The Woman Playing the Guitar - Short Story - #AmanoWritingClub

Amano-san, thank you for your continued support.
This is my first time participating in this project.
I look forward to working with you.

《Main Text》

She was running.
Amidst the strong wind and heavy rain lashing at her face, Hikaru threw away her umbrella and ran.
“Make it in time!”
Kana was waving from the very back seat of the bus.
With a sad smile, she was saying goodbye to Hikaru.
Her childhood friend, Kana, was transferring schools.
“Oh, come on! I’m such an idiot!”
Hikaru cursed herself.
Even in that split second, raindrops flew into her mouth.
In this day and age, even if someone transfers schools, you can easily stay in touch via the internet or email.
But even so, there are things you must not skip.
And this is one of them.
When sending off a dear friend who is leaving, I want to deliver my voice in person, not through a digital connection.
Her wet bangs stuck to her forehead, making it hard to see ahead.

The bus finished boarding, and the doors closed.

Hikaru managed to jump inside, but she was absolutely soaked. The dripping water created puddles on the bus floor.
She could feel the gazes of the other passengers.
Panting, Hikaru stood frozen, clutching the handrail near the entrance, when Kana pushed through the crowd, saying, “Excuse me.”

“What are you doing? You’re soaking wet. You didn’t have to push yourself... If we want to see each other again, we can.”
Kana wiped Hikaru’s face with a handkerchief.
“But, but! We’ve known each other for so long, and you’re moving away!”
“Even so, I think you cut it too close and got way too wet in the rain, don’t you think? ...Oh.”

Kana seemed to have found something.
It was the keychain hanging from Hikaru’s shoulder bag.

“You still have this.”

It was a memento they had bought nearly ten years ago at an art museum they visited for the first time as elementary school students, taken there by Kana’s mother.

“Yeah. I decided to attach it. It’s nostalgic, right?”
“Yeah... I really loved this. We had them buy us matching ones, didn’t we? Was it called ‘The Woman Playing the Guitar’?”
“That’s right. It’s still stylish, isn’t it?”
“It is.”

Kana had kept hers in her own little treasure box, but the color had faded a bit, and she thought Hikaru wouldn’t remember it.

“I suddenly remembered this. Searching for it is why I was late.”
“I see, so that’s it. Haha, that’s just like you, Hikaru... Haha.”
“You’re touched, aren’t you? I wanted to cast a spell on you so you wouldn’t forget about me even over there.”
“...Hey, haha. A spell, huh? Is it supposed to be this warm?”

Hikaru wanted to lend her handkerchief to Kana, who was wiping away tears, but her own was so wet it could be wrung out.
Seeing that, Kana burst into tears and laughter, using her own handkerchief, which was already quite wet from wiping Hikaru.


She saw her off at the station by bus.

Immediately after saying goodbye with a smile, Hikaru received an email from Kana.

—Actually, I have that in my treasure box too.
　We’ll be friends forever!

—Don’t you forget those words.

—Wow, a curse! (^^)!

Hikaru sneezed once and laughed, “Hehe.”

“...Kana cherished it too.”

Indeed, there are things you must not skip...

Hikaru thought as she fiddled with the ‘Woman Playing the Guitar’ keychain.

(The End)

I wrote a short story for the first time in a while.
Since I usually only write serialized stories, it was difficult💦
Thank you very much to everyone who read it😌