Deeper Meaning (Part 2)
Fall rolls around, and Shige savors the soft crunch of leaves under his feet as he and Aya walk up the familiar sidewalk into the bookstore. Aya’s been asking Shige about Saturday mornings and why he never has time to spend them with her.
“It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with you,” Shige assures her with a smile, “It’s just easiest for me to hang out with Ryo on Saturdays.”
Aya immediately says she wants to come with him, and so next Saturday sees her and Shige entering the store, hands clenched tightly together to ward off the October chill. Ryo looks over excitedly when he hears the bell chime. Shige waves at him with the hand that isn’t still connected to Aya’s, and maybe it’s just him but a shadow seems to settle on Ryo’s face. Shige ignores it and drags Aya over to the counter, presenting her to Ryo proudly.
“Ryo,” he says, though Ryo’s eyes seem a little confused and unfocused, “This is Aya, my girlfriend. Aya this is THE Ryo.”
Aya bows politely in Ryo’s direction and gives him a pleasant ‘nice to meet you.’ Ryo does the same, be it’s like he’s on autopilot. Shige starts to feel worried. Maybe Ryo is sick and has a fever. Or maybe something bad happened to a family member or friend.
“Hey, show Aya that really good biography you had me read a few weeks ago,” Shige insists, trying anything to break the awkward silence, “I know you’ll like it, Aya. I couldn’t put it down when I read it.”
Ryo seems to snap back to reality, moving out from behind the counter and leading Shige and Aya over to the non-fiction section. While Aya’s flipping through a book, Shige leans over and whispers in Ryo’s ear.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine,” Ryo snaps back, but he seems anything but.
All morning Ryo is either distant and spacey, or cold and rude like the first day Shige met him. It’s clear to Shige that Aya doesn’t like him one bit. After an hour or so she tightly says that she needs to get back to the dorm to study for mid-terms. Shige agrees and takes her home, giving Ryo a short goodbye because he’s angry; angry at Ryo for not being nice, angry at Ryo for giving Aya a bad impression, angry at Ryo for letting him down.
Aya never comes with him to the bookstore again. Shige goes back the next Saturday (Aya gives him a sour look as he leaves). Ryo has the decency to look embarrassed and apologize for his behavior. Shige says it’s fine and that it isn’t a big deal (which is a little bit of a lie). He asks Ryo what was wrong that day. Ryo shrugs the question off and says he was tired and hung-over, but the nervous set of his lips give him away. Shige doesn’t press it any further.
Fall swirls into winter, which Shige likes because he gets to stay inside and drink lots of hot tea and warm milk. New Year holiday is fast approaching, and Shige plans to go home to Osaka to visit his family for a few days.
“You’re from Osaka?” Ryo asks when Shige tells him about his plans.
“Well we moved to Tokyo when I was young,” Shige explains, fingers wrapped tightly around a Styrofoam cup of tea Ryo had made in the employee lounge, “But my parents moved back when I started university. It’s their home. Not really mine. I don’t remember much of it.”
Ryo looks as if what he’s just said should be a crime punishable by death. He stares, gaping, at Shige for minutes before Shige gets irritated and flicks him on the forehead.
“Quit staring at me like I’m a freak,” Shige mutters, burning his tongue when he sips the hot tea.
“Sorry,” Ryo says, but he doesn’t look it, “It’s just I’ve lived there almost my whole life. It’s like hearing someone talking bad about your baby.”
“Are you going home for the holiday?”
“No,” Ryo replies far too quickly, “No, I never go home for holidays. I have to work. Here.”
“Couldn’t you take a few days off?” Shige asks.
“No.”
And the matter is closed.
Shige gives Ryo his Christmas present early on the day he leaves to go home. Ryo accepts it awkwardly, mumbling about how only girls give friends Christmas presents and how of course he didn’t get Shige anything. Shige just smiles. Ryo unwraps the little package and finds a hardcover book with a note taped to the front reading “From: Shige.”
“Thanks Shige,” Ryo says sarcastically, “I work in a bookstore and you got me a book.”
“Hey. You better appreciate that,” Shige laughs, “I had to go to a bookstore ten miles away to surprise you. Have you read it yet?”
Ryo shakes his head no.
“Read is over the holidays. You’ll love it.”
And with that Shige leaves, Ryo still grumbling about bad Christmas presents.
Christmas at home is fun. It’s the first time he’s gone home since starting university (he’d the spent the summer holidays with Aya’s family in Tokyo). His parents are ecstatic to see him. Shige’s an only child so they spend close to half an hour complaining about how quiet the house is now that he’s gone. His mother says he’s too skinny, and his father asks why he hasn’t brought his girlfriend home with him. Shige doesn’t have an answer. Aya had said she had plans with friends over break.
On Christmas morning, Shige’s mom cooks a delicious breakfast and all three of them settle down to open their presents. Shige gets a hat (homemade!) from his mother, and a book (one he’d already read thanks to Ryo) from his father. It’s a wonderful day. The whole family watches Christmas specials on TV and the neighbors come over for dinner, bringing with them the most delicious cake Shige has ever tasted.
Still he can’t help but feel the best part of the day is getting a text message at 11:15pm from Ryo.
To: Shige
From: Ryo
Thanks for the book. It was great. Happy Christmas.
Shige pauses to wonder when Ryo’s opinion started to mean so much to him, but he’s tired and comfortably full of food, and he drifts off to sleep before he can think too much on it.
Next Part