Chapter Thirty: To Distant Lands

"Dr. Okazaki, my question is this: Why should I believe in something that cannot be proved scientifically?" The young man adjusted his glasses as he finished his question. He was hard to see due to the lighting, but I managed.

"That's a good question, and thank you for asking," I replied. "First of all, we need to establish our terms. When you say 'scientifically', to what are you referring?"

The student fidgeted for a moment, adjusting his glasses again. "I suppose that would mean anything that can be proven through the scientific method."

"Give me an example."

"Well…like gravity; it's been proven scientifically, right?"

"Correct," I confirmed with a sympathetic smile.

"…so I have no problem with the idea of gravity because it's been scientifically proven."

"Okay, I'll give you that," I conceded. "Though I would point out that anyone who had ever tried to fly unassisted has discovered it without utilizing the scientific method." I could hear a subdued chuckle from the audience.

"Sir-"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" I said with a hopefully-disarming smile. "I do understand your point. But let me ask you this: can you see gravity?"

"Well, no."

"Can you smell it?"

"Doctor, I don't-"

"Just humor me, please." I folded my hands on the table before me and fixed my gaze on him.

He shrugged. "No, obviously you can't smell it."

"Okay, then. Would I be correct in saying that gravity cannot be detected by any of our five senses? Would I be correct in saying that?"

The student nodded quickly. "Of course."

Good; he was ready. "So how do we know that gravity exists? Or, more precisely, how do scientists know that gravity exists?"

"That's…well…" He finally dropped his shoulders. "I don't know, sir."

I nodded as I regarded this representative of the future of Japan. "By the effect it has on other things."

I enjoyed watching the light of realization appear on the student's face. "Of course! We can't see gravity, but…okay!"

"Now with this," I continued, "we may have to accept that there may be things out there that we cannot perceive but exist in spite of that."

"Like God?"

He had me there. "I'm…not quite to that point in my particular journey," I admitted, feeling more than a little awkward. "Based on the evidence that I've witnessed, I do believe that there is some force beyond what we can currently detect, but I'm not ready to renounce Shintoism just yet." I gave a wink and a smile. "I only started studying theology but a year ago."

The young man nodded deferentially. "Thank you for your time, doctor."

"I do hope that I've helped," I offered. "Last question, please?"

"Yeah, doc…when did you get so smart as well as hot?"

A collective gasp rose from the audience.

"Excuse me?!" I squinted through the lighting. I knew that voice, but it had been years… "Kyou? Is that you?"

The figure appeared to finger-wave at me. "Hiya."

"Wow," Kyou said as she leaned forward in her chair to study me. "Doctor Okazaki…hard to believe."

I smiled self-consciously. "Looking back, I've surprised myself as well. It was, what, five years ago? Recycling shop and nothing but part of a high-school education?" I sobered as I recalled what it had taken me to get here. "I really owe Kotomi's parents a huge debt of gratitude. Were it not for their patents…"

I felt a gentle touch to my arm, and I looked over at my wife, who smiled softly at me. "I always believed that you could do it, Tomoya-kun."

"I know," I said, covering her hand with mine. "Your faith and their money…that's why I was able to earn those degrees."

"And your hard work," Kotomi added, leaning toward me.

"Gross," Kyou gagged. "You two are making me sick. I can't handle this much sugar."

"Anyway," I said, deliberately ignoring Kyou's jab, "I'm just grateful that I've been able to do all this. I've been able to help a lot of people, and it feels really good."

"Kinda like high school?" Kyou asked.

I nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, now that you mention it."

Kyou shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "How's…your son?"

"Raishin?" I glanced over at Kotomi before returning my gaze to Kyou. "He's doing fine. In fact, after I'm done here we'll be heading over to pick him up from Grandpa and Grandma Furukawa."

My old friend smiled at Kotomi. "Did they ever really adopt you?"

"Not legally," Kotomi replied.

"In spirit, though," I offered. "They had lost their daughter, Kotomi had lost her parents…" I spread my hands. "It ended up being a perfect fit."

"Tomoya-kun," Kotomi scolded, "I could never replace Nagisa-chan."

"I wasn't trying to say that," I replied. "I just mean that each of you filled a role for the other…filled a gap, if you will. You became their daughter."

"Wow," Kyou interrupted with admiration. "That's…pretty heavy, Tomoya."

"Pretty heavy for me, I assume?"

Kyou shook her head. "No, just…you're amazing. I guess I saw that in second-year." She smiled sadly. "I'm such a coward…"

"No," Kotomi gently corrected. "Tomoya-kun is just the wrong man for you."

"You think so?" Kyou said wistfully.

Kotomi nodded with a solemn expression. "There is a man better suited to you out there, I am certain of it."

"But the machine…" Kyou shook her head. "Never mind. No sense crying over spilled milk five years later."

"What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled.

Just then the door opened and an older man stuck his head inside. "Doctor Okazaki?"

"Yes?" Kotomi and I both answered reflexively. We then looked at each other and shared a laugh.

The man chuckled as well. "Of course. I mean, Doctor Okazaki Tomoya."

"Is the next class ready?" I asked. After receiving a nod from the gentleman I turned to my wife. "Well Kotomi-chan, time for me to try to put another class to sleep."

"I am certain that they will hang on you every word," she replied. "I know that I do."

"All right, break it up," Kyou interjected. "You can work on giving Raishin a brother or sister later."

I sent Kyou a dirty look as my wife blushed furiously. "Would you like to join me on-stage this time, Kotomi-chan?" I just wanted to keep her away from Kyou, who seemed to be in an overall plucky mood.

"Oh, I should not do that," she replied. "The last time I was up there…"

I remembered; the students who did not know that she was married mistook her for one of my colleagues and kept asking her out on dates instead of asking me questions. "Okay, I'll see you in an hour then," I finished, giving her a peck on the cheek. I then enjoyed the look of adoration on her face as I left for my lecture.

Five years…had it really been that long? Time really can fly, can't it?

"Well, here we are…"

Kotomi and I stood at the ocean shore, Raishin asleep in his mother's arms. We made it a point to come here once a year once finances allowed it. This particular stretch of beach had no small amount of significance to my wife.

"I'll take him," I said, reaching for our son.

She smiled wordlessly and handed him to me. Then she walked to the shoreline and knelt down. I knew that she was imagining the suitcase at the edge of the water and the journey it must have taken to get here. She was also probably imagining the route it took over land to get to her hands.

I gave her a few minutes, then moved to her side and squatted next to her. She looked over at me with a smile. "Feel better?" I asked.

She sighed in thought, and her smile faded a little. "I will never be completely better," she admitted. "But being here gives me comfort in that I have one more connection with them."

I mulled this over. "For what it's worth, I think they'd be very proud of you."

"Thank you, Tomoya-kun," she said, blushing, as she laid a hand on my cheek. "I think so, too. I think they would also approve of my choice of husband."

It was my turn to blush. "Heh, you think so?"

She nodded. "Mommy and Daddy were very fond of you. Mommy told me that a boy like you would be good for me."

I chuckled. "I'd have to argue with that. I was a rascal."

"Are you a rascal now?"

I stopped. Maybe I was a rascal back then, but…were her parents able to see something in me that no one else could? I saw Kotomi rise to her feet, and I followed suit.

"You are a good man, Tomoya-kun," she said warmly. "I am so happy that we met as children and again in high school."

I reached out with my free hand and took hers; as always it was soft and cool to the touch. "Me too." I glanced at the sunset. "Are you ready to head back?"

She nodded, albeit reluctantly. "I have done what I came here for."

And so we turned and headed back to our suite. The life of a traveling lecturer is a difficult one, both for the teacher and his family. But with a strong yet tender woman like Kotomi, the future had unlimited…potential.

Rough Draft complete