The afternoon sun bathed the living room in a warm golden glow.
The television continued to play quietly in the background, though neither of them paid much attention to it.
Hanoka absentmindedly unwrapped another chocolate bar while Akira rested comfortably on her lap, his eyes half closed.
For a few minutes…
Neither of them spoke.
The silence wasn’t awkward.
It was comforting.
The kind of silence only two people who understood each other could enjoy.
Hanoka gently brushed a few loose strands of Akira’s hair away from his forehead.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Hanoka (softly): “You really fell asleep…”
Akira didn’t answer.
His breathing had already become slow and steady.
Hanoka looked down at him.
For someone who constantly acted composed…
He looked surprisingly peaceful.
She couldn’t help but smile.
Hanoka (quietly): “Idiot…”
She continued eating her chocolate while absentmindedly playing with a strand of Akira’s hair.
Outside…
The warm breeze carried the sound of distant traffic.
Life continued as usual.
Neither of them knew…
That before the day came to an end…
Everything would change.
Akira slowly opened his eyes.
For a brief moment…
He had forgotten where he was.
Then he realised.
His head was still resting on Hanoka’s lap.
Hanoka looked down at him.
Hanoka (smirking): “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.”
Akira (sleepy): “How long was I asleep?”
Hanoka: “About an hour.”
Akira stretched his arms before slowly sitting up.
Akira: “That was…
surprisingly comfortable.”
Hanoka folded her arms.
Hanoka: “Don’t get used to it.”
Akira smiled.
Akira (teasing): “Can I book another session tomorrow?”
Hanoka immediately picked up the empty chocolate wrapper and threw it at his face.
Hanoka: “No.”
The wrapper landed perfectly on Akira’s forehead.
He slowly removed it.
Akira: “That was assault.”
Hanoka: “No.”
Akira: “Attempted murder.”
Hanoka: “Still no.”
Akira laughed.
The study session continued throughout the afternoon.
Books covered the coffee table.
Practice questions slowly turned into discussions, and discussions turned into light-hearted arguments.
Before either of them realised…
Hours had passed.
Akira stretched his arms before glancing at the clock mounted on the wall.
8:00 PM.
Hanoka closed her notebook with a tired sigh.
Hanoka (exhausted): “Akira…
that’s enough for today.”
She rubbed her eyes.
Hanoka: “Even I’m exhausted.”
A small smile appeared on her face.
Hanoka: “Let’s eat.”
Akira let out a relieved sigh as he leaned back in his chair.
Akira: “Finally…”
He stretched again.
Akira: “That felt like it lasted forever.”
He looked towards Hanoka.
Akira: “So…
what should we make tonight?
Something simple?”
Hanoka thought for a moment.
Hanoka: “How about Oyakodon…”
She tilted her head.
Hanoka: “…or Teriyaki chicken?”
Akira nodded.
Akira: “Teriyaki chicken sounds good.”
Hanoka smiled.
Hanoka: “Then it’s settled.”
Akira stood up and walked into the kitchen.
The quiet sound of chopping vegetables, sizzling oil and simmering sauce soon filled the house.
Half an hour later…
He returned carrying two steaming plates of Teriyaki chicken.
He carefully placed them on the dining table.
Hanoka, who had been watching television, immediately turned around.
A smile naturally appeared on her face.
Akira noticed.
Akira (curious): “Why are you smiling?”
Hanoka inhaled deeply.
Hanoka (smiling): “It smells amazing.”
Akira chuckled.
Akira: “Then come and eat, Mistress.”
Hanoka immediately stood up, walked over and lightly smacked him on the forehead.
Hanoka (embarrassed): “Akira!”
She folded her arms.
Hanoka: “Please stop calling me ‘Mistress.’ It’s embarrassing.”
Akira rubbed his forehead dramatically.
Akira: “Okay, okay…”
A mischievous smile appeared on his face.
Akira: “Then come and eat with me…
my Hanoka.”
Hanoka rolled her eyes.
A faint blush still lingered on her cheeks.
She quietly took her seat beside him.
They began eating.
Hanoka took the very first bite.
Her eyes immediately lit up.
A bright smile spread across her face.
Hanoka (delighted): “This is so good!”
Hanoka: “Seriously…
you’re an amazing cook.”
Akira looked away awkwardly.
A faint blush crept across his face.
Akira (flustered): “I’ll happily accept the compliment.”
For a few moments…
Only the sound of cutlery echoed through the dining room.
Then Akira spoke again.
His tone became noticeably calmer.
Akira: “Hanoka…”
She looked up.
Hanoka: “Hmm?”
Akira: “Tomorrow I’m probably taking the S13 out.”
Hanoka: “Where to?”
Akira: “Maintenance.”
Hanoka nodded.
After a brief pause, curiosity got the better of her.
Hanoka: “By the way…”
Hanoka: “How much does it usually cost to maintain your car?”
Akira thought for a second.
Akira (thinking): “Around…
four hundred thousand yen.”
Hanoka nearly dropped her chopsticks.
Hanoka (shocked): “FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND YEN?!”
Akira simply nodded.
Akira: “Yeah.”
Hanoka blinked twice before letting out a quiet laugh.
Hanoka: “That’s ridiculously expensive…”
A warm smile appeared on her face.
Hanoka: “But…
I understand.”
She looked towards the garage through the window.
Hanoka: “That car means a lot to you.”
Akira smiled softly.
Akira: “Yeah…”
He looked down at his meal.
Akira: “It really does.”
Neither of them said another word.
They simply enjoyed dinner together.
Unnoticed by Akira…
Hanoka occasionally glanced towards him.
Every time she did…
A small smile quietly found its way onto her face.
After dinner…
Akira silently washed the dishes.
Hanoka stood at the foot of the staircase.
Hanoka (softly): “Good night.”
Without waiting for a reply…
She disappeared upstairs.
Some time later…
Akira entered his own room.
The house had fallen completely silent.
He sat on the edge of his bed.
His thoughts drifted between two names.
Nitagawa.
Hanoka.
One was the friend he could never see again.
The other was the person who had unknowingly become his reason to keep moving forward.
His vision slowly blurred.
A single tear rolled down his cheek.
Then another.
And another.
Without a single word…
He quietly broke down.
For nearly two hours…
The room echoed with nothing but silence and tears.
Eventually…
His crying subsided.
Exhaustion slowly overtook him.
Akira lay down, closed his eyes…
…and drifted into sleep.
The morning sun slowly rose above the skyline, bathing the city of Tokyo in a warm golden glow.
Gentle rays of sunlight slipped through the curtains, quietly filling both Akira’s and Hanoka’s rooms.
7:15 AM.
The alarm clock rang.
Akira slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment, he remained lying in bed, his thoughts drifting back to Hanoka.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Without making a sound, he got out of bed.
The house was still asleep.
He quietly walked into the bathroom, splashed cold water across his face, then stepped into the shower.
A few minutes later…
He emerged wearing a simple T-shirt and grey trousers.
Silently, he made his way downstairs.
The house was peaceful.
Hanoka was still fast asleep upstairs.
Akira walked into the kitchen and prepared himself a cup of coffee.
Steam slowly rose from the mug.
He took a small sip before quietly opening the front door.
The cool morning breeze greeted him.
His footsteps carried him across the driveway…
…until he stopped in front of the black Nissan Silvia S13.
For a few seconds…
He simply looked at it.
Then, almost instinctively, he slowly walked around the car.
His fingertips gently brushed across the bodywork.
The familiar touch stirred a memory.
Flashback
A much younger Akira stood inside the house.
Haruto (calling out): “Akira!
Sora!
Come outside for a minute!”
Curious, Akira and his mother stepped outside.
Waiting in the driveway…
…was a beautiful black Nissan Silvia S13.
Haruto stood proudly beside it with a grin on his face.
Haruto (smiling): “Look, Akira.”
He rested his hand on the roof.
Haruto: “Dad bought a car.”
Young Akira’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
He slowly walked around it, unable to hide his smile.
Akira (excited): “It’s so cool!”
The sound echoed warmly through the quiet morning.
Present
Akira slowly lowered his hand from the S13.
He stood there for a long moment…
Simply looking at it.
A soft smile crossed his face.
Almost inaudibly…
He whispered,
Akira (softly): “Dad…
Mom…”
Akira opened the driver’s door and settled into the driver’s seat.
The familiar scent of leather and the soft hum of the dashboard welcomed him.
He gently placed both hands on the steering wheel.
A small smile appeared on his face.
He inserted the key into the ignition.
The engine came to life with a smooth, familiar rumble.
Vroom…
Akira took one last glance at the house through the rear-view mirror.
Akira (softly): “I’ll be back.”
He shifted into gear.
The black Nissan Silvia S13 slowly rolled out of the driveway.
As the front tyres reached the road, Akira gently pressed the accelerator.
The morning streets of Tokyo greeted him with their usual calm.
The S13 glided smoothly through the neighbourhood, gradually making its way towards the heart of the city.
Several minutes later…
Akira approached the busy roads surrounding Shibuya Scramble Crossing.
The low hum of the engine blended with the rhythm of Tokyo’s morning traffic.
Pedestrians crossed in every direction.
Traffic lights changed.
The city moved exactly as it always had.
For the first time in days…
Akira felt at peace.
Then…
Something caught the corner of his eye.
Something caught the corner of his eye.
Standing on the pavement…
A familiar figure quietly watched the traffic.
Akira’s smile slowly disappeared.
His breathing caught.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
The world around him seemed to fade into the background.
The figure…
Was Nitagawa.
Exactly as Akira remembered him.
The same clothes.
The same calm expression.
He stood silently among the crowd, yet no one around him seemed to acknowledge his presence.
Akira blinked.
Once.
Twice.
The figure remained.
Akira (barely above a whisper): “N…
Nitagawa…?”
His heartbeat quickened.
His pulse echoed loudly in his ears.
“No…”
Akira shook his head.
Akira (shaken): “That’s impossible…”
Nitagawa was dead.
He had stood beside his grave some nights before
Then…
Nitagawa slowly turned his head.
Their eyes met.
For a brief second…
Everything around Akira felt unnaturally silent.
Instinct took over.
Akira jerked the steering wheel to the left.
SCREEEEEECH!
The tyres screamed against the asphalt.
The rear of the S13 slid sideways.
Akira immediately counter-steered.
Akira (panicking): “Come on…!”
The steering wheel shook violently in his hands.
The car refused to obey.
It skidded across the road.
The front tyres suddenly caught traction.
The S13 violently snapped back to the right.
Akira’s eyes widened.
Akira: “No…!”
CRASH!!
The front of the S13 slammed head-on into a roadside tree.
The sound of twisting metal, shattering glass and screeching rubber echoed throughout the intersection.
The bonnet crumpled.
Fragments of glass scattered across the road.
The airbag exploded open.
The engine fell silent.
For one heartbeat…
Everything stood still.
Then…
People screamed.
Cars came to an abrupt stop.
Pedestrians rushed towards the wrecked S13.
“Call an ambulance!”
“Someone help him!”
Within moments…
The distant wail of police and ambulance sirens echoed through the streets of Shibuya.
Officers quickly secured the area while paramedics hurried towards the driver’s seat.
Amidst the frightened crowd…
One man remained completely still.
Dressed entirely in black.
His hands rested quietly inside his coat pockets.
A golden ring glimmered on the ring finger of his left hand.
A faint scar stretched across his left palm.
He neither ran…
Nor called for help.
He simply watched the wreckage from a distance.
His expression was unreadable.
A passing crowd briefly blocked him from Akira’s view.
When they moved…
The man was gone.