Epilogue

It didn't happen.

He had done everything in his human power to make it happen, but it proved fleeting. He had utterly devoted himself to taking care of Aoi during her final days. She departed with much happiness and joy, yet it had not been enough. He had completed high school with unexpectedly high marks, even while facing an increased work load. But that, too, fell short. After graduation, he had been promoted to manager, and started working full-time at the apartment. And in the meantime, he had not committed one (serious) violation of the Oribe family rule. His aunt and mother were appreciative, and even found ways to cut down on his work hours. But in the end, it remained just beyond his grasp. Why? Why was it that he could still hear Riko's cries from a hundred miles away? And Nanaka's cries from the grave?

It didn't make sense. He had even taken up the offer to play piano at Asami's church, for crying out loud. Just what else did he have to do? Redemption seemed almost like a dirty word now; something that would remain forever out of his reach. Why should he bother trying? Or keep going? Even as he made great headway, he was no closer to his destination than he was at the beginning; there was a large chasm that he simply could not cross…

Obviously, there was something else. By any logical standard, he should have been redeemed several times over, and be living a happy and satisfying life. And on the surface, there was no reason why he wouldn't. It seemed like every break had gone his way lately. The bond measure had passed with flying colors, and as a result, property value and rent both skyrocketed, and all the apartments were soon occupied. This allowed his aunt to promote him to full-time manager, and hire some much-needed part-time help. In fact, she had taken a job as a sales clerk at the bookstore, and left most of the administrative duties to him. And his mother moved back into town, and was able to find a good job very quickly – exactly as she had predicted.

Then again, Wakatsuki-san was the one who had benefitted the most. He net worth was now in the billions, and he became the most honored figure in town. He devoted much of his time to charity work and philanthropy. His wife, too, became a respected figure – and she would be admired for her sharp sense and intelligence, even more so than her beauty. Shouldn't they, too, have been redeemed? Why, then, was it that their nights were filled with nightmares? And that, only during nights when they were lucky enough to get any sleep at all?

There had to be something more fundamental.

But the answer would always remain just out of reach. For there were things he simply couldn't control. Couldn't do. One thing he could do was to continue what he was doing… work hard, follow the Oribe family rule, and continue playing piano for the church… and afterwards, avoid dozing off during the service, as a sign of respect…

Ah, that subject again. Redemption. So the church had their own answer to that question. And in a way, the priest confirmed what he already knew – it was something that was not humanly possible. No, it was only made possible by the grace of God. By accepting Christ as your Lord, the door would be opened –

While Sana wasn't quite ready to go that far, he had to admit it made heck of a lot more sense than any other idea he had ever heard. Maybe there would be a time and a place when he would take a step in that direction. But not now, and not yet. Although, it was becoming harder and harder to resist the members of the church, who all appreciated his playing, and urged him to join the church…

Including some familiar faces. Asami's and Hinako's parents were among them, and they would always vouch for him – despite his, well, "colorful" past. And today, they were joined by another familiar figure; though it had been a while, he would recognize the face in an instant –

An involuntary response.

"Shuri?"

Wait. Her hair color was different, and Shuri wouldn't be here. So the only other choice was –

"Hinako?"

"Sana-chan! It's been a while. How have you been?"

Ah, time to exercise politeness – in other words, lie.

"Things are going well at the apartment. I'm the manager now. How are you doing?"

"School is really tough. Did I tell you? I entered an escalator program for college. As long as I do well in the classes, they will guarantee me admission. I think there are twenty people in the program, and they said they will take about five to ten – so it's getting really competitive."

"I hope you do well."

"So far. I should finish in the top five unless something goes wrong. But it's a lot of work. Don't you remember Yuzuki-sensei?"

Ah, yes, still going strong at Sakuranomori High, as her infamy would live on – to the point that students were now plotting to set her up with some guy, in hopes that something would mellow her out. Alas, she would remain single as always, and remain dedicated to her work.

"Imagine having a dozen Yuzuki-senseis at the same time – and some of them are even worse. There was one math test where I got 70%! And they said that was the second highest in the class. And the homework! I always start early, but there are days where I still have to stay up half the night."

If she was asking for sympathy, she wasn't going to get it from him.

"Hinako-chan, do you still keep up with the stock market?"

"No, I gave that up a while ago." Not that Sana could blame her – her portfolio must have tanked, along with the rest of the market. At this rate, she might never live to see the day when the Nikkei Index hit 40,000 again.

"These days, I'm more into politics. What do you think of the new Prime Minister? Everyone says that he's going to be gone after this term. The entire opposition party is going after him and half of his own party is, too. His biggest problem is that he thinks the solution to everything is to spend more money – "

So it seemed that she hadn't changed much.

"It's nice to see you again. And cheer up, Sana-chan. Smile. Play some happy songs for us. Maybe – you should get a girlfriend?"

Now that was a sore topic. And if there was one thing he had learned – no matter how bad things were, they could always get worse. After all, he had managed to live through the experiences, unlike Nanaka's father.

"No, not now." And definitely not you. "I'll be fine. Good luck at school! I hope you get into the top five!"

And that, he hoped, would send her off on her way – at least for a while. He had to go back to the apartment; duty called, as always. And if he was lucky, and managed to finish by evening, maybe he could sneak some piano in –

Ah, the piano. He had started taking lessons ever since graduation, and for the first time, finally had the time to practice regularly. He had improved in leaps and bounds, and was playing a number of solo pieces. But only solo pieces. No real duets; accompanying the choir during church service didn't count. There were times when he wished he had someone to play with; hopefully this one would stick around for a little longer –

A reminder. The violin. Yes, Nanaka's uncle had given it to him; he had not wanted any part of it. And so, it would sit next to the piano – and the case would remain there, unopened. When would the time come? When someone would breathe life into the instrument once more? And allow him to relive those special moments – the Pachelbel's Kanon in the honors recital, and the duet at the festival?

He found himself playing the song from his farewell party – once half-finished, and now complete. Memories. Yes, he had many happy moments. Growing up with Aoi, and his close friendship with the twins. Nanaka, the violinist – and his first real girlfriend. Riko, his second girlfriend – who came along at a time when he needed her the most. Return to Sakuranomori, the renewal of his old friendships, and meeting Asami – the other violinist. Yet, one by one, they had disappeared. Every last one. Why? Why is it that everything that was good, invariably went bad, disappeared, or became destroyed?

And maybe that was the key. Maybe everything was destined to rot away. But redemption had to be something different, didn't it? A miracle. Something that lasted forever, and would always remain good, no matter what happened. Something beyond reach, beyond comprehension, beyond limits – but there, just the same. A treasure, of immeasurable value…

He would continue to search. Maybe he was destined to fail, and maybe it didn't exist. And maybe he had already removed himself from the running. But as long as the possibility was still there, he would go on. And one day, perhaps redemption would visit him, and he would wonder why he wasn't able to recognize it before.

End.