Chapter 39
The walk from the cafeteria to the lodges through the gardens and past the springs seemed endless; Soujiro hunched as if the world were on his shoulders and Shizuka walking on nettle. I register Tsukasa in the corner of my line of vision with his furrowed brow and his back being rubbed by Shigeru as they walked in silence.
I see Shizuka's lip quivering and tears that I thought ran out seemed to be finding their way back down her cheek. I reach out for her hand just to be dismissed. At this moment in time I wondered how we got here, standing outside in the garden in winter staring at a door that we couldn't take another 15 steps towards.
Suddenly we see the door open, a distraught Rui steps out he too is in tears which I assume prevented him from seeing us as he looked up to the sky then the sea and runs his hands through his hair. I can feel the depth of his sigh all the way from here as he heaves. He walks in the direction away from the room and spots us.
Approaching in 15…14…13…12…11…10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1.
He stopped shoulder to shoulder with Soujiro and in a horse mumble said, "She chose you." More tears appear and he bites his lower lip and walks away with a final heave. It took probably 10 seconds for it to register to Shizuka as she began to sprint after Rui. I take a step in the same direction but my feet don't move, I hear in the back of my mind Soujiro running towards the room.
I see Shizuka hugging Rui's back clinging on for dear life. He says something inaudible to her and she just falls to the ground watching him walk away.
