Yakusoku (Avara Stadium Book 1)

Gaman

Tess was right: she'd never committed to anything. She hadn't stuck with anything in her life. Now, she didn't even have her promises to believe in.

How could she blame Tess for leaving her for that? Akiko had been waiting all this time with bated breath, waiting to see Tess leave her, so she shouldn't have been surprised. She shouldn't have been hurt.

The rain was coming down hard. Akiko stood where she was, feeling the rain come down, drench her from head to toe. She wasn't going to move. She wasn't going home, for sure. What was waiting for her at home? Maybe she'd finished the vodka, but she didn't need to be drunk to hurt herself now. She was at the end of her rope, and there was a noose tied there.

Somehow, the thought galvanized her. Somehow, the fact that she was out of options ignited a stubbornness she'd forgotten she had, and she stood there outside the door in the rain, staring up to the top of the building.

How much time passed? She lost track, standing there in the rain. Thunder rolled in the distance, and she thought for a second how hilarious it would be if lightning hit her here and now.

People rushed past with umbrellas. Cars crept past with windshield wipers going. Akiko found herself at the other end of plenty of sideways glances, but she didn't care. Let them stare.

Thunder boomed louder. The rain poured down harder. Akiko's heart ached like she didn't know it could.

The office was Saki's house again. There she was, standing outside in the rain, waiting, waiting for something. Waiting for anything. Waiting for one more chance.

She'd given up that time. She figured it was pointless.

Now giving up was pointless. What the hell else was she going to do if Tess didn't give her a chance?

Hours went by. Akiko felt a chill that stabbed down deep to her bones, her whole body shivering. Her hair was slicked, her clothes soaked down to the last inch. Still nothing.

She needed a drink. She'd never felt such a powerful craving in her life. Going a day without it was almost impossible, and the worse she was feeling, the worse the temptation. She felt like she was about to fall apart without it.

She was probably going to get sick standing out in the rain like this. The cold was unbearable.

She stood, still, staring up at the top of the building. Rain kept trickling into her eyes, so she squinted instead of just looking down.

She wasn't going anywhere.

She didn't know how long it was before she heard someone's voice say, "Excuse me..."

It was a middle-aged woman with a kindly smile, and she offered an umbrella.

"You're going to get sick," she said.

Akiko shook her head. "I already am sick."

"Then you'd better take this, or you'll be even sicker."

Again, Akiko shook her head. "I'm proving a point."

"By catching a nasty cold and going to the hospital? Think of the poor doctor who has to deal with you."

Akiko quirked an eyebrow, and took the umbrella. It looked like it was probably some cheap thing from the corner store, so she reached for a five-hundred-yen coin, and the woman shook her head.

"Umbrellas are cheap. Health is precious. You know, it's valuable, being young. You get lots of time to make mistakes."

The woman kept walking. Akiko held the umbrella, feeling the wind jerk it every which way and the rain still soaking her from the waist down.