Page 22 of The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop
Right, so it’s my turn to fulfil a promise. Yuriko had come to me so that we could have our dance, after all.
‘We can take my car there on my next day off. I’ll also submit a request for the outing.’
Shingo smiled quietly at Mai’s cheerful voice.
* * *
A few days later, the four of them – Mai and her husband, who took turns driving, Shingo and Sanae – set out for a day trip. Just as Mai had said, the area around the station had been transformed into a modern tourist spot with a newly built park, as well as stylish cafés and restaurants. The station building had been turned into a coffee shop, with seating set up where the platform usedto be. It was the perfect spot for admiring theYamazakuratrees. Girls even younger than Mai were taking turns snapping photos of themselves on their phones.
Shingo’s memory seemed to improve after his visit to that strange shop, but as the days passed, it gradually slipped back to the way it was before. More and more often, he stood at the serving counter without recognising Mai, only remembering her after he’d sat down. There were probably instances when he tucked into his meal, completely unaware that he’d overlooked his own granddaughter. Even so, for some reason, the sense of urgency that used to trouble him did not come.
Although only for a short while, they strolled along the footpath, with Mai and her husband taking turns pushing his wheelchair. The place where railway sleepers had once been laid was now paved with flexible asphalt. The path, which was just wide enough to fit a train carriage, didn’t feel so narrow, but that was only until they were faced with the task of passing anotherwheelchair. This required a certain level of consideration for each other, but such moments were when Mai was in her element. She spoke in such a cheerful, carefree way that even the grumpy-looking occupant of the other wheelchair smiled wryly at her.
Still, when Shingo took in the sight of the tall grass and overgrown thickets just past the paved footpath, a deep hopelessness filled his chest. There wasn’t even the faintest chance that a train would ever pass through here again. That thought struck him with the inescapable truth that an era had come to an end. Had his former colleagues looked upon the same scenery? If so, what emotions did they feel?
The path also allowed access to the opposite platform, just beneath the Yamazakura trees. Mai, working together with her husband, pushed his wheelchair up the gentle slope. When they reached the top, he found that this side, too, had been completely renovated. Falling cherry blossom petals fluttered in the air like snowflakes.
‘A hundred years had passed,’ Shingo found himself saying, his lips moving on their own.
He no longer understood why he had recalled those words now. In fact, he couldn’t remember where the line originated.
‘There’s no need for you to be so afraid of forgetting.’
Who was it that had said those kind words to him? Only the image of a burgundy hue had been imprinted onto his mind. He also faintly remembered there being a cat, one that looked like a big ball of fluff.
It seemed that the other three had not heard Shingo, as they were too immersed in the excitement of the cherry blossoms in full bloom. White petals whirled like confetti. As he watched on, suddenly, Mai widened her eyes. Delightedly taking her husband’s hand, she placed it over her stomach. Sanae brought her hands together in a soundless applause.
Yuriko, my dear. Our beloved daughter and her little one have grown up so wonderfully, haven’t they?
It was at that moment. The breeze that brushed his ears turned into words.
We’re here together at last.
From somewhere, a soft, soundless voice seeped into Shingo’s heart, warmth gently spreading through him.Right, we’re still together, aren’t we?Slowly, he surrendered himself to the weight of his eyelids.
‘Grandpa? Are you asleep?’ he heard his granddaughter say as he breathed out softly.
‘Looks like he’s having a nice dream. He’s smiling.’
That voice came from his daughter.
‘He is, isn’t he? I can’t remember the last time he smiled like this.’
Their voices were drifting away, slipping farther into the distance. Not wanting to let go, Shingo somehow parted his eyelids. Across the narrow haze of his vision, a single white petal fluttered from left to right, disappearing into nowhere.
INTERLUDE
THE SECRET HELD IN A NAME
After seeingthe former train driver off, the girl putTen Nights of Dreamsback to where it belonged, then picked up the copy ofI Am a Cat, which was stored right next to it. As usual, she pretended to clear her throat before opening the book.
‘“I am a cat. My name is yet to exist?—”’
But just as she began to read, she abruptly pressed her lips together and turned back to the cat, uncharacteristically knitting her eyebrows. It was as though she’d suddenly remembered something important.
‘Hey, Kobako. You want to hear a really embarrassing story about me?’ she said. ‘You do, don’t you? I know you do.’
Although the cat held her usual loaf pose, she opened one eye. Not all the way, but just enough to betray a flicker of curiosity. Her whiskers gave a single twitch.
