Chapter 19: Scarred
((A few years later, Sora's now in her second year of college))
One evening she was walking out her apartment door. She noticed someone in the next apartment moving in. He was struggling with boxes and slightly cursing under his breath. She walked over to him.
"Do you need any help?" The guy turned around. Strands of his bangs stood straight up in the air and his sky blue pony tail swayed when his face turned towards her. She looked at him speechless.
"Oh are you from next door?" he held pointed towards her place.
"Yeah."
"Well nice to meet you. I'm your new neighbor. My name is Taro, no da." She heard all the evidence she needed.
"Chi.Chichiri..?" He looked at her with confused eyes.
"You must mistake me for someone else no da." Sora picked up one of his boxes.
"Where can I put this for you?" He pointed over towards a large mirror that took up a whole wall in his apartment.
"Thanks for the help! It is so hard being on your own ya know?"
"Sure.anytime." Taro wiped away a bead of sweat running down his cheek.
"Hey, I never caught your name."
"Sora.Sora Kashiyo." Taro jolted for a moment.
"That.sounds so familiar. Have we met before?" she looked at him. 'Its you Chichiri.isn't it?'
"I...don't think so."
"Maybe in another life eh? Hahaha." Taro laughed. She felt as if he was mocking her.
"Maybe you are right. Maybe in another life." Taro sat down on one of his couches, which was in the middle of the first room. Sora walked out and dragged in a few more boxes. She then sat next to him.
"Um." Taro turned towards her with a smile.
"What?"
"Do you believe in reincarnation?" Taro looked at her sternly for a moment then spoke.
"Well I hope you don't think badly of me if I say this.but I do."
"Really?" Sora said with excitement.
"So you do too?"
"You bet I do!" Sora looked at her watch and it was getting late. She would be late for her classes if she didn't hurry.
"Ack! You know, I have to go. We should talk sometime." Sora felt her face rush with blood.
"Sure. We should go out for coffee." Sora turned around form the door.
"Sure, we should go sometime." Sora walked down the hall and then into the elevator. Thoughts ran through her head. 'That's Chichiri! I know it! Why didn't I run up to him and hold him for dear life.but he doesn't remember me.' She walked to the bus stop and boarded.
She could barely concentrate during her classes. She tapped her pencil furiously against her desk until it snapped. She fiddled with her hair. How could Chichiri be here? Would that mean he had died in the book world?
On her way home from her classes, she picked up an easel and some new brushes. She had found a love for painting since her years after she had left the book. She walked with a skip as she came near her apartment. She hopped into the elevator with a grin. As she walked down the hall she noticed that Taro was done bringing in boxes. His door was closed, and she could hear loud J-Pop playing from inside. She smiled at the door and walked away to her own apartment. She entered and dropped her keys into a little Chinese bowl on a table next to the door. She tossed off her coat and threw it onto a chair and she sat snugly into her soft, light green arm chair. She lay her head back and took a quick moment to rest her mind. She unbuttoned her shirt and let loose her hair from its braid. She cracked open one of her books from school and began to read it. She dozed off within minutes. It had been a mind boggling day.
Knock knock. Sora startled from her sleep. She heard the knocking at the door. She stummbled to her feet, still half-asleep and walked towards the door. She stubbed her toes a few times on the way there and let out rather vulgar curses. As she opened the door, she saw Taro.
"Hey Sora, I know its late but." the he noticed.Sora's shirt was completely open, revealing her bra. Sora quickly buttoned her shirt. Taro stood there in beat red silence for a moment.
".Um.well.I just thought you might wanna get some of that coffee." Sora felt her heart jump out of her chest.
"Oh my god yes!" Sora grabbed her coat and even forgot her keys. She walked next to Taro all the way to the Star Bucks 2 blocks away. This all felt so right to her. He held open the door for her at the shop and he paid for both their coffees. They sat at a table near the exit and relaxed to enjoy themselves.
"Where are you from?" Sora asked.
"Well I'm from Morioka but I have lived in Tokyo my whole life. You?"
"I was born in America. My mother moved here when I was 6."
"Oh.so you're a geijin hehe." Taro teased. Sora gave him a little punch in the arm. Taro smiled at her.
"You know Sora.would it be odd if I said something.a little personal?" Sora gave him a comforting smile.
"Sure. If you would let me tell you something a little personal?" Taro nodded.
"I feel.as if I have known before. I mean.this all feels right somehow." Sora smiled at him.
"You know.when you said that we may have met each other in a different life."
"You are thinking the same thing as I am thinking.are you not no da?" Sora felt her face get red.
"Do you.think we did meet in another life?" Taro questioned.
"Do you?" Sora gulped hard and took a long sip of her coffee. It was so hot but seemed to cool her tongue for what she was about to say.
"Chichiri.you were Chichiri." Taro froze for a moment. His lips moved without sound. He heard voices in his head. 'Oh Chi-chan! Stop teasing me!' 'You silly monk!' 'Where in fucking hell is my sake Chichiri?' His eyes looked about and his mind began to waver.
"Taro? Are you ok?" He began to whisper.
"Chi-chan.Sora." Sora saw some pain in his face.
"I am so very sorry.I should have never."
"No. It's ok." Taro heaved at her. Sora got up from the table.
"Maybe I should leave." Taro's hand jetted out towards hers.
"No don't go!" Sora looked at his slightly sad face.
"I won't."
((A few years later, Sora's now in her second year of college))
One evening she was walking out her apartment door. She noticed someone in the next apartment moving in. He was struggling with boxes and slightly cursing under his breath. She walked over to him.
"Do you need any help?" The guy turned around. Strands of his bangs stood straight up in the air and his sky blue pony tail swayed when his face turned towards her. She looked at him speechless.
"Oh are you from next door?" he held pointed towards her place.
"Yeah."
"Well nice to meet you. I'm your new neighbor. My name is Taro, no da." She heard all the evidence she needed.
"Chi.Chichiri..?" He looked at her with confused eyes.
"You must mistake me for someone else no da." Sora picked up one of his boxes.
"Where can I put this for you?" He pointed over towards a large mirror that took up a whole wall in his apartment.
"Thanks for the help! It is so hard being on your own ya know?"
"Sure.anytime." Taro wiped away a bead of sweat running down his cheek.
"Hey, I never caught your name."
"Sora.Sora Kashiyo." Taro jolted for a moment.
"That.sounds so familiar. Have we met before?" she looked at him. 'Its you Chichiri.isn't it?'
"I...don't think so."
"Maybe in another life eh? Hahaha." Taro laughed. She felt as if he was mocking her.
"Maybe you are right. Maybe in another life." Taro sat down on one of his couches, which was in the middle of the first room. Sora walked out and dragged in a few more boxes. She then sat next to him.
"Um." Taro turned towards her with a smile.
"What?"
"Do you believe in reincarnation?" Taro looked at her sternly for a moment then spoke.
"Well I hope you don't think badly of me if I say this.but I do."
"Really?" Sora said with excitement.
"So you do too?"
"You bet I do!" Sora looked at her watch and it was getting late. She would be late for her classes if she didn't hurry.
"Ack! You know, I have to go. We should talk sometime." Sora felt her face rush with blood.
"Sure. We should go out for coffee." Sora turned around form the door.
"Sure, we should go sometime." Sora walked down the hall and then into the elevator. Thoughts ran through her head. 'That's Chichiri! I know it! Why didn't I run up to him and hold him for dear life.but he doesn't remember me.' She walked to the bus stop and boarded.
She could barely concentrate during her classes. She tapped her pencil furiously against her desk until it snapped. She fiddled with her hair. How could Chichiri be here? Would that mean he had died in the book world?
On her way home from her classes, she picked up an easel and some new brushes. She had found a love for painting since her years after she had left the book. She walked with a skip as she came near her apartment. She hopped into the elevator with a grin. As she walked down the hall she noticed that Taro was done bringing in boxes. His door was closed, and she could hear loud J-Pop playing from inside. She smiled at the door and walked away to her own apartment. She entered and dropped her keys into a little Chinese bowl on a table next to the door. She tossed off her coat and threw it onto a chair and she sat snugly into her soft, light green arm chair. She lay her head back and took a quick moment to rest her mind. She unbuttoned her shirt and let loose her hair from its braid. She cracked open one of her books from school and began to read it. She dozed off within minutes. It had been a mind boggling day.
Knock knock. Sora startled from her sleep. She heard the knocking at the door. She stummbled to her feet, still half-asleep and walked towards the door. She stubbed her toes a few times on the way there and let out rather vulgar curses. As she opened the door, she saw Taro.
"Hey Sora, I know its late but." the he noticed.Sora's shirt was completely open, revealing her bra. Sora quickly buttoned her shirt. Taro stood there in beat red silence for a moment.
".Um.well.I just thought you might wanna get some of that coffee." Sora felt her heart jump out of her chest.
"Oh my god yes!" Sora grabbed her coat and even forgot her keys. She walked next to Taro all the way to the Star Bucks 2 blocks away. This all felt so right to her. He held open the door for her at the shop and he paid for both their coffees. They sat at a table near the exit and relaxed to enjoy themselves.
"Where are you from?" Sora asked.
"Well I'm from Morioka but I have lived in Tokyo my whole life. You?"
"I was born in America. My mother moved here when I was 6."
"Oh.so you're a geijin hehe." Taro teased. Sora gave him a little punch in the arm. Taro smiled at her.
"You know Sora.would it be odd if I said something.a little personal?" Sora gave him a comforting smile.
"Sure. If you would let me tell you something a little personal?" Taro nodded.
"I feel.as if I have known before. I mean.this all feels right somehow." Sora smiled at him.
"You know.when you said that we may have met each other in a different life."
"You are thinking the same thing as I am thinking.are you not no da?" Sora felt her face get red.
"Do you.think we did meet in another life?" Taro questioned.
"Do you?" Sora gulped hard and took a long sip of her coffee. It was so hot but seemed to cool her tongue for what she was about to say.
"Chichiri.you were Chichiri." Taro froze for a moment. His lips moved without sound. He heard voices in his head. 'Oh Chi-chan! Stop teasing me!' 'You silly monk!' 'Where in fucking hell is my sake Chichiri?' His eyes looked about and his mind began to waver.
"Taro? Are you ok?" He began to whisper.
"Chi-chan.Sora." Sora saw some pain in his face.
"I am so very sorry.I should have never."
"No. It's ok." Taro heaved at her. Sora got up from the table.
"Maybe I should leave." Taro's hand jetted out towards hers.
"No don't go!" Sora looked at his slightly sad face.
"I won't."