For Him

Yamazaki Tomie has many memories of the Tsurumi River. Riding the train with her mother and looking out the window as it crossed over the river. Sitting down on its bank with her father as he taught her to fish, just like his own father did. Watching fireworks explode over the river during the Tsurumi River Summer Festival, a myriad of colors reflecting off of its waters.

Which is why she found it ironic that drowning in the same river was how she chose to leave this world.

Tomie peeks over the Nippa Bridge at the river below, its flowing waters glittering in the light of the setting sun, pink and orange underneath the sky of the sunset.

Her hands tighten around the railing. She had never learned to swim, so, unless someone interferes and tries to rescue her, her death was certain.

This is it, she thought.

This is really it.

I'm going to die.

She shuts her eyes. Tomie, come on, you know why you have to do this. You said it yourself, you have no reason to stay alive anymore—

But what about mom and dad?

She opens her eyes.

What will they do? They'll probably be heartbro—no, no, Tomie, you can't keep living like this, you'll just be miserable for the rest of your life, so just—

"HELLO!!"

"AHH!!" Tomie jumps, turning towards the yell's source.

Said source was wearing a huge grin and was blinking down at her innocently, as if he hadn't scared her soul out of her body just a few seconds ago.

"Are you going to jump?" he asks, pointing over the railing at the river below.

Now, Tomie had expected that someone would try to interfere. She expected that someone to frantically tell her not to give up on her life, that there was so much she could live for, so much she hadn't done yet, maybe even go so far so as to physically pull her away from the bridge.

What she did not expect, however, was for that someone (who was still grinning, might she add) to ask her if she was going to jump off of the bridge as casually as if he were asking her about the time.

"No," she says, "I was... just looking at the water," she chuckles nervously, looking over the railing.

Pleaseleavemealonepleaseleavemealonepleaseleavemealone...

"Ah, pity," the man sighs, "I was looking forward to committing suicide with a lovely woman this evening." Then his head snaps up, and he surges forward and holds her hand in both his own, eyes sparkling. "Say, would you like to commit a lovers' double suicide with me?"

...what.

"... what."

He's joking, right? He must be joking.

"A double suicide! You know, when two lovers leave this dreadful world together, in each other's arms, as they cross over to the eternal life awaiting them!" he explains, looking away from her with one hand over his chest.

He's not joking.

"Well?" he tries again, "what do you say?"

Tomie stares at the man beaming at her like he had lost his mind.

(Maybe he had)

"Uh..." Tomie tries, "well... technically, we're not lovers. In fact," she pulls her hand from his grip, "we don't even know each other. So it wouldn't count as a lovers' suicide."