(I personally like the BGM but do not listen to it if you find it distracting or not suited to your tastes!)
...Hello? It's been a while! Truthfully I've been busy with life more than anything, but I'm making myself (try to) finish what I started. I really do love this movie, and I'm proud of what I've written so far. So here I am, sitting in my bedroom with earbuds on and blasting through my playlist to get myself motivated. Hope it doesn't disappoint :)
Life went on. I failed two interviews, including the one I barely made the day I met Mitsuha again. But the third one was the charm and I found myself staring at the mirror for far too long in the mornings, frowning because my shirts and pants were never wrinkle-free. I ironed them regularly enough, but there were frequent lapses where I came home, changed out of my clothes and tossed them on the chair, effectively forgetting about them until the next day.
I woke up and rolled out of bed Monday morning the same way I had been doing for weeks. The blinds were drawn, the bed was made, and the faucet ran for a short bit while I brushed my teeth. A few minutes later, I forced myself awake with a warm shower, taking care to use ample amounts of my longtime favorite apple-scented shampoo.
Thirty minutes after I had gotten out of bed, I was standing in front of the mirror with a tie hanging loosely around my neck and a hastily ironed pair of dress pants. I sighed in defeat, eyeing the tie disgustedly. How was it possible to lose ties in such a tiny apartment? I had grown up breathing city air and accustomed to strict school uniform codes, yet I still can't keep tab of important pieces of clothing as a fully fledged adult.
Now I was stuck with this badly gifted olive green tie. Some people loved this shade. I didn't. It just didn't suit my complexion, and for all the fussing I've done to try to incorporate the tie into my wardrobe, the silky tie eventually landed at the bottom of my drawer. I thought it would stay there to rot until I moved out of this apartment or something, but today was its lucky day.
I had run out of ties to wear. I made it a point to cycle through my clothes religiously, but never had I anticipated the rigor to which the cycle would be put under when I found a job. Morning meetings and frequent run-ins with my direct boss meant that my every move was under scrutiny. I didn't even know if he was a man peculiar about details in the attire of his employees, but I did not want to find out through slanted gazes.
Better stick to impressing through action and tidy clothes.
Swallowing my dislike, I tightened the tie around my neck, turning my head left and right before dropping the assessment. Why bother preening when the only eyes of appraisal would be from male coworkers? In terms of looks, I was not a tempting first choice. None of the ladies at work would bat an eyelash towards me—not that they would, considering that most were far above me in age or already satisfied with a partner of their own.
...You have Mitsuha. A devilish voice reverberated in my head.
I physically grimaced, scowling at myself. Leaving the house, away from the privilege to be alone with my thoughts, sounded like a good option right now. My hands reached for my brown work bag, then scrambled to put on shoes before they mechanically opened and locked the door.
I closed my eyes as I faced my apartment door, not caring if I attracted stares.
Those thoughts....not now, I thought hard to myself, but at another time when I have peace and quiet.
When you have time to stare longingly at your short list of contacts, thumbs hovering over the send button, you mean? My mind maliciously laughed at my anxieties.
I quickly shoved down those thoughts down, briskly walking to the train station.
Coward, the voice emerged, much later as I mindlessly stared outside during the train ride to work.
------------
"Good morning fellows!"
The room politely murmured back a collective "Good morning" in response.
Mr. Tanaka, my previously mentioned boss, smiled at our faces, many still slightly groggy at the early hour. "I'm sorry that I had to pull an extra company meeting today, but it's for a good cause I promise. We're going to be in charge of a side project for the city starting today. Normal design teams and current architect projects will remain, of course, so I need to pull together new teams for those who have the time. I will personally assign jobs in the case that you...are unwilling."
A kind, forceful smile. This was why I did not want to slight Mr. Tanaka in any way. A good man, no doubt, but scary nonetheless.
"Before all of you retract your attention within yourselves, listen to what I have to present first. Screen please?"
The white projector lit up a presentation on the giant board. The sudden brightness in a half-dimmed room caused simultaneous waves of blinking but it was not the brightness that suddenly threw off my composure.
I was staring at the two words in black on the title slide.
ITOMORI MEMORIAL
The world suddenly slid away under my feet. Never in my life had I ever been caught so off guard. I gripped the sides of my chair, breathing deeply.
A pair of eyes landed on me sympathetically. Matsume, a coworker I had become friends with. We once lightly treaded on my connections to the devastating event during a particularly productive coffee break. I had lied though, only mentioning family members living and affected in Itomori. The actual personal connection sounded unbelievable even to me.
"Eight years ago, the small town of Itomori was struck by a beautiful comet unforeseen to actually strike earth. Hundreds were wounded, happy children and elderly alike, because nobody was aware that such devastation would hit them that very night."
Pictures and news clippings flashed across the screen in a quiet room.
As Mr. Tanaka spoke, a strange prickling sensation crawled down my neck, to my back and throughout my limbs as the familiar story registered in my ears. However, the difference between what I heard and what the others heard was that I saw the memories and felt the intensity of every word in the story Mr. Tanaka vividly put together in his presentation.
The smiling faces of Mitsuha's classmates. The people I greeted through Mitsuha's eyes. The beautiful sights I saw everywhere, including the unforgettable hike. The ragged breaths I drew while running around the town in the last hours of the peace as the people knew it. The dampness of her tears when we finally met...
All of these memories crashed into my body, asking for permission, and my body let it all in. I passively sat there as Mr. Tanaka continued, blissfully unaware of my sudden suffering. I stared at the wall, wanting to laugh all of a sudden.
To think that I had discarded my precious drawings to Mitsuha, thinking that it was all to prove my healed mind and separation from the trauma as much as it was a gift to our reunion.
No, my weakness was very much alive as a monster to devour me as it had eight years ago. I don't think anything could vanquish it.
"...We have a very special request by city officials to collaborate with people who were personally affected by the disaster in order to reflect our most sincere support in the designing of the park monuments. The city is hoping that if we do a stellar job artistically, then people will be inclined to donate to help Itomori recover fully."
My eyes snapped upward. He couldn't have found out about me, would he? The fear in my mind scrabbled against the logic of my brain, urging me to leave for a bathroom break or something to escape this suffocating room. I wasn't sure if I was ready to confess to everyone about my connections to Itomori, or more precisely, having to say it all in a smiling manner when it really felt like hell.
"We hope to have it done before its ninth anniversary. Everybody, please welcome our most esteemed guest that will be partnering with us for the next few months."
I closed my eyes, waiting with bated breath, tensing at the outbreak of applause.
"Miyamizu Mitsuha, welcome to our company. Everyone, meet Mitsuha-san."
My eyes flew open, my rapidly beating heartbeat suddenly accelerating even more. I...it could not be.
Yet it was, and she stood a mere few feet away from me. Her hair was done to perfection, bangs slightly curled and a red ribbon snugly tying it all together. Her hands clasped a folder demurely in front of her.
When my eyes trailed up, I found surprised brown eyes staring right back at me.
----------
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wrote this pretty quickly, so forgive me if there are any nonsensical bits or grammatical errors. I will possibly fix this later, put on my critic's glasses and evaluate if I actually like what I just wrote on pure steam alone. :)
I didn't want to lose the sudden inspiration I had (I tend to snap into phases and suddenly lose them just as quickly as I get them) so that's how this chapter came to be! Comment what you make of this sudden turn of events. What will happen next........? ;)
See you next time!