Faded

5. Street of Dolls | パペット通り

Izumi:

Our apartment balcony always had a beautiful view of Tokyo Station. The black silhouettes of skyscrapers are drowned in the redness of the sunset as the wind slowly disperses the pink clouds. Another week and the weather will change.

It always happens. Some insignificant calm evening that you would not remember if something strange had not happened later in your life. I have always wanted to return to this balcony at an hour when the sun has already set below the horizon, but still illuminates part of the sky. As the blood of a dying sunset runs down the balconies and rooftops. It's not day, it's not night yet. It's called Kataware-doki.

"I finally found a job," my friend said after a long silence.

The sky fills with a dark blue. You can see the first stars. I inhale the remnants of cherry tobacco, turn to him.

"What is the work?"

"Nothing serious, just a side job for the first time. Something like a delivery man, you know..." His gaze was directed towards the Imperial Palace, which was hard to see from our balcony.

"Anything is better than nothing," I replied with a shrug.

"Yes you are right. Anything is better than nothing." He echoed my words, but his voice sounded slightly different.

And then he began to disappear at work for days. He explained all this by the fact that there are a lot of orders, he hardly manages to do everything, so he takes night shifts, so I spent almost all the time with you.

Hideo:

I hated your friend. Something gloomy was born in me at the thought of how happy he was. What is his happiness? He has a whole life ahead of him to live it the way he wants. I have not it. In fact, I have nothing at all. Call it the victim syndrome, but deep down I felt sorry for myself. I know it's bad.I wanted you to always be there. But you are not a thing that belongs to me. Your love is like a summer wind. You show it, but I want more. I can't have you, but that's my only desire.I remember the night you called me in the middle of the week. Your voice sounded excited. You asked me to meet you at the street of dolls because you thought someone was after you.Of course, I immediately rushed there.

Izumi:

I was painting alone in the park again. The day was fruitful, I finished five chapters. I wanted to see you, so I lied about someone following me. It was interesting to understand how I care about you.And you came. Came so quickly that for a moment I thought that you were following me and knew in advance where I was. I was so pleased that tears involuntarily came to my eyes.Nobody has ever truly loved me.And you loved me until death.