Chapter 27: The Unexpected Hero

Hana looked up from my shoulder, still trying to recover from her sobs.

“Ryo-kun… I thought… you wouldn’t come… The earrings… they fell and broke… I-I’m sorry, Ryo-kun.”

She was a mess. Tears dripped from her face onto the white top of her outfit. All of a sudden, my sprained ankle wasn’t an issue anymore as I stepped forward and held her tightly.

“Hana-chan. I’m sorry I was late. I’m really sorry.” I could only apologise. No excuses or reasons were necessary.

Hana continued to sob for a moment longer. The others were still in the vicinity, just not hovering over us anymore. Then, she managed to compose herself enough to check on me.

“Your foot… What happened?”

“I sprained it. That’s why I was late.”

She looked at me from head to toe.

“You went to the forest?”

I heaved a sigh and nodded. The memory of my various discarded mementos still lingered heavily on my mind.

“You sprained your ankle there? You were alone?”

More nods.

Hana thudded her fists softly against my chest.

“Idiot. Idiot Ryo-kun. This is so you. You always disappear without a word. Alone. Making others worry about you.”

I shifted more weight onto the crutch as Hana continued her assault.

“How did you get here then?”

I gestured at Shimizu. “I wouldn’t be here without him.”

***

—Five PM in the woods—

I lay in the car park, clutching my leg, incapacitated by the pain. My makeshift walking stick had split into two. There was no hope of getting back to town.

Alone, in pain, with regret coursing through my head. Things couldn’t get much worse.

And then—

“Oi! Are you okay?!” A man’s voice came from the direction of the toilet.

I strained through the pain to look in that direction and saw Shimizu.

He ran over to me.

“Ryo-kun?! What are you—”

He knelt down and assessed the situation.

“I’ll take you to the clinic.”

“No. The festival.” I was distraught.

“Ryo-kun. I’m afraid I must insist that you arrive late to the festival.” Shimizu put his foot down.

I looked at him. Then another wave of pain shot up my leg. That convinced me. I would at least need painkillers to last through the festival.

“Stay here.”

It wasn’t as if I could go anywhere else.

Shimizu ran to his car and drove it over to my side. Then he knelt beside me and helped me into the car.

In the car, I lay across the back seats. He wasn’t the most gentle of drivers—not when he was in a hurry.

He called the clinic. It was nearly half past five. They picked up.

“I have an emergency. Possible…” He glanced at me. “Dehydration, sprained ankle, delirium.”

“I am not delirious, Shimizu-san,” I groaned weakly.

“Please stay open until I get there. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

He hung up.

“Shimizu-san… What were you doing in the forest so late? You’re needed at the Obon…” I asked.

Shimizu scratched the back of his head.

“You see… I’m somewhat of a procrastinator… I was visiting a grave to pay my respects. It had to be done before Obon.” He smiled gently.

“Oh… Whose grave was it? Did your family not join?” I tried to focus on the conversation to distract myself from the pain.

Shimizu shook his head. “They don’t have family members except me, Ryo-kun. It’s an unmarked grave for strays. Every time a stray animal that I take care of passes away at the shrine, I bring their body to be buried in the forest. Under a tree.”

There was a tinge of sadness in his smile.

Before long, he pulled up at the clinic. The nurses were waiting outside. They understood the assignment.

After a whirlwind of questions, cognitive tests, fussing, bandages, painkillers, a splint—and even fending off an attempted IV drip, I emerged from the clinic in much better shape. It was nearly seven in the evening already.

If only Pokémon Centers were real. They’d patch me up in minutes. Still, I was deeply grateful to the clinic staff, who worked overtime and didn’t skip any due diligence—much to my chagrin.

After I got my bag of painkillers and thanked the clinical staff profusely, I asked if Shimizu could take me to the festival. At an extra quick pace.

He smiled knowingly. “Ryo-kun. You do know that I’m late as well, don’t you? Buckle up and pray those painkillers are strong.”

The car ride wasn’t long. It took less than five minutes, with how small Kaminoseki was. The real ordeal was the car park. Shimizu parked illegally as close as possible to the festival grounds and supported me up to the central area.

My eyes immediately spotted Hana as she emerged from the dance troupe for the final dance. Seeing her in the miko outfit shot an arrow straight through my heart.

…Beautiful.

My eyes stayed glued to her until she finished her performance. Somehow, my eyes started to water as she danced.

As her dance ended, I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“Shimizu-san.” I looked at him beside me. “Thank you… Thank you… You don’t know how much you’ve saved me today.”

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “And this summer. And two summers ago. Don’t make it a habit, Ryo-kun.”

“Can you help me get to Hana-chan? Please?”

“Sure. Your ankle still holding up?”

“It doesn’t matter now.” My eyes stayed on Hana as the rest circled her.

***

—The present moment—

I had just finished explaining everything to Hana about the day. She stared at me with an expression that bordered on concern laced with violence.

“Ryo-kun, you need to promise me—no more solo excursions. See what happened to you? Do you enjoy letting others worry?”

I wasn’t expecting that from the gentle, shy, and quiet Hana. It was the first time she had admonished me.

What’s this? Sachi-chan must be rubbing off on her.

I leaned on my crutch slightly and nodded.

“I understand. No more. I promise you. I’m done with running away—from my feelings, and from the people that matter.”

That made Hana freeze. Her eyes widened.

“Hana-chan. There’s something that I want to tell you.” I looked at her intensely.

Hana met my gaze with a steeled expression. Her hand rose to her ear instinctively, but she caught herself midway. Then, she clasped her hands together in front of her.

“Yes, Ryo-kun. I’m ready,” she replied in a shaky voice. Her face flushed slightly.

“Hana-chan…”

You’ve come this far. It’s showtime, Ryo.