Chapter 6 Life’s but a walking shadow
(Middle School Kokona’s flashback)
Kokona : Ah…! Sirius’ Macbeth is really amazing.
Kokona : “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player!”
Kokona : Hehe.. It was worth the long time to come here.
Female Student A : Hey, hey. I’m feeling empty.
Female Student B : Me too, let’s foodwalk at Ameyoko while going home!
Female Student C : Good idea, let’s go.
Kokona : …
Kokona : That sounds, fun…
Kokona : After we moved, I couldn’t make any friends, my parents also came home late—
Kokona : I often spend my time alone, feeling bored and lonely.
(Present)
Kokona : …
Panda : What’s wrong?
Kokona : Hehe.. Somehow I feel this is really fun.
Kokona : When it’s fun, we can forget our pain and hardships, even just for a moment.
Chisa : You’re remembering your past?
Kokona : Yeah..
Kokona : Ah! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make the atmosphere heavy..!
Kokona : You must be like, don't blurt out such weird things suddenly, right? Ahaha...
Chisa : There’s nothing weird.
Kokona : Eh?
Chisa : I want to hear your story.
Kokona : Sasuga-chan…
Panda : Panda also. Let me hear more from Koko-chan.
Yae : If it’s okay can you continue your story?
Kokona : …
Kokona : I’ve thought about this several times.
Kokona : I moved because of my parents’ convenience. But, I wonder what I would be if that didn’t happen to me.
Kokona : Perhaps, I would be making friends, foodwalking before going home, and doing window shopping like normal high school students.
Kokona : That must be fun in its own way, I guess.
(Flashback Middle School Kokona)
Kokona : “Then comes my fit again… If not for this..”
Kokona : “My body will be perfect. Solid as a rock, free as the air. Now I am a prisoner in this cell. A captive to suspicion and fear.”
Kokona : Tomorrow will be my first audition…
Kokona : Urgh, I need to do my best.
Kokona : Kishi-san is on a trip and away. Kiyabu-san’s house uses a door mailbox instead of the communal mailbox on rainy days.
Kokona : …
Kokona : The audition, I’ve totally failed it…
Kokona : I have no sense, they said…
Kokona : No. That’s wrong.
Kokona : I shouldn’t be discouraged only because I failed once.
Kokona : I’m sure that I’m just feeling down from the rain. At these times I should be thinking about something fun.
Kokona : Something fun.. Something fun..
Female Student B : Me too, let’s foodwalk at Ameyoko while going home!
Kokona : ...!
Kokona : Not this! I mean something fun for myself.
Female Student D : Going to the zoological park with everyone, I’m looking forward to it.!
Kokona : (I can’t help but think about those things..!)
Kokona : At these times I should be focusing on delivering newspapers. Moving my body around should help me to forget this.
Kokona : Ah..!?
Kokona : Oh no..
Kokona : Uuuuu.....
Kokona : Is it okay for me to stay like this..?