Chasing The Light: IV

"So… Why were you in such a hurry the other day, Kiri?"

Just as we sat down?

I had met up with my friends and were gathered at a karaoke booth. Unsurprisingly it was Yuri who was the inquisitor.

"Huh? Oh, that was nothing. I just had to… Meet my tutor."

I tried to act nonchalant and pass my lie off convincingly.

Wait, why did I lie to them?

"Tutor, since when did you—"

Kaede was next to talk, before being interrupted by Mari while she was searching for suitable songs.

"Leave 'er alone, guys. If Kiricchi wants to ditch us for some guy, that's her prerogative."

"Hey! It doesn't always have to be about a boy, you know!"

My voice was raised, a little aggressive. I saw the others recoil a little.

"S-Sorry if we touched a nerve, Kiri."

"Ah… No, it's fine. Sorry I shouted, Yuri."

An awkward silence descended on the room. The only sound coming from the speakers, playing the karaoke place's repetetive jingle.

"I… I didn't see a tutor. I don't have a tutor. I went to watch a band."

Kaede shot me a queer look.

"A band? Why'd you lie about going to see a band?"

"I don't know."

That was the truth. I had no reason to lie to them, I had nothing to cover up. Yet it felt wrong letting them know. As if it was somehow a flimsy excuse to not hang around with them. Something more 'proper' like studying was a much better reason, this just felt as if I was ditching them to see Alyx. Alyx's band. Ditching them to see Alyx's band. Mari finally selected a song and the tension melted slightly. Yuri sidled up to me.

"I know you already said but… This isn't, like, the band of some boy you like?"

I sighed, and she flinched. She thought I was going to snap again, I bet.

"No. I didn't know the boy in the band. It was a girl. I saw her perform before, and I wanted to see her band. That's all."

"Oh? That's cool. Where was it, somewhere in the city."

I mumbled the answer.

"Huh?"

"Kashiwa."

"Kashiwa?"

"In Chiba."

Yuri twisted her face a little, while Kaede selected her song.

"That's… Kinda far, isn't it?"

I nodded.

"Yeah. She drove me home. The singer, I mean. The one I had seen perform."

I took a sip of my soda, as Yuri sat back in her chair.

"Well that's kinda cool! Are they a big deal or something? What kinda music do they play? It's like some local idol thing?"

"No, no. They were, like… A normal rock band? With guitars and stuff. Playing the music. Kinda… Loud?"

"Loud?"

Stupid.

"Um… Yeah, loud and… Heavy?"

"Do you think I'd like them?"

No.

"Maybe! Oh, thanks!"

Kaede passed off the tablet to me, and I had an excuse to break this conversation. Thankfully, she didn't revisit the topic later, nor did anyone else. A story about going to watch a live music performance was clearly less titilating than the prospect of a secret romantic rendezvous. Even the detail of being driven home late at night failed to inspire their imagination. I was thankful Alyx was a girl. If she had been a boy, then my ear would be chewed off into the night.

After a couple of hours, we finally got the call that our time was up, and so we started getting ready to leave.

"Oh, Golden Week starts next week, huh?"

Mari was right. It was Golden Week already.

"Oh yeah, we should do something."

I said, in a way trying to make up for ditching them the other day.

"Ah sorry guys. I'll be in Kyoto visiting my grandparents."

Kaede has grandparents in Kyoto? Ah, I think I do remember her saying she went back for New Years.

"I'm free, I think. If Kiri doesn't have anymore 'gigs' she will be attending."

Shut up, Yuri.

"You're just jealous beacuse I have attained a level of coolness you wish you had. Maybe I will go to more shows!"

Yuri laughed, and then everyone else joined in. Another meeting successfully navigated.

***

Papa would be coming home this week. He had asked if there was anything special we should do for the holidays, but I said no. I would be happy enough just seeing him around the dinner table again. Plus, I already had some plans to see Mari and Yuri. Cramming too much into our few extra days off would leave me more exhausted than if I had just attended school as normal.

Still, I was happy that Papa would be returning. Our family would be whole again, and Mama would cheer up. She would always try to hide it, but I could tell she missed having him around. I can't really remember much from those days, but back in Hokkaido she never seemed to miss him that much whenever he went away. If I recall, the trips were shorter and less frequent, but I do remember being quite the crybaby when he left. But we had Nana and Grandfather around, so Mama was significantly less lonely.

Papa's return would mean a significantly shorter leash, however. I probably would not be able to get away with anymore late nights in live houses. Hopefully Alyx's band might perform at more sociable hours. It would be nice to see her again. See her perform, of course. Her band seemed to be in the 20th century still, and not one song of theirs was online. Maybe it was part of some sort of guerilla marketing technique, their performance in Kashiwa was relatively well-attended. Perhaps they even sold their music on CDs.

How retro. Do I even have anything that could play a CD?

A quick examination of my laptop provided an answer. No. If 'MY AMERICANA' sold CDs, not that I had any reason to believe they did, I would not be able to play them. It was probably possible to pick a CD player up for really cheap at the second-hand store. 2000¥? Maybe a bit more. Or a little attachment I can plug into my laptop to give it a disk-player-thing. When I see Alyx next, I should ask about how to get her music. Some of her songs were surprisingly catchy, and I found myself humming along to what I could recall.

When will I see her again?

She hadn't messaged me since the other day. She had no reason to. The only messages I had from her were details about her last show and whenever she had replied to me. I had no reason to message her, either.

Why am I thinking about her again?

I owed her. She may not have thought so, but I knew that it was right that I should give something to her in return for her kindness. She wouldn't accept money, but a small token should be easy to accept. Papa would be home by Friday, and Mama suggested baking something sweet for him. In the past, I'd often baked extra to give to friends, so it would be no problem setting aside a few cookies for Alyx. I would have to find some way to meet her, but I knew she lived at least relatively close to me. I would just message her to see if she was free, ask for an address, and drop off her cookies.

Just then, my phone buzzed. Could it be?

…

No. It was Mari, feeling out plans for next week.

I should probably make everyone else some cookies too.