Yellow Diamond: Chapter 1 - part 4

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It was his first time coming to a place like this. Normally, he would never even think of setting foot here. The very idea of paying a woman to satisfy one's desires—it was fundamentally wrong. Kunihiko had said so bluntly, only to be met with laughter from his coworkers. “So serious,” they’d tease. But if asked, “What would you do if your daughter wanted to work here someday?” they’d all vehemently oppose it. There was no way to say with certainty that such a thing would never happen.

The reason he came here, despite it going against his principles, was clear. He scanned each of the signs carefully, looking for the specific shop he had in mind. His eyes landed on a neon pink sign with the words ‘Pink Rose’ written in black. Outside the establishment, photos of women posing provocatively were displayed. Among them, he spotted the picture he was looking for, with the name “Kanon” written beneath it.

"Hey, big bro, what do you think? It’s still early, and right now all the girls are available," a young man with long hair and a lip piercing called out to him.

"Can I pick the girl I want?"

"Yeah... as long as it's not Marie."

"Then, I'll take Kanon."

"Kanon, huh? Sure, come on in."

The man gestured towards a dimly lit staircase leading underground. As Kunihiko descended, a stagnant, sewer-like stench filled the air.

◇:-:◆:-:◇

Kunihiko was led into a small room, no more than two tatami mats in size, painted in a pale pink hue. A woman who had been sitting on the bed, which was pushed against the wall, stood up as soon as he entered and smiled brightly.

"Hello, I'm Kanon."

Kanon had long hair and heavy makeup. Isamu had told him she was nineteen, but she looked closer to twenty-five or twenty-six. Wearing nothing but a slip, Kanon approached Kunihiko without hesitation, her slender fingers reaching for the buckle of his belt. The scent of her perfume was overpowering.

"I’ve been here before. Do you remember me?"

Kanon stopped and stared intently at Kunihiko’s face.

"Of course I remember. How could I forget someone as handsome as you?"

Kunihiko reached out and touched her hair. Her brown locks were stiff and dry to the touch.

"I haven’t been able to forget about you."

Kanon’s expression shifted. She forgot her practiced, professional smile and widened her eyes in surprise.

"I’d like to see you outside of work. What do you think? Or do you already have a boyfriend?"

Kanon gave a coy smile, looking up at him.

"No boyfriend. But it’s a bit sudden, don’t you think?"

"I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I had to see you again."

He stroked her cheek and gently embraced her. Kanon let out a soft, seductive sigh.

"I care about you. I heard you were struggling and couldn’t just stand by."

"What?"

Kanon, who had been nuzzling her face against his shoulder, looked up at him.

"Your mother’s sick, isn’t she?"

Kanon laughed softly, placing her thin fingers against her lips.

"I don’t know anything about that. You must have me confused with someone else."

Kunihiko sighed. Now that his goal was achieved, her clingy touch began to irritate him. He pushed her away lightly. Kanon fell back onto the bed, her eyebrows furrowing in frustration, though not quite to the point of anger. The rough treatment must have bothered her. Kunihiko couldn’t help but smile. He was filled with a strange sense of gratitude toward her.

"Your boyfriend is Isamu Sanada, isn’t he?"

Kanon’s expression shifted instantly.

"I don’t know anyone by that name."

Though she denied it, her fingers and voice trembled.

"Falling for another guy so easily shows you’re not serious about Isamu. Were you just planning to scam him, string him along, and milk him for money because he's such a simple guy?"

"Who put you up to this?"

Her sugary voice turned harsh, revealing a rougher, less refined tone.

"No one put me up to anything. I just couldn’t stand to see Isamu being fooled and left to suffer. I came to check you out for myself. I’m going to tell him not to give you any more money. Sorry, but I’d appreciate it if you stayed out of his life from now on."

Kanon snorted dismissively.

"Stay out of it? He’s the one who came after me in the first place. I was only entertaining him because he asked."

Her words were cruel. But the more Kanon spoke about Isamu without even a hint of affection, the more at ease Kunihiko felt. This woman would never be a replacement for Riku. She wasn’t a threat to him.

"Ugly, broke, terrible in bed—he’s the worst kind of man. It’d be a relief if I never saw that piece of trash again."

Kunihiko left the room, her hateful words ringing in his ears. As he approached the entrance of the shop, he passed the young man from earlier. The man glanced at his watch and grinned.

"How was Kanon? Pretty amazing, right? She can make you finish in no time. Come again soon!"

◇:-:◆:-:◇

Isamu was furious, but Kunihiko didn’t care. He had done the right thing, so there was no need to feel guilty.

"What did you say to Yuki?!"

The moment Isamu came home, still in his dirty work clothes, he stormed into the living room and yelled at Kunihiko. Shun’ichi, who had been sitting on his lap, trembled in fear.

"Shun’ichi, go to the bedroom. I need to talk to your dad. I’ll call you back when we’re done."

The child glanced back briefly but obediently left the room.

"At least change your clothes first. You’re getting the place dirty."

Isamu ignored him and showed no intention of changing.

"What did you say to Yuki?!"

Kunihiko had gone to ‘Pink Rose’ the day before and spoken to Isamu’s girlfriend.

"What did she say to you?"

Isamu slammed his cigarette and lighter onto the kotatsu. Kunihiko had made him quit smoking because it was bad for Shun’ichi, but apparently, he had still been sneaking cigarettes when no one was looking. Kunihiko had noticed. Sometimes, Isamu reeked of smoke.

"She said it’s disgusting that I had someone spying on her. I never asked you to do that!"

Kunihiko shrugged.

"If she’s ready to break up just because someone checked up on her, then she wasn’t serious about you."

Isamu moved in a flash. Before Kunihiko could react, Isamu grabbed him by the collar and punched him. Kunihiko slammed into the wall, the impact knocking the air from his lungs.

"This is between Yuki and me. It has nothing to do with you!"

Blood welled up from a cut at the corner of Kunihiko’s mouth. His left cheek throbbed with a sharp, hot pain.

"A lot of money is involved. You’ll regret it later."

"I don’t care if I regret it."

Isamu’s fists clenched tightly.

"Yuki wanted it. She begged me in tears, and I wanted to give it to her!"

"She told me her mother’s illness was a lie."

That was the trump card. Kunihiko’s voice echoed in his ears, disturbingly satisfying.

"She lied about her mother being sick to get your sympathy and scam you out of money. She wasn’t with you because she loved you."

Isamu’s eyes widened in shock.

"How the hell do you know that?!"

"Because she told me."

Isamu’s initial fury drained away as he fell silent, his face twisting into a look of sorrow. Kunihiko felt an odd sense of satisfaction. The woman you chose was never worth it. That’s why I went to confirm it for you, he thought.

"Isn’t it better that you found out sooner rather than later? You weren’t together that long, right?"

"Yuki was kind," Isamu muttered quietly.

"She said she loved me."

"That was a lie."

Isamu shook his messy head violently.

"Shut up, shut up. I didn’t ask for your opinion. I won’t believe it until I hear it from Yuki’s own mouth."

As Isamu tried to leave in his filthy clothes, Kunihiko grabbed him from behind in a firm hold to stop him.

"Stop. Talking to her is pointless."

Isamu struggled to break free, his body refusing to yield. Holding back a fully grown man who was serious about leaving was no easy task. Panting, Kunihiko spoke to the back of Isamu’s head.

"Even if you ask her, she’ll never tell you the truth. She only told me because I’m a stranger. But if she knows you’re wavering, she’ll try to deceive you again. She’ll tell you she loves you, that it was all a lie, and you’ll believe her because that’s exactly what she expects."

"I don’t care if that’s true!"

Kunihiko was growing increasingly irritated at how stubborn Isamu was.

"What do you mean you don’t care? You’ll just end up miserable when you finally figure it out!"

"I’m already miserable!"

At last, Isamu stopped struggling. He sat down in the hallway, hugging his knees. Kunihiko knelt in front of him, sitting in the same position.

"I know you’re sad, but there’s no point in clinging to a pointless relationship."

"Sometimes..." Isamu raised his head, looking at Kunihiko with a serious expression. "I think your heart is made of ice."

"Why do you think falling in love is pointless? I don’t get it. Sure, maybe right now Yuki is only being kind to me for the money, but who’s to say her feelings won’t change a year from now? You can’t guarantee that it won’t happen," Isamu said, his voice rising.

Kunihiko’s chest tightened—an unnecessary pain, but there it was.

"What if you trust her, and things go wrong? You’ll be left with nothing but debt."

"You’re cold," Isamu glared at him with bloodshot eyes.

"You always say it’s for my sake, but everything you make me do is miserable. Work properly, take a bath, save money, don’t smoke, only drink on Saturdays, study hard. I’ve done everything you asked, because Riku said you were reliable and I trusted her. But when it comes to the things I love, I can’t stand you interfering."

Hearing Isamu say it was all "miserable" made Kunihiko furious. It wasn’t only the person being told who felt frustrated—he didn’t want to say those things either. But if he didn’t, if he didn’t teach Isamu, then Isamu would never change.

"If you’d chosen someone good like Riku-san, I wouldn’t have said anything. But Yuki lied to you and was trying to scam you out of money. That’s an undeniable fact. Why don’t you just accept it already?"

"Shut up! Stop talking."

Kunihiko grabbed Isamu’s shoulders and shook him hard.

"You know it’s true. That’s why you don’t have anything to say."

"Ah, you’re so annoying!" Isamu yelled, shaking his head violently.

"I’ve had enough of your nagging. I’m sick of it. Damn, I wish I could just go somewhere else. If Shun’ichi wasn’t here, I could live wherever I wanted, however I wanted. That’s it—you like kids, don’t you? If he’s so great, why don’t you take him? Just take him and go."

Kunihiko slapped Isamu across the face. Once, then again. Both of Isamu’s cheeks quickly turned red and swollen.

"Do you not understand the difference between what you can say and what you can’t? If you want to leave so badly, then go by yourself. Shun’ichi would be better off with me than with a careless father like you."

Isamu pressed his fists to his eyes, sobbing loudly, his body heaving with each breath.

"You’re cold. Yuki was kinder. Even if she lied to me, she was still a hundred times kinder than you. I hate this life. No matter how hard I work, people just yell at me, call me an idiot. I come home exhausted, only to hear your constant nagging. When Riku was here, she would say, ‘Good job,’ and just hearing that made me feel better, like I could forget all the bad stuff. But now it’s different. Listening to you just wears me out. Even if you’re right, it’s like listening to loud, annoying music."

"So, what do you expect me to do? Should I greet you with, ‘Welcome home,’ make you dinner, and pamper you like a purring cat when you get back?"

Isamu stayed hunched over, head in his hands, motionless.

"...There’s something I’ve always wanted to know," Isamu muttered quietly.

"Why did you come to see me after I left the institution? You never wrote back to any of my letters. Everyone said you’d be disgusted if you knew I hung out with bad guys, so I figured you were the same. I thought you’d just leave me alone, so why did you keep taking care of me? There was nothing in it for you. So why did you stay with me?"

"It’s because you feel sorry for me, right? Because I’m pathetic, and you couldn’t just sit by and watch? Enough already. I’ve had enough. Leave me alone. I don’t want you deciding how I live my life. Even if it’s wrong, I’m going to live the way I think is right."

Kunihiko felt his body stiffen. Isamu’s rejection hit hard. Staring at Isamu’s bowed head, Kunihiko couldn’t find the right words to say. He had never really considered what Isamu thought, or how Isamu felt about him. Realizing this now was a shock. Isamu had never outright refused the things Kunihiko told him to do, even if he hated them. Kunihiko had always been aware of Isamu’s resentment. He was strict, never allowing mistakes, always nagging him. But he had believed that Isamu understood it was all for his sake.

Now, though Isamu knew Kunihiko's actions were for his benefit, he was still rejecting them. Kunihiko’s palms were sweaty. Was Isamu going to leave him? Was he going to be abandoned—not the other way around, but by Isamu?

"Maybe I said too much."

A surge of panic, unlike anything he’d felt before, washed over him. He had to change Isamu’s mind, somehow.

"My tone was harsh. I’m sorry. It’s no wonder you hate me."

Isamu shook off the hand Kunihiko had placed on his shoulder, violently rejecting the touch.

"I’m tired of you bothering me, tired of the complaints. I’m leaving. And I’m taking Shun’ichi. He’s my son, so I’ll take him. We’ll go somewhere far away, where you can’t reach us."

Kunihiko’s fists clenched tightly at the sense of impending disaster.

"You’re running away."

"Running away?" Isamu repeated the words slowly.

"That’s right. You’re trying to escape because you can’t handle work or studying. You’re just taking the easy way out. It’s pure laziness."

Isamu rubbed his forehead roughly and let out a deep sigh.

"Stop using complicated words I don’t get. I’m tired of being around you. It’s always ‘do this, don’t do that,’ and now, even ‘don’t fall in love with that woman.’"

Isamu looked up at Kunihiko.

"Isn’t it enough already? Just leave me alone."

"I can’t leave you alone."

Isamu’s thin shoulders gave a slight shrug.

"Sure you can. Just throw me and Shun’ichi out, and it’ll all be over."

"I’ll never do that."

Isamu scratched his head in frustration.

"Is it because you feel sorry for Shun’ichi? That’s it, right? It’s still cold outside, I don’t have any money, and if we leave now, we’ll end up sleeping in the station."

"Shun’ichi’s got nothing to do with this. It’s you—"

"It’s me, what?"

Isamu’s gaze bore into him, and Kunihiko’s throat tightened. He swallowed hard.

"Don’t make such a scary face, weirdo," Isamu muttered.

"As long as I’m alive, I’d never let you do something as miserable as sleeping in a station passage."

"Don’t lie. When I first came here, you were the one who said it, didn’t you? 'Leave Shun’ichi behind, but you can go sleep in the station.'"

Isamu snapped back, practically biting at him.

"I didn’t mean that. Do you really think I’d let someone I care about sleep in a station?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Kunihiko realized the truth he had just let slip. Isamu’s eyebrows twitched with suspicion.

"Care about? You don’t actually think of me as a friend. It’s the same as looking at a stray cat—you just pity me."

Isamu’s words hit like a balloon popping.

"I’m not lying. I really do care about you."

Frustration welled up in Kunihiko, desperate to be believed.

"How could I believe that? Everyone who’s ever said they liked me has been kind. You’re the only one who’s cold. You’re different."

Kunihiko became even more determined as Isamu refused to believe him.

"I like you. I’m in love with you. That’s why I want to keep you to myself, why I don’t want to let anyone else have you. I don’t want you to leave. I want you to stay close to me. That’s why…"

But the rest of the words died on his lips when he met Isamu’s eyes. He had been caught up in his own emotions and hadn’t noticed how Isamu was looking at him.

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

Isamu brushed his hair back.

"In love with me? What does that even mean?"

No matter how Kunihiko tried to backtrack now, it would all be lies. Besides, he wanted to say it. He wanted to be honest, without thinking about the future.

"I’m in love with you."

Suddenly embarrassed by the seriousness of his confession, Kunihiko quickly lowered his head.

"You’re acting weird today. Guys don’t say stuff like that to each other. It’s gross. Are you a homo or something?"

The word "gross" stabbed Kunihiko in the chest, but he replied anyway.

"Maybe. I don’t know. I’ve never liked anyone other than you."

"Then yeah, you like guys. You’re a pervert," Isamu sneered, tilting his chin in a mocking gesture.

"So you were pissed off that I was dating Yuki because you’re a homo and you’re in love with me, huh? That’s why you tried to break us up? Man, you’re such a jerk."

Kunihiko couldn’t find a way to argue back, not because he felt ashamed, but because Isamu’s words were partly true. It wasn’t just about being jealous—he couldn’t bear to see Isamu deceived and left heartbroken. Which reason weighed heavier, even Kunihiko couldn’t tell.

"I always thought you were the kind of guy who could do anything, but I never imagined you were a homo. So that’s why you’ve never dated a girl. Huh, now it all makes sense."

What did he mean, "makes sense"? Kunihiko couldn’t tell what kind of expression he had on his face, but he was sure it was a pathetic, miserable one. Isamu grinned triumphantly, his expression filled with satisfaction as he boldly declared:

"Sorry, but I have the right to choose too. I don’t care how much you’ve helped me since we were kids, but I’m not interested in someone with a pair of balls."

◇:-:◆:-:◇

Isamu had started coming home late. Before, no matter how busy work was, he would always be home by nine in the evening. But for two nights in a row, he didn’t return until after midnight.

“I’m back,” he said as he entered, without any apology or hint of remorse in his voice.

“You’re such a hard worker, aren’t you?” he slurred, peering over Kunihiko’s shoulder as he worked on something he’d brought home. The stench of alcohol clung to Isamu.

“Well, don’t push yourself too hard,” he added, before collapsing into bed in his dirty clothes. He didn’t wash his face, didn’t brush his teeth. Ever since Kunihiko had stopped nagging him, Isamu had been doing whatever he wanted, as if to defy every restriction that had been placed on him before. He did all the things Kunihiko had once prohibited—coming home late, drinking, smoking. He didn’t even bathe. And when he did, it wasn’t in their apartment’s bathroom. Perhaps he was still seeing the girl from the soapland.

Isamu hadn’t handed over his paycheck for the month. Kunihiko didn’t scold him for it, and Isamu knew he wouldn’t. Isamu was bluntly honest, looking at Kunihiko with eyes that said, “You’re in love with me, aren’t you?” And Kunihiko couldn’t face that gaze. Whenever their eyes were about to meet, he always looked away first.

Isamu had called him a “pervert” and a “homo.” He’d also said, “I’d never want you.” It was only after hearing those words that Kunihiko realized his feelings could only be interpreted that way. He didn’t try to deny it. It was true—he had wanted to touch Isamu, to be closer to him. As long as that desire existed, he couldn’t claim purity of intention.

The night Isamu had rejected him completely, Kunihiko couldn’t sleep. He wondered what it was he truly wanted, what he had hoped to accomplish. He had made Isamu work, made him study... and suddenly, memories of their childhood came flooding back. There was a time when Kunihiko couldn’t win at anything against Isamu. But slowly, their roles had reversed, and Kunihiko couldn’t forgive it—he couldn’t forgive Isamu’s parents for hurting him, or the adults, teachers, and friends who slapped labels on him. He had wanted to protect Isamu from all of that. He had wanted to be the only one to protect him.

Knowledge and education—Kunihiko had thought these things would become armor for Isamu. He wanted to teach him because he knew. He believed that kindness alone wasn’t enough to protect someone. But even that conviction now felt like nothing more than a convenient excuse. Maybe it was all just arrogance—the belief that he could somehow save Isamu. Or perhaps it was just a way to disguise his feelings, a cover for the love he didn’t want to admit.

Since that day, Kunihiko had thought about nothing else—day after day, night after night. He reached for his phone, hidden among the papers he had been working on. He reopened the real estate listings he had closed earlier when he heard Isamu’s footsteps approaching. Isamu had said he wanted to live on his own, so Kunihiko would let him. He would no longer interfere with Isamu’s life, unless Isamu asked for help.

Kunihiko never wanted his feelings to be laughed at again.

◇:-:◆:-:◇

Isamu’s selfish and carefree lifestyle didn’t last even a week. The physically demanding labor began to wear him down as the exhaustion from late nights and lack of sleep accumulated. In the end, he realized that living a more structured life was easier, especially once he quickly ran out of money to spend on his nights out. When Isamu started coming home straight after work, they inevitably spent more time together. At first, Isamu acted like a king, arrogant and self-important, but gradually, he grew quieter. Immediately after Kunihiko's confession, Isamu had barely exchanged words with him, but lately, he had begun speaking up, carefully gauging Kunihiko’s mood before saying anything.

"Work was tough today..." 

Just trivial things like that. So Kunihiko responded indifferently with, "I see," or, "That’s rough." He could sense that Isamu was irritated by his distant replies, but Kunihiko wasn’t in the mood to engage with him any further.

Another two weeks passed like this. By the end of February, the signs of snow had disappeared, and the arrival of spring was just around the corner, but the air inside the apartment remained tense, cold, and heavy, filled with an uncomfortable, distant atmosphere.

◇:-:◆:-:◇

It was a fine Saturday. Lured by the clear, cloudless sky from the morning, Kunihiko took care of the laundry that had been piling up lately, all in one go. The moment he finished, Shun’ichi, who had been quietly reading a book in the corner of the room, sidled up to him and tugged on the hem of his shirt.

“Let’s go play outside.”

Isamu looked up with a groggy “Hmm?” His eyes were swollen. He had slept in, not getting up until nearly 10 a.m., and was now sitting alone, eating breakfast.

“I’ll take you to the park later, so just sit tight for now.” Isamu spoke to the child, popping a piece of pickled vegetable into his mouth.

“Uncle, come with us!” Shun’ichi said, glancing briefly at his father before tugging at Kunihiko’s shirt again.

“Let’s all go together. We can bring lunch, some tea, and eat outside.”

It seemed Shun’ichi wanted to have a picnic. Come to think of it, there had been a scene in the drama they watched where the protagonist took his child to the sea. Last night, Kunihiko had allowed Shun’ichi to stay up a bit later, justifying it since the next day was a day off. Sitting cross-legged, Shun’ichi had nestled snugly between Kunihiko’s knees as they watched the show together.

“The weather’s great. Once the cleaning’s done, should we head to the beach?”

“Yeah!” Shun’ichi smiled happily, his face softening into a relaxed expression.

“Beach, beach!” He giggled and rolled around the floor like a puppy in excitement. After Isamu finished eating, they cleaned the room, and Kunihiko peeked into the closet. He found a plastic sheet that had been a giveaway from a store and stuffed it into the tote bag.

“We’ll pick up lunch and tea on the way.”

“Yeah!”

Where he had found it was a mystery, but Shun’ichi was now wearing a slightly dirty blue cap. Sensing a pair of eyes on him, Kunihiko turned around to see Isamu’s sulking gaze.

“You wanna come too?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

Isamu averted his face, still pouting.

“There’s something I need to talk to you about. Won’t you come with us?”

Still facing away, Isamu scratched his head. He stayed silent for a moment. But finally, muttering as if he had no choice, he said, “Guess I have to, huh?”

◇:-:◆:-:◇

A thirty-minute train ride would take them to the sea—a long, sandy beach stretching along the coast. While crowded with swimmers in the summer, at this early springtime, there were hardly any people. The distant horizon blurred into a pale blue haze, making the line between the sky and the sea almost indistinguishable.

As soon as the train stopped, Shun’ichi leaped out onto the platform like a cat released from a cage. He dashed down the stairs and ran toward the sandy beach he had seen from the train window. Kunihiko hurried after him, clutching the tote bag that held the convenience store lunch, tea, and the plastic sheet. A little further behind, Isamu followed at a leisurely pace. Kunihiko spread the sheet out at a spot away from the shoreline, but the wind was so strong that, even with the corners weighed down by their belongings, it kept flapping up. He walked toward the seawall and picked up some larger stones to weigh it down more securely. Shun’ichi had already kicked off his shoes and was playing at the water’s edge.

“Don’t go in deeper than your ankles!” Kunihiko shouted, cupping his hands to amplify his voice. The small head that turned to look at him nodded energetically.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Isamu asked, addressing Kunihiko while still standing. He had been unusually restless, even on the train, likely troubled by Kunihiko’s mention of wanting to discuss something.

“There’s a cheap apartment over in Kuwazaka. It’s old, but it has a bath, and the rent’s only thirty thousand yen. The landlord’s getting on in years, but they’re a good person. It’s also close to your current job.”

Isamu’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I’ll co-sign for you, and I’ll cover the deposit and key money. I’ll also give back the bankbook I’ve been holding for you.”

“Ah…”

Isamu mumbled, looking down at the ground.

“You’d be more comfortable on your own, right?”

“Well, yeah.”

After that, Isamu fell silent and gazed absentmindedly at the sea. Eventually, he spoke again, almost as an afterthought.

“You know that school you mentioned? Starting this spring, I’m going to be pretty busy, so…”

“That’s the thing. The school was just my suggestion. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. You can always reconsider when you feel like it.”

“Yeah… guess so.”

Having said what he needed to, Kunihiko felt a bit of relief. He rested his hands on his hips.

“Once Shun’ichi starts elementary school, things are going to get even busier for you. Be prepared.”

“…Yeah.”

Shun’ichi had begun building a sand mound near the shoreline.

“Keep an eye on the stuff for a minute,” Kunihiko said, as he kicked off his shoes and walked down to the water’s edge. Shun’ichi had built a small mound, about thirty centimeters tall, surrounded by a shallow moat.

“When I do this, the water flows in,” Shun’ichi explained. As the waves rolled in, water rushed into the moat, then quickly drained back out. With each wave, the base of the mound eroded, weakening it, and Shun’ichi frowned in frustration every time a larger wave hit, as if upset by the inevitable collapse. Watching the sand mound crumble, Kunihiko was reminded of Isamu’s old house—on the verge of falling apart. Now submerged at the bottom of a dam, it had probably rotted away, leaving no trace. The forest path they once walked along was likely dissolved by the water, and even the large, round rock they used to dry off on after swimming was surely submerged.

“Shun’ichi, how about we go see the dam next time?”

“What’s that?” Shun’ichi tilted his small head in confusion.

“You know how water comes out when you turn on the faucet? A dam is like a huge bucket that stores all that water.”

“A big one, huh? Yeah, I want to see it.”

“Alright, let’s go together.”

A strong wave surged up to their feet. The tide was coming in, and the shoreline where Shun’ichi had been playing was now marked by dark, wet sand. Kunihiko scooped Shun’ichi up and set him on his shoulders. Another strong wave rolled in, and with a small shout of “Ah!”, the sand mound was completely washed away. The sand beneath their feet shifted, making the ground feel unsteady.

“I’m hungry. How about we eat lunch now? We can build another sandcastle later.”

“Yeah.”

Kunihiko set Shun’ichi down on the dry sand, and the boy sprinted toward the sheet. Isamu, meanwhile, was lying down on the sheet, seemingly asleep.

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