Price and Payment

I’m back in this dream again. Hiroto walks further into the blinding light with his back turned to me. I bring my arm up to shield my eyes from the brightness as I force my legs to move forward towards him.

“Hiroto!” I call out to him, but my voice barely comes out as a whisper.

I have to manually control each part of my legs just to walk forward: lift up my right leg, slam it back down onto the ground, push it back, then repeat the process with my left leg. Walking has become unnecessarily difficult, but I know one thing—I must reach Hiroto.

“Please…come back…”

My voice comes out as a raspy wheeze. I feel sand filling my mouth, making it difficult to breathe, and no matter how much I try to spit out or even scoop out the sand with my hands, I still suffocate with each word I squeeze out from my throat.

“Wait…”

Don’t leave me again, Hiroto. It’s been too long without you. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I should’ve never told you that I wanted to see you get on that rocket. I should’ve never had those goals of wanting to be an astronaut like you. I should’ve just shut up so you didn’t have to go.

“Hi…ro…to…”

It hurts to speak. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to think. My body falls forward as if pulled to the ground, and I feel my legs dissolve into sand. I failed again. I couldn’t reach Hiroto. It’s so difficult. I want this dream to stop.

Suddenly, I hear Yume’s voice ask, “Yuma?”

Her voice booms across this plane of existence. The reverberation causes me to flinch back as my hands melt into grains of sand on the ground.

“Yuma.”

Another shockwave of her voice travels across this dimension. It causes the brightness of the light to dim just a little bit. It’s enough for me to peer through squinted eyes at Hiroto’s back. I try to speak, but I no longer have a mouth. More time—I just need more time.

“Yuma!”

A third impact of her voice causes the light to dim even more, allowing me to open my eyes wider. Hiroto stops walking for the first time in my dreams. Then, also for the first time in my dreams, he slowly turns his head to the right, as if trying to look behind him.

Hiroto? Did you hear me? Did you hear Yume? I’m here. Please look back at me. I just want to see you one more time. I just want to talk to you one more time. I just want to be a brother one more time.

As he slowly turns, my vision starts to come apart. Bits of the world begin breaking apart into tiny pieces as my eyes start dissolving.

Not yet. Please. Not yet, dammit!

Before I can even see his eyes as he’s turning around, my sight is taken from me. First is darkness, then comes the light.

“Yuma! Wake up! It’s time for school!” says Yume, shaking my shoulder as I crack my eyes open.

It’s Monday morning already. I actually got to sleep throughout the entire night this time, but I’m still tired after a dream like that. I’ve never seen Hiroto stop in my dreams like that. It seems like he only stopped because of a certain girl.

“Good morning, sleepyhead!” says Yume as she looks right into my eyes as I’m waking up.

I turn over to the other side and say, “Five more minutes…”

I think back to that night on the beach two days ago. It was a beautiful night sky and it was fun being on that beach with other people again. It’s less depressing when I’m not just sitting there alone, thinking to myself about all the things I should have done. Seeing Satoro actually draw in person was pretty nice since we usually only see him at school, and he doesn't do much when we’re around even after we told him it’s okay for him to draw whenever he wants. However, whenever I think about that night, I can only think about one person.

“Yuma?” asks Yume.

I turn back around and look at her. She greets me with the same warm smile from that night. Is this really the same girl who looked so elegant under the moonlight? It’s hard to believe that she could look so pretty when all she thinks about is food and how to annoy me. What a pain. Now it’s harder than ever to say no to anything she asks me to do. It’s too early for me to think about all of this. Maybe I could use more sleep.

“Good morning, Yume…” I say.

“Good job.”

She softly pats my head. My right eye twitches a bit. I’m not a puppy, dammit.

“Ah, jeez. Fine! I’m getting up!” I say.

I’m frustrated with how this girl could take away even something like sleep from me.

“Good! I’ll wait for you then,” says Yume.

She walks out of the room, leaving me in my bed. I get up, get dressed in the usual black and red uniform, and make my way out of my room. I quickly brush my teeth with a single rinse and hop to the kitchen on one foot as I try to put on my socks. I skip breakfast like usual since I don’t have time to eat after sleeping in. I get to the front door, and I see Mom and Dad standing right outside. That’s unusual. Dad’s normally at work at this hour. He’s happily talking with Mom as he’s in his black suit and carrying a briefcase. I guess he starts later today. I don’t really talk to him much these days—it’s been awkward ever since Hiroto left.

“Like I said, she’s been good to him. He’ll be fine. Even if he doesn’t want to talk to us, he can at least talk to her,” says Mom.

They’re probably talking about me, huh? Makes me wonder why they don’t just talk to me face to face. Well, it’s not like I want to talk to them directly either. I guess the awkwardness goes both ways.

“That’s a relief then. I just wish I could—” says Dad, but he stops when he spots me. “Hey, Yuma.”

I look up at him for a second, then I look back down as I put my shoes on and walk past them without a word. I still can’t talk to them. It’s too difficult. As I walk past them, Yume taps my shoulder as she catches up to me.

“You almost forgot your lunch. I’m not going to share if you leave it behind, you know,” says Yume, handing me my lunch box.

“I half expected you to take it in secret and not tell me,” I say.

“Oh c’mon. Even I wouldn’t do that no matter how hungry I am, Yuma.”

We both start walking off to school.

“Then, Miss and Mister Kentarou, we’re off!” announces Yume.

“See you two when you get home! Dinner will be grilled chicken and asparagus tonight!” says Mom.

“Yay!”

Of course Yume would get excited about something like that.

“Oh, and Yuma,” says Dad.

I turn around when he calls for me. I look at him and Mom. It almost feels strange seeing them both at the same time since Dad has been leaving early and coming home late for the past couple of years. Dad and I just look at each other in silence for a few seconds. Just say it already. It’s not like I’m a stranger or something.

He takes a deep breath and then finally says. “…do…good in school, alright?”

That’s it? It’s better than getting scolded or lectured at least. I nod at his words and turn back around to keep walking with Yume to school. Yume waves back with her entire arm and continues walking beside me. So much for talking with my parents.

“You could’ve at least said something, you know?” says Yume.

“It’s awkward enough as is. I don’t think me saying anything would’ve improved that,” I respond.

“Yeah, but they’re your mom and dad. Didn’t have to treat them so coldly.”

Was I really that rude to them? I don’t think I was. I didn’t say anything to ruin their day or something like that. Besides, it’s just another morning within the thousands of other mornings from the past and future. It won’t make a difference.

“It’s fine. Not like they’ll do anything about it anyways,” I say.

“Hey! They’re trying,” responds Yume.

“Trying?”

Yume leaves her mouth hanging and looks up for an answer.

“I…guess? Yeah, they’re trying to talk to you at least.”

She doesn’t have to go this far for them. She’s just a transfer student who moved in after all. There’s also something more pressing to talk about.

“Well, putting that aside, do you feel any different?” I ask.

“Hmm? What do you mean?” asks Yume.

“You know, helping Satoro and how it gets you back to the moon.”

“Oh, right. That…” Yume narrows her eyes and and looks up to think about it again.  “I think I feel a bit different. I think.”

Don’t tell me she doesn’t know if it matters or not.

“You’re not sure?” I ask.

“It’s not that I’m not sure, it’s just…complicated and hard to explain.”

That doesn’t do much in providing any answers to the millions of questions I still have.

“You never did say how it would help you get back up to the moon.”

“I did…kind of. If we just help enough people, then I know I can get back to the moon.”

She doesn’t sound so sure about that either. Did this girl really think this through?

“You’ll fly back there then?” I ask.

She shrugs and says, “I think so. Not sure how else I’d get back up there.”

I sigh. I have a feeling that I’m just wasting my time doing this. None of this really makes sense, and I’m no closer to know who or what Yume is, but after seeing the things she’s done, I don’t have much of a choice but go with it.

“How about you, Yuma? Do you feel any different?” asks Yume.

“Huh? Why would I matter?” I ask back in response.

We’re not doing this for me, so it doesn’t matter what happens to me. I’m just some guy who got stuck with this weird, crazy girl. So far, it’s only Satoro who we managed to talk to. I’m not even fully sure we helped him with his situation, but at least we got him to smile more and draw as much as he wants to.

“Because you’re here too, aren’t you?” answers Yume.

“Yeah, but who cares about me. This is about getting you back to the moon after all.”

What else would it be about anyways? We started this because we have a contract to help Yume get back to the moon after she saved my life.

“Well, I do. So, do you feel any different after helping Satoro?” she asks again.

She’s so insistent for me to answer that. I don’t get it. Helping Satoro has nothing to do with me. I’m a bit annoyed now that she’s asked me twice. All I did was help him out with his need to draw and became friends with him. Sure, maybe he’s the only other person I know besides my parents and Yume, but it’s not like it made much of a difference. Although, it did make me want to read some books about space again now that I think about it, but that’s it!

“Not really…” I answer.

Yeah, not much changed.

“Hmm…alright then,” says Yume.

She shrugs again and drops the topic since she switches over to a conversation about food and looking forward to dinner tonight. We walk all the way to school without a hitch and reach the school gates. There’s a group of students circling around someone next to the entrance to the building. Yume and I walk right by the group when we hear one of the male students speak.

“What do you mean you can’t pay us anymore?” he asks.

“W-W-Well, I simply ran out of my dad’s money, a-a-and I can’t ask him for more since he told me that’s all I’m getting f-for this year…” squeaks out a meek voice.

Wait, I heard that voice before. I stop, which causes Yume to stop as well. I take a few steps back to see if my hunch is correct. Sure enough, with her back pressed against the wall and surrounded by the group I saw with her the other day, the purple haired girl frantically looks around as students keep questioning her.

“Why don’t you just ask him for more then?!” screams one of the girl.

“I-I can’t…he says I have to know how to m-manage my money and negotiate for friends…” says the purple haired girl.

“Cut the crap! Pay up, or we take whatever you have left!” screams one of the other guys.

I feel a familiar rage burn inside me once again. I take a deep breath to calm down. Just walk away, Yuma. It’s not your mess. You don’t have to step in like you used to. You got into so much trouble in middle school for wanting to stand up for other people. You’re beyond that now. Just go to class.

“B-But…I need it for lunch and emergencies…please don’t take it away…” cries the purple haired girl.

“You should’ve thought of that before promising us more money. Are you saying we’re not your friends then?” asks another girl.

The purple haired girl gasps and slowly shakes her head no.

“Y-You’re my…f-f-friends…” she says with trembling lips.

“Yes. Exactly. So pay us, so we can keep being friends, or else we’ll leave. You can be on your own if you want,” says another girl, laughing after saying that.

The purple haired girl stays silent for a moment, then she reaches into her bag and pulls out a pouch. This is messed up.

“Yuma? What’s wrong?” asks Yume.

Don’t do it. She’s not important. She’s just another student. She’s alone.

“Dammit…” I mutter, grinding my teeth together.

I walk over to the group. What am I doing? Seriously, what am I doing?