"I'm tired of diets and going to the gym! Good thing there's something even I can handle!" A giggle followed the peppy female voice, the commercial causing Yu to jerk violently from his thoughts. He blinked slowly, his vision clearing and revealing the floor of a train station.
" And we're back with some juicy news! The Yamano Mayumi scandal. When we first…" The voice of the announcer was drowned out as people standing around the television-covered wall began speaking to one another about the current news broadcast. Behind Yu, two males were speaking rather loudly about the case, talking about the ones involved in a negative light.
Mayumi Yamano… She's a reporter, right? That name… where have I heard it? It wasn't the TV, it was… it was…
"Hey, kid, are you alright?" Yu blinked and turned, giving the man next to him a questioning glance.
"I… beg your pardon?"
"Are you alright? You really zoned out for a minute there. I thought you were gonna fall forward onto the tracks. If you're sick, I can go alert the first-aid station."
"Ah… N-no. I'm alright. I just… have a lot on my mind, that's all. Thanks for your concern."
"… If you're sure, kid. The subway will be here soon. Take it easy, okay?"
"Y-yeah. Thank you, goodbye." Yu shook his head nervously as the man walked off, trying to push away the thoughts that were shoving at the corners of his mind. Was it... all a dream?
A loud squeal of wheels announced the arrival of the subway car. The soft hiss of the breaks followed by a loud beeping signaled that the doors had opened. Yu was pushed forward as people began to board and he found himself unable to obtain a seat as more people pushed inside. He grabbed onto one of the hanging handles as the car began to move and stared dully out the window in front of him, trying to find something to distract himself from reminders of the dark room.
Another year, another school… At least the uniforms for this one are more comfortable. I hated having to wear a tie everyday with the old suit uniforms. A silent, dry laugh escaped the silverette's lips as he stared dully out the window of the fast-moving subway car. They all sounded so upset when the teacher announced I had to leave… but not a single one of them knew much of anything about me beyond my name and that I'd come from Tokyo originally. Heh… It isn't as if my parents know much more than they do. I feel like a rag-doll, tossed into a new pair of arms every year. He sighed softly, leaning back in his chair.
"I suppose it'll be nice to be in a small town this time, rather than a large city. That means less people…" And less people means fewer strings to cut when I leave again. I suppose I'll have to be careful around my Uncle and cousin, but I guess if I can nail myself a small job, that'll solve that problem. They'll just think… I'm shy or something.
Something vibrated in Yu's pocket, pulling him back down to the real world. His hand moved silently into his jacket and produced a black, newly released model of cell-phone. The mini-screen on the front held a picture of an envelope with the number "1" shining brightly in black at the center. He flipped open the phone, briefly reading over the name of the sender.
"Dojima…? That's my Uncle..."
Meet us outside Yasoinaba Station at 4pm.
"… Inaba, huh? The countryside… I wonder what it'll be like."
"We will arrive at the Yasogami terminal in a few minutes," a pensive voice announced over the train's PA system. "Passengers headed for Inaba City and Yasoinaba station, please move to the other side of the platform."
That's me… Yu thought as he stood up, reaching for his duffle-bag in the overhead storage rack.
Following the rest of the passengers, Yu slipped off the train with ease and made his way across the cement boarding station and boarded the next train, noting that very few people followed him aboard the train. Guess the countryside isn't that popular. Go figure.
Finding a seat in a car alone, Yu tossed his duffle into the overhead rack again and sat down, draping his arm lazily over the armrest. He sighed heavily, leaning forward faintly in his seat to get a better view of the world outside. Sometimes, I wonder what would happen if I just didn't get off the train… Would anyone notice? Would anyone care? If I could just keep riding forever…
Yu couldn't help but take note of how calming everything looked as the cities began less and less complicated. The buildings were becoming more spread apart and nature slowly filling the gaps between them. The scenery disappeared as the train went into a tunnel, leaving Yu with only the light of the white fluorescent headlamps above him.
The silver eyes never left the dark shadows outside the train and he suddenly felt himself growing tired. His eyes flickered shut briefly, his shoulders relaxing as his retinas were spared the harsh light of the lamps. The darkness behind his eyelid quickly disappeared as staticky, yet sharp images flashed before his mind. A woman dressed in blue with pale blonde hair and an old gentleman with white gloves, snowy hair, and a large nose. The images looked as if they'd come from a TV channel with poor signal and yet…
His eyes snapped open again, widening as he stared at the empty seat in front of him, the deep blue material of the seat giving him an eerie reminder of the "room" he'd been sitting in before even boarding the subway.
"W-what the hell…?" he muttered, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his cheek. "What on earth was—?"
The train-car was suddenly filled with natural light again and the few remaining buildings that had been something of a small city were gone. Trees and dirt had replaced the buildings and roads, surrounded by the lively green grass that almost looked as if it were a brilliant orange under the glow of the setting sun.
The car began to shake slightly as it passed over a white marble bridge, and Yu felt the pace he was traveling at slow. Guess I'm here…
He stood up and grabbed his duffle, glancing briefly at his leather wristwatch. Right on time… He thought as the train came to a stop and the doors opened. Four-o-clock exactly..
"Yasoinaba. Yasoinaba." A man announced over the PA as he stepped off the train, glancing around slowly.
The station was clean and well kept, but empty. Its older look implied that not many people left or entered the area, which didn't surprise the silverette at all.
Shouldering his duffle-bag, he took in a deep breath before exhaling slowly, preparing himself for yet another year of disappointment.
Get ready, Yu. Just take the first step and get over it. What's one more year? Live and move on. You'll be leaving before you know it and being tossed into another box. After all… you're just a rag-doll, waiting to be thrown into someone else's toy box for a year.