Taro drove home in a good mood. Talking with Rena had eased his mind. It definitely lifted his spirits.
His spirits got an additional boost when Rena pressed a small slip of paper with her phone number on it into his hand. She was cute. As a mutual friend of Ryoko's, Taro reasoned, she probably just wanted to stay in touch.
Ryoko Asakura - she was all Taro seemed to be able to think about anymore. What was it about this girl? He replayed his conversation with Rena in his mind over and over again, weighing every word.
Yes, he was happy about what he'd learned. But should he be happy? Taro was living with a girl that killed somebody! And put another person in the hospital!
Then it hit him… the thing about Ryoko that he really admired. The girl took action. Big hairy serious action sometimes, but action. No pauses. No contemplation. She knew what she had to do - and she did it. Whatever it was.
Ryoko was a survivor.
But that left a big ugly stinking question. What was Ryoko going to do when she no longer had a use for Taro?
"Too much stuff to think about!" he shouted to himself while pounding the steering wheel. He took the freeway exit and made his way into the city. It was dark when he pulled up to his warehouse home.
When Taro walked up to the side door, he saw that the door had been repaired, though the blood stain on the pavement was still clearly visible in the light of a nearby street lamp. He pressed down on the door handle and pushed on the door. It opened easily. Though he didn't think he needed to, Taro locked the door after stepping inside.
As the freight elevator approached the top floor, Taro could make out some voices. It was his television. Someone was watching a show.
The first thing Taro saw after stepping into the room was Ryoko's intense eyes. She was sitting on his couch across from the television watching it intently. She was wearing an outfit he'd never seen before - a high school T-shirt and tight blue shorts. Ryoko pretended not to notice him when he approached.
"What are you watching?" Taro asked.
Ryoko glanced up for a second. "It's an anime about a boy who gets really good at playing Go after he gets possessed by the ghost of an ancient master player. It's really fascinating."
"I spoke to Rena today, like you suggested."
"I ordered us a pizza," Ryoko replied. "From Dominos. Jalapenos and pineapple. Don't worry, it's prepaid. Even the tip."
Taro walked toward the sofa. "You seem different since you-" Taro stopped mid-sentence. "You seem stronger somehow." He looked down at the beautiful, lounging girl. "Freer."
"And I fixed your TV so it gets over 3000 channels."
"From next door?"
Ryoko nodded. "There's a really good movie starting in twenty minutes called 'Ponyo'. I was hoping we could watch it together."
Taro sat down next to Ryoko on the couch. "Ryoko. We need to talk."
Ryoko looked over at Taro. "I know. But not tonight, okay?" She pulled her legs up into her chest and wrapped her arms around them. The whole scene reminded Taro of their first night together in that cabin. The night he met this girl. "Will you please sit with me? And watch the movie? And we can eat pizza?"
Taro stared at Ryoko for several seconds with piercing, serious eyes. He had so many questions for this girl. Questions that just couldn't wait. He took a deep breath and fell back onto the pillow. Then turned his attention to the TV screen and put out his arm - which he lowered over Ryoko's soft warm shoulders after she slid up next to him.
"You're leaving me, aren't you?" he asked.
Ryoko turned. And kissed Taro on the cheek.
They had watched the anime show together for several minutes when someone knocked on the door.
"Pizza!"
Taro and Ryoko watched the movie and ate pizza together silently, as the sound emanating from his TV's speakers echoed through the room. It occurred to Taro that he truly loved Dominos pizza with jalapenos and pineapples. Nothing tasted better. He decided he wasn't going to worry about the future right now.
Taro was going to enjoy spending this final evening with Ryoko.