Epilogue

Thanks to Hikaru’s doings my book had been published. It wasn’t a worldwide bestseller, but still sold better than I had expected, causing some students at my school to ask me to sign the book, though likely just to have a signed copy of something on their shelves. Whoever might have dreamed of becoming rich with booksales, would have been quite disappointed. In fact the money I had made with this story was not much more than what it cost to invite Hikaru to a fastfood restaurant. At least we could call it even in the end.

No evil voices had come to take me into an afterlife of nothingness or whatever. So, in the end everything seemed to turn out well.

At least in a way.

One day a guy from my science class started a conversation with me, as we sat and hoped for an especially boring lesson to end.

“Did you have anybody particular in mind during some of those western moments?”, he asked.

My mind was suddenly again flooded with all the moments I had experienced there. The good times, the bad times and my times with Casey. Those were the times I first remembered as he asked me about it.

“No. Just imagination.”, I replied shortly, seemingly returning my attention back to the teacher, but my thoughts dwelling on Casey, whom I had managed to not think about anymore for quite some time, but never fully forget. It wasn't the first time that i thought to myself, if there had been another way back then. If I could have stayed back there, with her and how many others I would have sacrificed for this outcome. On some days I told myself that I should have acted like this in any way. Greater good, lesser evil, this and that. Whatever one might tell himself to make himself feel better. On other days I was sure, that burning everything down wouldn't have been unreasonable, if it meant that I could have stayed with her. But such thoughts didnt't lead anywhere. In the end, all I could do was pity myself, which didnt't make me feel any better as well, since I had always hated self-pity.

I wonder what happened to her., I thought, my gaze turning towards the trees in front of the window. Soon the cherry blossoms would start to bloom. And shortly after I would start my last year at the university. Then I would enter a workplace. Something I had been afraid of the whole time. Enough in fact in order to force myself to become a great student. Not the best, still, but top of the list.

The year ended and nothing spectacular happened. The graduates celebrated, though with a tinge of sadness, promising their current friends they would stay in contact. Others tried to use the last possible chance to ask their secret crushes out or at least for their phone numbers.

The summer was even less eventful. The days passed. Sometimes Hikaru and I left the flat to do at least something or collect “summer memories”, as he called it, but most of the time it was too hot outside, to even think straight.

And thus started the last year in our studies. The same old faces entered the room, though reduced in numbers since there had been some dropouts.

The first day had been the usual basic welcomes and introduction lessons. Nothing unexpected. I left after the last lesson and went to the train station to catch a train home. When I arrived at the platform I stood there and waited for the train, while looking at my shoes most of the time. Being in crowded places still made me uncomfortable.

Then suddenly I got a strange feeling. A voice in my head telling me that I was being watched. My heartbeat increased, hoping that this really was my old world and that nothing weird would suddenly jump at me after several years of leading a normal life.

I looked up. After quickly turning my head left and right, I could at least tell that nobody else was in a panic. This at least meant there was no immediate danger.

Relieve came upon me until I turned my head again and looked at the opposite platform.

The blood in my veins seemed to freeze for a moment. I started at the person on the platform at the other side of the tracks. I didn’t even realize that I had forgotten to breath, until my brain started to kindly remind me of my need for oxygen.

The next moment I started to sprint.

Downstairs, then up to the opposite platform. I had shortly considered just jumping on the tracks, but I didn’t want to risk anything.

“Hey”, I said as I arrived behind the blond-haired girl I had spotted. I was trying to catch my breath for, I had never in my life run this fast anywhere.

She turned around, apparently startled about just being hit on by a stranger.

“I…You….”, I started but hadn’t thought the matter quite through. Now there I stood. Out of breath and speechless. Perfect.

She gently smiled.

“Hey.”, she replied with an accent, hinting that she originally came from another place.

“I-I’m sorry. You just reminded me of somebody I knew long ago.”, I finally found an excuse for just randomly speaking to her.

“I don’t hear that too often.”, she silently laughed.

“May I introduce myself? I’m Taka Sato.”, I said shortly bowing.

She seemed to raise an eyebrow for a moment, though so short that I wasn’t sure if I had just imagined it and then cheekily bowed herself.

“Well then, nice to meet you again.”, she said with a wink, stretching out her hand towards me.