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Verse Four
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On the morning of the New Year, Kahoko received a phone call from Len across the country. There was no better surprise than to hear his voice but there were more to come. The New Year's cards came and she was happy to receive a lot from her friends, even outnumbering that of her sister's.
New Year was always a busy day for her family. Their home undergoes the biggest annual cleaning of the year. Kahoko was glad that she was well enough to finally help around the house and that includes the preparation for the traditional three-day feast.
The first day, New Year, was the best day for the feast to be devoured. The following day was fairly good while the last day not so. Most households on the third day have grown tired of the osechi and chose to resume on their normal day to day food. But that was not the case for Kahoko's sister. She insisted that just as the year started off with a bountiful banquet, it must end the same way.
"We've ran out of daikon?" her sister mused, looking disapprovingly at the contents of the refrigerator.
"So it seems," Kahoko said, taking a look at the cold container herself.
"But I need those!" she exclaimed.
"Then go get them," the violinist suggested, skipping away from her sister.
"Or maybe," her frown turned into a broad smile, "You could get them for me."
"Me?"
Her sister placed both hands on her waist. "Yeah, you're well enough."
"But I'm not the one who needs it,"
"So you won't get it?"
"Obviously!" Kahoko shot back, copying her moves.
"Okay, suit yourself," her sister left and went to the living room to where their mother was. Kahoko heard her speak in an unusual loud voice, "Hey mum, did you know I learned something from Kahoko a few days ago."
Through gritted teeth, she granted her sister's favour and stomped away to get it over with but it only got worse. Most of the convenient stores around her block were closed. She ended up trudging her feet three blocks away from home. Kahoko glared at the daikon, even cursing the innocent vegetable, before grabbing a few and stuffing some on her basket to be purchased.
Once outside, she sighed in relief and marched to the nearest bus stop. There was absolutely no way she was going to drag her sorry butt all the way back on foot. But no sooner had she left the store, she saw the familiar features of a man sitting on the bench of the waiting shed.
"Not again," she mumbled, slowly leaving the spot and heading for the other bus stop at the opposite corner.
But her eyes remained on him as she took notice of how different the school director was behaving. For someone so listed, he was slouching on his seat and was wobbling from left to right in small measurements. Kahoko's supposition was placed under question and there was only one way to prove that she was not imagining stuffs. She gradually made her way around him.
"Kira-riji," she said, meeting his eyes warily, "Are you okay?"
Akihiko stared back at her with a dazed expression. He kept his eyes on her face for quite some time it made her feel partially uncomfortable. She then thought that he probably had not heard her inquiry clearly. Kahoko repeated and he responded in action.
He smiled.
It left her mouth part in awe. From the deadpan look to the crying performer back to the poker-faced director and now he was smiling. His amusing oddities seem to grow every time they meet. She leaned forward just a bit to inspect his face better when the culprit for his conducts emerged.
She caught a whiff of what smelled like a mixture of alcohol and perfume with subtle hints of tobacco. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern and she reached out to tap his shoulder but impressively, even under his unstable condition, he managed to grab her hand in midair. Akihiko studied her palm before pressing it next to his cheek while sporting a wider smile.
"Oi!" someone shouted from a distant, "Is he bothering you?"
She turned around to see Hiroto running her direction with such an anxious face.
"Hino?"
"Kanazawa-sensei," she said, yanking her hand away from Akihiko.
"What are you doing here?"
"Grocery shopping," Kahoko lifted the plastic bag then gave the director a glance, "I don't think he's feeling well."
"I came too late," he sighed, "Or he drank way too early."
"Oh."
"Hino, are you in a hurry?" Kanazawa asked, putting Akihiko's arm around his neck and helping him on his feet. He then looked at the brief case, "I kinda need a hand right now."
She smiled as his request for help reeked of revenge for her sister.
"I'd be glad to," she said, already grabbing the director's brief case and hugging it against her.
Hiroto dragged Akihiko to the nearest coffee shop whereas Kahoko obediently tailed after the two men. They took the table with couches for comfort. She sat next to the inebriated director who slumped forward on the table, muttering meaningless words under his breath.
Their orders came shortly and immediately Hiroto pushed the black coffee for the intoxicated Akihiko to drink. A few sips made wonders for the director. He gradually became aware that he was in the presence of a student and was in a public place. Though still recuperating from his drunken status, he stood and excused himself before heading to the bathroom.
"Be careful in there," Hiroto said, smiling at his back, "And Kira, Happy Birthday."
"Ah," he managed to utter.
"Today is the director's birthday?" Kahoko asked.
"Yeah, he's getting old," Hiroto commented, crushing his cigarette on the ashtray, "And I'm getting older."
Kahoko chuckled at his notion but it made her wonder how old exactly was the director. Knowing that Akihiko was the youngest school director in the history of the school, he may not be that old at all, and so was Hiroto. But she didn't inquire any further about their ages instead her curiosity about how atypical it was for the director to be unguarded especially on his birthday consumed her.
"How did you know he was going to drink today?" she then started, leaning on the table.
"Well, he's always been like that," he answered, taking out his box of cigarettes, "Every year."
"Every year," Kahoko repeated.
"Yeah," he nodded, "Just to get rid of those memories."
"Alone?" she added.
"I use to make it to him before he takes that first swig but lately, he prefers to drink alone."
"It must have been one tough memory."
"It was and still is," Hiroto took a long drag. He disposed the remnants of the cigar and pulled his wallet out. "Here, just don't tell Kira I showed you this."
The brown leather wallet plopped on the table where it flipped open in its own. Kahoko titled her head and gazed at the picture within. A portrait of a beautiful girl greeted her. She had long midnight blue hair and a look on her eyes that translated serenity. Her smile was minimal yet captivating. The background looked familiar and that was when Kahoko realized the girl on the picture was actually wearing Seiso Gakuen's music department uniform.
"I had a huge crush on her," the teacher cut in, edging on his sit and looking over Kahoko's shoulder, "Till she left us"
"You had a crush on student?" Kahoko was scandalized.
"No, that was taken years ago," he added, dismissing the alarm on her face, "We were in the same class."
"Oh, sorry," embarrassed, she averted her eyes and stared back at the picture, holding it up, "Where'd she go?"
"Gone," Hiroto said, "Physically gone."
"I'm so sorry," she muttered, "You said 'us', you mean Kira-riji?"
"Right," he nodded slowly, "Her name is Kira Miya."
"Kira?" she gasped. Kahoko never thought that the director had a special lady in his life. Perhaps her passing was the very reason he was impassive all the time, "She must have been one lovely wife for him to miss her so dearly."
"Wife?" Hiroto shook his head, "Miya was his sister."
"What are you looking at?" Akihiko's cold voice poured over their shoulders.
Kahoko snapped her eyes away from the wallet, tossing it quickly over to Hiroto who failed to catch it. Drunk or not, the director's hand swiftly blocked the leather piece from making it towards the teacher. He unfolded it and upon looking at it, he gave Hiroto a glare.
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AN: I want to thank Kure and Koei for volume 14 of La Corda D'oro (pages 169 and 174) for this tad bit of information, especially Hiroto himself for mentioning Kira's older sister's name. Thank you sensei!
