𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍. ʜᴀɴᴀꜱʜɪʀᴏ

0 5 : 人生の後

After Life

-

"Now that I've calmed down, can you explain everything to me much more clearly," Nene says as she looks at him, her elbow, resting at the window sill as she enjoys the fresh air. "One more time?"

"Sure, but you have to make sure to absorb everything I say, okay?" Hanako purses his lips as he also rests his elbow on the other side of the sill. "I won't repeat everything. It really makes my mind go off whenever I tell it to every person I meet here."

"S-Sorry," she smiles at him sheepishly. Her eyes were still red and puffy, but at least her tears have dried up and she has calmed down. At least. "I'll make sure to do so. I mean, everything just happened so fast, like, what the heck?"

"I felt the same when I first came here," he says, chuckling. "The things that I'm about to tell you are just told to me by someone I first met here. Listen, okay?"

"Yes, sir," she salutes at him jokingly. "I will."

"So, Nene, uh, welcome to the Afterlife. Well, honestly, I'm not really sure if this is it, but that's how I call it anyway," Hanako motions with his hands as he continues to speak his mind. He points the outside with his index finger, "This train travels anywhere in the world. You see the meadow setting outside, right?"

Nene nods eagerly as she looks at the scenery outside; it was a beautiful meadow, something that she's never seen before as they lived in the capital and only sturdy buildings are present there. The large piece of land stretched towards the horizon and all she could feel was at home as she warmly looked at the lovely blooming flowers and flying butterflies.

"This feels nothing like the Afterlife, though. It's just like we're in a train and we're both off to vacation," she says and smiles gently. Seeing this scenery made her heart feel light, "I can look at this forever."

Hanako stares at her for a moment and smiles, "Sorry to burst your bubble, but the setting outside changes whenever without warning. So, I guess you should enjoy the fresh air to the fullest until it changes to another one again."

"What?! That's a real bummer!" Nene groans heavily and sighs. "But what do we see outside after this?"

"Depends," he shrugs. "Anything, I guess? Like, the sea, a mountain or a forest. Even the heavenly bodies."

"Wow!" Her eyes changed from disappointment to excitement real quick. She lunges forward and clasped her hands together, an amazed look written on her face, "I've never seen the sea nor the mountains either. Not even the heavenly bodies! Holy shoot, I've only seen them in books!"

A blush merely appears upon his cheeks as he blinks at her. He chuckles at her, "You're quite lively and different now. It's like you were never a cry baby earlier," he smiles at her warmly. "It's cute."

"T-Thanks, I suppose," Nene got self-conscious and blushed as well as she averts her gaze from his eyes. "I mean, I wasn't really a cry baby at all. I just panicked, that's all."

"Well, who wouldn't be?" Hanako says as he crosses his arms. "Anyway, this train doesn't have a particular destination. It just travels all around and lets us see and develop a whole new perspective about the world, I guess."

"But when can we see the heavenly bodies? You did tell me that we can see them even from here, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. But that only comes once in a while," Hanako grins at her. "It's my favourite setting among all. It's rare and I've only seen it for a few times. When it comes, you gotta look, okay? I promise, the view will be so fine."

"I believe you," she says. For some reason, when he talked about that one setting he liked, his eyes looked as if there were stars in them and it stunned her because she never knew that eyes could ever look that beautiful. "When you say it like that, it makes me want to really see it, too."

"Yeah," his smile reaches his eyes as he agrees. He then shifts in his seat, "Also, you need to remember this well. This train is something that travels anywhere, as I've said. Time is complicated here; which means, we can meet people here, in either the past, present or future."

"Really?! That's so awesome!" She gushes as she stomps, giddy. Hanako laughs at her as she looked like she would pop at any moment now because of happiness and excitement. "I want to meet them!"

"I'm glad that you're overjoyed with just these kind of things, but you have to always remember that everyone that you'll meet here is half-dead. Or dead," his aura changes as he turns serious. "You have to be mindful of things. Be careful of what you say."

"I understand," Nene nods in affirmation. She takes note of it mentally, as if sticking a post-it on her brain. "I'll be very careful."

"That's good to hear," Hanako smiles at her. "Do you have any other questions then?"

"Well, I've been wondering about this ever since earlier but," she pursed her lips, hesitating at first before glancing at the meadow. "Can I, you know, go outside—"

"How can I not remember?! Ugh!" He suddenly cuts her off with a loud groan. He sighs heavily, apologizing, "Nene, I'm really sorry, I forgot to say this. This is one of the most important thing you have to plant in your mind."

"T-That's okay," she says, feeling a bit awkward. "What is it, then?"

"You can never go outside this train. Well, it's not that you can't, but, it's more like, if you finally arrive to a certain decision where you are so sure and you don't doubt yourself at all," Hanako averts his gaze and scratches his cheek lightly. "You can go."

Nene blinked at him for several times. He looked a bit lonely when he said that. She tilts her head and frowns at him, "What does that mean? A serious decision? Can't my reason just be because I just want to feel those soft and lovely feeling of grass under my feet?"

"No. It's not that easy. Because to get out and get off this train means that you are accepting your fate and you're finally ready to move to your next life."