[TW// death, mentions of death, attempts on suicide, suicide]
Another funeral was held, it was Haruomi Hosono's funeral and all of friends and family attended. Some of the friends who attended were the people who worked with Hosono, such as Happy End, Tin Pan Alley, The World Shyness, and even Tatsuro Yamashita came. Yukihiro Takahashi was the only surviving original member of Yellow Magic Orchestra.
"Thank you for being with us, Hosono-san." Yukihiro said his final goodbye to his friend and bandmate. He was devastated when he heard the news. The funeral ended after the coffin is buried and some of the attendants shared their condolences to the family or having a chat before leaving. "I'm sorry for your loss." and "He was an incredible man." were the words given to the family from the attendants.
Yukihiro went back to his place in Karuizawa the next day. His family was also saddened by the tragic news. They tried to cheer him up but none of their attempts worked, even Yukihiro's new puppy wasn't much of a help. He still couldn't believe the two people he highly respects are gone forever.
The first one to leave was Ryuichi. Even though his cancer removal operations were a success, the cells were able to grow more vicious and due to his old age, his body couldn't fight back. For Haruomi, there was an anonymous reported that the Titanic letter from the Hosono family was a fake and claimed that the letter was written just to get the public's sympathy. The family name was once again disgraced and it affected Haruomi the most.
His seminars and his radio show were immediately shut down over night and the public called him a fraud and a liar. Haruomi then was found hanging from the overhead lamp in his office. He had tied together his guitar strings and tied it around his neck after tying the other end around the lamp. One of his staff found him when they were visiting at that time.
Yukihiro did go through a tough time too. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour and went through the operation and survived. After months of therapy and recovery, he is finally well and healthy. The three of them promised to held a concert when Yukihiro finally recovered as a sign of their perseverance. But it seems that the promise will never be fulfilled.
Yukihiro sat in the living room with his puppy, Pascal still in grieve. "What should I do, Pascal?" he asked. Pascal could only give comforting cuddles in hopes of cheering his master, then an idea came. Yukihiro was no stranger about the "forest" in Japan. He stood up and went to his room to pack. He made up his mind to go to the forest. He looked around and there was his stuffed animal, Sardine. He always bring Sardine whenever he travels as a good luck charm but this time, Sardine stays with Pascal.
The next day, Yukihiro is ready to go. He told his family that he's going on a pilgrimage and he wished not to be followed or accompanied. "I will be on my way now." He bid farewell and left Karuizawa to the Yamanashi prefecture. It only took two hour drive and when he arrived, he went inside. Ignoring the warning signs. He found the right tree and conveniently, someone left a ladder there.
He climbed the ladder and tied his neckties together then to a strong branch. Yukihiro lamented on his decision for a little while until...
"You're in charge of the forest, (yn)!". "Ugh, I shouldn't have taken that bet..." you sighed. Your co-workers did a bet and whoever lost had to patrol Aokigahara, Turns out you lost the bet. You arrived at the patrol base and went in the forest after parking. "Definitely going to find one today..." you sarcastically said to yourself while walking. The trees aren't an unfamiliar sight to you anymore and you can easily tell the difference between the hanging branches and the "hangers" as you call them.
It didn't take long for you to find a hanger. "I knew it..." you muttered and sighed then walked to the direction. It was another man and he looked he's in his late 60's. He was wearing all black and when you saw the ladder, you suspect that he climbed it and tied the loose end of the tie around his neck then walked off the ladder.
Then there was a faint sound, almost like choking sounds. You quickly realized it came from the man. You climbed the ladder and guided him to you and cut the tie's knot to get him down safely. You sat him down leaning against the tree then he coughed, clearing his airway. "Are you alright, sir?" you asked. "I'm... still alive?" sounded that he was asking himself. "Yes, thank goodness.". "No... why?"
"If you're okay with it... why did you make such decision?" you asked. The man calmed himself and started telling the story. You recognize the names and realized the man is Yukihiro Takahashi. "I'm very sorry for your losses, Takahashi-san." You shared your condolence but it seems it didn't matter to him. "Let's get you out of here." You helped him stood up and walked out the forest to the base.
"Here." You gave him a cup of warm water after he sat down then you went to the phone to report. "... one survived. You'll never believe me. It's Yukihiro Takahashi..." you continued giving your report while keeping an eye on Yukihiro. He just sat with a blank expression on his face. His right hand was still holding the mug while his left was fiddling with the mark on his neck. "I'll call later." You hung up and walked to him. "Takahashi-san..."
You sat on the chair next to him and silence filled the room. "Why?" he finally talked. "Why did you save me?" you answered that no one deserved to die like that. He asked why again but you didn't have an answer for it. "We promised that we'll play together again when I got better. And now I am but they already left." He vented. "I'm all alone." Then he started to cry.
Yukihiro finally broke down and you could only put your hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "Maybe... you can still play." You tried to cheer him up. "You can still play... for them!" you suggested. "In their memory.". "Do you think I can do it?" he asked in between sobs. You nodded, "I'm sure there are people who want to play with you but I'm not saying to replace them, but to honor them." You somehow found the words. "I guess I can give it a try." He finally calmed down and drank the now-room-temperature water.
He finished the drink and stood up, "Thank you for helping me. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused.". "I'm always happy to help." You smiled. "When I play, will you come and watch, miss...?''. "(y/n). And of course! I'll definitely come.". Yukihiro finally smiled and thanked you again. He grabbed his things and left the station to go back to Karuizawa.
A.N : Hey, guys! Sorry for the wait and man this chapter is a bit long. I got my first shot few days ago and I got a headache which I suspect I got it when I was taking the swab test. But I'm fine now although there are some minor headaches but I can handle it.
I really dropped a lot of references in this chapter... I mostly know all of this except for the forest. Had to do a bit of a research. Again, if any of the Yellow Magic Orchestra members or anyone acquainted with them read this, please don't sue me and I'm sorry if I wrote something wrong or offensive in this chapter. I mean no harm and it's only for fun and a bit of education.
As for the length... I had too much fun writing it... Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and I'll see you in the next one! RD out!! Boi!!!
