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“You have to be a little curious.”
“No.”
“It is indeed the natural human state to want to seek answers to what we do not know. But…”
“No buts! See? You’re outnumbered, Rindo.”
Rindo raises an eyebrow at Fret. He goes to gives it to Nagi too, though he’s a bit curious where that “but” was headed – however her eyes are fixed firmly down at her phone, grinding out some EleStra event as they walk, so he decides to leave it. Instead he just says, “Even if I am, I don’t see what we’re going to do about it. It just doesn’t seem right to press Neku about it, or to go behind his back to one of his friends.”
Fret’s already sighing before Rindo finishes his sentence. “I know, I know… what about you, Shoka-chan? Any smart ideas?”
On Rindo’s other side, Shoka hums thoughtfully. “Well, sure, I think our best chances would be asking, but since he’s been pretty quiet about it, then yeah, I don’t think he’d appreciate the prying.” Despite what she’s saying, there’s a wry smile that can only be describe as cat-like curling onto her face. Rindo knows is too well by now. “But…” She says, drawing out the word as a mischievous sparkle glimmers in her eyes.
Now Fret and Nagi are looking at her curiously too, but she just tilts her head around the corner. They’re just leaving Tokyu Plaza after having lunch over at Takeshita Street, so they’re turning onto Cat Street – Rindo’s eyes follow Shoka’s movement, and he realizes she’s gesturing toward the WildKat café.
“Who knows? That guy probably has a treasure trove of information,” Shoka says. “He was around for that Game.”
“He might,” Rindo says, as they all slow their pace to a stop. “But that still kinda feels like going behind Neku’s back.”
Fret shakes his head vigorously. “No, no! Shoka-chan is smart. You know how old guys are. We offhandedly mention something, and he starts rambling on about the past. We don’t even ask! It’s an amazing plan!”
Rindo rolls his eyes, though a smile plays on the edge of his lips. “He doesn’t look that old.”
“Ooh, but is he?” Shoka says as she takes a half-step, half-skip to Fret’s side, and Rindo watches as they nod encouragingly to each other. “You can never tell with people in the UG. For all we know, he could be a hundred. Or even older.”
With a dramatic flare, Fret points both his fingers at Shoka. “See, see? She gets it. Come on! What’ve we got to lose? Besides, the coffee here is good.”
“If he’s even there, if it’s even open,” Rindo says derisively.
“I would not disagree to come caffeine,” Nagi says, eyes still glued to her phone. “There are many competitors in this event. I will need to stay up later than usual to rank.”
“Totally outnumbered now,” Fret says triumphantly at Rindo, hands on his hips. Shoka mimics his pose, and shoots Rindo a smile that makes his heart skip its beat.
He can’t say no now, he supposes.
“Alright, alright,” Rindo says with a sigh, already walking toward the café. “But let’s try to keep it quick. Those clouds are screaming rain soon.”
No one argues against this as Rindo opens the door. Predictably, it’s devoid of customers. Rindo hasn’t been here all that many times, but each time he has, there’s not been a single patron.
The first time had been a couple of weeks after the end of the Game. Neku had invited him to meet someone – someone named Mr. Hanekoma, or just Mr. H. He was apparently the proprietor of the place, but more importantly, a denizen of the UG who had helped Neku more than once. They didn’t get too specific on it – Mr. H had told Rindo just to think of him as a guardian of sorts – so Rindo didn’t ask. But the man was knowledgeable enough about everything that went on that he was able to assuage Rindo about Shoka after that Joshua guy had sent her wherever, and Neku obviously liked him a lot, so Rindo likes him well enough, too.
Since then Rindo had come back here a couple times, each time at Neku’s invitation. Sometimes Beat and Shiki – another of Neku’s friends from back then – were there, and one time, even Joshua. Rindo’s still not all too sure how he feels about him, but he’s clearly a good friend of Neku’s, so he lets it be.
Shoka, Fret, and Nagi had come with him once too, and immediately after when Rindo was alone with them again, Shoka had said in a hushed voice that she thought Mr. H was someone called the “Producer.” Apparently this was someone who was technically even above that of the UG, but helped to manage the Games. In her time as a Reaper in Shibuya she had heard rumors and hearsay about how the Producer – whoever he was – got in some kind of big trouble over the last Game and was kicked out of the UG or something. And she suspected that with the fact that he café was closed for last couple of years, and that this guy was being super vague about his role, it was probably him.
It’s not stuff Rindo cared about that much, honestly, but it was kind of fun to watch Shoka and Fret get wrapped up and excited over the mystery. Similarly, he doesn’t care much about what they’re here for now, but it’s usually fun to hear their wild theories and ideas. Especially since meeting Joshua, who seems to keep everything about himself as vague as possible, they’ve been bouncing so many ideas over what really happened in that Game Neku was a part of, and all the details surrounding that. Why does he know the Composer? How did his actions “save” Shibuya? And all that. It’s never seemed like a topic Neku was ever too keen on getting into, so they never asked him directly.
Today, Mr. H is actually here, and he waves at them from behind the counter, putting some – sketchbook? – under it as he does. “Well hey there, kids. How’re you all doing?”
“We’re good,” Fret says, striding right up and taking a seat at the counter. Shoka sits next to him, and Rindo next to her, Nagi takes the seat on Rindo’s other side. “Thirsty, though,” Fret goes on.
“Well, that’s something I can help you with,” Mr. H says with a smile. “What can I get for ya?”
They each order their own types of coffee or lattes, pay up, and then sit in silence as Mr. H turns to get to work. It’s weird to have this moment of quiet between them all – but Nagi is still pretty absorbed in her phone and when Rindo looks at Shoka and Fret, they’re eyeing each other and mouthing things he can’t quite make out, and Rindo realizes that despite this “amazing” plan, they have no idea how to go about it.
“You kids are awful quiet,” Mr. H says, back still turned – which is good, because Fret and Shoka jump a little, clearly too absorbed in their scheming, and Rindo has to stifle a chuckle. “Something on your minds?”
“Well!” Fret says, clearing his throat too loudly, and Rindo really has to try not to laugh, now. “No! I mean, yes! Kind of. Not a big deal. On our way here – we were talking about the city,” he says.
Oh, smooth. Rindo is biting his tongue to keep quiet.
Amazingly Fret just leaves it at that, and even Mr. H looks over his shoulder at him. “Yeah?”
“We were just talking about how the city’s been through so much – more than most people even know about, and it’s still here,” Shoka supplies, sounding decidedly less fake than Fret, though Rindo makes a note to tease them later about how they decided to throw subtle suggestions out the window.
She pauses only a moment, clearly intent on going on, but Mr. H actually replies first. “Been through so much and still here… quite true,” he says, stirring two of the cups. “It’s a special city, that’s for sure. It took a lot of special things for it to be the way it is, too.”
Rindo can practically feel the way Fret and Shoka have tensed, eager to see if they’ve inspired their dream tell-all tale. Yeah, no way. Mr. H is laying out the cups and Rindo is about to shoot them a smug look when Mr. H says, “How about I tell you a story about how this place came to be as it is today?”
Rindo barely manages to keep his eyes from going wide, but he doubts Fret manages the same, based on the way he leans forward. “Oh, yes please!” Fret says, nodding eagerly. “Stories over drinks are the best!”
Oh, come on. There’s no way it’s going to be what they’re looking for. Still, Rindo nods, curious all the same, and Shoka does too. Even Nagi has spared a nod, taking her cup closer with a thank you, though she’s still idly doing inputs on her phone with one hand.
“Alright, let’s see here.” Mr. H has leaned against the back counter, facing them all, as he clears his throat. “So, a long time ago… Shibuya was inhabited with nothing but stars.”
Rindo raises a curious eyebrow. That can’t be literal – is it some old folk tale? Did the UG have some sort of creation myths and legends, or something? It’s obviously not going to be what Shoka and Fret are looking for, but judging by the way they scoot forward a little, they’re at least interested in this, too.
“But eventually, the moon showed up. The moon knew it was different from the stars. The stars knew the moon was different from them. So the moon kept to itself. It shied away, and since it was the moon, it was good at making itself dark and inconspicuous.
“But as time went on, the moon grew bored and resentful of the star-filled world. To the moon, they were all the same, and there was no place for the moon. So the moon did something dramatic – it threw itself up into space, into the sky. Of course, Shibuya already had stars in its sky, but stars went up there naturally, when it was their time. The moon went there willingly, thinking it would find more of a place for itself among the sky.
“And for a while, it worked out. From its new spot above everything, the moon enjoyed itself. But just like it had among the city, the moon grew bored, and only ever the more lonely. No star up in the sky could understand the moon, who willingly threw itself up.”
Rindo’s holding his warm cup in both his hands, but he’s not taken a sip – it should be fine to drink by now, but he’s finding himself engrossed in this narrative. It’s hard to tell, because Mr. H is speaking so fluidly and naturally, but Rindo does wonder a bit if this is some old folk tale like he first thought – there are some little pauses that he’s not sure are for dramatic effect, or because Mr. H is thinking as he goes along, or maybe he’s just for thinking of the right words. Regardless, Rindo listens closely as he goes on.
“This went on for a long time. And as it did, Shibuya grew darker. The moon cast a shadow over the city, looming, its own darkness covering itself. In a way, the moon thought this was better – to get rid of all the lights from the city that had started to hurt its eyes. It thought even of crashing itself into the city, of ending its loneliness forevermore.
“But one day, the moon noticed a certain star in the city. This star was a little different. It was darker than most of the others, so in a way, it reminded the moon of itself. This star didn’t interact very well with the other stars, either – it isolated itself and hid away, usually. The moon normally wouldn’t give this much mind, but after being in the sky so long, it decided on one last trip into Shibuya before it would crash itself. It cloaked itself in stardust and descended among the other stars.
“To both of their surprises, the dark star and the moon made friends with each other – something neither of them had before. They laughed together and talked together and understood each other, and above all, they came to trust each other. But the moon knew this could not last. It was a moon, and the dark star was a star, young and so different from the moon, even if the moon felt like the dark star understood it better than the moon even understood itself. But having grown attached, the moon decided to tell the star exactly who it was.”
Only when his chest starts to twinge with discomfort does Rindo realize he’s holding his breath. In his peripheral, he can see Fret and Shoka, incredibly still, eyes glued to Mr. H. Nagi’s phone screen has gone dark, her entire attention cast upon their storyteller as well.
“The dark star had never felt so betrayed. Its one friend was the reason, it deemed, the city had been so dark and caused it so much hardship. The one it had trusted, betraying it as it had expected all to do. The moon told the star then: ‘I no longer wish to be in the sky. I am going to crash myself into the city. But if you would like to break me a part and become the moon yourself, you are free to do so.’
“And the star had no real reason to refuse. The moon had betrayed it, and if it did this, it would be saving all the other stars of Shibuya, too. But here’s the thing: it couldn’t. It looked at the moon could only shed a tear before it collapsed, dim and heartbroken.
“But to the dark star’s surprise, it not only awoke – but awoke to rising into the sky. The moon rose, and gravity kept them together, like they were supposed to be. And it was here, up in the dark sky, that they both realized: this star was no mere star, but a sun. A sun too lost in its own loneliness to realize its brightness. And what was more is that next to the sun, the moon shined brighter than ever – they illuminated each other, and in turn, they illuminated Shibuya. It sparkled under them and glistened beautifully.
“But of course, the sun was not a true denizen of the sky. It was attached to the moon, but it had not lived its course as a Shibuya-dwelling star. So they had an agreement: the sun would spend half its day in the city, resting among newfound friends, and for the other half, it would join the moon in the sky, gravity pulling them together. This is why Shibuya has day and night – and also why you can see the moon so often, even when the sun is still out.”
Mr. H lets out a long sigh, clearing his throat and offering them all a smile. “And there you have it: how the bond and trust of the sun and the moon came to create the Shibuya we know and love today.”
“That was epic,” Fret says, nodding. “You’re a good storyteller!”
Mr. H laughs. “Well, thank you. When you get to be my age, you find you have a lot of stories to tell.” It’s a bit hard to see because of his glasses, but Rindo swears his eyes shift away, as if thinking or saying more to himself as he goes on, “But that one is my favorite.”
Shoka nods her head. “Thanks. I liked it a lot.”
Nagi nods, too. She doesn’t say anything for a moment, and Rindo looks over at her – and to his surprise, there’s this small, almost knowing smile on her face. “Thank you. That was quite beautiful.”
Rindo finishes off his drink, and then smiles at Mr. H. “Yeah, thanks. That was really cool.”
“I’m glad you kids enjoyed yourselves,” Mr. H says, taking the empty cups. “You’re always welcome here for a drink and a story.”
“We’ll take you up on that!” Fret says, clapping his hands together. “But we should get outta here. It looked like it was gonna rain.”
Mr. H eyes the window, seeming to think about the prospect, and then shrugs his shoulders. Rindo raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t question it, instead joining his friends in sliding off the counter seats and making for the door. “Thanks again,” he says, giving a bow of his head as everyone else echoes his sentiments.
Mr. H waves, a smile on his face. “You kids take care. Enjoy the weather.”
Rindo’s already out of the door before that statement really registers and he realizes it’s an odd thing to say, given Fret had just said it would likely rain soon… but whatever, it was probably just a joke, or being more honest, Mr. H is obviously just a little weird.
Indeed the sky is still quite overcast, and so they all make quick pace down Cat Street. Rindo’s a few paces behind, having slowed as he dwelled on Mr. H’s parting words – but it allows him to see what the others miss: figures walking through the alleyway off to the side, in the direction of the café. Even in the shadows, Rindo realizes quickly it’s none other than Neku and Joshua. They’re talking animatedly, far too absorbed in each other to notice Rindo staring, though he’s still quite some distance from them. He can’t hear a word they’re saying, but at some point, Joshua looks away, pushing some strands of his hair back, and to Rindo’s surprise, Neku takes his hand and seems to give it a kind of squeeze.
The two of them have stopped walking at this point, so what happens next is quite odd: it’s as if they’ve stepped out from the shadows of the alleyway, despite not moving at all. Light shines on them, darkness receding, and Rindo glances up to realize that the clouds are breaking apart, that the sun is shining through, and indeed, not so far from it, Rindo can see the moon, as well.
He looks back at Neku and Joshua and – they seem to be pulling away, soft smiles on their faces, as if only a moment before they were closer to each other.
Rindo’s still processing it as he realizes he’s probably far behind his companions now, so he looks back over – and indeed, Shoka and Fret are talking animatedly many paces in front of him, but behind them a bit is Nagi, who’s looking at Rindo with that same small, knowing smile on her face.
And this time, Rindo smiles back at her, and realizes it probably isn’t going to rain after all.