The Love of My Childhood Friend, Who Has Overcome a Terminally Ill Diagnosis, Is Overwhelming
“Phew, that was delicious.”
After having a light meal at the café, we left the shop and headed for the station.
“Akkun, I’m really sorry.”
Kanade has been like this ever since what happened this morning.
“Really, it’s okay.”
“……I’m sorry.”
I gave a wry smile.
I suspect Kanade will probably stay like this for a while.
“Oh, right. Since we’re out and about, why don’t we stop by somewhere else before we go buy a present for Takagaki-san?”
It felt a little awkward to head out on a present-buying trip with Kanade in this state.
Thinking that, I made the suggestion, hoping it might cheer her up a bit.
“…Where exactly?”
“Eh?”
“…Where are we going?”
……Well, where should we go?
Unfortunately, in my entire life… I’ve never actually been on what you’d call a date with the opposite sex. In situations like this, I have absolutely no idea where to take a partner.
In times like this, it might be a good idea to take your partner somewhere you go often.
Speaking of places I go often… the airport.
No good.
I already went there with Kanade the other day.
“……Akkun?”
“Let’s just get on the train for now.”
I guess I have no choice.
Since that’s the case, I’ll think about where to go while we’re on the train.
We got on the train and began a date with no particular destination in mind.
“By the way, what were you planning to give Takagaki-san as a present, Kanade?”
Hoping it might give me some kind of hint, I asked her on the train.
“Hm? Hmm. I hadn’t really decided on anything specific.”
“Eh…?”
“I was thinking of going somewhere with you, and if I found something nice there, I’d buy that.”
…I see.
It seems I wasn’t the only one winging it.
“So, where should we go?”
“Hmm…”
I folded my arms and groaned.
While I was pondering, the train moved on, passing one station, then another…
“Next stop—”
When I heard the station name announced over the intercom, it hit me.
“Kanade, let’s get off at the next stop.”
And with that, I stood up.
We got off the train and stepped onto the subway platform. We went up to street level and walked for a few minutes.
“Is this…”
“A shrine.”
The place we’d arrived at was a famous shrine, even within Tokyo.
“I’ve always wanted to come here,”
Kanade said excitedly, standing in front of the vermilion-colored lanterns.
“Do you come here often, Akkun?”
“……”
“Akkun?”
“Huh? Oh. …Every now and then.”
I gave a wry smile and made my way into the shrine grounds, dodging the crowds.
Once past the lanterns, there were many shops lined up in front of the main hall. Seeing the tourists gazing at the merchandise with such curiosity made me feel a little fed up.
“It’s… pretty crowded in here.”
“Yeah. Don’t get separated from me, okay?”
“Okay.”
This street was constantly congested, with customers buying goods, others just browsing, and still others just window-shopping, all slowing down the flow of people.
Kanade and I were desperate just to stay together until we reached the main hall.
…But.
“Kanade, are you okay? Are you still with me?”
When I didn’t hear Kanade’s reply from behind, I panicked and turned around.
“She’s not here…”
It seemed we had, indeed, lost each other.
[Sorry. Do you know where you are right now?]
I sent Kanade a message on my phone.
[I don’t know…]
The message Kanade sent back was accompanied by a crying emoji.
[Can you see the main hall?]
[Yeah]
[It’ll be a pain to find each other in this crowd, so let’s meet up at the main hall.]
[Got it]
……Will she be okay?
I was a little worried, but since Kanade had included a thumbs-up emoji, I figured she’d be fine.
..That said, I was really looking forward to buying something together at the shop.
Well, I guess we can do that on the way back.
I made my way toward the main hall, dodging the crowds.
“Wow, the main hall is packed with people too.”
This is… It’s going to be a real pain to meet up with Kanade.
“Akkun.”
“Whoa!”
Just as I thought that, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from behind me, and I jumped.
When I turned around, there was Kanade.
“…Kanade, how did you know I was here?”
“Oh. Well…”
Kanade, holding her smartphone, started to say something… then clammed up.
“It’s fate, isn’t it?”
There it is.
Ever since we reunited, Kanade has been using “fate” as her go-to catchphrase.
Every time she throws the word “fate” around, I feel like telling her it’s more of an inevitable outcome than actual fate…
Well, in this case, since we ran into each other in the middle of this crowd, maybe I could call it… fate?
Is it just my imagination, or is there something a little off about this?
“R-right. A-A-kun, let’s buy some amulets.”
As if trying to cover something up, Kanade suggested.
“L-look, there are ones for warding off misfortune, granting wishes, and even traffic safety.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“They sell all kinds of different amulets here, don’t they?”
“Yeah. There are even ones for good health.”
Well, I guess it’d be rare to find a shrine that doesn’t sell amulets for good health.
“Huh. Since that’s the first thing you mentioned, Akkun… do you often buy amulets for good health at this shrine?”
I widened my eyes and clamped my mouth shut.
“……Oh, did I hit the nail on the head?”
I didn’t answer.
“Hmm. …For yourself?”
“……No.”
“……Hmm.”
I felt like Kanade’s tone had dropped.
“Then, who were you buying them for?”
Kanade’s cold voice and gaze… hurt a little.
“It’s for you.”
“Huh?”
“…I just hoped you’d be doing well in France. I hoped we’d meet again someday. I was buying it while thinking about things like that.”
“…You were buying it?”
“Yeah. Every year.”
…Actually, I’ve bought amulets for good health from most of the famous shrines at least once.
Among them, this shrine is not only famous but also just one train ride away, so it was easy to buy one there.
That’s exactly why, just before we reached the station closest to the shrine, the idea of going there together even came up in the first place.
“……But I never thought it would actually work.”
“Was that a surprise?”
“I’m not really the type to rely on spiritual stuff… generally speaking.”
“I see. …Generally speaking, huh.”
Kanade headed toward the gift shop.
And it looks like she bought something.
“Akkun.”
“What?”
“Me too. I’m not the type to believe in spiritual stuff.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. …There was a time when my parents, seeing that my condition wasn’t improving at all, started saying we couldn’t rely on modern medicine. They even made donations to a new religious group and seemed to be leaning toward that sort of thing for a while…”
“Huh…”
Is that so?
“I only found out right before I returned to Japan, though. Both my parents were laughing, saying, ‘If it saves your life, a few hundred thousand yen is a small price to pay’… It was complicated.”
“…I see.”
“Well, in the end, it didn’t work, so they stopped, I guess.”
“…So, you basically proved it through your own experience.”
“Pretty impressive, right?”
……
“That’s why I don’t believe in spiritual stuff either. But if you say you believe in the power of this shrine… I thought I’d try believing in it too.”
Kanade smiled and handed me the charm.
“Take it, A-kun.”
“…Is that okay?”
“Yep.”
The charm Kanade gave me was…
“Academic Success Amulet”
I felt a slight sting in the corners of my eyes.
“Oh. But, Akkun. Don’t get the wrong idea, okay?”
“Huh?”
“I still haven’t… given up on making you lower your goals.”
I gave a wry smile at Kanade’s declaration of war.
Maiasa
By “fate” she means the app on his phone.