Episode 24 — “Listening to Bob Dylan” (Part 5)

The misunderstanding among his classmates was cleared up quickly.

The next day, Yasuhiro apologized in front of everyone, and once Takamori explained what had happened, the tense atmosphere disappeared as if it had never existed.

Of course, Yasuhiro also apologized to Watanabe privately.

“No, I’m the one who was wrong. I knew you didn’t want me to keep doing it.”

Rather than accepting the apology, Watanabe apologized even more.

“But I went too far. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. Still, your strength is incredible. I was going to apologize right away, but your punch was so powerful I couldn’t even get my voice out. Then you grabbed me by the collar and... well, that’s when I thought, This is bad.”

“Sorry. I completely lost it. But if you knew I didn’t like it, why did you keep doing it?”

“...”

“I remember thinking that it was strange how you kept going. Why did you?”

“...Forget it. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“No, I mean, I was wrong too. But that’s not what I meant...”

“More importantly, is Tsukiyama okay?”

Watanabe cut him off.

That was what Yasuhiro was most worried about too.

Especially what Ms. Takamori had said about the bruise. That stayed in his mind and wouldn’t go away.

...

About two weeks later, Tsukiyama finally came back to school.

Yasuhiro was relieved, but at the same time he noticed that a dark mark still remained on her right cheek.

While she had been absent, he had constantly worried about it. Now that he could actually see the bruise with his own eyes, he felt as though he had been reminded that the whole thing was not over yet.

He had repeatedly told Ms. Takamori that he wanted to apologize to Tsukiyama himself. He had asked her to tell him whether Tsukiyama was all right.

Every time, Takamori simply told him, “I’m in contact with her right now. Wait a little longer.”

She also told him that Tsukiyama wasn’t angry with him and that, for now, he should try not to worry about it.

That day, Yasuhiro wanted to apologize to her immediately, but he couldn’t find the right moment.

Before he knew it, school was over.

For just a moment, everyone around Tsukiyama disappeared.

Yasuhiro gathered his courage and approached her.

“Tsukiyama... I’m sorry about the other day.”

“Yasuhiro, I’m sorry too. I judged you too quickly.”

“...”

“...”

“I was the one who was wrong. But when it happened with you, I really didn’t mean to hit you. I panicked, and... Anyway, I’m sorry.”

“But you meant to hit Watanabe, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but even then, I just lost my temper. I didn’t know what I was doing...”

“You can’t hurt someone and make excuses like that.”

“...”

“But what happened to me was an accident. You’re not the kind of person who enjoys hurting people, are you?”

“No. I’m not. But... your bruise...”

“It’s okay. The doctor said it should disappear.”

“...”

Before Yasuhiro could find the words he wanted, Tsukiyama responded to someone calling her.

“Well, I’m not upset about it, so don’t worry about me. Cheer up, Yasuhiro.”

There was something very important he wanted to tell her.

But he couldn’t put it into words.

The feeling remained inside him like a knot.

...

“So, did you talk to Tsukiyama after that?”

The Master gave him a faint, knowing smile.

“No. And then... today, Ms. Takamori suddenly told everyone that Tsukiyama’s father had been transferred for work, and that they were moving away.”

The Bob Dylan song that had been playing all this time, though Yasuhiro had barely heard it, suddenly seemed to reach him from somewhere far away.

“I’d noticed she hadn’t seemed herself lately. She’d been absent a few times in a row.”

“Hey, Yasuhiro. Are you crying?”

“Because I never properly apologized. What if the bruise stays...?”

“Yasuhiro, didn’t you say everyone hated Tsukiyama?”

“That’s everyone. I never said I hated her.”

“Ah. I see...”

As the Master listened to Yasuhiro’s story, it overlapped with a memory from his own distant past.

A buried memory.

A memory he never expected to see rise to the surface in such a strange way.

Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” played softly in the background.

“...But, Yasuhiro.”

“What?”

“You lied to me about fighting with your mother.”

“I had to.”

Yasuhiro drained the glass of water, now empty of ice, in one gulp.

Watching him, the Master thought:

(Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right...)

Don’t worry about it?

...

It’s not that easy, is it?