A New Beginning - Part 4

Part 3: https://pastebin.com/BpT8MqB9

The snow won't budge, it keeps falling from the heavens with a vengeance.

I head back out to where I found Rin, going in the opposite direction to last time; hoping I would find Emi along the way.

But I don't. I find no one.

Defeated, I make for the track again after throwing another glance at Rin's mural.

She isn't at the track either.

She can't have left the slushy confines of the walkways; the snowy blankets are too pristine for that.

'sigh'

I assume she's gone home, the best place to be in weather like this.

I would say I'd rather be at home right now, but that means I'll have to put up with Kenji all day; which while it has its benefits, it certainly has its drawbacks.

I wander towards the front gates and find Emi stood there on her mobile phone.

She looks rather angry: dialling a number, raising the phone to her ear, waiting a moment, lowering it, and repeating the entire process again until she notices me.

"Hey, Hisao. You know why the gates are locked?"

"Hey, Emi. Wait, what did you say?"

"Why are the gates locked?"

She tries opening one, but it doesn't move any more than an a few centimetres either way.

"What the hell?"

"Yeah, I've been trying to get a hold of my mum but I've been getting nothing."

"No signal?"

"No, she's out with a friend today. She normally answers though."

I suppose today isn't normal at all.

"Oh right. Erm, you want to head inside? Get out of this before you ruin your phone?"

"OK, I need to get home soon though."

"We'll sort something out. Once we find who's got us all here, we can find out why they've locked the gates too. Besides, I don't plan on staying long either."

As we begin to head back, I notice Emi doesn't seem herself, seeming like she has her guard up.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine. Thank you."

"Emi, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. About the Paralympics."

"It's fine, Hisao. You thought getting bronze is a high achievement."

"But it is! You're one of the top Paralympians in the world!"

Emi doesn't reply, she just lowers her head and looks at the floor.

Well done Hisao; in trying to reconcile what I did earlier, I've done it again.

"What's wrong, Emi? I'm sorry to bring it up again."

"Nothing, I just..."

Emi stops and gives me a sad puppy look before sighing and becoming withdrawn again.

"I should have won the Gold. Not bronze, not silver, but gold!"

"I know you was aiming for that, but sometimes it doesn't work out like that. Something’s are just out of your control."

"But it was! I should have been on that top podium! Not that American!"

"Emi-"

"What?! You sound like everyone, Hisao! Ever since that race, that's what everyone has been saying!"

I've never known Emi to interrupt like that; nor have I ever seen this angry either.

"I'm sorry, Emi. I just don't know what else to say."

"Just shut up about it! I wish everyone would just shut up!"

She lets out a scream that could wake the dead; venting all her bottled anger in the moment. When she finishes letting her rage go, I notice tears begin to fill her eyes.

"I'm sorry I mentioned it, Emi. But how do you feel now you've had a good rant about it?"

She doesn't raise her head, she just shrugs while keeping her gaze fixed on the floor.

"I don't know, Hisao."

"I'm sorry to ask this, but when I said 'something’s are out of your control', you said that it was. Why did you say that?"

"I..."

"Yes?"

Her demeanour switches back from sadness into anger.

"I slacked off! Alright? Is that want you wanted me to say?!"

With that, her anger gives rise to sadness once again.

"I got lazy during the build-up, once I was confirmed to be on the team. I-I slacked off from my training, thinking that I would clear it all no problem.

No one knows about it, they just say 'better luck next time'. I can't tell my mum either, she will be heartbroken since I have lied to her all this time."

"But why lie about it?"

"I can't bear the shame that I didn't do well since I decided to be lazy."

"But there's no shame in it, we all have moments in life."

"But me, Hisao? I've been running nearly every day for the past ten to fifteen years. I don't have 'moments'!"

"We all do, it's one of the things that makes us human. We all need a break from the monotony of everyday life at some point."

"But, what would he..."

"He? Who?"

Emi shakes her head as tears fill her eyes once again. I feel absolutely terrible for causing her to feel all this grief today, I go to give her a hug but she doesn't reciprocate.

"No one, just please don't tell anyone about this, Hisao. Please!"

"I won't tell a soul, Emi; don't worry."

"But listen. As I said, we all have moments where want to break from everything. It's a part of life, it's a part of who we are."

"I know, I just-"

"There's no 'just' about it! If you're giving it you're all for so long, there will be a time where you'll burn out. We're not invincible, no matter how much we wish to be."

Emi finally returns the hug as she stops crying, I can sense the demon that's been haunting her disappear, reducing the weight of the air around us.

"Thank you, Hisao. It feels better to get that off my chest."

"You're welcome, now shall we get inside? I'm freezing!"

"Yes. That sounds like a good idea."

As we make our way back, Emi stops in front of me and turns around suddenly.

"You know, Hisao. I'll see that bronze when I get home, and it will remind me to take a break sometimes; just not before a major competition!"

"Good! Let it strive you to go for the gold when the Paralympics comes to Tokyo!"

"That it will! Plus, I know you'll come after me if I don't!"

She laughs with her trademark child-like grin, reminiscent of an era where life was much easier.

"There's one thing you're wrong on."

"Oh, what's that then?"

"I won't come after you, I can never run as fast or as long as you."

I say while pointing directly at my scar, Emi bursts into an infectious laughter as we both remerge in the main lobby.

Rin was still there, laid on the floor with her eyes closed. She's still wearing my coat, which I almost regret not taking it back from her before heading out to find Emi.

Emi walks up and gives her a nudge, waking her from what seemed to be a light nap with how quickly she came to.

"Enjoying the view, Rin? I don't have a skirt so you can't see them this time!"

Emi grins at Rin while she looks back at indifferently, I have no idea what she means but given her mentioning a skirt, I wasn't going to ask.

After Rin gets up, Yoshiro bursts through a pair of doors with Akira following close behind.

"Yo. Did you find anything out there, Hisao?"

"Nothing, although Emi discovered the main gates have been locked shut."

"What the hell? I'm not liking the sound of this. Especially since we can't find anyone to find out why we are here in the first place!"

"What are we going to do? Should we call the police or something? Tell them we're trapped here?"

"I wouldn't, Hisao. We wouldn't have a decent defence."

"Wait, what do you mean, 'decent defence'?"

"Well, since we have no reason to be here, and technically the school is shut right now. So it can be seen as trespassing."

My heart sunk the moment Akira mentions trespassing, though I had a little feeling when she uttered defence; but despite that, it didn't soften the blow.

Before I could conjure any kind of smart idea on how to get out of this, Lilly and Hanako returned arm in arm.

"Did you find anything, Hanako?"

"We didn't, Hisao. Every room is empty."

I turn to Akira who gives me a slightly worried look before calling and pulling Yoshiro close to her.

"What's the matter, Akira?"

"Nothing, Lilly. Just making sure your nephew doesn't get in your way."

"Don't need to worry, Akira. I'm sure he wouldn't do that."

She throws a gentle smile at Akira's direction assuming Yoshiro is there as well. He looks up at Akira with a big grin just like hers.

"So what are we going to do?"

The voice comes from behind me, I turn to find Emi stood alongside Rin who's gazing around the room.

"I'd say get everyone back here and we'll sort something out. Hisao, would you mind finding Shizune and Misha please?"

"Why me?"

"You did manage to find Rin and Emi outside easily."

I would normally argue but I didn't want to seem whiny and lazy.

"Alright then, where did they go?"

"Third floor I think."

"OK. I'll start there, I shouldn't be long."

I feel like I'm in a badly made game where you do nothing but fetch stuff.

Lightly jogging up to the third floor takes all my breath. In hindsight I shouldn't have done that.

But more importantly, what is taking Shizune and Misha so long? With how they were earlier, I would have expected them to be the first back.

The question looms over me while I wander up the corridor peering into each classroom, all bearing the same emptiness I feel when I finish work each day.

However, at the far end, a door was slightly ajar. I go to peer in and see Shizune frantically signing to Misha in what seems like anger or frustration.

I move to get a better view from the small gap without giving away that I’m there, I can barely make out Misha replying as quick as Shizune responds. She doesn't seem uncomfortable like earlier, in fact it seems like the tables have turned and Shizune is uncomfortable now.

I decide to stay back and let them have their moment, I move away from the door and lean against the wall for a few minutes.

What could they be arguing about? Since I never studied sign I have absolutely no idea. Could it be something to do with them falling apart? Who knows.

The time passes slowly due to the deafening silence coming from their altercation, I go to peer back in and notice Shizune is slumped against the desk at the front of the classroom with Misha standing in front of her; but she wasn’t stood there basking in victory.

The animosity in the air replaced with a sullen sadness that feels even heavier than the former.

As I move to grab the door handle, Misha wraps herself around Shizune and they share an embrace for a moment.

It is really sweet to see them make up. Asides from Lilly and Hanako, they were like sisters with how close they were. As they part, the mood changes again.

Misha gently nudges Shizune’s chin up and places a tender kiss on her lips.

Whoa.

Shizune is initially hesitant but she relaxes as she succumbs to the moment and kisses Misha in return.

I never would have expected this. Could this be the reason all the long? Misha fell in love with Shizune but that just confused her?

I guess that would explain all the tension between them and Misha's reluctance to be alone with Shizune.

As the thoughts cross my mind, Misha lifts Shizune onto the desk and they begin to make out passionately.

Misha unzips Shizune’s coat and opens it onto the desk, lifts her t-shirt, and slowly kisses her stomach multiple times.

Shizune begins to breathe deeply as Misha moves up to her chest. This is by far, the loudest Shizune has ever been.

While I'm not into voyeurism I feel frozen and can't move away from the door; I mean, what else do I do? Do I carry on watching them, do I walk in and act like I didn't see anything, or do I move away from the door and wait for them to finish?

An all too familiar sensation in my chest from my heart answers my own question for me. Pulling me away from the door with my hand clenched on my chest.

I take a few steps back and collapse on the floor to catch my breath and hope my heart's rhythm returns back to normal.

Please no. Not today.

Part 5: https://pastebin.com/bGE7ZKay