Sitting at a table in the kitchen, Hodaka wrote a short message to his parents and stood up. They were still sleeping. Slinging a backpack on the shoulder, he looked at the wall mirror near the bathroom. His dark eyes stared back in the mirror.
"It's okay. I'll change myself this summer. I can find something big in Tokyo." He talked to himself inwardly. He put on trainers and went out.
The spot beyond the grey clouds, a hint of sunrise was seen. He had hope. If he could reach to Tokyo, he might be able to find a job. Nobody would notice he was a sixteen year old runaway.
It was easier for him to use his bike to the harbor. But he was afraid of waking their parents by pulling the bike from the parking area. His mother could tell he was leaving by the sound, even while she was sleeping. If mother woke up, his father would wake and hit him hard. Wiping the sweat in his hand by the hem of his white T-shirt, he breathed in and out. He began walking to the harbor.
In his pocket, he got only twenty thousand yens he saved after his relatives gave him each new year in the past. He caliculated that most of money would vanish when he bought one way ticket to Tokyo. He needed to find a job there, but he was still optimistic. Once he could get out of the island, he would be able to find his place. He went up and down the slope to the harbor. When he saw a ship named Sarubia-Maru alongside the wharf, the sun was rising in the thick purple and white clouds. Feeling the grasses rustling in the wind, he predicted a storm would come soon. He wished the ship would carry him safely to Tokyo bay.