The cherry blossoms were dancing in the sky, and the roses in the garden were about to bloom. A quiet night, the house was peaceful, and I had dinner with my family. As the phone vibrates, a message pops up. I swiped right and unlocked the phone. After reading it, I was stunned.
"The state of emergency declaration will be lifted on the 21st. Shall we go shopping together?"-
I confirmed it several times, and I could not believe my eyes.
I could not help but yell, "It's from Riko."
I tapped out with my fingers unhurriedly, "Okay, okay! When will you be free?" So far, I thought she was being polite. But, thoughts rolled in my mind, and my heart was messed up. It was the graduation ceremony of middle school that day. The curtain ended the three-year junior high school life just coming back from school, and I was immersed in the sadness of parting. All kinds of emotions are intertwined, fighting in the chest.
After a few sunrises and sunsets, we set the time on Saturday a week later. I was more unbelievable than joy. I never thought that Riko and I would go out together again. I thought it would be impossible for us. Seeing the night of the day before, I do not know whether it was excitement or worry. I have been wandering in a half-dream and half-awake state until dawn. It seemed as if a memory brought me back two years ago for a moment.
The campus was full of green and vibrant scenes in that ignorant time. Riko was the first friend I made on campus and the best friend at the time. We were inseparable, and we wished to stick together every day. It was a pity that everything was over in the first two days of the summer vacation that year — that sultry lunch break. The corridor was glowing with gold. Perhaps the hot weather made people panic, and we had a big fight.
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"Aren't we friends?"
Faced with my question, she calmly said, "Of course not."
The eye became moist, "That's it. I see."
As I said, I turned around and entered the classroom, lying on the table looking at the vegetation outside the window in a daze.
After that, we reconciled on the surface, but we also became "strangers" for three years...
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The spring sun outside the window spilled into the eyes through the gap of the curtain. I opened my eyes in a daze, my abdomen aching dimly, and I could not help worrying. For three years, we have been avoiding each other deliberately. I do not even know what she is interested in. I am worried that having nothing to say will be boring.
Sure enough...At first, it was as I expected...it was at a deadlock.
I bounced off the bed and started to dress. From clothing to makeup to accessories and backpacks, I carefully prepared everything. Finally, I stood in front of the mirror and looked at myself carefully for dread of a trace of imperfection.
Time was too late; I rushed out of the door. Black high heels are running on the concrete floor. Clop, clop, clop, footsteps are getting faster and faster. Click. It is crippled. Too late to check. I knew it must be too late, so I took out my phone and sent a message saying that I would be late. Finally arrived at the agreed place. I looked around, but she did not see her. Some hesitated. I was one minute late. My heart trembled. Did she leave first? I should have arrived early. I took the phone to confirm again; only then did Riko appear at the corner and be late. She did not have makeup, but she was as beautiful as a princess in a fairy tale world, which made my heartbeat slow down. We all chose purple in good agreement. Purple sweater. Purple dress. It looks like a sister outfit that was matched beforehand.
I swiped my transportation card, took the escalator, and got on the tram. With the sound of the whistle, the tram galloped on the track. In the crowd, we all stood, always keeping a proper distance. I dare not look directly into her eyes—sweaty palms. The brain is spinning fast. There were waves of ripples in my heart. My legs are numb. We only met at the graduation ceremony a week ago. However, no one spoke to break the silence. Maybe it was because I am used to being a "stranger." The air in the car suffocated me. The front seat was empty, and I planned to sit down but thought it was impolite to sit down alone when I heard that when I went out with my Japanese friends. Fortunately, a seat next to the next stop was also empty, and we sat down with a glance at each other. Still silent. I only dared to sit upright, with my back not leaning against the chair's back, with my feet close together and slightly exerting force, my hands clasped together on my legs, and my dull eyes looked forward numbly.
The brain is gradually blanking...tick to tick...I count every second; every second is as long as an hour. It is the longest time I have traveled from Higashikoganei Station to Shinjuku Station. I want to squeeze the phone in my hand, but this is also impolite. I want to chat, but her lips are closed and she is uncomfortable. The tram was swaying, drowsiness hit, and the upper and lower eyelids began to fight. I held on, and when I was almost unable to hold on, the train finally drove into Shinjuku Station.
We changed to the Rinkai Line and went directly to Tokyo TV Tower Station. After leaving the station, we decided to stroll around. I have visited Odaiba countless times, but this is Riko's first time. First, we walked to the sky bridge across the street from Odaiba Seaside Park.
We have walked this road several times, but our mood is different.
We did not hold hands; we did not have physical contact; our paces were also inconsistent, and we were trying our best to cater to each other's pace.
"The weather today is so good. The sky is so blue." I said.
"Well, it's a sunny day." Riko agreed.
Keep going.
There was a bright sun with a cloudless cobalt sky... The sun shone slightly, heating the skin, dispelling the only cold. The breath of cherry blossoms in the breeze turned out to be the result of the row of cherry trees under the overpass. Behind the cherry trees was the sapphire sea; a replica of the Statue of Liberty stood in front, beautiful and dignified. At the maglev station, we turned. After walking straight for a while, we saw a sea of tulips and cherry blossoms; the bees played hide and seek with the flowers as they buzzed from one to another, and the rich fragrance hit the senses.. In addition, there are bustling crowds and a large robot. He can reach the sky with his hand as he stands tall. Walking side by side across the road paved by cherry trees, petals fly overhead, falling to the ground like snowflakes. As the cherry trees on both sides fell backward, I could not help but sigh: This is the first time I have seen Odaiba, which is rendered in pink.
Lunch was in a Chinese restaurant in a shopping mall resembling Venice. Inadvertently solved the misunderstanding in the first grade. In some words, some things will become obsessions. Once you open your mind, you will get rid of it and finally let go.
We chose to spend the most prominent time in the day in Teamlab. We met our mother at the entrance. Riko seemed to be trembling after seeing her, and the familiarity he had finally built up disappeared. This embarrassing scene seemed to take me back to the depressing car in the morning.
Mother just sent us in and found an excuse to leave. It was time for the two of us to spend time together. As soon as you enter, there are three forks in the road, like a fork in life. Riko and I chose the leftmost route. It was very dim inside, and I could not see my fingers; I could only vaguely see the road under my feet; maybe the air conditioner was turned on, and the cool wind was blowing on my body. Goosebumps were all over my body, and I felt terrified.
"It's so dark; it won't be easy to find if we get separated." Then, I leaned forward and took Riko's arm, and half of my body was attached to her.
This action is so natural. Maybe it is because it is too dark here, so we are all a little scared. But, the scene gave us a push, bringing us closer. After that, we got acquainted with each other and never let go of our hands. My heart wall seemed shattered, like an old friend I had not seen for many years.
At the end of the dark tunnel, you see a scene of flowers blooming and butterflies scurrying. We had entered a dream world composed of light, and everything that happens in it was like a dream. It felt like we lost track of time. We drew a fish together and wrote V&R on it, which is the first letter of our name. It is a testimony of our friendship. We released this fish in the sea on the screen and let our company be like this fish, swimming in the vast ocean. The other thing that impressed me the most was a 5D movie. We lay on a hammock and looked up at the starry sky. As the film changed, the starry sky changed. I felt the tremendous energy of the universe. This is the enjoyment of sight, hearing, smell, and touch.
We stayed for more than three hours. Stepping out of Teamlab... It is getting brighter... The dazzling sunlight outside shines into my eyes. I wake up like a dream; everything that happens inside is like a dream. The story between Riko and me is also like a dream.
After that, we went back to the sky bridge again, but without the strangeness of the morning, Riko became talkative. We passed the Statue of Liberty and walked to the seaside park. The sea is close at hand, overlooking the Rainbow Bridge that connects the bay. There was not much wind and waves that day. The white waves in the sea waved against the reefs on the shore repeatedly, and the sea breeze brought the salty seawater smell. A cruise ship slowly passed by. Then a burst of laughter caught our attention. It turned out that there were a group of female students in uniform sitting on the reef right now; they were eating and frolicking.
At my suggestion, we took a video on the shore.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Vivian. Today is March 28, 2021. I came to Odaiba with Riko..." Riko talks less like a mimosa in front of the camera, almost all of me alone. Introduce with interest.
Suddenly hearing the mother's voice behind us, we turned our heads abruptly. It was my mother. She took us the only group photo in the past three years except for the group photo. It was dusk, and the sky was rendered orange without knowing it. The setting sun towards the west is big and warm, and the scene in front of me is poetic like a filter.
We went to a shopping mall for milk tea. I ordered a cup of cherry blossom milk tea. There, I finally took off my last guard. I watched the brown pearls pass through her straw with milk tea.
After taking a deep breath, he said, "This is the memoir I once wrote. It tells the story of our first year, and there is no falsehood. If you want, read it."
I passed the phone over. She was the first classmate to read this memoir. The article describes the world from my perspective. Riko read every word patiently and carefully, and the names of the characters in the memoirs have been revised, but Riko's fiery eyes know who is who. This is not only because she is a friend, but because most of my friends in the first grade were introduced by her.
After drinking the milk tea, the sound of the sky has wholly dimmed, and there is no aftermath, replaced by the brightly lit and bustling city around. We walked to see the Ferris wheel and stepped into the cherry blossom road. Now there were no people, and it seemed a little quiet. This time I held my phone while chatting while recording video. Finally we arrived at the observation car, looking at the huge observation car in front of us; it kept changing colors and playing different lights. It is a beautiful landscape at night. Riko and I looked at each other and laughed unanimously because we both thought of one thing-another mutual friend of the two of us; after graduation, she went to the amusement park to ride the Ferris wheel, but she was stuck at the top due to the earthquake. She was scared to death.
We embarked on the tram for the return journey. On the tram, we chatted about one topic after another — feelings about the passing of junior high school life. Talk to mutual friends, about the memoir that I just finished reading and about the experience of the entrance examination. There are many more... Riko said that she missed her second year the most because everyone was already familiar with each other, but it was not hindered by the new crown epidemic like the third year. The mobile classroom in the second year of junior high school was the most memorable activity for her, but it was a pity that I did not participate in that activity.
In a blink of an eye, I returned to Higashikoganei Station, but I felt it hadn't been long since I got on the train.
"I am pleased today, thank you," Riko said.
"Yeah, so did I. We stayed in Odaiba for eight hours, the same time as usual at school," I said.
"Yeah. But it feels so fast."
"Good times are always fleeting. We are so happy. I'm glad I chose the right place. I was worried that you didn't like it before."
"That place is amazing; I didn't know there was such a place. But there is still something to do in my house, and I have to go home quickly."
"Oh~, that's it."
She got on her bicycle and went away.
I yelled at her back, "I have a chance to play together again in the future!"
"Hmm!" she replied.
In the middle of the night, the night wind swished into the room from the half-open window, bringing some coolness. I can think clearly. It was not until that day that I realized that encounters between people are fate, and some people will eventually come together after walking around. Even if people who can talk to each other are separated for a long time, as long as they have the opportunity, they can still be like the original. It turns out that everything will never know what will happen without waiting until the last minute.
A pink cherry blossom drifted over the eaves of the window at some point and landed next to my hand, dyeing this memory with scarlet marks...