The Bridge

The setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and violet. Its light reflected off the nearby river's surface, turning the water into a shimmering mirror that stretched before Nitsuki Amano and forced her to squint her eyes. In her hand was a bouquet of lilies, their petals a pure white that seemed to glow in the fading light. Their fragrance filled the air, sweet and heady.

Her destination lay right before her: the bridge. It was an unremarkable structure, a simple arch spanning the river whose worn metal and weather-beaten wood blended seamlessly into the landscape. Nitsuki approached it slowly.

As she reached the center of it, she paused and looked down at the swirling water below. The drop wasn't too high at this time of year, the recent rains had caused the river to rise. Still, there was a good twenty meters between the bridge and its surface.

It was perfect. She didn't need to stand in line to jump like some of those Tokyo suckers did. This would be a no wait, no hassle, no clean-up required type of deal. The river would wash her away without so much as a ripple.

A couple of clouds passed between her and the sun, giving her a chance to get a better look around.

It was a little nicer to look at than a train line too. The river's surface sparkled like a thousand diamonds had been scattered across it, and the sky's colors were a painting come to life. She took a moment to bask in the sight.

…But then the clouds moved on and the sun's glare returned.

"Bah, the world can't even let me enjoy this last view. No surprise."

She turned her attention away from the water and back to the flowers in her hand before gently placing them on the railing.

"Happy birthday, Maya."

Despite how close the river was to the town, there was nobody else in sight. It was as if she were completely alone, save the fading sunlight and the relentless flow of the river. In her mind, that was a good thing—she wouldn't bother anyone.

Her eyes lingered on the flowers.

The shopkeeper had asked her who they were for, and when she answered 'My sister', he had known enough not to ask more. The story was well-known in Hoshimura. Gossip traveled fast and never truly died, especially when it had been a spectacle.

They'd all known the moment they saw Maya's body by the banks of the river. It was impossible to mistake her for anyone else besides her—the fake 'girl's'—little sister.

Nitsuki's mouth scrunched as the memory resurfaced.

Apparently, Maya had just arrived in town to celebrate her graduation from university; it was supposed to be a surprise for her—Nitsuki, her wonderful older 'sister'.

Of course though, it didn’t work out. She came in just as a storm rolled in, one that had the worst flooding the town had seen in years. There were still water stains on some of the buildings, which was impressive considering it had already been a year.

Nitsuki shook the thought from her mind.

Her sister's death was just another one of life's constant gut punches: their parents had died young, their grandmother had passed only five years after, and Nitsuki herself had to take on the burden of the world for the both of them—all while she began to realize that she had been born in the wrong body.

That had been fun.

She turned and leaned against the bridge's railing to face the sunset, her hands gripping the metal tightly. If she kept thinking about all the crap that'd happened to her, she'd probably be here until tomorrow, and she'd rather not deal with that.

Instead, she thought back to the shopkeeper's pitiful look and wondered what had been going through his mind. Perhaps he had finally realized that no matter how different someone seemed, no matter how strange their identity or how weird their habits, they were still a person.

Hah, as if. It was much more likely he just felt bad about Maya herself, not her. Unlike Nitsuki, everyone had liked Maya.

Nitsuki smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Whatever the case, I shouldn't be too down. He gave me a discount, right?"

Her own voice still sounded so strange to her. It didn't match the girl she wanted to be. It was like living a lie. She was tired of it.

"Well, either way, jokes on him." Nitsuki's gaze turned to the water once more.

The flowers weren't just for Maya.

Her heart pounded as she took off her shoes and lifted herself over the railing. There was a brief moment of vertigo, and she could hear the rush of her own blood—really feel it in her ears.

She closed her eyes.

Nitsuki took stock of life in her final moments. Her affairs were in order: bills were paid, her workweek at the shop was over, and even her funeral had been planned. Everything had been arranged so that she could 'end well'.

She had no husband, no children—not like either had ever been in the cards for her given her 'difference'—and no living relatives that wanted her.

It was the kind of ending that was quiet, quick, and tidy, just how she liked things. She would be gone, and the world would continue as if she had never existed in the first place.

Well, there was maybe one person that would miss her: Tachibana. But she figured that he would be better off. She had been weighing him down for too long already.

Nitsuki breathed out, a long, shuddering breath, and took a step off the bridge.