[Project Participation/Short Story] Promise

Do you remember that promise?

Suzu swallowed the words that were about to spill from her throat without thinking. She whispered her wish, which she had written on a yellow strip of paper, in her heart like a prayer, and turned her eyes to Keito, who was busy writing on a blue strip of paper next to her. Just then, a little girl clutching a pink strip of paper came over to pick up a pen that had rolled onto the makeshift table. Keito smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and handed the pen to the adorable girl who was stretching up on her tiptoes. Seeing the gentle atmosphere Keito created, Suzu naturally felt her own lips curve into a smile.

Keito is a junior colleague at work, three years younger than me, with a friendly personality and a frequent smile. Today, on Tanabata, a year after we were assigned to the same department, we met for the first time on a day off.

It was Suzu who had invited him. She had asked him to lunch thinking he would refuse, but Keito didn't even look troubled and agreed immediately. Perhaps it was just because he couldn't say no to a senior at work, though.

The meeting place was a shopping street in front of the station, a little way from the office. The area in front of the station is crowded on holidays. Suzu had been waiting with a restless heart, wondering if she would be able to find Keito, but her worries were unfounded.

Feeling embarrassed that she had instantly spotted Keito walking from the station in his navy-colored shirt, Suzu hurriedly looked down. As she gripped the black floral dress she had bought for this day to suppress her nervousness, a shadow stopped in front of her. Suzu swallowed hard and slowly looked up. Then, whether he knew her feelings or not, Keito softened his cool eyes and smiled lightly, saying, "Sorry to keep you waiting." Feeling like her face was turning red, Suzu looked away and spoke bluntly.

"I wasn't waiting."

Keito called out cheerfully to Suzu, who was falling into self-loathing for her uncute way of speaking.

"Hey, Suzu-san, why don't we go to the Tanabata event?"

Invited by Keito like that, Suzu ended up participating in the Tanabata decoration event being held on the shopping street, which brings us to the present. Choosing a yellow strip of paper from the colorful ones, Suzu wrote her wish without hesitation.

[May the promise I made with Keito come true]

Just as Suzu was narrowing her eyes wistfully while sliding her gaze over the strip of paper where she had written her wish again.

Rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle. When a warm breeze blew, the light sound of bamboo leaves echoed. At the clear sound that seemed to sweep away the heavy, clinging air of the rainy season, Keito looked up and opened his thin lips.

"Suzu-san, did you know? They say the sound of bamboo leaves is a sound that invites the gods."

Keito smiled, hiding a somewhat triumphant look. Seeing Keito show such an innocent, boyish smile, Suzu felt a sense of endearment and her cheeks trembled.

"Is that so? Maybe they'll come to grant everyone's wishes written on the strips of paper."

"I hope so. ...It looks like Orihime and Hikoboshi will be able to meet tonight."

While gazing at Keito's calm profile as he looked up at the blue sky, Suzu deepened her smile, holding the emptiness in her heart so that Keito wouldn't notice.

Ever since she met Keito, who had transferred to the department where Suzu worked, and started working at the desk next to him, Suzu had been troubled by a strange sensation.

The comfort and sense of security she felt despite meeting him for the first time. The mysterious feeling that the axis of time was blurring when they exchanged casual conversations. And, memories that were not of this world began to flash through Suzu's mind.

The fragmented images that occasionally float up—me wearing a kimono and writing with a brush, or talking to someone beside me—are all disconnected and aimless.
Moreover, these images vanish in an instant like the light of a firefly, leaving my thoughts unable to keep up, and Suzu could only tilt her head in confusion.

Mysterious experiences pile up without any answers.
It is difficult to put into words things I cannot even understand myself, so I cannot consult anyone. A vague sense of discomfort was constantly swirling in Suzu's chest.
Then one day, Suzu suddenly arrived at an answer.

It happened while she was on her way to a cherry blossom viewing party held only for people in her department.
That day, from the moment she saw the cherry trees in full bloom, her heart had been pounding and she felt a strange sense of unease. It wasn't something unpleasant, but rather a feeling of being stirred by an inexplicable sense of exhilaration. Thinking, 'This is another strange feeling I don't understand,' Suzu walked along, admiring the cherry blossoms.
Suddenly, a single petal danced playfully in front of Suzu.
The moment she shifted her gaze to follow the cherry petal, Suzu gasped.

The instant Keito's figure, reaching out for the cherry petal, was reflected in Suzu's eyes, vivid images spread through her mind as if a fog had cleared.

The image of a man wearing a navy blue kimono reaching out for a cherry petal.
The emotions welling up from within her own chest as she watched the man amidst the blizzard of cherry blossoms.

Surprised by the suddenness, Suzu froze on the spot, and she still remembers calling out to Keito while pretending to be calm, without understanding what had happened.
There is no way she could forget it.
The shock of a violent flash occurring in her brain, as if a chemical reaction had taken place, raced through the core of her body. For the first time in her life, a numbness similar to dizziness remained in the back of her head for a while.

I have met Keito in the past.

As that mysterious thought turned into conviction, it also brought anxiety to Suzu.

She had seen stories about people being reincarnated, falling in love with their soulmate, and ending up together many times in movies, novels, and manga.

It would be a lie to say she hadn't longed for such a 'soulmate'.
Especially during her youth, she had genuinely thought that one might exist for her too. However, as she became an adult, she began to think that a 'soulmate' might not be limited to romantic love. She wondered if everyone who interacts with you and teaches you something becomes a 'soulmate'.

Therefore, Keito is also a 'soulmate' to Suzu. However, Keito was clearly different from the people she had met until now.
If asked how he was different, she wouldn't even know how to explain it herself.

Suzu searched the internet for words that came to mind, such as 'reincarnation,' 'memories of a past life,' and 'spiritual past life'.
There were many articles on the internet with personal experiences similar to her own. On the other hand, there were also negative articles claiming it was impossible.
Reading the precise words laid out, 'It is a delusion or fantasy, and merely an escape from reality,' Suzu laughed ironically in her heart.

That would be true.
It is something that cannot happen in reality.
Perhaps I have lost my mind.

She thought that over and over again.
She had strongly told herself to stop thinking about it.
And yet.
Since the day of the cherry blossom viewing, as if the lock on Suzu's memory had been forced open, memories transcending time and space overflowed uncontrollably.

Walking together in a meadow where flowers were blooming.
Looking up at the clear sky and laughing together.
Holding hands tightly in the meadow while watching the rays of light coloring the sky, though she didn't know if it was sunrise or sunset.
Even the words of the promise they exchanged at that time echoed softly in the back of her ears.

'Next time, let's go see many different worlds together.'

There is no proof that the person was Keito. There isn't, but there is no doubt that these are memories she recalled while meeting Keito and thinking of him.

Memories of a past life are very ambiguous things.
Perhaps she, who unconsciously harbored a desire for the uncertain existence of a 'soulmate,' is creating a fantasy.
But there is a part of her that wants to believe.

She wants to believe in this one-of-a-kind feeling.

Suzu watched the back of Keito as he tied a blue strip of paper to the bamboo leaves.

I wonder how many people in this world can remember the promises they made in their past lives.
For that matter, I wonder how many people even believe in past lives.

Realizing she was harboring such an endlessly futile desire, Suzu had given up.

Even if Keito doesn't remember, it's enough if I do.
If we could go see many different worlds together someday, that would be enough.

Even though she thought that, a sense of emptiness stubbornly remained in her heart.
Suzu clenched her back teeth.

…I’m so greedy.

Tears welled up slowly.
Not wanting Keito to see her teary eyes, Suzu stretched out her arm as if to hide her face, reached up as high as she could, flipped her tanzaku strip over, and tied it to the bamboo leaf.
As soon as Suzu finished tying the string, Keito spoke up.

“Suzu-san, what did you write for your wish?”

“…It’s a secret.”

I’m so stubborn, she thought.
I wish I could be more honest.

“Do you remember that promise?”

She couldn't say those simple words.
Keito tilted his head at Suzu, who had shown him a brave smile.

“...I see. I hope your wish comes true.”

Keito smiled innocently.
He was so dear to her that it was hateful.

As Suzu looked down, biting her lip to keep the tears covering her eyes from spilling over, Keito’s fingertips suddenly touched the back of her hand.
The sensation of Keito’s touch made the back of her ears tingle.
Just as Suzu tried to move away casually to create some distance, Keito gripped her hand tightly.

With her heart pounding, Suzu looked up at Keito.
Keito’s face was not its usual gentle color, but was dyed bright red.
Responding to Keito’s expression, which seemed to have lost its composure, Suzu’s cheeks flushed.

In that instant, the wind danced.
The bamboo leaves rustled, and a clear sound echoed.
Drawn by the sound of the bamboo leaves, Suzu shifted her gaze away from Keito.
At that moment, a blue tanzaku strip fluttered in the breeze.

Keito’s wish was etched into Suzu’s wide-open eyes.

[I hope I can go see many different worlds with Suzu-san]

***

I've written a concise version of a story I'm planning to submit to a winter novel contest, timed for the Tanabata festival.
I thought I'd try organizing my thoughts, almost like a plot outline.
I have to expand this into a story of over 100,000 characters... I plan to write their past lives as a full-blown fantasy... Just thinking about it makes me shudder (lol).
I'm trembling—(but it's fun... lol).

Oh, that's right,
The Mephisto Prize results were announced in May, but I didn't win.
However, I gained some insights, so it's okay (that's a bit casual... lol).

For now, I'm going to stop starting my writing one month before the deadline (lol).
I need to give myself more breathing room.

This time, I wrote a story about reincarnation.
It's a classic development, but that's just the kind of thing I'm in the mood to write right now (lol).

Before,
I used to wonder if past lives really existed,
but now I believe in them quite naturally.

It's been a while since I posted a story.
For some reason, I wanted to finish it within this week,
so the flow and descriptions of the story might have become a bit rough,
and I think there might have been parts that were hard to read,
but thank you for reading until the end.

Slowly but surely,
I've started writing for a novel contest coming up in the summer.
If I start two months before the deadline, I should be able to manage (lol).

xu-san, rira-san, thank you for the wonderful project.
The theme is Tanabata.
I look forward to it.

That's all from Rei Maruya.