When I love you the most
-Flashback-
On a rainy night, at the Shoyo Hall…
"It's a pity that Shoyo Hall will soon be torn down. We've grown up together with her. Together we lost, together we won. Now, let's relive the joys and sorrows of those days."
At the signal of the emcee, slides of pictures from the past were projected one after another on the white screen. Everyone started chattering excitedly amongst themselves, laughing and reminiscing.
"Hey, look. Recognize yourself? So young and strong," said Hisashi to Akira, who was sitting on Hisashi's right. Akira laughed when he saw his young face on the screen.
Haruko, who was sitting one seat away from Hisashi, also laughed, but every now and then, she would look around the hall, trying to see if her husband has come back from wherever he had gone to.
-
In an empty music room, on the first floor of Shoyo Hall…
Kaede stood by the window, watching as the people in the hall talked and laughed happily with one another.
"I think we'd better break up."
If Kaede was shocked to hear that, he didn't show it. Without looking behind, he said, "You've said it many times."
"This time I mean it."
"As you please, do'aho."
Hana's face was etched with guilt and pain, as she continued, "All the classmates are back. When I see them, I feel so guilty."
Finally, Kaede turned around to face her. "Then go home and be a good wife."
Hana looked up at him from where she sat, swallowing a bitter lump in her throat. Smirking, she said, "From the very beginning I wasn't a good wife. Nor a good lover."
She held Kaede's gaze for a moment before getting up from the piano seat. "I'm going." She had barely taken one step forward when Kaede spoke.
"From now on, you needn't call him furtively behind my back," he said, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"And you needn't find excuses yearly not to spend your birthday with me," said Hana, throwing the sarcasm back at him.
"And Valentine's Day…"
"Moon Cake Festival…"
"Christmas…"
"New year…" they both said at the same time.
Hana began to make her way to the door when Kaede spoke again.
"I hope you won't forget, each day that we were together, we were so happy, and I loved you very much."
Hana took a deep breath, willing herself not to give in or look at him. "Then I hope you'll remember, the days when we're apart, when you're not by my side, that's when I love you the most."
Holding her head up high, she walked towards the door, only to be pulled back and turned around. She found herself looking into Kaede's eyes, which were filled with grief and sorrow, and immediately felt her resolution of leaving him crumbling to the ground. When Kaede wrapped his arms around her, she responded by hugging him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder.
Oh God… please forgive me…
-
Later…
Akira looked at the people milling around him, trying to search for his wife who had gone missing throughout the whole dinner. Catching sight of Kaede standing on the stairway, he walked up to him and asked, "Hey, Kaede, have you seen Hana?"
"No I haven't," said Kaede.
"Ok then, thanks," said Akira, smiling at him before going up the stairs to continue searching for Hana.
At the same time, Haruko spotted her husband and went up to him. "Kaede, where have you been?"
"Just looking around," Kaede replied, giving her a small smile.
"Hey love. Why are you here?"
Hearing Akira's voice from upstairs, both Kaede and Haruko looked up to see Akira and Hana standing together on the second floor stairway.
"What are you doing here?" Akira asked, smiling at his wife.
Hana smiled back. "Nothing. I was just remembering that year, when you greenhorns were raiding our gong. You Shohokus grabbed our gong from right here."
"Really? Then who's the one who grabbed it that year?" asked Haruko, linking her arm with Kaede's.
"It's so long ago. I don't remember," said Kaede.
"Do you remember?" Akira asked Hana.
"N-no, I don't. I think it was Mitchy…"
Suddenly, Hisashi appeared from out of nowhere on the first floor stairway. "Of course not! It was Kaede who grabbed it from Hana. Don't think I've forgotten!"
There was an awkward silence, as both Haruko and Akira looked at Kaede and Hana respectively, with the latter duo keeping quiet and not looking at their spouses.
Hisashi realised too late that he had said something which he shouldn't have.
Haruko could see that her husband was getting uncomfortable. She pretended to adjust his tie, before smiling at him and said, "Let's go shall we?"
Kaede was only too glad to get away from the awkwardness.
Outside, it was still raining heavily.
-
In their home…
"What's to become of us, kitsune?" Hana asked, as she and Kaede slowly danced around the room, their arms around each other.
"Don't worry too much, do'aho. It's no use anyway," said Kaede. He tightened his hold on Hana, resting his chin on her shoulder. "When we were students, we thought we could control everything. Now we know that nothing's up to us."
"That's true," Hana agreed.
"But there's one thing I can be sure about," he went on, pulling back a little to look at Hana.
"What?"
"I'm sure we'll both get our pilot's license next week. So let's fly together then. Next Sunday's your birthday. Let's fix it on that day."
Hana smiled at him happily. "Good. We'll train up and fly out of Kanagawa together."
"Yeah, where do you want to go?"
"I want to fly to England, to look at the Thames from up above. Flying from bridge to bridge, all the way to Cam Bow…"
"Do'aho," Kaede murmured, before capturing Hana's lips with his own.
-
Sunday, at the airfield…
Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring!
"Ladies and gentlemen, another private pilot," Hana's instructor announced as she rang the bell hanging above the bar. Everybody in the lounge started clapping and cheering.
"Nyahahaha! Drinks are on me today! Cheers!" Hana shouted, laughing happily, and everybody stood up to toast her success.
A while later, Hana was outside the lounge, waiting eagerly for Kaede to appear. She had brought Shiori with her, thinking that the three of them should fly together on her birthday. As she waited, she watched the planes land and take off with excitement, fantasizing about her own take off and landing.
However, as the time passed by, her eagerness and excitement began to dwindle. Three hours had come and gone, but Kaede was nowhere to be seen.
He will come. He promised me. He will definitely come…
"Hana!"
Hana quickly turned towards the voice, only to be disappointed and sick to the stomach when she saw Hisashi running up to her. He was holding a beautifully-wrapped present in his right hand and a single stalk of rose in his left.
"Happy birthday, Hana! These are Kaede's presents for you," he said, a big smile on his handsome face.
"Where is he?" Hana asked, although she already knew the answer.
"He can't make it. He's got a sudden business meeting in Tok-"
"I know," Hana cut him off, smiling a little. "His wife's suddenly came back. But today's my birthday. And the first time I've learnt how to fly. And our first time to fly together." She stopped briefly, before continuing, "He promised me."
Knowing that there was nothing he could say to make her feel better, Hisashi kept quiet and listened to her.
Looking at Hisashi, she forced herself to smile and said, "Let's go then."
They walked down to the airfield, where Hana began the routine of checking the plane she was going to fly for any physical damage.
"Mitchy, does Kaede really love me?" she asked, as she walked around the plane, followed by Shiori and Hisashi.
"Yes, of course," came his confident reply.
"So does he love his wife too?"
"Er… Well, it's like this… he… er…" Hisashi tried to find the right words to say.
"You mean he does."
"Well, you can't say he doesn't you know. Put it another way, you can't say you don't love Akira, can you?" said Hisashi.
"How come a person can love 2 people at the same time?" she asked, leaning against the plane, looking at Hisashi for an answer.
When he didn't say anything, Hana sighed. "Even a clever one like you can't answer that."
"Hey Tensai, if I can answer how come a person can love 2 people at the same time, I would have gotten the Nobel Peace Prize before Nelson Mandela."
Hana laughed at his statement. "Good answer," she said, thumping him hard on the arm. "I've got my license today and can take passengers." She took out a cap from her coat pocket and put it on Hisashi's head. "Hop in."
Hisashi hesitated, looking around as if hoping that someone would come and rescue him from having to sit in the plane with Hana.
"Come on!" Hana called to him.
Hesitatingly, Hisashi climbed into the plane.
As the plane began to taxi down the runway…
"Are you scared?" Hana asked Hisashi, who was fidgeting in his seat, still holding Hana's presents from Kaede in his hands.
Hisashi was too nervous to speak, and Hana went on, "You're such a nice guy Mitchy, too bad I don't love you."
"Please stop talking and concentrate on flying. I'm really very scared," said Hisashi, trying not to stammer.
"Hey Mitchy. Please take care of Shiori for me. I'm going to a meeting in England tomorrow. After that I'll stay there and have a break into the New Year," said Hana.
"You'll be over there into 1997?" Hisashi asked.
"Yeah."
"You're leaving Kaede behind?"
There was a brief moment of silence, before Hana spoke. "Tell that kitsune I'm through with him. Tell him not to look for me. If we go on like this, I'll go crazy."
"Aren't you already crazy to begin with?" Hisashi muttered under his breath.
"What did you say Mitchy?"
"Nothing, nothing."
"Just tell him that it's over between us, and that I never want to see him again."
Filled with determination, she pulled at the steering wheel to bring the plane up, once again flying alone over the city of Kanagawa.
-End of flashback-
Early in the morning, along the streets of Kanagawa…
"I think my Mum wants to be buried with your Dad too," said Kiori, as she walked side by side with Kioshi on the almost deserted walkway. "This should be the best way."
"Yeah, I think you're right," said Kioshi.
"Let's get Uncle Hisashi to help. He knows many people."
"Oh yeah. I checked already. The biggest one is sixteen inches and shoots up two thousand feet and stays there for twenty seconds. Pretty cool, huh?" said Kioshi.
"Twenty seconds?"
"Yeah, that's long, right?"
Kiori smiled ruefully. "Well, my Mum's loved your Dad for over twenty years."
Reminded of his Dad, Kioshi felt sad again. "I miss Dad." He took out his phone and started dialling.
"Hey, it's just daybreak, who are you calling?" Kiori asked, curious.
Putting the phone to his ear, Kioshi answered, "I'm calling Dad."
"Kioshi…"
Kioshi passed the phone to Kiori. "Listen."
Kiori listened, and was greeted by Kaede's message on the answering machine at his and her mother's place.
"Moshi moshi. This is Kaede. I can't answer your call right now. Please leave your number and I'll call you back when I return."
Beep.
Tbc…