Starless
Chapter 10
Miyako, age 18, laid down, her eyes covered by her left arm. "Hikari-san didn't feel like going shopping again."
Ken, age 17, sat down at a chair, finishing homework. "She's still devastated…"
"About?"
Ken paused, "about Daisuke-san missing."
Miyako gritted her teeth, "h-he was never like this. He would never… he would never…"
Ken wrote down something before turning his chair, "I know. I don't know where he is, but he wouldn't leave."
Miyako peeked with one eye, "I'm starting to doubt that. He's not here and Hikari's belly is getting bigger. Her baby is growing and he's not here."
Ken stopped writing, putting his pencil down. "Miyako-san, he's… going to return."
Miyako frowned, his lips quivered, "When? The baby is about to be…" she gasped when she felt Ken hold her. Her arm moved from her face as Ken rested his head on her shoulder, slouching to reach her.
"Ken-san…"
Ken rubbed his head slightly on her shoulder, "I know, I know. I know what's going on. I just can't give you a direct answer. Daisuke-san was my friend too… I'm as lost as you."
Miyako's tears formed in the corner of her eyes.
Ken hovered over Miyako, "what if… he never returns?"
Ken leaned over with his forehead to touch hers, "he will… I know he will. He is my best friend. My other half… the day he returns, I'll know."
"I'll definitely know…"
The cold winter wind blew. Both of them silently stood and looked right at each other. Not a word shared for a comment since both said the other's name.
"It's really you…" Ken said, taking a step back.
Daisuke's wide eyes slowly formed a smile, "it's you too, you have grown."
Ken was stunned at this reaction. Expecting fear and awkwardness from him, instead got Daisuke joyfully smiling.
Daisuke leaped forward and hugged Ken, making him gasp.
Even if Daisuke's hug was reserved, he did his best. "I missed you so much. My best friend."
Ken's hand braced to hug him back, but he recalled all the pain Miyako, his wife and her best friend, Hikari endured. Both his feelings clashed as he moved back, shocking Daisuke. The snow fell slower.
Daisuke blinked before taking a step back and becoming reserved. "S-Sorry…"
Ken fixed his coat, "no, you don't need to apologize." He looked down, "where have you been?"
Daisuke grabbed his arm, "I can't say."
Ken looked over, confused, "what do you mean you can't say?"
Daisuke smiled sadly, "it's just not something I can talk about, Ken-san."
Ken looked to the side for a bit, clenching his fist. "Y-You owe an answer!" He stomped forward once, making Daisuke flinch. "You've been gone for almost five years now and your answer is this? What the hell?"
Daisuke looked down, "I don't know how to explain it to you."
Ken frowned, but even then, he couldn't do what Miyako could. He couldn't punch Daisuke. He couldn't even want to.
Daisuke sadly winced, "I'll tell you one day, okay, I just… I just need time."
Ken looked away, he's my best friend… he still is… dammit… dammit!
Daisuke finally said, "I heard that you and Miyako-san are married now." Ken stopped shaking, "and you two are having a child, right? Congratulations!"
Ken slowly looked up at Daisuke who had a happy smile. "So you heard…"
Daisuke nodded before going for his pocket, "tada," he said smiling, showing a little piece of paper.
Ken's eyes widened when Daisuke showed him his own wedding note. The one for Daisuke's parents.
"My mom told me they couldn't make it…" Ken knew it was to avoid Miyuki seeing them. "But she gave me this, I didn't get to go, but I wish I had. You and Miyako probably looked amazing. I heard it was an American style wedding." And as Daisuke kept talking, Ken's shoulder became less tense.
"My mom told me Miyako wore the brightest and whitest dress," Daisuke put the invitation away, "bet she was super happy too. I bet you were too, marrying the girl you loved for so long."
Daisuke stopped when realizing Ken wasn't responding. "Uh, sorry, I…"
Ken then chuckled, changing the feeling in the air. "Yeah, but she actually wanted to elope. When her family found out, they said they would do a ceremony and pay for it themselves. It was originally going to be a Japanese style wedding, but that changed when Mimi made a white American wedding dress… from there things progressed. Next thing you know, I was wearing a suit waiting for her to walk down the aisle." Once Ken stopped gushing, he noticed how happy Daisuke looked.
"I'm glad."
Ken finally felt comfortable, "I wish you were there."
Daisuke scratched the back of his head, "I guess I would have been the best man, huh?"
Ken shrugged, "no one else would fit the part."
Daisuke and Ken both walked side by side, "tell me, who was the best man?"
"Believe it or not, Takeru-san was. We became close when you weren't around. I asked Iori-san though, but he…"
Iori and Hina were watching in a distance, "wow, that was fast," Hina whispered, "you got the two to meet."
Iori raised a brow, "I didn't… I guess they found each other." Iori turned to the alley, taking out his phone, seeing a certain message.
"What now? We reunited the best friends…"
Iori showed a message, "Takeru-san is back."
Daisuke and Ken shared a laugh, "you mean everyone got drunk."
Ken nodded off, "it was an american style wedding. Miyako's sibling thought to bring as much American alcohol as humanly possible. So much american whiskey… I have videos on some of the things."
Daisuke snickered, "maybe I'll watch it in a while. I'm worried though, our friends being drunk is always wild."
Ken smiled, "your sister was the worst of the girls."
Daisuke almost burst in laughter, "I bet."
Ken and Daisuke both stopped as Ken tried to contain his laughter, "she became so drunk that we had a formal complaint by your parents who weren't there."
"Are you serious?" Daisuke laughed.
Ken nodded while wiping away happy tears, "she did not stop sending them video messages. Like a thousand, each two seconds long cause she couldn't handle a phone."
"What happened to Yamato-san, her husband?"
Ken shrugged, "at that point his wild drunk state stopped and he was passed out…" he stopped upon realizing, "oh you know that they are married?"
Daisuke nodded while calming his laughter, "yeah, Jun-san and I reunited. She mentioned you and Miyako-san."
Ken raised a brow, "uh, who else knows you are here? I mean who have you met?"
Daisuke recalled, "Yamato-san, Koushiro-san, Karen-san, Jyou-san, Erina-san, Mimi-san, Makino-san, Iori-san, and Hina-san…"
Ken was astonished, "all of them?"
Daisuke nodded, "it's weird, I always get that question. 'How many people know you are here?'"
Ken thought about something. "Daisuke-san, question…"
Daisuke turned, "hm?"
Ken didn't say something, his conscience wasn't letting him. He stuttered, "who do you want to meet?"
Daisuke snickered, "that one is definitely asked second most… Taichi-san right now. I want to see how he is doing. Maybe Miyako-san too, I would love to see how she is."
Ken then realized Hikari-san… isn't on his mind. He doesn't know he got her pregnant. Connecting the words he said how people have been asking him similar things. He put two and two together, they were trying to see if he knew or wanted to see her. Daisuke-san, making it difficult. If Miyako-san finds out about you… especially the fact you don't even know you knocked Hikari-san up… she'll kill you. He smiled nervously, and me too.
Ken chuckled Taichi-san would also try to kill you, man. Ken then said, "how about we go get a bite to eat?"
Daisuke flinched, "I don't have money."
"I can pay for it, it won't be such a bother."
Daisuke looked down, "I don't want you to waste money on me."
Ken pat Daisuke's shoulder, making him flinch. "Like I said, it's on me. It won't be a bother."
Daisuke almost winced, "right."
Both continued to walk down the sidewalk, "believe it or not, I reunited with two people today. I just saw Iori-san."
Ken raised a brow, "really?"
"Crazy right, and yesterday I met Mimi-san and Jyou-san. I think I'll be able to meet everyone again in a week if this keeps up. Takeru-san, Taichi-san, Hikari-san, Miyako-san, Sora-san… they are the ones I have yet to see.
Ken wondered, if I was Iori-san or Koushiro-san… the next one I would tell about Daisuke is...
Sora's eyes widened.
Mimi stood in the middle of the slightly empty mall, "yes, Daisuke-san is back."
Sora took a moment to process. Finally fixing her composure and her long skirt. "Mimi-san, what you're telling me is dangerous. This isn't something worth playing around about."
Mimi shook her head, "it's not a joke, I saw him myself…"
Sora crossed her arms, looking to the side and sighed. "No… no way… he was gone for almost five years. He just… he just can't…"
Mimi looked down, "I wouldn't lie to you about this."
Sora took a deep breath, "yesterday, right? That's when you saw him?"
Mimi nodded.
Sora simply glared, "okay… what do you want me to do with this information? I'm obviously going to tell my husband and everyone else."
Mimi looked serious, "that's what I want." Sora froze from this response as Mimi continued. "I met Daisuke-san. I got to talk to him again. But I realized something… I was set up that way. Everyone else who knows about Daisuke-san knows this. That I would easily be his friend. But they also knew I would make the right decision instead of an emotional one. So that's why I am telling you, Sora-san. I want you to tell others however you wish."
Sora blinked, "you're telling me first to not influence me."
Mimi nodded, "you know Hikari-san a lot, but even I know that Hikari-san has closer people in her life. Taichi-san, Takeru-san, and Miyako-san. And you're connected to two of the three people closest to her."
Sora clenched her fist on the table, "and if I tell them and they go after him."
Mimi looked to the side, "so be it, right?"
Sora shook her head, "you got along with Daisuke-san and you're not worried Taichi-san could hurt him?"
Mimi looked at Sora, "I'm giving him a second chance. I'm not gonna force anyone else to."
Sora got up and grabbed her bag, "This is complicated for me… I-I want to meet him."
Mimi got up too, "and if you give him a second chance? And then Taichi-san doesn't?" She grabbed her bag, "Sora-san, the others might have trusted me more, but you're kinder than me. If you give him a second chance. You'll want the others to give him a second chance."
Sora replied, "then why didn't you tell them? Why tell me first?"
"Because who would you have trusted to tell Hikari-san?" Sora's eyes widened and she froze. She put her head down as Mimi turned around. "I care about Hikari-san too much. I couldn't be the one to tell her because it wouldn't be right. I gave him a second chance, how could I ever face her on this?"
Mimi waved, "it was good seeing you, I'll text you later."
Sora watched as Mimi walked off. Once she took a turn to the mall's exit, Sora took out her phone. She was getting ready to call Taichi, but she stopped. She imagined Hikari's anguish when she was pregnant. The work she put in to make sure she could support her daughter.
Sora put her phone away, "I need to think what I'll say, but I will surely tell Taichi-san…" she muttered
Iori and Hina were both riding a taxi heading to the airport.
"I will tell Takeru-san," Iori told Hina.
Ken waved at Daisuke who was heading home. Ken began to signal for a taxi. Taking a deep breath, "I will tell Miyako-san…" he looked up at the sky.
"So they can tell Hikari-san about Daisuke-san…" Sora, Iori, and Ken finished.
Hikari sat down by a bench. Comfy as she could be a cold afternoon. Looking up at the cloudy sky. Seeing the snow fall. The breeze actually eased her, she looked to the side to see the bus arriving. She was going to pick Miyuki up from school.
She stood up and noticed something fell from her pocket. She picked it up and turned it to see a photo of Daisuke and her. It was when they were in elementary school. Right before they went to Junior High. Hikari put both her hands on the photo, ready to rip it. But a gust of wind made her freeze up as the bus arrived in front of her. She flinched and put the photo in her pocket again.
She walked into the bus. Paid for her ticket and sat down liked usual. Taking a deep breath, she looked to the side. Seeing her reflection first, her eyes widened.
She almost got up.
The bus began to drive.
Hikari was shocked when she saw walking on the side walk was...
"Daisuke..."
He looked at the bus and saw her. She flinched when his eyes widened with shock too. Both their eyes met, for the first time. And the bus pulled their gazes apart.