1 The Last Meeting
The landscape was blanketed by a thick layer of snow, and the drain's water had frozen solid. Kenji trudged through the neighbourhood, navigating the roads and bridges with his sturdy winter boots. He held only Kaoru's face and the words he wanted to say firmly in his mind, propelling himself forward with determination.
Undeterred by the bitter cold, the deep snow, and his mixed emotions, Kenji pressed on.
From a bridge, he spotted his friend across the road. Clad in a navy-blue winter jacket, Kaoru had just stepped out of his house, ready to climb into an SUV.
But Kenji shouted, "Kaoru! Kaoru!"
Upon seeing a boy, who was seemingly buried his mouth under a thick scarf, rushing towards him, Kaoru disregarded the middle-aged lady standing by the car and rushed to meet his friend.
They raced as fast as they could, vying to be the first to reach the intersection. Though Kenji took the lead, he stumbled, allowing Kaoru to step ahead onto the junction.
However, as they were about to meet, a 3-tonne lorry suddenly thundered past.
Screech—!
"Kaoru!"
It was not Kenji's voice that pierced the cold, grey sky.
The middle-aged lady rushed to Kaoru's motionless body on the ground, frantically calling his name. The lorry driver hastily exited the vehicle, shaken by the tragic turn of events.
In an instant, Kenji found himself speechless, chilled to the bone.
All of this occurred within mere seconds. Witnessing the crimson stain on the snow, Kenji could hardly fathom what would happen next.
In a blink of an eye, five years went by.
During a short summer break in Tokyo, Kenji learned about Kaoru's fate from others. The boy had intended to visit his mother in the hospital, where she had just given birth to his younger brother.
But tragically, Kaoru never made it.
His untimely death seemed to unleash a series of misfortunes upon his family, cascading from one tragedy to another. Upon hearing the news, Kaoru's father abandoned his work and rushed out, only to meet with a fatal accident on the way.
His death followed swiftly.
With the loss of two beloved family members, Kaoru's mother succumbed to despair, unable to care for her surviving child, whom she saw as an omen of bad luck.
Eventually, drowning in grief, she took her own life.
As for Kaoru's younger brother, little was known about his fate, except that after his mother's passing, he was temporarily under his aunt's care before being adopted by a childless couple.
Kaoru's once vibrant home now stood empty.
"Will it remain empty forever?" Kenji whispered to himself, as his steps carried him farther away from the house.
Though no one blamed him, he couldn't shake off the overwhelming guilt. He couldn't stop thinking that he shouldn't have called Kaoru and that he shouldn't have been wearing those heavy boots.
And so, despite living in a different prefecture, requiring a costly and lengthy journey, Kenji faithfully visited Kaoru's grave, offering incense sticks as a solemn tribute.
