Origami Girl

Chapter 29: The Bells of Nagasaki

Origami Girl

Chapter 29: The Bells of Nagasaki

"Japan was defeated; but the wounded were still alive. The war was over; but the work of our relief team remained. Our country was destroyed; but medical science still existed. Wasn't our work only beginning?"

-Nagai Takashi, Nagasaki no Kane

"You okay now?" Shuuya-kun asked the moment I stepped out of the female bathroom.

"Yeah," I replied, nodding slightly.

"Let's go then," Shuuya-kun said, and we walked down the thoroughfare lined with cherry blossom trees.

I walked beside him, and the both of us never said a word to each other. Shuuya-kun seemed to be looking someplace else.

He had brought me to the bathroom after we left the shrine grounds, telling me I couldn't present myself like that to my aunt, lest she get worried. I did what I was told and washed away the sticky tears on my cheeks with the cool tap water. I did so a few times before looking at myself in the mirror.

My face was a mess. My eyes were red and sore. But the cold touch of the water against my cheeks had brought me back to my senses. Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths. The oxygen helped me, I guess. A few other women were in the bathroom as well, but they just minded their own business and left me alone.

I was glad I decided to bring my make-up bag along. You'll never know when you'll end up crying and messing up your entire face, so it was always good to take precautionary measures. I fixed my mascara and dabbed on a bit of powder to cover up where the tears had once flowed. All the while I told myself that everything was fine, and that everything was going to be okay. I just had to hang in there for a while, before I could retreat to the privacy of my room.

"Ah, Ayano-chan," my aunt said, standing up the moment she saw the two of us approach. "Where have you been? Shuuya has been looking for you."

"Sorry," I said, bowing my head with a slight smile. "I was at the shrine just now, and I was so engrossed I didn't realise Shuuya-kun had been calling me. Really sorry for the trouble. Have you been waiting long?"

"Don't worry about it," my aunt assured me. "The most important thing is that you're safe."

I helped my aunt pack everything up, refitting the containers with their covers. After I was done, I helped her place them in the picnic bag. I already caused so much trouble, so I had to try to make up for it somehow. Besides, keeping myself busy helped me to not feel so horrible.

Soon after that, I stood at the side, intending to fold the picnic mat, but Shuuya-kun stopped me.

"It's fine," he said bending down and picking up the edge of the mat before I even got the chance to get near to it. "I'll do it."

I stepped back and watched Shuuya-kun fold the mat, before wedging it between the bento boxes.

"Just make sure you don't leave anything behind," my aunt reminded the both of us.

I checked the area to make sure that we didn't overlook anything. All the trash we had brought back with us, and the area was clean. But more importantly, nothing valuable was accidentally left behind.

"No," I said. "There's nothing."

The three of us made our way from under the grove of cherry blossom trees to the main thoroughfare. It was nearly two in the afternoon, and the park was beginning to get a little crowded. My aunt walked in front, while Shuuya-kun and I trailed behind, making our way towards the entrance of the park.