"Did I ever tell you why I didn't go back?"
Seta raised his head quickly in surprise and leveled it with that of his young apprentice, Keitarou Urashima. Seta had been contemplatively smoking a cigarette, and had not seen Keitarou fold up the lap top he had been working on. Across from Seta, his other assistant, Namo Nyamo, had looked up from the hardback novel she had been reading. They had just be relaxing in a café on the east coast of Maui, one island of Hawaii. Sitting around the table and unwinding after a hard day's work at the archeological site. Why now, almost nine months later, had Keitarou decided to bring up his fateful choice.
"Not clearly," replied Seta slowly and evenly, carefully measuring out his words. By now, Namo had set down the book and was staring intently at them. Trying her best to comprehend the little Japanese she knew.
"You remember what I'm talking about?" courteously, Keitarou had switched to English, which all three of them knew quite well. How Could Seta possibly forget.
About a year ago to the day, Keitarou had come to work on Parakeusu Island for Seta. He had never made his reasons for coming clear, Seta had always figured that the kid merely needed some time away from Tokyo. After three months of working, a letter had arrived for Keitarou. Seta watched Keitarou as he opened it, trying to determine his reaction. A wry smile had crossed his face as he handed the letter to Seta. It was a standardized letter sent out to inform Keitarou that he had been received into Tokyo University. Also attached was a personal note of congratulations from Hayaka, Keitarou's Aunt. Seta decided to politely not read the note. When Seta expressed his congratulations, Keitarou shook his head solemnly. He informed Seta that he would not be returning to Tokyo under any circumstances. Sensing that it was not the right time for Keitarou to divulge his reasons, he had put the issue out of his mind as the three of them planned their next trip to Hawaii. But why had Keitarou brought this up now?
"The reason that you left Hinata House, correct?"
Keitarou nodded his head, "Do you also remember that ring you found me holding?" Seta recalled this incident as well, remembering the little box he had found Keitarou crying over shortly after his arrival. Slowly, the pieces were beginning to come together.
"Yes, Yes I do."
"About a week before I left, I took Naru to an aquarium in Tokyo, you know, on a date."
Seta Nodded slowly, Namo was now watching Keitarou with a look of deep concern.
"At the museum, we, well, we met these two kids there that had become lost." Keitarou had tried to look at Seta, but now all he could do was focus intently upon his hands which were now folded on top of the laptop.
"Well, Naru talked to them, asked their names, cheered them up, that kind of thing. Well, it was at that exact moment, that I realized how much I truly loved her."
Seta watched him intently as a silent tear began to meander down his face.
"She was just... so, so beautiful, right then, at that moment, that I knew that I had to marry her. So I went out with the last of the money I had got from working for you, and I bought that ring." Tears were now flowing down his face profusely, and his voice began to shudder. He had taken off his glasses and laid them by his hands, so that nothing blocked the tears as they made tiny rivulets against his skin.
"I went up to her room one night, after I had thought everyone had gone to bed, intent on telling her my true feelings and well, proposing. I heard some voices inside, though, so I sat down to wait. I tried not to listen, out of politeness, but well, I kind of got sucked into it." He paused, taking a deep breath.
"I recognized it as Kitsune and Naru, talking about our date at the aquarium. Kitsune was teasing Naru about how she must be madly in love with me, and then, Naru kind of exploded. She got up and started shouting at Kitsune. Telling her how she was sick of everyone trying to say that there was something between us. She kept screaming how she hated me and how I was just a dirty perverted loser who had absolutely no chance at any college, let alone Tokyo University. She said she was sorry she ever met me, and if it was up to her, I would have been gone a long time ago." His voice was breaking and cracking rapidly now, and Namo had scooted her chair closer to him.
"So that's when I left, I couldn't take it any more, I couldn't take the house, I couldn't take the sight of it knowing what Naru really thought of me. I was so, "He had to stop as his voice started to shake with rage, "So angry at her for leading me on like that, pretending she liked me, that she thought I actually had a chance at Tokyo U. I was angry that despite that, I still couldn't stop loving her. I thought about killing myself, just jumping off the roof or something. I started to write a suicide note, except it was more like a love letter. I told Naru everything, knowing I would never see her again. I told her how sorry I was for interfering with her life. I told her how wonderful I thought she was. I told her how much I loved her. I told her never to try and find me. I remembered the offer you made to me about archeological work, and decided that was better than suicide. The paper was already wet with my tears, so that some of the ink had become blurred, but I signed it anyway and put it in an envelope with her name on it. I also put a PS on the envelope saying that no one but Naru should ever read it. After that, I called a cab and packed my stuff. As I walked down the stairs, I slipped the envelope under her doorway. It was raining that night, so maybe I just imagined it, but I could have sworn I saw everyone chasing after me down the stairs through the cab window. I guess I'll never really know..." His voice broke off into a sob. Namo, upon seeing his distress, had come around and embraced Keitarou in a warm hug as he subbed uncontrollably into his hands. She spoke soothing words of her native language as she stroked his back with one hand.
Utterly floored, Seta rose shakily from his seat, "I... I guess I'll go pay the bill."