Vol 10 Chapter 8 (2/2)

It was Aoi’s rest day, but the pretty girl with long black hair was already there, covering her nose with a wet wipe.

“Sorry for making you wait, Beni.”

“No…I-I was here early. It was cold outside, so I entered this warm caf, and my nose got red again.”

Beni covered her face, looking a little fl.u.s.tered.

“It’s fine. That red nose of yours is rather cute too.”

“Y-yes…well, you already have a girlfriend, Mr Akagi. You cannot be saying such things! That will cause misunderstandings! But, thank you.”

Beni, who was so bashful to meet anyone at first, was able to converse with Koremitsu normally.

“I’ll take note next time.” Koremitsu noted, and rubbed his temples.

Having been used to Hikaru’s style of greeting, he was feeling numb inside. He did not want to end up like this with Honoka too.

After asking Beni on what she had been doing, her iconic nose got redder,

“Miss Tayū will be coming to spend the night with me on the Eve, and my cla.s.smates will be here the next day. We will have Christmas party then, and she will helping too.”

She answered heartily.

“Well, as expected of the Safflower. You made other friends too.”

“Yes, it is due to Miss Tayū’s help. And thanks to Mr Polar Star and you, Mr Akagi.”

Beni then excitedly talked about what they were going to do at the party, and once she said that she had plans on the next day, she stood up.

While Beni was being animated, Hikaru, being right beside Koremitsu, beamed with a tender expression.

“Farewell, Miss Saffloer.”

He muttered with the same tone as he showed in his expression.

“Where are we going next?”

Koremitsu asked, and Hikaru beamed, answering,

“To the Asagao Princess.”

“My my, Mr Akagi, you really had the heart to come visit me.”

Orime Gonomiya, dubbed the Asagao Princess, was in Gonomiya Residence that was surrounded by tall fences, smiling as she welcomed Koremitsu in.

It was noon, so they had lunch in the guest room facing the greenery. On the menu was a variety of refres.h.i.+ng foods including fragrant, grilled salmon kasuduke, turnip and cuc.u.mber pickles, steamed radish with grapefruit miso marinated on it, and clam soup. Orime too was enjoying her food with Koremitsu.

“I will be having a great-grandson in the summer.”

“Eh? Is that so? So your grandson and his wife have a kid now, Granny?”

“Yeah. It appears that they have realized that they are parents, and they do try to abide by what i teach them. They will try to find loopholes and fool me from time to time, but I intend to be strict with them, and train them little by little. My life has yet to end after all.”

Orime beamed, and Hikaru watched her with calm eyes.

After the meal, Orime chirped,

“Miss Asai will be here later.”

(Ack, Saiga’s coming!?)

For some reason, after Koremitsu and Honoka began dating, Asai’s att.i.tude towards Koremitsu was as aloof as before, and it was troubling to the latter.

“Well then, I’ll get going, Granny.”

Hikaru then voiced out to stop Koremitsu.

“Wait, Koremitsu. Let us meet Asa too. I do intend to meet her later.”

(Wait, are you serious?)

Koremitsu again sat down.

“No, I guess I’ll continue to sit for a while.”

Soon after, Asai appeared.

Once she saw Koremitsu, her face froze, and then, she gave a little frown.

(See. She’s angry again. I don’t know why though…)

That was her default look as time pa.s.sed, and she hardly talked with Koremitsu.

But when Koremitsu got up to leave the Gonomiyas with Asai, Orime whispered,

“Do try to get along with Miss Asai.”

Hikaru beamed as he turned back to watch Orime while the latter sent the duo off, and whispered,

“Farewell, Madam Orime.”

Koremitsu was frowning more than before, and walked alongside the silent Asai in the tranquil residential area.

He knew that Asai was not a bad person, but could she at least change that aloof att.i.tude of hers? How was he supposed to ‘get along’ with Asai?

While Koremitsu was pondering, Asai said,

“Mr Akagi, I have something to say.”

Asai stared forward, her tone forced, and it appeared what she was to say next was arduous to her. At the next instance, her tone sharpened again,

“No, I shall not talk about it.”

She showed a red face to a dumbfounded Koremitsu.

“My preparations are only half-done at this point, so it is not perfect—how can I allow Aoi to simply comfort me?”

She just said some bewildering matters to him.

“Anyway, you cannot fool around with your girlfriend too much just because it is winter break, Mr Akagi.”

She glared at Koremitsu, and turned her face away, before striding away.

“What was that about…?”

While Koremitsu remained dumbfounded, Hikaru drifted by the side, giving a little snicker as he muttered,

“Farewell, Asa. I hope that you will be able to convey your feelings honestly one day.”

Koremitsu turned to the side, and was taken aback when he found Hikaru’s profile to be more transparent than usual.

“Hikaru…what…”

(He’s body is becoming transparent? From when?)

Entering December, Koremitsu had a feeling that Hikaru’s presence was becoming more faint than before.

Back then, whenever Koremitsu talked to anyone, Hikaru would then drift to the front to interject, and voice his displeasure. Recently however, there was an increasing occurrence of him staying behind Koremitsu.

Whenever they were alone, Hikaru would cheerfully chirp on his floral knowledge, and so Koremitsu decided not to pay heed to it. He a.s.sumed that Hikaru would be worried since he had a girlfriend.

But,

In the clear, afternoon sun, Hikaru lips curled into a beautiful smile, and he stared at Koremitsu with clear eyes.

Koremitsu swallowed down the words he was about to say, for he felt that if he was to affirm this with Hikaru, he would hear an answer he did not want.

Hikaru calmly noted,

“Shall we go to school, Koremitsu? —I do wish to view the flowers.”

It was the start of winter break, and the school was dead silent, with nary a soul.

The cherry blossom trees at both sides of the main entrance would take some time before they would sprout, and at this moment, only the brown twigs accompanied the frigid winds. The arch of roses by the yard and the rose garden within were completely devoid of color.

The twigs were barren, and the dirt covering the flowerbed showed no signs of any sprout.

Hikaru strolled through the bleak landscape that showed nary a flower, looking around with a doting, tender face, appearing to be seeing the blooming flowers.

“I heard that when the cherry blossoms are waiting to bloom, the branches will show a faint pink…like a girl ready to fall in love. At the end of March, surely its branches will be littered with flowers, cheering on those preparing to embark on a new journey, a new life. In May, the rose garden will surely be filled with haughty queens, every single flowers insisting that they wer ethe prettiest, lifting their heads proudly, blooming red, yellow and orange. The flowerbed will also have Pansies, Marigolds and Kniphofias. The Leather flowers growing at the fences of the tennis courts will bloom too.”

Hikaru narrated cheerfully with his rich, sweet voice, his profile increasingly transparent. The faint brown hair looked blurred, the shoulders and limbs increasingly vague.

Hikaru too may have realized it.

But he chose not to say anything about the changes happening to his body, his face showing a warm face as he stared at the bare garden and the uneven black branches, being amped for this as he continued,

He proceeded through the school, exited the backyard, and arrived at the garden,

“There will be the cute white and orange Crocosmiiflora flowers by the feet, as adorable as the girls gossiping away! Elegant Lilies will bloom in the summer, along with the Water Lilies floating on the pond. The Chinese Trumpet Bells will bloom in a pretty, alluring manner as well.”

The clear sky was gradually shrouded by the covers, and the air was covered in a white mist. Hikaru’s body too appeared to melt within it, and it got blurry.

(Hikaru, now’s not the time to her you giggle and chat about flowers now, right? Your body’s definitely being weird.)

Koremitsu felt his throat shrink, his breathing difficult.

Hikaru too definitely realized that Koremitsu was pretending not to notice anything.

“The Golden Osmanthus will give off a sweet fragrance in the Autumn, the Cosmos will sway with the winds like an emotional maiden. There are also flowers that bloom in the winter, Koremitsu. Have a look.”

Hikaru was beaming brighter than before, and he pointed at the red Camellia.

“I do feel delighted every winter to be reunited with this old-fas.h.i.+oned flower.”

The grey clouds got thicker, and the coldness in the air increased. Hikaru’s body too became increasingly vague.

The faint brown hair was almost transparent.

Hikaru knelt in front of the Camellia, putting his hands on his cheeks as he beamed at it for a while.

“Koremitsu, Tsuyako should be in the clubroom. Let us go greet her.”

He looked composed, seemingly having braced himself.

Tsuyako was in the j.a.panese Dance clubroom, dressed in a vibrant scarlet kimono held together by a red sash, practising her dance. Once she saw Koremitsu, her eyes widened.

“What is the matter, Mr Akagi? You look really gloomy. Do you have any love troubles? Did you have a quarrel with Miss s.h.i.+kibu?”

“…It’s nothing. I just want to cheer for you before you leave, senpai.”

Koremtisu could not let Tsuyako worry before she step on the stage. Hikaru’s presence grew increasingly faint beside Koremitsu, and surely, the latter would not be happy about it.

Hikaru narrowed his eyes, seemingly staring at Tsuyako while her eyes dazzled.

Tsuyako’s face showed a smile.

“Thank you. I am a little nervous, actually, so can you cast a spell on me in Hikaru’s place? Or will your girlfriend be angry about that?”

Tsuyako reached her right hand out, the scarlet sleeve swaying elegantly in the air.

“Today’s…an exception.”

Koremitsu raised Tsuyako’s hand, and drew a large fully moon on her silky palm.

Tsuyako’s lips curled into a smile, and she gratefully whispered,

“Thank you. I will be able to give my best dance. Surely Hikaru is look at me, yes, in this sky…”

This thanksgiving did not seem to be for Koremitsu’s alone; it also included Hikaru.

Hikaru brought his face close to Tsuyako’s lip, gave a lips on her lips, and whispered,

“Farewell, Tsuyako. I hope that you can continue to dance proudly. I will be in the stars, applauding you before anyone else can.”

The sky grew darker once they exited the school, and the air cooled.

According to the news report, there might be snow at night.

Hikaru’s body was finally about to vanish, his legs were practically transparent, and he looked just like a ghost.

“It appears there is not much time left. Koremitsu, do you mind giving Yū a call? It really is impossible to head off to Australia now.”

Hikaru joked as he advanced towards the school gate.

Koremitsu again was so anxious his gut was aching, and he drew his phone out, giving Yū an international call.

The phone got through immediately, and a fleeting, feeble voice rang from the receiver.

“Mr Akagi…? I was shocked…”

“It’s a bit sudden…but I thought of you. You doing okay there?”

Like his conversation with Tsuyako, Koremitsu was trying his best to sound energetic, for Hikaru was smiling.

Yū probably was perturbed that Koremitsu was giving her a call, but she chirped,

“Yes…I am decorating the Christmas Tree now…it’s summer here, so there are lots of fist ornaments. They are very cute.”

With clear eyes, Hikaru showed a smile as he listened in on Yū’s dreamy, fleeting voice through his now-transparent ears.

“Farewell…Yū.”

After talking with Yū for about 3 minutes or so, Koremitsu walked down the dim riverbank. On Hikaru’s request, he gave Michiru a phone call.

Michiru sounded very surprised.

“Ehh? Mr Akagi? Why? Are you cheating? Hono is beside me. I’m going to tell her. Erm—Hono, Akagi wants to go on a date with me and not tell you about it.”

Honoka’s faltering shriek could be heard from the other end of the phone, and it was followed by Michiru’s teasing and Honoka’s refuting.

It sounded as though they were good friends having a little bicker. Surely Hikaru too felt the same, as he let out a hearty chuckle while eavesdropping on them.

Honoka was left fl.u.s.tered, and surely, she would be asking what the phone call was about…

“Farewell, Miss Hanasato, Miss s.h.i.+kibu…I shall leave Koremitsu to both of you.”

Hikaru said, looking relieved.

After that, it was a call to s.h.i.+oriko.

“Ah, s.h.i.+ko, I’ll be a little late later. Tell Koharu that you guys can start with dinner without me.”

“Eh? Big brother Koremitsu? What’s going on? You aren’t with Miss s.h.i.+kibu now, right?”

“s.h.i.+kibu’s out with her friend…”

“Hmm…”

s.h.i.+oriko sounded displeased, before harping excitedly,

“Ah! I got some wonderful for you as a Christmas gift, big brother. Do look forward to it.”

“I see. Santa Claus will definitely give you a present.”

“Seriously? I’m not a kid who believes in Santa Claus! I’ll be looking forward to it though!”

Hikaru raised his lips and narrowed his eyes as he watched Koremitsu converse with s.h.i.+ko.

“Farewell, s.h.i.+ko. You have to be an outstanding, fine lady.”

The night sky of pitch darkness started to snow, and Koremitsu finally arrived at Aoi’s house.

He stood at the door, calling Aoi out. The latter was dressed in a long one-piece and a knitted cardigan, white breath coming from her mouth.

“Sorry to call you out in such a cold weather. I want to hand this to you.”

Koremitsu handed over a red Poinsettia he bought from the florist on the way here, and placed it in Aoi’s hands. The latter widened her eyes.

The Poinsettia had bright green leaves, and vibrant red leaves growing on those of them. It was weared in transparent cellophane used for gifting.

“Hikaru gives you these for Christmas every year, right? So this year…”

Aoi showed a tender expression filled with memories and sadness as she lowered her head at the Poinsettia.

She probably thought of Hikaru.

Hikaru too gave a melancholic, tender stare as he watched Aoi.

If he was still alive, he would probably be spending Christmas Eve with her too.

The snowflakes began to fall, draped on Aoi’s long black hair like stars ornaments, melting fleetingly.

Tears welled in Aoi’s eyes.

But she immediately lifted her head, smiling.

“Thank you. I will accept this and think of this as Hikaru’s final Christmas gift.”

“Yes,that shall be it.”

Hikaru smiled.

“Mr Akagi.”

Aoi embraced the pot of Poinsettia, her eyes sparkling as she spoke cheerfully,

“Goodbye.”

There was no way Aoi could see Hikaru, and she was just bidding farewell to Koremitsu, yet the latter was taken aback by those words.”

“Ah, yeah.”

Hikaru was so transparent the scenery behind him could be seen, and he stood beside Koremitsu as the latter whispered, tears welling in his eyes as he smiled,

“Farewell, Miss Aoi.”

After leaving Aoi’s house, the duo walked past a few stations.

Soon, they arrived at a shopping street where the white snow fluttered.

There were lightings of Santa Claus and the reindeers, shops had Christma.s.s rings on them, and the melody of ‘Jingle Bells’ could be heard with the chimes of the ringing bells.

Hikaru’s lower body had completely vanished, his face and body so faint it was like a jellyfish drifting in the sea. His moments were limp and weak, and he appeared to sway if there was a breeze.

“It appears that I have to leave Earth now.”

Transparent as he was, Hikaru muttered at the cross junction devoid of crowds.

The asphalt with gla.s.s bottle fragments littered over them was glittering, and fine snow gently fell upon them.

“n.o.body from the moon will be here to pick me up, but I have a feeling that my spirit is becoming increasingly faint.”

“Ugh…you’re not going to stay till Christmas?”

The feelings Koremitsu contained all this while suddenly rose to his throat, and his face was contorted as he groaned.

Koremitsu already had a premonition when Hikaru mentioned that he wanted to see Beni and Sora. Whenever he said ‘farewell’ so tenderly, Koremitsu was increasingly anxious, angsty, his throat being choked.

It doesn’t have to be this day, right? It’s Christmas two days later. It’s the Eve tomorrow. This is too sudden!

Hikaru too smiled forlornly.

“Yes, I do wish to celebrate Christmas with all of you. However, I am already pleased to be planning this and that with you. We have chosen s.h.i.+ko’s gift, and you are spending the Eve with your girlfriend, so I have to let you two be alone. Miss s.h.i.+kibu will be really pitiful to have a ghost haunting during the Eve.”

Hikaru’s presence was the reason why Koremitsu never did anything, not even a kiss, and the latter was troubled by it. At this point however, he was utterly heartbroken, tears welling in his eyes.

The melody of ‘Jingle Bells’ and the bell chimes echoed from the shopping street. It should be a hearty tune, but it sounded so painful to Koremitsu’s ears.

“Just hang on for another two days…go bid farewell to s.h.i.+ko. No need for the phone.”

Koremitsu eked his voice from his sizzling throat.

However, the top of Hikaru’s knees had vanished.

“I do find it a regret to be unable to say goodbye to s.h.i.+ko and Miss Hanasato…but I do not have my legs to support me anymore.”

“Stop being so cheery about it, you idiot.”

The tender snowflakes fluttered in the air, dampening Koremitsu’s cheeks and lips, permeating through the upper body of Hikaru.

The sky was pitch dark, the stars nowhere to be seen.

In its place were the gla.s.s fragments on the path, glittering like stars. The white snow silently landed on them.

“Thank you for everything.”

Hikaru muttered with a warm voice.

“The flowers I have in my garden will surely be more lively than when I was alive. It was all thanks to you, Koremitsu; you allowed my precious flowers to bloom, for you conveyed the important aspects to them in my stead.”

There appeared to be a garden appearing beside the now blurred Hikaru.

The pure Hollyhocks.

The fleeting Moonflowers.

The cute Comfreys.

The radiant red Weeping Cherry Blossoms.

The mysterious Safflower.

The proud Morning Glory.

The tender Broom Tree

The fragrant white Mandarin Orange flower.

And finally, the violet Wisteria that sways with the breeze, the petals slowly falling.

Hikaru stood in the middle, smiling, the golden, clear hair swaying with the breeze.

—I wish to give them a tender farewell.

Hikaru said these to Koremitsu.

—I wish for them to be far from pain and tears, headed towards the future with a cheerful heart I wish for them to have the best farewell.

Hikaru said that he had to douse the wilted flowers with lots and lots of water. With much seriousness, he said that the girls were all flowers.

The flowers Hikaru loved were all smiling blissfully. One would suppos they would continue to bloom with their might. The precious intangible Hikaru gifted them will continue to dazzle in their hearts.

“Thank you, Koremitsu. You are my hero.”

Hikaru’s figure in the snow became more blurred, and he was gradually fading.

“Thank you for meeting me again. Thank you for being my friend.”

Those were the words Koremitsu wanted to say.

Hikaru took the initiative to approach Koremitsu, whom others dubbed a wild dog, who never had single friend before then.

He sent the Magnolia to Koremitsu’s ward room. He was willing to be Koremitsu’s friend.

He’ll be with me! He’ll comfort me! He’ll encourage me!

(This is the first time I am relied on by others, the first time someone is available to listen to my grumbles, someone I could chat with when going to and back from school, someone to fool around with—it’s all the first time.)

Tears welled in Koremitsu’s eyes, and he was left speechless.

The first friend Koremitsu made was vanis.h.i.+ng with a slight smile.

He will vanish from this Earth.

Hikaru said before that he hoped for Koremitsu to smile and bid farewell when he embarks on the journey to s.p.a.ce.

It is a promise.

(You’re already making things difficult. H-how am I supposed to smile at this time!? You b.a.s.t.a.r.d—!)

Tears slid down the cheeks. The chest and throat were unbearable, pained.

(But this is my promise with you.)

For it was a friend’s wish.

Koremitsu’s eyes and lips exerted their all, and he smiled.

He wanted to tell his friend I really enjoyed my time with you! You gave me many memories! We’re always friends!

Surely he was able to smile.

The moment Koremitsu smiled, Hikaru, giving a genial smile, suddenly scowled, the tears continuing to flow from his eyes. The tears filled Hikaru’s face, his extraordinarily handsome face drubbed, and transparent tears fell to the floor with the snow.

But even so, Hikaru spoke with his rich, sweet voice. With that tender voice, he replied,

“Thank you. I really love all of you.”

Koremitsu cried as he smiled.

Hikaru smiled as wept.

His profile vanished completely—leaving behind a genial, delightful voice that rang along wit the melody of ‘Jingle Bells’.

“Thank you. Farewell.”

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