[Serial Short Story] In the Town Between #7 Memory

There were only a few dead leaves left on the zelkova tree in the garden.
The sky was a cloudless blue, but the sunlight was soft, gently warming Shiro's back as he prepared the soil in the small vegetable garden where the harvest had already ended.
Hey.
Kurusu, who had slowly climbed the stairs to the house, called out to Shiro's back.
Oh, Kurusu-san. Hello.
You're a good one, aren't you.
Huh?
Looking up at Kurusu, who said this with a smile while keeping his hands in his pockets, Shiro replied with a slightly vacant voice.
Shiro, you are healing itself. Just looking at you makes me feel calm.
As Shiro stood up with a puzzled look, a serious-looking middle-aged man behind Kurusu greeted him.
Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Tanabe, Nobuhiko Tanabe.
Oh, hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Shiro.
Like salarymen greeting each other, they both bowed deeply, and as Kurusu lightly tapped their shoulders, he said, "Well, get along well," and left through the gate.
A slight breeze blew over Shiro's head, who was bewildered by Kurusu's unusual behavior, shaking the dead zelkova leaves.
Shiro hurriedly went out the gate and shouted at Kurusu's back as he went down the stairs.
Kurusu-san!
Even hearing that voice, Kurusu did not stop, only raising his left hand and waving it from side to side.
Kurusu-san!
When Shiro shouted again, this time he stopped. Then he looked up at the sky, turned around slowly, and smiled as he looked up at Shiro, who was standing still at the top of the stairs.
Shiro! If I'm gone, take care of Iku-chan!
Kurusu-san! Wait a minute!
Kurusu stopped Shiro, who had descended a few steps, by spreading his right hand wide. Then, he nodded slowly toward the standing Shiro as if to say it was okay, and went down the stairs again.
Shiro could only watch his back as he left.

When Kurusu reached the bottom of the stairs and pressed the button for the traffic light on the main street, Miya was standing on the other side of the crosswalk.
Every time a car passed between them, Miya's white hair, which was loosely tied back, swayed.
The light turned green, and Kurusu slowly approached Miya.
At the smile of Miya, who stood silently, Kurusu took his hand out of his pocket and bowed slightly.
Miya-san.
Miya kept smiling as always.
Miya-san's smile is like a Bodhisattva's.
Really? Is that a compliment? I'm non-religious, so I don't know.
Haha. A truly gentle smile gives me courage.
I see. Well then, take care. I'm sure it will be fine.
Saying that, Miya gave Kurusu's back a light push.

When Shiro climbed back up the two or three steps he had started to descend and returned to the house, Tanabe was standing anxiously in front of the entrance.
Um, are you okay?
Ah, I'm sorry. I'm fine, yeah, I'm fine.
Shiro clapped his cheeks with both hands to regain his expression, then opened the sliding door of the entrance and invited Tanabe into the house.
When he guided him to the room on the second floor as usual, Tanabe let out a cry of admiration at the bookshelf covering the wall, and reached out as if to rush toward it, pulling out a pictorial book.
A Japanese Railway Pictorial Book. And it's from 1975, that's when I was a child.
Oh, I didn't know that book was that old.
Tanabe sat down in front of the bookshelf as if he had forgotten Shiro's presence, and spread the book out on his crossed legs.
Oh, this electric locomotive is an EF58. How nostalgic. Oh, the Blue Train. Was it still the 20 series back then?
At that moment, a sound announcing hunger rumbled from Tanabe's stomach.
Ah, excuse me, hahahaha.
At that sound, Tanabe came to his senses and laughed shyly.
You seem to be hungry. There's a delicious cafe, would you like to go?
That sounds good. Please.

After the busy time for lunch shopping passed, the shopping street regained its calm.
Since there were no customers, Naoki, the butcher, went outside with a broom and dustpan to clean in front of the shop.
The late autumn air was cold, but there was no wind. It seemed the time when the sunlight pouring down from the blue sky was strongest during the day had passed.
Noticing a figure standing in the corner of his vision, he looked up, and it was Kurusu in a black jacket and white shirt.
Oh, what's wrong, Kurusu-chan? Did you come to buy a croquette or something?
Even when he called out like that, Kurusu did not answer, standing with an expression as if he were deep in thought.
It was the first time he had seen such an expression on Kurusu here.
I see, has this time finally come?
Naoki sensed everything, straightened his back a little, took a deep breath, and asked.
Did you remember?
Kurusu nodded silently without changing his expression.
I see. Then it's alright to call you Seiji like in the old days, right?
To that question, too, Kurusu nodded silently.
A bicycle slowly passed by the two of them. A faint wind blew.
Well, come on in.

I'm what you call a 'tetsu-chan' (railway enthusiast).
Tanabe started talking in the passenger seat while being swayed in the Citroen.
Tetsu-chan?
Oh, you don't know? It's a railway fan.
Shiro, who was holding the steering wheel, nodded while looking ahead with a look of understanding.
My child-rearing was over, and I was just about to take early retirement from the company at fifty-eight. I thought, 'Alright, I'm going to ride all the railways in Japan from now on,' but, hahahaha.
Tanabe laughed with an expression that slightly revealed his frustration. The Citroen drove on, kicking up the dead leaves that had fallen on the road.
If you die, there's nothing you can do about it, right? I wanted to try a luxury sleeper train trip with my wife.
While listening to Tanabe's story, Kurusu's expression floated in Shiro's mind, but he shook it off, thinking he had to listen to Tanabe's story now.
Is that your regret, Tanabe-san?
Well, if you call it a regret, it is a regret. About my wife, and about my daughter. But it's something that happens eventually. It was just a little early.
From Tanabe's expression as he said that, he didn't feel like there was anything weighing on his heart.
Before long, Ikumi's shop came into view beyond the forest where the autumn leaves were ending.

Keiko, could you brew some tea? For the guest too.
Sure. Who is the guest?
Keiko, who poked her head out from the kitchen, made eye contact with Kurusu. At Kurusu's expression, Keiko sensed everything and shifted her gaze, and Naoki nodded slowly.
Sei-chan.
Kurusu smiled shyly at the old way of calling him that Keiko used.

Kurusu and Naoki watched, without really watching, as Keiko carefully brewed tea with a teapot.
Before long, Keiko placed a teacup in front of each of them, saying, "Here you go," and finally picked up her own teacup and took a sip to check the strength.
As if the faint sound of placing the teacup on the low table was a signal, Naoki opened his mouth.
When you went to Oiso, Seiji, how old were you then?
Twelve, I think.
Was that around the end of the Taisho era? It was still a peaceful time.
You were cute, Sei-chan.
At Keiko's smile, the air around the low table relaxed.
Stop it, Keiko-san.
Laughing like that, he took a sip of tea, and Kurusu started talking while looking down.
You two always looked out for me when I was taken in by my aunt's house and treated like a nuisance.
You remembered that much?
Yeah, I remembered almost everything. That Naoki-san was a newspaper reporter, and that Keiko-san was beautiful and everyone would turn to look.
Oh, so you're saying I'm not beautiful now?
Without reacting to Keiko's words, Kurusu raised his face with a heavy expression.
And what I have done.
Seiji, that wasn't your fault. The times were bad. It was all because of that war.
Thank you, Naoki-san. But it's true that I drove many people to their deaths. Naoki-san was one of them, wasn't he?
That's true. But I don't hold a grudge.
Oh, I held a grudge.
Naoki and Kurusu shifted their gaze to Keiko. Keiko continued, showing a smile to each of them.
But I don't hold a grudge anymore. Like this person says, it was that kind of era.
At those words, Kurusu moved back, got off the floor cushion, and bowed deeply.
Naoki-san, Keiko-san, I am truly sorry.
What are you doing, Seiji? It makes it hard to talk. Raise your head.
That's right, you don't have to worry about it anymore.
Feeling grateful for their gentle words, Kurusu raised his head. Noticing that tears were welling up in his eyes, Keiko stood up and handed him a handkerchief she had in her apron pocket.
Does remembering mean...
Naoki paused a little there, waited for Kurusu to turn toward him, and continued.
That you were able to forgive yourself?
Kurusu nodded slowly and then straightened his back.
I came here thinking I had to apologize to you two. Even if I couldn't be forgiven.
You're a fool, Seiji.
Naoki said as if to laugh off Kurusu's words.
Why do you think we, a married couple, are in this town?
Eh?
That's right. You're a fool.

Ikumi's shop was quiet after lunchtime.
Ikumi was sitting at the counter, looking at her own face reflected in the cup, and hadn't even noticed the bell on the entrance door ringing.
Ikumi-san? Ikumi-san.
Ikumi, who came to her senses at Shiro's voice calling from nearby, hurriedly said, "I'm sorry," and stood up.
What's wrong?
No, it's nothing. Just thinking about something. Sit down.
Ikumi showed a smile as if to cover it up and went into the kitchen. Watching her, Shiro urged Tanabe to sit at a table by the window.
From the open window, fresh, dry air entered gently.
Shiro introduced Tanabe to Ikumi, who brought a plate with water and lemon slices.
I've already had lunch, so I'll just have coffee. How about you, Tanabe-san?
What can you make?
Well, how about a roast beef hot sandwich?
That sounds good. Then please.
Ikumi's smile as she nodded to Tanabe's order looked the same as always, but Shiro felt a slight heaviness in the air behind her.
What's wrong? Shiro-san.
Ah, no, it's nothing.
A small bird is walking on the railing of the wooden deck. Judging by the way it moves its tail up and down, is it a wagtail? A single small cloud is floating in the blue sky, and a kite is rising toward it in circles.
It's peaceful, isn't it.
Tanabe is looking at the kite while narrowing his eyes. Shiro nodded silently.
Shiro-san, I heard this is a place to heal the soul, but what happens after that?
The kite that had finished rising began to glide and disappeared from view.
I cannot say for sure, but it seems you will be reborn as a human again.
Is that so.
Tanabe leans his body against the backrest as if relieved.
Please heal your fatigue until then.
Yes, I'm tired. I'll take it easy.
Just as Tanabe said that, Ikumi brought the hot sandwich.
Oh, this looks delicious.
Please enjoy.
Ikumi also sat in a chair and waited for Tanabe's reaction.
Yeah, it's delicious! The roast beef is juicy. It's also good that there's the spiciness of the onion.
Thank you. I'm happy.
Instead of saying it's delicious many times, Tanabe nodded and finished the hot sandwich in no time. And he took a sip of coffee.
The coffee is also delicious.
Ikumi's smile in response to those words looked as usual, and Shiro reconsidered that it was unnecessary worry.
When he returned the coffee cup to the saucer, Tanabe began to talk about himself.
You see, I was pushed into a dead-end job because of whistleblowing.
Whistleblowing?
Yes. There were things I felt I couldn't just let go, so I investigated the relevant department of the government agency and blew the whistle. An investigation was immediately launched, the fraud was exposed, and three superiors took responsibility and were demoted. Two of them resigned immediately. But it was leaked that I was the one who blew the whistle, and I was reassigned from design to the inventory management warehouse.
But.
Ikumi opened her mouth as if leaning forward.
Is that what you call human rights violation, isn't it prohibited by law?
That's right. But the company's argument is that it's just a reassignment. After all, the company's stance was that they didn't know who the whistleblower was. A friend told me I should hire a lawyer and fight, but my daughter was still in junior high school and we had a home loan. I thought that if it came to this, I would stay in this company even if I had to bite the bullet.
Is that so. That must have been painful.
Shiro, who comforted him like that, received a smile from Tanabe.
It was painful. My superiors would come every day. They would say things like, 'I'm surprised you can keep staying at the company,' and leave. They must have wanted me to resign voluntarily. Even if I thought I wouldn't lose, it's tough when you're told that every day. When I tried not to care, I could feel a curtain gradually falling over my heart. It gradually became thicker, and I stopped feeling not only painful things but also fun things. My expressions also became sparse.
Shiro and Ikumi are listening silently with sunken expressions. Perhaps feeling sorry for the two of them, Tanabe tries to continue the story brightly.
But, you know, there were good things too.
Good things?
I was able to understand that my daughter was being bullied in junior high school.
Shiro did not miss Ikumi's shoulder twitching for a moment. Tanabe did not notice that and continued the story.
What I was receiving was, well, bullying, right? At one point, I realized that my daughter might be in the same situation.
Did you get a hunch because you were in the same situation?
Yes, I think so. So, my wife and I tried to ask her while being careful not to press her too much, and my daughter started crying and told us.
Ah, I'll go get a refill of coffee.
Noticing that both of their coffee cups were empty, Ikumi stood up and headed to the kitchen. Watching her back, Tanabe continued the story.
After that, we talked as a family and stopped letting our daughter go to school. You can study anywhere. There's no need to go into school and have unpleasant experiences. We looked for a free school that suited our daughter. My wife was also working full-time and was busy, but fortunately, I can leave on time and can take paid leave whenever I want. I think I was able to look after my daughter properly. Hahaha, the world isn't just bad things. Well, even so, I was really tired of clinging to the company for fifteen years.

The sound of bicycle brakes screeching could be heard from the shopping street, but it didn't seem to reach the ears of the three.
We were waiting for you because we were worried about you, in this town.
That's right.
While looking at the two smiling people alternately, Kurusu waited for Naoki's words.
Seiji, I was surprised when you raided the red hunt. After all, that was our first reunion in ten years. I heard you became a police officer, but I never thought you would become a special higher police officer.
That's right, at that time, why were you at a red rally, Naoki-san?
Kurusu sat back on the floor cushion, and this time leaned his upper body over the low table and stared at Naoki's face.
Hey, hey, 'red' is not a good way to say it. Communist Party members. They weren't aiming to overthrow the state for no reason either. I was the same in that I wanted to end that war.
Kurusu returned his leaned-forward body to its original position. Watching that, Naoki continued the story.
Back then, we newspaper reporters couldn't write anything. Even though we knew the war situation was getting worse day by day, we couldn't inform the public. Because there was military censorship. This war will definitely be lost. If so, we have to end it as soon as possible and save as many lives as possible. It means the goal of us newspaper reporters and the Communist Party members was the same.
I see. So Naoki-san was right. Back then, I still believed Japan would win.
I suppose so. If the position is different, the way things are seen is completely different.
Hearing a customer's voice saying hello from the shop front, Keiko stood up, responding with a loud voice, "Yes."
At the sound that rang beautifully, Kurusu looked around.
Ah, that sound? It's a bell cricket. It seems to be in the garden that's like a cat's forehead. Sometimes they chirp like this even during the day.
I heard you died during interrogation, Naoki-san.
Without responding to the bell cricket story, Kurusu continued.
Interrogation? Haha, that was torture, though. No matter how many times I said I wasn't a Communist Party member, they wouldn't believe me.
Whether they were Communist Party members or not didn't matter to us in the special higher police. We just couldn't forgive people who stood against the country. There were many people I arrested like that who died in prison.
At that, Kurusu sighed deeply.
Back then, it was crazy. When things get painful, people go crazy.
Why Keiko-san?
To Kurusu's question, Keiko, who returned while wiping her hands with an apron, replied, "Me?"
Sitting down, putting hot water from the pot into the teapot, and pouring tea into three teacups, Keiko said one word, "Air raid."
Yes, this one is that Great Tokyo Air Raid.
What about Sei-chan since then?
Keiko, who finished pouring tea into the teacups, sat back down and asked Kurusu.
What have you been doing since then?
After the war, many of my colleagues in the special higher police remained in the police and became the public security division, but I quit the police. I did jobs like a bodyguard because of my strength, but as reconstruction progressed, I found day labor jobs and scraped by. Construction worker, stevedore. Sleeping in cheap inns.
Kurusu took a sip of tea. Perhaps because the time for evening shopping is approaching, he feels the shopping street has become a little lively.
I see. But why here?
While worrying a little about the outside, Keiko urged Kurusu.
It was just around the time we entered the period of high economic growth. I stepped in to stop a fight. I knew one of them had a knife, but I thought this might be my place to die.
My. And then?
That's right. Since then, I have no memory.
Naoki, who had been listening silently, put down his teacup.
Ten years since the end of the war. You suffered enough.
I came here and said I didn't want to be reborn anymore. Then I was told to serve my duty in this town for a while. At that time, the memories that were a burden must have been erased.
We were waiting for you to come here like that. Right, Keiko.
Saying that, Naoki looks at Keiko's face.
That's right. You must be suffering. We thought you must not want to be reborn anymore.
At their gentle smiles, Kurusu was remembering his childhood feelings.
That's why I was happy when you appeared. I heard that you might not have our memories. So I wasn't surprised.
That's right. We'll watch over you until Sei-chan can forgive yourself, until you can be reborn. At that time, you'll surely remember us.
Memories that had settled at the bottom of Kurusu's memory came up one after another.
It was Keiko who called out to Kurusu as a child, who was sitting all alone at the edge of the row house. Since then, on days when Naoki's work was off, they took him to play in various places.
Oiso beach, Ueno Onshi Park where cherry blossoms bloom, and Asakusa Twelve-story tower before it collapsed in the Great Kanto Earthquake, it was also Naoki who evacuated him to a safe place during that earthquake.
I put handcuffs on that benefactor, and led him to his death. It's not something that can be forgiven. Since then, I just lived as if waiting for the time to die.
Seiji, that's enough, isn't it.
That's right, let's go with us.
The two are smiling while staring at Kurusu.
That's the thing, Naoki-san, Keiko-san.
Pausing there and bowing his head, Kurusu stared at the two with a strong expression.
I still have people I want to stay and watch over here.
Naoki and Keiko look at each other.
Shiro-kun and Ikumi-san, right?
We knew.
I'm truly sorry for waiting for so long. Miya-san asked me to let me stay a little longer.
Keiko crept up to Kurusu and wrapped his right hand with both of hers.
Sei-chan, you are not alone anymore. Here, and even when you are reborn.
That's right. We'll be waiting.
You'll surely meet us.
Little by little, the soft sensation that was wrapping Kurusu's right hand disappears. When one or two of Kurusu's tears fell on that hand, Naoki gently tapped Kurusu's head with his palm, which had become half-transparent.
Don't cry, Seiji.
The two left, leaving behind laughter.
When Kurusu's tears stopped, the sounds of the lively shopping street poured in. Cold wind entered from the garden, telling him that late autumn dusk was approaching.

Ikumi-san?
By the time Tanabe's story was mostly over, Shiro noticed that a lot of time had passed since Ikumi went to the kitchen.
Suspecting that there was no answer, Shiro looked at Tanabe, raised his left hand slightly to excuse himself, and stood up.
Over the counter where the kitchen could be seen, he saw Ikumi sitting on a round chair inside, holding her head with her elbow-propped hand.
Ikumi-san, are you okay? Are you feeling sick?
Noticing Shiro's call, Ikumi raises her face.
Oh, I'm sorry. I'm fine. Ah, it was coffee, wasn't it.
That's fine. More than that, if you're not feeling well, you should be sleeping.
Shiro says with an anxious face. It's rare to get sick here. It was Ikumi's first headache since coming here.
Thank you, I'm fine. I think it will heal if I sleep. I'll close the shop for today.
Ikumi stood up and put her hands together toward Shiro as if to say sorry.

After seeing off Shiro's Citroen in front of the shop, Ikumi collapsed onto the bed in her house next door. The phone by the pillow entered her field of vision, and Shiro's words, "Call me immediately if anything happens," and his anxious face came to mind.
Ikumi knew the cause of the headache.
It was because her memory had returned.
She hadn't lost all her memories, but images that had suddenly appeared in fragments from a few days ago were connecting the remaining memories.
And today, while listening to Tanabe's story, the smile of a young boy wearing a school uniform suddenly appeared in her mind.
That must be my child.
However, when she tries to think beyond that, a headache attacks her. Maybe it's not time to remember yet. If so, why?
Ikumi closed the blinds next to the bed and tried to fall asleep in the darkened room without thinking, but she couldn't erase the boy's smile.

<To be continued>