Deep Breath: Extra - Part 1

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Airmail

There was a letter in the mailbox, mixed in with some flyers from a handyman service. It had a blue sticker marked "AIR MAIL," and the sender was Yoshihisa Haruno, who was stationed in England. He sends a letter without fail once a week. Last week, it arrived on Monday, and this week on Wednesday. Although Haruno always sends his letters on Tuesday, the time it takes for them to cross the border and reach Japan varies.

Kenji Yachi entered his home, debating whether to prepare dinner first or read the letter. In the end, he chose to eat first, his stomach growling after a long day at work.

He made oyakodon and brought it to the living room. While he was brewing some tea, the cat had somehow returned home unnoticed and was now perched on the edge of the low table, sniffing curiously at the bowl.

"Hey, this is for me," Yachi said hurriedly, opening a can of cat food. The cat reluctantly left the bowl and began devouring the contents of the can instead.

Yachi carefully opened the airmail and took out the letter. It always began with the traditional greeting "Dear Sir," a touch of formality that he found charming.

As he ate his oyakodon, Yachi slowly read the letter, which was written in neat handwriting. The content was mundane—details about the weather, food, the commute, and work were described in a straightforward manner. Gray skies, poorly paved cobblestone streets, and dimly lit subway stations. As he read, Yachi imagined these foreign landscapes.

England seemed to be a bit colder than Japan, as Haruno mentioned already wearing a coat. Yachi glanced outside. The breeze was cool against his short-sleeved shirt, and from the garden, he could hear the chirping of crickets.

At the end of the letter, Haruno wrote, "Why don’t you come visit England sometime?" Yachi recalled seeing the same suggestion in a previous letter, but today, for some reason, the words caught his attention.

Traveling abroad. Yachi slowly considered the idea. He wasn’t working for a company anymore, so he had the time. His passport had expired, but that could be renewed. How much would the trip cost? He could manage basic conversations in English, so he probably didn’t need a tour guide. As he pondered, the travel plans began to take shape in his mind, and he felt excited. Maybe he would pick up a travel magazine on his way home from work tomorrow.

It felt strange to be thinking about an overseas trip as if it were just a weekend getaway. Yachi had only left Japan once before, and that was for work, with little time for sightseeing.

England didn’t seem that far away. Perhaps that was because Haruno was there. If he went, would he be able to see him? Haruno was probably busy with work, and Yachi didn’t want to be a burden…

Before Haruno left for England, he had confessed his feelings to Yachi. It was something Yachi never imagined would happen—being confessed to by a former boss in his mid-thirties after he himself had turned forty. But this was reality, and Yachi had been thinking about it ever since. He was surprised, but he didn’t dislike Haruno for it.

But could he love him back? Yachi wasn’t sure. He didn’t feel any sexual attraction to Haruno and didn’t know if he ever would.

And yet… with each airmail letter that arrived weekly, Yachi could sense Haruno’s feelings toward him. Although the letters didn’t say anything overt like "I love you," there was a quiet sentiment that peeked through. And in response, something within Yachi was slowly accumulating, week by week.

If asked if this was love, Yachi would still feel it was far from that… but there was an undeniable urge to go to England and see Haruno, a desire that pushed him in a way he hadn’t experienced before.

The cat, seemingly full, walked over with heavy steps and curled up on Yachi’s lap, closing its eyes. As Yachi watched the cat settle comfortably, he remembered the time when Haruno had dozed off at his place. …Would Haruno be offended if Yachi told him he resembled a cat?

Yachi stroked the cat’s head and scratched under its chin. The cat, with its eyes still closed, stretched its neck and let out a contented meow.

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