Second to None

12. what if

Saturday was a rare overcast bringing bursts of pleasant showers that cooled overheated concrete and dried-out soil. Early in the morning, Mayu showered, got dressed and packed a small breakfast to go. The bus pulled out of the terminal with a smattering of passengers, following sinuous roads until it reached and crossed the Rhine river. 

As soon as it passed the border, French signage gave way to German. Roads expanded, leading the way to lush farmlands nestled against the deep green shadows of endless pine forests. Far off in the distance laid faint, jagged outlines of Bavarian peaks. On and off, she'd catch glimpses of scattered farmhouses before long stretches of fields and forests reappeared.

This sort of landscape went on monotonously for some time before streets grew densely packed again. Before long, clusters of buildings appeared as the bus approached a wooden sign marked with BADEN-BADEN in bold, white letters. Along the streets appeared low buildings with steeply slanted roofs, stucco walls, arched walkways and clusters of flowers hanging off the balcony. Vacationers strolled about in flowing summer clothes and tanned faces while shop owners set out placards of daily specials and chairs for outdoor restaurant seating.

Mayu got off at the station housed inside a baroque-style building. Tezuka was waiting in the lobby and had no trouble finding her despite a surge of visitors emerging from the platforms.

"Did you have a nice trip?" he asked as they walked outside.

"Too nice," she said sheepishly. "I fell asleep halfway."

"If you aren't too tired, how about a short hike before lunch? There is a hill that looks out to the city."

"Sounds fantastic. I could use the walk after sitting down for so long."

They took the tram out to the southeast side of the city and disembarked at the foot of a hill. The grey skies overhead seemed to have darkened by a few more degrees when they started walking. Watching layers of clouds sail by, Tezuka remarked, "We might have to make this short. Looks like the rain is coming back."

"We'll see. Good thing I packed my rain jacket."

They climbed up a flight of stone steps that led to a dirt path snaking up a steeper incline. Tezuka offered to carry Mayu's backpack and led the way with wide, confident strides of someone who'd been training for years. On and off, they had to dodge muddy spots where the shade prevented them from drying up from recent rainfall.

"I'd never believe you're here to recover if you hadn't told me," remarked Mayu when Tezuka gave her a hand at these tricky spots. "You look like you could play a killer game at any second."

"The rehabilitation center is on the opposite side of the hill, so I've come here twice already. If you stayed long enough, you'd be just as familiar with the trail."

"I say it has nothing to do with familiarity and everything to do with fitness." Short of breath from the continuous climb, Mayu panted, "This is proof that I'm out of shape."

"We could take a break if you'd like."

"How far are we from the top?"

Tezuka looked ahead. "We're more than two-thirds of the way up. There's also a café at the top."

"In that case, let's keep going."

They didn't speak the rest of the way while Mayu concentrated on surviving each step. Gradually, thick foliage thinned out and the slope flattened out to a plateau. A three-story farmhouse and a fenced pasture emerged into view. Outside the fenced area were several handcraft picnic tables and wooden benches.

At lunchtime, a good number of patrons were packed inside enjoying conversations and a relaxed Saturday morning. At the counter, Tezuka ordered chilled ciders and ham sandwiches in German. With all seats occupied inside, they carried their food outside to the picnic tables and admired the panoramic views of the city embedded in the heart of forests and mountains.

"What a pretty place this is!" sighed Mayu. She unwrapped her sandwich, took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "Built up in the middle of these mountains and with these quaint buildings, this place is almost like a fairy tale."

Tezuka nodded. "I had my doubts when the center was first recommended to me. Now I see that this is the perfect environment for healing."

"Plus, it puts your studies to use. Your German's great."

"You helped."

Mayu smiled. "You're a natural. How long have you been here, anyway?"

"This is my third day."

Mayu gawked at him. "So you came to Strasbourg on your second day?"

"I knew you were there."

"It could've waited until you got over your jet lag!"

"It couldn't," he said. "I had to come and see you."

She cast her eyes out to the endless green. He looked at her with an intensity that made her face grow warm. After some time, she began, "What if... What if this injury fortunately didn't happen and you didn't have to come to Europe?"

"I would've come here after the competitive season ended."

"But you had no way of contacting me. What if you couldn't find me?"

"You were so excited to work at the Parliament, so I'm sure our paths would cross if I waited long enough."

"And what if..."

"What if you were with someone else?"

She nodded.

"I would've waited."

"Why?"

"I like you," he said, looking into her eyes. "As I said, I won't forget you."

This time Mayu's gaze stayed as he spoke. A subtle chill ran beneath her skin, whether it was from the cool mountain breeze or his words, she couldn't be sure. Lips curling into a smile, she teased, "Are you always like this with girls?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I haven't spent this much time with any other girl. Before Fuji brought you to the tennis courts, I never paid much attention to girls. Not many spoke to me, probably because I don't have much to say, as you pointed out very early on. Those who did speak to me in passing... I can't recall what we talked about or how they looked."

"What a cruel thing to say!" said Mayu with a shake of her head. "It's just like you—you are not one with many words, but you're completely transparent as soon as you speak."

"All I hope is that it will help us understand each other better."

Right as Mayu was about to answer, an indistinct rumble came from the distance. Looking up at the darkened skies, Tezuka wrapped up his unfinished sandwich and said, "We should probably start heading down. It wouldn't be good to be stranded here when it rains."

"Are you finally going to show me the rehabilitation center?"

"Of course," he said, picking up Mayu's backpack before they started the return hike. 

Wind started to pick up as they descended the incline and their surroundings dimmed dramatically. Just as Mayu wondered whether it was truly a good idea to leave instead of taking shelter in the café, a clap of thunder arrived without warning and shook the grounds. Following it were huge droplets of rain coming down at a rapid pace. At halfway down the hill, there was no safe place to take refuge. With one hand hovering over her head, Mayu took Tezuka's hand with the other and clumsily followed him down the precarious descent.

Rain was falling in sheets by the time they reached the town. They traced the hill's perimeter towards the other side and, with the streets vacated, zigzagged across without looking out for cars. 

After a few minutes of running, they stopped in front of a gated apartment complex. Without pausing to glance at the building twice, Mayu ducked inside with Tezuka.