tokyo story 5
Time flew past. The new year crept up silently, waiting behind, waiting for its turn.
---
“Tokyo has changed a lot.”
“When was the last time you were here?” Kazumi asked.
“Before you were born,” her father smiled.
“That is 19 years ago.”
“More than that. Anyway you are 20 this year.”
“Not yet.”
“A matter of time.”
“Not yet.”
They both laughed. She was happy to see that he was healthier now.
“It’s good to take a break, isn’t it?” she asked. “It’s good for your health.”
Last year, he had collapsed from a heart attack. The doctor had told him to work less, to relax. Her aunt had called her back to Sendai. It was just as well. Jyu did not get into the top three, thus not securing any contracts.
She had tried to reach for the stars, but fell.
Life in Sendai wasn’t that bad. Her father wasn’t that bad. He became more supportive of her after that. And Jyu. Though the music wasn’t to his taste, and not likely to win the approval of the doctor.
But things were better. And they were now in Tokyo, having their first vacation together in a while.
---
“Let’s go back to being friends.” Kei suddenly said.
“Huh?”
“I think I should let you go.”
“What?”
“She’s still in your heart.” Kei smiled at him. “Don’t lie to me.”
Shiozawa looked at her.
“Don’t worry, I am ok. I feel like a thief. I have stolen you from her. It’s been a while. It’s time I return you to her.”
She smiled her cheerful smile. “Go back to her. Everything will be all right.”
---
“Takahara, it’s time to get ready!”
“Orh.” Takahara pulled himself away from the railing. There were a lot of people. All waiting for the countdown. He needed to put on his costume soon.
Through his costume, he could see the other people, but they won’t really know who he was, this person who was making them happy. He felt safe inside his costume. When he looked at himself in the mirror, with his costume on, he couldn’t really recognize himself, his pathetic self. It gave him confidence. Seeing the smiles of the people, the kids especially, was even more gratifying. He knew then that he could make a difference.
At heart, he was after all a simple man. Whether he was in his costume or not, this simplicity simply radiated through from within.
That was how he still knew it was him in the mirror.
---
“10!”
“9!”
The countdown at Takashimaya Square had begun.
Shiozawa smiled as he looked at the happy couples around him. It was kind of surreal. He was alone, yet not alone, surrounded by these people. Their happiness helped to alleviate his loneliness.
“8! 7! 6! 5! 4!”
The crowd was even more excited by now.
“3!”
“2!”
He braced himself.
“1!”
“Happy New Year!”
There were screams, cries, just a lot of noises as the fireworks came on and people wished one another happy new year.
Shiozawa smiled and turned. Then he froze.
It was Rena.
Rena smiled. “Alone?”
“Happy New Year.”
“You too.”
“The sky is beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, especially with all the fireworks.”
Shiozawa’s smile grew. “And I was wondering if you were somewhere under this sky too.”
“Well, I am. Why are you here?” she asked.
He gave a small tilt of his head as he shrugged. “I don’t know. Just led along. By an unknown force.”
She smiled. “You are still the same, metaphorical.”
He nodded towards the building. “After all, this was where we met the first time. Three years ago.”
“Yeah, three years ago.”
“Let’s get back together, under this sky.”
---
Miyu collected her luggage and exited the customs.
“Fujita!”
She whirled around towards the source of it. It was a television screen at the airport lounge. She stepped closer to it. It was showing the final of the Inter-College Football Tournament. Waseda against Keio.
“Here comes Fujita again. Fujita…Goal!”
She swallowed hard. Waseda had taken the lead. 88th minute. It was a good goal. They showed the goal again. Fujita had flicked the ball over the two defenders, reached it and hit it straight into the top corner before it fell to the ground again. They showed the celebration. They zoomed in on his face. It was serious. It wasn’t really a celebration. He was just jogging back to his position, as his teammates crowded behind him.
The fourth official held up a board. Three minutes of injury time. It was going to be the longest five minutes of her life. She clasped her hands as she looked at the screen, almost in prayer. The eternal five minutes.
“Please win,” she mumbled.
Injury time began. Then, it all began. The ball was lost in the half. Keio’s striker took advantage, broke free and slotted past the keeper. 1-1. Waseda conceded a free kick towards the end of injury time. The taker struck it beautifully into the top corner. At that moment, the Waseda players collapsed. Kneeling, lying down. It was over. A tear came to her eyes. The camera zoomed in on Fujita. He was the only one standing. He ran back to pick up the ball. They restarted. As soon as the striker pushed the ball over the line, Fujita took it. A sense of anticipation welled up in her. The referee and the crowd must have sensed it too. Fujita began his run. The referee, instead of blowing the whistle, allowed him to go on. Maybe something would happen. He went past the strikers, then the midfield. Then he unleashed a powerful shot.
She held her breath. Everyone did the same. It rebounded off the crossbar. He fell to his knees. The whistle came. A few centimeters. The few centimeters that never was.
She was standing there, dazed for a while.
Then she picked up her baggage and rushed towards the taxi stand. She needed to see him immediately.
---
The taxi stopped. She handed over the fare and got out immediately. As the taxi pulled away, its headlights caught Fujita. He was sitting on a bench outside his block. He covered his eyes from the glare. When he finally put his hands down, he saw her. She was standing before him, luggage and all. For a long time, they were just staring at each other.
“You are back,” he finally managed.
She nodded.
“Your house is over there,” he pointed behind her.
“I needed to see you.”
He gave a questioning look.
“You are all right, aren’t you?”
He nodded.
She was just looking at him. Then her smile came. “It’s different looking at you from the front.”
He gave her another questioning look.
Then they both smiled. He said, “Before you came, football was everything to me. But I realized it could never fill a void in my heart. I found you out of a hundred million people.”
It was as simple as that. Yet, the simplest things could be the hardest. Like how difficult it was to play simple football. Until you actually did it.
---
They were at the cemetery. Fujita stood behind as Miyu bent down and placed something on the stone slab.
It was the key Ryuichi had given her. “I have locked myself in your heart.” He had told her.
“I am unlocking you,” she whispered.
They bowed.
---
“Tokyo has changed a lot.”
“When was the last time you were here?” Kazumi asked.
“Before you were born,” her father smiled.
“That is 19 years ago.”
“More than that. Anyway you are 20 this year.”
“Not yet.”
“A matter of time.”
“Not yet.”
They both laughed. She was happy to see that he was healthier now.
“It’s good to take a break, isn’t it?” she asked. “It’s good for your health.”
Last year, he had collapsed from a heart attack. The doctor had told him to work less, to relax. Her aunt had called her back to Sendai. It was just as well. Jyu did not get into the top three, thus not securing any contracts.
She had tried to reach for the stars, but fell.
Life in Sendai wasn’t that bad. Her father wasn’t that bad. He became more supportive of her after that. And Jyu. Though the music wasn’t to his taste, and not likely to win the approval of the doctor.
But things were better. And they were now in Tokyo, having their first vacation together in a while.
---
“Let’s go back to being friends.” Kei suddenly said.
“Huh?”
“I think I should let you go.”
“What?”
“She’s still in your heart.” Kei smiled at him. “Don’t lie to me.”
Shiozawa looked at her.
“Don’t worry, I am ok. I feel like a thief. I have stolen you from her. It’s been a while. It’s time I return you to her.”
She smiled her cheerful smile. “Go back to her. Everything will be all right.”
---
“Takahara, it’s time to get ready!”
“Orh.” Takahara pulled himself away from the railing. There were a lot of people. All waiting for the countdown. He needed to put on his costume soon.
Through his costume, he could see the other people, but they won’t really know who he was, this person who was making them happy. He felt safe inside his costume. When he looked at himself in the mirror, with his costume on, he couldn’t really recognize himself, his pathetic self. It gave him confidence. Seeing the smiles of the people, the kids especially, was even more gratifying. He knew then that he could make a difference.
At heart, he was after all a simple man. Whether he was in his costume or not, this simplicity simply radiated through from within.
That was how he still knew it was him in the mirror.
---
“10!”
“9!”
The countdown at Takashimaya Square had begun.
Shiozawa smiled as he looked at the happy couples around him. It was kind of surreal. He was alone, yet not alone, surrounded by these people. Their happiness helped to alleviate his loneliness.
“8! 7! 6! 5! 4!”
The crowd was even more excited by now.
“3!”
“2!”
He braced himself.
“1!”
“Happy New Year!”
There were screams, cries, just a lot of noises as the fireworks came on and people wished one another happy new year.
Shiozawa smiled and turned. Then he froze.
It was Rena.
Rena smiled. “Alone?”
“Happy New Year.”
“You too.”
“The sky is beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, especially with all the fireworks.”
Shiozawa’s smile grew. “And I was wondering if you were somewhere under this sky too.”
“Well, I am. Why are you here?” she asked.
He gave a small tilt of his head as he shrugged. “I don’t know. Just led along. By an unknown force.”
She smiled. “You are still the same, metaphorical.”
He nodded towards the building. “After all, this was where we met the first time. Three years ago.”
“Yeah, three years ago.”
“Let’s get back together, under this sky.”
---
Miyu collected her luggage and exited the customs.
“Fujita!”
She whirled around towards the source of it. It was a television screen at the airport lounge. She stepped closer to it. It was showing the final of the Inter-College Football Tournament. Waseda against Keio.
“Here comes Fujita again. Fujita…Goal!”
She swallowed hard. Waseda had taken the lead. 88th minute. It was a good goal. They showed the goal again. Fujita had flicked the ball over the two defenders, reached it and hit it straight into the top corner before it fell to the ground again. They showed the celebration. They zoomed in on his face. It was serious. It wasn’t really a celebration. He was just jogging back to his position, as his teammates crowded behind him.
The fourth official held up a board. Three minutes of injury time. It was going to be the longest five minutes of her life. She clasped her hands as she looked at the screen, almost in prayer. The eternal five minutes.
“Please win,” she mumbled.
Injury time began. Then, it all began. The ball was lost in the half. Keio’s striker took advantage, broke free and slotted past the keeper. 1-1. Waseda conceded a free kick towards the end of injury time. The taker struck it beautifully into the top corner. At that moment, the Waseda players collapsed. Kneeling, lying down. It was over. A tear came to her eyes. The camera zoomed in on Fujita. He was the only one standing. He ran back to pick up the ball. They restarted. As soon as the striker pushed the ball over the line, Fujita took it. A sense of anticipation welled up in her. The referee and the crowd must have sensed it too. Fujita began his run. The referee, instead of blowing the whistle, allowed him to go on. Maybe something would happen. He went past the strikers, then the midfield. Then he unleashed a powerful shot.
She held her breath. Everyone did the same. It rebounded off the crossbar. He fell to his knees. The whistle came. A few centimeters. The few centimeters that never was.
She was standing there, dazed for a while.
Then she picked up her baggage and rushed towards the taxi stand. She needed to see him immediately.
---
The taxi stopped. She handed over the fare and got out immediately. As the taxi pulled away, its headlights caught Fujita. He was sitting on a bench outside his block. He covered his eyes from the glare. When he finally put his hands down, he saw her. She was standing before him, luggage and all. For a long time, they were just staring at each other.
“You are back,” he finally managed.
She nodded.
“Your house is over there,” he pointed behind her.
“I needed to see you.”
He gave a questioning look.
“You are all right, aren’t you?”
He nodded.
She was just looking at him. Then her smile came. “It’s different looking at you from the front.”
He gave her another questioning look.
Then they both smiled. He said, “Before you came, football was everything to me. But I realized it could never fill a void in my heart. I found you out of a hundred million people.”
It was as simple as that. Yet, the simplest things could be the hardest. Like how difficult it was to play simple football. Until you actually did it.
---
They were at the cemetery. Fujita stood behind as Miyu bent down and placed something on the stone slab.
It was the key Ryuichi had given her. “I have locked myself in your heart.” He had told her.
“I am unlocking you,” she whispered.
They bowed.
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