Chapter 6 - The Cinema Hall

The chapter opens in a park.

Taki and Sakura are walking together.
It is the season of autumn.
Dry leaves are slowly falling from the trees.
Children are playing in the park.
Birds can be heard chirping.
Soft sunlight filters through the air.

Sakura looks around and smiles.

“So much has changed,” she says softly.
“In the last two years, we’ve been to so many places together. And you… you’ve changed too.”

She looks at Taki.

“You’ve moved on. You don’t overthink like before.”

Taki listens quietly.

Inside his mind, he thinks—

Yes… everything has changed in two years.

But I still haven’t found that book.

It’s been two years since Lanki and his wife died.

So much has changed… yet that truth is still missing.

Sakura notices his silence.

“What happened?” she asks.
“What are you thinking about?”

Taki forces a small smile.

“Nothing,” he replies.
“I was just thinking about how much our lives have changed.”

He looks into her eyes.

“And now… there’s someone coming who will make our happiness even bigger.”

Sakura laughs.

She is two months pregnant.

Taki continues,

“You should call your mom and dad too. Let them come and stay with us.”

Sakura nods gently.

“I’ve told them many times. I keep saying, ‘Why are you living alone in the village?’”

She smiles softly.

“They always say they’ll come once the baby is born.”

That smile stays on her face.

Taki looks at her and thinks—

You’re so beautiful, Sakura.

No matter what happens… I’ll never let you be separated from me.

Just then, Taki’s phone rings.

It’s Hoto.

“Bro,” Hoto says,
“I asked around there as well. Nobody knows anything about that book.”

Taki exhales slowly.

“We’ll meet in the evening,” he says.
“We’ll talk properly.”

The call ends.

Evening approaches.

At home, Sakura is preparing dinner.

Taki is sitting in front of the television.

A news report is playing.

The anchor is talking about ZERO Organization.

“ZERO Organization claims they are building a time machine. They have been working on it for the last two to three years…”

Taki smirks.

“A time machine?” he mutters.
“Don’t these people have any other work?”

“They’ve been saying the same thing for years. Time machine, time machine…”

He scoffs.

“They should accept it’s impossible. Especially in 2014. Idiots.”

Just then, his phone rings again.

It’s Hoto.

“Come downstairs,” Hoto says.
“I’m waiting for you.”

Taki puts on his coat.

“I’m going out for some work,” he tells Sakura.
“I’ll be back before it gets too late.”

Sakura nods.

“Okay.”

Taki meets Hoto outside.

“What was it?” Taki asks.

“Let’s talk over a beer,” Hoto replies.

They go to a bar.

After sitting down, Hoto says,

“I found another lead. But the book wasn’t there either.”

“We’ve searched everywhere in the last two years.”

“Newspapers. Lanki’s house. Bookstores.”

“We still don’t know if Lanki even had any relatives.”

Taki lights a cigarette.

He takes a long drag.

“Look at me,” he says quietly.
“I’ve changed a lot, haven’t I?”

He exhales smoke.

“Not because I wanted to change… but because I had to.”

“To change everything else, you first have to change yourself.”

Hoto looks confused.

“What do you mean?”

Taki takes a deep breath.

“I don’t want to change everything.”

“I only want to change what I choose to change.”

Hoto frowns.

“What are you trying to say?”

Taki shakes his head.

“I don’t know.”

“But we have to find that book.”

“We need to know the truth.”

He checks the date.

“Today is November 7th.”

“We don’t have much time.”

“I don’t want to lie to Sakura again this year.”

“I don’t want to lock her inside the house on November 11.”

Hoto sighs.

“We’ve been searching for two years.”

“Maybe that book doesn’t exist.”

“Maybe Lanki lied to you.”

Taki’s eyes harden.

“No.”

“When he was dying… I saw regret in his eyes.”

“He was about to say something.”

Before Taki can finish, his phone rings.

It’s Sakura.

She’s crying.

Taki stands up instantly.

“What happened?” he asks urgently.
“You were happy just a while ago.”

“Come home,” Sakura cries.
“Please come home.”

She starts sobbing uncontrollably.

“I’m coming,” Taki says.

He turns to Hoto.

“I have to go.”

“What happened?” Hoto asks.

“I don’t know,” Taki replies.
“But something bad has happened.”

Taki rushes out of the bar.

Night has already fallen.

Hoto follows him.

Suddenly, an unknown man stops Hoto.

“Sir… where are you going in such a hurry?”

Hoto is drunk.

“Who are you?” he slurs.
“Move. Let me go.”

Then—

Something happens.

Hoto’s face turns completely pale.

As if he has seen a demon.

As if death itself is standing in front of him.

Taki is running on the road.

He keeps calling Sakura.

Again.

And again.

No answer.

He reaches home.

Inside, Sakura is sitting on the floor in shock.

The television is on.

News is playing.

“A husband and wife have died in a tragic accident…”

Taki freezes.

They are Sakura’s parents.

Sakura looks at him, crying.

“Look, Taki… what happened…”

She can’t even finish her sentence.

“You told me to call my mom and dad…”

“I did.”

“They were coming here.”

“I didn’t tell you. I wanted to surprise you.”

“But… on the way…”

“They had an accident.”

The news continues.

The reporter says—

“The accident occurred near the cinema hall in Hono Park.”

“One car hit another, lost balance, and crashed into a truck.”

“The driver is suspected to be intoxicated.”

Taki’s body goes numb.

His mind stops working.

This wasn’t written.

Lanki never mentioned this in his autobiography.

Then it hits him.

Taki Realise

The cinema hall… again.

Where Lanki’s wife died.

Where Lanki had a heart attack.

And

Where My father had an accident.

And now—

Sakura’s parents.

Why the same place?

What is hidden there?

Sakura cries beside him.

Taki can’t move.

Everything was fine.

So why—

Why is everything breaking again?

Chapter 6 End

Written by — Minus