Noriko looked down and asked, “Soup?”
“Yes ma’am,” Shogo replied in English, which sounded pretty fluent to Shuya’s ears.
“Thanks,” Noriko said and took the spoon. She brought the bowl to her lips and swallowed a mouthful. “It’s delicious.” She raised her voice. “There’s egg in it.”
Shuya then looked at Shogo. “It’s our special, ma’am.”
“Where’d you find that?” Shuya asked. All the fresh food in the refrigerator was rotten, probably because the government had moved the civilians out a while ago. All the other houses were probably in the same condition.
Shogo looked at Shuya out of the corner of his eye and grinned. “I found a house that kept a hen. It looked like it hadn’t been fed in a while and looked pretty weak.”
Shuya exaggeratedly shook his head. “When we ate I didn’t notice any eggs.”
Shogo lifted his brows. “I only found one. Sorry. I’m nicer to girls. That’s just how I am.”
Shuya laughed, sniggering.
Shogo returned to the kitchen and brought over some tea. Shuya and Shogo drank tea while Noriko ate her meal. The tea had a mild sweetness and a pleasant, nostalgic odor.
“Damn,” Shuya groaned. “I feel like everything’s fine, the three of us sitting around like this.”
Shogo smiled and said, “I’ll make some coffee later. Would you prefer tea, Noriko?”
Her spoon still in her mouth, Noriko smiled and nodded.
“Hey, Shogo.” Shuya had more to say. Of course the fact was that they were still in this killing game, but now that Noriko seemed to be recovering, he was feeling a little gushy. “Some day the three of us, let’s all get together for some tea. We’ll sit on the veranda and enjoy the cherry blossoms.”
It was highly unlikely. Nonetheless Shogo shrugged his shoulders and said, “I thought you were a rocker. You sound like an old man.”
“I know. You’re not the first one to tell me that.”
Shogo chuckled. Shuya laughed, and so did Noriko.
Noriko finished her meal and said, “Thank you.” Shogo gathered her bowls. He signaled with his other hand for Shuya’s cup, which Shuya handed over.
“Shogo,” Noriko said, “I feel totally fine now. Thank you so much. And I’m so sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.”
Shogo smiled and replied, “You’re welcome,” in English. “But it looks like the antibiotic wasn’t necessary.”
“No. I know this sounds weird, but I think it made me feel secure enough to fall asleep.”
Shogo smiled again and added, “Well, you could still be suffering from septicemia. In any case, you should rest a little more. Take it easy.” Shogo then said to Shuya, “Do you mind if I catch some sleep?”
Shuya nodded. “You tired?”
“No, not really, but it’s best to sleep when you can. Once we leave here, I’ll stay up through the night. Is that all right?”
“Yeah sure, that’s fine.”
Shogo nodded, took the tray, and headed towards the hall.
“Shogo, you should sleep here,” Noriko said, signaling towards the bed next to hers.
Shogo glanced back at her from the door and smiled as if saying, no thank you. “I don’t want to intrude on you two. I’ll sleep on the sofa in this room.” He tilted his head in that direction and added, “Please be considerate to your neighbors though if you get intimate.”
In the dim room Shuya could see Noriko’s face flush.
Shogo then left the room. Beyond the half opened door, Shuya heard him walk out of the kitchen and into the waiting room. It became quiet.
Noriko broke into a smile and said, “Shogo’s so funny.”
Perhaps it was because of the meal, her face seemed more animated.
“Yeah, he is,” Shuya smiled too. “I’d never talked to him until now, but he kind of reminds me of Shinji.”
They didn’t resemble each other at all physically, but Shogo’s crude and blunt speech and his ability to still be humorous through it all resembled The Third Man. Not to mention the way he was the anti-model student and yet managed to be incredibly smart and reliable.
Noriko nodded. “You know you’re right. Totally.” Then Noriko uttered, “I wonder where Shinji is.”
Shuya took a deep breath. He’d been wondering whether there was any way to contact him, but given Noriko’s condition he couldn’t afford to do anything.
“Yeah, if he were only with us…”
With Shinji along and with Shogo on their side, Shuya thought they couldn’t be defeated. And if Hiroki Sugimura were with them they would be fearless and invincible.
“I still remember the class match,” Noriko said as she glanced up at the ceiling. “Not this year’s, but last year’s. The finals. Shinji was on his own against Class D, who had four students on the basketball team. We were thirty points behind, but then you rushed over after your softball game, and together you two guys started an incredible comeback.”
“Yeah.” Shuya nodded. He noticed how Noriko was becoming talkative. That was a good sign. “I guess that’s what happened.”
“I was cheering you guys on. When we won Yukie was on her feet shrieking.”
“Yeah.”
Shuya remembered too. Because Noriko, who was always reserved, was cheering the loudest. And although he wasn’t as uncoordinated as Yoshio Akamatsu, the unathletic Yoshitoki Kuninobu was standing apart from Noriko and the others. Shuya saw Yoshitoki, his hands waving and making devil signs. It was a humble gesture, but Yoshitoki’s display of support moved Shuya more than Noriko and the other girls’ screaming rally.
Yoshitoki…
Shuya gazed back at Noriko, and then realized that Noriko was crying. He reached over to Noriko, touching her shoulder, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Uh,” Noriko hiccuped slightly. “I was telling myself not to cry, but… then I was thinking how wonderful our class was…”
Shuya nodded. It might have been from the still lingering fever, or it might have been from the drugs, but Noriko seemed to be in an emotional state. He kept his hand on her shoulder until she stopped crying.
Eventually Noriko said, “I’m sorry,” and wiped her eyes. Then she said, “I didn’t tell you because it might end up disturbing you.”
“What do you mean?”
Noriko looked into Shuya’s eyes. “Did you know a lot of girls have a crush on you?”
The topic of conversation was so unexpected Shuya couldn’t help grimacing. “What are you talking about?”
But Noriko continued, her face dead serious. “Megumi… and Yukiko too, I think.”
Shuya tilted his head as if puzzled. Megumi Eto and Yukiko Kitano. Two of the players no longer in the running in this game.
“Those…” Was it proper to call them “those”? “What about those two?”
Noriko looked up at Shuya and said quietly, “They both had a crush on you.”
Shuya’s face stiffened. He hesitated and then mumbled, “Really?”
“Uh-huh.” Noriko looked away from Shuya and nodded. “It’s easy to tell with girls. I just… wanted you to have fond thoughts for them.” She added, “I am in no position to be telling you this now, given the situation I’m in.”
Shuya had a dim image of the faces of Megumi Eto and Yukiko Kitano. Just a little though. Like, two teaspoons each. “Wow.” He exhaled. Then he said, “I wish you’d told me after we escaped.”
“I’m sorry. Did it shock you?”
“Yeah, a little.”
Noriko tilted her head again, “But I thought you should know in case I die.”
Shuya looked up. His right hand squeezed her left wrist. “Look, please don’t assume that. We’re in this together till the end. We’re going to survive together.”
Noriko was taken aback by Shuya’s sudden intensity. “I’m sorry.”