いとしいこと

Previous   TOC Friends and Rice Balls [“Hi, Akira.”] When he looked up, the sunlight filtered through long golden hair, making it sparkle. The bold piercings under her nose and on her earlobes, combined with heavy makeup and black clothes, gave Pat the look of a member of a heavy metal band. She narrowed her eyes at Akira and gave a small smile, a subtle gesture. [“...Hi.”] Almost at the same moment he replied, Pat plopped down heavily on the bench beside him. She crossed her legs, clad in platform boots, and peered into the paper bag Akira had placed next to him. [“The rice ball looks tasty.”] Pat’s green eyes were fixed on the onigiri inside the paper bag. [“...You can have one, if you want.”] When he gave her permission, Pat grabbed an onigiri from the bag and bit into it ravenously. The way she wolfed it down, almost swallowing the plastic wrap along with it, reminded Akira of a starving stray dog. [“I’m about to start my shift, but I was starving. I saw you in the courtyard a...

Previous   TOC   Next He returned to the facility on the morning of the sixth day after running away to the abandoned factory. When Ishimoto found him at the entrance, she tumbled out from the reception desk, exclaiming, "Akira-kun!" "Where on earth have you been? Everyone was worried sick!" Seeing her face, on the verge of tears, made his chest ache, even though he hadn’t thought of Ishimoto’s face even once during the past six days. “Akira!” Tokura also rushed over. Akira braced himself, certain he was about to be yelled at, but her face didn’t show anger... she wasn’t angry. “I’m sorry for staying out without permission.” Akira bowed his head. “An apology isn’t enough! Do you have any idea how worried the director, the staff, and everyone at the facility were? They searched everywhere for you!!” It was as if a switch had been flipped, and Tokura started yelling at him. “I’m sorry.” He bowed deeply again. When he looked up, Tokura was mumbling to herself, seemingl...

Previous   TOC   Next When he woke up, the surroundings were dimly lit. The space was empty, different from the usual view from his bunk bed, and as he wondered why, he remembered that he hadn’t returned to the facility. He tried to get up, but his body felt weak. He was sluggish. His bare skin touched the cold air, causing his body to shiver involuntarily. He hastily burrowed back into the towel. The shivering wouldn’t stop, and his teeth chattered noisily. Even his breath felt feverish. When he touched his forehead, it was burning hot. Maybe it was because he had gotten soaked in the rain yesterday. There was nothing he could do, so he curled up in the towel and drifted off to sleep. The next time he woke up, it was already getting dark. He was drenched in sweat and incredibly thirsty. He approached the cupboard and pulled out the souvenirs Richard had given him. He had everything except underwear, so he layered on as many clothes as he could. He moved closer to the window. ...