Learning To Fly - A Saki pseudo-route (Completed)

[SurviVR]

I’m happy to hear that you are slowly on the mend, It’s nice to hear that you are returning to an old location that you felt happy in aswell, I will admit when I got the notification that you posted something I dropped everything I was doing to check if it was the final chapter but, I’m actually happier to see an update on how you’re doing! I hope everything goes the way you want it too and good luck with your new studies!

[Peorth]

Hang in there, dude. You got this.

[guthrum06]

Saki and Kayoko playing violin together is adorable. And heartbreaking.

Glad you are doing a bit better. I know we'll all happily wait as long as it takes for your conclusion to this amazing story.

[Alex FRD]

Glad to hear things are on the up, I'm sure things will keep getting better for ya, Euro.

[Blackmambauk]

Hey mate,

Good to hear that you are doing better than you had been doing earlier this year, where things had gotten tough to put lightly, sometimes going back to our roots, to what we did before can allow us to take a step forward again in our journey, in finding the balance between work and our personal lives.

And in getting close to paying off your debts,a newer truck and in learning new things with CAD etc.

LTF has always been for you and us readers, a journey, exploration and many other things of your thoughts, experiences and processes like how Sopranos was this for Chase via Tony, his relationship to his mother, his thoughts on modern America at the time, his therapy and so on.

Same with Anno's own depression, view on okatu culture influenced NGE in its original product.

And like them, you took everything you have put, and experienced into Hisao, Saki that has made for a riveting story, a very applicability story that has resonated with so many people including myself, having gone through similar things like suicide attempts, self-hatred and struggling with our disability condition.

One that its been a true honour to have followed, be part of the experience and seeing things developed between Hisao/Saki, Chisato constantly making us laugh, cry and so on. The anticipation of meeting Saki's dad and seeing the dick in form.

It's something that myself and everyone here has enjoyed immensely and eternally grateful for, no matter how long it has taken, since we kept the faith that the wait would be worth it and everyone it has been.

Same with the artworks you have done that you have shared over Discord, it's so clear like LTF, you have real passion for it and the creativity, the love you have for the characters, the design is all truly there.

You are almost there with the end, bit more and everything will come full circle.

Take care mate

Kind Regards

Mamba

[Resmyx]

Hey EBJ, I hope you're holding together alright. I hope you'll be okay. Thanks for the update...

I uh, have had a rough year. I work too hard and live so little. My new job is exactly what I'm good at. The catch is my bosses do promotions and raises based on seniority, so unfortunately most of my talents are going to waste. I have no authority to fix the dozens of problems I see, nor the pay to make any extra effort I do worth it.

My job gives me one thing though: freedom to think. Instead of important work, I spend a lot of time floating around a sales floor talking to people who don't need help. Meanwhile, I'm free to imagine and daydream.

Dear EBJ, I think it's a great idea to go back to that escape room job. I get it. It's not much, but it does have an element of freedom to it. Freedom is important.

If I've learned anything from your personal anecdotes over the years, its that understanding your own pain and joy is the first step in building a balance. In other words, discovering yourself is how to start planning a future.

I will write. When I die, I'll be remembered for my writing. Depending on your point of view, I'm a little ahead, or 10-ish years behind. I have an okay job that gives me the freedom to think, tinker and invent. Now comes the hard part: I need to start writing and keep going.

10½ years of sticking with this fic is a lot. You've written so much. No matter how many times you take a break, you always eventually come back to it. Your commitment and determination to finishing Learning To Fly is an inspiration to us all.

For reference, 4 Leaf Studios was founded in 2007, only 5 years before KS' full release in 2012. Between 5 authors and 12 others, KS is 484,303 words. 5 years and 96,860 words per author compared to 10½ years and 296,011 words. Yes, LtF has double the time and basically three times the word count, not counting titles, images, pre-chapter notes, Misha side story, and other bits!

To paraphrase you from when you started LtF, "If a homeless person living out of his car, with an intimate relationship with suicide, can pull himself together and create this, and have it be so profound, then what the hell am I doing with my life?"

[MrGooggles]

EBJ…
I just want to say, it took me a while. But I finally have caught up. It has been a rollercoaster reading this amazing work.

As I read, and kept seeing the long jumps in between the posting of chapters. I was anxious to see if it was ongoing or not (I’m kinda new to the forums and didn’t really check if there’s an ongoing tag) but with your recent post. Literally 6 days ago.

We believe in you man. I don’t know how much I can speak for others. But your story, has deeply affected me. You’ve put your heart and soul in this, and it shows.
To see such creativity and passion for something put into a story such as this one? Is mind blowing to me.

You’re going through tough times. I don’t know the specifics, but you are going to make it.
You’re a trooper. A fighter. You said it yourself, you’ve gone through some hard shit. That’s putting it lightly. But we believe in you. We support you. If you had/have a Patreon, or anything of the sorts. I’d happily support such a thing.
Artists like you, deserve to be loved. You deserve happiness.
While I am infatuated with this story, none of it would be possible without you.
I am so thankful for you writing this, it means so much. Please keep fighting. I think I can speak for most of us when I say this, but we are rooting for you.

[Retornodelogay]

Hey Euro!

First of all, I'm glad to read that things really are starting to look up. You put it into words way more beautifully than I could ever try, but reading LtF really has felt like peering a bit into your life over the course of 10 years. Whenever I think about how long you've been writing this I get genuinely dizzy, and it's weird to think this journey is coming to a close, even if I started reading just last year.

I've said it before but I'll say it again: absolutely no rush. The timing of the scene you're writing is... difficult in a way I can't really imagine. I admit that part of me also doesn't want it to end, since this fanfic has achieved that rare feeling of just wanting to spend more time with these characters, in whatever shape or form imaginable. I'm pretty sure this is going to be a recurrent read for me in the foreseeable future.

Anyway, don't want to write anything too long either. Just the best wishes from me, hope you have fun at your new (old) job and that things continue on the up for you!

[sterncaucasianmale]

Dear Euro,

First, I'm one of the chorus of people who made their KS accounts just to comment on this story.
I remember learning about Katawa Shoujo when it came out. Hearing that 4chan was making a dating sim about girls with disabilities sounded like the most insane thing ever. Reading the reviews and seeing that it was actually GOOD, even crazier. I played it. I was swept away. The heart in those stories (Hanako supremacy) was addictive, sincere, and wholly unique in a rare, rare way.

I moved to the forums, looking for more of anything like that. News about expansions. The further work of Four Leaf studios. I find out about the little April Fool's teaser, the girl with ataxia, and then about your incredible story, "Learning to Fly".

I was a little late to the game - you had already published a few chapters when I read it first, already listed as one of the best fanfics on the site. I was already in uni when I started reading it. At first, all it was, was scratching an itch. Then I grew attached to the characters. You taught me about this unique perspective of the OPTION of suicide as something powerful. It's a thought that, on dark days, can come to me - not the desire, but the knowledge that I can choose it, and do not - and give me confidence in myself.

The words you've written have made me smile, weep, scream, and fall in love with a thought. Your diary is of someone who has worked so hard to create while juggling life - I jump when life has been kind to you, slump when it isn't (and I dream of the day it always is). You have this incredible perseverance very, very few creators have, and you give me this deep insight into the complexity of the creative process, too.

This has been a work I come back to since reading up to the end of my first binge (and my god did I binge it). Every few months, every few years, I return to see another issue in a series of one of my favourite love stories. When I started, I was in my teens. Now, I've finished my PhD. I've had relationships, I've suffered illness, I've lost relationships, I've recovered from illness - I've grown into a man. This story represents a time in the past, but it's still alive, and I think that's a good metaphor for it, too. Saki and Hisao, they live in the present, and their relationship will end. Hisao will live on, past Saki, but once she's gone from his life - and this story from ours, the memories of that little dating sim we all played and everything attached to it - her time with him will have had meaning, and live on through him. We live in the present too, and the experience of reading this, seeing the little (not so little) updates, has been something both in the past and, until you finish, the present. We don't read it because it will never end - we read it because reaching that end is worthwhile.

The musical accompaniment also has been very touching. That specific version of Pachelbel's canon in d holds a place in my heart, and I made sure to play it as the recital was happening. My clothes got inexplicably wet, somehow, with weird drops from nowhere. Probably rain.

EBJ, you have my gratitude for writing this, you have my gratitude for sticking through it, and I hope beyond hope that your life is happy and stable enough to finish this personal masterpiece. If nothing else, you're gonna have a lot of people ready and willing to buy this in book form. I have trouble explaining to people that my favourite story is a longrunning fanfic about an april fools character for a disabled women anime dating sim made by 4chan, but there it is. Binders might help explain it better.

My deepest thanks,
A happy, excited reader.

[Wetworth]

This thread has been silent for a few months, so I just want to say you got this Euro! We're all waiting, but we are okay with that.

[MagicalMelancholy]

Finished catching up to this story! It's really really good and it really makes me wanna step up with my own writing (it's nothing related to Katawa Shoujo though).

Luckily I don't have anything like ataxia, but I also have a disability that left me unable to perform in orchestra after high school, so Saki's frustration is really relatable on that front.

As for the scene I like the most... Probably the scene where Saki first discusses what she wants to do as her condition gets worse with Hisao, and Hisao is thinking about how much he loves her. It felt magical to me, probably because I'm a slut for nighttime scenes.

I do hope your life starts going better. Even if you didn't write peak you'd deserve that.

Also eurobeat is the best. Your username is based.

[Eurobeatjester]

Holy crap. Eleven years. Eleven long years.

Life chugs on, as ever it does. I finally got in the right headspace to finish this chapter, and with it, the story.

There’s so much I want to say, so many people I want to thank…but for now, I’ll need a few days or a week or so to be able to gather my thoughts for an extensive Afterword.

In the meantime, this chapter clocks in at around 14,000 words. I’m planning on having a brief epilogue, but I’m making no promises as to when it will come out - hopefully soon, now that the main story itself is finished.

My most sincere thanks to everyone who has followed along and encouraged me on Learning to Fly for all of these years.

Act 4: Liftoff

Scene 14: Tranquility Base

The morning comes all too soon.

I’m not sure which one of us wakes up first, but neither of us open our eyes. Instead, we decide to enjoy the moment - and each other - for a little while longer. The feeling of Saki’s body pressing against my own brings me a peace and warmth that centers me. Both of us shift and she hugs me from behind, her breath tickling the back of my neck as neither of us want to start the day.

A quiet beeping puts an end to it, insistent despite the lack of volume. I fumble my arm out towards the nightstand and grab Saki’s watch - the source of noise. When I groan, I feel Saki move against me.

“Uuuggghhh…what time is it?” I hear her manage to get out.

I blink enough sleep out of my eyes to read the dial. “Almost seven.”

“Turn it oooofff,” she drawls, curling up against me tighter.

“What button do I push?”

“Upper right.”

I find the button I’m looking for more by feel than sight, and the room falls into blessed silence once again.

“That thing doesn’t have a snooze alarm, does it?” I ask.

“Nope…but I’m awake now,” I hear her yawn. “I just want to stay like this for a few more minutes.”

The room seems brighter than usual this time of morning, if only because it’s so empty. All of my things are packed in a handful of boxes in the corner, except for essentials like the sheets and my uniform. Without anything on the walls, the sun is far more enthusiastic in bouncing around the room.

Today’s the day we graduate.

Years ago, I couldn’t have ever imagined what it would have been like to get to this point in my life. You know you’ll get there, but it happens at such a slow pace day to day that you never really think about it.

Until you open your eyes, and it’s the day.

My heart usually feels a bit sluggish in the mornings, but this time, there’s no issue. All I do is remember what else should be happening today, and I’m alert pretty quickly.

Saki said she needed a night to think about my question.

After she said that, I tried my best to take her at her word, but it was way more of a struggle than I anticipated it would be. It took almost everything I had to keep from bringing it up. Last night it seemed different, because we still had that time ahead of us. Now that the day is here, we have a set amount of hours before we leave the school this afternoon…

No. She’ll tell me when she’s ready. Don’t ask her.

Regardless, we only have about an hour before we have to be in our respective homerooms. I don’t mind staying like this a bit longer, but we both know we need to get up soon enough to put our best faces forward today.

Five minutes turn into ten before both of us mutually make the decision to at least try and wake up fully. I scoot back and end up sitting up against the wall, running my hands over my face to rub both the sleep and hair out of my eyes.

“Sleep well?” Saki asks, looking up at me.

“Pretty good, all things considered.”

She smiles. “Me too.”

“What did you want to do about breakfast?”

She yawns and stretches, the sheet falling away from her. She makes no motion to cover herself back up, instead draping her forearm over her eyes. She’s clearly more reluctant to get up than I am, despite her earlier assurances.

“We’re going to eat after graduation, but that’s a ways off. Cafeteria?” she asks.

“Might as well. It’s the last time we’ll be eating there, after all.”

“Oh, however will I live without those powdered eggs and granola?” Saki replies sarcastically, making me chuckle.

“I think they use actual eggs.”

“You got used to the hospital food before you came here. Anything would be an improvement after that.”

“I’m pretty sure a small jar of hot sauce was the biggest amount of contraband Mai ever gave me.”

She laughs. “At least it’s better than…whatever it is that Chisato eats that passes for ice cream.”

“I didn’t think it was that bad.”

“I never said having a lack of taste was inherently a bad thing.”

“Must explain why we get along so well,” I ponder, leaning down to give her a kiss. She removes her arm and smiles against my lips, looking up at me. She makes a face when I pull back.

“I love you, but my gods, do you have some powerful morning breath,” she says.

“Really?” I ask, breathing on the back of my hand and checking. She’s right. We didn’t exactly have a normal routine last night after we got back to my room. Well…it was normal enough for the two of us, except we ended up falling asleep pretty quickly without taking the shower we normally would. Speaking of which…

“We should probably shower and brush our teeth.”

“Do you want to go first, or should we go together?” Saki asks me. She sits up next to me and starts to scoot toward the end of the bed.

“As tempting as that is, I’m not sure it’s the best idea…”

“What are they gonna do if they catch us, expel us? Besides, I thought you said Kenji was the only other one on this side of your floor.”

“That is true…”

“It’s settled, then.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

I laugh, conceding. “Fine. But let’s at least make sure the coast is clear.”

It doesn’t take that long for us to gather the few items we need - just enough clothing to change into to keep our decency on the way back from the showers - and head in that direction. Kenji’s room is silent as we walk past it, and thankfully the floorboards decide for once not to betray us as we put our weight on them.

We clean ourselves off quickly together, each washing the other’s back and taking turns under the stream of water. There’s a comfort and familiarity to our movements - when I think back about the first time we were in the shower together, all those months ago at the beach, the mood was almost as steamy as the air itself. Now, however, we’ve become comfortable enough with each other that something like this doesn’t instantly get the blood boiling…but we still manage to sneak in a few looks and light caresses.

“I’m going to need a few more minutes to do my hair,” Saki says. “It takes a while to wash out all the stuff I put in yesterday for the recital.”

“You gonna be okay?” I ask.

“Yeah,” she answers, grabbing a bottle from her caddy and dumping a generous portion of product into her palm. She sits down on the small folding bench to steady herself. “You going somewhere?”

“If you’re going to be a bit longer, I was thinking about heading down and grabbing us some coffee.”

Saki breaks into a very relieved - and exaggerated - grin. “You’ve been full of good ideas lately. That sounds wonderful.”

With a plan of action decided on, I step out of the shower and grab my towel, drying off as fast as I can. I quickly put on the bare minimum of clothing - just underwear and pants - and make sure that Saki’s cane is within easy reach.

“I left your cane right outside the stall on the left. I’ll meet you back at my room?”

“Take your time! I should be done and back there in around ten minutes.”

“You got it,” I answer, pulling my shirt on over my head.

--------------*--

Ten minutes later, almost to the second, I end up back at the room. I delicately balance one cup on top of the other to free the hand I need to open the door, doing so and slipping inside. Saki’s sitting on the edge of my bed, her uniform shirt on and a small makeup compact in her hand as she studies herself intently.

“I got lucky,” I mention. “There wasn’t any line in front of the machine this morning.”

“Gimme,” Saki grunts, her compact snapping shut as it and everything else that makes up her existence is completely forgotten at the moment. I laugh and hand her a cup, which she accepts gratefully. She takes a sip, closing her eyes to savor it.

When she opens them again, she sets the cup on the nightstand…and the atmosphere subtly changes when she clears her throat.

“So. I thought about what you said last night, Hisao.”

“Y-yeah?” I say, trying not to stumble. I’ve known this moment was coming since last night, but now that it’s here, I’m apprehensive.

Saki nods, and pats the bed next to her. I woodenly move to sit beside her, my joints a lot stiffer than they usually are.

I’m nervous.

Saki looks at the floor for a few seconds, taking her time figuring out the words she wants to say. When she finally does speak again, it’s in a somber tone.

“I have three conditions, Hisao.”

“Conditions?” I automatically ask, my confusion apparent in my voice.

“If you want me to say yes, I have three conditions. If that makes you uncomfortable, I need to know now.”

“No no, not at all!” I quickly rush to assure her. “I just, uh, wasn’t really expecting that as an answer.” I take one of her hands with my own and gently squeeze it. “Please. I want to hear them.”

Saki nods, before taking a deep breath. “I want you to agree that I make all my own medical decisions.”

I frown. “After last night, I thought that was a giv-”

She turns to face me, and I’m cut off by how serious her eyes are. “Legally. I want you to enter into a legal contract if we get married.”

I pause for a moment. “Is this like a prenuptial agreement?”

She nods again. “You can think of it that way. I’ll ask Shuya to get one of the family lawyers to draft it. I’m the one that has final say over my own treatments. Unless something happens where I’m not able to, like being hit by a car or being in a coma or something.”

“I’m confused. Wouldn’t the law just take care of that once we were married?”

“It’s not just for my sake. It’s for yours too,” she sighs quietly, turning away from me.

“My sake? How?” I ask. I’m not challenging her on it; I just want her perspective.

“Because I won’t - can’t - risk you going back on your word,” she answers, her tone steadfast with conviction. “I know what you said last night, but no matter what happens, it’s going to get really bad at the end of it and we both know it. If it’s something we both agree to set in stone, then we won’t have to worry about it. I don’t want to put that burden on you. I’m not going to put that on you.”

“Saki-”

“It would also make it harder for my father to try to challenge anything, because it’s not just a marriage he would have to get through, but a separate legal declaration.” She bites her lip. “Without it, he’s going to put a lot of pressure on you.”

I don’t say anything for a moment while I take this in. Instead of seeming like some critique on my likeliness to keep my promise, her words have a deep honesty to them that shows trust and respect in my ability to listen to them.

And, she’s right. It does make the most sense.

My voice feels a bit rusty when I finally answer her. “Can I ask for something in return?”

“Do you need your rom-com clause for this?” she asks, giving a small lilt of laughter at the end of her question.

“I think we’ve been stuck in that mood since last night.”

“You’re not wrong. So why stop now? Tell me what’s on your mind.”

I pause before answering, trying to organize my own thoughts. “I’ll never second guess you on things or ask you to justify yourself, but please, tell me what’s going on when things come up. You know me. I really appreciate explanations to help me understand things better.”

“That’s more than fair,” Saki says, conceding a bit. “Alright. I’ll do my best to be open with you about everything, Hisao, but…please don’t hold it against me when I stumble with that.” Her voice drops a bit. “It’s…new to me too.”

“Whatever happens, you won’t have to be alone while going through it.”

“Th…thank you.”

We sit blushing, time stretching out for a few heartbeats and breaths before I can’t take the silence any longer.

“What’s the second condition?” I ask quietly.

Saki covers her face with her hands and lets slip a small sound of embarrassment. I think she said something, but I’m not sure.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“You passed it already,” I hear her repeat, even though it’s still muffled.

I’m more confused than happy when I hear her say that. “What was it, and how did I pass it?”

She smiles slightly when she hears me ask for clarification, lowering her hands.

“After you asked me last night to marry you, I was…overwhelmed. Like, really overwhelmed. I mean, we were talking about it but after I heard you actually ask me, I just didn’t know how to respond right away.”

She tucks the ever-wild strand of hair back behind her ear, letting her hand linger on the side of her neck. In a quick motion, she nervously reaches out and grabs her coffee, taking another long drink. I don’t know if she’s doing it to stall for time, or because her throat is dry, but I wait.

“I told you I needed a night to think about it, and…you believed me,” she says, setting the cup down. “You didn’t bring it up again. You could have asked me for an answer. You could have bugged me last night, at any point before we…fell asleep,” she says, shooting me a sly grin.

Hearing her say this is instantly validating. “I wanted to. I really wanted to,” I say, practically gushing that confession.

“I could tell because of how hard you were working last night,” she responds, leaning against me. “Don’t think I didn’t appreciate it.”

I laugh, and the two of us fall over backwards onto the bed, staring towards the ceiling. We both turn into each other, our faces a few inches apart.

“Seriously though,” she continues, “it meant a lot. It makes me feel a lot better about trusting you to really listen to me.”

I reach up and brush back another lock of hair that’s traced her jawline down to her throat. She closes her eyes and nuzzles her cheek lightly against my hand, sighing contentedly.

“And the third?” I ask.

Her eyebrows knit for a second as she stiffens up against me. Whatever it is she’s about to ask of me, she’s really struggling with what she’s trying to say. With how candid she’s been about the rest of it, it gives me pause that she hesitates now.

I want to press her. But just like last night, I put my faith in her instead. She’ll tell me when she’s ready. I just need to let her.

“Hisao, there’s one more thing I need you to promise me,” she says, only loud enough to be barely heard.

“Would you want me to sign anything else?”

“No, not for this one.”

“What is it?”

Saki looks at me for a few seconds, almost speaking but failing several times. Finally, she closes what little space there is between us with the rustling of fabric. She buries her head in the crook of my shoulder, her breath against my chest.

“After I’m gone, I want you to remarry.”

The pain that statement causes me catches me off guard. “Saki…”

“Don’t interrupt me. I mean it. You’re an amazing person. You deserve to be happy. Don’t ever worry or doubt that’s what I want. If you find someone that you can make as happy as you make me, then you go for it.”

Her voice cracks slightly, her hand moving up my arm to rest on my cheek.

“Do the things with them that we won’t be able to do. Find…find someone you can grow old with, Hisao. You deserve it. It’s what I want for you.”

My eyes start to burn with tears, so I close them and wrap my arms around her, holding her against me. This woman that I love, telling me and encouraging me to prepare for a future without her in it…

“I promise.” I say.

(continued...)

[Eurobeatjester]

She presses her face further into my shirt. “I mean, mourn for me first. Don’t bring a plus one to my funeral.”

Despite myself, I give a sharp, short bark of laughter. The amount of tension that small bit of humor helped with is a welcome reprieve, letting both of us be ourselves.

“Don’t hold yourself back. Don’t ever hold yourself back.”

I kiss the top of her head. “Thank you.”

I feel her squirm, bringing her face back up into my field of vision. “That’s all you have to say?”

My eyebrow raises at her incredulousness. “You know I never do well with being put on the spot.”

“Well,” she says, blushing a bit and averting her face, “you’ll have a year to come up with some vows.”

My heart soars as my mind immediately goes into overdrive at that sentence…but I hold it together long enough to ask the question I’ve been wanting to ask since last night.

“Does that mean the answer is yes?”

Her eyes meet mine, her voice a whisper that gently draws me into their depths. “Ask me again.”

I tighten my grip on her and roll the two of us sideways, Saki giving a little squeal of surprise at the sudden movement. When we come to rest, she’s underneath me, her eyes open wide. I bend down to place my forehead against hers.

“Marry me, Saki.”

This time, there’s no hesitation. Her arms go around my neck as she pulls me down fully on top of her, kissing me hard for the briefest of moments.

“Yes!”

A giddiness overcomes us both as we embrace and kiss again, barely able to hold in the laughter we’re both feeling. We savor the moment, letting it wash over and through us.

I have no idea how long we stay like that, but eventually we both calm down. The feeling is still incredible as she takes one of my hands in hers, tracing out every detail of it with her fingertips and violinist’s precision.

“I told you. I wanted to say yes.”

I close my eyes and start to chuckle, thinking about where I am right now, who I’m with, and everything that happened the last year to lead me to this moment.

“You okay?” Saki asks me, looking up at me with concern.

“Yeah,” I reply, rolling off of her and onto my back. “Just thinking about how far I’ve come this last year.”

“It’s been a crazy one, for sure.”

“Holy shit, that’s an understatement. To think that getting confessed to was what gave me a heart attack, and now a year later, I just proposed.”

“And your girlfriend said yes. Don’t forget that part.”

“She did, for some reason,” I smile.

Saki playfully grabs me by the shoulder and pulls me back on top of her into another embrace. “If I listed all the reasons why I did, we’d miss the homeroom bell.”

“So…what happens now?” I ask, settling down against her. I rest my head on her chest and close my eyes, feeling the rhythm of her heartbeat as it steadies and calms me.

“Well…we have about thirty minutes to get to our homerooms for the final rehearsal. I think we need to straighten our clothes a bit, but we should be fine.”

“Ah, right.” Not exactly what I meant, but Saki picks up on it.

“Let’s figure out exactly what this means after graduation, right?”
“Where were you planning on visiting after the ceremony?” I ask.

Tradition dictates that the ceremony will be a rather lengthy one, between speeches given by the teachers and the students, recognition of awards to those that earned them, and the general pomp of it all…

…and we’re going to have to do it twice today - once for practice, and once for real. It’s going to be hours before we’re turned loose; the rest of the school has the day off in celebration. All of the graduating students are expected to spend one last afternoon with their classmates and clubs, taking pictures, exchanging numbers, and forming memories.

“I want to say goodbye to everyone in my homeroom first,” she says. “I might stop by the art room. I haven’t decided if I want to just yet.”

“Nomiya?”

“Nomiya. I know after all this my parents and Shuya want to take me out for dinner, too.”

I clear my throat again, reluctantly rolling to the side of the bed and finding my feet. “My folks said something similar. I’m guessing you’ll end up in the music room, then?”

She tenses the muscles in her abdomen, letting me know she wants to move. “Later tonight, yeah. Sensei has a tradition at the end of the year and I don’t want to miss it.”

“What’s that?” I ask, pushing off the bed to sit up and then helping her do the same. She smoothes down the front of her shirt, taming wrinkles both real and imagined before grabbing the black bow that goes around her neck. I give her a hand by plucking at the puffed sleeves on her shoulders, trying to give them some body.

“She carries around the big polaroid camera and takes pictures of everybody, same as Christmas. She uses them to finish out the band room wall for the graduating class. What about you? Any places you want to visit?”

“I don’t really have anywhere else to visit besides the classrooms. I never ended up joining any clubs, after all.”

“You did take up swimming,” Saki mentions, her fingers struggling to tie the stubborn piece of decoration at her throat. “I swear, why they insist on not having these things be clip-ons, I’ll never understand…”

“I never understood that either, to be honest.”

“Oh hush,” she growls. “Yeah, you have to wear a tie but once you get the knot in it, you can just slide it over your head for weeks and nobody cares.”

“How much time over the course of the last three years do you think Chisato’s saved?”

“Hours. Literal hours.”

“Need a hand?”

“Have you ever tied one of these before?”

I shake my head. “I’ve taken yours off several times…”

“Thankfully this is the last time I’ll have to do this,” she says.

I chuckle at that. “If it’s all the same to you, do you mind if I end up going to the music room afterwards?”

She finally succeeds, pulling the fabric taught and straightening it. “You have just as much of a right to be there as anyone else. You were never in band, but…well, you were a pretty big part of it for the two of us. Noriko’s coming too.”

“I’ll definitely end up there then. I want to say goodbye to my friends who aren’t in my homeroom. Lilly ‘s the only one who isn’t in my class or yours.”

“Since it sounds like we’re saying goodbye to the same people, how about after graduation, you say goodbye to your class, come to mine, and then after that we go say hi to Lilly?”

“That sounds like a great idea.”

--------------*--

The leadup to the ceremony is almost as long as the ceremony itself. There’s no speeches, but plenty of instruction as to how they’ll operate.

After all of us report to our homeroom, we’re taken out into the courtyard where the stage has been set up. Dozens of chairs are arrayed in a few groups near the front - one group for each class - with at least another hundred or two in orderly rows past that for spectators and parents to sit. There aren’t that many sitting there now, but that’s going to change when the actual event happens.

All of Yamaku’s third year students are here, and I look over the crowd to see everyone I recognize. Kenji and Lilly are in their own section, and to the right of me, I can see Chisato sitting with Mitsuru, Saki, and Noriko. Emi and Rin are both there as well, the former seeming to be bouncing around with excitement.

The process is explained to us by the dean at the podium - first, he’ll give a speech, followed by a brief performance by a few members of the band. Then come more speeches from different members of the faculty. Finally, Shizune will be giving her own as translated by Misha - and I admit I’m curious to see how that goes - with two more from underclassmen to round out the docket.

Finally, our names will be called one at a time, as we line up in front of the stage to receive our diplomas.

The rehearsal itself takes about two hours, with various teachers refining the placement of students to make sure the ceremony itself goes as smoothly as possible; those students in wheelchairs or anyone else who has difficulty walking or seeing are near the front, while others remain behind them to push them or guide them, respectively.

Once it ends, we’re given about an hour or so before we’re called to be back, giving everyone enough time to grab a drink of water or use the restroom. With so many trying to do those two things at once, there’s barely enough time for this to happen before we find ourselves back in the midday heat, ready to go for real. The seats behind us fill up with friends and family, and a constant hushed murmur ripples through them all creating a pleasant background noise.

And with that…the dean makes his way to the podium again, calling for silence by his mere presence.

“Thank you all for being here today, as we both honor and encourage those here who have demonstrated academic excellence…”

--------------*--

“Ugh, I thought that would never end,” I say, collapsing into my chair and reaching up to loosen the knot of my tie. I pull it down a few inches so I can breathe better, remembering the conversation Saki and I had in my dorm earlier this morning. Then I remember all of the conversation, and my mood turns more jovial.

“‘Surely you don’t think that my speech was boring, do you Hicchan?’” Misha says, translating for Shizune.

“Heaven forbid,” I reply, knowing better than to poke that bear. “I thought it was nice. The whole ceremony was pretty long, however.”

“‘It’s only the most important event of our academic lives so far!’”

“So far?” I raise an eyebrow and smile. “So, what’s next for you, Shizune?”

Shizune fidgets, but Misha is primed and ready. “‘I have two different schools to choose from. One here in Sendai, and another in Osaka. I haven’t made the decision of which one I want to go to yet.’”

“Really? That’s good to hear. What about you, Misha?”

Misha quips up. “Actually, Hicchan, I think I’m going to keep doing what I was doing here! I want to go on to continue to be a sign language interpreter. Being here with Shicchan has been a lot of fun!”

“I think it’s something you’d be really good at.”

“It was a lot of hard work, but I was able to get my grades up. Shicchan is a pretty good tutor when she wants to be!”

Shizune pushes her glasses further up the bridge of her nose, beaming with pride.

“So what do you think of the new student council?” I ask. “Do you think they’re going to live up to your expectations?”

She snorts indignantly while Misha signs. “‘I wish I had more time with them. I wrote down a list of responsibilities they might forget.’ She says that, but I just think it’s because nobody lives up to her standards!” Misha finishes, not signing the last part.

“Few do, I imagine.”

“What are you going to be doing, Hicchan?”

“Shizune’s not the only one who has different options on where she wants to go,” I reply.

Shizune raises an eyebrow in disbelief. “‘But how? I saw your grades when Mutou posted test results. There’s no way your grades were anywhere near mine!’ Hey, Shicchan, isn’t that a bit rude?”

Seeing how much this is riling up Shizune, I smile to myself and try to see how far I can take it. “There are several schools in Tokyo I’m looking at. I’ll even be living next to the campus.”

Shizune looks at me, dumbfounded, before she starts to infer that I’m messing with her. She angrily signs to Misha.

“‘Prep school?’”

“Like I said, I have a lot of schools in Tokyo to choose from.”

Another flurry of animation combined with a look of utter disgust, and Misha shakes her head.

“What did she say?” I ask.

“I’m not translating it,” Misha responds.

“Probably better I don't know, then.”

I look down at my wristwatch, then to the clock above the door to make sure they’re both in sync. I have a little more than an hour before my folks said they would be at the school to pick me up, and there’s three more stops I need to make.

I stand up, and the two girls immediately pick up on my vibes.

“Keep in touch, okay, Hicchan?” Misha says, moving to give me a hug; she somehow manages to keep her hands free so she can continue to sign for Shizune. She gives me a quick embrace as well before backing up.

“‘Don’t forget that when you go out there, you’re not just representing yourself, but you’re an alumni of Yamaku Academy.’”

“Don’t worry, Shizune. I promise you, I’ll never forget that, or you two, for as long as I live. I didn’t join the student council, but I’m always going to be grateful you helped pull me out of my shell that first week.”

The blue-haired girl slightly blushes at that, then tries to hide it with a deep, formal bow.

“Good luck, Hicchan!”

“Thank you. I wish the same to the two of you!”

--------------*--

I poke my head into the adjoining classroom, barely managing to avoid a handful of students who come barreling out the door at that exact moment. The breeze they make causes my tie and hair to flutter.

My eyes dart around for some familiar faces, and although I find a few, I’m expecting more. The one I do see though is the one I’m most encouraged to find.

“Hey Saki!” I call out, snaking my way through the furniture and students over to the far corner. She’s sitting at a desk surrounded by Rin and Emi, the latter sitting on the table and letting her legs swing free.

“Hisao!” she says, jumping up and quickly closing the distance between us for a hug. “I was wondering when you’d get here.”

“Sorry. Just wanted to say goodbye to a few people. Mainly Mutou, Shizune, and Misha.”

“You didn’t say goodbye to Miki and Suzu?”

“I didn’t see them there. Hanako was gone too.”

“Maybe they went off together, like Chisato and Mitsuru.”

“That answers the question I was about to ask.”

(continued...)

[Eurobeatjester]

“I think Noriko might be with them. Worst case, we run into them in the band room.”

“Hisao!” Emi says, hopping down off the table to give me a hug the same way Saki did. I find it amusing that she’s actually shorter standing up than she was sitting down. “How’s my one-time running partner?”

I start to laugh. “Quite literally, the one time.”

She waves me off. “Oh, I’m over it. I’d be a lot more mad at you if you didn’t take up swimming.” She reaches up and puts a hand briefly on my chest in a completely overexaggerated way. “Are those actual muscles I’m feeling under the shirt?”

“Hey. Look but don’t touch,” Saki says, trying her best to give a menacing growl, but she descends into giggles as soon as the words are out of her mouth.

I turn to Rin. “Oh, Rin! I haven’t run into you much lately, but I wanted to say that the mural you painted out by the dorms is really beautiful.”

“Thanks,” she says with a small smile. “Everyone tells me how it makes them feel. I think…that’s what art should do.”

“Even before my ataxia started to get bad, I never really did pick up painting,” Saki ponders.

“I’ve heard you play. It sounds like…that feeling of butterflies you get in your head when you’re about to fall asleep.” She closes her eyes. “I don’t think I could paint that.”

“Sorry again for leaving the art club again so suddenly.”

“You wouldn’t have been able to do what you did last night if you stayed in, right? Did it feel good?”

“It felt incredible,” Saki sighs, reliving last night.

“No, I mean, did it feel good?” Rin insists. “Was it like, the butterfly feeling good, or…a warm blanket by a fire good?”

I raise an eyebrow. I’ve always had a hard time understanding Rin whenever we would talk, and I do feel a bit of regret that I was never better at it.

“The second one,” Saki says, after a moment. “A warm blanket by a fire.”

Rin seems satisfied by that answer.

“So what are you going to be doing, Hisao?” Emi perks up. “Saki here tells me you’re moving to Tokyo with her.”

“That’s the tentative plan. There’s a lot of logistics to work out, but I think they’re doable. You?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” she answers, a bit embarrassed. “I have an idea that I’ve been looking into, but…it might sound kind of silly.”

“What is it?”

Her face brightens with excitement. “I’m trying to see what I’d have to do to try and qualify for the paralympics! I’m the fastest thing on no legs here, but there’s a lot of really incredible people that are like me out there.”

“You’re going to have to tighten up your eight-hundred meter time.”

She pouts. “Ugh, don’t remind me. That’s the only thing I never beat Miura at.”

“Never beat me at what?” I hear a voice exclaim. All of us turn to look and see the girl in question grinning at the door. The great Miki Miura takes a step inside, followed by Suzu.

“Ah, there you are Hisao! We just got back to the classroom and didn’t see you. I was just about to text ya!”

“What’s this now?” Emi says, sticking her nose up. “She has your number, but I don’t?”

“Well, if you came into town with us at Christmas, I would have given it to you,” I chide.

“Bah humbug. Who am I going to crash with if I make it up to Tokyo?”

I hold out my hand. “I’ll give you my number right now if you give me your phone.”

“Really?”

“Sure. You can put it in Rin’s phone too.”

Miki grins. “All you had to do was ask, Emi. It’s not like either of us stood a chance against Sak-oof,” she grunts, Suzu having given her an elbow to the ribs. “Hey, I was only kidding. Just because you don’t swing that way doesn’t mean I’m not gonna enjoy getting a look or two in.”

Saki puts her hand over her mouth to keep from cracking up - partially at what was just said, and partially at how hard Emi rolls her eyes.

Suzu clears her throat. “You’re lucky you’re worth the effort, Miki.”

Her girlfriend puts an arm around her and kisses the side of her head. “I’m here as long as you want me to be. And I hope it’s a good, long time.”

Saki’s expression shifts slightly - her smile becomes sadder as she hears Miki’s words.

I hand Emi’s phone back to her and quickly change the subject. “Got any ideas what you’re going to end up doing?”

“Well, tonight we’re spending one last night in the dorms before our parents come to pick us up. After that though, who knows?”

“I kind of meant more along the lines of school, college, work, et cetera…”

“Like I said, who knows? I haven’t really thought much about it, if I’m being honest. I didn’t really plan on what I’d end up doing. Maybe go to prep school like you’re doing so I can get into whatever school Suzu ends up going to.”

Suzu gives her a warm embrace - I can tell this isn’t the first time they’ve had this conversation, and I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be the last.

Miki turns to Emi. “Still thinking about that paralympic thing?”

“I am,” Emi says. “And uh, there’s one other thing but I’m not sure if I’m good enough to do it.”

“What’s that?” Suzu asks.

“I think I want to do what Nurse does. Not like, being the head of the medical staff or anything, but I want to be able to help other people like us. Like me.” She fidgets a bit. “I think Nurse would really be able to help me if I decided to do that instead of the paralympics. Or after them, if I’m good enough to get in.”

I smile a bit as I can imagine the grin on his face. “He means a lot to you, doesn’t he?”

Emi growls. “Maybe now that I’m not a student anymore, he’ll finally make a move on my mom.”

This time, it’s Suzu who covers her mouth.
Miki pulls Emi into a headlock and tousles her hair. “Well, you won’t have to worry about any competition from me in either of those. I said I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I am pretty sure being a track star or a nurse aren’t really high on the list. Future’s wide open, though.”

Emi pulls down Miki’s arm enough to squirm free. “What about you, Rin? Are you gonna take up Nomiya and Sae on their offer?”

Rin shrugs and looks down. “I’m trying to think really hard about it. You try to see something as if it wasn’t happening to you, but it is, and you think about what that person should do, but it’s you.”

I lean over to Saki and whisper a question. “What are they talking about?”

“Nomiya and his friend Sae are pretty much doing the same thing that sensei and Mr. Takamura are doing for us, with art school instead of music school.”

“Ah, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“It is. But Rin’s not fully onboard yet, I think.”

“I know it wasn’t easy for you.”

“Yeah, and I really hope she doesn’t have to go through the same things I did,” she says. She speaks up a little louder. “Hey, Rin? Can I offer some input? Maybe a different lens to look at it through?”

“As long as it’s not one of the ones you can burn ants with. Or maybe that could be useful for other things, like starting a fire if you got lost in the woods.”

Saki sighs a bit. “I never really did give you the reason I left the art club. I wanted to focus more on my violin and recordings, but…I saw the way you and others could paint, or draw, and I really felt like I wasn’t an artist. But you said my music makes you feel, even if it is butterflies in your head.”

Rin frowns a bit as she contemplates this. “Sae said something to me when I asked her what an artist was. She said an artist is ‘someone that can manifest the things in their head to be enjoyed by other people.’ I think it makes sense? It’s really hard for me to do with words sometimes. But I think…I need to try and meet other people like me. With the butterflies.”

“...you just put it a lot better than I could,” Saki concedes.

I can’t say I understand the words, but strangely, I understand the feeling behind them…I think. I can never quite tell with Rin.

“What time are y’all leaving tonight?” Miki asks us.

“We’re going out to dinner with our parents later tonight, then leaving Sendai in the morning.”

“Ah, dang. I was gonna suggest you get dinner with us.”

“Come to Tokyo and we’ll take you up on that,” Saki beams.

“We might just do that,” Miki says, squeezing Suzu closer to her side.

--------------*--

“Last stop before the band room?” Saki asks me.

“Yeah, unless there’s anywhere else you want to go.”

She shakes her head. “I thought again about going to the art room, but I haven’t even set foot in it since that day with Nomiya. Besides, you’re not the only one who wanted to say goodbye to Lilly.”

“I just hope she’s in her classroom. If I had to bet, I’d say Hanako was with her.”

The two of us are heading down the hallway, past my homeroom to the other end of the corridor where Lilly’s class is. Things have quieted down a bit compared to earlier, now that everyone is either leaving or choosing to get together with the friends they’ve made in the various clubs.

We reach our destination, and I hold open the door for Saki. She’s not even across the threshold when she gives a small noise of appreciation.

“Yep, there they are.”

The long blonde hair and black ribbon stand out like a beacon, and true to my guess, Hanako is standing there next to her. When we walk over to the two of them, there’s another woman with them that I don’t recognize. She’s shorter than Lilly, but has the same color hair and a black pinstripe suit that looks a little bit like what Chisato wore at the recital last night.

“Lilly!” I say, a bit louder than I normally would. She turns an ear in my direction.

“Hisao, is that you?”

“I was hoping I’d meet you here and get a chance to say goodbye.” I turn to Hanako. “I tried to find you in our class but you weren’t there.”

Hanako blushes a little. “I came straight here…from graduation.”

“I’m glad I caught you, then.”

“Hey, Lilly!” Saki says.

Lilly recognizes her voice. “Ah, Saki. How pleasant of you to stop by.”

The blond stranger rubs her hand through her short hair and coughs. “So, are you going to introduce me to your friends here, or do you want a few minutes to yourself?”

Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen her around Lilly and Hanako once or twice on campus.

“Pleased to meet you,” I say, taking the initiative and giving a slight bow. “I’m Hisao Nakai.”

“Akira Satou,” the other woman laughs, a joviality to her voice letting me know that since she isn’t going to bother with rigid formalities, I shouldn’t either. “Relax. No need to act like it’s your first day here.”

“I do note the irony that my first and last days here both involve introducing myself.”

She gives me a knowing smile. “That’s a good attitude to have.” She turns towards Saki and her brow furrows. “Saki, right?”

“You remembered!” Saki says, her eyes lighting up. Normally she’d give someone a good-natured ribbing at having forgotten her name, but I’m surprised that they seem to know each other.

“You two have met before?” I ask.

“We did,” Saki says. “Last year at the festival.”

Akira snaps her fingers in recognition. “That was it! Sorry. I’ve always been pretty bad with names. Lilly got those genes, along with…others.”

This draws a quickly suppressed chuckle from Hanako.

Lilly clears her throat, slightly annoyed and embarrassed at her friend’s reaction, but I have no idea why. “So, Saki, Hisao. Do you have any plans, now that you’ve graduated?”

“You mean tonight, or afterwards?” Saki answers.

“Either,” Lilly clarifies, a slight smile returning to her face.

“Well, we’re going to go to the music room after this and then…” Saki hesitates, glancing in my direction. “Tokyo, eventually.”

“Tokyo, eh?” Akira replies. “Hell of a city. School, or moving?”

“Both. Saki was accepted into Tokyo University of the Arts for their band program,” I say, not holding back the happiness in my voice and reaching down to give her hand a squeeze. I can feel her excitement when she returns in kind.

“You were?” Hanako asks, her eyes widening. “Congratulations!”

Saki puffs her chest out with pride. “Thank you! I’ll be going there with Chisato!”

“I heard about the recital last night,” Lilly says. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to attend, but I’m glad it went well for you.”

“Better than well,” she says, sitting on one of the nearby desks. “How long are you in town for, Akira? Did you just come here for the graduation?”

“This time, yeah. Of course I wasn’t going to miss my little sister graduating for the world.”

“What are your plans now?” I ask. I don’t mean anything specific by that question; it could be either tonight, tomorrow, or the vast indeterminate future.

(continued...)

[Eurobeatjester]

Lilly pouts a bit, a slight sadness coming over her face. “I have a few days here, and then I’ll be returning to Scotland with Akira for a bit. My family has some…business to conduct.”

“And a party to plan,” Akira mentions offhandedly. “That little get-together in your dorm last night doesn’t count.”

Lilly interjects. “I merely asked for your help in cleaning and packing the last of my things. You didn’t need to stay over.”
“I did after I saw how you and Hanako here handle your liquor,” Akira says while pursing her lips, barely audible enough to be heard. Hanako’s face turns beet red and I can see Lilly’s eyebrow start to twitch.

That would explain why Lilly wouldn’t have been able to go to the recital last night.

Lilly growls a bit. “Akira…”

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. I’m an upstanding member of society. You can tell from how close together the pinstripes are on my suit. They’re like tree rings for maturity.”

“What about you, Hanako?” I ask, sensing that the subject is desperately wishing to be changed.

Now the center of attention, Hanako wilts slightly, but smiles. “I was thinking of... traveling. Just... around a bit. There's a lot of places I want to see, and... I think I have enough money to pay for the bus and train rides. Naomi and one of the other girls in the newspaper club said they might come along, too.”

“That’s awesome!” Saki says. “If you’re ever up in Tokyo, look us up! I mean, it’s going to take a while for us to get settled, but afterwards, it would be great to see you.”

Hanako hesitates a moment, but her face brightens and she nods. “I, um…I don’t have your number…”

Saki reaches into her bag. “Let me see your phone,” she says, pulling her own out. While the two rapidly occupy themselves, I take a step over towards Lilly.

“It’s good to see Hanako like this,” I say, my voice low to let Lilly know I’m standing next to her, and trying to be discreet.

“It is, if you’ll forgive my not returning the sentiment the exact way it was phrased,” she teases.

“Not returning?…ah,” I say, drawing a light giggle out of her.

“She’s come a long way this last year, and from you understanding my joke, it seems you have as well.”

“I had to get with the program sooner or later,” I laugh. “Thank you for helping with that.”

“I was worried about you that first week, but it seems that I didn’t need to be. Miss Enomoto seems to have had quite an influence on you.”

“I noticed you didn’t mention whether that influence was good or bad.”

She smiles. “Good, I’m assuming. Enough to where you’re planning on heading with her to Tokyo, unless I misheard you earlier?”

“I am,” I reply. “I didn’t really have any time to prepare for exams, or at least, I didn’t take them seriously enough. The plan is for all three of us to get an apartment together near the school. Saki’s mentor says he’s going to help us out with that.”

I look at Saki, who’s huddled shoulder to shoulder with Hanako as they confirm each other’s contact details. A sheepish grin breaks out on my face as I see the two of them talking animatedly to each other.

“It will probably take a while for me to figure out what I want to do, once I find a prep school out there, but…I know who I want to do it with.”

“I’m glad for you, Hisao. Truly,” Lilly says.

“What about you? What’s next for Lilly Satou? When do you get back from Scotland?”

Her look darkens slightly. “I’m…honestly not sure when I’ll be back. My family has been…purposefully vague about the reason for the summons, but I’m going to do my best to return as soon as convenient.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Your sister made it sound like they were going to throw a graduation party for you.”

“I’m sure they are, but the situation is…complicated.”

Akira has been listening in on our conversation, not rudely, but takes that moment to interject. “I’ll make sure to bring you back, even if I have to sneak you into a suitcase to do it. I don’t give a shit what the old man says.”

I shift uncomfortably, getting the impression that I’m glimpsing an argument that’s been going on for much longer than I’ve just been made aware of it.

“Nakai, right?” Akira says, taking charge of the conversation. “I haven’t had a chance to meet many of my sister’s friends, and given that I’m still her guardian for at least another week, I should probably start doing more of that. Did that invitation to come visit only extend to Hanako and Lilly, or are you comfortable enough with only four women hanging around you?” she asks with a grin.

“Akira!” Lilly admonishes, just loud enough to get the attention of the other girls who look up, concerned. Lilly seems to sense that she drew this reaction, and sets her lips into a thin, hard line.

“No sense in putting down roots if you don’t water them once in a while. Let’s exchange numbers. You like jazz?” she asks, turning to me.

“I…yes?” I answer, too bewildered to respond in any other fashion.

“Great! I know a few places in Tokyo. My treat when we all get together.” She turns her head to look at her sister. “And we will all be getting together, Lils. I promise.”

Lilly considers for a moment before visibly relaxing. She gives a small smile.

--------------*--

“I hope you don’t mind, I put your number in Hanako’s phone too,” Saki offhandedly says as we walk down the corridor.

“Oh?” I ask.

“Mhmmm. Inviting them over. Were you serious about that?”

“Of course I was!” I answer, taken a bit aback. “You don’t think it’s a good idea?”

“No, I just…” she starts, blushing a bit and looking away. “It’s just hearing you say that…it kind of sunk in a bit that we’re really doing this.”

Hearing her say that has the exact same effect on me.

Ever since the idea was planted in my head by Noriko, I’ve been worrying about what Saki’s answer would be if I asked her to marry me. To trust me. To be with me. Even last night, most of what we discussed about our future focused on the painful parts we know we’ll face. But…I don’t think I’ve let myself imagine what that future - albeit a short one - might actually look like, even though she gave me her answer this morning.

Moving in together. Moving to a new city. New opportunities. A new life, together…

…it doesn’t feel real. Not yet. But I want it to be real. I can imagine it being real.

“Having second thoughts?” I ask, but in a way that lets her know I’m teasing her when I say it.

“I haven’t even figured out what my first thoughts are on this, Hisao, but I’m pretty sure I can tell you; no.”

“I think a jazz club could be fun,” I say. “It would be a waste to only wear that red dress once.”

“I knew I wanted to keep it but I never had the idea of wearing it again somewhere else,” she smiles. “I was never a good dancer though.”

“That’s okay. Me neither. I’m sure we can figure something out.”

“We’d have to get you something fancy to match.”

I grin, knowing in advance how much I’m about to rile her up.

“I’m sure I can pick up a suit at a thrift store for a good price.”

Saki comes to a dead stop and just stares at me with wide eyes. “What was that you asked me about second thoughts?”

My grin turns into a snicker, and then a full chuckle. She lets her guard down again, even if it takes her a few seconds before it changes into an exaggerated yet honest disgust. “Look, it doesn’t have to be from Plus Two, but I am not going to have you take me out wearing something one of our dads could have been married in.”

“I was only kidding!” I say, putting my hands up to assure her.

“You better be,” she growls playfully. “Leave the fashion hunting to me. I promise we’ll find something.”

“You sound confident.”

“You clean up nice. You should do it more often.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

--------------*--

I hold the door of the band room open for Saki, and when we step through, I’m surprised at how packed it is. While I’m pretty sure the entire school band isn’t here, it’s far more crowded than any time I can recall being in here.

I scan the crowd, looking for familiar faces. A brief flash of light draws my attention, and when I look in that direction I spot Mrs. Sakamoto. She’s holding up a camera, taking a picture of a few students with their arms around each other.

“I found your teacher,” I say to Saki, nodding in her general direction. Saki turns to see, and smiles.

“Looks like she’s already in full swing!” she exclaims, moving in her direction.

I walk alongside her as we deftly make our way past small groups of twos and threes, excitedly chatting among themselves. We get close enough to Mrs. Sakamoto to where she notices us on the periphery, and she smiles when she realizes who it is.

“There you are! I was wondering when you’d get here.”

Saki laughs. “Sorry. We had to make a few stops first.”

The older woman waves it off. “Don’t worry, you’re just in time.”

“Time for what?” I ask.

“The photo board on the wall. Allow another few minutes for any stragglers to get here, and then I’ll make an announcement about it.”

I’m about to seek further clarification when the door opens again, and I watch as the trio of Chisato, Mitsuru, and Noriko walk through it. When I see Mitsuru looking around the same way I was earlier, I raise my hand to get his attention. He notices me and points me out to the two girls, and all three start to make their way over.

“I was wondering where you were!” Chisato says, as soon as she’s within range. “When we got to the classroom, you two weren’t there.”

“That was my fault,” I explain. “I wanted to go say goodbye to Lilly and Hanako.”

“It’s all good. How’d it go?” Chisato asks.

Saki speaks up. “Looks like we might have some visitors when we get our new place. Lilly’s sister said she would love to see it when we get it set up.”

“We’ll have to make sure to get an air mattress for them.”

“We’re already going to be getting one for Noriko when she stays over.”

Noriko coughs a bit. “I’d be okay with the couch. Honestly.”

“Nonsense,” Saki says, casting a quick glance in my direction. “I mean, we’re probably going to have to get one anyway. It might be a bit before we can afford a proper bed.”

Mitsuru smiles a bit, but there’s a sad undertone to it when he hears us talking about our future plans. “You’ll have to get me pictures of it when you’re settled in.”

(continued...)