Chapter 2: My Childhood Friend

Right after I finished taking down a boss battle in the new RPG I was playing, my phone buzzed next to me. I paused the game and saw a text from Setsu.

Can we talk right now at the usual spot?

That was odd. We’d often meet up over the weekend, but usually we made plans beforehand so we’d be sure we weren’t busy. Since I was at a good stopping point, I responded:

Sure. See you in a few.

She emoted a big thank you emoji of two hands clapped together.

I saved the game and headed to the park near our house to meet Setsu. On the way, I wondered what she wanted to talk about. It sounded urgent since she asked to meet now and not tomorrow, but for the life of me I couldn’t think of anything.

In the end, I gave up on trying to anticipate what we were about to talk about. I’d know soon enough.

When I arrived at our usual spot, Setsu was already on her favorite swing. She swayed her legs back and then forth. She swished up and down, while staring at the sky.

Since the park was closer to my house than hers, she must’ve called me from it.

“Yo!” I shouted.

Setsu looked over at me and dragged her feet along the ground. After slowing down slightly, she leapt off the swing and stuck her landing like an Olympian. She gave me a V-sign for victory and then smiled.

She was such a dork sometimes.

Still, I’d give her a 10 out of 10 based on her smile alone.

I really want to kiss her.

This troublesome thought crept out of my subconscious without warning. I shook my head and pushed it away. I wasn’t going to be around much longer and didn’t want to drag her into another plot for Echoes of My Life. I couldn’t let myself act on that type of impulse.

I scanned the area around us trying to spot my mom, one of her assistants, or my little sister. If this was setup, then one of them would definitely be nearby. Unfortunately, the park had a ton of hiding places.

Setsu cocked her head at me. “Did my dismount leave you speechless?”

Her question prodded me out of my thoughts.

“No, I was just thinking you’re a dork.”

She pouted. “Takes one to know one.”

“True.” I said, “So, what’s up?”

She nodded toward a nearby Sakura tree. “Can we lay down?”

“Sure.”

She led me over to a nearby patch of grass under a budding Sakura tree and stretched out on the ground.

This must be something important.

She always laid down on the grass and stared at the swaying tree branches whenever she needed to talk about something that was bugging her. When I asked her why years ago, she told me:

“From below branches look all tangled and confused, but they aren’t. There’s just enough space between them so they can live together. It’s the same with most problems. They look far more tangled than they usually are, you just need to change your perspective and weave your way through the spaces between the problems you’re facing.”

What was Setsu trying to weave herself through now?

A gust of wind blew through the branches above us rustling them and their tiny white buds.

A moment later, the branches calmed down and Setsu spoke, “So, you'll be leaving in a month.”

Ah, so that’s what was bothering her.

“Yeah.”

“Will you miss it here?”

A part of me would miss it here, after all I grew up in this town and it held a lot of memories for me, but not all of those memories were good, especially now that so many had been usurped for my mother’s manga.

“A little.” I replied.

“What will you miss most?”

You.

That’s the only thought I had, but if I said it out loud… it might cause both of us problems. This felt like it was too good of a setup. I could almost hear my mom scratching away on her sketch pad laying out panels of Hibiki and Seiko in a park beneath a Sakura tree.

Setsu let out a sigh. “I see.”

What did she see?

I was so worried about my mom’s manga I’d let the opportunity to answer her question pass. I should’ve said something. Setsu was worried about me moving away. I couldn’t clam up just because my mother might use this as a scene in her next manga chapter.

Setsu rolled onto her side. “Can I ask you a different question?”

I turned to face her, too. This time I would answer her without missing a beat. She was by best friend after all and deserved at least a few answers before I left.

“Sure. Give me your best shot.”

She reached out a hand and placed it on my chest. Her unexpected touch shocked me, but not as much as the words that followed:

“Do you like me, Hisao?”