Hyouka – The AfterStory

Project Collaboration by Commander Cody & Maria

EPISODE 15

Spring, A Year Later…

"Congratulations!" Eru cried with joy, as she eagerly embraced her friend tightly with her dainty arms.

"Arigatou," Mayaka said in turn.

"Satoshi had plans to visit New York again," said Mayaka. "We plan to make this visit our honeymoon."

"Honto ni?" asked Eru. "Maya-chan, I could feel jealous of you. Demo…"

"Ano…Eru-chan, you know, you could help me pick my wedding gown," Mayaka suggested. "You seem to have an eye for beauty."

"Of course I do!" Eru insisted. "But don't we all, Maya-chan?"

"Well, I suppose," Mayaka said rather thoughtfully. "You seem to have your unique sense of beauty when it comes to these matters. I tend to be a rather practical, myself. After all…well, you see, you persuaded Oreki-san to bring Satoshi and me together. So it is only fitting…"

Houtarou and Satoshi glanced at the ladies talked about affairs related to wedding plans, and then turned back to each other rolling their eyes.

"By the way, I'm also going to graduate," said Satoshi. "I had just attained my masters'."

"Oh," said Houtarou, surprised. "Congratulations, then."

"Arigatou ne," Satoshi said in turn with a nervous laugh as he scratched the back of his head.

"What about Ibara-san?" Houtarou inquired. "How's she doing as a manga artist?"

"Quite well, I might add," said Satoshi. "Mayaka is getting more and more acquainted with her occupation. She told me…well, she hopes she'll have more time to finish the work she wants to complete."

"Well, if she gets paid enough for it, perhaps she will be more motivated," said Houtarou.

"Anyway," said Satoshi. "I'm graduating in the next week. "Would you and your family like to come come?"

"I would like to," said Houtarou. "But I have a wife and child in tow; Aiko is still a year old, and I had been taking off several days from work last year…"

Satoshi hung his head. His friend's response was a polite way of saying "no". "Sou desu ne," he said; though deep down, he felt disappointed.

Houtarou looked around. There was Eru, completely engaged with Mayaka, speaking to each other with so many words he could hardly bother to keep track of whatever they talked about, jumping from one topic to another with the speed of a female newscaster. In the next moment, baby Aiko had gotten the attention of her mother, who immediately doted upon the infant. Eru picked up Aiko from her cradle and placed the baby on her lap, as a lively, animated Mayaka literally adored the little one, addressing the baby constantly as "Aiko-chan, and saying many things to little Aiko in baby-talk as Aiko just sat secured on her mother's lap, wide-eyed. As Houtarou saw the whole affair, he thought, one could almost forget that babies could look so cute.

His thoughts shifted back to the matter of Satoshi's graduation the moment when Satoshi said, "Houtarou, your thoughts have drifted again."

"Ah…gomen ne," Houtarou apologized.

"So do you plan to attend the graduation or not?" asked Satoshi.

"I suppose I could make the effort," he said, wanting to appease his friend without feeling so obligated to make such a big commitment to attend his friend's graduation.

"Houtarou," Satoshi chided his friend, his voice rising. "You're not falling back to your old habits of energy conservation, are you?" asked Satoshi.

"Not a lot," said Houtarou. "When Aiko came around, Eru exhorted me to pull myself away from my energy-saving tendencies."

"Makes sense," said Satoshi, who seemed to agree with his friend. "When the first child comes around…there are times when you must give up some of your old habits."

Satoshi put a finger under his chin. "Tell you what, Houtarou," he said. "I can pay for your traveling expenses."

Houtarou seemed to sense that his own presence would mean so much to his friend. Still, he felt guilty over having his friend take up the whole expense.

"Half and half," said Houtarou. "If you can at least cover half the expense…"

"I wouldn't mind," said Satoshi. As Satoshi was a close friend, Houtarou took the obligation to attend as some kind of duty.

"You won't have much to do during the ceremony except watch," said Satoshi with a wink and a smile and a pointing finger.

"Satoshi wants me to attend his masters' graduation at Keio University," said Houtarou. "Which means…I have to travel up north to Tokyo City."

"By all means," said Eru. She looked at Aiko. "To be honest, I wish I could come, too. But with Aiko-chan here…"

"That's what I pointed out to Satoshi," said Houtarou. To be honest, he felt a bit uneasy over the former members of Kamiyama High's Classics Club not being able to attend the graduation of one of their own

Eru nodded. "Aiko-chan is going to make a lot of noise," she said, feeling a little disheartened over being left out of the joyful occasion. After all, the four members of the Classics Club held together through the bonds of friendship.

"Daijoubou desu," Eru assured her concerned husband. "I'll be all right at home." She looked up at her husband. "You go to the graduation."

"Are you sure?" asked Houtarou, in a quizzical way.

"Hai," she said, before looking up at him. She laughed a little. "Houtarou-kun, you're not thinking that I'll be completely helpless at home, are you? Otousan and okaasan are here, you know."

"Huh? Well…"

Eru gave him a kiss. "I still need you, Houtarou-kun," she said. "But I'll be all right at home. Demo…if you can bring home pictures…"

"Do you have a digital camera?" asked Houtarou.

"Why, yes," answered Eru eagerly. "My father has one. It's quite expensive, and a bit advanced. It even has detachable lens."

"Show me a little how to operate the camera," Houtarou instructed his wife.

"You know…that might not be a bad idea," said Eru. "I'll go get it."

"Iie," said Houtarou, sensing his wife would have half the strength she had as she was doting baby Aiko. "Just tell me where your father's camera is."

Eru gave the matter some thought. It was tempting for her to just simply let her husband fetch the camera. But with Houtarou away at work during much of the day, Eru did not want him to get too emotionally distant with little Aiko.

"I'll do it," said Eru. "You, however, need more bonding time with Aiko-chan."

Houtarou heaved a sigh. "Fine," he huffed. There was little point in arguing with his wife, especially when she could be insistent. No, I suppose it is possible; but I won't argue with her. She's right; maybe I could get too emotionally distant from those under my care, he thought, as Eru gave a squirming baby Aiko to Houtarou.

"And Houtarou-kun, she's your baby daughter; she's not a household pet, you know." With that, Eru left the room as Houtarou, having seeing little point with standing around, decided to sit down. The baby squirmed and wiggled a bit as she uttered baby sounds, making Houtarou adjust his holding position until he settled on having Aiko sit on his lap as she uttered as many "aaaaahs" as she could.

He stroked her little head, and stroked her little arms, the little arms that moved more times than he could count. To him, as he held his baby daughter in his arms, his mind felt tempted to draw an analogy with a man holding and stroking an adorable fluffy cat that settled on his lap and purred to sleep. Perhaps to him, it almost felt that way; something so cute, after all, deserved much adoration and tender loving care.

Except he had to acknowledge within himself that it was not a cat in his arms, but his baby daughter. Cats could not talk, but little Aiko would learn to do so, and think and reason as a human being would.

For in his hands was a creature who would one day become capable of rational speech and thought, and, if reared properly, capable of practicing virtue. And if it came to daughters, little Aiko would be demanding his attention and protection; but if he became too distant from his daughter, she would take on a rebellious attitude against him.

She's not your household pet, you know; the words of his wife sunk into the recesses of his mind. It was often difficult to admit, but perhaps Eru could be just as perceptive as he was. What should be obvious, even to fathers and mothers of their first child, but for Houtarou, it would be too easy to forget; forget in the sense that it would be all too easy to see human children as pets to have around in the house, like cats, rather as people who needed be loved, to spend time with, to affirm, to raise them in the security and comfort of home life, more importantly around people who would love her; something that could not even be expected with pet animals.

Perhaps without realizing it, he seemed to admit to himself that Eru was the anchor in his life. It was often said that among the devoted, married men, more often than not, became more responsible for their lives than those who were single; at least they had the incentive to do so, as their wives would exhort them to better themselves, especially when children were involved.

His meditations became interrupted when a strong smell emerged from the baby. He held her up, and sniffed as he made a face. Oh, dear, he thought glumly.

Eru leaned over from the doorway, and having the urge to capture a memory with her husband and daughter in digital form, snapped a couple of shots. Hearing the shutter open and close was enough to get Houtarou's attention.

"Nande desu?" asked Houtarou.

"Oh, I just wanted to snap a couple of pictures," said Eru. "Well…how was your time with Aiko-chan?"

"It…it takes getting used to," said Houtarou. He felt that this was true. Hell, it almost felt like Eru was his household therapist.

"She smells," said Houtarou.

Eru laughed, more than she sighed, not so much at the baby's smelly diaper, but at the way that her husband interacted with the infant girl. "Aiko-chan needs changing," she said. "Anyway, I have the camera here. Now you can liven up a little the heart of Fukube-san," she finished, as she briefly told her husband the basics of operating that expensive camera, which also included, among other things, learning how to use the detachable lens.

Keio University, Tokyo City…

Saturday had come. During the graduation ceremony, Houtarou sat among the crowd of many people; those families and friends who had gathered in this place to celebrate with joy, both reserved and unreserved, over the next level of intellectual mastery that graduates had attained. Upon cue, a young lady got up from her seat, and taking a sheet of paper bearing the names of the esteemed eligible graduates, summoned each of these men and women in regalia by name and the University president, who with such calm and quiet disposition, handed the degrees to the students with both hands, and shook the hands of the graduates.

Houtarou made sure the lens were attached on the camera, and the camera made ready to snap pictures at a moment's notice. After a long time, he would have fallen asleep but for the bursts of applause that kept jolting his head erect. Then his friend's name was called.

"Fukube Satoshi," called the announcer.

Immediately Houtarou awoke. Satoshi ascended the steps of the stage. With both hands he accepted his graduate degree from the President, who bestowed this certificate upon the young man with both hands. The President exchanged words of congratulations with Satoshi as he shook the young man's hands, and Houtarou, with the obligation to capture fond memories of his longtime friend, with the expensive camera belonging to Eru's father, adjusted the lens until both president and graduate were in focus, and pressed the shutter button. He took one more just for good measure before Satoshi stepped down and the next graduate student, a young bespectacled woman, approached the president, awaiting long-deserved congratulations.

The ceremonies had concluded, and Satoshi approached his friend. "Yo, Houtarou!" he called out.

Houtarou turned around. "Well, congratulations, Satoshi," he said.

"Arigatou," Satoshi replied, his face beaming.

"I'm supposed to bring fond memories into the Chitanda household," said Houtarou. "Are you up to standing with your degree in your fine regalia?"

"Hai," said Satoshi eagerly. He adjusted himself before he stood at the wall. Without much word, Houtarou snapped about three photographs of his friend. "And you can send some copies to Ibara-san," said Houtarou.

"You must have thought of everything," said Satoshi.

"Ano…not really," Houtarou admitted. "Eru did. She suggested I bring the camera."

"Good thing," said Satoshi. "See, Houtarou? I told you that you wouldn't have much to do during the graduation."

Houtarou was beginning to think that old joke from his friend would get too old. "Hai," he simply agreed.

Prior to the Wedding Day…

"Tadaima," Houtarou said aloud.

"Oh…Houtarou-kun," Eru burst out. "Thank goodness! We have dinner almost ready. I was just helping okaasan. Please tell me you're not going anywhere else tonight, are you?"

"I'm not planning on it," said Houtarou. "What about you?"

"Hai," said Eru. "I'm going to help Maya-chan pick her wedding gown."

"Ibara-san?"

"Mm-hmm. Would you…I want you to watch Aiko -chan."

Baby Aiko was in her high chair, waving her little hands around. "It's not like she's going to go anywhere," Houtarou sought to presume.

"Don't presume anything," Eru admonished him right away. "Otousan and okaasan are around, but even you have to do your part, Houtarou-kun. What if they were away from the house?"

Houtarou heaved a sigh. "Daijoubou," he said. "I'm going do my work in the kitchen anyway, so Aiko will be in my sight."

"Demo…won't you need to use a computer?" asked Eru. "I have a laptop you can use. I'll get it out of otousan's office."

"Daijoubou," said Houtarou. "I only have papers to look through anyway. I may need to use a computer…perhaps in the next half-hour, though."

"Well, my laptop will be here, in case you need it," Eru offered.

"Arigatou," said Houtarou.

"Don't get too absorbed," said Eru. "I'm going to get dressed. I have to change out of this apron."

"Eru, I think I can see both of you ladies taking your sweet time to pick just one gown from the ship," said Houtarou.

Eru laughed. "Usually," she agreed. "Demo…Maya-chan is a bit practical. The thing is, though, she wants me to see which dress would be the most appealing."

Houtarou waited for a bit until Eru emerged back into the kitchen with a new, loose-flowing dress, and her laptop computer and its adapter in her right hand. She looked a little more dainty and elegant, now; and Houtarou figured, with much surprise, that after having her first child, Eru's figure was looking quite good.

"Here you are," said Eru. "Unfortunately…there's no other outlet away from Aiko to plug this laptop. If the battery runs out, take the laptop back to my room to charge it."

Eru heard no response of affirmation from her husband, who at this point was staring at her, completely stoned.

"What?" asked Eru, noticing Houtarou's dreamy stance.

"Your figure looks…quite lovely," said Houtarou. "And…you're quite lively. I'm so…overwhelmed."

Eru blushed over the compliment, and her eyes manifested much joy. "Arigatou ne," she said in a most jovial way." She gave a kiss to Houtarou on the cheek, and Houtarou did likewise in turn. Then Eru kissed baby Aiko.

"Oh," said Eru, about to add one more thing to Houtarou's to-do list. "If Aiko-chan gets hungry, give here this," she finished, handing him a small bottle of baby food. Houtarou looked at the bottle. "Vegetable mix", it said.

"Take care, everyone," said Eru.

Eru took her bicycle to Kamiyama City's small local bridal shop, where she met her friend.

"Konbanwa," Eru greeted her.

"Ah…Konbanwa," greeted Mayaka. "Thank goodness you made it in time. I feared the store would close too soon."

"Would it be better if we just came back again some time tomorrow?" asked Eru. She would have preferred more time to look around the store for the best wedding dress.

"Iie," said Mayaka, shaking her head. "I work at the manga studio from nine-hundred to eighteen-hundred. I was only fortunate to take off an hour early."

Eru heaved a rather disappointed sigh. "Sou desu ne," she said, resigning to what Mayaka told her about her circumstances. "Well…if they do close too soon, we can only make it work," Eru tried to assure her friend. "If we haven't decided anything…we'll just come back tomorrow."

The two ladies went inside. Opening the door triggered a bell.

"Ah…Konbanwa," the storekeeper said, now alerted at the young ladies' presence. An elderly woman was running the shop. "Ano…how long do you both plan to take?"

"Well…we were hoping for at least a couple of hours," said Eru.

"I wish so," said the storekeeper. "But…store policy, you see. I must close up shop when the hour is up…which will be about…eighteen-hundred hours. So…you have about…an hour to decide."

"Eh?" asked a stunned Mayaka, before she registered the storekeeper's dooming words. "Nande? That's about an hour!" she cried.

"I've got to close up in about an hour!" cried the storekeeper.

Eru tried to calm her friend. "Maya-chan," she said, taking Mayaka's hand. "We'll have to make the best of this time," she finished, before turning to the storekeeper. "All right, we'll stay for an hour."

Not only that, but the bridal shop would be fewer choices, due to new designs coming in the next day.

While little Aiko sat on her high seat, Houtarou reviewed research papers, making annotations as he saw fit.

Now, as Houtarou had anticipated, he needed a computer. He took Eru's computer and switched it on. Houtarou did not need to log onto the computer, for Eru never put a password on the computer. The computer made a complete boot, and Houtarou began accessing his files from his flash drive to make his final revisions.

After about fifteen minutes, Aiko started wailing. Figuring she was hungry, as Eru had suspected, Houtarou proceeded with feeding her the stuff that Eru gave him. After fetching a can opener from the kitchen drawer near the sink, he opened the small bottle. Then Houtarou took a small spoon, proceeding to feed the gel stuff to baby Aiko.

Houtarou, however, felt a bit inept with coaxing Aiko to open her mouth and take in the gel stuff; that being the case, he simply touched the tip of the spoon on the baby's little mouth, prompting her to open wide. Aiko took in some of the food of course, albeit with baby food on her face, making the whole endeavor of feeding Aiko such a messy business. But at least Aiko was cooperating with Houtarou.

Aiko had only finished about two-thirds of the bottle before she started closing her mouth again, resisting against Houtarou's persistent force-feeding. After what seemed to be an eternity trying to make Aiko finish her bottle, Houtarou figured that her little belly was now full. Soon, Aiko started crying, and after struggling to figure out what his baby daughter wanted, Houtarou began to suspect that little Aiko was crying for her mother. Houtarou knew it will be some time before his wife would get back home; but at the moment, Aiko's hunger as satisfied.

Meanwhile…

Eru wandered around the bridal aisles until she spotted a particular dress that made her eyes sparkle with momentous glee. "Kawaii!" she cried.

Mayaka turned to the direction of her friend. Eru held up the gown, as the word she uttered manifested new meaning.

"Maya-chan, what do you think?" Eru asked her friend with great excitement. "Isn't this dress so lovely?"

Mayaka studied the overall design of the bridal gown. The bridal gown was in the empire style, its ruffled skirt only modestly spread a little from the waist, yet trailed down in a stiff way. The sleeves of the gown extended to arm's length, and the neckline completely covered the bust.

"Well," said Mayaka, deep in thought, "I guess it will do."

"Hmm…" said Eru, studying her friend's pensive expression. "You don't seem too excited."

"Well, I was hoping for something with a little more…extravagance."

Eru heaved a despondent sigh. "Demo…Maya-chan…don't you want to try it on first? To see if it looks elegant on your figure?"

"I suppose I could, if we were pressed for time," said Mayaka.

"But we are pressed for time," Eru pointed out. But Mayaka was hardly listening to Eru, as her eyes spotted a bridal gown even more lavish than what she initially chose.

"Ah…Eru-chan, what about this one?" she cried, pointing to the gown. Eru's eyes train to Mayaka's direction of her finger, moments before Mayaka rushes to retrieve this special dress.

Eru began to feel quite elated over its beauty as Mayaka displayed the gown in front of her, to get a general idea of whether this gown will fit. Mayaka, in the meantime, felt the material of the bridal dress, the texture being soft to the touch. The skirt of the bridal dress was made of satin fabric, while the bodice of the gown was made of satin taffeta. The ruffled skirt, with three pleated layers, spread out far like a western ball-gown of the 19th century.

Even Mayaka had to admit she was totally enchanted by the design.

"I think it will fit perfectly!" Mayaka exclaimed elatedly. "This is such a timely find!"

Eru has some misgivings, though. The gown was strapless.

"The top might be a little…revealing, I think," she remarked, observing that the gown was indeed strapless.

"Daijoubou, daijoubou, Eru-chan," Mayaka tried to assure her skeptical friend, who was used to wearing modest dresses.

"Demo…it's just…I'm afraid your bust covering might slide off by accident," said a concerned Eru.

"To be honest, though, I have a modest bust size," said Mayaka, her cheeks flushing with color. "It's not as…well-endowed as yours."

"Oh, don't be so pessimistic, Maya-chan," said Eru. "Your bust size is just fine."

"But, really, Eru-chan, I really think this dress will look quite good on me," said Mayaka.

Eru heaved a sigh, reflecting her misgivings about the strapless bodice of the bridal gown. "Fine," she finished.

A bespectacled young woman, a sales associate in uniform of the store approached Eru and Mayaka. The associate was younger than they were. "You may wish to hurry," she said. "The store closes in thirty minutes."

"We haven't got much time," Mayaka protested.

"We do, if we hurry," cried Eru. "Come on, let's see if this gown fits!" She grabbed Mayaka's hand as she led her to the cashier's stand, where the young girl associate stood.

"I would like to try this gown," said Mayaka, in a very determined way. Eru could tell that Mayaka's eyes were blazing with determination.

"Very well, then," said the associate with a smile.

After what seemed to be ten minutes, Mayaka emerged from the changing room.

"Well, how was the gown?" asked Eru.

"It fits…a little," said Mayaka.

Eru put her finger under her chin. "I suppose we can have some adjustments made," she said, though because she was not present inside the changing room, she could only hope that Mayaka would remain hopeful of a solution offered by the bridal shop.

"We can certainly make the adjustments," the associate offered. "Now that you have made your selection of gowns, we can proceed to the measurements," she said, ushering Mayaka to a measurement stand, where she measured the young woman's her height and waist, and her modest bust.

"Can I also have some arm-length gloves, too?" asked Mayaka.

"Certainly," said the associate.

"You will want to come back tomorrow so we can make sure the gown fits perfectly on you," said the storekeeper.

"Hai," Mayaka acknowledged. "Arigatou gozaimasu."

Eru and Mayaka left the store. "The bridal store should have your dress ready," Eru told Mayaka. "I won't be able to accompany you to the store tomorrow, I'm afraid."

"Daijoubou…I suppose," said Mayaka. "Demo…thank you for your help. I just needed some…encouragement."

Eru made a small jovial chuckle. "Anything for a friend," she said. "I have to go home now. I have to check on Aiko-chan."

The women embraced each other before parting ways.

Houtarou had finished his work, and was in the middle of relaxing, doing nothing but watching little Aiko play with her spoon. Having nothing else to do, Houtarou simply stared at the infant in a bored manner.

His boredom came to a close when he heard the sound of the door unlocking.

"Tadaima!" It was Eru. She had come home.

"How's Aiko-chan?" Eru inquired when she stepped into the kitchen.

"Fine, I think. Well, she has been playing with her spoon. She did start crying, though, but she started calming down when I gave her a spoon…"

Baby Aiko was clamoring for her mother. Sensing this desire, Eru picked up Aiko from her high seat. Aiko felt calmed by her mother's presence.

The next day, Satoshi and Mayaka paid a visit to the Chitanda house.

"We're going to the Narita Airport," said Satoshi. "Right around Tokyo City. One of my colleagues at work told me about it, and I've traveled the city a bit. He sometimes traveled to America for affairs related to business, and he's familiar with this particular airport."

Satoshi and Mayaka had just begun some discussions about their honeymoon visit to New York.

"May I see the plane tickets?" asked Eru. "I'm just curious to see what they look like."

Satoshi showed both tickets to them. "We had already booked them three weeks in advance," said Mayaka. "After we had announced our engagement."

After reconciling, of course, thought Houtarou.

"What about your flight?" Chitanda Hiromi inquired as she set some tea for her visiting guests.

"Our soonest flight is at 1300 hours," Satoshi answered. "A Delta Airlines plane takes us from Narita to the John F. Kennedy Airport in the vicinity of New York City."

"Delta…Airlines?" asked Eru, curious about this particular airline company.

"Narita Airport is an international one," said Satoshi. "It caters to international travelers, so Mayaka and I are bound to see many airliners from different countries." He took a sip of his tea. "We'll have to get up a bit early, though. The commute from the Gifu Prefecture to Tokyo City may be pretty long. We're going to take a train going up north. From there, we take a bus to the airport."

"But why the afternoon?" Eru inquired further.

"Just to avoid the rush," and Satoshi. "We still intend to leave in the morning."

"It's going to be a long wait," said Mayaka.

"Bring some manga books," Satoshi advised Mayaka.

"Chotto matte…" Eru chimed in, addressing Satoshi in particular. "What destination airport is this plane going?"

"Oh…the John F. Kennedy Airport," Satoshi replied. "Named after the 35th President of the United States. It's a major international airport."

"Ano…will it be crowded?" asked Eru.

"Most likely," said Satoshi. "Mayaka and I plan to visit the Museum of Natural History in New York City. JFK Airport is the closest airport in Manhattan, so…in regard to transportation, we shouldn't have to travel that far. Although I anticipate the city would be quite..crowded. So…" he turned to Mayaka. "Even in that case…bring something to do. Or read."

"I will," Mayaka promised Satoshi.

As part of a favor to them for assisting in solving the infamous problem of sabotaged rice, the Chitanda family felt obliged to return their gratitude by supplying them with necessaries for the journey; one of the reasons why Satoshi and Mayaka visited the Chitanda house.

"Would you be able to bring these things with you?" asked Eru.

"Everything, except for the liquids," said Satoshi.

"Why is that?" asked Eru.

"New inspection procedures, I guess," Satoshi answered. "I anticipate airports in America are bound to get pretty uptight about who gets in. Just something a colleague of mine told me during a casual talk at break."

Satoshi mentions that they will take a bus to the airport.

Satoshi and Mayaka plan to travel in second-class seats to keep travel costs low. "You won't mind, will you?" he asked Mayaka.

Mayaka made a thoughtful face. "Well, you'll never know when we'll need the extra funds," she said.

"It may be a bit uncomfortable," said Houtarou.

"Hai," Satoshi agreed. "You see, the seats on the Boeing 747 are going to be cramped."

"You rode in one before?" asked Houtarou.

"Iie," said Satoshi. "I just looked at them in pictures. And I heard about people's travel experiences from friends and acquaintances at work. Some of them do occasional travel to America."

Houtarou had never rode on a plane, and would not, possibly for a long time in his life, much less ride in one that left beyond his country. Like Eru, he was beginning to feel that he, like her, was tied to the land.

Springtime…

Satoshi and Mayaka's wedding day, days later…

Satoshi and Mayaka had gotten married on a Saturday. Their wedding, at their choosing, went in the Western tradition; a stark contrast the profound and silent Shinto ceremony that Eru and Houtarou had. Houtarou had noticed that Satoshi had taken the trouble to rent a tuxedo for the occasion.

Houtarou served as Satoshi's best man; a feature mostly done for Western ceremonies. Eru was still in the capacity to serve as the Maid of Honor; the honor was at Mayaka's request; a favor returned to a friend who served as one of the miko in the Shinto ceremony; again, a feature mostly for Western ceremonies, too.

As Houtarou observed, this particular Western ceremony hardly had the aura, if hardly the grounding, of the spiritual, the way the Shinto ceremony had; still the ceremony retained its beauty, but it left him wondering whether any emphasis on the spiritual was of importance in the lives of these young newlyweds. Ironic, though, considering that Ibara-san served as a miko at Arekusu Shrine, thought Houtarou. Maybe she could have benefited from its use. Maybe Ibara-san is becoming a bit…Western?

For some reason, Houtarou hoped that the kami would bestow blessings on Satoshi and Mayaka, the way they did with him and Eru. He wondered, though, whether, in some way, Satoshi and Mayaka were initiating a subtle break from the time-honored traditions of their country. As if it was not enough that Japan became fascinated by, and adopted many things Western during the Meiji Restoration; now perhaps some people desired to celebrate one of Shinto's revered life cycles, the coming together of man and woman, in the traditions of the Western world.

The Chitanda family lend their porch for use for the wedding party. It was at Eru's insistence that her family house be used, as the porch, with all its garden beauty, was quite conducive for a celebration. Besides, she wanted everyone in her family to be involved in the celebration of her friend's marriage.

Satoshi had brought Mayaka to the banquet table, literally in his arms, and Mayaka, for one eternal moment, enjoyed being treated truly as a girl who melted in her lover's arms. Together, Satoshi and Mayaka, amid applause and cheers of encouragement, took the large knife and made the first slice.

The cake was ready. The wedding cake is three-tiered, with each tier wrapped in a fabric ribbon, and studded with a small bouquet of white roses. Per the custom of Westerners, together Satoshi and Mayaka cut their first slice, revealing the cake to have a chocolate inside.

Eru beheld her friend, Mayaka, finally married to the man she desired to spend the rest of her days. Even if this moment of joy would come to pass, she would always remember it in her mind. She would as well, since when the wedding would be hover, both Satoshi and Mayaka would leave Japan for a time to visit New York.

Mayaka felt overwhelmed with joy over catching sight of baby Aiko. Engrossed by the adorable bundle of joy, on impulse she played with the baby a little.

"You were right…Houtarou," Satoshi told his friend. "If it were not for your encouragement to marry Mayaka…I would have regretted it."

Houtarou made a wry face, which soon changed into a light smile. I'll take that as a compliment, he said to himself.

He and Satoshi embraced each other in a light manner, as Eru and Mayaka, in a deep, tight, way embraced each other, too.

Two days later, Satoshi and Mayaka left their apartment. They took a train traveling all the way to Tokyo City.

The bus made its arrival at the Narita Airport. The two stepped off the bus, making their way inside the main terminal, where, in spite of the steady but busy affairs of travelers, the place seemed hardly crowded, as the airport was large and complex. Even the terminals had a lot of wide-open space.

Satoshi and Mayaka showed their tickets, and a lady receptionist processed them. Even outside the prefecture, Japanese greeting customs remained standard, but also cheerfully friendly.

They waited for several minutes in the large passenger area, where chairs were meticulously lined up. Even the vast rows were only occupied by half. Satoshi had mentioned before that it was a long wait, so it was a good thing that Mayaka had something to read. Mayaka seemed eager to talk about the stories and characters of the manga that she read, and it seemed that Satoshi was receptive to the idea of inquiring more about them, if only to pass the time.

Their scheduled flight had come at last. Satoshi and Mayaka showed their tickets to a young woman in uniform. The newlyweds entered the boarding tunnel and into the Boeing aircraft. Satoshi made an inquiry to a stewardess, who directed him and his wife to their assigned seats. Then he and Mayaka took sat down, straightening out their clothes over the thick fabric layers.

"It's…it's a bit cramped," said Mayaka, seeing that she and Satoshi were pressed together too close for comfort.

"Hai," Satoshi agreed. "What did we expect for second class seats?"

"Well, I suppose it won't be that bad," said Mayaka, feeling a little disappointed over the discomfort she would have to go through, for the entire trip. Economy class seating in a Boeing passenger plane was a bit cramped; there was hardly any legroom to stretch. For Mayaka's sake, Satoshi let her sit at the end of the seating row, near the corridor of the fuselage, in case she needed a bathroom break. For Satoshi, it was one generous act for his wife.

A steward in uniform went over basic emergency procedures while a stewardess made visual demonstrations of the various apparatuses made available on the plain, such as the oxygen masks. Passengers could hear the captain on the radio making various announcements, many of which included important information on time of arrival at destination. For Satoshi and Mayaka, one important detail involved the plane's arrival at an airport in New York City.

The plane reached the main runway, gradually accelerating until it had reached terminal velocity, as Satoshi and Mayaka felt a huge force pinning them to their seats. Then the plane took off, bound for the United States.

As she had a hand in the preparations of the party, Eru felt spent from all that work.

Nevertheless, she desired greatly some family time with her husband and baby daughter.

"Houtarou-kun, shall we all take a walk?"

The eventide had fallen. Houtarou would have to get back to work tomorrow, and with that, his old routine. A part of him desired to relax more, but there was life…

"Hai," he answered.

Houtarou brought out the stroller, and Eru puts Aiko in the stroller. Then they left the house.

"I have some good news," said Houtarou. "My alma mater, Kobe University, has accepted my application."

"Does it mean…you're accepted now?" asked Eru hopefully.

"Hai," Houtarou confirmed. "Soon I will start my graduate studies at Kobe. I have…I have talked about this idea with my superintendent, Yamada-san."

"What did he say, then?" asked Eru.

"That he wishes me well in my endeavors," said Houtarou. "He has also extended my appreciation, and has made arrangements to account for my study schedule. I still have to stay at my job, so my graduate studies will be mostly part-time. Demo…there is a tradeoff. My working hours would be reduced by two at Kamiyama Library. And…I will have to use my evenings for study time.

Eru stared out into the vast expanse of farmland. While she felt relieved that Houtarou was taking the next step in his academic journey, she felt a bit down over the possibility of her husband not being home often as she preferred.

"Well…at least you're taking a step in the right direction," said Eru. She made a smile, but there seemed a trace of sadness. "You won't be home often, I suspect."

"That's true," said Houtarou.

How long would the program take?" asked Eru.

"Give it at least five to six years, since I'm also working," said Houtarou. "The coursework will involve a lot of research."

Eru made a nod of agreement over Houtarou's future situation. "I know," she says. "How often will you be at home?"

Houtarou scratched his head in uncertainty. "I'm not sure," he said. "Maybe if coursework does not get demanding later in the semester. At that point…I may have to stay late at the university library."

"Goodness, Houtarou-kun, you may end up getting sleep-deprived," said Eru, who felt frightened of the prospect of her husband feeling groggy for both work and study.

"I'll maintain a schedule," said Houtarou.

"You'd better," Eru admonished him. "Well…" she continued. "About your studies…" She turned to her husband. "You can do it, Houtarou-kun," she encouraged him. "Research has been your field when you worked at the local library."

Houtarou head a sigh. "I suppose…" he says. "Demo…the work is bound to be demanding."

"I'll handle the housework," said Eru. "You concentrate on your studies. "In the meantime, I will help Otousan manage the family farm. Otousan and okaasan, I think, would be quite happy to help take care of Aiko-chan. At least Aiko-chan will be greatly blessed to know grandfather and grandmother thoughout her childhood."

"Wow," says Houtarou. It was an expression of awe.

Eru smiles. "Demo…I just hope Aiko-chan won't become a handful in the household."

"If we raise her right, perhaps she will be a good girl," Houtarou surmises.

"Perhaps," Eru agrees. "Demo…I think Aiko-chan acts a little feisty. Maybe she could end up being a younger version of myself."

Houtarou laughed. "Really?" he asked in a skeptical way.

Together, Houtarou and Eru watch the fragile cherry blossoms, plucked by the wind, floating gently to the ground.

"Yokatta!" Eru uttered in marvel of this sight. The cherry blossoms presented a strong, colorful contrast to the entire background. Houtarou becomes reminded, in a visual way, of entering a rose-colored life.

"Now…we are complete," said Eru.

"Complete?" asked Houtarou, curious.

"You…me…Aiko…Satoshi…Maya-chan…"

"Ah…," said Houtarou.

Together, as the evening sun began to set, presenting a picturesque scenery of a beautiful glowing mixture of pink and orange, the three traversed the winding pavement crossing the vast expanse of farmland that included that of the Chitanda family.

END OF EPISODE

NOTES:

I derived the ideas for Mayaka's wedding gown from this picture on :
1279450#full

Also, this picture was the inspiration for the scene where Satoshi carries Mayaka to the reception table.

Narita International Airport - international airport in Tokyo, Japan.

John F. Kennedy Airport - major international airport in Queens, New York, USA.

Museum of Natural History - renowned museum of natural history in New York City, USA.

Vocabulary Translations from the Japanese Language:

Hai - Yes

Iie - No

Ano... - Umm... (Filler Word)

Honto ni? – Really?

Arigatou ne – Thank you (after an extension of congratulations to a person)

Kawaii! – Cute!

Yakatta! – Wonderful!