Daisuke Niwa considered himself a rather fortunate individual, at a robust 64 he was able to follow his young grandson to the park to watch him play on a pleasantly sunny day. At moments like this he found himself reflecting on his own dearly departed grandfather and how he had a very unique, ear-to-ear smile that pierced his beard. For the longest time Daisuke wondered what circumstances must conspire in a person's life that they could achieve such happiness as shown through that smile? Well Daisuke now happily knew that answer as he watched from the shade of a tree as his grandson sprinted towards a nearby swing set.
Ryosuke Niwa wondered about grandpa Daisuke's smile and how it always seemed so wide and ever-present. Yet before his thoughts could continue any further on that odd smile he found his thoughts derailed by the sight of an angel descended from heaven. It was not just her beauty, the first thing he noticed was her laugh as she seemed to make the world glow with a surreal shimmer. Then her eyes met his and he melted, the flawless sea-blue saw straight through to his soul and he knew that his life would never be the same. As he was catching his breath from her soul-piercing gaze he finally noticed her flawless snow-white face. It was innocently framed by the shiny black of her shoulder length hair messily strewed to the sides and in that moment Ryosuke knew what love was.
Daisuke saw his grandson freeze in awe at the sight of a pretty girl of roughly the same age and could not suppress a chuckle. He had dove head-long into the same foolishness 50 years earlier with the then love-of-his-life Risa Harada. Now he was completely crushed by her rejection but no matter shortly thereafter he fell completely for her sister and his then true love Riku. More than a little curious Daisuke how hilarious tragedy of affection would go for little Ryosuke hopefully he would handle it better than his grandfather.
Ryosuke managed to work up the courage to introduce himself and play with her. He was so nervous he could barely walk and barely mumbled the correct pleasantries and his name but soon he was playing with her! Ryosuke was soon convinced that fate was on his side as soon as he saw the warm smile that she favored him with, surely it meant the return of his feelings! Joy filled Ryosuke to overflowing and time slowed to an eternal present as he soaked up the love of a goddess. Then a female voice interrupted his reverie "Karin, we need to head home!" yes, even goddesses have mothers and as children they must obey what they are told. The goddess by the name of Karin once again stopped Ryosuke's heart with her smile and thanked him for the good time and turned to leave. "Wait!" He responded with desperation. She turned as Ryosuke stooped to pick a nearby flower and gave humbly gave it to her.
Daisuke at first found himself laughing at what he saw. Ryosuke offered the flower to his crush and the little girl started to howl with laughter. Ryosuke however felt the world crashing down around him, "You are so silly" Karin quipped and then spun around and bounded over to her mother and out of Ryosuke's life. Crushed he shuffled over to his grandfather to have him pick up what was left of his heart and be comforted. Daisuke had a speech prepared and found himself giving it as by reflex. "Ryo-kun, you have just discovered the game of love, I know it really hurts. You know it has even hurt me more than once. Don't worry though eventually you will find someone you really care about and they will feel the same way". Daisuke stopped to let his words sink in and was suddenly gripped by a strong sense of hypocrisy.
Who was he to so casually dismiss the feelings of another person? His own memories forced him back to his college days and the conversation that led to the end of Daisuke and Riku the couple. It was a rainy day in early April and Riku needed to talk to him about something important. They had met at their favorite café and ordered the usual. He was intent on hearing what she had to say and at first he was in complete denial as to what was happening they were just going through a rough patch. Eventually the harsh reality of the situation won out and he had to admit even to himself that they were not the moon-eyed 14-year olds that had fallen in love so many years ago. They had grown into different people and to say that they truly loved one another was to admit that they were in love with an imaginary person, the memory of the person they had once loved. The past 6 years as wonderful as they were had officially ended, they would never return. Their first kiss, their first time making love, the confidence that someone would always be there for them, it was history never to be revisited again except for in memory.
Even now more than 40 years later that long talk at the café still got to him. He felt nothing ill towards Riku and she bared nothing ill towards him but the emptiness was unbearable he doubted the capacity to ever love or be loved again. How would he have felt if his own parents had said "You're overreacting, why don't you just get over it?" he would have thrown up in the face of such rejection and thankfully his parents were supportive in his break up. How could he not pay his own grandson the same courtesy? Niwa tried defending himself that the context was so far removed but this only brought further self-bereavement. Rejection was still rejection and it still resulted in pain, trying to attach a ledger to it and comparing different ledgers were futile.
Daisuke found himself fumbling at his inadequacy, searching rapidly his mind came to what his mother had done when he broke up with Riku. He embraced his grandson and told him honestly of his feelings before returning to silence. Words at this point were clichés lost in a sea of deeper meaning. Daisuke found himself firmly convinced that what mattered here was empathy and knowing that despite rejection love was still possible. With his embrace Daisuke felt the weight of guilt lifting from his shoulders. As if cued from this emotional upswing Ryosuke felt a diminishment in his own depression. At the moment both grandfather and grandson knew that the cure for the broken heart was love.