Stars Fell on Tokyo | ✓

10 | our spot

       KOHEI AND LOUANNE had returned back to the city and found themselves laying underneath a cherry blossom tree, picking at the petals of the fallen flowers and watching the white puffy clouds float by. It felt like they'd known each other for countless hours just by talking and laughing. Their time in Todoroki Valley was a special moment that she could've photographed in her scrapbook.

     "Ok, deep question and you have to answer honestly," Louanne turned over on her side, facing him.

     "Go for it," his eyes focused on the clouds above.

    "Where would you see yourself eight or so years from now? Like, who do you want to be when you get there?" She asked.

     "Hmm, good question! I guess I'll see myself in an art studio creating the best manga in the world and seeing it come to life,"

    "What would it even be about?"

     "Well, I have made a couple of sketches and my story idea would be about a world where people have superpowers or something and they go to this school where they can become heroes,"

     "Oh, I like that! That sounds interesting," Louanne commented.

    "You really think so?" Kohei propped himself up on his elbows.

      "Only time can tell," she said in a sing-song voice and when she laughed, Kohei thought he would never hear the most beautiful melodic tone in the world. He was amazed when he looked at Louanne, admiring her from a short distance. The way her silky black hair fell down her back from her shoulders and he was starting like how her hibiscus flower was blowing in the wind. He was becoming more attracted to the petal tattoo trails along her arms, hoping to ask her some time without being rude about it.

      Louanne was enjoying his company so far but was saddened to see the sun going down. How long have they been out? He was kind enough to walk her back to her grandparents even though there were more things to talk about here and there.

     "So this is it," Louanne stated, quite awkwardly.

     "Yes, it is," Kohei replied, "but I hope that I get to see you tomorrow after work."

     "Definitely should- I mean, that would be wonderful! Though I am expecting another surprise, then?" she coyly smiled.

     "Maybe you will or maybe you won't. Tomorrow is a mystery," he answered.

      This prompted another grin from her as she said, "Then, I should hope to see you again," before they waved goodbye. Once she had closed the front door, Louanne couldn't help but rub her stomach, feeling the little butterflies fluttering around her. Her heart was skipping a beat just thinking about Kohei again. Perhaps, this was too soon to say that this is love... until she knows for sure.

***

       Louanne had woken up probably close to one in the morning to use the bathroom down the hallway. The silver-faced moonlight was the only flashlight that she needed to guide her way. Her grandparents' bedroom was cracked open just a little for the glow of their lamp shining through. Louanne tried her very hardest to hold her breath as she tiptoed quietly, despite the wooden floorboard not doing her any justice by masking her footsteps.

     She wondered if their hearing was sharp around this time.

     Please don't see me! Louanne frantically thought to herself.

     "Should we tell her? I bet that's one of the reasons why she came here in the first place," Sobo Chō's voice echoed through the halls, "we owe her that much,"

     "I know but I don't want it to be too much for her. Jiro hasn't spoken to us since what happened in Pearl Harbor and I don't really blame him for being ashamed of that past. I don't think I can forgive myself for the man I once was then," the tone in Jiji Naoki's voice was rather odd to Louanne and usually he was chipper at times.

     Sobo Chō lowered her volume. "At some point, we have to tell her sooner or later,"

     What happened at Pearl Harbor that day and why was her father involved? As she started to walk back to her, Louanne forgot how squeaky the floorboards were even with the slightest footstep. She covered her mouth quickly before she could let out a sharp gasp.

     "Louanne? Are you out there, dear?" Sobo Chō called out into the darkness of the hallway.

      She thought that if she could lie, maybe they'd believe her but since it was the middle of the night and she was needing to go to the bathroom, she had to come clean. Her hands were glued behind her back as she entered their bedroom, eyes on the floor.

    "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. I was only on my way to use the bathroom," she explained.

      "Oh, don't fret, Lou. Your grandfather and I needed to tell you something important anyway," Sobo Chō said as she looked at her husband and then back at Louanne. "We've been discussing this briefly and I'm sure you know exactly what,"

     "Is it about my father?"

      Jiji Naoki nodded slowly. "I'm afraid it is and I was kind of hoping that this moment wouldn't happen,"

       Whatever it was wasn't going to be good by the way he said that. Sobo Chō scooted away from Naoki and patted a spot for Louanne to sit in between them. Once she felt comfortable in bed, her hands were fiddling around with anxiety.

       "Now, this was something that Chō and I were trying to forget about what happened that day. I know in my heart that Jiro thinks about it day and night," Naoki sighed and it was a heavy sigh but it was also shaky too. He closed his eyes to recollect his thoughts before he opened them and began, "it was 1941-the year after the second world war started-the tensions were high. Japan had joined Germany and the Axis power in '36 before the whole thing even started but anyway, Jiro was drafted into the war in his early twenties,"

    "Back then, we lost what sense we had. Like all the others, we were convinced that the Allies were the enemy," Sobo Chō added.

      "Your father was part of Japan's finest fighter jets and the general at the time, Isoroku Yamamoto, plotted a surprise attack on the U.S. naval force in Pearl Harbor," Jiji Naoki continued.

      Louanne's eyes widened, "Pearl Harbor... that old military base in Hawai'i,"

      "We heard the news that Pearl Harbor was bombed but we were unaware of the casualties. At the time, Chō and I were proud but when Jiro returned... he was distraught. His hands were figuratively stained with the human blood of countless lives. When the war ended, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed-hopefully, the last time that America will use its nukes for evil. Our boy left the year after and we haven't heard from since until now,"

       Her heart sank into her stomach and she covered her mouth at the shocking revelation. Louanne didn't know what to believe at this point except she stared blankly at the door with tears in her eyes.

       "Please forgive us, Lou! We didn't know how to tell you this since we figured that this was part of the reason you came here and-," Naoki spoke as he tried to place his hand on her shoulder but she shifted out of the bed, walking back towards the door.

     "You don't have to explain anything else to me. I'm sorry for disturbing you both," and Louanne didn't look back.