Sawada's Smile - Completed [√]

Chapter 15

Minami drove his car fast. Uchiyama sat beside him. Once in a while he looked on the street in front of him and back to his buddy. He was amazed by the way Minami drove the car.
"So this is how the way a detective drove his car, feels like in a movie," There's a sense of pride in him. He would never thought that his own best friend would have such a cool job every children dreamed of.

"It's my fault!" Said Minami while driving.

"Eeehhh? Why?" Uchi looked puzzled.

"I forgot that he's a criminal lawyer. He's got wide access to those things," continued Minami.

"You showed him the picture?"

"Yeah! Damn!" Cursed Minami hitting the steering wheel.

"Daijobu, let's just find him," Uchiyama sighed but calmed his buddy down.

***
"There! It's him!" Uchiyama suddenly pointed out to the corner of the street. There was Sawada under the traffic light.
He seemed in a hurry. His black overall was blowing in the wind as he walked hurriedly through the crowds of people crossing the street.

"Let's park there," said Minami.

"You park the car. I'll get down here," Said Uchiyama.

Minami slowed down his car and let Uchiyama got out from the car. He slammed the door in a hurry and disappeared in the crowds.

***
"Shin! Shin!" Uchiyama shouted to the guy in the overalls.

He looked back. His eyebrows set. He glared at him strongly but then stop the walk.
Together they headed to the park nearby. As they found an empty bench, Sawada sat down. He looked down, he leaned his arms on his knees as if he didn't want to see his friends' face or he was the one whose trying to hide his face from them.

"Why you suddenly changed your mind?" Asked Minami, who just caught up after parking his car.

"Why you ask," replied Sawada. His eyes went to the children playing on the swings in front of them.

"You promised to leave everything to me, to us. But then you suddenly told Kuma…"

"So he told you," Sawada cut Minami's sentence.

"Shin, I don't know what got in to you, but at least, just once! Act like you're our friends!" Shouted Uchiyama.

Realized people started to stare at him because of his shout. He lowered his voice.

"Gosh, I don't know you anymore!" Uchiyama went nuts. He kicked an empty can furiously and walked away.

"Uchi!" Called Minami.

"This is bad Shin! If you still consider us as your friend, stop acting like an asshole!" Minami finally snapped at him and left, chasing Uchiyama behind.

***
In his apartment's room, Sawada laid down on his bed. As usual, he let his long hair loosen freely. The room is dark. His mind was wandering to the past.
The time when he was so excited to reach the airport and finally flew back to Japan.
That time he couldn't wait to see his sister picked him up at the airport and how glad he was when the plane finally landed safely on the ground.
After finishing all the administration things he rushed himself to the gate.
He was looking for Natsumi. His eyes were sparkling in excitement. Then suddenly, there was a guy he knew standing in front of him. A guy who was always be his best friend since high school.
Sawada looked at him happily, he gave his big smile to Kuma.

"Kuma! You picked me up! Where's Natsumi??"

Kuma's smiling face suddenly changed, the atmosphere has changed. He suddenly frowned his face.

"Shin… let's go straight home…" said Kuma immediately.

"Eeeehhhh??" Like having a sixth sense. Sawada's heart suddenly was beating so fast. So fast that it hurt.

"What's wrong? Kuma…. What's wrong?" His voice started trembling.

"Let's go Shin, your family is waiting," Kuma was trying to touch his shoulder but the Sawada shifted it away.

"Tell me now! Kuma!" Asked Sawada impatiently.

"Let's talk at home okay…" Replied Kuma, he was trying to stay calm.

***
Kuma also always remember the first time he told Sawada the bad news about Natsumi's death. He couldn't forget how was his reaction to it. And he understood how it felt not to be able to see his loved one for the last time. It was the most devastating moment he had ever seen. How his best friend locked himself in his room for hours. How he finally came out in a face he had never seen.
Neah, Kuma didn't see him crying or  mourning or all. He was a very tough Sawada Shin. However that's only what he saw on the surface.

***

However, it always rang like a bell in Sawada's head. The night after he went home from his sister's grave. He locked himself in his room. He sat down for a long time, his mind was wandering to all the things he had done in Africa and all the phone call he made with Natsumi. Then suddenly he was like remember something.
He hurried himself to the backpack he carried. He forgot about his handphone. He was searching for it by taking out all the other stuffs outside the backpack.
"Ah there it is." He thought.
At first he was trying to check the previous messages he got. But then he stunned. There was one unopened voice message left on the list. He stared at the number on the screen. It was Natsumi's number. His hands shaking. When he's trying to open the voice mailbox. There was a familiar voice he heard, as if it was from the distance.

Oniichan…" It's her voice! Once in a while she sniffed and sniffed and choked. Her voice was so sore that she almost couldn't be heard clearly.

"Oniichan, I really miss you…" then She paused, Sawada stunned he was still waiting, then the message unexpectedly continued…

"I wish I could just hug you now…." Then paused again, another sniffing and choking and sobbing was heard.
Sawada put his ear closer to the phone, he bowed down his head as the message continued. His heart started to feel so heavy. So heavy that it was like an almost blowing up bomb inside him.

"I miss you so much…." Then paused… Then a beep sound was heard loudly… She hung up the phone.

As the sound disappeared. Sawada could no longer hold on his own emotion. He whispered softly in a trembling voice. His hands were  trembling, his body was shaking.

"Oh God… Natsumi…." He then bowed his head, broke down and cried.

***

All the memories were never left, the agony seemed never left. It hurt. It would always hurt. It tortured him inside. As long as he couldn't find the truth. It would always linger in his mind...
Sawada took a beer bottle, opened it and sipped the liquid. He held on a photograph. Stared at the face and threw it to the floor.