"Sigh... Honestly, I really wanted to try and fix the relationship between you two." Miki Kashiwagi let out a sigh. Things had still slid toward that irreversible step, and besides, he felt his move here was completely justified—it was purely caused by Father Sakiko's deficiency in love.
Since that was the case, there was no real need to save face for Father Sakiko anymore. Anyway, they weren't in China, and Sakiko probably didn't care about ever taking the civil service exams.
"I don't care what else you have to say, my demands regarding your esteemed school remain unchanged..." Father Sakiko was still being aggressive, right up until Miki Kashiwagi leaned in close to him and whispered a mysterious code in a voice only the two of them could hear.
It was a license plate number.
"I, I don't know what you're talking about." Father Sakiko's conscience faltered. That car rental receipt was actually right inside his lining pocket; he had originally planned to get some money from Sakiko to fix the car and then reclaim his deposit from the rental agency, only for the victim of the car accident to be Sakiko's teacher!
"Don't play dumb. Highway surveillance footage, damage assessment reports, the car rental company's lease records, or whatever else—I have all of it right here."
"Oh my, oh my, Japan really is small, isn't it? Who would have guessed that the guy forcing me to take the train to work every day is the parent of my beloved student?"
By now, Father Sakiko was sweating profusely. He knew cars; even though he had been dead drunk that day, he still remembered the gorgeous curves of that muscle car.
A well-maintained classic car was truly eye-catching.
"A second-generation Dodge Challenger. I won't mention how much it's worth; we're all men here, so you understand. Ah, it really gives me a headache. Where on earth am I supposed to find matching parts for a classic car old enough to be my grandfather?"
"I'm terribly sorry... I... I know what I have to do. Please, don't sue me."
If he were hit with a lawsuit, he'd be finished. Father Sakiko couldn't even scrape together five figures in dollars if he sold himself, and by then he'd just end up in a prison cell. After getting out, not only would he carry heavy debts, but because of his criminal record, he wouldn't be able to find a job anywhere. In the end, he'd pull a little quilt over himself under an overpass and die like a stray dog, with no one to collect his body.
"Glad you know," Miki Kashiwagi patted the shoulder of Father Sakiko, who was rooted to the spot. "I'm very glad we had such a pleasant chat. I believe we've resolved student Sakiko Toyokawa's problem, right?"
"Yes, yes, so..."
"As for the issue between us, it depends entirely on your attitude and student Sakiko's mood. Rest assured, for a short while you can sleep peacefully every day without worrying about any lawyers coming after you."
"Now, I have to go to work. When I get off at four this afternoon, I hope this place is spotless."
Putting on his backpack, Miki Kashiwagi strolled away, leaving behind only a terrified Father Sakiko who collapsed heavily into a chair.
...
Walking in a daze, she had lost count of how many traffic lights she had run, her vision perpetually blurred by a layer of tears.
Why? Why must I endure this kind of life?
Clearly she had already seen the dawn, clearly Dr. Kashiwagi was right by her side yet she had still run away, clearly she had already found a job, clearly she had already saved twenty-one thousand yen...
Clearly...
Three kilometers? Or five? Sakiko finally tripped over a flowerbed by the roadside, scraping a large patch of skin off her knee, yet feeling no pain at all. She merely curled up in an unnoticeable corner of the street and sobbed silently.
She finally understood why she had quit CRYCHIC. It wasn't because of so-called dignity, nor was it out of helplessness toward life, but because she had already lost everything, and could only desperately grab the thing easiest for her to obtain as a straw to clutch at—hope.
Hoping her father would pull himself together, hoping for a little more warmth at home, hoping Dr. Kashiwagi could help her break away from her old man and live independently, and then to...
Oh, it seemed there was no hope left. It was all over.
A drizzle began to fall from the sky, growing heavier. Japan's typhoon season always brought such unheralded rains, but Sakiko only felt it was the heavens mocking her.
Whatever, I'm done, I give up. Sakiko simply let the raindrops soak her through completely, the low temperature gradually eroding her body.
After who knows how long, a transparent white umbrella was held over Sakiko's head. The feeling of raindrops hitting her head suddenly vanished. Sakiko lifted her head somewhat numbly and saw Miki Kashiwagi, panting slightly and equally soaked to the bone.
"Hah... hah... Good thing I bet on the right thing and didn't look for you at the school." Miki Kashiwagi plopped down casually on the edge of the flowerbed, his drenched thick black hair covering his eyes. "Two hours, eight kilometers. You really are something else."
"Why... why did you come looking for me? Everything is beyond changing. You've already done your best." Sakiko responded dully, her attitude negative.
"Of course I know I did my best, otherwise how would I have the face to come find you?" Miki Kashiwagi put his arm around Sakiko's shoulder, letting her lean against him. Sakiko instinctively struggled, but under Miki Kashiwagi's strong, capable arm, she obediently leaned in after all, so that this small umbrella could barely manage to shelter them both. "I said it before, haven't I? I've got everything handled."
"Eh? You mean...?"
"Your old man and I reached an agreement: he won't harass your life, and I won't sue him for damages to my car. I originally hadn't planned to be so ruthless, but I didn't expect things to progress to that point..."
In the end, you were still sacrificed, Dr. Kashiwagi. Because of this, I owe you more and more. How could I ever hope to repay this in a lifetime...
Pressing her ear tightly against Miki Kashiwagi's chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, Sakiko Toyokawa's emotions were more complex than ever before. There was guilt toward Miki Kashiwagi, hatred for her own uselessness, bewilderment about the future, and certain unprecedented feelings germinating and spreading in her heart. "Please... please let me lean on you for a moment. My mind is a complete mess right now. It feels... like I'm dreaming."
"It's fine. Since you're dreaming, just stay in it until you wake up. I'm right here." Miki Kashiwagi gently stroked Sakiko's drenched blue hair, humming a tune Sakiko had never heard before, yet which brought her incomparable peace.
[Cold rainy night, I am by your side, hoping you will know, if you only knew my heart]
[Has already changed from how it used to be, just forcing ourselves through this companionship]
[Cold rainy night, I don't want to go home, afraid to look at your retreating figure, just smiling bitterly at the raindrops]
[Knowing I need to make things clear, yet a pity I lacked the courage to try]
...
"Hah... hah..." Sakiko let out a faint snore. She had fallen asleep, a peaceful smile still lingering at the corners of her mouth, as if she were dreaming of something happy.