Chapter 8.4

"Kaori, you have your juzu beads, yes?"

"....Mm."

Kaori nodded while thinking again and again inside of her head that it was Megumi's funeral. She couldn't believe it. Wasn't a funeral always supposed to be something for old people? It had no relation to Kaori. A funeral was something her mother and father went to while Kaori watched the house. Yet Kaori had to go. Her mother who had helped from beginning to end had left the house. There was help to be given at the funeral.

Kaori saw her leave and watched TV with Akira. She was with Akira sitting in the living room but none of the contents of the program made it into her thoughts. Watching an ordinary program felt terrible strange. Somehow it all felt so inappropriate. The images, the sounds, they all slid over her consciousness without taking hold.

"Hey, Kaori."

At Akira's voice, Kaori gave a half-hearted response.

"It's kinda weird, huh?"

"What is?"

"Three people died in one swoop in Yamairi, right? That was just a little while ago. Then on top of that this time it's Megumi. ---Megumi was pretty healthy until just recently wasn't she? Then, all of a sudden, like."

"That's right."

"Even though nothing happened, just dying out of the blue like that, yeah? Three people. Megumi too, huh? I'd get it if something happened, if she'd been hospitalized for a while, but..."

Kaori turned her gaze to Akira's extremely solemn profile. "...But the truth is, nothing happened."

"That's true but," Akira said still looking at the TV. "It's kind of strange."

Kaori didn't reply. She couldn't turn it aside saying these kind of things happened. Kaori was certain that was something that she would never be able to do with this. Like someone could just suddenly cease to be there anymore like this. And of course, if she couldn't do that, then that the same programs as usual could be broadcast, that she could be sitting with her little brother like this in the tea room, that somewhere someone was having a similar all night vigil and a funeral---like it was nothing at all, like nothing special or important happened, that it could all be handled thustly absolutely was a mistake.

But because Kaori couldn't express that well, she settled for quietly nodding.

Something was, strange.

While she thought, the program ended and she stood.

"...I'll be back."

Kaori pushed the wrinkles out of her uniform, took a small pouch with her and left the house. She was sure come September she would hate to wear this uniform again.

Heading out, today's weather was sunny. The gaping blue skies, the bright white lights. The reflection off of the asphalt was blinding. She narrowed here eyes against it, trudgingly walking along. The road she was used to taking every morning. The way she had walked many, many times to invite Megumi. Yet, as she neared the specific house, it was as unfamiliar as an unknown house. The flower wreathes and the black and white walls. The tent beside the gateposts, the people gathered in the street. Those people too were all in black and white.

[TL/N: The flower wreathes and the black and white walls.  -

Typical scenery at a Japanese funeral.

It's not unusual to have the service and all night vigil in the home, particularly in small areas with no funeral parlor or undertaker. 

of a typical all night vigil/funeral service for Zetsubou Sensei's titular character, in paper craft form. It includes the black and white funeral curtains hung to signify a funeral. Notice the lid is off on the coffin, but that the lid has an opening over the face, to open for those who wish to view it when the lid is in place]

That was why the one a little ahead in grey pants stood out so terribly. He was standing admidsts black and white. A white shirt and grey uniform pants, a tall and thin figure. Right next to him was a girl in a white and light blue uniform, so all the more he stood out.

(He came to the funeral for you...)

It was just a little, but she felt happiness. A white shirt well starched, clean creased pants. Even if it was the same uniform, it looked different on him somehow. Do all boys from the city have that air about them, she wondered. Right beside him stood a boy in a black and white outfit. Even though he and that boy had a similar hairstyle, something about it looked different. What was different or how, Kaori didn't know.

(Aren't you glad, Megumi?)

She whispered in her heart, and until a housewife from the neighborhood urged her to enter, Kaori continued to gaze at him.

Megumi remembered the late summer greeting card when the incense was being burned. The sutras were still being chanted but most of the condolence callers gathered in the tatami room stepped outside once the incense was burned. Kaori slipped through the waves of people who had left the room, towards the entryway. In the entrance way, right at the stairway was a black and white curtain blocking the way. Right in front of that was a desk with gifts of gratitude for attendance piled up; it wasn't a situation in which she could easily go upstairs.

(What should I do?)

Hurriedly leaving the entryway, those who would be in the funeral procession were loitering out front. Seen split off a ways from that was Natsuno, talking to a girl next to him. It was a face she had seen a few mornings. She had seen her talking to Natsuno several times, too. If she remembered right, she was a girl from his neighborhood, right? Mutou Aoi she was called, she believed. She remembered Megumi saying, as if relieved, that she was two grades above Natsuno.

(What should I do...)

Once again, Kaori turned towards the entryway. The black and white curtain, the people in black and white forming a line there. If she tried to give it to him another day, then Kaori didn't have more than a scrap of a vague idea where his house was.

Kaori sucked in a small breath and worked her way through the crowds of people towards Natsuno.

"Uhm... You're Yuuki-san, aren't you?"

Being meekly called out to, Natsuno lightly furrowed his brows. "And?" A curt voice answered.

"I am Tanaka Kaori. I am Megumi's childhood friend."

"Hnn."

Kaori was aware herself of her voice becoming higher pitched. "Uhm, I am sorry. There is something that I would like to deliver to you no matter what. Tomorrow, may I have you please meet with me someplace?"

The young man besides him poked at Natsuno.

"Natsuno, you sly dog, you."

"What?" After glaring at the young man, he looked to Kaori. "What do you want to deliver to me?"

"Uhm, ....That's. It isn't me so much as Megumi.... It is from Megumi."

"What's the point of that?" Natsuno made a sharp eyed expression. "I only came because our parents know each other, I'm not exactly close with Shimizu. I don't have any reason to accept anything from her."

"But...."

As ifhe didn't hear what Kaori was saying at him, Natsuno turned back to the young man at his side.

"Let's go, Tohru-chan. It's hot here."

"But, the procession?"

The young man seemed to be looking back and forth between Natsuno and Kaori but Natsuno was less hospitable.

"It's fine isn't it, even if we don't stay just to watch. I don't have any obligation to stand in for the burial, and with no shade around just dont want to." Saying such carelessly, Natsuno prodded the young man. He smiled as if he had forgotten Kaori. "You're gonna treat me to shaved ice, right?"

[TL/N: Shaved Ice - Popular summer treat similar to a snow cone, ground more finely to the consistency of soft snow and topped with condensed milk as well as the syrup]

"Natsuno, you sure about that?"

Tamotsu asked looking behind them, as Natsuno glared at him. Tamotsu held up both hands.

"Sorry. YuukiKoide. ---Who was that?"

"Like I know?"

"You sure about that, being so cold with her. She wanted to deliver it, isn't that an article of the deceased?"

"I don't have any reason to accept it."

"Even if you don't have a reason, she does. That's why she bothered to stop you at all."

"But I hate Shimizu."

Aoi looked at Natsuno with shock. "Natsu, you're scum!"

"Leave me alone. She was always trying to get involved with me, it was just sad, man."

"You're going to speak that badly about a girl who's gone?"

"Even if you say that much, I really didn't even know her," Natsuno said looking to Aoi sulkily. "I didn't even really have a reason to attend the funeral, but dad kept pushing, go, go, and you guys were so noisy about me coming with you, so I just came along. I didn't even have enough of a connection to her for that, from the start."

"But, delivering an article of the dead would mean it's a distribution of mementos. It's just police to say thanks and accept it."

"I refuse. Accepting a momento of someone you dont even know that well just feels wrong doesn't it?"

Tamotsu gave an exaggerated shrug. "You really do just do whatever you feel like, huh?"

"Then, if it was Tamocchan, you'd take it?"

"If it's just accepting it I could at least do that much. But I might throw it away later.

"Which one of us is scum, huh?"

Tohru sighed. "You two really are bratty kids, huh?"

"What's that?" the two asked threateningly, earning a forced smile from Tohru.

"Well, it's fine. Let's go grab a shaved ice. It's definitely unbearably hot."