Time After Time
"Time after time
The miracle of meeting you
In a city where the wind whispered through
We walked a path through the hills hand in hand
And made an unforgettable promise."
"Let's come back here next year, you promise?" a young girl asked her new friend.
"I promise! We'll meet again next year under this cherry blossom tree!!!" the boy said and they left each other.
Rachel ran through the streets of Kyoto, back to her home. She could feel the warm breeze of spring pushing her on. She could hear the rustle of cherry blossoms that reminded her strongly of that boy. He sounded like the wind, sweet and gentle. She met him during a picnic at a cherry blossom-viewing site. They had a lot of fun, played games like hide-and-seek. They talked a lot of their home and found a lot of interesting facts about each other's family and traditions. The boy even taught her how to sing the streets rhyme that almost all of the children in Kyoto knew. It taught her how to remember the streets of Kyoto well. The only thing she regretted was that she forgot to ask his name before they parted.
"It's a pity we met on the last day of my holiday. But we'll meet again next year. I'll ask his name then. We'll meet again. I'm sure of that!!!" Rachel thought excitedly.
"Time after time
Alone in the city of whirling blossoms
Can't return to when things were fine
In this very same place, just like on that day
I waited for you."
"You've been waiting for that guy for like ten years! When are you ever going to give up?" Rachel's exasperated female friend said, "It's just a promise two lonely kids made! Why are you so insistent in believing such childish stuff?"
"It's not childish at all! You're just jealous since you've broken up with your boyfriend!" Rachel argued.
"I dumped him, okay? He's too weak for me! He says he's got heart problems. You don't expect such an active person like me to take care a sick person, do you? Get serious, Rachel."
"You are so heartless. Anyway, I am serious! I've been thinking about that boy for ten years, waiting for him for ten years. Isn't this serious enough?"
"I'm not doubting you. I just don't believe that boy! I mean how many ten-year-old boys would remember a little mushy promise? Trust me. They only mature around 30."
"I don't care! I just know that he will come!!!"
"You're hopeless," her friend said, but still stayed by her side.
"Everyone says that they're lonely
That they have to keep searching
For someone
But all they end up chasing after
Are the fleeting and fragile."
They both waited and waited until night came.
"It's going to be the same as last year and the year before and the year before that and..." her friend started to nag.
"Shhh... Someone's coming," Rachel interrupted.
The both of them watched anxiously as the saw the shadow grow. Finally, running past under lamppost, they saw a teenager approaching them. He was round and was obvious that he was tired from the entire running.
"That is your dream guy? Incredible how time changes people..." her friend whispered to her as they watched the boy catch his breath.
"I presume you are waiting for a boy that you met ten years ago?" the boy said.
"Yes. How did you know? And who are you?" Rachel asked.
The boy handed her a worn down diary and started to explain.
"I'm his younger brother. I just started to read his diary recently and found out about you an hour ago. My brother's personality would definitely not allow him to break a promise, so I came,"
"What happened to your brother? Why didn't he come to see me personality?"
"He can't. You see he died ten years ago, the night after he met you. He was supposed to have a heart operation that night which failed because of the blackout in the whole town. You know how rural it is here, so we can't send him to another hospital as it was too far away and the hospital didn't have any other source for electricity."
"Did he say anything before he died?" Rachel asked with a strangled voice.
"He said if he had time and the chance he would definitely visit the city. I thought it was weird since he quite liked here, but now I know that he probably said that because he wanted to look for you," the boy said sadly.
"I can hear your voice in the wind
The thin ice freezes back over
Long ago memories
Not knowing to be afraid of hurt, I swore
That someday, we'd meet again."
"Dear diary, today, I met a very cute girl of my age. She came from the city and was visiting her relatives. I brought her up the hills to have the best view of the cherry blossom and I taught her how to sing the streets rhyme. We promised to meet each other again under that big cherry blossom tree next year before we parted. I hope tonight's operation is a success so that I can see her again and fulfill my promise."
"Time after time
If I could have met you in the city of changing hues
I wouldn't need any more promises
I want to be with you--this time, forever."
"He could have been saved if there were better facilities. We would have been able to meet each other again," Rachel sighed.
"It's inevitable. Look at how rural that place is. If only you two met in the city," her friend said sadly too, "But, you'll definitely remember him, right?"
"I guess so... Though not much of his face, but I can remember his voice, no matter when or where."