My Friend, Osaka
Finally, she was home.
Her plane descended into the runway proper, and eventually it slowed to a complete stop. It had been years since she was last in Japan. Now it was almost Christmas time, and she wanted to spend some time with her parents.
Chiyo Mihama, age 23, had come back to town.
Everything looked the same as it always did. The order of shops, the children playing in the park….Chiyo's heart was filled with nostalgia. After she had graduated high school a decade ago, she went to America for college-now she stood as a recipient of a Ph.D in English Literature. But even she could only take the frantic atmosphere of New York for so long!
"My word…Chiyo-chan, is that really you?"
It was the elderly fruit seller, Mr. Mashima. Although Chiyo was finally as tall as she should be, she was still recognized by her signature twintails. And of course, her innocent and radiant smile.
"Yes, it is! I'm visiting my parents for the holiday season."
"Goodness you look so distinguished these days. Have you been well?"
"Yes, thank you for asking!" Her legendary politeness hadn't faded either. "I'm teaching students at NYU these days." Just like Miss Yukari, she mentally thought.
"Well it's a pleasure to see you. I do hope you stay a bit longer this time, hm?"
And of course, her charming giggle. "We'll see!"
"Ayumu…."
No answer.
"Ayumu…."
Still no answer.
"AYUMU!" Her mother opened the door. "Get ready, you're going to be late for work!" Her daughter moaned and lifted up the covers. She glanced at the alarm clock. "Five more minutes….?"
"No! Remember what your manager said?"
Ayumu Kasuga, age 28, still lived in the same house as she did in her high school years. A couple of unfortunate turns in her life resulted in her being confined to the same town. While it was disappointing for her parents, they ultimately agreed to let her stay if she paid rent.
Which meant having a regular 9-5 job.
"Ah'm here, Mr. Sajima…."
Her manager was an impatient middle-aged man that often got frustrated with Kasuga, but he understood she tried her damned hardest. "About time. How about you mop up the spill in aisle 4?"
"But ah thought ah had the register today…."
"You were 3200 yen short yesterday! You're taking a break until I say so!"
She worked in the local supermarket. It wasn't her dream job, but Ayumu was a simple person, so she was just fine seeing the happy faces of the older customers that recognized her. She went to the closet in the backroom and got the mop, then trotted over to aisle 4. Seemed some soda had split.
"Well, another day, another donut…."
Ayumu was almost 30 but if her friends were still around, they could pick her out. She didn't grow much and her body was more or less the same. And she always had that spacey twinkle in her eyes.
Ah wonder what the others are doin' for the holidays….
Tomo. Kagura. Yomi. Sakaki. Chiyo. All of Osaka's friends parted ways when they graduated high school, on different paths. Last she heard from Tomo, she was a police officer in Tokyo. Sakaki was in veterinary school. Kagura was well on her way to becoming an Olympic swimmer. Yomi had dabbled in programming.
And Chiyo….
"Osaka?! Is that you?!"
"Chi…..Chiyo-chan?"
There her youngest friend was, and for a second, it was like Ayumu was in high school. All the silly activities with her friends-the summer home, the theme park, the stuffed animal café….they all seemed like they were only yesterday. Hastily, Osaka cleaned up the mess. "That….that really you?!" She pulled on the pigtails, just to make sure.
"Ow! Yes, it's me!"
"Ain't no one call me that in years, Chiyo-chan."
Chiyo blushed. "Well, no one has called me that in years, either. America doesn't use honorifics."
"We gotta catch up! Whaddaya want to do first?"
"Kasuga, report to my office!" came the voice from the intercom.
"Ah, no….."
XXXX
Sajima had a fresh scowl waiting for Ayumu the second she stepped into the office. Her head was held low, as not to meet his gaze. "Kasuga, I'm not paying you to fraternize with the customers."
"I'm sorry, but she's an old friend from high school….."
"E-Excuse me!" Chiyo had entered behind Ayumu, bowing. "Please don't get mad at Osaka! I was distracting her from her job!"
"Huh, who are you?"
Chiyo presented her business card.
"Wha…..you're that Mihama girl?! Wow…..I loved your last book! Thank goodness it was finally translated to Japanese, right?"
Book? Ayumu blinked.
"Thank you. Please sir, don't fire her, I promise I'll let her be."
"You don't have to apologize," Sajima said. "I'm just surprised someone like you even knows who the hell Kasuga is…..did you call her Osaka?"
"Eh heh….it was an old nickname…."
"Ah'm from Kobe," Ayumu said weakly.
Ayumu was able to return to work without hassle, but Chiyo wasn't done quite yet. Although she wanted to catch up with her dear friend, it would have to wait. So she made her way over to her parents' estate. It was still as big as she remembered.
"Hello! It's me, Chiyo!"
The gate opened easily. Chiyo walked up the massive driveway; she clinged to her scarf since the weather was rather cold. But the cold air almost faded completely when she saw her parents at the door.
"Mom, Dad!"
"Oh Chiyo! Welcome home!"
Soon she was sitting by the fireplace with a nice cup of tea, her parents sitting across from her. "You two look very healthy. I hope you got all of my mail from overseas!"
"Oh we did! All the pictures, the accolades….our daughter, an English professor! Oh! We're so proud of you, Chiyo!"
Chiyo always blushed and giggled whenever her parents showered her with praise.
"I ran into Osa-….Ayumu today at the supermarket. I'm surprised she's still here!"
Her father shook his head. "All of your friends have moved on, Chiyo, but Miss Kasuga still lives here. But I think your old teachers, Tanizaka and Kurosawa, are still teaching."
Yukari Tanizaka and Minamo Kurosawa. Chiyo figured they would have to be close to 40 years of age or so, but they never stopped being sources of her inspiration. The flawless drive from Yukari was complemented nicely by Minamo's determined realism. Maybe she could visit them too.
"How is Mr. Tadakichi?"
Chiyo watched the frowns on her parents' faces.
"Um…..Chiyo…..we didn't want to tell you through mail but….I'm afraid he…"
"…"
"Chiyo?"
"May I see him?"
XXXXXX
Her loyal dog was buried in the house's massive backyard, Mr. Tadakichi's playground. He was a big dog with an even bigger heart, and Chiyo never forgot the first day she saw him at the pet store.
"Mommy, Mommy! Can I have this one, please?"
But now only a stone was there to represent him. Chiyo knew he wouldn't last forever - he was only a dog, after all - yet in her formative years, he was a friend.
"May I…..have a moment to myself?"
Chiyo heard their footsteps retreat.
"Mr. Tadakichi…..I dedicated my first book to you, you know. I wanted to read it to you. You wouldn't have understood but…..you would've listened, right?"
Tear drops fell onto the book she had held out to the grave.
It was a New York Times bestseller.
Mihama & Tadakichi: Stories From My Childhood
Ayumu smiled wide when she finally saw the clock hit 5:00 pm. She could see Chiyo-chan! All those good times would come back! She practically raced out of the store, only to have Sajima pull her back in to properly clock out.
"You want to get paid, right?"
"Yes sir."
But following that, where was Chiyo? Ayumu looked around the parking lot, only to realize that neither she or Chiyo had a car. So she sighed and walked.
And walked.
And walked.
Until…
"Ah! Ah forgot my phone!" Frantically Ayumu checked her pockets, but she didn't have it. So with a heavy sigh, she walked back to retrace her steps. But her stomach growled something fierce, which only made her more tense.
"Chiyo-chan…..I'm hungry. You'd know what we should get."
She imagined her walking alongside Ayumu, like in the old days. Like that time she threw her shoe to predict the weather, only to lose it in between the houses. Or the time they were at the mall and she pushed the elevator buttons.
"Ah, Chiyo….."
"Osaka!"
"C-Chiyo-chan?!"
"What are you doing, out here by the train tracks? I was looking for you!" Chiyo grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's go to someplace warm."
Someplace…..warm…..
Her first thought was the beach with all of her friends. How long ago did it seem.
With some more walking, the two finally stopped at small café. Ayumu didn't catch the name, nor did she remember if she was in it before. Yet sitting down with her dear friend….seemed only natural.
"Um, excuse me. We'll have….do you drink coffee?"
"Me? Ain't that somethin' you hate, Chiyo-chan?"
Embarrassed, Chiyo hurriedly ordered two teas instead. "Well…I got used to it in America. They drink a lot of it."
"Wow…." Ayumu leaned in. "So it's true? You really wrote a book?"
"Oh yes!"
Ayumu took the book with excitement; she could hardly imagine what kind of thrilling stories Chiyo could come with up (even though it wasn't fiction). But her eyes squinted. She checked the jacket - it was a picture of Chiyo, with an English blurb describing her.
"Uh….Chiyo-chan…."
"I'm so sorry! You need a Japanese version, right?"
"N-No!" Ayumu winced. Only Tomo and Kagura did as bad as she did in Yukari's classes. And unfortunately, her underperforming grades stayed with her through university. "Ah can read it. This what you did in America?"
"Well not just that, I'm a professor now!"
Professor?!
"I got my degree and everything!"
Degree?!
"M-Must be a lot of jobs in America…."
Chiyo tapped her lip. "I suppose one could say that, but academia is a very tough field! So what about you, Osaka? What have you been up to?"
"Ah…um…..h-h-have you heard about the others?!"
"Yes! I've received tons of mail from our friends! Unfortunately, I called their old homes…..it doesn't seem that they're in town this year. And I have to go back in early January."
Ayumu sighed. "Ya make a lot of friends in America?"
"Yes!" Chiyo's face brightened considerably. "Everyone was surprised to see someone as young as me enroll in university. But…Tomo, Miss Sakaki, Yomi, Kagura….and you-"
"Me?"
"-We all made some good memories together."
They did. Ayumu remembered the trips to Chiyo's summer home, studying for entrance exams, and that final trip together before they parted ways. Why did it have to be like that? Why couldn't they be together forever?
"…..guess we did."
Chiyo cocked her head. "Osaka, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? …Chiyo, I flunked out of university." Ayumu stared into her cup, seeing the looks of her disappointed parents. "And unlike the others, my life…..it never went anywhere. Seeing you as a fancy author and professor….it makes me sad."
"S-Sad?"
"Yeah. If I went to America with ya, I'd have a chance."
Chiyo looked at the helpless Osaka. College was a different beast than high school. There was more pressure, more expectation of the student to perform and shape their career path, then and there. At times, even she wanted to give up.
"…But I didn't."
"Huh?"
"There were times where I cried, Osaka. I cried because I missed my home, I missed my parents, and I missed all of my friends….but I kept trying. Thinking of you made me continue. In fact, there was one time I was studying for a REALLY hard test."
Ayumu leaned in.
"I kept thinking, what do I do? Then I heard it. I heard your voices. Each and every one. I looked to the picture of you girls on my desk…..and-"
"Wait. You had a picture of us?"
Chiyo took her phone out and showed it to Osaka. It was the picture they took right after graduation. All six girls were smiling, eager for the future to come. They wouldn't be together, but they also wouldn't be alone.
"Do you want to try again, Osaka?"
"Can….can ya call me Ayumu?"
"Oh…..I'm so sorry! Tomo gave you that nickname, remember?" Chiyo blushed. "I guess we all got used to it, even Miss Yukari. I didn't mean to….erase who you are."
But I AM Osaka, she thought. I mean…..I was. But Ayumu wanted to go somewhere without anyone listening. She convinced Chiyo to take a walk.
Like the old days, the two walked side by side down the streets. Ayumu marveled at the fact that puberty had really kicked in for Chiyo; she was taller than her now! Although Chiyo was still the same modest soul.
"It's just a growth spurt!"
"Nah. You're probably gonna be a real menkiller, like Miss Sakaki." Ayumu grinned at how red Chiyo's face was getting. "Ya had any boyfriends in America?"
"N-No, Ayumu," Chiyo insisted. "A lot of boys stayed away because they saw how young I was. That did give me time to focus on my studies….how about you?"
"Me?"
"Yeah, you."
Ayumu looked away. "Oyama."
"T-The former class rep?" Chiyo wondered what the studious boy was doing right now. She didn't know him too well, but he seemed nice and unassuming enough for Osaka. "You still see him?"
"Nah. He was too boring for me."
"…"
When they passed by their old campus, Ayumu pointed up at the front gate. "Ya know Miss Yukari and Miss Kurosawa still teach here?"
"My parents told me. How are they doing?"
"Same as they were when we had 'em. Miss Yukari is still wild and loves to push Miss Kurosawa's buttons. Although I heard Miss Kurosawa got married."
"Really?!"
"Wait no….maybe that that was Miss Yukari. Or wait….did they get married to each other?" Chiyo's eyes bulged. Although technically, it didn't seem farfetched to her. "Ah forgot."
"They're so lucky, Ayumu. They've been friends since they were students, and they still see each other now. Don't you just wish we could see all of the girls today?"
"Every day…."
"Oh! What is Mr. Kimura up to?" Chiyo mentally hoped he wasn't still so….well, eccentric was putting it very very nicely.
"Still teaching."
Chiyo prayed for the female students.
Then the two were by the train station. It would've been another source of memories if the Yukarimobile didn't force them to go to the summer home each time. Chiyo sat down on the bench by the ticket office.
"New York trains aren't nearly as fast."
"They ain't?"
"No! In fact, they're awful, Ayumu. Dirty, noisy, and everyone's just so rude! Do you know how many times people thought I was a lost child? You should've seen their faces when I pulled out my school I.D!"
"Chiyo…..you really think I can try again?" Ayumu sat down next to her. "With university?"
"Sure! But…..well, what is it you want to do?"
"Honest?"
"Honest."
Ayumu kicked the air. "Maybe make some manga. But ah don't know how to draw very well. Maybe that was the problem. I wasn't sure."
"Are you…..happy with your life now?" Chiyo asked carefully.
"Are you?"
On one hand, Chiyo was on her own for most of the time. She didn't have her dear friends by her side. And now her dog was gone. On the other…
"I'd say so. I'm a very popular professor. All the students beg me to enroll them in my class. My peers finally respect me."
Ayumu sighed.
"I'm just a stupid cashier at a stupid grocery. Why don't they make robots to do this borin' stuff, Chiyo?"
"Service with a smile! Don't you remember our time at Magnetron Burger?"
"That place closed five years ago."
Chiyo blinked. "O-Oh. Listen Ayumu, there's no shame in having an entry level job. Sometimes we have to take the bad before we get the good. You should study some more, and try again if you really want to broaden your horizons!"
"But it's too late for me…ah'm almost 30."
"Ayumu…..last semester, I had a student who was 75 years of age. He still had memories of serving in the Vietnam War. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
"Was the food good?"
"Huh?"
"Did he serve American hamburgers to the Viet Cong?"
"No, serve as in serving in the military!"
Ayumu scratched her head. "So the burgers had bullets?"
Chiyo stood up. "I'm trying to say your future isn't a lost cause! Because age doesn't limit your potential. Perhaps you need some kind of vacation or trip to really clear your mind."
"Ah can come with you to America!"
"Would your parents approve?"
"Let's ask them!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Shoot. Hey, Dad…."
Her father flicked her nose. "Your mother said no and so I am! You're not going to America for a trip when you have little money as is!"
"Kay. I'll be out with Chiyo then."
"Just come back before it gets too late!"
SLAM
Defeated, Ayumu rejoined Chiyo on the sidewalk near her house. "Guess that's a no. What do you want to do now, Chiyo?"
XXXX
She had one more stop in mind. It was that exact street where Osaka had tossed her shoe over the passing car. Ayumu balked when she put two and two together.
"No!"
"Yes."
"No, Chiyo, I'm too unlucky!"
"Ayumu! You need confidence! You need to believe that you can turn your life around. And this is the first step. You're going to do the same thing you did all those years ago."
"B-B-But I'm not predicting the weather!"
"Legends say…if your shoe lands up under the full moon…..you'll run into success. That's what they say in Central Park, in Manhattan."
Granted it was a homeless man that had said it, but Chiyo wanted to help her friend. So Ayumu hesitantly removed her shoe and looked ahead.
"Don't rely on luck. Believe that you'll find it."
"Ya sure?"
Chiyo nodded.
"Okay…..here….I….GO!"
Ayumu's shoe shot up into the air, and like the very same day almost a decade ago, it disappeared behind the row of houses. This, of course, made Ayumu drop to her knees.
"Chiyo….it's over….."
"Ayumu-"
"It's over! I can't even THROW SHOES right! I'll just be a failure….a stupid failure that's nothing but a leech on society!" Ayumu covered her face. "I'm just draggin' ya down, Chiyo-chan…."
But when she looked up, Chiyo was gone. No, she was climbing the fence to find the shoe. Ayumu followed her - she called her name every step, but Chiyo just kept going. And going. And going. Until finally-
"THERE!"
Ayumu had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
"Mah….mah shoe…."
Not only was it right side up, but Chiyo had picked it up and handed it to her, despite the sweat and cuts she had gotten climbing the fence and running down the street.
"Osaka. No, Ayumu-whoever you are! I don't want to hear you say those things! And if Tomo and the others were standing right here….they-they'd agree with me! So what if your life is like this at whatever age? The ONLY thing stopping you is yourself!"
"Chiyo….."
"You can have some other way to change your life. You don't have to be like me, or anyone else….you just have to be yourself, and have some of that Ayumu insight."
"Osaka."
"Osaka?"
Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga put her shoe back on her right foot. "That's right. I gotta live life at my own pace."
"That's right!"
"But where should I start…?"
"How about drawing? You can get better and become a manga artist!"
"Yeah! I'll make it a sci-fi comedy set in the wild west with a dash of romance!"
Chiyo sweatdropped.
"And I'll make the main characters after all ya! Hey, can I use Mr. Tadakichi for a sketch? He can be the mascot of the team! And he'll shoot lasers out of his eyes! And….and…..w-why are you crying?"
"I'm….n-not…." Chiyo rushed to wipe her moistening eyes. "Mr. Tadakichi would love to be in your manga, Osaka. He…he would've loved to see you too."
"….."
"….."
"Chiyo." Osaka stepped closer. "Did he….?"
Chiyo bit her lip. This time, she couldn't stop the tears. Now she was the one to break down, and cry over the loss of her dear doggy friend. Osaka didn't flinch or move away, she stood there and let Chiyo express herself. Then she leaned down when Chiyo couldn't stand anymore.
"Chiyo-chan, your dog was the best."
"He….he was….!"
"And he was pretty smart too."
"He…..he was…!"
"And I'll bet he was sitting near your front door, waiting for the day for you to come home."
"He….ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….!" Chiyo's sobs continued. "I wanted to say goodbye! I wanted to go for a walk, or play fetch, just one last time!" Then she was abruptly hug by Osaka. "Osaka….I don't want you or the others to be like that. I don't want you to disappear when I'm away!"
"But I ain't goin' anywhere, Chiyo. Me….Tomo….Miss Sakaki….Yomi….Kagura….and even Mr. Tadakichi….we'll all live on in each other's memories."
"Osaka….."
"Chiyo…..we're friends until the end."
Chiyo sniffled and put her own arms around her dear friend. "Of course we are….we….should probably go home before our parents start to worry."
But instead, Osaka looked up at that shining Christmas Eve moon. She helped Chiyo stand up, yet her embrace did not falter in the slightly. "Don't you see it, Chiyo-chan?"
"What?"
"Our friends."
Chiyo stared at the moon as well. The illuminous glow, the rugged texture…..it made her retreat into her own memories of staring at the moon across the years.
She saw Tomo.
She saw Yomi.
She saw Kagura.
She saw Sakaki.
She saw Yukari and Nyamo.
She even saw Kaorin and Chihiro.
And finally…..she saw the face of Mr. Tadakichi. He barked once to show his own happiness, then disappeared into the night air.
"….."
"Ya see it?"
She turned her head…..and saw Osaka, smiling back at her. Only unlike the others…..she was there. She was always there.
"Yeah…..I do, Osaka. I do."
"Hey, Chiyo-chan."
"Yeah?"
"Merry Christmas."
Chiyo smiled back at her friend. The two embraced once more.
"Merry Christmas, Osaka."
FIN
Ending notes: Some inspiration came my way, since I like the Azu girls and wanted to branch outside the fic where they all play video games. Chiyo and Osaka often play off each other in the series (they're both also the most wholesome) so the duo gel together well. I did channel some of my own irl stuff to emotionally fuel things, but my life isn't 1:1 with Osaka's here. Also, forgive me if some canon material says Osaka's life is different.
Hope you enjoy, everyone.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!