Chapter Twenty – Nine: Behind These Bars, The Tokyo Connection: Part Two!


The air was silent as the grave as the two people stared into each others' eyes. After two minutes of staring, the woman's hand rose at her side, slowly coming forward shakily. She was still looking into his eyes when she made contact with the fleece, pushing through to feel the hard, muscled chest that rested underneath it. When she did, her breath was stolen from her, her hand resting on his chest as she felt tears flowing from her eyes. Her jaw was working up and down, unable to comprehend what was happening to her. After a moment, she felt the strong, steady beating of his heart, a heavy thunking that was slow and rhythmic. She held her hand there, over his heart, until his free arm came up, resting over her fingers. When she felt the contact her eyes snapped down to her hand, seeing him holding her hand against him. She started looking between the point of contact and his eyes again frantically, before a loud sob escaped her throat and she launched herself against him. She clutched him tightly, weeping into her son's chest.

"Mikaru! Mikaru! MIKARU! Mi -"

She kept on saying his name, clutching him as tightly as she could, sobbing into his chest. His shirt felt damp with her tears, but she couldn't stop herself. As she cried, his arm came out from in between them and he held her to him. The girl was still holding his other arm, which he made no effort to move.

"I'm home, Mom. I missed you..."

His voice was the same calm, warm and soft tone it had been when he first spoke. She started crying harder at his words, her knees giving out on her. She slumped down a bit, only to be lifted back up and held tighter than before.

"I missed you so much. So very, very much, My Little Boy. So very much..."

Her tears started to dry up, but she didn't cling to him any looser than before. After two minutes of holding him, He spoke.

"May we... may we come in? I have so much I want to tell you."

She let go of him, holding his arm and chest firmly. She looked to his left, where the girl was watching her with tears in her eyes, and then his right, where an equally stoic figure watched them, smiling widely at the two of them. She nodded a little dumbly, stepping aside and watching as the boy walked in, taking off his shoes and waiting for the girl to do so as well, before walking up the edge into the house proper, and walking over to the couch, taking a seat. The Girl sat beside him, stroking his cheek with a scarred hand. She then turned her head to the other boy, who stepped into the foyer before bowing deeply to her, removing his own shoes before walking over to the couch himself, taking a seat. After a moment, she turned to the door, closing it before walking over to a chair that sat across from them and taking a seat weakly. She gazed at the man, who was watching her expectantly. After a minute, he started speaking.

"... I got your letter. Oji sends his love, as well as a desire not to be murdered in his sleep."

She laughed softly at that, noting that under the prompt, eloquent speech was the same cheeky humour that he was famous for.

"I guess I should start by introducing us. To my left is my best friend, Nakai Hisao. He has helped me immensely over the past weeks, and I couldn't be here today without him."

Hisao bowed in his seat, speaking as he came up.

"Hello, Mrs. Souta. I'm honoured to meet you."

She smiled at the polite boy, speaking in a weak but happy voice.

"Please... call me... call me Tsukiko, Hisao."

He smiled, nodding at the woman. Mikaru spoke after a moment.

"To my right is Ikezawa Hanako. She is my girlfriend, and she has been just as much of a boon to me as Hisao, if not more."

Hanako bowed to the woman, speaking shyly.

"H – Hello, Mrs. S – S – Souta..."

She smiled sweetly at the beautiful girl, speaking warmly.

"Please, Hanako, call me Tsukiko as well. No girlfriend of my son's will feel uncomfortable near me."

Hanako smiled sweetly at her, nodding her head.

"... Okay... Tsukiko..."

Mikaru smiled, continuing his tale.

"I've been busy since I last saw you, Mom. I started a company, that deals in computer hardware and software for the disabled."

She smiled, gasping.

"You... you did? When?"

"While I was in prison. I had time, so I designed products and started making deals with people. Since I started almost five years ago, I have made approximately 363,000,000,000 yen in profit. I have also done many donations to various educational facilities, as well as other charities for the handicapped, and am one of the world leaders in digital accessibility."

Her hand came up to her mouth as he spoke. She was speechless. Her son, a trillionaire?

"I took up martial arts again, too. I know six now, and currently hold the world record of being the youngest man to ever complete the Hyakunin Kumite. I am also the first disabled person to ever complete it."

"I... I don't know – what to say..."

Mikaru smiled at his mother, taking a moment to let her collect herself before he started up again.

"I saved someone's life, too. She was being assaulted, but I used my knowledge to stop her attacker. I soon attended her wedding, where I found out that they met after the first concert I ever did, in Toronto."

She smiled at her son proudly, who was still the same, caring, compassionate person she raised.

"After I got out and completed the Kumite, I went to high school, where I am on track to graduate with honours. It's this place in the mountains of the Yamagata prefecture called Yamaku Academy, that specializes in peoples with disabilities. That's where I met my friends. Hisao was the first person to talk to me there, actually. He's been my partner in crime ever since – uh, sorry about that – and Hanako met me shortly after he did. She helped me come to terms with what happened to me, as well as inspired me to start living my life again. There are others, as well. One girl, named Ibarazaki Emi, is a legless runner. She's the fastest person on her track team, and she gets faster every time I see her. Another is Tezuka Rin, who is an armless painter. She is peculiar, and sticks to Emi like glue. Then there's Mikki, who is also on the track team. After that, there's my friend Kenji, who is paranoid and thinks the entire female populace is out to get him and end all of mankind. After that, I made friends with a girl named Satou Lilly, who is half Scottish. She is related to the lawyers that put me away, actually. She's a nice girl, though. Finally, there's Carla Simpson, who is working on a special project with me that I am the most excited to talk about."

Her mother sat forward in her chair looking happily and expectantly at him.

"What's that, Mikaru?"

He smiled at her widely for a moment before he croaked out his greatest achievement.

"Carla... Carla is helping me... write music again! I'm writing a concert, the greatest one I've ever written!"

The woman felt tears coming to her eyes again.

"R – Really? That's – that's wonderful! When – When is it?"

He smiled, feeling a tear rolling down his cheek.

"I think the end of the summer. I was talking to an agent, and we've been discussing Sydney."

The woman smiled brightly at her son, her hands coming to her face.

"Mikaru... I'm so proud of you. Truly, I am. I could have never dreamed that you'd become so much when you were that scared little boy, lying on the hospital bed. Now, look at you; you're all grown up, and you're living the kind of life I could never have given you. I... I... I just wish that I had been able to be there for you, when you needed me. I'm... I'm sorry, Mikaru. I can't know what you went through, and what you had to endure to get here today, but I am so very thankful that you found it in your heart to forgive me."

Mikaru shook his head, leaning forward.

"No, Mom. I was never mad at you. I though – I thought that you were ashamed of me, and that I wasn't worthy to be your son. I know better, now. My friends taught me that, and thanks to them, I've recaptured my old passion, my happiness, and my name."

Hisao interjected then, surprising him.

"- You don't give yourself enough credit, Mikaru. You saved my life too, after all. Potentially many times, in fact. You brought me and Lilly together, as well."

Hanako nodded, squeezing his arm.

"Y – you've helped me, too, M – Mikaru. I couldn't have been – been happy without you..."

He smiled at his friends, drinking in their kind words. His mother smiled at them, but it was bittersweet.

"... So what happens now, Mikaru? I'd imagine that you have to return to your school soon, and I don't -"

"- Mom, just because I'm old and can take care of myself doesn't mean that I don't want you in my life anymore. I'm here for the rest of the week, and I have every intention of inviting you to my concert when it's ready. On the subject of invitations, though, I have an offer for you."

The woman crossed her hands on her lap, listening intently to her son.

"... This Saturday, I'd like to invite you and Mr. Nanami out to dinner with me, Hanako and Hisao. I don't have much time today to spend here, so I'd like to hear more about how you have been then."

The woman smiled, nodding her head.

"I will speak with him when he gets how from work. As for myself, well... I don't think I could handle work right now, to be honest."

Mikaru smiled, pulling out his phone.

"I have a number, now. You should take it down, and call me when you find out."

The woman beamed at her son, nodding. She pulled out a piece of paper, writing his name, and then his number when she saw it on his phone.

"Where is your school? It's in Yamagata, right?"

Mikaru smiled at her, giving her the address as well as his mailing address. After she did that, she got up, hugging Mikaru again. Before he left, though, he asked her a question.

"... Hey, Mom? Mr. Nanami told me that you didn't play music."

She looked up at him, a little sadly before she smiled, shaking her head.

"... I do now, Mikaru. I'm pulling our things out of storage. I still have all your old sheet music, in the attic somewhere. I could -"

Mikaru shook his head, smiling a little.

"Well, I can't really do anything but percussion. However, I think that you keeping them, and maybe using them for something else, like teaching others, is a good idea. I mean it, ma. Start teaching music again. It's what you love to do. You're good at it, too. The best, in fact."

She nodded at him, her jaw trembling a little.

"... Yes, Mikaru. I will do this. Now that I know you're still with me, I have no reason not to. Goodbye, Mikaru. I will be calling you."

Mikaru smiled, nodding his head before leaning down, kissing his mother on the cheek and turning to Hanako, extending his arm.

"Coming, Hanako?"

She nodded, taking hold of his arm again before she started to walk to the door. However, a hand on her arm stopped her, and she turned to Tsukiko. When she did, she was surprised to be wrapped in a warm hug, one that she couldn't help herself but to return fervently. She spoke softly into Hanako's ear then, making the girl gasp.

"... I'm glad that my son found someone as beautiful and sweet as you to share his heart with, Hanako. Thank you for being there for him."

Hanako pulled away, nodding happily. I haven't felt a hug like that since before my mother died...

After that, the three friends walked away, stepping into a cab before driving off. As they did, Tsukiko watched them, a hand coming to the cheek that Mikaru had kissed. After ten minutes of sitting there, Mr. Nanami pulled into the driveway, looking at his girlfriend at the door. He got out of the car, walking over to her quickly.

"... Hey, Tsukiko. Are you okay? I got a call at work, saying you hadn't shown up. What happened?"

She looked at the man for a moment, walking up to him and hugging him tightly. Mr. Nanami held her back, a little confused.

"He came back, Ryou... My son came back! I thought I was never going to see him again..."

He didn't quite know how to handle that, so he just settled for holding her tightly, reaching for his phone. He called his work, telling them that he was not going to be in, before he did the same with Tsukiko's and walked inside. He went over to the couch, sitting down with her and picking up the notepad that rested on the table.

... Souta Mikaru

He put it down, remembering how the boy and the girl were kneeling at the garden.

"The garden... it was his, wasn't it? His memorial?"

She nodded at him, tucking her head against his arm.

"... The Inuksuk in the centre was standing substitute for him. The flowers are his favourite. That's why, I... I took care of the garden each year. Because I couldn't take care of him."

Ryou tightened his arm around her, resting his cheek on her head.

"- So, he was the big one, then? The one with no hands?"

She looked up at him, nodding.

"... Oh. How – how long? How long has it been, Tsukiko?"

She paused, looking out the window.

"It has been almost six years since I saw him last. He's accomplished so much, since then."

The man nodded slightly, his head still resting on hers.

"He looked strong. Disciplined. He was well – spoken, as well. When did you have him?"

She froze in his arms at his question.

"I – I – I – I can't... have..."

The man held her a little tighter, kissing her on the crown.

"... So you adopted him, then? I think you did a good job, Tsukiko. When will we be seeing him again?"

She looked up at the man, astonished that he hadn't left like her first husband had, all those years ago. She felt herself tearing up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him. She pulled away after that, resting her forehead on his.

"He – He has invited us to join him and his friends for dinner, this Saturday. I told him that I would talk with you about it, and call him back."

Ryou didn't hesitate.

"We'll join him then. Let's call him about it later, though. I think that you need to rest a while. Lay down, Tsukiko. I will make you some tea, and bring it to you when it's ready."

She nodded, getting up and heading to their room. When she had, the man got up, walking over to his sink and getting some water.

Tsukiko had an adoptive child. She has music, too. I've learned so much about her today. I think her Ex-husband must have left her when he found out that she was infertile, though. Cockroach.

He pit the kettle on the stove, turning it on and walking back over to the table, looking at the contact information laying there. He pulled out his phone, saving the information before heading out onto the back porch, pulling out a fresh pack of cigarettes and lighting one up. He took a drag, exhaling through his nose.

He didn't smoke much. Only when he was stressed out. His job was usually pretty calm, too, so he hadn't had much of a reason to. He took another drag, feeling his fingertips tingling a bit.

When he heard that his girlfriend hadn't shown up, he got worried about her. Had something happened to her, because of that man he saw in the garden? He took another drag, feeling the tingling in his toes.

Then, he gets home, and she's got a son, and they're going out to dinner on Saturday.

He took another drag, now feeling the slight tingling at the base of his neck, signalling the head rush that was coming. He sat down, flicking the end of his cigarette and exhaling deeply. This is what love is about though, right? Accepting people unconditionally, no matter what new information comes your way?

He finished his smoke, putting it out and sliding it into the ash container that was on the railing. He turned away then, walking inside his house to deal with the screaming kettle.


After they left, Hisao took more of his medicine and they went to see a movie. When they got out, it was getting dark, so they headed straight back to their room, ordering some food up and changing into pyjamas. It arrived shortly, and the three of them sat around the table, eating in silence. After about five minutes of this, Hanako spoke.

"Mikaru? How do you feel about all this?"

Mikaru looked over at Hanako, smiling.

"It feels good. It went better than I could have hoped for. I'm tired, though. You know?"

She smiled nodding at him. After they finished eating, they did their nighttime routines, setting into their respective sleeping spaces. Mikaru lied down heavily, smiling faintly as Hanako rested beside him.

"... You were right, Mikaru. About your mom."

He smiled at the memory of telling Hanako about her hugs, holding her tight to him.

"Yeah, she's... she's pretty special. Your hugs... your hugs feel the same, to me. That time, in the forest when you found me, it... it reminded me of her. I guess you remind me of her."

Hanako smiled, happy to be compared to the woman he thought so highly of. She kissed him on the lips, pulling away and looking at him deeply in the eyes.

"I hope I don't remind you too much of your mother, Mikaru. That would... that would be weird..."

He laughed at her words, pulling her close to him.

"- Just enough, Hanako. You are your own person, after all. Still just as special, though."

She beamed, snuggling into him and smelling his chest.

"You... you always know the right thing to say. Good night, Mikaru – Kun. I love you."

"... Good night, Hanako. I love you more."

She shook her head, smiling as she fell asleep. He joined her soon after.


Mikaru woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. He reached his stub over, tapping it and sitting up.

"... Hello?"

"Mikaru?"

Mikaru rubbed his eyes, waking up a little.

"Oh, hey mom. What's up?"

She let out a warm chuckle at his sleepy tone, taking a moment before she spoke happily.

"I couldn't reach you last night. I was too busy with the movers. I just wanted to tell you that Me and Ryou would be delighted to join you. Just tell us when and where, and we'll meet you."

Mikaru smiled, looking around to see Hanako getting up herself, just as sleepy as he was. She let out a large yawn, stretching her arm over her head before looking at him cutely.

"... I'll... I'll do that, Mom. I'll, uh... I'll call you back. Goodbye, Mom. Please hang up."

She chuckled, and the line went dead. When it did, Mikaru slid across the bed, sitting in front of Hanako. She got onto her knees, moving towards him before meeting him in the middle, sitting on his legs.

"Good morning, Hanako. You sleep well?"

She chuckled, kissing nim before speaking.

"... You were snoring. It was cute. I slept okay, though..."

He laughed, blushing a bit before he picked her up, setting her on her feet.

"I think you should jump in the shower, and I'll call room service for breakfast. After that, I'll wake up Hisao. I'm having a cold shower anyhow, so I'll go last."

She nodded, turning around and sleepily grabbing some things before walking into the bathroom. The rest of the morning pretty much went as planned, with the only exception being that Hanako was a little longer in the shower than they expected, and was still getting dressed by the time the food arrived. Soon after that, Mikaru looked into places, talking it over with Hanako and Hisao before he picked a spot and made a reservation. He had to throw a bit of money around, but he got the table eventually. After that, he called his mother back, letting her know the restaurant and time (which she balked at, of course, but said nothing of it) and jumped in after Hisao got out.

The group decided then that a bit of fun was in order, so they struck out, looking for something to do. Eventually, they came across a beautiful, aged area of town that was quaint, with loads of restaurants and cafes to visit. They went to one of the cafes, ordering some food before enjoying a nice afternoon just relaxing in the shade. Hisao was nursing a cup of coffee when he spoke.

"... Hey, Mikaru? What's one secret about yourself that no one else knows? I promise I won't tell, and I'll share one back."

Hanako looked at Mikaru, interested in this game as well, so Mikaru sighed before shifting a bit and speaking quietly.

"Well, back when I had hands, and a brief time afterwards, I used to smoke. The only people who knew about it are either dead, or long since unrecognizable. I mean, they'd probably know me, because I look so distinctive here, but I wouldn't know them from a stick in the mud."

Hanako balked at him, Hisao just nodding a bit.

"... Yeah, I could see why the appeal went away after that. I mean, it's kinda hard to light a cigarette with your feet, and I don't think it really suits you anyhow. Ok, one about me... You know how I found out about my Arrhythmia?"

Mikaru looked at Hisao now, interested.

"... A girl confessed to me in the forest after school. I had a heart attack before I could answer her."

Mikaru felt torn between laughing at his friend or feeling sorry for him, so he let out a distinctively Canadian sound, speaking a little quietly.

"OOOhohohoooohhh... No shit? Damn, that's gotta suck."

Hanako felt much the same way Mikaru did, but chose not to speak on it. Instead, she got their attention, sharing a secret of her own.

"I... I don't like Panda bears. Or – or any kind of bear. They scare me."

Mikaru chuckled a bit, reaching his stub across the table to her.

"- Rightfully so. My Grandfather wrestled a bear, once. Giant beast, twice his height and 6 times his weight. It got his arm. He couldn't play his guitar anymore, but he had arthritis anyway, so it wasn't a big deal."

Hisao balked at his friend.

"Your grandfather wrestled a bear? How old was he?"

Mikaru chuckled, looking at Hisao.

"He was 69, if I remember correctly. Hence the arthritis. He was a big fellow, though. It's where I got my size, actually. Funny bunch, us Kanases. I was the first Kanas boy to have green, blue, or copper eyes. The rest of them had either fully grey eyes, or they were black."

Hanako gasped at the age, and spoke quickly when he finished.

"- Are they your mother's eyes?"

Mikaru snapped his gaze over to Hanako, shifting a little before speaking.

"... Well, yeah. They were, I think. I don't... I don't really remember my birth mother, anymore. Whenever I think of my mom, I... I think of Tsukiko."

Hanako smiled sadly at him, nodding her head. She rested her hand on his arm when a waiter came up to them, smiling.

"- Hey, Guys, we're not open at night, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave when you're finished here, okay?"

Mikaru looked up at the man, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh, is it that late? My apologies, I lost track of time. How does this work? Do you bring a bill, or should we follow you to the counter?"

The young waiter smiled, beckoning with his hand.

"Right this way, dude. I'll ring you through."

They paid, and left, seeing that it was indeed dark out. Hanako shivered a bit, and Hisao put his arms up to his chest, rubbing it with both hands.

"Damn, this is frigid. Why is this week so cold? I wish we brought our sweaters..."

Hanako nodded, leaning into Mikaru for warmth.

"Hisao, can you call for a cab? We should go pick up our sweaters before we hit up the Circular Doom Machine."

Hisao looked over to his friend.

"- Circular doom machine? You mean the Ferris wheel? What's wrong with it?"

Mikaru looked down at Hanako, who was looking up at him, still shivering. He sighed, bringing one of his arms up to his eyes before speaking.

"Oh, I'm just... I'm not good with heights."

Hisao chuckled at his friend.

"You're kidding me, Mikaru. You jump out the windows all the time!"

Mikaru looked over sharply at his friend, who realized his mistake. Hanako was balking at him now.

"- You do what? M – Mikaru, you c – could get hurt!"

Mikaru sighed, wrapping his arm around the shivering girl and clutching her a little closer. As he did, Hisao called for the cab.

"Hanako, I don't jump right out. I only jump out of windows into trees, and even then, I've fallen 15 feet before and came away unscathed."

"- But you don't have hands! What if you miss? You could fall, a – and break something, Or – or..."

Mikaru sighed deeply, knowing he was beaten when she started tearing up, pouting at him sadly.

"... All right, Hanako. No more window hopping. I promise, okay? I mean it."

She nodded, wiping her eyes and tucking her face back into her chest.

"Th – Thank you, Mikaru..."

He smiled, watching as the cab pulled up.

"All right, let's go do this."


The line had moved up considerably. Now, it was their turn to get on, and Mikaru was taking it well. When they got in the box, however, he started fidgeting and bouncing his leg; an old nervous habit. Hanako noticed this, and put her hand on his leg. He looked over, roughly shaking his head before smiling at her, giving her his arm to hold. There was one other person with them; a random girl they had met whilst in line. She was alone, so Hisao offered to take her with them. Currently, they were having a conversation about a book series they had both read, which was something of a hot topic for the both of them.

"... I'm telling you, Hisao, the first was much better than the second!"

"No, Mai, it was just longer. The second was much more interesting. Besides, the romance between Herad and Sha'Hieel was completely unnecessary."

"What? No, it was completely necessary! Herad needed to learn how to love again, and Sha'Hieel was the right person to do that. In fact, Sha'Hieel was a much better woman that Terra ever was."

"- Alright, I'm going to stop you there Mai. I really don't mind Sha'Hieel as a character, and I definitely cede your point on the necessity of their relationship, but she was not better than Terra! Terra was his true love! His best friend! She was there all along; Sha'Hieel just came along one day, and started trying to bed him."

"- OH! You're just a fan boy! It's a girl's novel anyway!"

"No way! It's a book about hot alien babes, stabbing each other to death with their minds! The romance is just what gives it the human element!"

"'The human element?' What does that even mean? I think you read too much."

"- You don't read enough!"

"Geezer!"

"Tomboy!"

"Cripple!"

"- FEMINIST!"

...

The car shook with laughter at the sheer randomness of the moment. It soon stopped for Mikaru however, as Hanako let out a gasp. Mikaru turned his head, looking out at the scenery before him.

Hanako was looking out amazed at the view of the city lights, Her hair shining the slightest bit. Her arms were gripping the bars tightly, laughing at the sight. Her, dressed in his sweater, doing all these things and just looking so alive was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. In his mind, the scenery behind her paled in comparison.

Hanako spun around to him, smiling excitedly. She was bouncing the tiniest bit, speaking in a steady voice.

"This is so great! I've never seen anything like this before! Isn't this just the best? Thank you!"

She grabbed his arm, holding it tightly. Hisao and Mai were looking on happily at the two. Mai turned to Hisao, whispering to him.

"Hey, you look a little surprised or something. Does this happen often?"

Hisao looked over to the stranger, smiling.

"... No. This is the happiest I've ever seen her. Actually, now that I think about it, it's the happiest that I've seen Mikaru as well."

The girl looked over, examining the two closely before turning back.

"This almost feels wrong, you know? You wouldn't understand, but it's like I'm stepping into someone else's life. I guess I am, in a way. You're a strange bunch, you know that?"

Hisao smiled, nodding.

"- No, I completely understand. I also see where you're coming from. I guess you've been like this for a while, but those two have had it worse than most. For the longest time, I was like you, you know. I've only known him for a short while, but he's really something special. Hanako is like that too, but for him. They... they compliment each other, you know?"

The girl smiled, nodding a bit. She grabbed Hisao's hand, looking out over the scenery.

"Hisao, look over there."

Hisao looked over Mai's shoulder. There was a string of houses in the distance, and Hisao recognized it as the place where Tsukiko lived.

"... I live over there, you know. I've lived there my whole life. I've never even left this city before. When I used to talk about leaving, people called me crazy, saying that I had everything I could ever want here."

"- Do you still talk about it?"

The girl paused, her hand coming up to the bars.

"... No. After so long of having my dream shot down, I just... I just gave up, ne? Stopped trying... I still feel the same things when I see the mountains, though. What – what's it like out there? Away from here?"

Hisao paused, considering it. After a short while he stood up, walking over to the bars.

"It's... It's quiet. Peaceful. There are things out there that are even more beautiful than the city lights at night. You can see the stars perfectly out there, you know. There are places where the air is so clean, that when the sun sets, they shine and twinkle brightly enough to read by. I know this spot, up in the mountains, where a completely natural grove of cherry trees blossom right about now. They form a ring, right in the middle of the forest. You can climb one of the trees, and you can see the mist as it breaks off down the mountain. It's so different from the city, but... You learn to appreciate different things, you know? Natural beauty. You... you belong out there. You need to go see it. Even if it's just once, it's something that I would never, ever tell someone not to do."

Hisao looked back to the girl, who nodded at him.


When the three friends got back, Hisao immediately took his medication and went to sleep, exhausted from the day of walking. Hanako was still fired up from the Ferris Wheel, and Mikaru was still fired up about Hanako, so they didn't go to sleep right away. Instead, Mikaru struck up a conversation with Hanako about what she planned on wearing Saturday, which inspired him to decide that Hanako, having no extra money to do much clothes shopping, should take the chance to capitalize on his generosity. This, of course, was met with the rebuttal of Hanako telling him that she would only do it if he got clothes as well, which they both agreed to. They would have left it at that, but when Mikaru went out speak to Hisao about the plans, he was surprised to find that he was onto his last change of clothing tomorrow, so Mikaru decided that he, too, needed clothing.

That's how, 14 hours later, the trio were lost in retail hell. Stores were everywhere, with not so much as a single discernible landmark in sight. Hanako was frightened of all the people, clinging to Mikaru's arm tightly. Mikaru was overstimulated, his razor – sharp senses being bombarded with sights, scents and sounds. Hisao was panicking, on the verge of a heart murmur. However, right when all hope seemed to be lost, a savior in the most unexpected forms came up to them, followed closely behind by Mai.

"Oh, it's you. I'm the girl from the Cafe? The first one? I felt really bad about what my friend was saying, so I left. When I went looking for you later, I couldn't find you. - Hey, are you okay, Hisao?"

Hisao was looking at the girl, a funny look on his face. She walked up to him quickly, looking into his eyes. After that, she waved her hand in front of his face a bit, his eyes following the motion. Gradually, he seemed to relax, and the girl smiled at him.

"Hi, Hisao. I'm happy I was able to find you again. I'm sorry about what happened the other day."

He looked at her a little dazed before he smiled a bit, taking deep breaths and speaking.

"Hi, cafe girl. Never did catch your name. Or I did, and I'm an ass. Either one fits, I suppose. Do you think you could help us? We are desperately lost, and our usually stoic leader is having some issues here."

She looked over to the large man, who had his stub against his forehead. He looked like he was about to blow up, his nerves being grated by the noises around him.

"Sure, I can do that. Are you sure you have all you need, though?"

Hisao smiled, looking into his hands at the bags he was laden with.

"... If this isn't enough for us, then we're lost causes."

The girls laughed, Mai stepping forward and taking one of the bags.

"Here; let me help. Favor for a favor, right?"

Hisao smiled, following the girls out. Mikaru and Hanako were following close behind, Hanako taking the lead, dragging him along with them. As the noise from the crowd of shoppers grew more quiet, Mikaru seemed to visibly inflate, until eventually he was happily walking along at Hanako's side. Eventually, they made it back to a street they recognized, and Mikaru took the bags from Hisao and Mai.

"Hey girls, thanks for that. I was losing my shit in there. Hey, why don't I treat you for dinner? I feel like half of us got off on the wrong foot, and the other half didn't get much of a dialogue going."

The girls looked between each other for a second, before nodding at him.

"- Cool. From here, the hotel isn't that far away. It's probably better if we drop these off anyhow. Have you ever seen the Embassy Suite?"


The five of them divvied out the food evenly, sitting down. Right before they started eating, however, Hisao shot up, walking over to his stuff.

"Damn, I almost forgot my medication. That would explain my panic attack, too..."

The two girls looked over at him, watching as he pulled out bottle after bottle of medication. After a minute, he had taken them all, and he sat back down, looking at the astonished girls with a mixture of embarrassment and acceptance.

"... that's what arrhythmia does to you. I take 17 pills daily, or else I run the risk of having a random heart attack and dying. I also have a pacemaker. The others are luckier than me, even though I look the most normal."

The girls frowned at him. Mikaru and Hanako said nothing, because they knew it was true. In the end, they could cope and even live mostly normal lives with their conditions, while Hisao was doomed to live as a prisoner to a pill.

"That sounds awful, Hisao. Surely there's something good going for you..."

Hisao smiled at the girls, speaking warmly.

"There's lots of good stuff going for me. I run almost everyday, and I have Mikaru, Hanako and my girlfriend, Lilly, as well as all my other friends. I live a pretty good life, up in Yamagata. Yamaku is a pretty great school, all things considered."

The girls looked between themselves before turning back to Hisao. Mai spoke, asking the three a question.

"Yamaku? Like, 'mountain ward'?"

Hisao chuckled, nodding.

"Yeah. I think it's supposed to be some sort of joke or something. It's a school facility that is located in the mountains, that was specifically designed to cater to people with disabilities. There are dorms as well, and one of the major selling points is the scenic view you get to look at while you're on your two – minute car ride to the hospital."

The girls chuckled at that, Mikaru and Hanako joining in.

"He's not kidding, though. There's this cute little town there, and there are a few shrines in the mountains, too. Not much crime at all, considering that the majority of the populace is over fifty. There's one bar, and almost every single teacher drinks at it, as a group. I sneaked in there on my first night, just to look around. It was fun, really. Quiet, too. Oh, Hisao, you didn't know this, but that's the real reason why Mr. Mutou hates me. I convinced him to try and pick up one of the nursing staff, and he failed miserably, puking on her shoe in the process. I wasn't around to help him back up, either, so he's been holding a grudge ever since."

Hisao and Hanako both laughed at that, Hanako actually rolling out of her chair with mirth.

"- He puked on her shoe? Dude, why haven't I ever heard of this until now?"

Mikaru chuckled, taking a bite of his food before he spoke.

"- Because, she fled. Like, bolted. Skipped town. He was crushed."

Hisao chuckled a bit, his laughter ending as Hanako got back into her chair, giggling a little.

"Mutou is a teacher, then?"

Mikaru looked over at the other girl, nodding.

"Yeah, he's our homeroom teacher. We see him for most of the day. Well, Hisao does. Me and Hanako work in the library."

"Really? Why's that?"

The rest of the evening went on like that, talking happily to the two girls before they eventually had to leave. After that, Hisao crashed on the couch and Mikaru and Hanako went into their room, closing and locking the door.

"So Hanako, one more day and then we're back in the mountains again."

She smiled at him, walking over to the window and looking through it.

"Yeah... I miss it, actually. The quiet, the calm... I miss Lilly, too..."

Mikaru walked up behind her, putting his stub on the window sill and using his arm and half of his body to shield her from behind, looking out as well. Cars were driving in the distance, illuminating the roadway with a faint yellow glow.

"Me too, Hanako. I miss my workouts the most out, though. I don't think I could make it in the city anymore."

Hanako spun quickly to him, putting her hands on his chest.

"I don't... want you, to lose your muscles..."

He grinned at her, wrapping his arms around her.

"You like them?"

She looked up at him, biting her lip a little before nodding at him. He grinned at her then, surprising her by picking her up and setting her against the windowsill, facing him. He pinned her body there, kissing her deeply.

"... You wanna help be keep in shape then, Hanako?"

She grinned at his suggestion, kissing him back. It was a long night for the both of them.


End of Chapter Twenty - Nine!

Next time! Chapter Thirty: Behind These Bars, Moving On!