.
“Ah, youth.”
Dad said that.
I think I understand what he means.
The beach in the largest city in Japan.
Um, how should I say this, it didn’t have the vibe for serious swimming, yet there were so many people. More than those in swimsuits, there were people who just came out for a brief break.
There were couples, and a lot of family-like atmospheres like ours. Groups of boys were playing around, and girls were lining up to dip their feet in the sea. Summer vacation had just started, so while there were no kids in school uniforms, I remembered there used to be many before.
If I were to describe the place that felt most similar to somewhere I’d been in my past life, it would probably be Hangang Park. If they had a sandy beach where you could enter the water, it would feel similar.
Youthful movies and dramas were unfolding here and there. It had that kind of vibe.
However—
I lightly tapped Dad’s arm.
“Huh?”
“Dad, saying stuff like that makes you sound old.”
“What!?”
We aren’t really a couple, and he has a family of his own, but if we’re going to be together, I’d prefer if he matched the age vibe a bit.
Kagami still seems young. Honestly, judging by the era I lived in, she would still fall within the ‘young’ boundary.
Kagami laughed at us. With a wide-brimmed hat and a white sundress, she looked stunning. Despite having a daughter, she radiated innocence.
For reference, I wore the same outfit and hat as Kagami. A few passersby glanced our way. If someone looked at me when I was alone, it would be a bit scary, but being together like this made me feel a bit proud.
I held Kagami’s hand.
It was hot and humid, and I could feel a little bit of sweat on Kagami’s hand. But I didn’t mind that much.
Kagami seemed to like that I was holding her hand, squeezing it tightly.
“Koto Ne!”
From a distance, Sota called my name.
Next to him, Shii was waving her hand.
Neither of them was particularly dressed to go into the water. Still, they were barefoot, so it seemed like they wanted to get in.
I looked up at Kagami.
She smiled at me and raised the camera hanging around her neck. Even in the midst of this chaos, Kagami cherished the camera. There was always a film inside it, and that film always contained my pictures.
I understood why she wanted to capture my image.
Kagami had no one but me. No matter how many people around her were willing to help, in the end, her guiding principle was to protect me.
I get that she wants to remember my childhood.
But…
But because of that, it seems like Kagami can’t enjoy what she should be able to enjoy, and that’s a bit unfortunate.
For now, I ran over to Sota and Shii.
After taking a few pictures, I would take Mom with me to dip our feet into the sea. That should be okay.
Shii came running to me and pulled my hand.
Her smiling face no longer had any shadows. It was as if she had forgotten her unhappy childhood.
Um.
Maybe, Shii is rewriting her lost childhood anew.
Instead of her mom and dad who treated her like that—
I looked back at Kagami and Dad. The two were slowly approaching us. In the midst of that, Kagami took a few pictures of me.
Though it feels a little strange to say this to Kagami, I honestly don’t think she looks good with a camera. Despite her tall stature, her body appeared somewhat frail.
The white sundress and wide-brimmed hat suited her well.
I waved at Kagami. She smiled at us three. Feeling relieved that her smile was so close, I let out a small breath and looked ahead again.
Beyond Tokyo Bay, I could see other buildings. Honestly, it didn’t have the typical seaside vibe you might think of— but well, I suppose this is just how it is.
In the height of summer, the city’s ocean.
In a place where countless youths are bustling about, we too blended in.
From afar, it seems like an ordinary sight, but to us up close, it was nothing short of extraordinary.
At the very least, nothing would be left behind in the photos that Shii and Sota took of Odaiba Beach this time.
*
“……Huh?”
A girl with dyed yellow hair suddenly turned around.
She held one slipper in each hand. She hadn’t worn socks at all, and since her shorts were short to begin with, she wouldn’t get wet.
In contrast, her friend, who had porcelain-like white skin, wore a somewhat dissatisfied expression as sea water seeped into the hem of her sleeveless dress.
According to the girl, they had ended up in the water by accident, so they had to take off their shoes and socks.
“……Why?”
Haruumi tilted her head at Yuuki’s question.
“No, I thought I heard something.”
“What did you hear?”
“Um.”
Haruumi hesitated for a moment, debating whether she should share what she heard.
After that incident, Yuuki had been feeling down for a while. While she described it as ‘a while’, it was almost a whole year.
She didn’t show it outright, but it seemed Yuuki thought of Koto Ne as if she were her sister.
Haruumi thought she was actually her closest friend.
Has it been around two years now? Although they hadn’t known each other for long, the fact that they had spent almost half of their short lives together was indeed significant.
Haruumi’s family didn’t have major problems, but Yuuki’s situation was a different story.
Now Yuuki fully understood what her father was involved in.
Perhaps it would have been better if only Yuuki knew, but it seemed other children at school were starting to pick up on it one by one. After all, if you lived in the same neighborhood, you could hear such rumors.
And Haruumi was one of them.
What if Koto Ne was nearby during those times?
Sometimes like a younger sister, sometimes like a best friend, and sometimes like an older sister.
Now that she thought about it, Koto Ne never seemed to just follow Haruumi around. Whenever they faced any difficulties, Koto Ne would be right there helping them out. Originally, Koto Ne had experienced much tougher things than either of them, maybe that’s why she felt unusually mature.
Perhaps if they had simply said goodbye at the end, like transferring to another school, she might not have remained on their minds this much—
But that very ordinary conversation that night, Koto Ne disappeared along with her mother. And there was never a word of contact.
Knowing a bit about Koto Ne’s family situation, Haruumi and Yuuki couldn’t help but worry deeply.
“……No, it’s nothing.”
The name Koto Ne isn’t particularly unique. It could been the name of someone among the many people here, or perhaps they just misheard a similar name.
Haruumi thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to bring it up again now.
“Haruumi, Yuuki!”
Fortunately, they didn’t need to dwell on their worries for long. Someone far away was calling them and running toward them enthusiastically.
“Mako!”
Mako, who had briefly gone somewhere with her father, couldn’t join them right away.
She said it was fine to come leisurely.
Seeing the bag in Mako’s hand swaying as she ran, Haruumi couldn’t help but smile.
It seemed she had brought ice cream or something.
Yuuki chuckled slightly at Mako too.
Haruumi relaxed her shoulders and waved broadly at Mako.
“Here, over here!”
Then she yelled unnecessarily loudly.
If the sound she heard before wasn’t a mishearing, perhaps that girl could hear it too.
A little disappointingly, no response came back.