‘Ah! Yeow! Ooh, that hurt…’ He hurriedly placed his hand on his lower back and feigned a grimace of pain.
The acting may not have fooled everyone, but Kimiko didn’t seem to suspect.
‘What? You’ve herniated a disc? Are you all right?’
‘Yes… I’m fine,’ he answered, admiring how Kimiko was so kind to anyone without prejudice. He found himself holding back tears.
Kimiko genuinely cared about everyone, and she showed kindness to anyone. During such times, she never hesitated and always proceeded with complete confidence. Some people thought her actions were those of a nosy do-gooder, but that didn’t worry her. She was always the first person to give up her seat on a train for a pregnant woman or an elderly person, and if she saw someone looking lost on a street corner, she would ask if they needed help.
Kimiko didn’t do this because she had wanted to be a police officer. It was just in her nature. This side of her personality was what had attracted Kiyoshi most when they were high-school students.
‘Are you sure you’re all right?’ Kimiko asked him with concern.
‘Yes, thank you,’ he replied unnaturally, averting his eyes.
He was defensive not because he was worried that his lie would be revealed, but rather out of concern that Kimiko’s irresistible kindness would penetrate his heart.
‘Well, be careful now, won’t you,’ said Kaname to Kiyoshi. ‘Oh, and the coffee is better while it’s hot…’ she added before going into the kitchen again.
Kiyoshi looked at Kimiko apologetically.
‘Sorry about that,’ he said with a nod.
But rather than sitting down again, she asked, looking at his hands, ‘So is that what you were about to give me?’
‘Er, yes…’
Kiyoshi hastily held out the box for her to take.
Kimiko accepted it and looked at it quizzically. ‘What could this be?’
‘It’s your birthday, isn’t it?’
‘Huh?’
‘Today.’
‘Uh-huh.’
Kimiko’s eyes widened in surprise and looked hard at the box in her hands.
‘…Your husband told me he desperately wanted you to enjoy this gift today. He said there was some emergency and he had to travel up north, and before he rushed off, he asked me to give it to you. He was in here just thirty minutes ago.’
This was happening at a time when the average person didn’t walk around town with a mobile phone or pager. If it was necessary to cancel a date, then the person would have to call the place of the meeting directly or get an acquaintance to pass on a message. If neither was possible, then the person would simply be left waiting for hours.
Kiyoshi frequently had to change his schedule because of urgent police business, and sometimes, when he had a date with Kimiko, he asked strangers to pass on the message. So, even though she had been told by this old stranger that her husband had asked him to give her this present, she did not appear surprised.
‘Oh, really?’ she muttered as she noisily tore open the wrapping paper. Inside was a necklace with a very tiny diamond. Until then, Kiyoshi had never given Kimiko a birthday present. Partly this was because he was always too busy to find the time, but it was also because Kimiko had been mildly traumatized by birthdays in the past.
Her birthday was on the first of Apriclass="underline" April Fool’s Day. When she was a child, friends would often give her a present, say, Happy birthday, then immediately say, April fool, and take the present away. They probably didn’t mean to be nasty, but Kimiko found being called an April fool straight after the elation of thinking she was about to receive a present very upsetting. Kiyoshi had witnessed her in such a state back in high school.
It was the first of April, the cherry blossoms were in bloom and school was on spring break. Her class friends had met to wish Kimiko happy birthday. Upon giving her a present, they shouted, April fool! Of course, her friends didn’t do it to be mean, and they immediately handed the present back to her after the joke.
Kimiko said, Thank you, with a smile, but for a moment Kiyoshi had glimpsed the sadness that she was attempting to hide. If he hadn’t been so fond of her, he probably would not have noticed. Even after they were going steady, Kimiko made other arrangements and avoided being in a position where she might receive a birthday present. Despite that, Kiyoshi wanted to wish her happy birthday properly, on her last one at least, and decided to travel back in time to do it.
Kimiko looked at the necklace.
‘Happy birthday…’ said Kiyoshi softly.
At this remark Kimiko looked at him in surprise.
‘Did my husband say that?’
‘Huh? Yes…’
As soon as she heard his reply, large tears began to flow from her eyes. Kiyoshi began to feel agitated seeing her cry like that. It was the first time since they had met that he had seen her tearful face. He had always seen her as the strong woman who would remain unshakeable in the face of anything. Even after being told on multiple occasions that she had not been accepted into the police force because of the limited number of openings for women officers, she had never cried. She simply said with grit and determination, I’ll get in next time. That was the Kimiko that Kiyoshi had known. So, seeing her cry like this was beyond his comprehension.
‘Wha-what’s wrong?’ he asked nervously.
He didn’t know whether she would open up to a complete stranger. But he desperately wanted to know the reason for her tears.
‘Sorry, you’ll have to forgive me,’ she muttered. Returning to the table where she had been sitting, she took a handkerchief from her bag and began wiping her tears as if trying to stem the flow. Kiyoshi looked at her anxiously. She sniffed, put on a brave face and smiled.
‘Well, the truth is that I thought my husband was going to break up with me today,’ she said.
‘…What?’ Kiyoshi couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Her words were totally unexpected.
It was such a shock, he thought, Have I travelled back to a completely alternative reality?
‘Oh, umm…’
Although he felt the need to say something, no words came from his mouth. To play for time, he grabbed the coffee cup and took a sip of coffee. Clearly much cooler than just a while ago, it was no more than lukewarm.
‘If I am not intruding, could you elaborate a little?’ The request that popped out of Kiyoshi’s mouth was an expression he often used. It made Kimiko chuckle.
‘You sound like a detective!’ she observed with tear-reddened eyes.
‘Only if you feel comfortable talking to me about it, of course…’
He had slipped for a moment into using police lingo, but he felt unable to return to the present without some explanation for Kimiko’s tears. Sometimes people will only confide in someone they trust, but other times they need the listener to be a complete stranger.
Kiyoshi did not say anything more. He simply waited for Kimiko to respond. He couldn’t exactly insist that she tell him. Time was running out, but he had a feeling she would reply. Kimiko stood in front of the table she had been sitting at.
The silence was broken by Kaname arriving with a delicious-smelling coffee.
‘Shall I put it here?’ She resourcefully placed the coffee not on the table where Kimiko was sitting but instead on the one where Kiyoshi sat.
Kimiko did not hesitate in her reply. ‘That will be fine.’
Kaname placed the coffee and the bill on Kiyoshi’s table and once again stepped off into the kitchen.
Gripping her bag, Kimiko walked over to Kiyoshi’s table.