A sad story.
---
"So you're going to see each other again, huh..." Miki idly mirrors the information I'd just given her.
"Mhmm." A nod is all I can return, as my emotions conflict inside my head. The the cold grip of sadness battles with the warm feelings of happiness while nervousness watches intently.
"You can call me if you need to, okay?" She offers, though I hope not to need it.
"Sure." I reply, still attempting to make heads or tails of how I'm feeling. After a short pat on the back, Miki makes her way out of the room and closes the door gingerly. Some would say it's strange to see her be this serious, but after Yamaku her personality matured in strangely normal ways. I suppose we've all grown to be quite normal, he has more than anyone else by far.
I'll leave the station at five pm, with connections at six thirty, eight and nine thirty. It'll be a long ride over there, but it'll help me, somehow, I can just feel it. It might bring closure to the relationship that never really ended, or it might just open old wounds and salt them. Either way, this is something that I have to do. Something that we have to do.
"It's been quite cold here, it's even snowed a few times. I see it's been chilly over there as well, I hope you're holding up well."
His letter rings through my mind, I can almost hear his voice. When I received this letter, all I could think about was the letter I received all those years ago. I think that is why I'm so determined this time around, after I read that letter, all I did was wallow in my own self pity. That's something I want to prove, to myself, and to him. That I'm not the coward I seemed to be.
"I finally finished my exams for this year, I didn't get the results I wanted, but I'm still quite pleased with what I got. My parents, however, are not as pleased as I am."
I shrug on my coat and grab my keys before slotting them into my pocket. I've changed a lot since we last saw each other, we might not even recognize each other.
As I step outside, producing a soft crunch under my foot as the snow gives way, the cold bites into my skin. I slowly become aware of my rapidly numbing nose and decide it's time to start walking. One foot after the other, I begin carving my way through the snow toward the station.
"I think they will come around though, my results are still above the average, luckily. I'm not sure what made me lose focus, but I'm sure my next exams will come back with much higher results. I hope you can tell me about how your exams went."
As the PA system crunches to life, I come to a stop at the edge of the yellow line. The next train is set to arrive soon, according to the large screen behind me, so I decide to forgo taking a seat. After a couple of minutes of considering what he might look like now, the train pulls into the station and slows to a stop. I take a deep breath of cold air and throw myself forward with all my willpower, some say the first step is the hardest, and I'd be inclined to agree.
"Our home is quite large, I was expecting a little less so I was awestruck when I finally arrived. My room is huge, almost as big as two of the Yamaku dorm rooms put together. It's a little sparsely decorated right now, but eventually I hope to cover the walls with memories."
The train skims across it's tracks, idly clacking as it moves. Usually I'd use my phone to pass the time on trains, but today feels different. Perhaps because we didn't use the variety of modern ways to communicate over long distances.
"I've had a rough time settling into new living quarters, but I know that It'll feel like home soon enough. Today I had take out, it was disgusting and beautiful all at the same time. Do you ever feel that way about fast food?"
The train doors lie open, as they have for several minutes now, draining the warm air from the bus. The cold brushes past me on it's way into the bus, causing the other three or four passengers to groan. The old man sat beside me grumbles and reaches over before hitting the close door button, causing the large metal doors to slide shut, sealing the cold air out. I offer a short apology to the man while snapping from my thoughts, he simply waves to dispel the idea that I was at fault.
If I had to pick the most likely thing that would go wrong today, I wouldn't have picked that the trains would be delayed.
"Despite the cold, results and fast food, I've had a great time here so far. I hope you can visit soon, I'd love to show you around."
After the third connection being delayed, I'm two hours late. I sigh to myself, hoping to ready myself for the comments I'll get from him for arriving late to a meeting we agreed to, and find that thought very cosy. I step from the train, the air now much colder than before. I step past the small booth of the station and make my way down the steps being careful not to slip, falling now would be a cruel twist of fate. Making my way through the small village, I'm guided by the sound of snow crunching under my feet.
"If you ever feel like visiting, then let me know and I'll pay for the travel, that's the least I could do. You're always welcome, we have more than enough space. Hope to hear back from you soon."
I slowly kneel down in the snow, producing another crunch that fills the silent air. Removing the slightly overused letter from my pocket, I read it through one last time. If only I had responded sooner, maybe this letter wouldn't have been the first and last he sent. I blink my now tear filled eyes and adjust my grip on the piece of paper before ripping it in two, and again, and again until all that's left is confetti. The small scraps of paper fall from my hands as I open them, my tears now running down my face.
"I miss you, Kenji." I mutter as I reach forward, placing a hand on the grave in front of me.
---
Who is the main character? That's up to you to decide.
