After bidding farewell to the group, I rush out of the room, down the hall, and towards the clubhouse exit. Stopping briefly by the entranceway just to grab my autumn coat and sneakers from one of the lockers. I tie up my shoes and slip into the long coat. With that done, I am off into the brisk night air and ready to search the nearby campus grounds for Sora.
Despite being presumably around midnight, the campus is not as deserted as one might expect. As I observe the street corner, students are littered around the area. The soccer clubhouse exists on a junction between some of the other clubhouses and the agricultural sciences department. It's a decently centralized location with each direction having something different to offer. To the west you have other clubs and most of the sports fields; to the east more academic buildings; to the south a variety of dormitories, shops, and restaurants; and to the north there are administrative buildings, and not far beyond that lies Shinobazu Pond. As I look around somewhat frantically I see small groups of students moving primarily in the direction of the dormitories. There is a chill in the air and most of these young adults are not dawdling as a result. They move with a quick stride, whilst clutching their jackets for warmth. They are likely heading home from a late night out. But Sora does not seem to be among the crowd as I step out onto the avenue.
Damnit Sora where did you go off too? It's only been a minute, she has to be around here somewhere! Worried that I might not be able to find her, I spot a group of younger male students passing by and I step out onto the road in front of them. "Have any of you seen a girl with short orange hair pass by here a minute ago?"
They nearly leap into the air and stare at me bug-eyed, mouths agape. I figure I must have scared them by jumping out in front of them suddenly. "What are you on about, guy...you almost gave me a heart attack?! One of them shouts belligerently into my face. "I don't know man, it's a bit late for looking for girls and parties doncha think?"
I can't help but sigh in response "Nevermind…" I quickly retort before breaking off from the group. They are clearly wasted and are not going to be of any help. Possibly too young to be drinking too from the looks of them, but that is hardly my chief concern at the moment.
Pacing on a grassy patch next to the intersection, I wonder where Sora might have gone off too. And honestly, I am fairly worried about her wandering the streets alone at night, especially with so many drunk people around on the holiday. I consider the fact that she may have returned to her dorm room, but a gut feeling is telling me that I should take a look around the area before checking her place. Why didn't you wait for me to come out of the clubhouse?
Speedily I yank my phone free from my jacket pocket. Checking to see if I have any missed texts or calls from Sora; frustratingly however, my phone has no new messages. I use my shortcut to dial Sora's cell number. It rings...and rings...and rings some more. After several seconds I reach her voicemail. "Hey Sora, it's Taichi. Please call me back." With that I jam my phone back into my pocket in frustration.
I'm struck with the nauseating impression that she may be trying to get away from me specifically. Sometimes Sora just needs space, I've learned that the hard way over the years. However, tonight frankly I am not comfortable leaving things as they are. I need to apologize to her if nothing else. But how can I do that if I have no idea where she went?
Come on, calm down... I can't do anything to help the situation without a clear-head. It has been about an hour since I last had a few cans of beer prior to the start of the film, but I can still very much feel the lingering effects from the variety of Sapporo and mixed drinks in my system. In an attempt to center myself, I inhale deeply so that frigid yet refreshing air fills my lungs. The temperature difference causes my entire body to shiver under my coat as I am clearly still adjusting to the change in Celsius. A slight cough follows as a result; but I pay it little mind and shift my focus back to Sora. Knowing her, if she is feeling upset at people or a social situation, she is probably going to find a quiet place to be by herself for a little while.
When we were younger, if Sora ever got really angry or upset with me, she would often either A. go for a walk to clear her head or B. stew in her bedroom; where neither I nor anyone else for that matter could reach her. I always hated making Sora sad or angry at me. Though at times it occurred as a genuine misunderstanding, often it was the result of something stupid I said or because I was not taking her feelings into consideration. Sometimes I just do not think before I speak and honestly, though I've never told her this, there isn't much in this world that upsets me easier than seeing her in a distressed state; especially if I am shown to be the culprit behind her hurt feelings. I've had more than a few sleepless nights over the years as a repercussion. And it has always been difficult for me to determine if she requires a helping hand or space. In showing up to apologize to her, sometimes I would get a hug, at other times an earful. How am I still struggling with this after almost twenty years by her side? Am I just a bad friend?
I give myself another mental slap in the face. Come on, I'm still quite buzzed and this line of thinking isn't helping anything. If Sora wanted to be alone she could go to her dorm. It's much warmer than hanging around outside. But if her flat-mates were back (and still conscious) from their respective night's out, she might walk straight into a line of questioning. She has already made it clear that she doesn't want to "ruin" anyone's holiday so she probably wants to calm down before going back. But where then?
After another cursory glance down the road, it occurs to me that powerful stadium lights are still on over the track and soccer fields, so bright in fact that the sky above the area is lit up with a blinding halo of light pollution. With the area illuminated it would be a quiet but hopefully safe place for a night time walk. A good a spot as any for me to start my search. Not wanting to wait for any more doubts to cloud my judgement, I take off down the road and toward the fields at a full sprint. Since I doubt that Sora is currently running top speed herself at present, I hope I can make up for lost time and catch up with her; if my hunch is correct anyway. Despite the bitter chill in the air and the lack of a warmup, my body naturally finds its rhythm as I rush down the university sidestreets. I can thank my almost two decades of soccer practice for the speed and endurance that allows me to keep pace with most anyone.
There are several blocks between me and my destination so I do my best to make haste as I rush down the lamplit walkways which weave their way between university buildings. At one point, my coordination likely impacted by the alcohol, I catch my foot on a curb and tumble to the group. Landing primarily on my right knee and forearm I manage to prevent any serious bodily injury to myself. The harsh impact with the concrete shakes my joints and I think may have scraped up my skin underneath my clothing; yet I do not hesitate for a moment to scramble to my feet, find my bearings, and continue on my journey. I run past several groups of students going about their night, many of which turn their heads as I dart past them. The closer I get to the fields however, the more sparse and empty the campus becomes. Not much reason for students to be hanging out here on a cold autumn night, I just hope that Sora had the same thought and came this way. As I approach the high-powered floodlights moments later it becomes a little hard to see, the light seems to bounce off of every surface and is then redirected right into my eyes; a blinding contrast to the mellow lamplit streets. As a result, I slow my pace to a tepid walk as I finish my approach to the athletics fields. Between the frigid air and all the alcohol I consumed, after running top speed for several blocks, and not to mention slamming into the sidewalk, I find myself gasping for breath; so I decide to give my lungs a moment to recuperate.
Looking at the fields on the other side of the road, I perceive no obvious signs that Sora has come this way. Everything is still as a strong breeze ripples through the seemingly empty sports complex. As it washes over the turf, the wind releases an echoy howl, loud enough to easily drown out Sora's footsteps if they are present. After heading this way it would be silly to leave without at least taking a closer look. Neither of the two fields in question are horribly far from the road, my vision of them however is obscured by the walls, stands, and bleachers. If I want to be certain, I will have to walk onto the grounds. I cross the empty street and move along the grass that lies between the sidewalk and the track.
My approach to the track first is more of a mental coin toss than a calculated move, I figure that I will rule them out one at a time. Before me now stands a tall barricade of metal bleachers singing in the wind. Another gust begins to rise, making me clutch my jacket. I hug the bleachers for some sparse protection as I make my way around them. After a moment I come face to face with the interior portion of the field, a large and colorful athletics track. I scan back and forth between the rubber foundations up to the top of the bleachers. It does not take me long to realize that the area is completely barren. I begin to doubt if I made the right call and wonder if I may be searching campus all night for her. I turn on the spot and break into a sprint to check the neighboring soccer stadium; which stands about a kilometer apart.
"Please be here Sora" I whisper to myself as I dash towards one of the open gateways. Rushing over a large grassy meadow, I eventually dart through the closest gate into the sizable stadium. It's rather dim in the concrete entrance tunnel and my footsteps echo with each slam onto the rocky material. As I reach the end of the corridor, I see stairs heading up to public seating and a small gate that blocks the way to the field. I feel I have no time to lose as I vault over the four foot metal gate, stumbling slightly on the landing. Catching myself on the nearby wall, I soon regain balance and walk out onto the soccer field; huffing slightly as I do. I look out onto the pitch only to realize that it's empty as well. "damnit!" I half shout, slamming my fist against the edge of the stadium. The impact stings, but nowhere near the pain of knowing that I fucked up once again.
I feel frustrated almost to the point of nausea, as I realize that I likely ran several kilometers in the wrong direction and I have no idea where my best friend is. However, when I suddenly hear voices speaking in hushed tones not far from me, I'm broken from my angered trance in an instant. My eyes snap upward towards the sound. And the sound is apparently originating from the audience seating. I cannot see anyone from where I stand, so I push off the sidewall and rush to the center of the field. When I reach midfield, I skid to a stop on the slick grass and look back up towards the stands. With the glaring luminescence filling the stadium it takes me no time at all to spot them. Three individuals huddled around a spot halfway down the railing. When I squint and look beyond them, I see her fiery orange hair glimmering in the light.
End of Part II