Cold Fever - Chapter 3 - Part 4
Story
4
After finishing a photo shoot at the studio, Tohru
returned to the office around 7:30 PM. It wasn’t until he glanced at the clock
on the wall that he realized how late it had gotten.
"I'm heading out," he called out, and
a hand casually waved from the back of the room.
“Good work,” Taniguchi replied, still
apparently planning to keep working. Tohru grabbed his coat from the hook when
Kurokawa called out, “Takahisa-san.” Tohru felt a sense of dread.
“There was a message from Matsumura-san, the
public relations officer from A/Z Company. He wants to schedule a meeting. Takahisa-san,
you’re okay with taking on this job, right?”
The way he emphasized “this” was annoyingly
condescending. Kurokawa was well aware that Tohru was picky about the work he
took on, and this was a subtle dig. Tohru hadn't liked Kurokawa from their
first meeting, and recently, Kurokawa’s influence within the office had been
growing. He had always been meticulous, first taking over the accounting and
then managing the schedule. His efficiency made things easier for Tohru, but
his constant snide remarks were getting unbearable.
“...Any time is fine,” Tohru muttered.
“You said that last time, and when I scheduled
something, but then you told me the day before that it wouldn’t work. Why don’t
you open your planner now and check?”
Annoyed, Tohru shoved his hand into his bag,
pulled out his planner, and tossed it onto the desk.
“Takahisa-san!”
Ignoring the angry shout behind him, Tohru left
the office. Snow was gently falling outside. As he descended the stairs, he put
on his coat.
“Hey!”
A voice called from above just as he reached
the bottom of the stairs. The second-floor window was open, and Taniguchi was
leaning out.
“Kurokawa says he’s sorry. Also, about the
meeting, any day is fine except from the 28th to the 4th, right?”
When Tohru nodded, Taniguchi said, “Catch!” and
threw down a notebook. Tohru stepped forward to catch it, but his right foot
slipped on the icy pavement, making him stumble awkwardly.
Taniguchi laughed from the window and waved his
right hand. “Well, have a Merry Christmas!”
◇:-:◆:-:◇
Even on the train, all Tohru could think about
was the time. After leaving the station and getting into a taxi, he kept
glancing at his watch, prompting the driver to ask, “Are you in a hurry?”
He arrived at the shop at 8:00 PM. The sign’s
lights were off, but the entrance was brightly illuminated, standing out even
more against the dark surroundings. He had rushed out of the taxi, but now he
hesitated at the door. He considered knocking but worried it would be rude to
disturb them after closing. Just then, he noticed a figure moving inside and
turned back.
“Oh, Tohru-chan.”
The automatic door whirred open.
“I’m so glad. I heard you were coming to pick it
up, but it was getting late, so I was worried.”
An elderly woman wearing an apron with the
shop’s name on it smiled and welcomed Tohru inside. Feeling awkward, he
followed her lead into the shop.
“You’re here to pick up the chocolate Christmas
cake, right?” she asked.
“Yes,” Tohru replied.
The woman retrieved a box from behind the
counter and handed it to Tohru.
“Well then, for the payment…”
As Tohru reached into his bag, the woman gently
smiled and said, “You don’t need to pay.”
“This is a Christmas present from us to you, Tohru-chan.”
“But I couldn’t possibly…” Tohru started to
protest.
“It’s a gift. Please accept it,” she insisted.
Since it was a present, paying felt
inappropriate. But at the same time, leaving without paying didn’t feel right
either, so Tohru stood there in a dilemma, feeling uneasy because there was no
reason for the current "him" to receive such kindness from this shop.
“Excuse me,” a young woman called out as she
entered the shop. “Do you still have any Christmas cakes left?”
“I’m sorry, but today we’re only serving
customers who pre-ordered.”
The elderly woman went to handle the customer,
and as she did, an elderly man appeared from the back of the shop, looking
grumpy. He glanced briefly at Tohru.
“So, you came after all.”
“Yes,” Tohru replied quietly.
Back when he had lost his memory, he had worked
part-time at this pastry shop. But after regaining his memory, he had forgotten
everything about his time there, including how the old couple had doted on him
like he was their own child and how he used to make cakes. He knew these things
from what he had been told, but he couldn’t remember any of it. The elderly
couple must have known he had forgotten too.
“The cake you’re holding is made with
brandy-soaked raisins,” the man said.
Tohru stared at the white box in his hands,
even though he couldn’t see the cake inside.
“It doesn’t have a light, fluffy texture, but
instead, it has a richer flavor. It’s the best one we’ve made recently.”
“I see…” Tohru responded, unable to say
anything more.
“I heard you’re doing photography now. Do you
enjoy the work?”
“Yes, I do.”
The man smiled upon hearing his answer and
began to head back to the back of the shop, and Tohru hurriedly called out to
him.
“Um, about the payment…”
The man turned back.
“That’s a prototype. We can’t charge you for a
prototype.”
“But…”
“If you feel like it, come back and tell us
what you think.”
The man said gruffly and disappeared into the
back of the shop. As Tohru stood there, bewildered with the cake in hand, a
soft tap on his shoulder made him turn around.
“Really, there’s no need to pay. But please
come and see us sometimes. Just because you don’t make cakes anymore doesn’t
mean you need to stay away. We’re always happy just to see your face,
Tohru-chan,” the elderly woman said with a motherly smile.
◇:-:◆:-:◇
Tohru finally arrived back at his apartment. As
soon as he opened the door, he was enveloped in the warm, comforting light that
was so different from the cold outside. Entering the living room, he found a
man lying on the sofa, fast asleep. The dining table was set with a meal. Since
the man couldn’t cook, it was probably store-bought, but it was beautifully
arranged on the plates.
Tohru placed the cake box on the table and sat
down next to the man. He watched the man’s chest rise and fall steadily with
his breathing. Pale cheeks, soft lips. Unable to resist, Tohru leaned in and
kissed him, causing the man to slowly wake up.
“…Welcome home,” Fujishima said, his fingers
brushing Tohru’s cheek.
“It was cold outside, wasn’t it?”
“Not really.”
Perhaps because Tohru was holding him so
tightly, Fujishima repeated his name, “Tohru, Tohru…,” as if unsure.
“Did something happen?”
Tohru didn’t respond; he just kept holding on
tightly. Fujishima’s hand, which had been gently stroking him as if to comfort
him, rested on his back.
“There’s a cake from Port’s,” Tohru said, and Fujishima
nodded, his embrace tightening.
“Did you see the elderly couple? They must have
been happy to see you.”
“…I wouldn’t know,” Tohru replied shortly. “You
said you wanted a cake from that place, so I bought it, that’s all.”
He intended to sound indifferent, but his voice
came out weak. Despite trying to act tough, he couldn’t bring himself to let go
of the man in front of him.
THE END
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