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28: Rooftops and Silly Tears

"I’m sorry!" I said to the man. He scoffed and walked away. 

"Let’s go," Kaito said. "And here."

He handed a pair of rectangular, black-rimmed sunglasses to me and I stared at them.

"Thanks," I said.

"It’s nothing," he nodded. 

They’re his sunglasses, he gave me his sunglasses…I wonder how they look on him.

I ended up picturing the eyewear on Kaito. This led to me scolding myself for doing so.

"Say, we should text Len," Kaito said after a few moments. I pulled out my phone.

Gumi: we’re above ground now.

Len: okay.

Gumi: any luck?

Len: would’ve said so if there was.

Gumi: okay. I’m sorry. We’re going to her school. Almost there.

Len: okay.

"He seems angry," I said.

"He’s just worried."

"You don’t seem to explode at people the way he does."

"He doesn’t do that often."

"True," I said. Kaito was absolutely right; Len was the sort of person who could always make you smile. He was a lot of fun to be around, and we had known each other since we were kids. Occasionally, he got like this, and I guess it seemed so extreme coming from him because it was so rare.

"He’s a good guy," Kaito said. I nodded silently. Rin’s school was coming into view. I could see the series of sharp, steeple-like structures against the bright orange of the setting sun. It was an old school, built nearly a century ago, before downtown was what it was, and the building’s exterior had been kept just as it had been, all those years ago.

"I hope she’s there," I said softly. "Rin…"

"So do I," Kaito whispered. 

We crossed another street and walked down a path that wasn’t smooth pavement, but stone. Black iron stretched into the distance, the pickets of a fence nearly my height. Slowly, we were leaving the hubbub of the city behind. It was quieter, almost eerie, but peaceful, too. On the other side of the fence I could see all sorts of trees; large, majestic ones, as well as smaller, daintier ones, which scraggly branches looming over little wooden benches and metal tables.

"The grounds are empty," Kaito said. "Makes sense. School’s been out for about an hour now, and most of the students live far away."

"Should we split?" I asked as we approached a small break in the fence, which led into the school grounds. Small flowers, some white and some a light blue, were peppered along the sides of the stone sidewalk. After a few moments, Kaito nodded.

"Yeah," he said softly. His words felt as though they were leaving his mouth and being picked up and carried away by the gentle pre-autumn wind. "I’ll head to the field, in the back, and you can take a look around the front."

"Okay," I said. Kaito nodded once more before suddenly breaking out into a sprint, heading straight towards the back of the school. I watched as he disappeared, and then I started looking around the gardens in the front.

"Rin?" I’d whisper her name every now and then as I looked in between bushes and near shadowy corners, closer to the school buildings. There were gazebos but they were empty. With every spot I checked, I found myself wishing more and more that I’d see her somewhere, anywhere.