A certain boy’s memories

My house went up in flames.

And I don’t mean the sort of flaming we see on social media.

The house that I grew up in literally went up in flames.

Luckily, nobody in my family got hurt, but just like that, we’ve lost our place to stay one wintry day.

There were some uncertainties surrounding the cause of fire, and a lingering suspicion that it was arson, but no suspects were arrested.

This happened when I was still in primary school.

What should we Kashimas do as a family?

We had a family meeting - more serious than any we’ve had in the past - and basically came up with two choices for me.

The first being the royal capital, Ayunomiya.

I can go and live with my father who had been assigned to the police headquarters.

The second being the major city up northeast, Aoba.

I’d be living with my grandfather who teaches at a university.

To be honest, I feel like I’d regret my choice no matter what I picked.

I mean, just think about it.

Left or right - pick one and that’s the choice you have to live with.

How can that be an easy decision?

I’ll never tell him this, but I’d hate to part with my buddy Miko over something like this.

Is there truly no third option?

I was a kid back then, but I thought long and hard, and tried my best to reason with my family.

In a stroke of inspiration that almost felt divine, I recalled what my childhood friend Momoko once told me.

“When people struggle to make a choice, they tend to stand still in the middle of the visiting path. The bell of divine revelations tolls only to those who yearn to see the unseen, and hear the unheard.”

If conviction is what it takes to ring the bell of divine revelations, then I’ve probably rung it countless times back then.

In the end, a third path opened up before me.

The hometown that I desperately didn’t want to leave - Nagioka, home to Mount Kuze. I could stay with one of my father’s old friends here.

The person who took care of me back then was a taciturn but passionate Akitsu man, someone I owed a great deal to.

His name was Sakuya Taizan.

Taizan had only one daughter by the name of Himeko. And to be honest, she stands out quite a bit at school…and not in a good way.

I owe a lot to him, so naturally, I should help his daughter. But even without my debt, there’s something about her that makes it hard for me to leave her alone.

She seemed like she wanted nothing out of her life.

Or taking it a step further - that she shouldn’t become happy at all.

The hell is up with that?

Everyone deserves a chance to be happy.

But seriously, for someone who never looks you in the eye and tries to hide her eyes behind her bangs…she’s got some real cute-looking eyes.

Plus, she barely laughs, but when she does, it’s like…y’know…it’s like an angel or somethin’...god I love her…

I just wanted her to smile more. But I’m pretty bad with my words, so I don’t think that got through to her.

I feel like an idiot.

According to Momoko, I have two futures in front of me, and she said something about taking cats off lids or whatever, but it’s all too difficult for me.

In one future, I remain in Kuze.

I end up becoming Miko’s subject and right-hand man, a soldier feared as the “Thunder God”.

In the other future, I move to Ayunomiya.

I become buddies with some red-haired kid, and together we track down the boss of an international crime syndicate.

Well, regardless of what the future holds in stock for me, I’m gonna do everything I can for her.

She doesn’t need to know about it, and I don’t need her thanks either.

In the end, I wasn’t her prince charming, simple as that.

I think she deserves happiness, and I really hope she finds it.

What kind of Akitsu man would I be, if I don’t wish for the happiness of the woman I fell for?

Or was that too cool for me?

Hahaha!