Chapter 8:
Take 8 – There’s a Spear in the Space Between You and Me
Between The Wish and The Well
The not-so-warm night had given way to the first freezing day of the year.
Spending the day on the rooftop with a forecast of snow isn’t what anyone would call 'ideal,' but it was the only place I had to myself.
Or rather, it wasn’t just mine anymore, though today it felt like it was.
The bell rang three times throughout the afternoon, and Iori usually showed up after the second one, in that 15-minute gap between classes.
Not only did Iori not show up, she hadn’t come to school at all today.
Yesterday, before leaving the café, we’d exchanged contacts. I figured having a number in my phone besides Agami’s wasn’t a bad idea. Still, knowing that obsessive girl would probably rent a boat to get to class in a storm, she didn’t show up.
Even with that missing piece in the puzzle, I didn’t even send her a text.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t care much about how things turn out anymore. No matter how hard we try, nothing’s fully in our control, and if it is, it’s already broken. What I do care about is simpler: holding something broken in your hands means you’re bound to get cut.
Iori was probably cutting herself.
And no, don’t think for a second I’m the kind of guy who ditches his best friend for some girl he just met. The reality’s even simpler than that: one person hurts another without realizing, and eventually, the other person returns the 'favor' without realizing either.
Honestly, even if it was inevitable, I was sick of broken things.
“Okay… okay… one last time…” I muttered to myself, taking a few steps back from the clubroom door.
I stopped before my foot could connect with it. 'One last time.' Guess at this point I’d have a lot of 'last times.' It wasn’t necessary this time, or maybe it was and I didn’t notice—or didn’t care.
“Heyy…” I said, opening the door.
Agami was too focused, photographing who-knows-what from the window, so much so that my voice made him lose his shot.
“Idiot, you trying to scare me to death or make me fall out the window?” he said, turning to face me.
“Give me a second to pick.” I replied, collapsing into a chair. “What, now you’re scared I’m showing up every day?”
“No, dumbass, I thought you were someone else.”
“Iori?”
“No, anyone with a little bit of sanity who knows doors are for opening, not kicking.”
“Right… How was work last night?”
“Don’t even ask… you know my dad.”
“That’s why I’m asking,” I said, stretching in the chair. “You know I’ve offered to give him a punch or two.”
“I’m not letting you hit my dad, Haruka.”
“I could chuck something from a distance if you’re worried about me getting caught…”
“What an idiot…” he said, letting out a small laugh. “Though you’re probably capable…”
“Totally.” I said, pulling my phone from my pocket. “Heard anything from Iori? She didn’t show up to class today, and unless she’s turned into a chameleon, she’s not here either.”
“Probably caught a cold. The chill hit hard.”
“You didn’t ask her?”
“Don’t have her number.” he said, removing the lens from his camera and packing everything neatly into its case.
“Shouldn’t you? I mean, you’re supposed to be training the newbie.”
“Come on… you really think Iori’s into any of this?” he asked, finally sitting down. “She’s only here because you had a fever-dream moment and decided to drag her in…”
“Agami.”
“She didn’t read the books I gave her, doesn’t know how to frame a shot…”
“Agami.”
“She doesn’t even get what vanishing points are. Hard to believe she’s top of her class, and—”
“Hey, numb-nuts, I’m trying to talk here. Shut up for a second.”
“What, you gonna lecture me, idiot? We were laughing about her even before she joined the club.”
“Nope.”
“Then what?”
“You working tonight?”
“No… thank God. Couldn’t handle my dad two days in a row. Why?”
“Wanna crash at my place? Offer’s only good if you bring your console.” I said, laughing toward the end.
“W-What? You sure?”
“Why not? It’s been a while since we’ve done it. You're rusty or just scared I’ll kick your ass?”
“Ha! As if you could… Deal.”
“Sweet.” I said, standing up.
“Bring something for dinner while you’re at it.”
“You think I’m your butler or something?”
“No, just an idiot.”
The perk of being “the school ghost” is I can leave whenever I want, and that’s exactly what I did after talking with Agami.
It was almost completely dark, and the falling snow seemed to make everything darker rather than brighter. Still, rushing—in general—wasn’t on my list of favorite things.
I stopped at the vending machine by the plaza. On a day like this, no one can argue a coffee isn’t a solid way to fight the cold.
A sensation: a sneeze, one I thankfully caught in the cuff of my coat—gross, I know, but effective.
A sensation: pain.
A sight: blood.
There it was again, like a lifelong friend, sinking into me. Not worry, not fear: sorrow.
This time, I couldn’t curl up and cry. There were still people in the plaza, and I didn’t want to make a scene. Luckily, my coat hid the stain.
Once again: mediocre, monotonous people, wrapped up in their lives that, in that moment, were nothing more than parents waiting for their kid’s last ride on the carousel.
“Excuse me… uh…” I admit, I hesitated a bit as I pulled my instant camera from my backpack. “I’m a photographer. Wondering if you’d like me to take a picture before it gets too dark.”
The carousel slowly stopped, and the parents stood on either side of their daughter, perched on what I can only describe as a horse that looked like it came out of the cheapest manufacturer you can hire.
The photo paper came out blank, as always. I waved it a bit and handed it to the girl’s dad.
Spending the day on the rooftop with a forecast of snow isn’t what anyone would call 'ideal,' but it was the only place I had to myself.
Or rather, it wasn’t just mine anymore, though today it felt like it was.
The bell rang three times throughout the afternoon, and Iori usually showed up after the second one, in that 15-minute gap between classes.
Not only did Iori not show up, she hadn’t come to school at all today.
Yesterday, before leaving the café, we’d exchanged contacts. I figured having a number in my phone besides Agami’s wasn’t a bad idea. Still, knowing that obsessive girl would probably rent a boat to get to class in a storm, she didn’t show up.
Even with that missing piece in the puzzle, I didn’t even send her a text.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t care much about how things turn out anymore. No matter how hard we try, nothing’s fully in our control, and if it is, it’s already broken. What I do care about is simpler: holding something broken in your hands means you’re bound to get cut.
Iori was probably cutting herself.
And no, don’t think for a second I’m the kind of guy who ditches his best friend for some girl he just met. The reality’s even simpler than that: one person hurts another without realizing, and eventually, the other person returns the 'favor' without realizing either.
Honestly, even if it was inevitable, I was sick of broken things.
“Okay… okay… one last time…” I muttered to myself, taking a few steps back from the clubroom door.
I stopped before my foot could connect with it. 'One last time.' Guess at this point I’d have a lot of 'last times.' It wasn’t necessary this time, or maybe it was and I didn’t notice—or didn’t care.
“Heyy…” I said, opening the door.
Agami was too focused, photographing who-knows-what from the window, so much so that my voice made him lose his shot.
“Idiot, you trying to scare me to death or make me fall out the window?” he said, turning to face me.
“Give me a second to pick.” I replied, collapsing into a chair. “What, now you’re scared I’m showing up every day?”
“No, dumbass, I thought you were someone else.”
“Iori?”
“No, anyone with a little bit of sanity who knows doors are for opening, not kicking.”
“Right… How was work last night?”
“Don’t even ask… you know my dad.”
“That’s why I’m asking,” I said, stretching in the chair. “You know I’ve offered to give him a punch or two.”
“I’m not letting you hit my dad, Haruka.”
“I could chuck something from a distance if you’re worried about me getting caught…”
“What an idiot…” he said, letting out a small laugh. “Though you’re probably capable…”
“Totally.” I said, pulling my phone from my pocket. “Heard anything from Iori? She didn’t show up to class today, and unless she’s turned into a chameleon, she’s not here either.”
“Probably caught a cold. The chill hit hard.”
“You didn’t ask her?”
“Don’t have her number.” he said, removing the lens from his camera and packing everything neatly into its case.
“Shouldn’t you? I mean, you’re supposed to be training the newbie.”
“Come on… you really think Iori’s into any of this?” he asked, finally sitting down. “She’s only here because you had a fever-dream moment and decided to drag her in…”
“Agami.”
“She didn’t read the books I gave her, doesn’t know how to frame a shot…”
“Agami.”
“She doesn’t even get what vanishing points are. Hard to believe she’s top of her class, and—”
“Hey, numb-nuts, I’m trying to talk here. Shut up for a second.”
“What, you gonna lecture me, idiot? We were laughing about her even before she joined the club.”
“Nope.”
“Then what?”
“You working tonight?”
“No… thank God. Couldn’t handle my dad two days in a row. Why?”
“Wanna crash at my place? Offer’s only good if you bring your console.” I said, laughing toward the end.
“W-What? You sure?”
“Why not? It’s been a while since we’ve done it. You're rusty or just scared I’ll kick your ass?”
“Ha! As if you could… Deal.”
“Sweet.” I said, standing up.
“Bring something for dinner while you’re at it.”
“You think I’m your butler or something?”
“No, just an idiot.”
The perk of being “the school ghost” is I can leave whenever I want, and that’s exactly what I did after talking with Agami.
It was almost completely dark, and the falling snow seemed to make everything darker rather than brighter. Still, rushing—in general—wasn’t on my list of favorite things.
I stopped at the vending machine by the plaza. On a day like this, no one can argue a coffee isn’t a solid way to fight the cold.
A sensation: a sneeze, one I thankfully caught in the cuff of my coat—gross, I know, but effective.
A sensation: pain.
A sight: blood.
There it was again, like a lifelong friend, sinking into me. Not worry, not fear: sorrow.
This time, I couldn’t curl up and cry. There were still people in the plaza, and I didn’t want to make a scene. Luckily, my coat hid the stain.
Once again: mediocre, monotonous people, wrapped up in their lives that, in that moment, were nothing more than parents waiting for their kid’s last ride on the carousel.
“Excuse me… uh…” I admit, I hesitated a bit as I pulled my instant camera from my backpack. “I’m a photographer. Wondering if you’d like me to take a picture before it gets too dark.”
The carousel slowly stopped, and the parents stood on either side of their daughter, perched on what I can only describe as a horse that looked like it came out of the cheapest manufacturer you can hire.
The photo paper came out blank, as always. I waved it a bit and handed it to the girl’s dad.
“Oh! Thanks… this is a really nice shot… how much—”
“Nothing… nothing…” I said, waving it off as I tucked my camera away and grabbed the coffee I’d left on a bench. “What, you think I look like a scammer or something?”
“No, no, sorry, it’s just…” the mom stammered, a little nervous.
“Have a good night.” I didn’t say more than that because, even if they didn’t get it, they’d already given me something in return.
What did I get from strangers? Like everything that happened today: something simple.
They were mediocre, monotonous people, wrapped up in their lives that, in that moment, were nothing more than parents waiting for their kid’s last ride on the carousel.
But if you’ll let me rephrase, to explain: they were nothing more than that moment.
And maybe that’s what it was all about.
“Nothing… nothing…” I said, waving it off as I tucked my camera away and grabbed the coffee I’d left on a bench. “What, you think I look like a scammer or something?”
“No, no, sorry, it’s just…” the mom stammered, a little nervous.
“Have a good night.” I didn’t say more than that because, even if they didn’t get it, they’d already given me something in return.
What did I get from strangers? Like everything that happened today: something simple.
They were mediocre, monotonous people, wrapped up in their lives that, in that moment, were nothing more than parents waiting for their kid’s last ride on the carousel.
But if you’ll let me rephrase, to explain: they were nothing more than that moment.
And maybe that’s what it was all about.
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