The Oak Tree

Haruki smiled warmly as Mochi took refuge in his lap. He always loved all animals but had a special soft spot for cats. As he looked down at Mochi, he was sharply reminded of the last cat he had befriended. A memory he had tried to block out.

During Haruki and Kazuki’s elementary school days, they had come across a malnourished stray cat. Seeing the vulnerable and helpless creature, the boys couldn't bear to leave it behind and decided to take it to Haruki's house to feed and care for it.

They named their new friend “Bear” and spent the entire day playing with him. However, later that night, Haruki's father discovered Bear at home. Haruki was reprimanded harshly for bringing a cat home and was told of his mother’s severe allergies. He was forced to abandon Bear on the spot. Haruki was heartbroken, and he cried for weeks on end. The pain of leaving Bear behind never truly faded, and even now, he couldn't fully forgive his parents for what they did.

After the incident, Kazuki made several attempts to cheer him up, suggesting that perhaps another family had found Bear, or maybe he was embarking on a grand adventure of his own. Haruki and Kazuki never saw Bear again.

He didn't realize tears were forming in his eyes until he heard the purr of Mochi on his lap, as if the cat was trying to soothe him. Haruki cradled Mochi even closer, whispering gently into the cat’s ear, "I promise, I will get you home to Sakurai." Mochi let out another purr, acknowledging the familiar name.

Suddenly, Mochi squirmed and managed to escape from Haruki's arms. The cat scurried up the oak tree with impressive finesse, onto the lowest branch. Haruki stood up, feeling both worried and confused about Mochi's sudden haste. As he looked around, trying to understand what had startled Mochi, he caught a glimpse of something orange in the dim light of the night. A few meters away, there stood a large fox with curious eyes, observing them intently. Haruki's gaze met the fox's for a moment. The fox appeared indifferent to Mochi and Haruki's presence, and after their brief moment of eye contact, it calmly moved on without any further interaction.

Haruki looked up and saw Mochi comfortably nuzzled in the tree. He replayed the image of Mochi climbing up the tree with such expertise in his head as he got into position to follow suit.

In the summer of seventh grade, Haruki and Kazuki had explored every forest trail and conquered climbing all the smaller trees. Seeking new challenges, Haruki noticed the majestic oak tree that could serve as an ideal base if they could overcome the hurdle of reaching its lowest branch. Although Kazuki initially found the idea unrealistic, Haruki's enthusiastic and persuasive arguments enticed him to give it a try.

They failed so many times with different routes until one attempt, Haruki would never forget. “This is the one,” Kazuki exclaimed (for the millionth time in a row) as he sprinted towards the oak tree, accelerating until he reached maximum speed. In a powerful burst of energy, he leaped, making contact with the tree using his right foot. As if defying gravity, he seemed to walk horizontally on the tree, deftly taking another step with his left foot before pushing off the trunk. With sheer determination, he barely managed to grab hold of the lowest branch. With a triumphant shout of delight, Kazuki pulled himself upward.

Haruki was a little shorter than Kazuki at that time and couldn’t recreate Kazuki’s method. But with the help of Kazuki as a human stepladder, they eventually both made it onto the tree. It turned out to be a better base than Haruki had hypothesized. Its many thick branches allowed for many comfortable positions for the two of them to sit, lie, or stand. Together, they explored the magnificent new spot, cheering at their accomplishment.

Later that summer, through training (and a couple of extra centimeters of growth), Haruki was able to climb the tree without the aid of Kazuki. Every day afterwards, the two of them would climb the tree after school. While initially, it took multiple attempts, they eventually became experts as their skills improved and they grew into high school boys.

Now, even in the depths of darkness, Haruki could make the leap off the tree trunk, gripping the branch with both hands and pull himself on top of the branch. He had been atop the tree only once or twice since the departure of Kazuki, not being able to enjoy their shared hangout spot alone. Haruki pulled out his phone as a flashlight again, quietly calling for Mochi.

Haruki discovered Mochi lying on the thickest and safest branch, his green eyes filled with both confusion and delight when seeing him. Mochi let out a small mew as Haruki sat down next to him. “You worried me when you ran off,” Haruki told the grey cat. “Don’t run off again. I’ll get you back to Moriko Sakurai,” he said. Mochi meowed gently at the sound of his owner's name.

"You are an amazing climber," Haruki complimented the cat, impressed by Mochi's ability to scale the large tree. He carefully turned off the bright camera light now that he had secured a safe position. Leaning against the tree's trunk, he whispered into the dark night as if sharing a story with a friend, "Me and my friend Kazuki would climb this tree all the time." The memory of Kazuki brought a pang of sorrow. "He's gone now, and I feel so alone. You must have felt alone too. But at least one of us won't be alone tomorrow." Mochi pressed his body even closer to Haruki, offering comfort in his own way.

With Mochi as his confidant, Haruki poured out all the troubled emotions he had been carrying for the past few months and shared the deep regret he felt over losing Bear in the embrace of the same oak tree. He entrusted his thoughts and feelings to Kazuki.