Chapter Forty-Nine: The Climax Goes On, No Matter What
“So. That’s it then…” Molly mutters. She lifts her glasses and wipes away a small tear rolling down her cheek.
“Yeah…” I admit with a sniffle. We sit in silence as my laptop screen goes dark and the media player’s window appears.
“Man… Kind of a bittersweet ending.” She comments sliding off my bed and onto the floor. She brushes her uniform skirt down and sighs. “I’m going to miss everyone.”
“I’m sure they’ll be back. There’ll be crossover movies and anniversaries.”
“No, not Den-O, though
fuck you for making me wait until the day before the last day of school to watch it!” She smirks as she flips me the bird. I hop off my bed and shut down my laptop. “I mean… God, what am I going to do with my time once I go back to {Blighty}?”
“How long until you go back?” I ask.
“I still have a couple weeks but still… Saying goodbye to you lot is going to be a {bloody} ball-ache.” She huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. I pat her shoulder and she turns to face me.
“Hey, we’re not going to lose touch, {mate}. Not a chance.” I offer a reassuring smile and she nods, taking her glasses off and slipping them into her pocket.
“I know. It’s just… Kind of an end to an era, almost. It’s going to be really hard to go back and not be around you guys anymore…”
“We’ll always be here, Molly. Memories and time and all that nonsense.” I smirk, referring to a line from the show we just watched. She smiles sweetly and wraps her arms around my torso. I hunch over a little to hug the tiny girl.
“It’s been a pleasure,
Tarotaros.” She giggles and I laugh. Never really thought about how most of the characters’ names end in ‘taro’ before now.
“Stop that or your strength is going to make me cry.” I smirk and pat her head. “Now go on, I’m sure Suzu has plans for you.” I encourage the girl out of my room, only to find Ritsu standing there when I slide the door open.
“Is it too late to get a revolving door put in here?” She asks with a cocky smirk. Molly laughs and says goodbye to us both.
“You guys done with your geek shows now?” Ritsu asks, closing the door behind her as I lie back on my bed.
“Yeah. I kinda hope she keeps up with it but I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. Would probably be much harder to get toku shows in the UK.” I respond as Ritsu clambers onto my front.
“Awww, you’re going to miss her!” Ritsu teases, prodding at my nose.
“Of course I’ll miss her. She’s one of my friends.”
“Do you think she’ll miss us?”
“Yeah, she said so before you showed up. Man… I wish tonight would last forever. I just don’t want all this to be over.” I admit, suddenly realising the crushing inevitability that is the end of my time at Yamaku.
“Hey. There’s plenty of night left to go, big guy.” Ritsu looks deep into my eyes and she alleviates all my worries. “What do you want to do?”
“I can think of a few things, Miss Tainaka.” I give her a playful smile and she smiles in such a way that makes me think that’s exactly what she wanted to hear.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The lunch time bell rings and my friends split off in all directions. Akio meets with Suzu and Molly, prepping the handover of the Literature Club. Ritsu kisses my cheek and dashes off to meet up with the Music Club and Hanako meets with the Newspaper Club. I take a walk out of the classroom to find Miki waiting for me, tapping her foot impatiently.
“You sure know how to keep a girl waiting, Taro.” She smirks, unfolding her arms.
“I like to think I’m worth the wait.” I chuckle and she jabs my shoulder.
“Keep thinking that, jackass.” She cackles as we make our way outside. I haven’t seen the campus this busy since before the festival, it’s quite nostalgic.
The soft thunk of metal on metal draws my attention to Miki at the vending machine. She tosses me a cold can of watermelon soda and pops the ring pull of her own.
“I don’t know what these guys are so panicked about. It’s only the end of school, not like the world’s coming to an end.” She smirks derisively.
“It might as well be for some of these guys. You should know better than anyone the kind of bonds that can be forged here.” I say to my companion and she shakes her head.
“I know… Just trying to lighten the mood a bit, big guy. All this… It’s
scary, y’know? Imagine how bonkers it must be for regular kids and then dial that up to eleven for
us. I’m… Honestly, Taro, I’m petrified of living in the real world again.”
“This is the real world, Miki. Always has been. We got dealt shitty hands…”
“Ha!”
“But we’re still regular-ass teenagers. But, with an added bonus.” I smile and she tilts her head curiously.
“We know loss. We know failure and, more than anything, we know what it takes to stand again in the face of that.” I puff my chest out a little as I deliver my rousing pep talk, only for Miki to laugh in my face.
“That’s what I wanted to hear! One last piece of Taro optimism.” She shakes her head with a smile. “I’m going to miss you, you adorably noble fat ass.”
“And I’ll miss you, you contemptuous, sarcastic bitch.” I smirk and we both embrace tightly.
“Seriously though. Don’t you go forgetting me.” She whispers and I nod, squeezing her a little tighter. “
Never.” I whisper back and she tightens her grip on me.
When we break, she’s got a small tear in the corner of her eye. She’s saved from a light ribbing by Emi, who comes to a skidding stop beside us.
“Whoa! Where’s the fire, hot shot?” Miki grins, wiping her face. Emi looks shattered, which is a feat I’ve never seen accomplished before.
“A… Fire… Would top off my day…
Nicely.” She huffs, bracing herself against her knees. “Captain’s called an ‘emergency’ last minute meeting at the track. I’ve been running all over campus to grab everyone.”
“We do have phones, y’know!” Miki declares loudly but pats Emi’s back all the same for her effort. “I’ll go grab Haruhiko and meet you there, okay?”
“Roger!” She salutes to Miki and gives me a warm smile. “Nice to see you, Taro! We need to catch up soon.”
“Sure thing, make sure to give my best to Rin too!” I end up calling out as she sprints away. Miki pats my shoulder and grins.
“Duty calls. Catch you back in class?” She asks, already jogging backwards.
“Count on it. Go!” I point and she bolts, giving a playful wink as she does.
The rest of day passes in a daze of laughter, tears and goodbyes. It’s exhausting, honestly. Mutou gives a hearfelt, impassioned speech at the end of the day, wishing us all the best in the future. When the final bells tolls, it’s not met with cheers or groans but a silent solemn acceptance that our time at Yamaku is truly over. There’s only one place I want to be right now.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I pass by the front gates, passing the Student Council trio of Hisao, Shizune and Misha on my way out. They’re striking a pose like the Three Musketeers as Misaki takes their picture. I think that theme suits them quite well. I can’t help but think of my friends and all the little identities I made up for them, or that they acquired themselves, over the years.
“One day, perhaps you might tell us what your vision of yourself is.”
Lilly once asked me that and to be honest, I don’t think I ever gave her an answer. I don’t think I even have an answer. I smile a little to myself when a chorus of shouts draws my attention back towards the school.
“Where do you think you’re going, wide-load?”
“I hope you didn’t think you could sneak off to the Shanghai without
us!”
“Just for that, you’re buying the first round!”
“Typical, trying to hog the cool hero exit for yourself…”
“He got further than I expected though.”
“Did you really think we’d let you get away that easy?”
Akio. Ritsu. Miki. Hanako. Suzu. Molly. My friends.
“I figured you guys would catch up!” I shrug innocently and they gather around me, all beaming. I look around them and know one thing for certain, this might be the end of this chapter of my life…
“Come on then, you moochers. One last hurrah. Drinks are on me.”
But this is not the end of my story.
