Home.

“You’re cruel, you know that, yah?” Akimi cried out. The room around them was still dark. Only the bright light from the movie screen reflected in the tears that covered her cheeks. Takurō’s hand clasped around her wrist, as she was standing, and he still sat. He didn’t move.

“And then, the princess noticed: She had to see the world to understand it,” Hakoda’s narrator voice from the movie continued.

Another wave of emotions pushed its way up through Akimi’s body. “It’s hard enough on its own! There is no other way!”

The movie showed different images of Ōsaka, fantasy creatures like they were filmed for a documentary. “She was born in a land that had forgotten about magic—a magic she was still able to see. She could never forget nor abandon this side of herself.”

An image of the princess and the whistle maker in front of Ōsaka castle appeared. Their golden antlers glowed in the setting sun. They stood still and the image slowly faded to black.

“She had to drift off into her fantasy occasionally, but she would always return. She was a mythical creature with an antler on her head, but this foreign world was still her home.”

As the end credits rolled, Akimi’s knees slowly seemed to become weak, Takurō jumped up and embraced her. “Aki-chan!”

“What is this supposed to mean?” Akimi’s dad got up from his seat as well.

Her mother followed suit. “Masaru! I think that’s Takurō-kun’s attempt at convincing Akimi to keep doing her art, yeah.”

“There is no other way!” Akimi cried out again. She wrapped her hands around Takurō, as the other’s closed in around them. “I need to study in Tōkyō, f’sure! But I’m not good enough on my own.”

Takurō looked at her parents. He gulped down the lump in his throat and bowed towards them, as good as he was able to, while holding Akimi tight. “Masaru-san, Aya-san … please give Aki-chan some space, so she can keep doing her photography.”

They exchanged a surprised look with one another.

“In the last few weeks, I saw how unhappy she had gotten without some time for herself, y’know. Even … if this means, she won’t be able to study at Tōkyō University. She needs some space for herself.”

Takurō nodded at Ikaritake, who was already waiting for his sign. She and the others began opening the black curtains surrounding the room, flooding it with light.

“I don’t want to hurt you, I really don’t.” Takurō stroked Akimi’s back. “But you’ve closed your eyes. You did your best at hiding it and being strong, but did you think I wouldn’t notice how much your body is trembling under the pressure, huh?”

She sobbed in response.

Somehow, it infected him as well. Talking got harder. “You need some time alone, some space to breathe in the air of this special world only you can see. You need an outlet … you need your art. And the world needs it as well!”

The walls around them were stacked with countless papers. Hidden behind the black curtains had been printed texts and handwritten ones. Countless drawn artworks were scattered beneath them. They showed urban landscapes and fantasy creatures.

“You’re hella creative, Ashiya-san!” Ikaritake gave her a wide smile. “Everyone was impressed by your bold style, f’sure. Am I right boys?”

“Yes!” — “Definitely!” The others agreed with her.

Takurō gave her a guilty smile. “I might have shown your artworks to my club and … somehow the art club got pulled into this as well, when I got their help making this movie,” he explained. “We decided to collaborate on this year’s exhibition, and I think you can see who inspired all this, yeah.”

“Idiot!” Akimi looked around and couldn’t comprehend everything. She dug her head into his shoulder.

While they both cried in their embrace, Reina and Rakuko stepped towards them. “Before Taku met Aki-chan, he was standing in front of a creative wall,” Reina began. “It almost hurt, seeing him brood over the right way to continue his story, y’know. But somehow, Aki-chan saved him. Her art saved him. I think it’s only natural, he wanted to return this favor.”

“And … what exactly do you want us to do now?” Masaru and Aya turned at Takurō.

“Please … I know, Akimi-chan will take over your company, but … does it really have to be Tōkyō University?” he asked once again, his voice trembling.

They both exchanged another gaze.

“All these creative works you can see here would not be if it weren’t for her artworks … for her ideas! Please!” Takurō bowed his head again. “I’m not asking for her to forget her heritage, all I want is just a little time for her passion, y’know.”

Both of her parents smiled. Masaru even had to wipe his eyes under the glasses.

Aya cleared her throat, but her voice sounded troubled, nonetheless. “I think, I can speak for both of us, when I say that I am really happy for you to take care about our daughter so much, f’sure.”

She grabbed her husband’s hand.

A smile formed on her lips. “We’re really happy to see how much her artworks inspired so many different people, but …” She gently shook her head. “You don’t need to convince us … you need to convince her.”

Another wave of crying came over Akimi and she hugged him even closer. Takurō looked at her. She squinted her eyes with all force, tears running down her cheeks.

“I’ll have the responsibility for several hundred employees and their families. Receiving the best education available is the least I can do to ensure their safety! The least I have to do!”

Masaru chuckled and suddenly all the attention lay on him. He wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. “Is this true? Is this your real reason, yeah?”

She cleared her throat and wiped away her tears as well. “Yeah …?”

“Why did you never tell me?”

“You … were always so occupied with work, yeah. I didn’t want to disturb you, y’know.”

“Akimi! I will always have time for my daughter. No matter where or when.” He stepped closer to her. “You know where I studied, yah?”

“Here in Ōsaka …”

“Yes! In Ōsaka and not in Tōkyō … because at that time our family was so poor, we couldn’t even afford an apartment for me. But did it hold me back from lifting the company out of debt, yah?”

Akimi swallowed, as the implications sunk in.

“I don’t want to say that this study wouldn’t be better. Perhaps it would be, I don’t know … but there are also other aspects to consider, y’know.”

“I’m …” Akimi breathed through shakily. “I’m scared to do anything wrong.”

Masaru looked at her for a few seconds. Like he had made up his mind, he finally nodded. “I … certainly know this feeling. I hoped it would someday go away, but after all … the company is like my second family, y’know. My employees are almost as important to me as you and I always worry about you, you have no idea!”

He smiled to himself.

“There is no education in the world able to prepare you to be a parent … like there is no education in the world able to prepare you to lead a company.”

Akimi blinked at him. Something in her look seemed like she grew a bad conscience.

“We want you to be happy, Aki!” Her mother said. “If you rather want to pursue your art for a job, we will find a different solution. We might install an executive board or—”

“I want!” Akimi blurted out. “I really want.”

“Maybe … a much different suggestion.” Masaru began. “Why don’t you choose a university in the vicinity, yeah? Maybe Ōsaka as well … or Kōbe? Doesn’t matter! You’ll have a little time for your hobbies, and you don’t need to learn as hard for the entrance exams. Additionally—”

“But—”

“Additionally!” Masaru continued his sentence. “Since you’re not several hours away from Ōsaka, you can start working at YūKa a few hours per week. During that time, I’ll take you with me, introduce you into my work and show you everything I learned, f’sure. And if you want to live in Tōkyō so badly, why not take an exchange semester? Should be more manageable, don’t ya think?”

She looked at him with big eyes.

“I won’t be able to take your fear off your shoulders entirely, and you will make mistakes, the same way I did, but—”

“Oton!” Akimi turned over to him and threw her arms around him. “Thank you!”

“Woah … Aki! Not in front of everyone, yah!”

“But I have one condition!” She looked up at him sharply, but her gaze got soft again, quickly. “I think I’ve grown a little bit too comfortable with this idea …” Her gaze shot back at Takurō.

He dropped down backwards on the double bed in an otherwise empty master bedroom. The sounds reverberated against the plain walls. Akimi did the same from the other side. Now they both lay backwards on the bed, breathing through after having assembled it.

“I feel like I need a shower already,” Akimi groaned and used the sleeve of her hoodie to wipe the sweat off her forehead.

“You could inaugurate the shower, if ya like.” Takurō smiled.

“Hm …” She narrowed her eyes.

“Ah …” Asahiro stepped into the room. He carried a package. “Christening the loveboat already?”

“Hiro!” — “Hiro-kun!” Both snapped at him at the same time, jumping up from the bed with flushed faces.

The cheeky big brother just chuckled lightly, having placed a critical hit at the couple. “I only wanted to ask: Where did ya put the screws for the wardrobe. Neither me, nor Rii-chan can find them anywhere.”

Akimi walked out of the bedroom. “I’ll show you. They have been sticked to the back of the side part. We had to search them as well, when opening the package, f’sure.”

Takurō sighed and followed them. It had been half a year since showcasing his first short movie to Akimi. Many things had happened since then. They had finished school and passed the entrance exams for their respective universities of choice in Ōsaka. Akimi had started making photos again.

As per her request, they decided to move together. She had wanted to grow more independent and moving in with her boyfriend had seemed like a great opportunity.

Their apartment south from the center of Ōsaka lay right next to a big park. In front of their balcony and behind the trees, the skyscrapers of the city were still the same.

It was a nice area, right at the edge of being suburban, almost perfectly halfway between their respective universities in the North and South.

“Lunch is there!” Reina and Rakuko came in through the open door, carrying bags with food from the Konbini around the corner.

“Oh, great, I’m starving, f’sure!” Ririi skipped towards her girlfriend, after she and Asahiro had found the small plastic bag with screws for the wardrobe.

“Thank you providing the food!” Everyone took something from the center of the temporary, very rickety dining table and began eating.

“And thank you so much for helping, everyone!” Takurō bowed in front of the little group.

“No worries! You also helped me and Rii-chan with moving to the student dorm, so it’s only fair we return this, yah!”

Asahiro nodded. “More opportunities for embarrassing my little brother are payment enough for me, f’sure!”

“Hey!” Takurō complained.

“Guess his goals are beyond our understanding.” Akimi smirked.

Despite the moment seeming happy, there was quite a rough time ahead of them and their relationship. From now on, they had to juggle studying, working, chores and their respective hobbies, while still finding some time for each other.

Especially Akimi would have to learn quite a lot. Takurō was committed on supporting her wherever he could, and he was sure, she would do the same for him. Maybe, they would sometimes get sick of each other; maybe they would fight, but in the end they both were mythical creatures and only together this foreign world, felt a little more like home.