Chapter 19
After Sayumi carefully set her basketball back into its original box, the tight feeling in her chest disappeared. She could breathe easier. She took one more glance at the basketball sitting in its rightful place before closing the drawer.
5:05 A.M. Sayumi faced the bathroom mirror as she combed her hair straight, but left the golden brown curled ends. This was rare, but she pulled out a particular bag from her drawer that she only used on special occasions. She drew out a lipstick and traced her delicate lips with a light glossy layer of light pink. After checking once more in the mirror, the girl felt she was ready to head out.
Sayumi hurried down the stairs as she threw on her thin white jacket over her baby blue dress. She wore her favorite one-inch heel, the only one she felt confident enough to walk in, and began her journey.
...
"Welcome. Aren't you early today miss," the lady in the flower shop greeted.
"Ohayou gozaimasu!" Sayumi energetically returned. She was the first customer to arrive and walked in the minute the store opened at 5:30 a.m. She walked through the store and picked out the assortment of flowers with such confidence that it seemed as if she was here just yesterday. She paid and watched as the woman wrapped the flowers in a blue sheet of decorative paper. Before the flower lady handed the finished bouquet to Sayumi, she pulled out another sheet of decorative paper and wrapped a separate batch of the same flowers neatly into another beautiful bouquet. She handed the two bouquets to the dolled-up girl at the counter.
"I can't accept this. Please let me pay for it."
"I recognize you from before. You come every year on this day. Consider it a gift. Besides, it's a small bouquet. You can do whatever you want with it." The beautiful woman smiled at the girl who returned it with an equally warm smile.
"He will definitely love it." Sayumi waved and thanked the woman again before she ran to the station and got on the next train.
...
Sayumi easily found a seat on the empty train. It was early and the sun only just began to rise. Sayumi gazed at the waking sun from the window and then back at the fresh-scented flowers in her hands. When the train came to a stop, she watched the doors open, and the only other passenger got off. At the final few seconds before the doors closed, a young boy slipped in and took the nearest seat next to the exit which so happened to be right across from hers.
The curious girl couldn't help but glance at the teenager sitting across from her. He appeared around her age and was the only young folk besides her on the train. Her eyes breezed over the figure and caught a glimpse of him before she looked down at the floor. Occasionally, she would lift her eyes to spy on the quiet boy.
His spiky red hair reflected the morning sunlight that shot through the transparent window behind him. His sharp face highlighted his other notable features. He was undeniably attractive which made Sayumi blush each time she took a peek at the mysterious figure sitting across from her.
The train stopped a few times, but the two teenagers remained seated on the empty train. Silence filled the area between the two. Sayumi became increasingly nervous sitting where she was, especially when the boy across from her gave off a certain aura that made her slightly uncomfortable. When Sayumi finally summoned the guts to stare directly at the boy, she caught him looking straight at her. His heterochromatic eyes captured her attention right away. They were the most fascinating pair of eyes she had ever seen. The two youths awkwardly faced each other. Sayumi couldn't bear having such an intimidating person look at her and was about to change seats when she noticed that his eyes weren't focused on her, but her flowers.
His eyes were cast on the pink flowers on her lap. When Sayumi looked at the stranger one more time, he was still staring at the baby pink flowers as if he was in a trance.
When the train finally arrived at the stop Sayumi was to exit, the mysterious boy walked out as well. When she saw the back of the boy as he got off the train, she couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic.
"Wait," Sayumi called after the redhead whose pace she couldn't keep up with. He stopped to stare at the girl calling him and waited for her to speak. When Sayumi finally caught up, she raised the separate bundle of beautifully wrapped pink carnations.
"These. I want you to have them." There was no response from the stranger. It was to be expected since he probably didn't even know who she was aside from the girl on the same train.
"I got these from the flower lady who I bought this bouquet from. They're pink carnations. I think it suits you." Only after the words came out, did Sayumi feel embarrassed about what she said. She couldn't believe that she just boldly announced that the fragile pink flowers suited the stranger. To her surprise, the quiet boy took the small bouquet from her hands and accepted it.
"Thanks," the boy said in a low voice that somehow suited him. Sayumi watched as her acquaintance walked away with the pink flowers in his hand. She headed slowly in the same direction which led to the cemetery where her beloved brother was.
...
Sayumi bent down and gently laid down the flowers next to the familiar gravestone engraved with her brother's name. She gazed at the gray stone as if she was actually looking at her brother.
"Koukai-nii. Another year has passed. It's been three years already." Sayumi took a deep breath and continued. "What do you think? Do I look a little older and responsible now? I wore this especially for you. You're not going to catch me wearing a dress around anytime soon. So appreciate this while you can since I don't do it just for anyone." Sayumi spun around to show off her dress.
"Did you know? I'm playing basketball again. I can shoot from the three-point line 8/10 shots now. You've been watching right?" Tears began gathering in her eyes, but she wiped them away with the back of her hand. She was not going to cry in front of her big brother, whom she remembered as the happiest person in the world who smiled even during a thunderstorm.
"Let me tell you a story. I know you'll love it." Sayumi laid down a small cloth and sat down on it before beginning her story. "So I stumbled upon this quiet park one day ..."
...
"And that's how we all started to play together. They all play amazingly. Koukai-nii. I just know you would've got along with them very well if you met them. You, Kuroko and I would make an undefeatable team. I just know it." Sayumi giggled, but turned back serious.
"Koukai-nii. I'm very sorry about the basketball. It was my precious gift from you and I...and I... let it ..." Sayumi was getting irritated with herself for letting the tears get the better of her.
"But for some strange reason, I can't bring myself to blame anyone or get mad. In fact, thanks to this basketball, I was able to meet a lot of new people that I would've never dreamed to ever even meet much less be friends with," Sayumi said positively and looked at the gravestone that stood silently.
"You must be wondering why I'm still in Japan. I'm actually wondering myself, but I think I'm slowly finding the answer. Mother and father always tell me to go home, though. Oh. Don't blame them for not coming to visit either. I personally feel that they miss you so much that they still haven't come to admit that yet. So as for now, your Sayu will be here in their stead. I'll be back soon. Please continue to watch over me like I know you always have. Koukai-nii. Aishiteru."
Sayumi got up, picked up her belongings, and bowed before turning around to leave the quiet cemetery.
...
"I hope these are to your liking." The boy placed the pink carnations he received onto the gravestone of his late mother.
The redhead bowed sincerely. When he stood up to leave, he caught sight of the girl in the baby blue dress. He watched her silently as she carefully walked down the steep slope. His eyes wandered from her to the stone that was just visited and finally to the bouquet of flowers sitting on the floor.
Pink carnations...Same ones as the last two years.