Kouyou

Day by day, Kazuki practiced Renka’s songs, offering suggestions and slight changes on occasion which Renka enthusiastically discussed with him. Their weekly meetings soon became more frequent until they met nearly every day after their long shifts at work. Although he was often quite tired after a full day on the job, Kazuki looked forward to his musical meetings with Renka, going home invigorated after each one.

Renka seemed equally zealous about things, being the one to suggest meeting more often and taking the initiative to book rooms at the community center or find spots elsewhere for them to practice and discuss music in peace. On weekends, they met at Yoyogi Park, Kazuki playing songs for passersby and beginning to draw small crowds of people to watch him play. Renka suggested he play more often in front of people to prepare for the festival, and Kazuki quickly found himself growing more comfortable with performing for larger groups without hesitating.

The rainy season gave way to a period of cooling temperatures as fall swept over the whole of Japan, working its way from Hokkaido down to Kyushu, the trees shifting from green to shades of orange, red, and yellow: kouyou. What cherry blossoms were to spring, kouyou was to fall. While not as popular or celebrated as the blooming cherry blossoms, Kazuki found the fall colors warm and satisfying to see. It was exciting to get a chance to see them earlier in the year than he normally would in Yoshino now that he lived farther north.

Kazuki lay in bed after their Thursday meeting. They wouldn’t meet tomorrow, but maybe on the weekend they could meet up and play some songs… Kazuki’s phone buzzed, Renka’s LINE profile picture popping up in a call. He accepted the call and held the phone to his ear.

“Hi, Renka. Is everything okay?” He asked. She didn’t normally call him, opting instead to send messages.

“Yes! Everything is fine. I just wanted to call you since I thought it would be easier to discuss something with you this way.” Renka explained.

“What is it?”

“Are you free this Saturday?” She sounded excited about something.

“Yeah, I am. Is there a festival or something?” He smiled at the thought of being able to see her.

“There isn’t a festival, but I wanted to do something fun together, if you want to. Do you want it to be a surprise, or do you want to know all the details?”

Kazuki thought for a moment. Renka seemed especially fired up when she asked if he wanted it to be a surprise, and he doubted it would be anything too crazy, so it wouldn’t hurt to entertain the idea.

“I’ll let it be a surprise.”

Renka let out a sound that told Kazuki he had made the right choice. “Okay! Well, meet me at Meidaimae Station at seven—is that too early?”

“Not at all.”

“Great! Let’s meet at seven, then. Oh, and bring your guitar, please! I think it would be really nice if you did. But, if it’s too much of a hassle, please don’t worry about it.” She quickly backtracked.

Kazuki laughed. “Renka, it’s fine. I’ll bring it. I don’t mind. Meidaimae Station at seven on Saturday. Got it.”

“Amazing! I’ll see you then! Good night, Kazuki!”

“Night, Renka. Sleep well.”

Kazuki set his phone down next to his pillow, sighing slightly. He couldn’t help but wonder what Renka had planned for the day, but it must have involved some kind of travel. Maybe a day trip to Saitama? He’d find out soon enough once Saturday morning rolled around. He rolled over in bed, closing his eyes in hopes of falling asleep, but his heart suddenly raced at the thought of his plans with Renka. If they did go on a trip together, did that make it a date? But, Renka had said for him to bring his guitar, so maybe they would just go to a park somewhere like usual. If that were the case, why not just meet at the park?

He found it difficult to sleep with these thoughts now filling his head, though he tried to remind himself that he didn’t know what would happen yet, and he shouldn’t make assumptions about Renka’s intentions. While they had grown closer as friends, they were also ‘professional’ partners, and he needed to continue to respect that aspect of their relationship first and foremost. Eventually, and after an indeterminately long amount of time, Kazuki finally fell into a somewhat fitful sleep, still plagued by swirling thoughts of what would happen on Saturday.

Friday became a blur, filled with hours of relatively boring work at the company. Kazuki tried to dedicate most of his mental energy to his job but couldn’t focus as completely as he hoped he would. As he walked home for the night, he pondered why he felt so panicked over the idea of a potential date with Renka. So what if it was a date? The idea should make him happy, right? After all, he did enjoy Renka’s company, but did he have feelings for her? He wasn’t sure. Maybe that was where his trepidation came from.

Saturday morning rolled around, and Kazuki left far earlier than he had to to get to Meidaimae Station to meet Renka, his guitar case slung on his back. He waited somewhat impatiently at the gate, waiting for Renka to walk into the station and meet him. He glanced at his phone, only 15 minutes until seven now. She should arrive soon.

“Kazuki!”

His head snapped up at the sound of Renka’s voice. She rushed over to meet him. She wore a navy-blue blouse with a long, brown skirt, her hair tied back in a ribbon to match her shirt. A backpack hung off one of her shoulders.

“You’re here earlier than I expected! Sorry if I made you wait. Did you eat breakfast?” She asked with a slight look of concern.

Kazuki put a hand to his stomach. “Actually, I didn’t. You?”

Renka shook her head, her hair bouncing as she did so. “Let’s grab something before we take the train!”

Kazuki nodded and followed her as she walked to the nearest bakery.

“Where are we going, by the way?” Kazuki queried.

“Oh, right! The surprise!” Renka giggled gleefully. “I was thinking we could go to Nikko to see the fall leaves. A friend told me about this beautiful spot there with a waterfall. I thought it might be a good place to find some musical inspiration, and it will be a nice change of pace from the big city, something closer to home for the both of us. What do you think?”

A wave of relief washed over Kazuki, his conflicting emotions abating. Although it was a small trip, a few hours away from Tokyo, it was for the sake of their music. He smiled.

“I think that sounds perfect. It’ll be nice to get out in nature. I think I’m getting a bit tired of the asphalt jungle.”

Renka nodded in agreement.

They purchased their breakfast, Renka having anpan and Kazuki buying some melon pan to munch on while they waited for the next train to Nikko. Although it was quite early in the morning, Renka explained that it could take a few hours to get to the waterfall her friend recommended via public transit. Kazuki shrugged it off. At least he could sleep on the train or the bus there.

After nearly three hours of trains and buses, they finally arrived at their destination: Ryuzu Waterfall. Situated just north of Lake Chuzenji and fed by the Yukawa River, the waterfall was a beautiful site. Trees with leaves tinged in shades of gold, fiery red, and burnt orange surrounded the dragon head-shaped rock formation that gave the waterfall its name, creating a picturesque scene. Kazuki had never seen anything like it before, not even near Isshinji Temple in Oita Prefecture which was known for its lovely foliage.

Renka walked confidently down the path that led farther upstream, following the topography of the river as it went. The walk was a pleasant one, and there were fewer people around than Kazuki expected for such a nice kouyou-viewing spot. After a while, they arrived at a more secluded location, overlooking the river and surrounded by the autumn leaves and their vibrant colors.

Renka turned to Kazuki. “Why don’t we sit here for a while? Maybe we’ll find some inspiration. And,” she paused, opening her backpack and pulling out two bento boxes, “I brought lunch!”

Kazuki couldn’t help but share in Renka’s bright mood. “That’s very thoughtful of you. Sounds like a perfect plan.”

They sat under the shade of a tall tree with blazing crimson leaves, still within sight of the river below them. Kazuki took his guitar out of its case, tuning it before strumming a few chords. She began playing one of the songs Renka had written about the changing of the seasons, singing quietly before stopping in the middle of the song. Renka gave him a worried look.

“Is something the matter?”

Kazuki tapped the side of his guitar in thought for a moment. “I think this would sound better if a woman sang it. I don’t think I can reach the right notes. Why don’t you sing it while I play?”

Renka flushed. “Oh, I don’t know if I could…”

“Why not?” Kazuki smiled warmly at her. “There’s no one else around, and I promise I won’t judge you. I’m sure you have a lovely voice. Try it just once.”

Renka touched the ribbon in her hair and bit her lip. “I… I guess I’ll try.”

Kazuki’s smile widened. “Perfect. I’ll start.”

He tapped a four count on the guitar to signal the tempo before beginning to play. He pictured the notes lifting into the air like leaves blown by a soft autumn breeze, each change in chords corresponding to one of the many colors the leaves turned before winter. He added a bit of his own flair to the strumming pattern but kept the tempo and rhythm of Renka’s original piece. He played the final chord before the lyrics started, his eyes meeting Renka’s.

Renka took a breath as he did so, then she began to sing. Kazuki nearly stopped playing when he heard the first note leave her lips. Her voice resonated through the space around them, filling the air with a sweet, melodic sound. He expected her to be good, but not nearly this good. He continued playing, watching Renka as he did so. She closed her eyes as she sang, but she still emoted with the words, sometimes furrowing her brows, or smiling slightly, other times moving her hands with the song, tapping the tempo on her leg or bobbing her head along with Kazuki’s strumming.

The song ended on a long note, Renka’s voice harmonizing perfectly with the last note Kazuki played on his guitar. The sound faded into the cool air, and Kazuki realized that he had been holding his breath. The sound of the river snapped him back to reality as Renka opened her eyes and shyly played with her hair ribbon once more.

“Was that okay?” She asked apprehensively.

“It was more than okay. You sing beautifully.” Kazuki gaped. “You have to sing the song for the festival. It will be perfect.”

Renka’s cheeks turned pink. “I couldn’t. I don’t think I’d be able to sing well enough…”

“Are you kidding? People will love it! I’ll sing with you if it makes you feel better, but I really think you should give it a shot. Your voice is incredible.”

“Well…” She looked down shyly. “If we get accepted to play at the festival, I’ll consider it, okay?”

Kazuki held out a hand to her. “Sounds like we have a deal then?”

Renka stared at him for a moment before grabbing his hand and shaking it. “Fine. Deal.”