MORE THAN YOU KNOW
There were three stops to make today. This was the last.
In the light of day, graveyards weren't so bad. When Minako closed her eyes, she could smell fresh-cut flowers and blossom trees. The family stone was black and well-maintained, carved with the names of ancestors. Two of those names were painted red and for one she felt deepest sympathy. The other… the other she couldn't bring herself to dwell on too much.
The owners of those names weren't here yet. It was someone else she was here to visit. Minako's eyes fixed upon the name, older now yet still the newest to be added. Carefully, she slid an orange business card into the box to her right.
"I'm sorry," she said. The trees rustled around her, like the earth was urging her onward. "I'm sorry she's my soldier. I use her as a weapon… I lead her into death. That's not something I expect you to forgive. She's more than I deserve, so thank you. Thank you for letting me have her. It's a debt I can't repay."
Minako bowed lowly. Tearing her eyes from the grave of Risa Hino, she started the long walk home.
For the fifth year in a row, Dr Saeko Mizuno found a gold-rimmed gift hamper sitting at her desk.
At the Kino family stone, a bouquet of roses sat, an orange thank you card tied to their stem.
I just really wanted to write this.
Disclaimer: I own the plot and nothing else.
Note: In Japan, when a person dies, it is traditional for the spouse who survives them to have their name engraved as well. The surviving spouse's name is painted in red and, when they die, the red paint is removed. The two red names in this story are those of Rei's father and grandfather.
