Chapter 20: The Cost of Running

I went back down to Hana. She looked up from under the sheets as I came in. Her eyes lingered on my wet sleeve and red eyes. The question she’d been about to answer before Yuki came home still hung in the air.

"How was onee-san?"

"She’s coping... It’s not easy for her either."

"And you?"

"I’m… coping too. But getting better. Thanks to a lot of people — Shimizu-san, Kenji, Sachi-chan, Yuki-chan… and you. Don’t tell Sachi-chan I mentioned her, though."

Hana smiled briefly. “How did I help?”

Flashes of memory. Her presence on the bus. The fireworks. The dango.

"You didn’t have to do or say much. It helped more than you know, Hana-chan. Just… being here."

Hana went quiet.

"Ryo-kun... Do you think I’m a bad person?"

"You? You’re the gentlest person I know." I rubbed my arm, still sore from Yuki’s venting upstairs. "And you haven’t done anything wrong. How could you be bad?"

Silence. Then:

"If… an apple belonged to someone. But that person didn’t eat it. Would it be okay for another person to take it?"

That sounds suspiciously like something Sachi would do. Has she been bullying Hana-chan?

"No. It’s not okay."

Hana looked glum.

"Sachi-chan used to take my food and things all the time without asking me. It annoyed me greatly. But… lately she started asking first. And that makes it okay."

Shouldn’t this be common sense?

I could see Hana was battling something within her to utter the next sentence.

"I’ve… already asked onee-san…"

I smiled at her. “Then it’s okay to take the apple, Hana-chan. Though it’d be nice to buy her another one next time.”

She stared at me and sighed with a small smile.

"Sachi-chan was right. You’re an idiot, Ryo-kun."

"What? I answered your question!" That insult was uncharacteristic of Hana. Sachi must have rubbed off on her.

She turned over, back toward me.

"I’d like to sleep now. You can head home — onee-san can take care of me from here. Thank you for coming, Ryo-kun."

I stared at her back.

Did I say something wrong?

"Alright, Hana-chan. Get well soon. I’m looking forward to the Obon dance — you’ve been working really hard for it."

The tips of her ears went red. Her head turned slightly in my direction as I stood and left.

* * *

The next few days passed in the same easy rhythm. I visited Shimizu, took long walks around town, and trekked the local scenic routes.

One of those days, Kenji had managed to free up his schedule before Obon. We made our way up Mt. Kamisakari together. Sunlight came through the clouds in beams, and birds and insects filled the air around us.

All things considered, my recovery was — frankly — rather remarkable. Three weeks from the lowest point of my life, and here I was, smiling in the middle of a forest. Nature had a way of pulling the negativity out of a person.

"I’m glad you’re better, Ryo. You don’t look like a walking corpse anymore."

"Seriously? I looked like one?"

"Yeah. I’ve seen livelier robots at amusement parks."

"I was in energy saving mode."

"Man. You should’ve seen what I had to deal with."

"Obon preparations?"

"That, and things with our sisters. Handful doesn’t cover it. Especially…" His eyes slid to me. "Not a word to Sachi-chan."

"Not a word." I raised my hand in oath. Spill the tea, Kenji.

"Sachi-chan was livid with how Yuki-chan handled the whole thing." Kenji shook his head. "Put me in a tight spot, not gonna lie. Imagine this. Day and night, trying to keep Sachi-chan from going to war. I know Yuki-chan didn’t handle it well, but Sachi-chan went into full attack poodle mode."

"… I know exactly what that looks like. I grew up with that gremlin." I patted his shoulder. "I’m really sorry, bro. What do you even see in her?"

Kenji heaved a great sigh. "Honestly? That’s exactly what I like about her. How fiercely loyal she is. She’s not afraid to say what she thinks. I’ve learned a lot from her." He looked up through the canopy.

"She taught me that running away doesn’t solve anything, Ryo. Facing your problems is terrifying. But what comes after — if you don’t — is worse. She learned that when you left."

We kept climbing until we reached the top. The view spread out below us. A good place to stop, breathe, and eat lunch.

We sat on the benches and unpacked.

"Your absence left a mark on her, Ryo-kun." Kenji looked out at the view. "She probably never told you this." He sighed again. "Some things are better said than not." He put a hand on my shoulder, not looking at me. "It’s not easy to say."

"Go on."

"She blamed herself. For not standing up to Matsuda-san. For not demanding justice. She thought you left because she didn’t do anything."

I frowned at that. "But she knew it was Mum and Dad who decided it. Because I was in a bad shape."

"Because you were in a bad shape..." Kenji repeated it back. "She blamed herself for that too."

The conclusion settled on its own. So I’m the one who made her like this.

"And she’s been taking it out on Yuki-chan." Kenji said.

I went quiet.

"There’s only so much I can do, Ryo. But you’re better placed than I am to sort things out with her. Help a bro out?" He looked at me with a tired smile.

"I’m sorry, Kenji... I didn’t know. Leave it to me. I’ll talk to her."

I thought I only needed to apologise to Yuki-chan. But the person closest to me was in my blind spot.

"We all know you’re an idiot, Ryo. But a good one. That’s better than a bad genius." Kenji shook his head.

"Everyone keeps telling me that lately. Even Hana-chan."

Kenji raised an eyebrow. "You’ve been talking to her?"

"Just when she had that fever."

"Oh." He looked thoughtful. "Ryo. In exchange for sorting things out with Sachi-chan, I’ll teach you something. How to handle Hana-chan."

"Handle Hana-chan? Why would I need that?"

"There’s a technique I used on Sachi-chan." Kenji coughed.

That caught my attention. “Go on.”

"I bought a dango stick. Said I couldn’t finish mine."

I tilted my head.

"I made sure Sachi-chan was carrying something — her bag, some groceries. I deliberately didn’t offer to take them."

Smooth.

Kenji’s face went slightly red. "I ate the first dango on the skewer, then offered it to Sachi-chan. Held it right in front of her mouth." He paused. "She got the message."

Huh. This sounds familiar.

"That’s how it started. Things took off from there."

Yeah, but she already liked you well before that.

I looked at Kenji carefully. “Kenji. Did you teach Hana-chan this?”

"What? No. It’s my original technique. Sachi-chan was very impressed when I explained the planning behind it." He sat up slightly with pride.

Wait. Hana-chan used the same move at the fireworks festival.

* * *

We made it back by evening. Life felt, against all odds, mostly normal. Sachi and I had a good dinner with Mum, and then went to our rooms.

I sat with Kenji’s words for a while.

Facing your problems is terrifying. But what comes after — if you don’t — is worse.

After a while, I found myself outside Sachi’s room.

"Sachi-chan. It’s me."

Thump. Thump. Thump. The door slid open.