Chapter 20: Full Circle
A small hand hit my cheek.
"Papa," a tiny voice called.
I opened my eyes and found Itsuha bent over me, her eyebrows furrowed and mouth curved into a frown reminiscent of her mother.
"Good morning, Itsuha," I said sleepily.
"Papa, wake up," she tugged my arm, "I need to potty."
"Okay, we're going," I mumbled and climbed out of the bed covers as Mitsuha continued to sleep soundly.
Itsuha guided my hand towards the bathroom.
"I wonder why you always tell me to go with you in the mornings and not Mom," I mused.
"Mama needs sleep," Itsuha replied matter-of-factly and continued pulling me.
"Papa needs sleep too!" I laughed at my daughter's logic.
When Itsuha finished, we walked back to the bedroom where Mitsuha still slept.
"Shh," Itsuha put a finger to her lips and then quietly tip-toed towards the bed.
She crawled up on the bed and kneeled next to Mitsuha, whose face was covered by her black hair.
"Mama's hair is messy," she whispered softly and clumsily tucked Mitsuha's hair behind her ears.
Mitsuha's eyes fluttered open and her lips parted in surprise.
"Itsuha, what are you doing?" she laughed and gave Itsuha a hug.
"Mama has bedhead," Itsuha continued to fumble with Mitsuha's hair, "I need to fix it."
"Oh?" she gave Itsuha a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you."
I laid down next to them and put my hands behind my head.
"Itsuha, you are getting older now. Are you sure you don't want to sleep by yourself?" I asked.
"No!" she turned around and glared at me, "sleeping with Mama and Papa is the best."
Ah, those pretty blue eyes.
"Let her do what she wants," Mitsuha said as she stroked Itsuha's black hair.
I paused for a moment before speaking.
"We should get up soon; we wouldn't want to keep Sayaka and Tessie waiting." I said.
"Are we going to see Aunt Yotsuha too?" Itsuha asked.
"If she is not busy today," Mitsuha replied.
"I love Aunt Yotsuha because she gives me candy," Itsuha said.
"So you only love her because of candy?" Mitsuha asked as she climbed out of bed.
"No!" Itsuha exclaimed with her arms outstretched, "she also teaches me things."
"What kind of things?"
"I promised her not to say them in front of Papa," she made a shushing noise.
"I don't even want to know," I shook my head.
Mitsuha picked Itsuha up and carried her out of the room. "You're getting bigger, Itsuha," she commented.
I got up, slipped the kumihimo onto my wrist from the bedstand, and followed them out.
The aroma of grilled mackerel and steamed rice wafted in the air as Taki made breakfast. While he cooked, I poured a glass of milk for Itsuha and took out pickled vegetables, leftover miso soup, and a carton of eggs from the fridge.
While Itsuha drank her milk contentedly, I scooped rice into three bowls and placed them on the kitchen counter. Then, I opened the carton and cracked a raw egg into each bowl of rice. With the preparations complete, Taki and I gathered the bowls, plates, and utensils and moved the food out into the dining room.
"Mama, what are we eating today?" Itsuha asked.
"Tamago kake gohan," I answered, mixing the egg and rice together in her bowl with my chopsticks.
"Slimy!" she complained.
"Not as slimy as natto," Taki retorted.
"Ew!" Itsuha wrinkled her nose.
"You will get used to it," I laughed.
"Is the fish alright?" Taki asked me.
"Mm, it's a little dry… reduce the heat next time," I told him.
"Mama cooks food better than Papa," Itsuha said with a sly smile on her face.
Taki rolled his eyes and pinched her cheek.
"I swear, you and Aunt Yotsuha are like two peas in a pod."
"Hehe!" she gave Taki a cheeky grin.
"Your Papa has a lot to learn about cooking," I said and gave Taki a wink.
He sighed quietly but said nothing.
"Did you know Papa used to be a waiter at an Italian restaurant?" I told Itsuha.
"Can he make Italian food?" she asked.
Taki shook his head. "No, I only waited on customers and served the food."
"We can take you to an Italian restaurant if you like," I suggested.
"Really?" Itsuha opened her mouth in surprise.
"But only if you eat your vegetables," I pointed to her bowl.
"Mama!" she protested.
"Here," I handed her a fork, "now be a good girl and try some."
Itsuha poked at a cucumber slice and made a face.
I smiled and placed a hand on her head.
"Aunt Yotsuha doesn't complain when she eats her veggies,"
Hesitantly, she brought the slice to her mouth and took a small, cautious nibble.
"Sour!" she stuck her tongue out.
"They are pickled," Taki said and took the bowl away, "I'll steam you some carrots for dinner tonight so you don't have to eat these."
"Papa spoils you too much," I frowned at Taki in disapproval.
He shrugged and gave a not-so-discreet wink to our daughter.
"Yay!" Itsuha smiled, happy that her daily battle with vegetables was postponed to a later time.
When we finished with breakfast, I took Itsuha to the bedroom to get changed.
I ran my fingers through Itsuha's hair. "Looks like it is long enough."
"I can finally tie my hair?" Itsuha asked excitedly.
"Yes," I chuckled.
Ever since Itsuha learn how to speak, she wanted me to tie her hair with musubi. I told her to wait patiently until her hair grew longer. Still, she continued to ask me every day.
Taking out two braided cords from the drawer, I swept my hair into two French braids and tied them with one cord in front of the mirror. When I finished, I took the other cord and started working on Itsuha's hair.
"I like Mama's hair like that," she commented.
"I wore this style a lot more when I was child," I said as I checked myself in the mirror.
"You should wear it more!"
"If you want," I laughed, "okay, your ponytail is done."
Itsuha copied my actions and examined herself in the mirror, moving her head from side to side.
Satisfied with the results, she ran to me and hugged my waist.
"Now I am pretty like you!" she looked up and flashed her baby teeth.
Smitten by her charm, I bent down and planted a kiss on her forehead.
"One day, I will tell you the importance of our hair ties," I promised.
I will pass on the legacy of Itomori and the meaning of musubi to you.
"We're ready now," Mitsuha said.
I looked up from my newspaper to see Mitsuha wearing an attractive blue sundress and sunhat with a handbag strapped over her shoulder. Itsuha meanwhile wore a pink shirt with white shorts and carried a backpack that had an image of a hedgehog embroidered on it.
"How do I look?" Mitsuha did a pirouette.
"Um, not bad," I looked away.
"Jeez, we've been together this long and you still can't praise me properly!" she complained.
"Papa is shy!" Itsuha teased.
"I am not!" my ears turned red.
Mitsuha burst out laughing and grabbed my hand.
"Come on, let's go," she said.
"Mama, where are we going?"
"We are going to visit a special place first, then we will go see Sayaka and Tessie. You like playing with their son, don't you?"
"Yes!" her face brightened, "he shares his toys with me."
"We will be taking the train," I announced while opening the door.
Mitsuha and I took Itsuha's hands and walked down the stairs to the station.
As the train doors closed behind us, we walked with Itsuha to our destination. A few clouds drifted in front of the sun and caused temporary shade as we strolled along the path.
"There it is," I said.
"What is this, Papa?" Itsuha asked.
"This staircase was where I met your Mom many years ago," my eyes began to tear up a bit as I recalled the memories, "though I feel as if we had known each other way before that."
Mitsuha placed a hand on my shoulder.
"It has been a long time," she said quietly.
I placed my hand on hers and said nothing.
Itsuha looked at us, confused by our words and actions.
"Mama, I want to walk up the stairs!" she said, snapping us out of our reverie.
I took Itsuha's hand while Mitsuha held the other and we climbed up the staircase. As we went, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds and brightened the surroundings.
When we reached the top, Itsuha pulled Mitsuha's hand and mine toward each other until they touched.
"Mama and Papa met here!" she said, her blue eyes shining.
Moved by her words, I patted her head and looked off into the distance.
"We are back," I said, struggling to keep the emotion out of my voice, "and we brought a newcomer along."
"Mama and Papa are so happy to have you," Mitsuha said and knelt down to hug Itsuha.
Itsuha, feeling the emotionally charged atmosphere, extended her hands out.
"I love Mama and Papa!" Itsuha declared with a smile; the ends of musubi that bound her hair swayed lightly in the wind.
Anyone who happened to pass by the steps near Suga Shrine would be surprised to see a young couple embracing their daughter, laughing and crying blissfully without a care in the world.
Author's Note
Kimi no Na wa is the only anime that inspired me enough to write a full-scale fanfiction about it. Like most people, the ending to the movie left me thirsting for more; I wanted to see more interaction between Taki and Mitsuha, which were the most enjoyable parts for me. But there was simply not enough of it on screen.
I have always been a fan of romance, and the chemistry between these two were one of the best that I had seen. Even after watching it many times, I simply could not move on from this couple. Although the movie ended at the right place, it did not give me the closure I desired, so I took matters into my own hands and devised an "after story." I planned out what could have happened after the movie ended, detailing Taki and Mitsuha's future lives together without breaking any of the canon that was already established.
I drew from numerous inspirations and my own experiences to create this work. In much of the dialogue, I put myself in the characters' shoes and acted out what they would say or do to ensure responses that were as human as possible. After reading the official novelization of the movie, I mimicked the writing style of using I and I (rough equivalents of ore and watashi) to represent Taki and Mitsuha respectively. Using this device to change point of view made me feel as if I was doing the body swapping myself. In addition, I added many references from the original material into the fanfiction that will probably overlooked by many, though if I were to break down every chapter then this author's note will be too lengthy to read. The favorite detail I liked to add was the hedgehog that occasionally popped up when Mitsuha was present (the hedgehog embroidery that she stitched for Okudera and the hedgehog plushie in her room when she was older.)
Without straying too far from what was depicted in the movie, I used a bit of imagination and guesswork for the grown-up personalities of the main characters. For example, I used "Taki-kun" honorifics as a way for Mitsuha to tease Taki in their conversations. Given that she is older than Taki, it would make sense that being with him would bring out a playful side to her regular character. Taki, on the other hand, is by no means a pushover. Though he has his fair share of embarrassed and timid moments, in the end he is able to do what is needed to be done (with the help of Mitsuha.) In turn, his personality trait rubs off on Mitsuha, which was shown in the movie and one in which I attempted to convey. Lastly, it is easy to imagine that the older Yotsuha to be protective of her sister and join in with harassing Taki. The running gag about breasts continue…
On a special note, though it is implied that Okudera and Tsukasa could possibly be engaged in the original material, there is not enough substantial evidence in either movie or novel to conclude this. For all we know, the rings shown on their fingers could be a coincidence. Thus, I decided to keep the spouses of these characters in the dark. Similarly, although there is confirmation that Taki's parents were divorced prior to the beginning of the story, I decided to omit Taki's mother from the fanfiction due to the lack of information.
The most difficult chapters were the ones that involved dating and marriage. I painstakingly investigated locations that were close to their living places before establishing their date. I even looked up the amount of time it took to get from one location to the next to make sure that it was physically possible. Essentially, everything that is described in this fanfiction can be visited in Japan. The story itself ran in an internal clock; the correct flowers had to be growing in the right season and festivals had to be held in the respective month to ensure accurate representation. In addition to depicting the main theme of romance between Mitsuha and Taki, I took the liberty of incorporating and describing the traditional holidays and customs that are seen in Japan. In this way, the reader is informed of the traditions that take place and understand the culture that provided the setting in which the characters live in.
It was easy to come up with a name for their child since I followed the naming convention that was already in place. I did not come up with a name that I had no basis on for fear of straying too far from what is believable (though giving them genders is already a stretch,) which is why I did not name Sayaka and Tessie's child. For Taki and Mitsuha's child, I gave her a combination of Mitsuha's black hair and features with the addition of Taki's blue eyes. For her hair design, I used the musubi hair tie from Mitsuha and a ponytail as a nod to the hairstyle that Taki used when he was in Mitsuha's body.
I would like to thank my friends who answered my questions and gave me advice that fueled the creation of this story. In addition, I would like to thank Shinkai Makoto-san for giving us a heart-warming work that touched so many people all over the world. Lastly, I want to thank all the readers who read this story from beginning to end and gave me their precious time to provide a review. In reference to musubi, I sincerely hope that this fanfiction will connect with someone somewhere and give them non-canon closure to Kimi no Na wa.
Thank you for reading!