Sleeping Bunny

Epilogue

  His mother discovered him while he was putting on his shoes at the front step.
Even though he had not been doing anything wrong, somehow he felt guilty.

"Where are you going, Hirokazu?"

"I'll just go out for a short walk. I'll be back before dinner time..."

When he answered awkwardly while putting on his shoes, his mother muttered, 'Oh, really?' and then briskly walked to his room. She returned with a grey scarf.

"You must dress warmly, or you'll catch a cold. Your body is weak, so."

"Yes ma'am..."

When he obediently took the scarf, his mother brushed back her white-peppered hair carelessly and suddenly sighed.

"You have to hurry and get married, too..."

He gave a bitter smile and left the house before the situation became more difficult.


It was only past four in the afternoon, but the outside was already quite dark.

The sky was covered with grey cloud and unmelted snow was piled up at the sides of the road.
This was truly the first time that Takahashi Hirokazu returned to his hometown, Hamamichi, after his grandfather's death three years ago.

At that time, he had another business to take care of the next day, so he hurriedly returned on the same day.

He was also being considerate of his younger sister and her husband who brought their child with them, since their home wasn't very big.

There was another reason that he stopped visiting his home often.

It was because whenever he returned home, the adults would always talk about marriage.
Of course, it was natural considering his age, but he felt guilty whenever the topic was brought up.

Whenever his mother persistantly asked if he had anyone he was dating, he would have to make excuses like 'I'm a poor salary man' or 'I haven't met anyone nice yet.' He was tired of that.
When he walked a little along the main road, he smelled the sea and heard the sounds of the wave.

He walked up the stairway next to the grey concrete wall facing him, and climbed up to top of the levee.

The sea was shaded into a heavy water color, tinged with grey, and the waves were rough as well.

He numbly thought that the reason why the waves felt closer to him than before was because he became an adult.

He stared at the sea for quite a while like that, but he seemed to be the only one weird enough to come to see the ocean on a cold day like this. He didn't see anyone else.

The reason for his homeward journey was because a distant relative of his was having his funeral.

Incidentally, this was a day before Saturday, so he decided to spent a night at his home.
His little sister did not come.

It seemed that she was busy because her oldest child's junior high school entrance exam was coming up.

His mother said, "Hirokazu, you don't need to come, either, if you're busy..."

She might be imagining things because her son who didn't return home if he could help it suddenly came.

There definitely WAS a reason why he came home this time, but...

Takahashi leaned against the concrete wall and deeply sighed. His liver was aching. 

He thought once again about the difference between a place he couldn't return to even if he tried, and a place he couldn't return to even if he wanted to.


Soon, the chill overpowered the view, so he left the levee.

After he returned to the main road, he walked towards the seaport because he didn't want to return home right away.

The houses lined up the one-way road.