Chapter Two
Summer 1993

“She’s cute.”

“Hmm?”

“The girl at the counter.”

“Okay.”

“You’re not even looking!” Satoru lightly slapped his friend upside the head. You had been busy fiddling with the controls on his camera, preparing for the job he had lined up for that day. Despite the fact that it was summer, You had managed to secure a position as a photographer at several upcoming weddings and he was looking forward to trying out his new camera. The guitarist glanced over at the counter of the café they were sitting in, taking a look at the girl who had served them their coffee.

“Her hair is shorter than yours,” You noted before returning his attention to his camera.

“I like girls with short hair. They feel kinda… wild, don’t you think?”

“Sure.”

Satoru sighed, knowing that You was not going to listen to his musings at that moment.

“Do you think she has a boyfriend?”

“Would that stop you?”

“Maybe.” Satoru tapped his fingers on top of the table he was sharing with You. His gaze was focused on the girl with short hair, who had smiled at him in a charming way when they had entered ten minutes prior. “I’m going to ask her out.”

“What if she has a boyfriend?”

“I’m probably better-looking.”

“What if she has a girlfriend?” You asked without looking up from his camera.

“I’m still probably better-looking.”

The response drew a short laugh from You, but by the time he broke his focus away from his camera, Satoru was at the café counter making conversation with the girl who had caught his attention. You watched, amused. A little more than three years had passed since he and Satoru had become friends. In that time, he had seen Satoru go through a few girlfriends, the relationships never lasting more than a couple months.

However, this time, You was a bit stunned to see that the girl appeared to be resisting whatever sweet compliments Satoru was paying her. They had played four or five shows at little venues around the city in the past year, whenever they managed to secure a spot amongst a group of local indie artists, and Satoru was always the one the girls flocked to afterwards. You was always amused by how peeved this made Yoshikazu, who had assumed that privilege should go to him as the band’s frontman.

After about five minutes of trying, Satoru returned to the round table which You was seated at and tapped his friend on the back. “Ready to go?”

“Did you get shot down?” You pressed curiously.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Satoru held up a white business card with the café’s logo on the front, and then flipped it over to show a hand-written phone number on the back. “She never had a chance.”

~~~~~~~
“How was the wedding?” Satoru asked You when he met up with his friend two days later, in the practice room at Kenji’s studio.

“Hot.” They had been hanging out so regularly that it felt strange for You not to have seen Satoru the day before. He had found himself actually missing the drummer. “Whoever did the bride’s make up was a genius though. I kept expecting it to melt off halfway through.”

“Who schedules an outdoor wedding in summer?”

“Tell me about it. I kept watching the groom’s grandmother, in case she got heat … Or a real .”

“That would have made for great wedding photography.”

“Typically, weddings go better when no one dies,” You pointed out, removing his guitar from its case.

“You need to have a better sense of adventure.”

“I’d rather do my job and get paid without any commotion.”

“What happened to the guy that I first met? He seemed to like commotion.”

“You caught me on a bad week.”

“You punched me in the face.”

“A really bad week.”

Satoru chuckled and then raised his arms up over his head, stretching. They were meeting Ren and Yoshikazu to rehearse, but he and You had arrived early.

“Oh, did you set up a date with that café girl?”

“Rie? Yeah, we went out last night.”

“You’re quick.”

“Why wait?”

“Isn’t there an unwritten three day rule?”

“Not when she’s that cute.”

You sat down on the wooden floor of the rehearsal room and crossed his legs, mindlessly strumming quiet notes on his guitar. “How’d it go?”

“Well, I think. She’s quieter than I’m used to.”

“Is that bad?”

“No.” Satoru said, walking over to the drum kit. “She’s sweet. And polite. She pulls off the shy thing quite well.”

“Didn’t realize that was your type.”

“I have many types.” Satoru reassured.

“Where’d you go?”

“We walked down Nene-no-michi, then went to Maruyama Park.”

“Do you plan on marrying this girl?”

Satoru scowled in response.

“Just saying, that’s quite romantic for a first date.”

“Are you jealous that I’m not taking you out on dates like that?”

“Satoru’s dating someone?” Ren had walked into the studio, and jumped quickly into the conversation.

“He took out a girl that works at the coffee shop on the corner,” You explained, standing up.

“How’d it go?”

Satoru flashed Ren a thumbs up. “I’m gonna take her out again next week.”

“Awesome! Haruka was just saying it’s about time one of you gets a girlfriend.”

“What, she’s tired of hanging out with so many attractive men all on her own?” Satoru joked.

“Just you,” Ren teased back. “Well, actually, we were talking about having a BBQ in a couple weeks, maybe Suma Beach in Kobe? If your date goes well, invite her.”

“That sounds good. I will.”

“What about finding a girl for You?” Ren asked, turning to the guitarist, who waved off the suggestion.

“I’m good,” he said. “I’ll live vicariously through you two.”

“You sure?”

“Getting a girlfriend and then introducing her to you guys? Right. She’ll flee within the hour.”

“I think we’re quite charming,” Ren pouted.

“Yeah,” Satoru backed up the bassist. “She’ll at least last the day.”

You laughed and shook his head, throwing a short wave at Yoshikazu when the singer came in and greeted them. “Maybe it’s better if I just keep her a secret.”

~~~~~~~
“Grab it, grab it, grab it! Ren, they’re ing burning!”

The bassist scrambled to pull the hamburger patties that were starting to smoke off the small, portable grill.

“If you aren’t gonna watch them, then hand over the—”

“I know, shut up!” Ren snapped back at the drummer, scrapping off the charred pieces of meat from the burgers. Haruka was sitting next to him, her long bare legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, laughing quietly at her boyfriend’s failed attempts to act as self-declared “grill master.”

It had been a cramped ride down to the Kobe beach. The group of five sat on top of several laid out towels, a large rented beach umbrella shading them from the bright sun. They had a cooler full of ice-chilled drinks to hold off the heat and were supposed to already be enjoying the burgers that Haruka had prepped that morning. However, this was the second set that Ren had burned.

Satoru leaned back, chuckling at his panicked friend. He wore loose board shorts and a fitted white t-shirt, the casual look suiting him as well as any other. Beside him was Rie, his new girlfriend indeed shy and not making much contribution to the conversation, but she too was smiling at Ren’s desperate efforts to right his mistake.

The breeze coming from over the ocean was a pleasant contrast to the humidity of the central Japanese summer. You was glad that they had all finally made it out, having delayed the day trip a couple of times due to rain and conflicting schedules.

With his girlfriend’s help, Ren salvaged the burgers and passed them around to the others. The group toasted their drinks mainly to Haruka’s skills and not Ren’s, not yet ready to cut Ren’s suffering short.

“This is nice,” Satoru mused. “It’s good to relax.”

“You call dealing with him relaxing?” Haruka asked, nodding in the direction of her boyfriend.

“You chose to date him,” You pointed out to her.

“Yes, and I only sometimes regret it,” she answered, causing Ren to fake a pout.

“A switch is always possible,” Satoru told her. “You is more your height. Must be difficult dating this midget.”

“I’m not that short!” Ren protested. “You’re all unnaturally tall.”

“Do you secretly put lifts in his shoes when you go out?” Satoru ignored Ren’s whines to quit the teasing.

“No, but my shoe collection now does include a lot more flats,” Haruka said, swatting away Ren’s hands when the bassist tried to poke at her. “Otherwise I look like I’m on a date with a junior high-school student.”

Ren was nearly in tears. “I’m cancelling our dinner reservations for tomorrow night!” he threatened.

“No you’re not,” Haruka dismissed him with confidence, then stood up. “Rie, honey, do you wanna walk to the convenience store with me? I forgot to bring sunblock.”

“Yes, I’ll come.” Rie excused herself and joined Haruka, the two girls making their way up the beach.

Once the girls were out of earshot, Ren turned to Satoru. “Is she always that quiet?”

Satoru shrugged, picking up a piece of cut watermelon from one of the plastic containers filled with fruits and vegetables scattered around the middle of their set up. “Not this quiet.”

“Do you mind it?”

“It’s a welcome break from you two chatterboxes,” Satoru answered, gesturing between Ren and You.

“She’s nice,” You pitched in. “I think you need someone who’ll bring you down a level or two.”

“Aww, thanks,” Satoru replied teasingly and threw a piece of the watermelon at his friend in retaliation.

The girls returned shortly after, Haruka playfully kicking sand at her boyfriend, while Rie touched hers gently on the shoulder.

Satoru gazed up at her and smiled. “Yes?”

“Will you walk with me?” Rie’s voice was hushed, the skirt of her light blue floral-printed sundress being ruffled by the breeze.

“Of course,” Satoru said and stood up to join her. “You, make sure Ren doesn’t burn anything else,” the drummer instructed and then settled one hand on the small of Rie’s back, leading her down toward the ocean.

“He’s smitten, isn’t her?” Haruka noted, sitting back down between Ren and the guitarist. Down the beach, they could see that Satoru had taken the girl’s hand as the two walked along the water’s edge.

“Looks like it,” Ren agreed and pulled three cans of beer from the cooler.

“She isn’t?” You asked Haruka.

“She doesn’t say too much,” Haruka replied, cracking open the one handed to her by Ren. “She seems a bit hesitant though.”

“Maybe that’s why he likes her so much,” Ren wondered. “Satoru’s always had girls running after him.”

“Don’t blame them,” Haruka stated. “I certainly wouldn’t turn down a proposition from him.”

“Hey!”

“If I wasn’t so madly in love with you, that is.” Haruka reassured Ren, patting him on the thigh. “How long have they been going out?”

“A few weeks,” You answered, still watching the couple moving further and further away.

“Well, maybe she needs more time to warm up to him? Ren told me the two of you didn’t start off best of friends either.”

“That’s true…” You replied thoughtfully. “Or maybe she’s not the right person for him.”

“Are you jealous?” Haruka laughed. “You’re the only one in the group not dating? I have some single friends that would love a musician boyfriend.”

“Yeah. Sure. Maybe.” You replied without enthusiasm. Somehow, he didn’t think it was Satoru that he was jealous of.

~~~~~~~
The air conditioner inside the tiny live club was working, but not working hard enough, You thought, checking the tune of his guitar strings. However, anything at all was preferable to the hot, sticky days of late August that they were progressing through. “Okabe’s late,” Yoshikazu pointed out.

You had noticed. It was unusual.

“Did you call him?”

You nodded. “He didn’t answer.”

Yoshikazu scowled and walked away, calling for Ren.

You returned to the task of checking his instrument, something he had been doing, or attempting to do, for half an hour. It was weird without Satoru, and You could not concentrate when his mind was jittering with little worries. Since the typhoon incident two years ago, Satoru had never been late for a practice, rehearsal, show, or anything to do with their activities as a band. You checked the cheap watch on his wrist. They were all supposed to be here an hour ago at the very latest. The first group was meant to start soon, and their foursome was the second band on the roster.

The minutes continued to tick by, and there was no sign of their drummer. Ren, who had told everyone not to worry, was now starting to look nervous. Yoshikazu looked pissed. You considered running to check Satoru’s apartment, but he would not be able to make it there and back in time.

The first band started approximately ten minutes late, and Yoshikazu began muttering threats against the drummer. Ren was fidgeting, making weak jokes about how a drummer was not a total necessity. You was on his way to go tell the venue manager to skip their set when Satoru came in.

“Where in the flying have you been?” Yoshikazu shouted at the drummer, roughly seizing the collar of his shirt. You could not hear the mumble that passed Satoru’s lips, but the drummer’s lack of a reaction to Yoshikazu’s physical treatment sent off a signal in You’s brain. The guitarist was on his feet and at Satoru’s side quickly, prying Yoshikazu’s hands off his friend.

“Relax!” You said firmly. “He’s here. This group’s finishing now, so go make sure the manager knows we’re set!”

Yoshikazu cursed out a few more threats at Satoru, but did as You suggested. The guitarist then turned to Satoru. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” Satoru said curtly, his eyes not meeting with You’s.

“Satoru, wha—”

“When are we up?”

“Right now.”

“Did you check their drum kit?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Then let’s go.”

“Are you sur—”

“Let’s go.” The harsh, dismissive punctuation in Satoru’s words made You drop his argument.

“Fine.”

You watched Satoru take a seat behind the venue’s drum kit. The guitarist did not pay close attention when Yoshikazu spoke into the microphone, introducing their group to the crowd before counting them down into the start of the first song. You was minding Satoru’s playing more than his own, his eyes continuously shifting from the small crowd before them to the drummer. Satoru played well enough, but his normal energy was missing. The drive that Satoru normally played with was not there, and though the drummer was hitting all the right beats, it felt like nothing significant.

Ren was also not his usual, bouncy self, not shifting from the right side of the stage when normally the bassist tended to cover as much of the area as he could. You tried to focus on his own instrument, but he had grown used to being fueled by the energy which normally flowed so freely from Ren and Satoru, and thus felt his own lacking. Only Yoshikazu appeared unaffected, playing up the crowd with each cover they progressed through.

They finished off their set and Satoru practically ran off the stage, You following after him. The guitarist caught his friend by the wrist in the small backstage area, stopping him from taking off out of the club. “Satoru…”

“I don’t want to do this right now.”

“Then you shouldn’t have shown up,” You said, loosely holding onto the drummer.

“Fine. But I don’t want to stay here.”

You nodded, letting go of Satoru’s wrist. “Do you want a drink?”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Okay. Let me tell Yoshi and Ren that we’re leaving. Will you wait?”

Satoru agreed, and You quickly went to find the singer and bassist. He excused himself and Satoru to a frown from Yoshikazu and a quiet wish of good luck from Ren. He then packed away his guitar and rejoined Satoru, who was waiting near the rear exit of the club.

“Do you want to go someplace quiet?” You asked, the two men making their way out onto the late-evening streets of Kyoto.

“No.”

“Okay.” You led them down the street, guiding Satoru into a popular chain izakaya. On You’s request, they got a table in the back corner. The guitarist ordered them drinks and a few small dishes, pushing them toward Satoru when they arrived.

The drummer rotated his glass between his palms, but did not pick it up. You waited for Satoru to speak, nursing his own beer. The agonizing minutes crept by in silence and once he had reached the bottom of his glass, You caved. “What’s wrong?”

Satoru opened his mouth, then closed it again shortly after, not finding the words.

“Work?” You quizzed and Satoru shook his head.

“Family?”

Again, Satoru shook his head.

“A friend?”

“It’s Rie…”

“Did she… dump you?” You questioned uncertainly.

“No. No, she…” Satoru took a deep breath. “She told me that… she… umm…” He closed his eyes briefly. “Oh, this. She told me that… she has leukemia.”

Satoru’s words and behavior sank in, and You was not sure what to say in response.

“That’s why she’s been so hesitant with me. She said she doesn’t want to lead me on when, chances are that… well, you know.” Satoru finally picked up his glass and took a long drink.

“Is it bad?” You said.

“Leukemia is pretty bad.” Satoru’s words dripped with sarcasm, but then he murmured an apology. “I mean, I don’t know. She seems fine to me, I guess. If I think about it, she does get tired easily when we’ve gone out, but I thought that was because she’s going to university and then working between her classes. How was I supposed to know she has cancer?”

“I don’t think that anyone’s first guess.” When there was no response from Satoru, You pressed on. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I want to keep seeing her. I like her. But…”

“But what?”

“She said it’s not something to share.”

“That’s understandable.”

“But I could help her.”

“How?” You asked, looking straight and hard at Satoru.

“What do you mean how?”

“I mean, how exactly are you going to help her? Maybe she seems okay now, but.. that’s not a pretty illness, Satoru. Do you think you could handle something like that? And you just met her. What do you know about helping someone deal with something like that?”

“So I’m supposed to.... what? Ignore it? Break up?”

“Why don’t you ask her?” You suggested.

“I did.”

“And?” Satoru’s lack of a response answered You’s question on its own. “You should respect her wishes.”

“I don’t want to give up like that.”

“You’re just going to have your heart broken, Satoru. No matter what happens.”

“I can handle it,” Satoru insisted.

“Can you?”