いとしいこと

Previous   TOC   Next The wind whirled around Akira's ears with a sharp whoosh. Goosebumps suddenly rose on the back of his neck, and he hunched over, staring at the ground. November had arrived, and just wearing a shirt over a t-shirt wasn’t enough to keep the cold at bay, making him shiver. He knew it would be cold before he went out, but he didn’t have a jacket. Over the past year, he’d grown a lot taller, and last year’s jacket no longer fit, so he’d given it to a middle school student. To save up for his study abroad expenses, Akira had been delivering newspapers on weekdays since the end of summer, and on weekends, he’d started working a part-time job organizing stock at a supermarket. Today, his shift at the supermarket ended earlier than usual, so the scenery on the way home was a little brighter than normal. The cold pushed him to walk faster. As he passed through a nearby park, he noticed an unusual level of noise and stopped. His eyes caught sight of a handwritten s...

Previous   TOC   Next From the airport to the facility, Akira took a series of trains to get home. He felt bad about asking Isahaya, who was busy, to come pick him up, and besides, he still had the money Richard had given him. Just as Masato had instructed, Akira exchanged it at the airport, and was shocked at how much it turned into. It was twenty times his monthly allowance... He got scared and quickly tucked it away in his wallet. It was just after noon when he returned to the facility. As he passed through the concrete gateposts, the familiar building came into view. Dragging his suitcase, he reached the entrance, where Tokura, the caretaker, noticed him and called out, "Oh, Akira, welcome back!" "I'm home." "Wait here for a second," Tokura said as she disappeared into the reception area. In her place, Isahaya appeared, wearing a T-shirt and shorts. "Welcome back, Akira. If you'd called, I would’ve come to pick you up at the airport."...