There's a Way Back, Potentially

Katsuo made it the rest of the way to the station without further incident. All the while, he kept thinking of that truck, and sound. He was nearly positive that he had heard it the day he got sent to this world. If it wasn’t a dream that is. Either way, it would be the same sound he had heard. He felt that he really needed to talk to Hayami about it, but doing that with Kame around would make that near impossible. I suppose it will have to wait.

Approaching the station, Katsuo didn’t immediately see either of the two girls. He looked around for a couple of minutes, and then found a bench to wait. He’d only been there for another couple minutes, when he heard the first voice.

“Katsuo-san! Hey, Katsuo-san!”

He turned to see Kame running up and waving excitedly. She wore a short white summer dress with peach flower print, and a light grey jacket.

“Hey Katsuo-san, have you been waiting long?”

“No, only a few minutes.”

“Okay great! Any sign of Hayami-san?”

“Not yet, looks like you beat her here.”

“Oh look! Here she comes!”

Katsuo looked in the direction that Kame was waving. Hayami had just entered the station, in a white skirt tied at the front, and bright green long-sleeved blouse. She returned Kame’s wave and smiled as she reached them.

“I see I’m the last one here, I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

“No worries Hayami-san! We only just got here ourselves.”

The girls hugged, or rather Kame hugged Hayami. It didn’t look unwanted, but Hayami definitely appeared surprised at first, but quickly returned the hug. They both turned to Katsuo, smiling. Kame piped up first.

“So, are we ready?”

With no objections, they all made their way down to the platform. Being a Friday evening, they only had to wait a few minutes before the train that would take them to the shopping district arrived. They boarded the train and found some open seats together. The girls chatted about school and things Katsuo could barely follow. What on earth is a silisponge?

A few stops later, they reached the station nearest to the shopping district. The shopping district was the same Katsuo had been to previously with Hayami and Kanna, to visit Kame at Atakoro Plaza. However, according to Hayami, the place they were going to was an older multi-generation shop. Katsuo followed the girls down one of the older streets in the district, eventually coming to a stop in front of a small older looking shop. The storefront certainly showed its age but didn’t look run down.

When they entered through the front door, they were greeted by a young girl, holding a broom, around Kanna’s age. She smiled and welcomed them to the shop, giving a polite bow.

“Greetings, and welcome! Are we perhaps looking for yukatas?”

“Thank you! And it will be just for him, we’ve already got some.”

Kame gestured to herself and Hayami.

“Great! I’m assuming you’re looking for one for the festival tomorrow.”

Kame and Katsuo both nodded in response.

“Okay, the men’s and boy’s sections are over here. We still have some good options left, so no need to worry about that.”

She led them over to a far side of the store, then gestured to racks of yukatas on either side.

“You’ll likely find stuff that fits amongst both, the changing room is right there, and if you need any help just ask!”

She gave another cheerful smile, gave a slight bow, and then headed back towards the front of the store. Katsuo felt like she was a younger version of Kame. They didn’t look similar enough to be related, but in mannerism she certainly was close. Kame herself, stepped towards a rack and then turned to them.

“Well, I guess we better get started.”

Hayami walked over to a separate rack, both girls flipping through the wide variety of colors and prints. Katsuo let out a breath and hit the nearest rack. He felt like he’d barely seen half a dozen different ones when the girls called to him. Both were holding several each in their arms. Clearly, they were the experienced shoppers here.

Katsuo grabbed a couple from each and went into the changing room. He came out to show them, one after another. The girls would give him feedback in the form of funny faces, waved hands, or just shrug. An elderly woman in a kimono had joined them in their critiquing. Eventually one of them had even snuck a girl’s yukata into the mix, it was purple, so Katsuo didn’t think much of it. But it faded into a flowery pink background on the back. He felt like it fit a little weird, but hadn’t known why until the girls insisted he turn around in it. Then he caught sight of himself in the mirror. All he could do was roll his eyes and keep changing.

The young girl who greeted them had also joined. On about the eighth or ninth attempt, he exited to positive feedback from the now all four females awaiting his exits. The fabric was a very dark blue, almost black, with a lighter blue of ocean waves and clouds. Traditional print, in a modern style, and also mature colors. It was settled, this was the one. They brought him a black obi, with two thin silver stripes that ran along the outer edges.

Katsuo changed back into his casual clothes, then the elderly woman checked him out at the front. Apparently, she was the grandmother to the girl that had greeted them. They gave their thanks, and then it was back to the station. On the third stop, Kame got off, as it was closest to her place. She gave Hayami a hug and Katsuo a friendly smile, then said goodbye to them both with a wave.

Once the train started moving again, Katsuo let out a breath.

“I heard something today.”

“Oh? Like a rumor?”

“No, I mean a noise.”

“A noise? Well, I would hope you hear plenty of noises throughout the day.”

When he didn’t respond, she looked at him. She must have seen he was a little bothered by his thoughts, because she grew serious.

“Alright, tell me about it?”

“When I was on my way to the station, I passed the park.”

“Right.”

“As I reached the crosswalk, I heard this strange chime. It seemed to come from… Well, everywhere. Like it didn’t have a source, or at least one that I could identify. But then, I heard it again. Louder the second time. And then this truck drove by.”

Hayami sat up a little straighter in her seat, keeping her eyes locked on Katsuo, waiting for him to finish.

“It felt so- surreal. But also, a little like déjà vu. But the truck kept going, and I think I heard the chime again once more as it drove off.”

Hayami sat quietly for a moment before finally speaking up.

“Is that it?”

Katsuo shrugged, not really sure what else to say. Hayami cleared the silence once more.

“You didn’t mention this sound before, do you remember hearing it in your world?”

He tilted his head side to side as he answered.

“Uh, I think so. It all feels kind of like a dream, a really vivid dream. But… I think I heard it right before I got hit by that truck.”

He shrugged, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Hayami pinched her chin in thought, staring at the floor in consternation, then she turned back to Katsuo.

“It seems to me that this sound is connected to however you got here. I wonder if you had let yourself get hit by that truck today-“

She trailed off, looking as if something else had occurred to her. Katsuo didn’t let her continue though.

“What? Are you saying that if I had let that truck hit me, I would’ve gone back to my world?”

Hayami shrugged, and the light came on signaling the train was approaching their stop.

“I’m not saying anything, it’s just something that crossed my mind. It could also mean that someone else arrived here.”

“What?”

“Think about it, what if the chime sounded when you got sent here? Or- Wait, did you see anyone else there? Did anyone else get hit by that truck?”

Katsuo shook his head, and they both stood as the train came to a stop.

“There was no one else there, I don’t even know if the truck had a driver or not.”

“No driver?”

“I didn’t see one, but I wasn’t really looking either.”

Hayami pinched her chin again in thought. She didn’t seem to be paying much attention to where she was going, so Katsuo stayed close to her to keep her from running into anyone.

“I want to think more about this. Because the only thing I can think of is that it’s somehow connected to transferring you or someone else in-between our worlds. Like a gateway between worlds.”

“By truck?”

Hayami shrugged,

“What else could it be? Sure, it’s weird and a bit crazy, but wouldn’t traveling to another world in any way be a bit weird and crazy?”

She had him there, it was as good a guess as any. Eventually he shrugged.

“I suppose you may be right.”

They walked in silence for a time, neither of them spoke until their intersection was within sight. Hayami let out a small breath.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I mean with this information. If on your way home tonight, you heard it and…”

“Are you asking me if I would jump in front of a truck?”

“No, I mean, well yes. But not just a truck, some kind of world-transferring truck.”

“You make it sound like I’d just hop in for a ride. What if I let it hit me, and then I do wake up… In a hospital.”

“All I’m saying is…”

She paused, looking away from him. When she finally continued, it was only just loud enough for Katsuo to hear.

“What if you could go home?”

That question almost did hit like a truck. Sure, he and Hayami had discussed parallel worlds and being sent here for a greater purpose, but he hadn’t really considered going home. How would he get home? Was there a way back? Would I if I could? He surprised himself with the last question. But when he thought about it, he realized that there hadn’t really been a moment when he was hoping or wishing to go back home.

Sure, he was kind of freaking out when he first got here, at least confused. But go back home? It made sense, didn’t it? He realized that he hadn’t responded to Hayami’s question.

“I don’t know, I don’t even know that I can.”

“I see.”

Neither said anything after that, it wasn’t awkward or tense, it was just quiet. They walked in silence until they reached their usual parting spot. At the corner Hayami turned to Katsuo, sliding a lock of hair behind her ear.

“See you tomorrow.”

It was a statement, but she said it almost like it was a question. Like she wondered if he would be around after tonight.

“Yeah, tomorrow.”

“Do you know where you’re going?”

“Kind of, but I think my whole family is going. So, I’ll just go over there with them.”

“Oh, okay, good.”

“What about you? Are your parents going?”

“My mom won’t be going, no.”

Katsuo felt like her response was obvious enough, but he asked anyway.

“And your dad?”

She gave him a sad smile.

“It’s just me and mom, and mom doesn’t do much these days.”

As Katsuo had guessed. He was a little surprised that he was just now finding this out. It’s amazing what you don’t know about a person you’re around nearly every day. Things that just seem so common and unconsidered in one’s own life, might not be in someone else’s.

“Oh, I see. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, I’m over it.”

Her voice was unfaltering, she sounded like she meant it.

“Well, you could come with me and my family. That is, if you wanted to?”

She smiled at him, tucking her hair once more. That’s got to get old.

“Sure, I’d like that.”

“Cool, then I’ll see you at our place.”

“Sounds good, good night, Katsuo-san.”

“Good night, Hayami-san.”