Chapter 159: Before the Parting

"Next up... what are your favorite colors?"

"Didn't I already ask about colors just now?"

"Are we not allowed to repeat questions?"

"I never said that... In that case, white, gray, blue, and bellflower, I suppose."

...

"When you think of the UK, what comes to mind?"

"The Beatles, Shakespeare, and the nursery rhyme 'London Bridge Is Falling Down.'"

...

"Whew... I feel like I've been completely turned inside out by Izumi-san's interrogation." Collapsing straight onto the floor, Nao Akiyama let out a long breath and sighed.

"It's not nearly as dramatic as you make it sound." Izumi Sakai sat cross-legged as well, hugging her racket to her chest.

"Yet I even confessed to something like raising the stick too high during a watermelon-splitting game in the third grade of elementary school and falling flat on my face." He brought this up because Izumi Sakai had asked, "Is there any memorable failure from your past?"

Reminded of the incident, Izumi Sakai couldn't help but smile, "I never expected Nao-kun to have such an adorable side."

"Honestly, for a guy, receiving a compliment like 'kawaii' isn't exactly a badge of honor," Nao said, dropping unceremoniously backward onto the court and grabbing the collar of his badminton jersey to wipe away his sweat. "That said, working up a sweat with a bit of exercise like this every once in a while is truly refreshing."

Izumi Sakai let out a soft "Mm," watching him with a gentle smile.

...

In two days, ZARD's new single, *Sayonara wa Ima mo Kono Mune ni Itai*, would hit the shelves. As a return gift for *The Singer's Love Song* back then, Izumi Sakai had brought her own new single to give to Nao.

On the slender 8cm single cover, Izumi Sakai was curled up with her arms around her knees on a bus seat, a patch of fair, slender ankle exposed between her shoes and trouser cuffs, looking almost as if it were glowing.

Just like the vast majority of singles, albums, and photobooks she had shot in the past, her gaze deliberately avoided the camera. It was precisely that subtle sense of distance—of "not looking"—that instead stirred a quiet longing in the viewer's heart.

If one were to speak of Izumi Sakai's charm, perhaps that perfectly measured reservation was her most touching quality of all?

However, this meeting wasn't simply about handing over a copy of her new single; it was a brief, intimate gathering before a slightly prolonged parting.

Tomorrow night, Izumi Sakai would board a flight bound for London, embarking on her latest overseas journey.

"This time, I'll probably be staying in Europe for quite a while... Not just London, but Spain and France too. I think I'll take the opportunity to wander around Europe a bit?" The day before their meeting, Izumi Sakai had told him this over the phone.

"If I may ask, is this purely a personal vacation, or is it for work?"

"Well, it's about fifty-fifty. The main purpose is personal, but some company staff will be tagging along. Things like the single and album covers, photobooks, and music videos will all be taken care of along the way during the trip."

"That sounds wonderful. Something like a tour of Europe just sounds so blissful."

"Right?" There was a contented note in Izumi Sakai's voice. "Ever since I was young, my dream was to travel the world. I never imagined I'd actually end up with such a blessed job."

"This must be what they call 'heaven's arrangement,'" Nao joked.

Izumi Sakai laughed softly. "It sounds a bit exaggerated, but at times like this, I really should thank the heavens, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah." He should thank the heavens for creating an Izumi Sakai like this. Yet, no sooner had the thought arisen than an inexplicable wave of sorrow washed over Nao's heart.

Though the heavens had bestowed so many wonderful qualities upon Izumi Sakai, they would also summon her back to paradise far too early in this mortal life.

Yet, immediately following that, he couldn't help but think: being able to cross paths with Izumi Sakai and get along this harmoniously must also be an arrangement of the heavens. He only wondered whether this wondrous arrangement would allow him, in the days to come, to successfully alter the original history before things took a turn for the worse.

Quietly pushing down the fleeting thoughts that bubbled up in an instant, Nao asked in a light tone, "Does this mean we won't be seeing each other for quite a long time, then?"

"That's precisely why I wanted to ask Nao-kun if he'd like to meet up."

And so, leaving behind a mountain of work and shaking off all lingering trivialities, Nao found himself standing alongside Izumi Sakai at this badminton club on the afternoon of the following day.

...

After taking a shower in the locker room and changing back into casual clothes, Nao and Izumi Sakai reconvened at the café downstairs.

Before ordering, Nao deliberately asked, "Would Izumi-san like some apple juice?"

"You actually remember?" The corners of Izumi Sakai's lips curved upward slightly as she offered a quiet smile.

Nao raised an eyebrow with a hint of triumph. "My memory is still reliable when it comes to things like this."

"Still, why 'London Bridge Is Falling Down'?" Izumi Sakai rested her chin on one hand, chatting idly with Nao in a thoroughly relaxed manner. "I would have expected answers like Queen Elizabeth, Buckingham Palace, or the River Thames."

"When I was just a kid, I happened to hear that nursery rhyme somewhere, and it stuck in my head like a spell, looping endlessly through my mind the entire night. Ever since then, whenever 'London' is mentioned, that's automatically what comes to mind," Nao explained with a slightly helpless smile.

"By the way, does Izumi-san wear men's cologne?"

"Earlier this year, I went to LA for a vacation. While browsing around the counters there, I happened to stumble upon that fragrance. When I first sampled it, I thought the scent was a bit too heavy, but I bought it anyway because I loved the hippie-style packaging. On the way back, I suddenly caught a breath of this terribly refreshing woody aroma and thought, 'Could this be the scent of the person sitting next to me?' It wasn't until I got back to the hotel that I realized the scent was actually coming from me. Ever since then, I've grown quite fond of that perfume. That easygoing, carefree vibe somehow matches my own wavelength in a way."

"I see," Nao nodded.

Dinner was held at a restaurant on the twentieth floor of the Nakano Sunplaza. Looking out through the expansive windows, one could catch a distant view of Mount Saisen and Mount Tsukuba.

"Before long, Nao-kun will be holding a concert at the hall here, right?"

"Yes."

"How nice, getting to hold a concert."

"Still, the thought of having to sing in front of all those people still makes me a bit nervous. What if I forget the lyrics or the live talk falls completely flat... things like that cross my mind."