High school sweethearts, that is what people had called them. High school sweethearts. Most likely to get married, most likely to have kids. Most likely to grow old and grey together.
Hajime doubted if those kinds of fairytale couples even existed.
The conductor blew his whistle, and Hajime watched from the cold hard bench as people packed themselves in the last train of the night. The officers walked up and down the podium and tried to squeeze the last passengers in. A woman had had the hem of her skirt stuck between the doors, and Hajime saw her desperately trying to tug herself free. A young man next to her offered to help, and the woman bowed her thank yous over and over. Hajime wondered if this will become the story of how they met they will tell their future children.
One of the officers glanced at Hajime curiously, but he just shook his head at him and dug out his phone from the suitcase.
00:45 Just missed the last train. I'll stay at the office tonight
The reply was almost immediate.
00:45 Again?
00:45 Meeting went late. Boss wanted to go over some papers. Sorry
The hum of the electric intensified and the train slowly crept forward.
00:46 Can't you take a taxi home?
00:46 I have to get up early tomorrow so I might as well stay here
Fairytale couple. Everything should be like in a dream. So, why did he have this sinking feeling like he was captured in one of those bad dreams that repeat themselves in a never-ending loop?
00:51 I think we should talk. Please come home
Deep in thought, he stared at the message display and fiddled with the wedding ring with his thumb. Its perfect smooth roundness felt satisfying. He still remembered the sorry excuse of an engagement ring he had first bought for Tooru about a month after they had entered university. A crude band of the cheapest metal the shop could have offered, and yet it still had cost all the savings he had managed to put aside from his part-time job. But it had packed all his feelings in the world.