Yuto X Etsuko

“Don’t cry. I’m sure he doesn’t want to see you like this. Cheer up, okay?”

“But.. but.. I.. can’t.”

“It’s okay. Calm down. I’m sure he wants you to be happy. Do you want to stay with him for a while longer?”

“Yes. Thank.. you..”

From afar she saw a woman walking off, leaving the other woman whom she had been consoling. It was kind of obvious that her beloved had passed away, though due to an unknown tragedy. How would she know? She was just an outsider, a passer-by, a third party whose existence no one
acknowledged.

She sighed. It seemed that the place she was at was getting more and more visitors. Why? She wondered. What was making it so popular? And why that certain date? Or maybe it wasn’t just that certain date. Maybe it was equally crowded everyday, just that she didn’t know. She had been too caught up with her feelings that she didn’t really bother about her surroundings. And it was not as if she came to that place everyday anyway.

“I’m going now. Bye. I’ll come to visit you the next time I have time,” she said, facing the grave.

She smiled and walked off.

Yes, she was at a graveyard.

~~~~~
“So, who wants to go for karaoke later?”

“Me!”

“Meee!”

“ME!”

“What about you, Kou-chan?”

She looked up. Karaoke? She didn’t feel like it. “No, thanks.”

“Aw.. Come on. We’ll be having sushi later. And we know it’s your favourite,” he friend said.

Sushi? She did like sushi. So what should she do? Yes? No?

“Why not?” she smiled. “But I’ll have to leave earlier than you guys. I’ve got something important to do.”

“What’s so important that you can bear to leave us halfway?”

“There’s just something I need to do. Something private.”

“Well, okay. If you say so..”

~~~~~
She walked at her own pace. Everyone seemed in a hurry. What was there to rush for?

She continued in her pace towards her destination. She was going to the graveyard once more. She had promised. So she had to keep it. Although she had constantly been going there, she felt it was somewhat different that day. It was like something was going to be unraveled or happen. Something was pulling her to that place, but she was a little afraid of it. Why was she?

As she walked, she saw many people passing her with saddened faces. Why be so glum? She thought. It’ll only make your loved ones who are gone more sad. She looked around. There were even some crying and sobbing. Death was something sad, something unpredictable and something inevitable. She had learned that when she became alone in the world.

She stopped in her tracks. Who was that? She thought. She saw someone standing in front of the grave that she had always been visiting. No one had ever visited it other than her. So why was it different this time?

She walked towards the grave, keeping her eye on that unknown visitor. “Who are you?”

The visitor turned with a look of surprise.

Why is he here? she thought. No one knew about her family. And what’s more, no one ever asked about her family. So how did this person here know? And also, he was her classmate.

“Hi,” he said.

“Yuto, what are you doing here?”

“Well, I found out you always came here and..”

“You followed me?”

“No, no. I always walk home this way and I happen to always see you coming here.”

She was silent. She thought no one she knew knew that she was always there. And of all people, it had to be the person she liked? Why? Why was God playing with her?

“So.. I realized that you’ve lost someone dear to you. Like me.”

She looked at his face. He looked serious. He lost someone dear to him too, she thought. Like me.

“My brother had an accident last year. Since then, he could not move his legs. He became depressed and paranoid. He kept thinking that people looked down on him for his disability. He would talk to no one except me. He would constantly blame himself for the accident and the loss of his girlfriend. While they were sent to the hospital, she died on the way. Until a few days ago, I’ve never known the real truth behind the accident. Etsuko, his girlfriend was your sister, Haruna.”

She was dumbstruck. How could it be? She knew her sister had a boyfriend. She knew her boyfriend. But how.. why.. what... She couldn’t think properly. She couldn’t even think about what questions to ask. She was confused. Too confused.

“How?” she finally asked.

“A few days ago, he committed suicide by stabbing himself with a knife. When we found out, it was all too late. Beside him, we found a letter addressed to me. On the envelope was written this,” Yuto took out an envelope from his pocket and gave it to Etsuko.

‘This letter is only meant for Yuto. No one else is to read it.’

She looked at him.

“Open it,” he said.

She opened the envelope and took out the paper in it. She read.

Yuto,

I’m sure you’ve always wondered about the mystery behind the accident. I’ve always blamed myself about it. No matter what people said. Because only I knew the whole story. Now, I’m finally able to tell you about it.

As you know, Haruna was in the car with me. She had told me not to drive along that road. She said she had a dream that we’ll encounter an accident along the way. She said her sister was also in the car in her dream, but she managed to make her sister stay at home for safety. I did not heed her advice eventhough she told me her dreams were very accurate. I made fun of her on the way. To show her that she was just thinking too much, I drove through that road. And sure enough, as predicted in her dream, a lorry appeared in front of us and then it was all blank.

When I awoke, you told me that she was gone and I could not use my legs ever again. Everyone tried to hide the fact from me, except you. That is why only you are fit to read this letter. Before I leave, I’d like you to find Haruna’ sister. When you find her, please tell her I’m sorry and I regret my actions. I do not hope for her forgiveness. Haruna was her only family and because of me she is now alone. I only hope that my going away will make it better for everyone, especially Haruna’s sister, Yamada Etsuko.

Your brother.

Etsuko could not believe her eyes. She couldn’t trust herself to believe the story. Was what was written in the letter true? Or was it just a prank? But who would want to go to such lengths just to play a prank on her?

And suddenly, she remembered.

~~~~~
“Etsuko-chan, you must stay at home. For my sake okay?”

“Demo, nee-chan. Nande?”

“Just follow what I say. It’s for your own safety.”

“Hai.. hai...”

~~~~~
Now she knew. Now she knew why her sister had made her stay at home. She had wanted to save her from the tragedy she knew was coming. Since young, her dreams about bad accidents always came true. She had ESP. But no one believed her no matter what she did to prove it. Because no one believed her, she didn’t even bother explaining it to her why she had wanted her to stay home so badly. Even her boyfriend did not believe her. What could she have done to prevent all that had happened.

Tears slid down Etsuko’s face. Why? Why did it have to happen to her? Was she meant to be alone and depressed her whole life?

“I know how you feel,” Yuto said quietly.

“How would you know?! It’s not your sister who died to save others. It’s not you life that was torned into pieces because of that accident. It’s not...”

“But it was my brother who made the accident come true. It was my brother who lost your sister. It was my brother who loved your sister so much that he was willing to commit suicide to atone for his sins. How do you think I feel?!”

Etsuko could not control her feelings. She broke down. Soon it began to rain. They both became drenched. “Let’s go somewhere dry,” Yuto said.

“No. I’m staying here.”

“Let’s go somewhere dry,” he repeated.

“No.”

Yuto took her hands and pulled her up. Etsuko pulled away from him but he didn’t let go. “Let me go!”

“No.”

“Let me go! What do you want? Just leave me be! How do you think I feel when I think about all these? I need to be alone!” She shouted at Yuto’s face.

“What about me? How do you think I feel when I know it was my brother’s fault? When it was you that he meant by Haruna’s sister?” Yuto shouted at her.

“What.. do you mean?”

“Etsuko, I like you. Ever since we’ve been in the same class. I saw how you suddenly pulled yourself away from the others. How your expressions became fake. How sad you’ve become. When I found out it was your sister whose death was caused by my brother, how do you think it feels?”

Etsuko was silent. Millions of things went through her head. But nothing was making sense. Soon, she felt faint and blacked out.

~~~~~
Etsuko opened her eyes. Where was she? The room she was in was fully furnished with the touch of calmness from the wall colour. The arrangement of furniture made her feel at peace. She looked around and saw Yuto sleeping by the window.

She looked at how perfect his face was. How nice he had been in school. Then, she remembered. It was his brother. His brother was the cause to her sister’s death. But wait, was it totally his fault? He was not the first one to not believe her. She had not too. She looked at Yuto once more and suddenly what her decision was became all clear.

Yuto suddenly woke up. He saw Etsuko staring at him. “What?” he said.

She shook her head.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. He was a little surprised by her sudden change of attitude. Just that evening she had been screaming at him and now it was nighttime and she looked all peaceful and decided.

“I’m fine.”

“Have you decided something? ‘Cause you look kind of.. different.”

“Yeah. I’ve decided to move on. I’ll not visit Haruna that often. I’m sure she’s sad that I spend more time with the dead than the living. I’m not going to blame your brother or anyone. Afterall, it was not easy to believe something so bizarre like ESP.”

“Wow. You’ve got it all sort out. I’m impressed,” Yuto smiled.

Etsuko smiled.

“You... just smiled,” Yuto said. “A real smile.”

“Am I really that transparent? You seem to be able to see through me so easily. Although I think that you’re the only one.”

“Well, I don’t know why but it’s pretty easy to look through your expressions.”

Silence.

“By the way, when you said you like me.... Did you.. mean it?” Etsuko looked away.

“Of course. I don’t say things that I don’t mean. I really like you, Etsuko. I...”

“I like you too.”

“You.. you do?” Yuto was surprised.

“I though you said I’m pretty easy to be seen through. Guess it’s not easy afterall,” Etsuko giggled.

“Maybe not this time. But at least I could see your sadness. Then you can share with me. By the way, I’m still not sure about something.”

“What?”

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

Etsuko looked into Yuto’s eyes. She smiled and nodded. Yuto went over to her and hugged her.

“You know, I think my sister’s an angel.”

“Why?”

“First, she saves me. And now, she linked me with the one I liked.”

Was this all predestined? Or was it some game that Fate played?

-brenda-