Ride on Time

Chapter 94

Mitsuo so wasn't sure how he was gonna tell Shree that he was leaving this Thursday. Even his movements were sloppier than usual as he followed Shree's Zumba choreography at the front. She even shot him a smile when their eyes met, unlike the glares she gave him the first time he joined her class.
Her class finally ended with Tobashite Taxi Man by Yurie Kokubu. Everyone took a moment to take a breather while Shree took the time to rehydrate, eventually giving Hanis a cheerful greeting when she arrived. Mitsuo patiently waited, a towel hanging by his neck.
Shree waved at Hanis and made a beeline for him, drying off with a towel of her own.
"Come, let's talk outside," Shree said as she came over, a smile on her face.
Mitsuo nodded and followed her out to the bench in the gym. Shree kept drinking water and even pulled out a fan from her bag to cool off. Mitsuo wondered what else she had in that little bag of hers.
"Nika, there's something I need to tell you," Mitsuo hesitantly began.
"What is it, Mitsu?" Shree asked, closing her fan and putting it away into her bag again.
Mitsuo gulped, not sure how to properly put it in words. "I... I'm leaving..."
"When?!" Shree's shock was so contagious that even Mitsuo almost fell off his seat.
"This Thursday. I'm leaving this Thursday."
"Why suddenly?" Shree actually seemed betrayed. "Did something come up?"
Mitsuo nodded. "Setsubun."
"Huh? Who's Sasuke?"
"No, not Sasuke," Mitsuo cracked a smile. "Setsubun. It's a festival where we throw roasted soybeans around outside our homes to ward off demons and evil."
"Oh!" Shree nodded eagerly, prompting him to continue.
"Yeah, and it's a little more special in Gion," Mitsuo went on, excited at her interest. "The apprentice geisha, the maiko, would dance at the Yasaka Jinja and throw the roasted soybeans at the audience. There's also hiiragi iwashi, a special talisman that brings good luck for a whole year!"
Shree nodded. "I see... I think we do something like that too, you might've noticed a white pumpkin hanging in our porch."
Mitsuo nodded. "I did."
"It's to ward off the Evil Eye," Shree explained. "Remember how my grandma mentioned it while talking about Sherry? The pumpkin is said to absorb the bad energy and rot. So if it's severely rotten, that means someone has their Evil Eye on us."
"Wow, so this is what they mean by 'looks can kill'?" Mitsuo said, nodding understandingly. Shree nodded. "Okay, then."
"But you're leaving?!" Shree went back to the main topic. "Aww..."
Mitsuo was actually surprised that she looked so down.
"Nika, please don't feel sad," Mitsuo tried to comfort her. "We can still keep in touch, and I can still come back anytime I want. And you can come visit me in Kyoto too."
Shree frowned. "I don't think I can afford a trip to Japan, Mitsuo. Tickets are quite expensive, like a thousand ringgit just for a one-way ticket, let alone a round trip."
Mitsuo sighed. "Come on, we can still keep in touch digitally."
Shree didn't say much and mumbled a farewell before making her way to the bathroom. Mitsuo wasn't sure if he should wait for her or if he should just go back to his room.
But then Mitsuo had a small plan forming in his head. But to do that, he needed to rush.
Rush to take a shower and get his plan done.

Shree stood under the shower as if she was in a music video, but still careful to not wet her hair since there was still time before wash day.
Mitsuo was going away? The news hit her like a meteor, creating a huge crater of sudden despair. Shree didn't know what to do, she couldn't stop Mitsuo from leaving, especially since he had a huge festival to celebrate. But she wanted him to stay. Shree didn't know why, but she really didn't want him to leave so quickly.
The three weeks she spent with him felt like she finally found a part of her that she missed. Shree didn't even feel like something was missing in her life, until she met him. It was like she was missing out on something the last twenty-four years and that something was Mitsuo.
Shree washed the tears off her face and turned the shower tap off, then dried off with a towel before getting dressed. Even her clothes didn't seem to go her way, making it harder and longer for her to get dressed.
The locker room was empty so Shree put on some moisturiser and dusted a light coat of talcum before drawing on a black vertical line of pottu on her forehead. The adhesive teardrop she wore earlier just didn't sit right, she felt like this one fit her better.

Shree called Vasu to pick him up and waited in the lobby for him. Since he was already back from school, she was sure that he would take his own sweet time, especially since their grandmother would insist to come but wouldn't move until the Tamil soap opera episode she was watching ended.
Shree sighed and pulled out a book to read. Mitsuo's book was long done and she really liked it, especially because one of the main characters were Indian, the girlfriend in the story.
Someone suddenly cleared his throat, gaining Shree's attention. The girl looked up to see Mitsuo smiling at her, his hands hidden behind him.
"Sorry I'm leaving so soon, Nika, but I promise I'll come again soon," Mitsuo smiled. "Until then, here's something to remember me by."
Shree looked at what he handed to her. It was a origami crane. She gasped in awe as she carefully took it from his hands.
"It's... it's really pretty," Shree said, looking at the pink paper folding. "You do origami?"
Mitsuo smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I learned some from my mom. Some from school too."
Shree smiled and ran a finger down the crane's neck. She suddenly got an idea and turned to Mitsuo. "Maybe we can spend the next two days together. How about dinner?"
Mitsuo was surprised. "Tomorrow night?"
"Can," Shree nodded. "And my brother might tag along."
Mitsuo was fine with that. "Okay, I don't mind that."
Shree smiled. "Okay, see you tomorrow." Her phone vibrated in her bag and she caught a glimpse of a red car waiting outside. "Alright, my brother is here. Bye, Mitsu."
Mitsuo bowed slightly and waved at her. Shree chuckled and bowed too before running off. Mitsuo watched her leave before making his way back to his room to decide what he should have for lunch.