The Love of My Childhood Friend, Who Has Overcome a Terminally Ill Diagnosis, Is Overwhelming
“Akkun. Which way is the observation deck?”
“This way.”
After getting off the shuttle bus, I led Kanade and Takagaki-san through the terminal.
Unlike the international terminal we’d just been in, the domestic terminal had fewer foreign travelers. However, perhaps because some people use this airport as a starting point for domestic sightseeing, I wouldn’t say there were none at all.
“I don’t know how to put it, but the atmosphere is totally different from the international terminal.”
“Yeah. Unlike over there, this place feels pretty crowded, doesn’t it?”
There were souvenir shops near the departure gates, and it actually reminded me a bit of a Shinkansen platform.
“Wow, they’re selling all kinds of souvenirs here.”
“Kanade, let’s wait until we’re on our way back to buy souvenirs.”
“What should I eat? What should I eat?”
I didn’t ask for your opinion.
“…Hagiwara, hurry up and bring that girl over here.”
“Eh? Why me?”
“…Because I think she’ll do anything you ask.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“Hahaha. Like that would ever happen.”
“Just do it already!”
…She got mad at me.
Damn it.
It’s obviously impossible… Takagaki-san is surprisingly good at giving unreasonable requests.
“Kanade”
I called out to Kanade, who was browsing the goods at the souvenir shop.
“Should we head out soon?”
“…Eh? I want to look around a little longer.”
See? I knew it wouldn’t work.
…Well, I guess there’s no helping it now.
“Alright. Just wait here for a sec, then.”
“Huh?”
“While you’re looking at souvenirs, Takagaki-san and I are going to go take some pictures of the plane. Just wait here until we get back.”
“…Huh?”
“Huh?”
“…Hey, A-kun.”
Kanade continued, still with her back turned to me.
“So that means… Akkun and Ayaka-chan will be alone together?”
“Well, I guess so.”
“I see.”
Kanade put the souvenirs back on the shelf and turned on her heel.
“Come on, Akkun! How long do you plan on loafing around here!?”
That’s you, isn’t it?
“…Well, let’s go.”
“Yeah. Hurry up! Let’s go! We can buy souvenirs on the way back anyway!”
That was exactly what I said a moment ago…
“See? If you say it, she’ll do anything, won’t she?”
When the two of us returned to Takagaki-san, she gave us a defiant smile.
“That’s true. …I wonder why?”
“Probably because even in a situation like this, you still can’t figure out the reason, just like you are now?”
Haha. …So, what does that mean?
After that little exchange, the three of us headed to the terminal’s observation deck, with me leading the way.
“It’s hot.”
“It’s outdoors, after all.”
A clear, midsummer day.
Outdoors.
And since there was little shade on the observation deck… especially in front of the railing, which is a popular spot for taking photos, there really wasn’t a single patch of shade.
“…Twenty minutes until takeoff.”
Glancing at her watch, Takagaki-san said in a weary tone.
“This is… rough.”
“Yeah. …The plane is over there, though.”
Boarding would likely start soon; the wrapped plane in question was already at the airport, ready for loading.
Having spotted the plane first, I pointed it out to them.
“Is that it?”
“It’s huge.”
“It’s kind of moving to see the actual plane I saw on the news in person.”
“Yeah, it is.”
After sharing their thoughts, the two of them started taking pictures with their smartphones.
“Should we wait inside for now?”
After watching them take their photos, I said.
“It’d be pretty rough to wait thirty minutes out here in this weather, wouldn’t it?”
“…You’re right.”
Kanade agreed.
“……”
Takagaki, on the other hand, said nothing.
“You two wait inside. I’ll wait over here.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t want someone to steal the best spot for taking photos.”
“……”
“Hagiwara, where’s the best spot?”
“…Over there.”
“Got it. Then I’ll meet up with you later.”
“…No.”
Kanade shook her head.
“We’ll be waiting outside too.”
“Huh?”
“Right, Akkun?”
“……”
“Akkun?”
“…Yeah.”
It didn’t feel like the kind of situation where I could refuse, so I reluctantly nodded.
Then we bought drinks from the vending machine on the observation deck and decided to wait for the moment the plane took off.
“Akkun. What have you been looking at on your phone this whole time?”
“FlightRadar.”
It’s an app that shows the real-time locations of commercial aircraft.
“……You really do love airplanes, don’t you?”
Takagaki-san looked exasperated… no, actually, she seemed a little impressed.
“Yeah. Thanks to Kanade.”
“Ichinose-san?”
“……Yeah.”
It felt too embarrassing to say more, so I decided to keep it to myself.
“You two really are close, aren’t you?”
Under the blazing sun, with large beads of sweat on her forehead, Takagaki-san said in a pensive tone.
“…Is that because you’ve both experienced a separation that felt like death?”
At Takagaki-san’s blunt, unfiltered remark, Kanade and I exchanged glances.
“No. I don’t think so.”
It was Kanade who denied it.
“The reason Akun and I get along so well… is because it’s fate.”
…There it was. Fate.
“I see. Fate, huh.”
Takagaki smiled.
“…If you say that the two of you meeting was fate, then I suppose having a troublesome little brother like me was fate, too.”
“That’s right. It must be.”
Takagaki-san didn’t respond to Kanade’s agreement.
With a roar echoing from the distance, an airplane touched down on the ground.
With white smoke billowing from its tires, the plane slowly slowed to a stop.
“…about to move.”
I said.
“Are they taking off right away?”
“No. First, taxi to the runway to take off. Look, over there. See how the planes are lined up? They’re all waiting to take off.”
“……Huh.”
“……Timing-wise, I think two or three more planes will join that line before the wrapped one.”
“So… takeoff is still a while away?”
“Probably about fifteen minutes from now.”
Takagaki wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.
It seemed that as she wiped her sweat, a little foundation had transferred onto the handkerchief.
I felt a deep sense of sympathy for women during the summer.
“It’s so hot.”
Kanade pressed the bottle of water she’d bought against her forehead and slumped over.
“Are you okay?”
“I think I’d feel cooler if you hugged me, A-kun.”
“That would probably just make you hotter.”
“…That would be fun in its own way.”
Kanade is as full of energy as ever.
“…Hehe.”
It was a tiny, tiny chuckle.
So small that if I hadn’t been paying attention, it would have been easily drowned out by the roar of the plane… a tiny, tiny chuckle.
The person who let out that chuckle, which I happened to catch, was Takagaki-san.
Takagaki-san was always exasperated by the pointless conversations Kanade and I had.
In other words… this was the first time she’d ever laughed at us.
“I used to think your banter was just a bunch of nonsense, but now it actually cheers me up a little.”
…Still, the fact that she laughed wasn’t exactly something to be particularly happy about.
It wasn’t something to be ashamed of… probably not.
More than that…
“I wonder when it’ll take off.”
I felt a slight sense of unease in my chest.
“Hagiwara, you take the photos, okay?”
“…Ah, yeah.”
Soon, the wrapped airplane taxied onto the runway, and I raised my camera.
The plane began to roar as it prepared for takeoff…
“…Whoa.”
Just as the plane began to accelerate, Takagaki let out a gasp of admiration.
I kept snapping photos using my camera’s burst mode.
“Haha. It’s flying, it’s flying!”
The moment the plane lifted off the ground, Takagaki began clapping.
“…I hope he gets well soon.”
…Hearing Takagaki-san’s whisper, which sounded as if it might vanish at any moment, I finally realized.
This morning, I had speculated that Kanade… that Takagaki-san would bring her younger brother along.
The reason for that was… if her younger brother said he wanted to see the wrapped airplane, I figured he’d want to see the real thing rather than just a photo.
In reality, viewing the plane isn’t particularly difficult.
For a child who’s just started elementary school—or even younger—to come alone… well, aside from an idiot like me, that’s not something many would do, but in this case, with Takagaki there to supervise, it shouldn’t have been a problem.
But Takagaki didn’t bring her younger brother; she came alone.
…And hearing her words just now, I realized why.
That melancholy tone in her voice… it sounded familiar, and I realized it.
“…Hagiwara, did you get the photos?”
“…”
“…Hagiwara?”
“Oh, yeah. I got them. Want to see?”
“Yeah. Show me.”
…Takagaki, could it be that your little brother…
Maiasa