DESTINATION

     The morning sun stretched its rays as Tsubaki stood over the vanity staring in the mirror. Whenever she looked back upon herself, she felt an odd sensation as if she was displaced from the world. As though vacant, and the reflection she saw was nothing but a mere mirage of whom she believed herself to be. Something felt wrong about her presence, but she couldn’t tackle the question of what.

     The door swung open as Yumeko trotted inside clutching her hair into the palm of her hand. “My hair won’t stay together,” she cried while stabbing Tsubaki in the side with a crimson red butterfly hairclip. “Here, let me do it for you,” Tsubaki said as she began fixating her hair into a ponytail.

“Are you excited to go out today?”

“Mm.”

“There’s a lot more people here in Megiri than there is back home, so I’m going to need you to stay close beside me. No wondering off looking at cake shops this time okay?”

“Hai!”

     Tsubaki and Yumeko both shared smiles with each other. When Tsubaki had first received Yumeko’s phone call, all she could imagine was the chaos that would befall her from there on out, but surprisingly enough, Yumeko’s presence had instead helped to lighten her festering tension.

     “Promise to behave for me today and I’ll buy you a present to take home,” Tsubaki offered. Yumeko cheered in delight with her teeth grinning as wide as ever. Tsubaki stuck out her pinky finger bringing Yumeko’s celebration to a pause. “You have to make the promise first,” she stated. Yumeko smiled and wrapped her pinky around Tsubaki’s. “And you must keep it!” Tsubaki firmly added. “Mm,” Yumeko then nodded in agreement.

“Yubikiri genman, uso tsuitara hari senbon nomasu, yubi kitta!”

     They chanted the sacred words with their fingers intertwined with one another’s. Now their promise held the weight of the world. “Let’s go!” Yumeko chanted as she threw a fist in the air. “Yeah, let’s go before we miss the train, we don’t want Akazawa to have to wait for us.”

     “Hai!” Yumeko pleasantly confirmed as the two then marched out of the apartment.

     Tsubaki and Yumeko trotted up the staircase and headed straight for the station exit. As they stepped outside, the warmth of the sun and its eye-popping glare poured over the lively city scenery. Scores of people gripping suitcases, others fixing their makeup mid-walk, young boys and girls with their arms locked into one another’s, workers offering coupons to those passing by. It was a normal day in Nokakushi, but to Yumeko, it was a whole new experience. She had never been around so much energy before, coming from a more rural town as she did. Although it was overwhelming when she’d first arrived in Megiri, now standing in Nokakushi it felt as though the world had opened up to her. She was in a wonderland; a pool of all sorts of excitement, and she was eager to dive straight in.

     “Look, over there,” Tsubaki said while pointing out Akazawa’s matte black car a few feet ahead. She was standing midway out of her seat, waving her hand back and forth. Tsubaki clenched Yumeko’s wrist as they both made their way over towards her.

“Ah, you guys made it.”

“Sorry, the train was delayed. Are you going to be late?”

“No, I think I’ll be fine.”

“Akazawa, is it really okay for you to lend me your car?”

     Akazawa grabbed on to Tsubaki’s hand and stuffed her keys into her palms. “Tsubaki, you worry so much it’s annoying,” she griped. “Is that an insult?” Tsubaki struck back. “No, it’s advice. I’m telling you to relax. I trust you… and I don’t want to pay for parking so...”

     Tsubaki’s expression crumbled into defeat as she grumbled, “You’re always worried about yourself.”

     “We can’t all be perfect,” Akazawa asserted as she fixated her bag over her shoulder. “It’s a bit of a travel to where you need to be, so drive carefully, I don’t have the best insurance.”

“Okay mom,” protested Tsubaki.

     After exchanging irritated stares, Akazawa gestured to her car as she bid the two a farewell. “I have to go so I’m leaving it to you. Bye Yumeko-chan, have fun,” she chanted, with Yumeko finally taking a break from her preoccupation with the passersby to return a warm smile.

     “Bye Akazawa, and thanks,” Tsubaki hollered as Akazawa trotted down the road, only to invite another unwarranted jab. “No problem! Just don’t be late picking me up, I hate waiting around.” Frustrated, Tsubaki unnervingly sought to get the last word between them as she yelled over the city bustle, “That’s a lot coming from someone who makes people wait all the time!”

“Touché.”

     Akazawa then vanished amongst the swirling crowd while Tsubaki hurried Yumeko into the car. They drove off, leaving the city behind as they both looked forward to the day set ahead of them.

     With the sea breeze cascading them like a blanket, Tsubaki and Yumeko climbed up the stairs leaping from step-to-step yearning for the top. As they came closer and closer a new horizon began to rise in the distance. Yumeko gathered all her strength as she picked up her pace. Every second counted; she needed absolutely as much time as possible to spend throughout the day.

     She soared over the final step and planted her two feet firmly down at the top, as if she was the settler of a newly discovered land. The buzzling scenery hit like a gust of wind, nearly tipping her over. Tsubaki made her way to the top a few seconds behind her and stood over Yumeko like a mother hawk protecting its youth. Yumeko looked up at Tsubaki as she looked down back upon her. “Ikou!” Tsubaki chanted. She clasped her hand, and together they walked off into the colorful city of Shinmirai, slipping past the swelling crowd gathered around the central monitor in Shinmirai Square, where a news broadcast had begun to draw uneasy attention.

Building collapse leaves city in devastation, questions continue to mount. Upcoming: Death in Hirametsu.