Chapter 3. Time passes
One year has passed since the plane accident and the Olympics. At that time, Mirai died. The last thing Tsubasa remembers about her beloved sister was her crying face. Since that time, the brightness and the light from Oswald family disappeared. Leon came back from Kaleido Stage, but it wasn't clear if he's making a pause or if he's gonna stop performing. Either way, it was clear that May needed him now the most, as well as Tsubasa.
It was breakfast time, the TV was turned on.
"Good morning Shizuka-san, what news do you bring us from the world of sports today?"
"Today is a special day. As I'm sure everyone knows, last year at this time, the brightest star of Japan's sports history died at a very young age. Mirai Oswald, the first person in Japan's history who brought the gold medal at ice-skating for her country died in a plane accident."
"Stop it." May said looking down at the table, Leon was already next to the TV so in the next second, it was turned off. "Thank you."
Her sister's death was a shock which turned everyone who knew her's life upside down. Especially Tsubasa's. She was the closest to her. The most painful thing was that she couldn't even go to her funeral since she herself was in coma a month after the accident. When she opened her eyes and May hugged her crying endlessly, Tsubasa was confused and dizzy, she had no idea what was going around her. And after he found out, she wished she would have died in her sister's place.
"I'm off mother, father." she didn't receive an answer from her mother, only her father waved to her from distance. Before she closed the door, Tsubasa heard her mother starting to cry again.
As she walked to high school, Tsubasa began again wondering the same thing. Why does she live? What for? She couldn't answer to that, but neither think of doing such a stupid thing as suicide. She couldn't do this now when her mother was in this state.
May was very distant towards Tsubasa and always treated her coldly, thought she never really wanted to do this. Tsubasa knew sometimes she blamed her for her sister's death, but she never cried in front of her parents, not even once.
"Tsubasa!" Tsubasa immediately recognized the voice and stopped.
Daichi came next to her and they both started walking towards their high school. "Good morning Daichi-kun." Tsubasa said trying to fake a smile.
He figured out she forced herself to smiled to he put his hat on her head. "Take this." he said and she surprised widened her eyes. "You don't have to force yourself to smile when you're with me."
She smiled sadly. "Thank you.."
Soon they reached their high school. They entered inside the courtyard and the usual morning began.
"She actually came to school again?"
"I just don't get that girl. If I was her, I'd kill myself."
"It was better if she died instead of Mirai-san."
When the two of them were about to enter inside the building, Tsubasa stopped unable to enter. She felt like she was about to burst in tears anytime.
"Come on." Daichi said and took her hand. They started running. The bell rang in the background, but they could care less about losing classes.
They arrived on a park's playground. Tsubasa sat on a bench and clenched her fists, she hardly tried not to cry.
"You can cry if you want, you'll feel better." Daichi said and Tsubasa started crying, his hat was covering her face. She was crying silently, but his heart was breaking apart with every tear she shed. Without her noticing, he embraced her, she felt warm.
"I-I'm fine now.." she said sniffing.
He smiled and released her from his embrace. "I'm glad."
"Thank you Daichi-kun."
He grinned trying to gave her his strength. "You don't have to thank me for something like this. SO! Let's have some fun today since we'll be in trouble for skipping school anyway."
Tsubasa thought for a bit, she really needed a break. The school didn't start a long time ago, but everything she heard until now was already too much.
"Let's go get some ice-cream." she said smiling back.
"The last one to get to the store pays for both." Daichi said as he ran as fast as he could.
"Hey, not fair!"
.
.
.
"Thanks for paying for me too, though I lost.." Tsubasa said smiling gratefully to Daichi.
He put a hand on her head and smiled. "No problem, take care." he said and left Tsubasa alone in front of her house. She turned around and put a smile on her face as she walked in the house.
"I'm home." she announced taking off her shoes.
"Oh, Tsubasa. Come to the kitchen." the black-haired girl heard her dad calling.
She followed his words and went to the kitchen where he and her mother were standing at the table looking at each other with a serious look on their faces. May, as always, had dark circles.
"Something happened?" she asked taking a sit.
May had no intention of speaking, but Leon was already decided he will be the one to tell their daughter the news.
"Me and your mother decided something very important for us and our future." Tsubasa looked at them a bit afraid. "We decided to move to America, close to Kaleido Stage." Those words were like a lullaby for Tsubasa's ears. She already understood her mother needed a new beginning in her life and she herself needed one. "What do you think about it?"
"It's.. perfect!" Tsubasa jumped from her seat with a smile on her face.
Both Leon and May looked at each other surprised. "Is it really ok with you? You won't be able to see your friends anymore.. I don't want t be the bad guy Tsubasa, but you have to know everything this means."
Tsubasa thought about school and since she didn't get along with anyone, she was more than happy to transfer schools but.. Daichi. When she realized moving aboard mean that she won't be able to see Daichi anymore, Tsubasa's chest began to hurt. But no matter what, she can't let this interfere with her mother's happiness.
"Yea dad, it's perfect."
The two of them smiled. Seeing her mother's smile, Tsubasa couldn't help but smile too. Though inside, she was about to scream.
Tsubasa went upstairs in her room and threw herself in her bed. She hugged the pillow she received from Daichi a few years ago as a present for her birthday tightly. Tsubasa couldn't imagine how he'll react, but no matter what, she can't cry.
XXX
'We'll be moving in two months.' her father's words were still in her head. At first, Tsubasa thought she has plenty of time, but time passed so fast that there was only a day before they moved. And she didn't tell Daichi. They spent almost every second together from the past two months. They often slept at each other's house, went to every place and did everything they always wanted.
"Daichi.." Tsubasa said as they stopped in the playground of a park. She was looking at the ground unable to face him, it was dark outside. "I have to tell you something."
His cheeks begun to paint in red. "I-I also have something to tell you.."
"Please listen to me first!" Tsubasa said too loud, clenching her fists. "I.. " Daichi's heart begun to skip faster and faster. "I'll move to America."
And his heart stopped. He couldn't understand what she meant. "Is this a joke..?" he asked looking at the ground now. She raised her head serious to see his face. "What kind of stupid joke is this?!" he yelled at her.
"I.." she couldn't say anything anymore, she was about to burst into tears. "I'm leaving tomorrow." was the only thing she could say, but this was only digging the knife deeper in the wound.
Daichi was usually a calm person, unless there was a problem about Tsubasa. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked agitated putting his hands on each of Tsubasa's shoulders, forcing her to face him. He looked desperate, sad. She looked at him scared. He suddenly let go of her and turned around. "Fine."
Tsubasa was more than surprised to hear this single word. She thought she didn't hear correctly, but his actions were also surprising. Though she was more like her father and had a calm temperament, she also had moments when she was just like May. "What?!" she asked angry. "Fine? That's all you have to say?!" she transformed her sadness into anger. He didn't answer. "Fine than!" she yelled and left, she was unable to say goodbye.
XXX
"Tsubasa, we have to leave." Leon called her daughter as he held the taxi's door open. She came down as told with her bag in her hand. She looked pale. "Are you alright?" he asked worried.
Tsubasa snapped out of it and realized she was about to leave Japan, probably, forever. She turned one last time and watched her room's window and sighed, then turned to her dad and smiled. "Yes."
She stepped in the taxi next to her mother. Surprisingly, her mother was smiling again. She was holding a photo of her and a purple-haired girl. The two girls looked about 16, May had a grumpy yet happy face while the other girl was hugging her tightly.
"Who's that mom?" Tsubasa asked, thinking it was a good opportunity to make a conversation with her mother. They haven't been talking lately, less than usual at least.
"That's Sora, a good friend of mine and the best rival I ever had at Kaleido Stage." she said with a smile full of feelings looking at the picture.
"Sora.. " she repeated looking at the photo. "She's still at Kaleido Stage mom?"
She giggled. "I can't imagine Sora being somewhere else." Leon also giggled hearing this.
"What do you mean? " Tsubasa asked, this name was actually familiar. Maybe her father mentioned her when he was telling her and her sister stories about Kaleido Stage.
"You'll see when you'll meet her."
Tsubasa smiled. She felt that if she's gonna meet her mother's old friend, she'll be able to get closer to her mother. Also, she understood better why Leon decided to move close to Kaleido Stage. May had friends there, friends who'll support her.
"Are you going to perform again, mom?" she asked excited. Seeing her mother perform was one of her dreams, hers and Mirai's..
May shook her head. "I can't perform anymore Tsubasa, I'm already 35."
Tsubasa felt disappointed, but her mother's words didn't convinced her. She knew how much her mother loved the scene and that she won't be able to resist.
She looked out the window as they approached to the airport more and more. Tsubasa wondered what kind of life is she going to have from now on..