(Short Story) Between the Sea and the Sky

I sat on the breakwater with my legs dangling. The rough concrete caught on the surface of my denim. The sunlight reflected off the water, dazzling me, and I squinted.
Every time a ship passed in the distance, white ripples would unravel.
Even though it was spring, a wind that still held a chill brushed against my cheeks.

I stretched my arms out toward the sky, giving a big stretch.
A week had passed since the new school term began. Every morning, I send the children off and come here. I don't know why, but I feel like this is the place where I can be most at ease.
The water seems especially clear today. When I looked down at my feet, a small fish flashed brightly.

"Hey, lady!"

A girl's voice came from behind me.
When I turned around, a girl who looked like a middle school student was standing there.
I looked around. There was no one else but her and me. Then, the voice came again.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, lady!"

She was talking to me.

"Wait, what's with calling me 'lady' all of a sudden? That's rude."

A hoodie, denim, sneakers, and a short bob that reached her shoulders.
No matter how you look at it, she's a middle schooler.

"Lady, how old are you?"

"How old? I'm thirty-seven."

"Then 'lady' is fine, isn't it? You're the same age as my mom."

I made a grumpy face at her overly familiar attitude toward someone she'd just met. Besides, calling me a lady...

"What about school?"

"School? I decided not to go today."

"What's that supposed to mean? Well, it's not really my place to say anything, though."

"Lady, you're someone who understands."

The girl sat down next to me. We didn't talk about anything in particular. We just sat side by side. The waves crashing against the breakwater would occasionally splash up. For a while, we watched the sea in silence. My body started to get a little cold. I thought it was time to head back, so I stood up.

"I'm going to head home now. You should go to school properly if you feel like it, too."

"Sure."

Before I had even finished speaking, the girl lay down on her back on the concrete. With a yawn, "Hwaa."

"Hey, lady, will you come here tomorrow too?"

"Probably, if it doesn't rain."

I said that and headed back along the breakwater.
Such a familiar child, and not even going to school.
I turned back halfway along the breakwater. The child was still lying there. I rubbed my cheek, which was sticky from the sea breeze.

That was my first meeting with her.

It was sunny again this morning. I finished hanging out the laundry and got ready to go out.
I could see her figure at the end of the breakwater.

"Lady, we met again."

"You're the one who asked if I'd come tomorrow."

"I guess so."

I sat down next to her. Today, the wind and waves were calm, and it was even a little hot.

"What's your name, lady?"

"You know, usually you should tell someone your own name before asking for theirs."

"Miku."

Miku said, looking out at the sea.

"I'm Hikari."

I answered, also looking at the sea.

"Why do you come here every day, Hikari?"

"Hey, don't call me just Hikari. 'Lady' is fine."

"I like watching the space between the sky and the sea. If you go beyond this horizon, it looks like the sky and the sea might touch, doesn't it? Even though they never will, I like imagining that they might touch somewhere."

"In short, is that what you call escapism?"

"You know, Miku, your words have thorns."

I couldn't help but smile bitterly. If I had a kid like this as a relative, I'd cut their New Year's allowance.

"Miku, why aren't you going to school?"

"It just feels suffocating, somehow."

Miku muttered with a sigh.

"But if things stay like this, you won't even be able to go to high school."

"It's compulsory education, so I can still graduate. Besides, even if I graduate from high school, what can I become?"

"But it expands your chances of getting closer to your dreams, doesn't it?"

"Did you get closer to your dreams, Auntie? Are you living out your dreams?"

Miku peered at me. I felt like I was being sucked into the depths of her dark eyes, which seemed to be asking a pure question.

"I wanted to paint. But, you know, there aren't many people who can make a living off of art."

There is such a thing as dreams and reality.
I couldn't find the words to continue, so I just looked at the sea. I think the time will come when Miku understands, too.

"Then, Auntie, paint a picture of me."

Miku said, her eyes sparkling.

"That's fine, but I don't have my tools with me, so let's do it tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow."

"I should be heading home soon."

As she said that and stood up, Miku waved at me and said, "See you."

I'm going to paint after such a long time. Just that alone made my heart race a little.

"Oh, wait, don't move."

I almost dropped my pencil. Miku flinched at my voice.
Miku immediately returned her gaze to the sea.

"You know, I'm going to America starting next week."

“Huh, that sounds nice. How long are you planning to stay?”

“Hmm, maybe a little over three years at most.”

My pencil stopped moving.

“Three years? Are you going to study abroad? You haven't even graduated yet.”

“Yeah. Graduation will work itself out. I want to be free from this suffocating world here. I want to get used to life over there as soon as possible, too.”

“It must be nice to be young. You can do anything.”

Miku's profile looked radiant.

“You're still young too, Auntie. You should try studying art properly again.”

Her innocent words pierced my chest. I gripped my pencil tightly.

“Don't say it so easily. With kids to take care of and money to spend, there's no way I can do that. Besides, I'm not working.”

I gasped after saying it. Even if she is just a middle schooler, I shouldn't have spoken so harshly.

“I hate that about you. You're just like my mom. Always saying it's for the sake of the kids, but blaming them for things you can't do. That kind of thing is just so suffocating.”

Miku lay back on the breakwater.

“Hey, I'm still in the middle of drawing. Besides, you're the one who asked me to draw you, Miku.”

The water's surface sparkled. A seagull's cry echoed in the distance. Why did I agree to draw this picture? I bit my lip.

“That's it for today. We'll continue next time.”

I shoved my sketchbook and pencil roughly into my tote bag. Then, I walked back along the breakwater without looking back.

The next day, it rained. I couldn't go to the breakwater. In the living room alone, listening to the sound of the rain, I spread out the unfinished drawing. Only the eraser shavings kept piling up.

I stopped at a convenience store on the way to buy chocolate mint and cookies and cream ice cream before heading to the breakwater.

Sunlight occasionally spilled through the gaps in the thick clouds. I looked down at the bag, wondering if I had made the wrong choice. Miku was sitting at the end of the breakwater. She turned around when she noticed my footsteps.

Which one do you want?

I took them out of the bag and asked Miku to choose.

I want this one.

Miku chose chocolate mint.

Oh, that's a surprise.

I like this one. Some people say it tastes like toothpaste, but I like it. Besides, I don't want others deciding what I should like. Even you, Auntie.

There was no sting in those words.
They stuck deep in my chest, like a burr that wouldn't come off.

We ate our ice cream while looking at the sea. By the time we finished, our bodies were completely chilled, and we huddled up, clutching our sleeves. I took my sketchbook out of my tote bag and showed Miku the drawing.

So this is what I look like.

Miku took the sketchbook and gazed at the drawing.

I think you have a nice face.

You know, I'm thinking about learning how to draw properly. It's hard to go to school, but the owner of a nearby cafe holds a painting class once a month. I'm thinking of going there.

That sounds great.

What do you want to do in America, Miku?

I haven't really decided. I want to take a deep breath over there and then find it.

Well, that might be good too. You're young, so you can do anything.

You're still young too, Auntie.

Being called Auntie by Miku didn't feel bad at all.

I have to go shopping. I'll be heading home now.

Thanks for the ice cream, Auntie. And take care of yourself.

"Yeah, me too, Miku."

That's what I said as we parted ways. I didn't even ask for her contact information. We only knew each other's first names. We didn't make any promises to meet again, either.

Three days later. I came back to the usual breakwater. Miku was... not there. Beyond the horizon, the scene where the sky and the sea seemed to touch was there before me.

<<End>>