Monday, 05/14/2001, 3:30 p.m.
Domino High School, second floor, Class B.
... Riiing, riiing!
With the sound of the school bell, the shuffle of footsteps, and the voices of students, the classroom emptied out—leaving only two figures behind.
Those figures were Shin Osako and Anzu Mazaki.
Outside, the afternoon sunlight bathed Domino City in a reddish hue, its blue sky streaked with white clouds.
Shouldering his backpack, Shin walked up to Anzu with a relaxed stride and a calm face. Once in front of her, he spoke in a gentle tone.
"Come on. Have you already decided where you want to go?"
Anzu nodded with a confident expression, her cheeks slightly flushed and her voice cheerful. Her bag hung loosely off one shoulder.
"Of course!"
And so, the two of them set off...
Several minutes later, in front of a visibly crowded metro station.
The screech of trains, the murmur of voices, and the distant traffic noise blended into a deafening cacophony.
The smell of smog mixed with the aroma of food from several small street vendors.
The sun was beating down hard. Sweaty faces moved in and out of the sea of people.
The station's central clock read 4:08 p.m.
Shin followed closely behind Anzu, his eyes fixed on her back. They climbed a set of stairs and arrived at a busy district. On both sides of the street, unlit neon signs advertised a variety of entertainment venues, from karaoke bars to arcade shops and even pachinko parlors.
They walked for a while until they reached an arcade with a large neon sign bearing an unintelligible name.
Several teens and kids were constantly coming in and out. Their voices mixed with the traffic and indistinct footsteps of passersby.
Turning to Shin, Anzu grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him into the building with a big smile on her face, her words playful.
"Whoa, this place is new! Come on! Let's check it out!"
Shin smiled faintly and nodded without a word. A strange expression was etched onto his face.
Inside, the arcade was full of young people enjoying the various machines on display.
Multicolored lights, beeps, and electronic noises clashed with laughter and voices.
Anzu's eyes scanned the place thoroughly, a wide smile on her lips. Shin was also smiling slightly, his face marked by a strange sense of nostalgia.
Anzu's gaze stopped on a DDR machine occupied by a group of boys and girls, both players and spectators. Raising her voice above the music, she pointed toward the area, her eyes locked on Shin's.
"Let's go there!"
Shin nodded and followed her to the crowd.
Two young girls were dancing on the platform with clear confidence. The first was short and slim, with long brown hair and violet eyes. She wore a simple blue dress. The second was average height, with an athletic build, brown eyes, and short yellow hair. Her skin was tanned, and she wore heavy makeup in a ganguro style. She was dressed in short blue shorts and a revealing pink top.
The audience cheered for both sides with whistles, shouts, and claps all mixed together.
Suddenly, the music stopped. The score on the machine declared the girl in the blue dress the winner. She shouted with joy, raising her fist in the air.
"Yes!"
The crowd cheered immediately. Shin and Anzu joined in, clapping.
The girl in the blue dress walked over to the other and hugged her with a smile. Then they stepped off the platform, whispering to each other, their breathing heavy and their faces flushed.
Blinking a couple of times, Anzu looked at the now-vacant platform and grinned mischievously. Her gaze landed on Shin as she spoke loudly, pointing at the machine.
"Let's dance!"
Shin gave a small smile and nodded silently.
They inserted a few coins into the machine, which lit up with a mechanical shout. Anzu selected the song.
"Ready!"
The machine began a fifteen-second countdown.
"[15–14...]"
The crowd started to get excited. Among them, the girl in the blue dress pointed at Anzu and spoke loudly over the noise, her voice enthusiastic.
"I'm betting on the girl! I danced against her once! She destroyed me!"
Beside her, the girl in the pink top frowned and tilted her head with a scoff, her voice annoyed.
"Hmph! Damn Aiko! Such a cheater! Fine, I'm betting on the guy! He's pretty cute."
The countdown reached zero, and the machine shouted:
"Go!"
The music began to play. Arrows flashed on both sides of the platform. Anzu and Shin began to move.
Anzu danced with ease. The machine kept shouting:
"Great!"
"Perfect!"
"Cool!"...
The crowd watched in awe.
Anzu glanced sideways at Shin. Her eyes widened, her face confused. The boy danced with surprising ease, his movements quick and fluid. His machine kept encouraging him:
"Great!"
"Perfect!"
"Cool!"...
A murmur escaped Anzu's lips, and her steps lost their rhythm.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, her platform let out a disappointed voice.
"Miss!"
Anzu's expression darkened as she straightened up. A low whisper escaped her lips in a sinister tone.
"Alright. Time to get serious."
Then Anzu began to dance faster, her movements smooth and elegant. Her machine cheered her on again:
"Great!"
"Perfect!"
"Cool!"...
Aiko clapped and shouted, eyes locked on Anzu, her voice euphoric.
"That's it, girl!"
Anzu's score began to rise rapidly.
The crowd went wild.
Shin's score wasn't falling behind—it was already higher and still climbing. His machine kept cheering him on, his movements fast and confident.
"Great!"
"Perfect!"
"Cool!"...
At that moment, the girl in the pink top whistled loudly, her expression flirtatious.
"Fiiiu...! Keep it up, handsome! If you win, I'll give you a kiss right on the lips! Hear me?! Come on! You can do it!"
Shin kept dancing, but Anzu immediately turned her gaze toward the girl in the pink top. A hostile expression marked her features. The girl stuck out her tongue with a mocking face.
"Bleh!"
Anzu clenched her teeth, her steps growing erratic, her breathing unsteady, and her face flushed red. Shaking her head, she kept dancing, but a shout from the machine cut her off.
"Failed!"
Anzu's platform had turned red. A mutter slipped from her lips, her tone and expression full of disappointment. The music stopped.
"I lost… Haaa…"
Turning her eyes, Anzu looked at Shin with a sigh. The boy met her gaze with a wide smile on his lips, his hair disheveled and his breathing uneven. Sweat ran down his neck and forehead. The score on his platform showed just ten points more than Anzu's. The crowd's celebration echoed in the background.
At that moment, a female voice shouted from within the crowd. It was Aiko, her expression amused as she looked at her friend.
"…Yeah yeah, you won the bet, Sakura! I know, I know! But you promised to kiss that guy on the lips and you still haven't done it! So… kiss him, kiss him, kiss him!"
Her words quickly caught on with the crowd, who immediately formed a chorus.
"Kiss him, kiss him…"
With her face burning red, Sakura clenched her fists and shouted angrily.
"Fine, fine! I'll do it, I'll do it! Just shut up already, morons!"
But the crowd kept chanting as Sakura stepped up onto the platform beside Shin. Anzu watched the entire scene with a shocked expression, her body stiff and her breathing short.
Seeing Sakura approach, Shin raised an eyebrow, then turned to Anzu with a puzzled look on his face. The girl didn't react. Shin blinked a couple of times and then moved to stand next to her, his tone concerned. Sakura stood behind him with a confused expression.
"Anzu? Are you alright?"
Anzu shook her head a couple of times, clenched her fists, and then moved. She stepped between Shin and Sakura. Her words came out sharp, her gaze locked on the girl in the pink top.
"Shin, let's get out of here. I want to try something else."
Scratching his head, Shin nodded with an awkward expression, his voice calm.
"Sure."
Anzu grabbed Shin's arm and the two began stepping down from the platform. But halfway down, Aiko shouted in a mocking tone, cupping her hands around her mouth.
"Boo! The controlling girlfriend runs off with her tail between her legs! Hahaha! Why don't we settle this with a real contest instead?! What do you say?! Dance battle! Dance battle! You versus Sakura, jealous girlfriend!"
The crowd immediately picked up the chant. Anzu and Shin stopped in their tracks, their eyes scanning the crowd.
"Dance battle! Dance battle! Dance battle!..."
Anzu's face darkened, and she stared at Aiko with a deathly look. The girl in the blue dress simply tilted her head with an innocent expression and kept encouraging the chant. On the platform, Sakura looked at Shin with a flirty face. He had a calm look on his face, watching the crowd with an expression of boredom. Turning toward Anzu, he leaned in and whispered in her ear with a faint smile on his lips. Anzu shivered at the feel of his breath.
"I trust you."
Anzu looked into Shin's eyes, then at Sakura, who was taunting her with a hand gesture. Determination shaped her face and she nodded, exclaiming with a confident voice:
"Alright! Let's do it!"
The crowd clapped and whistled in celebration. Anzu climbed back onto the platform. Sakura walked up and spoke to her in a provocative tone.
"If I win, I'm keeping that cute guy of yours for a week, sweetie. I'll teach him lots of things, hehe."
Anzu grimaced and replied with a tense voice, her face red with fury.
"You'll eat those words."
Sakura laughed with a mischievous face, then whispered in a suggestive tone:
"Believe me, if I win, I already know exactly what I want to swallow."
Anzu clenched her teeth, her face burning, her posture rigid, and her expression dark.
Sakura selected the song. Both girls placed their coins into the machine. It shouted:
"Ready!"
The countdown began. Anzu and Sakura took their positions.
"[15–14…]"
Shin positioned himself among the crowd. Aiko came up close, invading his personal space. She whispered in his ear with a playful voice.
"Your girlfriend looks kinda mad, doesn't she? I wonder if she can win like that…"
Shin smiled faintly, then looked silently from Aiko to Anzu, his expression calm.
Aiko blinked a couple of times and then muttered with an uncertain tone, her expression puzzled.
"What a weird guy. But his face feels oddly familiar…"
At that moment, the countdown hit zero, and the machine shouted loudly. The music began.
"Go!"
The arrows lit up on both platforms. Anzu and Sakura began to dance. The crowd came alive.
Aiko shouted, eyes on Sakura:
"Go, Sakura! Beat that stuck-up girl!"
Anzu moved with slight stiffness. Her score was slightly lower than Sakura's, whose dance looked more fluid. Anzu's eyes shifted from Sakura to the crowd—there she saw Shin. He simply nodded at her. And then, Anzu let go. Her movements grew faster and smoother. A smile formed on her lips. Her score rose sharply. The machine didn't stop shouting:
"Great!""Perfect!""Cool!"...
Anzu's score quickly surpassed Sakura's and kept climbing, widening the gap dramatically.
A moment later, Anzu's platform shouted:
"Clear! New record!"
The machine lit up with multicolored lights. The crowd filled with expressions of awe and celebratory gestures. Someone shouted from the audience:
"She broke the record!"
On her platform, Sakura was breathing heavily. Her eyes scanned Anzu's figure with a resentful face. A murmur slipped from her dark lips, her voice frustrated.
"Damn it…"
With a wide smile on her face, Anzu stepped off the platform and walked toward Shin, surrounded by the cheers of the crowd, her steps full of confidence.
Shin gave Anzu a slight nod, then spoke in a calm voice. A small smile marked his features. Anzu smiled even more brightly.
"Well done."
But Anzu's brow furrowed when she noticed the short figure next to Shin. It was Aiko, who grabbed onto the boy's arm with an innocent look as soon as she saw her.
Shin simply stared into her eyes until Aiko let go with a huff, her tone bored.
"Hmph! Insensitive guy."
Then Shin gestured for Anzu to take his arm. She nodded silently, then took it with a wide smile on her lips.
Amid the crowd's cheers, the two of them left the arcade side by side.
Once outside, Anzu rested her head against Shin's chest. People bustled around them. Neon signs were starting to light up in all colors. The horizon glowed red.
With a blush on her face, Anzu looked Shin in the eyes and murmured, her voice timid.
"That was amazing… I didn't know you could dance like that."
Shin gave a faint smile and replied while gently patting Anzu's head, his tone warm. She shivered at his touch.
"Yeah, it was. There was a time when I used to come to places like this a lot… But it's not over yet. The evening's still young. Let's keep going."
Anzu nodded, stepping away from Shin. Then she pointed toward a specific direction in the neighborhood, her voice nervous.
"Um, uh, I-I know some good spots. This way."
The two resumed their walk. Along the way, they stopped at several street stands and small shops. Anzu paused a couple of times in front of shop windows to fix her hair using her reflection. Each time, Shin shook his head as he watched her. They also tried a few snacks from the many yatai, like yakitori, okonomiyaki, and takoyaki…
Currently, they're in front of a small kakigōri stall.
A short line stretched behind Shin, made up mostly of children and teenagers.
The stall was run by a short, chubby bald man wearing a blue apron with raccoons printed on it.
Around them, a wave of passersby flowed through the alley. The noise never stopped—voices, footsteps, and all kinds of beeps and honks.
The vendor's eyes settled on Shin before speaking in a gentle tone.
"What flavor would you like, kid?"
Shin replied calmly, a smile on his lips.
"One strawberry and one grape, please."
The vendor nodded and exclaimed cheerfully, his expression relaxed.
"Coming right up!"
While the vendor shaved the kakigōri ice, Shin's gaze shifted toward a nearby wooden bench. A small, green-filled playground served as its background. Sitting on the bench was the figure of a girl. That girl was Anzu, her eyes fixed on a group of children playing on the swings. A small smile traced her lips.
Suddenly, the vendor's voice caught Shin's attention.
"Here you go."
Shin paid for the kakigōri and then walked silently to the bench. Anzu saw him approach, smiling. Shin took a seat next to her and handed her the grape kakigōri. Anzu tasted it and spoke cheerfully.
"Thanks."
In silence, both of them wandered their eyes over the view of the park. Seconds passed as they ate their kakigōri. The breeze stirred their hair and uniforms. Shin finished first and waited with the cardboard container in hand. Anzu followed shortly after.
After tossing their containers into a nearby trash can, they looked at each other—Shin with a calm expression, Anzu visibly uneasy. The park's entrance lay behind them. Children and adults were constantly coming and going. Laughter, crying, and shouting made up the ambient noise.
Smiling, Shin began walking deeper into the park, his face nostalgic. Anzu followed closely, a puzzled look on her face, her voice uncertain.
"What are you doing? Huh, Shin?"
Shin remained silent. His steps led him to a pair of empty swings. Adults and children glanced at them, some with puzzled looks, others curious.
Anzu glanced around nervously. A murmur slipped from her lips, her tone tense.
"Shin, wh-why are we here?"
Standing behind one of the swings, Shin gestured for Anzu to sit down, his voice calm.
"Come on, it'll be fun."
Anzu lowered her head, her expression uncomfortable, and nodded. Her steps were stiff.
Once Anzu was seated, Shin began pushing the swing—slowly at first, then with more strength.
Around them, the children on the other swings started smiling with bright expressions. The cheerful atmosphere returned. The nervous faces of the adults turned to smiles, then to looks of nostalgia.
Gradually, Anzu lifted her head. The sway of the swing, the wind on her face, Shin's hands on her back, and the children's laughter drew a smile across her features. Slowly, the girl began to laugh uncontrollably.
"Haha!"
While pushing Anzu, Shin also smiled. A tear rolled down his cheek.
Shortly after, a small chubby boy with short black hair, brown eyes, and dressed in a blue and white sailor outfit, tugged at Shin's jacket. His voice was timid, his face pleading.
"Hey, hey, big brother? Me too."
Glancing at the boy, Shin stopped Anzu's swing. The girl's voice rang out in a confused tone.
"Huh? What is it, Shin? Why did you stop?"
Shin smiled and pointed at the chubby boy with a gesture. Anzu blinked a few times and then nodded in understanding. Then, she got off the swing, smiling. Her voice came out playfully.
"And who is this little man?"
Shin lifted the boy by the arms and set him on the swing. Settling in place, the boy spoke cheerfully, his pronunciation a bit slurred.
"I'm the great Takumi!"
Sharing a glance, Anzu and Shin began pushing Takumi, smiles on both their faces.
Time passed quickly. Takumi's mother arrived shortly to pick him up. Other children asked Shin and Anzu to play with them. They accepted and indulged the kids' whims. Between laughter and goodbyes, the afternoon faded into night. The reddish sky filled with stars across a black mantle. The full moon bathed the park in white light as the city began its nightlife of neon, noise, and fireflies...
Except for Anzu and Shin, no one else remained in sight. Each sat on an adjacent swing.
Standing up, Anzu stepped behind Shin and wrapped her arms around his neck. A whisper escaped her lips in a happy tone.
"Thank you for this."
Shin nodded, his eyes lost in the distance, his voice nostalgic.
"I'm the one who should thank you. It's been so long. I needed this more than I'd like to admit."
Resting her chin on Shin's head, Anzu tightened her hold and spoke nervously, her gaze fixed on the moon.
"Shin, I—"
But Shin interrupted her in a faint tone. His hand squeezed Anzu's with a slight tremble, his expression pained.
"I know. I'm sorry it took me so long to accept it. Letting go of a whole life is hard, even if it sounds like a lame excuse now. I'm a weak man."
Anzu's eyes filled with tears. Her voice came out anxious, her grip loosening.
"Do you still love her?"
Shin nodded slightly. His words came out dry.
"Yes."
Anzu spoke again, her complexion devastated.
"What happened? Why don't you see each other anymore?"
Shin closed his eyes for a moment, then answered in a torn tone.
"She's very far away—too far. I'm dead to her. We'll probably never see each other again. It's not something either of us can control. At some point, we'll have to move on. Reality can be terribly cruel sometimes, don't you think?"
Anzu nodded a few times and tightened her grip on Shin. Her words came out nervously, her face in ruins.
"Will you ever be able to love me like that? I... I need to know, Shin. I need to know or—or I think I'll go crazy."
A smile appeared on Shin's face. Slowly, he stood up. Anzu stepped back and wiped her face with her jacket sleeves, protesting.
"Shin, don't look at me like this, please. I look awful."
Circling around the swing, Shin stood face to face with Anzu. He looked into her eyes with a gentle expression. Then he stepped forward and hugged her. Anzu's eyes widened. Confusion swept across her face. Her cheeks turned bright red. Shin's voice reached her ear, making her shiver in his arms.
"There's nothing to think about. I love you, Anzu."
Anzu closed her eyes and hugged him back tightly. Her face filled with tears, her expression one of pure happiness. Words burst from her lips in a euphoric tone.
"Shin, Shin! I love you too—I love you so much! I've never loved anyone like this in my life! I—I want you."
Still embraced, they leaned apart awkwardly. Their eyes met halfway—Anzu's teary, Shin's calm. Then, they kissed. It was a short and chaste kiss. As they parted, Anzu's face was flushed. A smile played on Shin's lips. Anzu leaned in for another kiss—this one deeper, their bodies pressing together. But Shin stopped her, shaking his head, his voice amused.
"There'll be time for that later. It's late. Let's not worry our parents too much. I'll walk you home."
Anzu blinked a few times and tried to insist, her voice weak, her hands gripping Shin's back tightly.
"But I... I want this, Shin, please."
Raising a hand, Shin suddenly pinched Anzu's nose. She squirmed and muttered as she pulled away, her voice annoyed.
"Hey! Why'd you do that?"
Smiling, Shin turned and began walking toward the park exit. His words came out playfully.
"I had a leech stuck on me. What did you expect me to do?"
Running after Shin with an angry face, Anzu punched him lightly on the shoulder, her voice frustrated.
"Who are you calling a leech, idiot?!"
The two left the park soon after. Their voices echoed into the night. The swings creaked in the breeze. Anzu took Shin's hand, and their figures faded into the distance.