Hanashi 03 - False

As Jun and Atsuko are indulging in a delightful dinner, the atmosphere around them suddenly shifts. It is almost as if there was a glitch in reality that causes Atsuko's expression to grow dark. She looks at Jun with a sense of fear and says, "If I convey my true feelings for you, then Kenzo won't like that. He might try and destroy you." Jun was taken aback by her words, "As if Kenzo could do such a thing. I won't allow him to do that." But Atsuko is insistent, "It's possible," she says, standing up from the table. With her hands, she flips over her plate of food, showing Jun that his efforts to win her heart were futile. Jun feels his heartache as he witnesses this bizarre behavior from Atsuko. He can't understand what had gotten into her. Suddenly, a strange gray light covers Atsuko, and she begins to transform. Her body twists and contorts until she was no longer herself. In her place stands Kenzo, who cackles in glee. Jun stands from the table in a rage, "Why are you doing this!?" "For extortion. I'm taking what is mine." Kenzo replied smugly. "Atsuko is her own person. She belongs to no one." Jun says with a firmness in his voice, not wanting to argue. Kenzo walks out of the kitchen, and Jun quickly follows him outside. As he steps out, he sees Hideo, who was holding a sleeping Atsuko in his arms. The sight of her peaceful, sleeping form made Jun's heart ache even more. "Are we ready to go?" Hideo asked Kenzo, wondering what Kenzo had in mind. Kenzo turns his back on Hideo, and his intense gaze fixed on Jun. His eyes narrow with hatred, and his lips curl into a sneer. "Mmm....maybe Jun needs to disappear." he says, his voice heavy with malice. Kenzo pulls out an odd dagger, and with a sudden burst of energy, he charges towards Jun with deadly intent. The atmosphere is thick with tension, and it seems like bloodshed is inevitable. However, just as Kenzo is about to strike, a sudden glitch in reality occurs, jolting Jun back to his senses. He blinks rapidly, heart racing from the sudden shock of thinking the events were real. When he comes to, he finds himself back at the dinner table with Atsuko, who has already finished her meal, "Are you alright, Jun? You were going to tell me why we are eating dinner together. " Jun's face suddenly twists with anger, “I'm okay.” He lies, and his facial expression is showing something different. Atsuko becomes frightened by his sudden aggression. The source of Jun's anger is Kenzo, with whom he shares a secret childhood history with. That's a story for another time. Or is it? "Jun...." Atsuko exclaims in deep concern, melting the anger away from Jun's face. He sighs, "Sorry about that, Kenzo is annoying." 

"Kenzo likes me but I have my eyes set on someone else." Atsuko mentions.

"Who is that?" 

Atsuko winks, "I won't tell. It's a secret." She's staring at the person she truly loves. It's truly not even a secret. Things are so plain and simple. One just has to read between the lines. Despite the earlier tension, Jun and Atsuko share an unbreakable bond, and their love for each other is like an undying flame. 

As they continue their dinner date, enjoying each other's company, Atsuko thinks of someone. "Do you remember, Seiko Alouette?" Atsuko suddenly asks, slurping away some of her milkshake. Jun shakes his head, "Care to share your thoughts with me?” Jun questions. He's all ears to hear what Atsuko has to say. "I don't know. It's a bad memory..."  

"Go ahead, I'm here to be your support." 

"Okay." 

Atsuko begins to retell a recollection. She remembers moving into Seiko's home, where she found peace and support from Saki, Seiko's mother. While painting a canvas together, upstairs in the playroom, Seiko and Atsuko, along with Saki, hear a sudden and unexpected doorbell ring in the late evening. Saki exits from the kitchen, answering the front door. “How may I help you?" Atsuko and Seiko walk slowly from downstairs just to peek at who was ringing the doorbell. At the door, It could be the pizza man with fresh pepperoni or supreme but instead, they see two mysterious figures with white cloaks, hiding their faces. The sight of these strangers sends a chill down their spines, and their hearts drop to their stomachs as fear grips them. One of the people who is wearing a white cloak blows some foreign and sandy substance into Saki's face. Once the smoke makes contact with Saki, the older woman screams in agony and falls to the floor. Her body begins to move and twist in an unnatural way. Paralyzed with fear, Atsuko doesn't move but Seiko does, running downstairs. She goes over to her Mother's body as it lies lifeless on the floor in the threshold of the home. "MOMMY!! WAKE UP!!" Seiko sobs. The two individuals in the white cloaks stare at the sobbing Seiko and then up at Atsuko. Back to the present, Jun finds himself no longer tethered to Atsuko's past memory, holding Atsuko tightly as she weeps. Her sobs echo through the room, and Jun remains silent, knowing that Atsuko's recollection of the event is not entirely accurate. He too was present on that fateful day and witnessed what truly happened. The memory that Atsuko is reliving is a false one, and Jun longs to tell her the truth. He wants to explain everything to her, to help her understand what really happened. But he knows that this is not the right time. He must wait for the perfect moment to reveal the truth. He must be patient and let Atsuko come to terms with her emotions. 

****

As the two of them finished their dinner and cleaned up, the sun had already set, leaving the sky painted with a beautiful half-crescent moon and shining stars. "You can stay here for the night." Jun suggests having the whole house to himself since his father was out for work-related reasons. Atsuko hesitates, “I don't know….what if I'm just a burden?” Jun notices Atsuko's reluctance and tries to reassure her with a warm smile, "It's fine. You are never a burden. What makes you think that?" Atsuko suddenly finds it hard to express her emotions and explain her thoughts, which makes her feel embarrassed and leaves her face blushing. 
Despite her hesitation, Jun insisted, "Just stay here for the night, it's fine. I would love for us to hang out more." After thinking for a couple of seconds, Atsuko realizes that she would love to spend more time with Jun as well. Her own negative emotions often made her feel like she wasn't good enough for anyone. As Jun leads Atsuko up the black stairs and down the hall, he opens the third door to the left, allowing Atsuko to enter first. The room was spacious and well-lit, with a comfortable bed, a large closet, and a window that provided a beautiful view of the night sky. Jun explains, "You can shower, and I will bring you back something to wear." Atsuko waits patiently in the room, secretly longing for a permanent place to call home. She hasn't told Jun about her financial situation. She was very poor but was managing the best way she could. Jun returns to the room with a cute pink nightgown for Atsuko, "Here you go." 

"T-Thanks." Atsuko smiles, speaking in a soft voice. "I will be downstairs in the living room." Jun says before leaving. As Atsuko takes a refreshing shower, Jun prepares some sweet kettle and chocolate syrup popcorn in the living room, trying to find a movie for them to watch. He prefers light-hearted and wholesome movies or action thrillers, and couldn't stand horror movies unless they weren't the typical slasher film. As a couple of minutes pass, finally Atsuko descends the stairs, wearing the pink nightgown, which is a delightful tent-like dress with short sleeves to her shoulders having dark pink and purple sewing designs with yarn. She walks down the stairs gracefully, “Jun!” 

Jun notices her and turns beet red, "Are you okay?" Atsuko replies, "Well yes, I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality!" Jun smiles and asks, "That's all?" to which Atsuko nods happily. She sits next to Jun on the comfortable sofa, grinning from ear to ear. Jun asks, "Wanna find a movie?" to which Atsuko replies, "Sure." She picks up the remote and finds a movie called Melodies of Goodbye. The movie is a sentimental romance, with beautiful music and breathtaking visuals that complements the emotional story. As they watched the movie, Atsuko leans against Jun's shoulder, feeling warm and safe in his company.