(Hirono Shimizu continued from Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!)
When Hirono and Kyoichi split up, she wasn't sure how comfortable she was with the idea. Their luck lately had been nothing short of horrendous. Almost everyone that they had encountered within the last 24 hours was dead, and Hirono couldn't imagine that many people were left. While that left fewer potentially dangerous people around for them to run into, the danger zones had made the island so small at this point that there wasn't a lot of room for everyone that was still remaining.
Despite that, she kind of appreciated the quiet time that she had to herself. She had grown so tired of seeing people die that having nobody around was sort of comforting in a weird, fucked-up way. Movies had made her think that death was a dramatic, drawn-out affair, but on the island people seemed to just die in the blink of an eye. Tsuioka, Nakagawa, Inada. All of them went from alive to dead in a matter of seconds, and she had been witness to all of them. It had her thinking that at any second, the next gunshot she heard could be the one that claimed her own life. For all she knew, someone could be hiding out and shooting people from cover. She had no way of knowing how others were making their way to the end.
For her part, Hirono was almost positive that she had survived out of sheer luck. People keep dying around her, but somehow she had been spared every time, herself and Kyoichi. She couldn't point to anything that she had done strategically to survive. She just seemed to be lucky, and fully aware that same luck could run out whenever it pleased.
She took a breather in the neighborhood, leaning against the edge of one of the fences while she took a drink of water. She wondered when she should head back and try to meet up with Kyoichi again.
Really Wish She Could Come Home
The Hardcore Duo's reunion
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((Yoshimi Yahagi continued from All My Friends Are Dead))
Yoshimi's new, but old, truck rattled down the road. Inside, the driver had gone somewhat numb and felt a bit like her head was in the clouds.
Up ahead she saw a familiar outline -- it was the hair that gave her away, definitely.
Yoshimi slowly came to a stop just before the figure. Weakly, she grasped for the door handle and kicked the door a bit to open it, taking two tries.
She tried to take a step down from the truck and instead fell, stumbling but half-catching herself crouched over.
Yoshimi looked up at Hirono and took the pack of cigarettes out from her shirt.
"I really found you, huh? That new year's lot was right. "Supreme luck" or whatever."
Yoshimi's new, but old, truck rattled down the road. Inside, the driver had gone somewhat numb and felt a bit like her head was in the clouds.
Up ahead she saw a familiar outline -- it was the hair that gave her away, definitely.
Yoshimi slowly came to a stop just before the figure. Weakly, she grasped for the door handle and kicked the door a bit to open it, taking two tries.
She tried to take a step down from the truck and instead fell, stumbling but half-catching herself crouched over.
Yoshimi looked up at Hirono and took the pack of cigarettes out from her shirt.
"I really found you, huh? That new year's lot was right. "Supreme luck" or whatever."
Hirono heard a sound that she legitimately never expected to hear on the island. The clattering of an old truck moving down the road. She had heard it all too many times back in Shiroiwa, but as far as the island was concerned, she hadn't even been aware that there were any vehicles. At least not in working order, anyway.
She's on her guard as the driver exits the vehicle, not sure who to expect. For all she knew, it could have been the person who had opened fire on her, Motobuchi, and Inada not too long ago. However, all of that tension melted away when she saw a girl unsteadily dismount from the truck with a pack of cigarettes, and she didn't even have to talk before Hirono recognized her.
"Yoshimi..." Hirono's face showed a spark of life and happiness as she recognized one of her best friends. One of her only friends, honestly, but still someone that she honestly treasured. "You're alive."
Her eyes quickly fall down to the spots on Yoshimi's shirt. Three wet, red spots, and Hirono's hope starts to dim. "Oh my god..."
That couldn't be true. Yoshimi couldn't die, not after Hirono had to wait so long to see her.
She's on her guard as the driver exits the vehicle, not sure who to expect. For all she knew, it could have been the person who had opened fire on her, Motobuchi, and Inada not too long ago. However, all of that tension melted away when she saw a girl unsteadily dismount from the truck with a pack of cigarettes, and she didn't even have to talk before Hirono recognized her.
"Yoshimi..." Hirono's face showed a spark of life and happiness as she recognized one of her best friends. One of her only friends, honestly, but still someone that she honestly treasured. "You're alive."
Her eyes quickly fall down to the spots on Yoshimi's shirt. Three wet, red spots, and Hirono's hope starts to dim. "Oh my god..."
That couldn't be true. Yoshimi couldn't die, not after Hirono had to wait so long to see her.
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"Oh, please don't look at me like that," she said in an unsteady voice, wearing a smile. "You'll let me know how bad things are, and I might cry, and then you might cry."
She leaned over to the truck and took out the cigarette lighter from the car, and a pen. Putting the pack of cigarettes on the seat, she took out one, lit it, then put the pen and pack in her skirt.
"I'm scared," she said, with her eyes big. With her index and middle finger, she made a V, inhaling the smoke. The blood on her fingers smudged onto the cigarette.
She leaned over to the truck and took out the cigarette lighter from the car, and a pen. Putting the pack of cigarettes on the seat, she took out one, lit it, then put the pen and pack in her skirt.
"I'm scared," she said, with her eyes big. With her index and middle finger, she made a V, inhaling the smoke. The blood on her fingers smudged onto the cigarette.
"I know. Me too." Hirono answered. She didn't want to make things worse for Yoshimi, even though she was already fearing the worst. So she put on a smile and tried to hide how much she was hurting. It wasn't as bad as what Yoshimi was feeling, but she still wanted to mask it for the sake of her friend.
"I've been hoping I could find you." Hirono admits, with a little laugh, partially out of relief, and partially because she had no other response to the sad irony that she saw in their situation. "And it took this long... but we're here." She wasn't sure where she was going with this, and she had a good guess that Yoshimi didn't either.
"Remember last week, when we were hanging out at the park? Just talking shit and eating melon bread?" Hirono asked, hoping to blur the current situation with some happier memories.
"I've been hoping I could find you." Hirono admits, with a little laugh, partially out of relief, and partially because she had no other response to the sad irony that she saw in their situation. "And it took this long... but we're here." She wasn't sure where she was going with this, and she had a good guess that Yoshimi didn't either.
"Remember last week, when we were hanging out at the park? Just talking shit and eating melon bread?" Hirono asked, hoping to blur the current situation with some happier memories.
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"You were? You were really hoping?" she said with a childish sort of happiness. Yoshimi put a hand up to her cheek and then slowly, and with some groans, made it to the bit of fence Hirono was leaning against and leaned next to her. Their shoulders touched.
"Yeah, I do," she said, breaking down a bit and tears starting to collect.
She took another drag.
Yoshimi really thought she was going to be able to get through this without tears.
Oh well.
"We did it all together. We had each other. We were family, the three of us."
She suddenly buried her face in Hirono's shoulder.
"I want to be back there so bad. But it's not... meant for us now."
"Yeah, I do," she said, breaking down a bit and tears starting to collect.
She took another drag.
Yoshimi really thought she was going to be able to get through this without tears.
Oh well.
"We did it all together. We had each other. We were family, the three of us."
She suddenly buried her face in Hirono's shoulder.
"I want to be back there so bad. But it's not... meant for us now."
Hirono instinctively wrapped her arms around Yoshimi when the other girl practically collapsed into her. Despite all of the time that she put into her image and reputation as a tough bitch, Hirono couldn't keep Yoshimi away from her true self. Maybe because she was one of the only people who had any real belief in her.
"I tried hard, Yoshimi." She confesses, her own tears on the verge of making their escape. "I tried to find a way out for us, but... I couldn't. I swear I did everything I could, I wanted us to..." The halting movements of her chest gave away how choked up she was, and she felt like she had failed Yoshimi by not being able to see Sho's escape plan through.
What Yoshimi said hit home. Family. Hirono never even felt like she was a part of her own family, but with Mitsuko and Yoshimi... she was comfortable. She could talk freely. With them, she was home.
"I... you know how much you mean to me." Hirono stated, about to cry over Yoshimi. She already lost Mitsuko. She wasn't ready to lose Yoshimi too.
"I tried hard, Yoshimi." She confesses, her own tears on the verge of making their escape. "I tried to find a way out for us, but... I couldn't. I swear I did everything I could, I wanted us to..." The halting movements of her chest gave away how choked up she was, and she felt like she had failed Yoshimi by not being able to see Sho's escape plan through.
What Yoshimi said hit home. Family. Hirono never even felt like she was a part of her own family, but with Mitsuko and Yoshimi... she was comfortable. She could talk freely. With them, she was home.
"I... you know how much you mean to me." Hirono stated, about to cry over Yoshimi. She already lost Mitsuko. She wasn't ready to lose Yoshimi too.
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Yoshimi allowed herself to be consumed, warm arms wrapping around her cold limbs.
"I know you tried. I know how you feel," she said quietly at Hirono embraced her. She had lost a lot of blood, and even before that she'd drank a lot. Yoshimi hoped she was making sense still.
Now that she was being squeezed Yoshimi even felt the pain again somewhat and grimaced, but wasn't worth saying anything about.
"Look at you. You did so well. I'm so proud of you for getting this far, for everything. You're repping the gang here at the end."
Yoshimi remembered killing, and she remembered doubting and she remembered Mitsuko, and she hated, felt herself monstrous.
"I've got --" she made a little bit of space between them " -- got something to do. Don't try to stop me," she warned. "Yoji believed I could be a good person, so I'm going to try."
She pulled a cigarette out of the pack and the pen out of her skirt pocket.
On the side of the cigarette, after a bit of fumbling she managed to write:
"VERY GOOD LUCK"
"It's the New Years lot Yoji traded me. So I want you to have my luck now, or any I've got left."
"I know you tried. I know how you feel," she said quietly at Hirono embraced her. She had lost a lot of blood, and even before that she'd drank a lot. Yoshimi hoped she was making sense still.
Now that she was being squeezed Yoshimi even felt the pain again somewhat and grimaced, but wasn't worth saying anything about.
"Look at you. You did so well. I'm so proud of you for getting this far, for everything. You're repping the gang here at the end."
Yoshimi remembered killing, and she remembered doubting and she remembered Mitsuko, and she hated, felt herself monstrous.
"I've got --" she made a little bit of space between them " -- got something to do. Don't try to stop me," she warned. "Yoji believed I could be a good person, so I'm going to try."
She pulled a cigarette out of the pack and the pen out of her skirt pocket.
On the side of the cigarette, after a bit of fumbling she managed to write:
"VERY GOOD LUCK"
"It's the New Years lot Yoji traded me. So I want you to have my luck now, or any I've got left."
Hirono didn't want to let Yoshimi go. If she really was dying, then Hirono wanted to be there for her, to make sure that she didn't have to die alone. She wasn't able to do that for Mitsuko, so she thought that the least she could do was give Yoshimi that respect.
The weird thing was if anything, Yoshimi was the one offering her comfort. Speaking soft words, telling her how proud she was of her. Any success Hirono had experienced in keeping her tears held in was now long gone. She knew that she would be weeping through her last few moments with Yoshimi, no matter how much she wanted to be strong for her.
She didn't know what Yoshimi had in mind, but she knew better than to talk her out of it. She knew better than to do anything to insult a girl's dying wish. Even if she couldn't stay with Yoshimi through whatever was about to happen, she had to believe that her friend knew what was best for her.
She took the cigarette and looked at the message. VERY GOOD LUCK. From anyone else, she would have assumed that it was a horrible joke. From Yoshimi though, she knew that it had to mean something, especially right now. She slowly clasped her hand around the cigarette and looked Yoshimi in the eyes, speaking with every ounce of sincerity that she could offer.
"Thank you. For everything."
The weird thing was if anything, Yoshimi was the one offering her comfort. Speaking soft words, telling her how proud she was of her. Any success Hirono had experienced in keeping her tears held in was now long gone. She knew that she would be weeping through her last few moments with Yoshimi, no matter how much she wanted to be strong for her.
She didn't know what Yoshimi had in mind, but she knew better than to talk her out of it. She knew better than to do anything to insult a girl's dying wish. Even if she couldn't stay with Yoshimi through whatever was about to happen, she had to believe that her friend knew what was best for her.
She took the cigarette and looked at the message. VERY GOOD LUCK. From anyone else, she would have assumed that it was a horrible joke. From Yoshimi though, she knew that it had to mean something, especially right now. She slowly clasped her hand around the cigarette and looked Yoshimi in the eyes, speaking with every ounce of sincerity that she could offer.
"Thank you. For everything."
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Yoshimi caressed the side of Hirono's cheek and then brushed her hair with her finger tips.
A perfect silence of understanding passed between them. Perhaps they pierced through time and were back at the park for a moment.
"I really --" she gasped and coughed. She bit her lip and looked at Hirono.
I'm terrified.
Yoshimi recovered a moment and was able to collect her emotions.
"I'll see you," she said, kissed the tip of her index finger, then shot a finger gun at her friend.
With that, she hobbled back to the truck.
She turned the key in the ignition.
And she took off ((elsewhere...))
A perfect silence of understanding passed between them. Perhaps they pierced through time and were back at the park for a moment.
"I really --" she gasped and coughed. She bit her lip and looked at Hirono.
I'm terrified.
Yoshimi recovered a moment and was able to collect her emotions.
"I'll see you," she said, kissed the tip of her index finger, then shot a finger gun at her friend.
With that, she hobbled back to the truck.
She turned the key in the ignition.
And she took off ((elsewhere...))
For just a second, Hirono was comfortable.
WIth her and Yoshimi's eyes meeting, they were just two friends. Not on the island, not struggling for their lives, not moments from death. Just two friends who were lucky enough to find each other, even when it seemed like no one else would be there for them. Finally she had a few moments of peace.
But those moments couldn't last. She didn't take her eyes away from Yoshimi for a moment. Not during her final farewell, and not as she drove away. She watched the truck drive off until it went out of view. Hirono didn't know what Yoshimi was doing, or where she was going. There was only one thing that she knew, and that was that she would never see Yoshimi alive again.
Once the truck finally disappeared, Hirono stopped trying to act strong in the face of what was happening. There was no hiding from the truth anymore. Yoshimi was her last link to life outside of the Program. She had no other friends, no other family that she felt comfortable with, no one else that she trusted.
Hirono Shimizu was truly alone.
She looked at the cigarette that Yoshimi had given her. VERY GOOD LUCK. That was what had kept Hirono alive, and it was exactly what she needed if she didn't want to die. She was in no mood to speculate on that at the moment, though. Right now, what it was to her was Yoshimi's last gift, her last remnant of one of her only friends.
Hirono fell to her knees as she held the cigarette to her chest. Alone in the residential district, she curled up and freely cried for her friend. She wouldn't forget her. Even if she got off the island and lived until she looked like a shriveled-up prune at the age of 90, she wouldn't forget Yoshimi Yagagi.
WIth her and Yoshimi's eyes meeting, they were just two friends. Not on the island, not struggling for their lives, not moments from death. Just two friends who were lucky enough to find each other, even when it seemed like no one else would be there for them. Finally she had a few moments of peace.
But those moments couldn't last. She didn't take her eyes away from Yoshimi for a moment. Not during her final farewell, and not as she drove away. She watched the truck drive off until it went out of view. Hirono didn't know what Yoshimi was doing, or where she was going. There was only one thing that she knew, and that was that she would never see Yoshimi alive again.
Once the truck finally disappeared, Hirono stopped trying to act strong in the face of what was happening. There was no hiding from the truth anymore. Yoshimi was her last link to life outside of the Program. She had no other friends, no other family that she felt comfortable with, no one else that she trusted.
Hirono Shimizu was truly alone.
She looked at the cigarette that Yoshimi had given her. VERY GOOD LUCK. That was what had kept Hirono alive, and it was exactly what she needed if she didn't want to die. She was in no mood to speculate on that at the moment, though. Right now, what it was to her was Yoshimi's last gift, her last remnant of one of her only friends.
Hirono fell to her knees as she held the cigarette to her chest. Alone in the residential district, she curled up and freely cried for her friend. She wouldn't forget her. Even if she got off the island and lived until she looked like a shriveled-up prune at the age of 90, she wouldn't forget Yoshimi Yagagi.
After a few minutes, Hirono got to her feet and looked back in the direction that Yoshimi had driven off in. There was no waiting to see her come back, or hoping that she'd find her way off the island. Yoshimi was just gone.
Hirono wiped her eyes and used her map to find her direction back towards the orchard. She needed to try to find Motobuchi again, hook back up to make sure he was all right. There couldn't have been many people left now, and their time was running short for any hopes of escaping. As she left, she had a memory of a song playing in her head during that sorrowful walk back.
Now Yoshimi's long gone
Really wish she could come home
When it's time to die
Gotta go bye bye
All a little thug could do is cry, cry
(Hirono Shimizu continued elsewhere...)
Hirono wiped her eyes and used her map to find her direction back towards the orchard. She needed to try to find Motobuchi again, hook back up to make sure he was all right. There couldn't have been many people left now, and their time was running short for any hopes of escaping. As she left, she had a memory of a song playing in her head during that sorrowful walk back.
Now Yoshimi's long gone
Really wish she could come home
When it's time to die
Gotta go bye bye
All a little thug could do is cry, cry
(Hirono Shimizu continued elsewhere...)