Book Girl and the Famished Spirit (14 page)

A girl who had lost her parents.

A man who came to her estate to serve as her guardian.

It was exactly what had happened to Amemiya.

What did that mean? Could a mother and daughter so deeply linked share even their destinies?

According to Tohko, Kayano’s guardian was named Hironobu Goto. He ruled tyrannically over the household and chased Aoi, Kayano’s only ally, into a room in the basement. Apparently, the man tormented him ceaselessly in an attempt to drive him out of the house. Kayano went on a hunger strike to try to stop him.

“I won’t eat anything unless Aoi makes it. If he’s not here, then I’ll starve to death. You’d get in trouble if that happened, wouldn’t you, Uncle Hironobu?”

Aoi had already started helping out in the kitchen by that point. Even when her father was still alive, no sooner had Kayano childishly whined “I’m hungry” than Aoi would make her an omelet or pancakes, and she would eat them with a big smile on her face.

Kayano haughtily informed the adults that she wouldn’t eat any other way, and true to her word, she refused everything but what Aoi brought her.

No matter how famished she was—even if she collapsed from hunger—she would stubbornly refuse the food that anyone else gave her.

“I’ll only eat what Aoi makes. Where is he? Go and get him. Have him bring me my food.”

Tearing at the sheets of her bed, Kayano would call out for Aoi, only half-conscious, and the adults were forced to bend before her. Aoi remained in Kayano’s house as a servant.

Tohko continued. “The housekeeper said you could see their intimacy grow less sure of itself, and in middle school, Kayano met Takashi Amemiya, who was in college at the time. The story goes that when they were staying at their villa in the country, Kayano got hurt while she was out on a walk, and Takashi saw her when he was driving past and stopped to help.

“That was how they met, and soon after Takashi started inviting Kayano out on dates.

“Kayano was still in middle school, so at first they went out together like brother and sister, but as Kayano grew up, Takashi fell in love with her.

“And Kayano must have found Takashi charming. He was rich and kind and listened to everything she told him and escorted her everywhere. He was like a prince. Aoi, a servant, couldn’t give Kayano dresses or jewels or take her to parties or country estates…

“Aoi must have felt Kayano growing ever more distant. He must have felt so alone.”

Tohko lowered her eyes sadly, imagining how Aoi must have felt.

“Kayano got engaged to Takashi in her second year of high school. The next year she quit school to marry him, took the name Kayano Amemiya, and had Hotaru.”

It must have tormented Aoi to see Kayano wed to another man.

“The night before the wedding, he left the house and never came back. Kayano only found out about it after the wedding was over.

“She became half-crazed and called for a search.

“But Kayano was laid low by illness without ever finding him. Even the birth was dangerous.”

He got angry at me and went away. We never saw each other again.

She had whispered, knitting her eyebrows together sadly. She had cared for him so much, yet she had married someone else. Why? Perhaps her love for Aoi was not romantic, but instead the love of a sister for her brother.

“In any case, thanks to Takashi’s devoted care, Kayano avoided a miscarriage and gave birth to a lovely baby girl. Takashi named her Hotaru, and in her, a new star shone in his sky.

“Kayano was strong-minded and occasionally raged, but the two loved each other. Takashi gently embraced his younger, self-absorbed wife.

“But Kayano never forgot about Aoi after he disappeared. She often returned to her family home and lost herself in thoughts of the past. She may have felt guilty about Aoi because of how happy she had become…”

Tohko’s words pierced my heart.

Had Kayano felt the anguish and sorrow of her heart being burned to cold ashes, as I did about Miu whenever I started to feel like my life was calm and peaceful?

Just before her death, Kayano received a letter informing her that Aoi had died abroad.

“She had already struggled with her illness, but news of Aoi’s death must have been such a shock that it took away her will to live. Kayano stopped eating anything at all, and before the week was out, she drew her last breath.”

A somber mood filled the room.

Tohko and Maki were both gazing at the wall or the floor, their eyes drooping morosely.

I was struck bodily by the reminder that Kayano no longer belonged in the world of the living.

When Kayano prayed to go back and fix the past, she must have been thinking of her childhood friend.

Tohko looked up and her voice was energized again. “And then I figured it out. The ghost was in fact the spirit of Kayano inhabiting her daughter, Hotaru, because she still pined for her lost Aoi.”

I was floored. Maki had been gazing at the wall in a subdued mood, and she too gaped at Tohko’s buoyancy.

Tohko balled up a fist and told us, in the full grip of her delusion, “Inside Hotaru’s body, it was Kayano dating all those boys, searching for some vestige of Aoi. And she haunted the school each night, then left love letters for Aoi in the book club’s mailbox. This truly is a grand passion that crosses the boundaries of time.”

Ummm
…

The story jumped all at once from horror to fantasy, sapping my energy.

Hotaru Amemiya’s personal history and the troubles she faced were much deeper and more complex than Tohko imagined. But what those might be… I didn’t know the true reason why Hotaru Amemiya transformed into her mother, either. There wasn’t a good point to interrupt Tohko anyway.

“So you see, Konoha, in order to appease Kayano’s lost soul, I think you should write a love story starring her and Aoi and give it a happy ending. We can offer it at Kayano’s grave. It’s in your hands, Konoha.”

“Wait—why am I writing it?!” I howled, but Tohko planted her hands on her hips and glowered at me.

“It’s your punishment for skipping out on club activities for so long, obviously. I found out all of that stuff, so I think you can stand to help out a little, too.”

Then her expression suddenly relaxed, and she broke into a sunny smile. Her face looked like a field of wildflowers in spring.

“Write a suuuper sweet story and send Kayano back to heaven. Then I’ll pretend none of this eeever happened.”

“I see…”

Maki exploded with laughter, apparently unable to contain herself any longer.

“Oh, what’s so funny, Maki?”

“Heh-heh. Nothing at all. I hope you can help the ghost find peace.”

Tohko stuck her tongue out at Maki; then she grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the workroom.

Maki looked deeply satisfied that Tohko had granted her the funny face she’d craved.

“So, Konoha… when you were skipping out on the club, did you really go on dates with girls?”

As soon as we were outside the music building, Tohko glanced up at me worriedly.

“No, I didn’t. I was meeting Ryuto.”

“Ryuto?!” Tohko jerked her hand away from me and her eyes widened.

“I ran into him near the school, and I guess that really brought us together…”

Oh man, harsh.

Tohko’s mouth opened and then shut, as if something were bothering her more than her mistrust for me.

“Y-you did? I mean, um… Ryuto didn’t say anything funny to you, I hope!”

“Like the fact that you eat kids’ books for breakfast and tell everyone how great they are?”

“Th-that’s fine! No, I meant…”

I could see how flushed Tohko was even in the moonlight. She
muttered, “If he didn’t say anything, then never mind,” and strode off ahead of me.

Could she mean
that
? When he told me I was Tohko’s author? A ribbon of heat spread over my cheeks, too. But I shut it away inside and hurried after Tohko.

“About what you said before… I can’t write a love story, okay?”

“What? You’re so cheap! Oh, I know. I can lend you some good Harlequin romances to study.”

“That’s okay. The one you loaned me before left quite an impression.”

“Geez, Konoha. If you don’t understand how girls feel, you’re never going to get chocolate from anyone serious on Valentine’s Day.”

“I don’t want any. I prefer red bean jelly.”

“Then you’re never going to get any red bean jelly from anyone serious.”

“I’d hate to see the girl who gave me homemade red bean jelly for Valentine’s Day.”

“You’re so selfish, Konoha.”

We walked down the dark streets, sharing a conversation just like old times. Tohko stopped at the corner.

“I have to go this way now.”

“Do you want me to walk with you?”

“It’s fine. If any perverts show up, I’ll hit ’em with my bag.” She laughed brightly and then broke off. “Oh, Konoha—”

She grabbed the sleeve of my shirt and cocked her head meekly.

“Will you go with me tomorrow… to check on Nanase?”

His earliest memory was of being in a dark, unclean, disreputable place.

He had never once been to school. He was working in a dank factory where the sun never shined, hugging his empty stomach, when the gentleman, who came from an island nation in the East, took him into his care and brought him back to his mansion.

His father, or perhaps both his parents, had been Japanese. He was not like the gentleman’s child—his demeanor seemed to despise and doubt everything he encountered, which had appealed to the man’s eccentricity. That was why the gentleman had taken him away.

This man had a lovely, audacious daughter one year his junior.

“Daddy, what’s this dirty little boy?”

The girl had spit the question out suddenly at their first meeting, scrunching up her haughty face and scrutinizing the boy from every angle. Then she laughed like a bright red flower opening. “Oh, is this my present? He seems dirty, but if I look really close, his eyes are a pretty color. So I guess I can keep him.”

“I decided that you’re going to be my little brother,” she declared brashly despite the fact that she was younger.

Thereafter, wherever they went, the children were always together.

Morning, noon, evening, and night, the two spent their time nestled together, their hands clasped, a single being made from two people.

“Aoi! Aoi! I’m hungry. Make me some pancakes with lots of honey on top.”

“My hands are tired. Feed me, Aoi.”

She opened her mouth daintily, and he cut up her pancakes with a silver fork and fed them to her. She beamed back happily.

“They’re great. You’re amazing, Aoi. I like your food best, better than any of those nice restaurants.”

Their days continued in this easy way.

Until the gentleman who was their shelter drew his final breath after a sudden illness
…

After school, Tohko and I went to the hospital where Kotobuki was staying bearing an assortment of jams and a bouquet of flowers tied with a pink ribbon.

“I’m so sorry, Nanase!”

Tohko held out the box of jams and bowed her head deeply.

Beside her, I held out the bouquet and bowed my head just as deeply.

“I’m very sorry for the amount of trouble my club president has put you through.”

Kotobuki was sitting up in bed, dressed in light blue pajamas. Her face turned bright red, and she struggled to find something to say.

“Oh no, I—You don’t have to apologize… I was the one who said I would go with you, and then I was so clumsy and fell off the wall, which got you arrested… I, um, I really am sorry.”

Kotobuki stretched out both hands to accept the box of jams.

“Th-thank you.”

Then her cheeks flushed even darker red, and she looked cautiously at the flowers in my hand. She hugged the box of jams to her chest and stared at the red rosebuds and pink sweet peas and baby’s breath, looking unsure about what to do.

“Do you not like the flowers?” I asked nervously, glancing up from my bow.