Chapter 40
Naoyuki and Taki come out of school with Hitomi the next day to find a blanket of snow at least ankle-deep covering the ground. Hitomi grins. “If this keeps up, I wouldn’t be surprised to have a snow day tomorrow,” she says. She bends over and picks up a handful of snow, then tosses it up in the air and watches it blow away.
Naoyuki steps down and wades through the thick white snow – which on him, was almost up to his knees. “If we have a snow day, can we go sledding?” he turns and asks Taki with a big smile on his face.
Taki laughs. “That’d be great!”
Naoyuki grins at her in return. He lets himself fall backward and spreads his arms and legs back and forth in the snow. Laughing, he sits back up and cries, “It’s cold!”
“That’s not stopping you from playing in it!” Taki jests.
“Taki, come on!” he calls as he gets up and makes his way down what was the school walkway. “Ah! It’s in my shoes!” he cries.
Hitomi giggles. “Taki, he’s totally different now that he’s been staying with you,” she observes. “I can’t believe how cheerful and talkative he is.” She turns toward her friend and asks, “Is it weird, having him living with you and your folks?”
“Nah,” Taki replies, grinning as she watches Naoyuki run around in the snow. “You know, Naoyuki’s like a little brother to me.” She smiles from ear to ear as she faces Hitomi. “I love him. I really do.”
“I see,” Hitomi says.
“Taki!” Naoyuki calls again. “Come on!”
Taki stretches out and walks down the steps. “Bye, Hitomi! Have a fun snow day!” She turns and runs to catch up with Naoyuki, then takes his hand. “You having a hard time there?” She playfully whisks him up out of the snow for an instant. “Jump!” she cries. “And again!” Naoyuki breaks out in laughter as she hoists him up out of the snow again.
“I see the car!” Naoyuki points it out before Taki lets him sink into the snow again.
“We should’ve worn boots today,” Taki laughs as the two of them shuffle through the snow to get to her mother’s jeep. Taki opens the door and hoists Naoyuki up once more. Once he climbs inside, Taki jumps in behind him. “Hi, Mom!” As she buckles up, she excitedly cries, “You think they’re gonna cancel school tomorrow? We’d better pull out the sleds, huh? Is that okay, Mom?”
Mrs. Soejima chuckles. “I guess so. I might have to sled to work in the morning if we get what they’re talking about.”
Naoyuki and Taki cheer in hopes of their snow day. “We’ll go to that park with the giant hill,” Taki says. “The hill goes down like this, and when you go down, it’s like a roller-coaster – Naoyuki, have you ever ridden a roller-coaster?” All through the ride home, they plan out the snow day, excitedly bubbling over with talk of sleds, skis, and lunch at a nice restaurant.
When Mrs. Soejima pulls up at their house, she sees a car parked out front. “That’s odd,” she says. “Your father’s not home yet. And we hadn’t planned for guests today. Do either of you recognize that car?”
Much to Naoyuki’s dismay, he does know the grey sedan parked on the curb – it was his father’s. Naoyuki’s smile instantly melts. Their plans had just gone up in smoke. “It’s Papa,” he half-whispers.
“No way!” Taki cries. “Are you sure?”
“Stay in the car.” Mrs. Soejima slides out and punches the locks, then closes the door. Warily stepping toward the parked car, she eyes the man inside as he undoes his seatbelt, opens the door, and steps out. “Can I help you with something?” she asks Mr. Kondo.
“Mrs. Soejima,” Mr. Kondo addresses her, “my son is staying with your family, isn’t he? I do believe he’s had sufficient time for a visit, ma’am. It’s time for him to come home.” He crosses his arms and waits for a response. “I’m not making a request,” he says impatiently. “I’m taking the boy home, whether you agree or not. You are keeping him against my wishes.”
Taki’s mother cringes. “Was it you who put Naoyuki in the sorry state he was in when we found him lying in our yard?” she asks pointedly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mr. Kondo denies.
“He’s a good boy, that child,” Mrs. Soejima presses. “Treat him right.” She walks around her jeep and reluctantly unlocks Naoyuki’s door. “Naoyuki, you have to go home,” she says heavily.
“But Mom – !”
“No, Taki,” Mrs. Soejima says, “we have to let him go.”
“I don’t wanna go!” Naoyuki pleads, clinging on to Taki.
“Please understand,” Mrs. Soejima says, “There’s nothing we can do – not right now. But our door is always open to you, Naoyuki.” She frowns and holds out her hands. “Come on.” Naoyuki obediently reaches for her arms and lets her lift him out of the seat and set him on the ground. She gently herds him toward his waiting father when Taki jumps out of the jeep and bolts ahead of them.
“Wait!” Taki cries. “Can’t Naoyuki stay a little longer?”
“I think that’s a moot point,” Mr. Kondo says harshly as he glares down at Taki. “He’s coming back with me right now.”
“Why?” Taki yells. “What’s the point?! You drove him away in the first place!!” In the next instant, Mr. Kondo’s hand swipes across her face and snaps her head to the side. Taki stumbles a few steps backward, her cheek stinging terribly.
“Don’t touch my daughter!” Mrs. Soejima yells, Naoyuki’s screaming almost drowning out her voice.
“Tell her to watch her mouth!” Mr. Kondo hollers.
“You think you can keep everyone quiet, but you can’t!” Taki yells, her hazel eyes burning with indignation. “Naoyuki may not tell anybody that you hit him, but I will! You’re so concerned about saving face – you can’t lose your temper here, or everyone will know about it! I’m not scared of you!”
“Taki!” Mrs. Soejima cries.
Mr. Kondo’s face flushes. His arms tighten at his sides as if it took everything he had to keep from letting his fists fly. “Boy, get in the car,” he growls through clenched teeth. “We’re going home. Now.” He glares resentfully at Taki. Restraining himself, he waits for Naoyuki to obey. Silence sets in.
Naoyuki runs to Taki and clamps his hands around her arm. He gulps. “I don’t want to.”
“What did I tell you about mouthing off to me?” Mr. Kondo hisses.
Naoyuki lets out a yelp. Trembling, he tightens his grip on Taki’s arm. “I—I like Taki’s house. I don’t wanna go yet.” Finally feeling brave enough to look up at his father, he adds, “I’m catching up on my work. And Taki’s teaching me how to ride a bike and play basketball,...so... can I stay a little longer? Please?”
“How many times do I have to repeat myself?” his father blurts out. “Get in the car now! We’re leaving!” His fists clench even tighter as he yells, “I don’t want you to even ask about coming over here again – in fact, you stay away from Soejima! Got it?!”
“No!” Naoyuki cries.
“Why you disobedient, ungrateful – !”
“Don’t TOUCH him!” Taki screams. His hand comes down on her instead, and repeatedly, he strikes her across the face.
“No!” Naoyuki cries. “Stop hurting Taki!! Stop!!!” A hand comes down and sends him hurtling toward the ground, the snow his only cushion.
“GET YOUR HANDS OFF THE CHILDREN!!!” Mrs. Soejima screams, summoning neighbors’ prying eyes. Cell phones were coming out of pockets and purses. Mrs. Soejima grabs her daughter first, instinctually; but she couldn’t get to Naoyuki in time. Mr. Kondo yanks Naoyuki to his feet and stuffs him into the back of the car before jumping into the driver’s seat, his face hidden with his scarf and hands, and taking off.
***************************
The snow day had ended, and the following day found everyone back in school – everyone, it seemed, but Naoyuki. The second the bell rings at the end of the day, Taki springs up from her seat and hurtles through the throngs in the hall. Hurry to Mr. Ikeda’s room! Her feet pound on the floor as she bolts around the corner. She skids to a stop at the classroom door. Mr. Ikeda’s room had already emptied out, and he was packing his things at his desk. He looks up at her as she stands in his doorway panting heavily until she finally catches her breath. “Soejima,” Mr. Ikeda calls, “where is Naoyuki today?”
Taki’s eyes widen. “He wasn’t here?” she asks.
“No,” Mr. Ikeda answers, “he wasn’t – Soejima!”
Taki leaves him calling after her as she breaks into a dead run down the hallway again. “Naoyuki!” she calls. Tears find their way from her eyes. Please, no. You’ve gotta be here. You’ve gotta be okay...! She races outside. It was snowing again. Hitomi was waiting for her on the steps. “Hitomi, have you seen Naoyuki?!” she cries. “Is he here somewhere?!”
Hitomi falls silent, blinking at Taki in bewilderment. “N-No, I haven’t seen him,” she replies. “Even Ikuo hasn’t been here since before the snow day.” She frowns. “Taki, is something wrong?” she inquires. “Naoyuki isn’t with you?”
“No,” Taki cries, “I haven’t seen him since his dad came to our house and took him away...!” She shudders in fear and chokes on her tears. “I was really hoping to see him today... If he’s not here, what does that mean...?!”
“Taki, calm down,” Hitomi coaxes her.
But the person Taki sees coming up the school walkway sends something inside her plummeting down into her gut. It was Mrs. Kondo. “No way...!” Taki cries. She half-jumps, half-slides down the slippery stairs, which were already being covered with snow again. “Mrs. Kondo, where’s Naoyuki?!”
Mrs. Kondo breaks down in tears. “That’s what I was going to ask you!” she cries. She bites her calloused lip, her hands find her way up to her bruised face and work through her jet-black hair, and she starts shaking with sobs. “Naoyuki’s not here?” she cries. “He’s really not with you?”
“What happened?” Taki cries. “Where is he?!”
“His father was drinking,” Mrs. Kondo cries. Trembling, she tries to choke down her tears and rambles on, “I don’t know why he got so angry with Naoyuki, but...I – I tried to stop him, but – And Naoyuki ran away! – Oh, where’s my little boy?! Where’s my little Naoyuki?! I can’t find him anywhere...!!” She gives way to sobs right there on the busy school walkway.
“Where have you already looked?” Taki inquires desperately. “Where does he usually go? And is Ikuo okay?”
“Naoyuki always runs to you!” Mrs. Kondo cries in grief. “There’s nowhere else he ‘usually goes’ but to school and to you! I’ve tried at your house, I’ve tried here, I’ve searched the whole neighborhood! He’s nowhere!! He just disappeared – !!”
“And Ikuo?” Taki presses again.
“Ikuo’s fine!” Mrs. Kondo cries. “I want to know where my baby is!!”
Taki bolts to her mother’s jeep and climbs in, leaving the door open. “Mom, Mrs. Kondo is outside looking for Naoyuki,” she says urgently. “I’ve gotta help her find him! Something really bad must’ve happened for him to run away again!”
“Okay,” her mother replies. “Tell her we’ll follow her to her house and fan out from there.”
Taki nods and jumps out, closing the door behind her. She hurries back to Mrs. Kondo. “Me and my mom will follow you to your house,” she tells Mrs. Kondo, “and we’ll start looking from there.” And I’ve gotta see Ikuo, she adds to herself. Ikuo can’t be all right. He’s not all right – not if things got so ridiculously out of hand that Naoyuki ran away again. Taki sees Mrs. Kondo to her car, then climbs back into her mother’s jeep. Her mother hits the ignition and drives off behind Mrs. Kondo’s small Honda.
When they arrive at the Kondos’, Ikuo is waiting outside. Taki immediately jumps out and runs to him through the building blanket of snow. Of course. He definitely wasn’t all right. He looked as worn as an old dishrag. And he was bruised, too, this time, though much less than his mother. Taki lays her hands on Ikuo’s shoulders. “What happened?” she asks. “Are you okay? Talk to me, Ikuo!”
He blinks up at her and says, “I didn’t hide this time.” Tears start to build up in his eyes. He leans against her and cries into her shirt. “I wanna go home to my mom...”
Taki sighs and puts her arms around him. “I know,” she says gently.
“Dad got drunk last night,” Ikuo murmurs. “He totally blew up and went after Naoyuki. Nobody could stop him...Naoyuki ran away and didn’t come back. Is he at your place?”
Taki’s frown deepens. “No,” she answers. “So he’s been missing since last night?”
Ikuo nods. “Mom’s desperate. She asked around the entire neighborhood. You were the only one left he could’ve run to...”
Taki feels him shiver. “Hey, you’re not wearing a coat!” she cries, stepping back and looking at him again. She takes off hers and gives it to him. “Sheesh. You dumb-dumb. You’re gonna get sick.”
“I’m more worried about Naoyuki,” Ikuo says. “He ran out with the clothes on his back and a bunch of bruises...” He frowns and trails off for a moment. “Mom got as far as someone’s backyard fence on his footprints and... Dad broke a glass of liquor on him. Cut him up real bad.”
Taki’s eyes spring open. “What...?!”
“There might’ve even been more to it than that,” Ikuo continues. “But after the sidewalks and streets were shoveled and plowed this morning, Mom couldn’t follow his trail anymore. There’s no telling where he got to...”
“Ikuo, go back inside!” Mrs. Kondo calls. “Do you want your fever to flare up again?” She makes her way over to them on the front walk.
“Dad’s drinking again,” Ikuo murmurs. “He’s gone through two already.”
Mrs. Kondo frowns worriedly. “All right,” she says. “Go get your coat, then get in the car. “We’re going to go look for your brother.”
“Okay.” Ikuo gives back Taki’s coat, then disappears into his house.
“Taki,” her mother calls, “come on; we’re going to look near our house.”
“I’ll call Doctor Ikeda as well,” Mrs. Kondo informs her. “He’ll help us search, too. Here is his number, for your cell phone. Can I have yours...?”
Taki hurries away and climbs into the jeep. After her mother exchanges information, she gets in and starts the engine. She asks, “Can you think of anywhere Naoyuki would go, Taki?”
“I don’t know,” Taki replies. “Except maybe... He’s either in our neighborhood somewhere, or...We were talking about going to a park on the snow day, so do you think he’d go to a park? I mean, he could sleep on a bench or something there if he had to...”
By car, they find nothing. They get out and ask around a few times, but no one had seen Naoyuki. Taki and her mother go as far as their house and scour the yards. Absolutely nothing. They double back closer to the Kondos’ house, and Taki keeps her eyes peeled for a park. Her mother’s cell phone rings; it was Mr. Ikeda. Taki picks up, hoping for good news. “Hello, Mr. Ikeda? Did you find Naoyuki?”
“No,” Ikeda replies from the other end of the line. “I double-checked the school grounds and inquired of most of the staff. He’s not here. I’ll continue searching in the area.”
Taki frowns. “Thanks,” she says. Ikeda hangs up. “Nothing at the school,” Taki reports.
“Okay,” Mrs. Soejima replies.
The cell phone rings again. This time, it was Mrs. Kondo. “Hello?” Taki says.
“We still can’t find him,” Mrs. Kondo frets. “I don’t know where else...What if he really tried to go back this time?”
“‘Go back’?” Taki asks. “To where?”
“To our old house,” Mrs. Kondo replies.
Taki falls silent. He said he couldn’t go back there, she thinks. There’s no way he would’ve, right? “We’re doubling back to your house and looking again,” she tells Mrs. Kondo. “Don’t give up yet.” She hangs up the phone. “Nothing on Mrs. Kondo and Ikuo’s end.” Taki’s attention turns back toward the window. Naoyuki, where are you? she wonders worriedly. She suddenly finds herself dwelling on memories of Shinya. Her eyes spring open. No. “Mom, let’s try more outside of town,” she suggests. “Mrs. Kondo thinks he might’ve gone outside the city limit.” But Ikuo said Naoyuki was hurt...He couldn’t have gone that far,..right?
The cell phone rings again. “Oh, it’s Dad,” Taki tells her mother as she picks it up. “Hi, Dad. Did you just get home?”
“Yeah,” her father replies. “Where are you?”
“We’re out looking for Naoyuki,” Taki explains, her voice heavy. “He ran away again.”
“No, not again?” her father says worriedly. “Is there some place I can check?”
Taki looks out the window again, scanning for a park, or any place Naoyuki could have gone to rest. “Mrs. Kondo and Ikuo are already looking near their house,” she informs her father, “and Mr. Ikeda’s checking the neighborhood around the school. Me and mom have already looked for him in our neighborhood. We’re double-checking between our house and the Kondos’ now, but we still haven’t – ” The display shows an incoming call. “Dad, Mr. Ikeda’s on the other line; I’ve gotta go.”
Taki hangs up on her father and picks up Ikeda’s call. “Hello?”
“I think I’ve found something,” Ikeda reports.
***************************
At an old park a few blocks from the school, a crowd of about five people and children with sleds stand around a jungle gym, one of whom was holding a cell phone and dialing emergency as she held the hand of a little boy. Ikeda jumps out of his car and runs to the small crowd. “What seems to be the matter here?” he inquires.
“There’s somebody in the tube,” a girl in the crowd answers.
“A little boy is lying in there,” says one of the mothers, “and he won’t answer anyone.”
A frightened toddler points out a few small windows in the tunnel. A little, pale hand was hanging limply out of one of them, and the baby-blue jacket sleeve that covered it immediately told Ikeda who it was. “Oh, no, please...” He hurriedly strides to the opening and peers inside. Ikeda’s stomach lurches as he registers what he could see from the opening – messy, dark hair; light skin; a familiar baby-blue jacket. It was Naoyuki inside the tunnel. “Naoyuki!” Ikeda calls. “Naoyuki Kondo!” No response.
Slamming car doors echo from the parking lot. “Mr. Ikeda!” It was Taki, running out to meet him. Her mother follows, and Mrs. Kondo and Ikuo follow not far behind. Taki sees the hand hanging out of the tunnel and freezes. Her eyes widen with horror. “Naoyuki!!” she cries. She climbs up onto the slippery, snow-covered jungle gym and clambers toward the tunnel. Naoyuki was curled up, motionless, on his right side inside. “Naoyuki, can you hear me?!” Taki cries. “Naoyuki! Wake up!!” He doesn’t move. Taki sees the stains on his jacket. He was hurt, badly. “Naoyuki!!!” She breaks out in tears. “Please, no! Naoyuki, please say something – anything! Let me know you’re still here..!” She climbs into the tunnel.
“Don’t move him! EMS is on the way!” Ikeda calls.
Too late. Taki was already carefully pulling Naoyuki out of the tunnel. She puts her arms around him to warm him up. His forehead was warm. His weak breaths were wheezes. On top of the cuts and scrapes and bruises, he was sick. He could’ve been in that tunnel through the frigid night and all day like this. “Naoyuki, please don’t leave me,” Taki whimpers, trembling as she curls around him and holds him tighter. “Not you, too...!”
Sirens wail not far in the distance.
***************************
“Naoyuki is what?!” Kazunori cries. He stands stiffly beside Shizuyo in the kitchen, holding the phone in silence.
“Naoyuki is in the hospital,” Ikeda repeats. “He’s comatose right now, and in critical condition.”
“So you found him, but he’s...” Kazunori trails off.
“He’s what?” Shizuyo cries, unable to hold herself back any longer. “What’s going on?!”
Kazunori switches the volume to speaker and holds the phone between them. “We found Naoyuki in the tunnel of a jungle gym in a small park,” Ikeda explains. “By the time we got there, he was already unconscious. He probably took shelter there the night he ran away and didn’t wake up, or possibly couldn’t move. He was badly injured. In all honesty, I’m surprised he made it to the park in the state he was in – and climbed up into the jungle gym, at that...”
“I don’t understand!” Shizuyo cries. “What happened? How did Naoyuki wind up there? Wasn’t he with his friend from school?”
“It sounds like Naoyuki had been taken back to the Kondos’,” Ikeda replies. “There was some sort of altercation, and Naoyuki fled. That’s all I know.”
“Well, is Naoyuki going to be all right?!” Shizuyo asks.
Silence on the other end of the line. “We don’t know yet,” Ikeda finally replies.
“You keep saying ‘we’,” Shizuyo observes hollowly. “Who else is with you? – Is Aya there? And Hiroto?”
“The Soejimas are with me,” Ikeda answers, “and so are Mrs. Kondo and Ikuo.”
“Put Aya on.” Shizuyo turns off the speaker phone and takes the receiver from Kazunori. She sinks into the nearest kitchen chair, suddenly weary, as if the news had taken years off of her life. “If anything happens to Naoyuki,” Shizuyo says hoarsely, “I’ll never forgive you.” She hangs up the phone and sits silently at the table.
“Ms. Matsuda,” Kazu asks cautiously, taking the seat across from her, “what do you want to do?” He waits, but she doesn’t answer. “Do you want to go see Naoyuki?”
Shizuyo stares emptily off into space. “I want to see Hiroto first,” she replies hollowly.
Kazu frowns. “I don’t think confronting him again would be a wise idea.”
“I know it’s partly my fault,” she says flatly. “I riled Hiroto up, and he went after Naoyuki.” She pauses, aimlessly fiddles with her beaded necklace. “But he can’t hurt Naoyuki now.” She bites her trembling lip. “I want – I..want Hiroto..to regret what he’s done.” She pulls the necklace from her shirt collar and clutches onto it.
Kazunori heaves a sigh. “You’re a very stubborn woman.” He stands up from the chair, defeated. “Let’s go,” he says.
***************************
After several hours, one of the doctors finally comes out to the waiting room to give news to Mrs. Kondo and the others. “The boy’s wounds have been treated,” the older man reports, “but... he’s very sick, and he still hasn’t regained consciousness.” Gently, he requests, “I’d like to speak with his mother in private to discuss available options.” Mrs. Kondo gets up and follows the doctor into the hospital wing.
Taki frowns. “Why won’t he wake up...?”
“He needs time to rest; that’s all,” her father assures her.
I’d like to know that, as well, Ikeda thinks. I have my suspicions that...perhaps the shutdown state is partially to blame for his condition – though, since no one was there, there’s no way to tell for sure.
When Mrs. Kondo comes back, Taki asks her, “Can Naoyuki have visitors now?”
“After he’s moved out of intensive care,” Mrs. Kondo replies before sinking into her chair beside Ikuo.
“Is Naoyuki’s life still in danger?” Ikeda inquires.
A pause. “No,” Mrs. Kondo replies. “At least...not immediately.”
***************************
The doorbell rings. Mr. Kondo gets up from the kitchen table with an irritated huff and strides to the door. Upon opening it, Shizuyo and Kazunori barge in. “What are you two doing here?” Mr. Kondo yells. “I didn’t invite you in! Don’t you know how rude it is to barge into someone’s – !?”
A slap from Shizuyo answers his indignant questioning. “Your breath reeks of alcohol,” she growls. “Never figured you for a drunkard.”
Mr. Kondo stands rigid and threatening, his face hardened. “What business of yours is it?” he retorts.
“Are you drinking away your guilt for what you’ve done to your son?” Shizuyo asks pointedly. “I hope for your sake that you do feel guilty about it!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mr. Kondo growls.
Kazunori spots a shard of glass at his feet. “How did a glass break in here?” he asks. Nearby, he sees spots on the carpet that were deep brown. It didn’t look like a spill from a broken glass. He remembers his professor saying that Naoyuki was ‘badly injured’ when he and the others found him. This isn’t from a drink at all. His brow furrows. “What did you do to my cousin?!” Kazunori asks furiously.
“You almost killed him, that’s what!” Shizuyo yells.
“What are you talking about?!” Mr. Kondo hollers.
“Naoyuki’s in the hospital in a coma, thanks to you!” Shizuyo shouts. “Aya and Ikeda and the Soejimas found him lying, injured, on a jungle gym this afternoon, while you were sitting here drinking!!” She grabs his shirt collar and yells. “Naoyuki couldn’t be the son you wanted, huh? So you’d rather have a dead son, huh?!” In tears now, she catches her breath and releases Mr. Kondo. “What happened?” Shizuyo cries. “I thought you still had hopes for him...”
Mr. Kondo was all sobered up now. It seemed he was only just registering everything she had said. “I didn’t mean...I only meant to...”
“Even now you’re only making excuses, Uncle Hiroto!” Kazu yells angrily. “Tell us what you did to Naoyuki last night, and then try to justify yourself! What did you do to him to make him run away?!”
“Don’t you take that tone with me!!” Mr. Kondo suddenly screams. “Get out!!! OUT!!!” He pushes Shizuyo and Kazunori out and slams the door shut behind them. Mr. Kondo tries to calm down, stumbles across the living room and settles into an armchair. The chess set was on the coffee table. He stares at it. “My hopes...?” He picks up the white rook and rolls it around in his hands. “I don’t have any hopes for that boy any longer. He’s not the same child. He’s not Naoyuki – not my Naoyuki...” He suddenly finds himself recalling the feelings he ignored when he brought Naoyuki home from the Soejimas’. “Taki’s teaching me how to ride a bike and play basketball,...” When he heard Naoyuki say that, it made him nostalgic. At the same time, there was a nagging jealousy – Jealousy? Jealous of a little girl? Naoyuki couldn’t play sports; he was too easily tired and winded. Naoyuki had never learned to ride a bike; any time the opportunity arose, he was sick. But he’d taught Naoyuki how to play chess; he’d supported Naoyuki in school. Even those things Naoyuki was no longer pursuing in earnest.
“I didn’t mean to hurt the boy that badly,” Mr. Kondo mumbles to himself. “I didn’t mean to lose my temper...” The memories from his drunken tangle with his family come flashing back through his mind. “No, I...I didn’t mean to do all that...” The glass shattering on the side of Naoyuki’s head. The screams as he stepped down on his side. No one had realized that Naoyuki was bleeding at the time. “I almost...killed him...?” It finally sinks in. Mr. Kondo buries his head in his hands. Naoyuki had XLA. He was at risk for infection. He had a gaping wound somewhere. He’d been missing for nearly twenty-four hours. He was in the hospital. Comatose.
“Papa, play with me.” Naoyuki smiled as he crawled out from under the covers and sat down at the chess board.
“You need to sleep,” Mr. Kondo said. “You have a fever.”
“Please?” Naoyuki begged.
Mr. Kondo heaved a sigh and sat down opposite Naoyuki on the bedroom floor. “I’ll play black; you play white, Naoyuki.”
Mr. Kondo puts the white rook back on the board. “Cut through here...” he murmurs. He covers his face and cries into his hands.
