XXXVI

“It’s been quite some time since we were last together,” Nobuo said as we walked slowly through the garden behind the house. The bright, hot sun was making my head throb painfully and I was feeling shaky after only the small distance we’d walked. I had to fight back a wave of nausea as the bright sun seemed to bore into my brain.

“H-Has it?” I stammered.

“About five years, now,” he replied. “We were back in high school at the time.”

“We were?” I asked. “How did we meet again?”

“Oh, we were both in the jazz band,” he replied after a moment’s hesitation.

“How nice,” I replied, fighting back a fresh wave of nausea. “I always did love playing saxophone.”

“You were easily the best at it,” he answered smoothly. I was almost 100% sure I’d never played a wind instrument in my life. He was lying.

“So how did we get engaged?” I asked with as close an approximation of a coy smile as I could manage while it felt my eyes were on fire from the bright sun.

“Well, I used to spend a lot of time at your house after club and one day I confessed to you and we started dating,” he replied. “We dated for a few months and I finally got the courage to ask you to marry me and you agreed. It made me the happiest man alive!” I rolled my eyes and had to close them quickly to avoid falling over.

“You’ll have to forgive me for not remembering,” I finally managed.

“Oh, I understand,” he smiled broadly at me. “I really hope we can use this time to get to know each other again. I’ve missed you.”

“It must have been hard for you when my parents transferred and I had to move. I know it was difficult for me!” I played the happy role I knew he was expecting, trying to get to the truth of things.

“It was!” He replied instantly. “But I always loved that we tried to call each other every week. I was so scared when you stopped calling!” I had run away, I thought, I never transferred. He was definitely lying. He began to slowly walk away from the house toward the orchard, herding me almost. A tingle of fear coursed through me.

“Well, it was hard being away from you, too,” I smiled, stalling, looking for exit routes as we stepped into the outskirts of the apple orchard. The thick, spreading branches of the trees filtered the harsh sunlight and made it easier on my eyes, though my heart was now pounding with fear.

“Well, we’re together, now!” He enthused, stepping closer to me. “And we’ll be able to reaffirm our relationship just like when we were younger.”

“R-Reaffirm?” I asked. “Are you saying we had sex?”

“No, of course not, but you always wanted to. I didn’t think it was the right time but now that we’re older I know we can finally climb that last hill we couldn’t when we were in school,” he said smoothly.

“Oh,” I mumbled, trying to step away from him. He suddenly stopped and held his hand out to me. I stared blankly at it then up at him.

“We’re engaged, the least you can do is hold my hand,” he said, the smile turning his lips up was not a pleasant one and warning bells went off in my head.

“I-I’m not really comfortable holding hands at this point,” I said, shrinking back from him.

“All of a sudden you’re a big star and are too good for me?” He asked, staring at me.

“I-I never s-said that,” I stammered stepping back a step.

“I’ve seen you on TV,” he stepped closer to me, causing me to step back another pace, the tree limbs interlocking over my head. “I saw you dancing up there like a tease. We’re going to have to put a stop to that, huh?”

“Excuse me?” I asked, stepping back again, the atmosphere was getting dangerous.

“Well, we’re back together again,” he stepped closer more aggressively than before and I stumbled backward, my back pressed against the trunk of an apple tree. “I expect a certain amount of deference, you know.”

“I-I don’t know what you mean but you being this c-close is u-u-uncomfortable for m-me,” I stuttered, fear coursing through me, trying to keep an eye on him while also looking for a way to get away from him.

“Aww,” he teased, stepping closer until his chest was almost against me, I pressed my back against the tree, my heart pounding painfully in fear. “Am I really making you uncomfortable or are you just excited?”

“I-I am definitely uncomfortable,” I replied, trying my best to sound brave. “Please step back.”

“What if I don’t? What are you going to do about it?” He teased, stepping even closer, his chest pressed nearly against my face due to the extreme height difference between us.

“Please,” I said. “Please just let me go back to my room. I’m not feeling well.”

“You’re playing coy, Akari,” he whispered, leaning down until I could feel his breath against my hair. “You have these purple highlights like a whore and you still try to play coy? That’s rich.”

“I-I’m not p-playing coy,” I stammered, struggling as he pressed me back against the tree. “Leave me alone!”

“I don’t feel like leaving you alone,” he whispered. “I think you owe me something pleasant, don’t you?”

“No!” I screamed, summoning all the strength I had. I screamed and pushed him, causing him to step back a pace in surprise and I bolted to the left and began to run.

I stumbled slightly, blinded by the sun for a brief moment and he caught my hair. I screamed again as he used my own momentum to swing me back and against the tree hard. My vision seemed to explode in white sparks as my head slammed against the wood. What is with all the abuse my head is getting lately? I absently wondered as the world spun and blackness loomed. If I passed out I was in trouble.