From the archives

I thought I’d find you here Nat,” Naomi says as she walks into the newspaper club’s room. “What are you up to, apart from avoiding me?”

“Just tidying up, making sure I’ve got copies of everything before I leave.”

“Looks like you’re wandering down memory lane,” she replies, gesturing at the files and pictures scattered on the coffee table. She sits opposite Natsume and picks up a photograph of Miki and Hisao in running kit with Suzu, asleep, supported between them. “That’s a story waiting to be told!”

“Looks like a normal day at Yamaku to me. Poor Suzu, I don’t know how she’s going to make her way in the world.”

“When Miki and Hisao got together she was very put out. Whenever she saw them together she’d look daggers at them. Of course they didn’t notice, I’ve never seen a couple so wrapped up in each other. I couldn’t tell if Suzu was angry with one of them in particular or if it was being ignored that was annoying her, she was used to having most of Miki’s attention.”

“How do you notice these things?”

“I don’t have my head in the clouds making grand plans, unlike you! Then one Monday morning the three of them came into class together, all smiles. The daggers were gone, Hisao and Miki stopped being quite so antisocial, and Suzu blossomed.”

“Oh yes, I remember being surprised when she suddenly started participating in class. What do your keen journalistic instincts tell you happened?”

Naomi flashes a cheeky grin, “I’d like to say they have a ménage a trois going on but I’m pretty sure Hisao’s too conventional for anything like that. Don’t get me wrong, I like him and he’s always so kind and friendly, but I could never work out what a firecracker like Miki sees in him. I suppose he must be very well endowed.”

“Naomi, you’re awful!” She passes a clipping over the table. “Hana’s first proper article. I’m really glad she came out of her shell and joined us, she’s brought so much to the club. Lilly leaving might turn out to be the best thing that happened to her since she came to Yamaku.”

“She was really proud of tracking down the book thief on her own! No-one ever suspected that she was our ace in the hole. They’re so used to ignoring her, she’s able to blend into the background. The best undercover reporter the club’s ever had.”

Natsume sighs as she pulls out their article on Japanese schoolgirls and compensated dating. “Our best work, unpublished. The only regret I’ll have when I leave here is that we never got to the bottom of what was going on with Ikuno and the Principal. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so cautious about investigating them but I was worried about crossing such an influential man. I should spend less time worrying about risks and more time thinking about rewards.”

“Yeah I’ll regret that too, but I can think of something I might regret more,” Naomi says, giving her a pointed look.

“This was probably the worst idea you ever had!” Natsume flicks a disdainful finger at the trial issue of an advice column.

“Hey, there was nothing wrong with the concept. Highschoolers have lots of problems, we’d have got an endless supply of easy content. It was you who decided that Misha should be our agony aunt.”

“Well I sure as hell wasn’t going to do it and I don’t remember you rushing to volunteer.”

“Of course not, I can’t even sort out my own relationship.” She sits forwards and takes one of Natsume’s hands. “Nat, I’m going to try this one last time. No deflections, no evasions, give me straight answers. We graduate tomorrow but every time I’ve asked you what you’re planning to do next, you change the subject. As it stands we’re heading in different directions. Is this really how you want us to end? After being so close for so long?”

Natsume is silent for an uncomfortably long time. “A clean break is best. We’re moving into adulthood so it’s natural to leave things behind, even things you treasure. I’ll never forget you Naomi, the best times I’ve ever had have been with you, working together in this room.”

“That makes no sense, who is it best for? It’s not what’s best for me! I see no reason why we shouldn’t move on together. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, I know you don’t have anyone you’re closer to than me. And what about the night we spent together? It really hurt to wake up and find that you’d sneaked off and to make things worse you pretended that nothing had happened. What was that about? I could tell you were into it just as much as I was. I’m more than willing to be your girlfriend and society can go screw itself for all I care. Or is that the problem? You want to fit in and having me around would make it difficult for you?”

“No! You know that I’m not one to care much about what others think of me. Besides this is Japan, observing the proprieties in public is what counts not what happens in private.”

“So what is the problem? Why do you keep pulling away from me?” Naomi raises her voice in hurt and frustration. “You know how I feel about you, and I know how you feel about me!”

Natsume locks eyes with Naomi, regret and longing written all over her face. “I can’t let you throw your life away on a cripple.”

Naomi stands up angrily. “Well Ms Ooe, I think that’s all that needs to be said.”

“Naomi?”

“It is gracious of Ms Ooe to call this one by her given name. This one is not sure what she has done to deserve such an honour.”

“Naomi, stop it!”

“Only if you stop treating me like a child and let me make my own decisions! Yeah, your arthritis might cripple you but it’s a risk I want to take because it means I get to be with you.” She slumps onto the couch next to Natsume, the anger draining out of her. “If you didn’t have feelings for me I could accept that we’d just be friends, I’d be happy with that. But it’s crazy to me that you won’t let us be together in a misguided attempt to protect me. ‘Specially as you’re the one who’d be taking the bigger chance.”

“What do you mean?”

“I could die during a fit or injure myself badly enough to be a vegetable the rest of my life. Any number of things could happen but I’m prepared to treat you like an adult and let you decide if I’m worth taking a risk on.”

“Of course you’re worth it, I’m the one wh-”

“Then shut up and kiss me you stupid girl!”

“I-it’s about time you two s-stopped dancing around each other and g-got together properly!”

They look around in surprise and see Hanako smiling at them as she walks to the door.

“Dammit Hana, how many times have I told you not to sneak up on me?!”

“W-what did you think the best undercover r-reporter the club’s ever had would be doing when something as important as t-this is happening?” she smirks as she leaves the clubroom.

“I think I liked her better when she was shy.”

“Don’t be mean Nat! We haven’t got time to be distracted, we’ve got to figure out where we’re going to study after graduation, what we’re going to study! I read that Waseda University has a fantastic investigative reporting cour-”

Deciding that it was about time she did what she had been told, Natsume wraps her arms around Naomi and starts kissing her. When she feels Naomi relax she pauses and whispers, “we’ll worry about that tomorrow, I’ve got other plans for tonight…”