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
Wow, this was a wild ride. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm happy it ended on a good note, but I'm sad that Tohru never regained the memories of the six years he spent baking and travelling. Although, it was probably for the best, I don't think the 6-year-Tohru could have lived with the memories of the old-Tohru physically assaulting and raping Fujishima like that. His entire existence was centred around making Fujishima happy, so it probably would have broke him 😬.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot more I wanted to see from this novel, too. I was waiting for Fujishima to reference the months of abuse he suffered at the hands of the old-Tohru. I can only imagine how heartbreaking it was for him and how trapped he felt because of the promise he made the 6-year-Tohru. I was hoping that Fujishima would find his calling in life, too - it was great that Tohru found his dream job twice, but what about Fujishima? I was hoping he'd have restarted his family's business or at least started working for the people who took over since he seemed to enjoy the work. Here's to hoping he eventually quit the sales job to work at the photography studio like Kurokowa 🙏🏽.
Also, why was there not a cute scene of Taniguchi and Tohru realising that they're both dating men 😭.
Thank you so much for translating this series 🙇🏿♀️. I feel very privileged to have read it because of all your hard work. I can only imagine how difficult it was reading and translating some of the upsetting parts. Thank you💗
Ahh I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🥺💗 Your comment was such a joy to read — I loved how deeply you reflected on both Tohru and Fujishima’s journeys. You really captured the emotional heart of the story so beautifully 😭
DeleteIf you haven’t already, you have to read the COLD HEART series next! It’s set in the same universe, and you’ll get to see more of Tohru and Fujishima 🤩 Despite the mixed ratings, I honestly adore this series — it’s such a rollercoaster of emotions, but that’s part of what makes it so unforgettable haha.
Thank you again for such a thoughtful comment, it really made my day 💕
Thank you for translating. Konohara's novels are very hard to find. I try to collect every work that is sold, but I must say that they are very rare and few are published in Thailand. I am very glad to have found you. Recently, I have been reading every work of yours. Every time I read Konohara's work, my heart always hurts. But it is also addictive. I would like to comment to thank you very much for your hard work, but in fact, I am not good at English. I have to translate from English to Thai. I am also using a translation program while commenting now. So I can only hope that my gratitude will reach you. Thank you very much.
ReplyDeleteAhh thank you so much, Ying! 🥺💗 Your message truly warmed my heart — I can feel all the kindness and love through your words, even across languages. English isn’t my first language either, so I completely understand the struggle! I think it’s amazing that you took the time to write to me in English, it really means a lot 😭
DeleteI’m so happy you’ve been enjoying Konohara’s works! They really do hurt in the best way possible, don’t they? 💔✨ If there’s ever anything I can do to make my blog easier to read in Thai, please let me know — I’d love to help make it more comfortable for you 💞
Thank you again for reading and for such a heartfelt comment. You made my day truly special 💕