It was Sunday, I was in my room reading a magazine. Mom was summoned by the publisher, and Naruko had gone out with Rias and Blake since this morning. So there's no one at home.
I hear the sound of the windows being knocked on by someone behind. I naturally thought it was Yang, because there's no one else who'd be doing things like that. It's late into the night already, so what does she want? However, I was stunned as I saw a pair of blue eyes after pulling open the curtains and the window.
The person who was standing on the roof that was extending outwards and opposite of the window was actually Weiss. It is indeed her. Her snow-white colored hair was blown up by the strong winds, and they were tangled with the guitar case she had on her back.
"You…" I wanted to say something, but I could not say anything out successfully.
"Can I come in?" Weiss said that expressionlessly as she removed the guitar from her shoulder and passed it to me.
"Eh… ah, mmm, okay."
My mind was in a mess, but I still took the guitar case and leaned it against the wall. Despite me being in shock, I remembered offering Weiss a hand and pulling her in after she had removed her shoes and had climbed in through the window. She was wearing the fluttering black dress which she wore when we first met… though it seemed difficult to move about in it.
I still could not believe it. Is this the continuation of some sort of dream somewhere?
"What?" Weiss noticed me staring at her, and thus she turned her head and said softly. "I've heard Xiao Long talking about it in school, about how she can enter and exit your room freely through the window by climbing up the tree. I somehow feel… a little envious, and so I thought I should try it."
Even so… "Why…" are you appearing at a place like this? That was a simple question aimed straight at the crux of the matter, but I somehow could not bring myself to ask it. Perhaps it's because I thought she would disappear the moment I asked it out loud?
In the end, what I said was this, "How do you know where my house is?"
Weiss stared at me for a long while, before walking to her guitar case. She took out something from within and passed it to me.
"… John Lennon?"
It was a CD—the Rock 'n' Roll album which I listened to on the roof that day. Weiss opened up the CD case nimbly with her left hand. There was a piece of folded paper on top of the shining silver disk. Upon opening it, I could see a map so well drawn, I almost did not notice it was done by hand. It had precisely listed out the landmarks near my house in detail. What the hell is that…
"That man had instructed me to stay at home and to not go anywhere."
That man? She should be referring to her father.
"And so before I went to the hospital, I could not get out of the house. Just as I was about to head home after the checkup, the CD somehow appeared in my bag without me knowing it." I looked at Weiss' face half in confusion. She tilted her head in response. "Isn't it you? Who stalked me to the hospital, and then placed this…"
"Who will do that sort of stupid…" I swallowed my words while I was halfway into the sentence. There is someone who would do that sort of stupid thing, someone who would do things in a roundabout manner without hesitation even though she had no idea if it would succeed, and will not bat an eyelid even if she wasted half her day and a huge amount of effort into doing so… "It's Ruby…"
So that's what she was doing when she skipped school… speaking of which, what exactly is she planning? Is there something which she wants Weiss to do, for her to tell Weiss the location of my house?
"You mean that woman who has long black-red hair, silver eyes that are sharp like a panther, and always says all sorts of strange things?"
That's what Weiss said. I see, so it's not like Weiss had no idea who Ruby is, huh?
"Mmm… should be."
"About that woman, I've always…" Just as Weiss started to speak, she noticed my gaze and flinched in shock. She turned her head away and shook it fervently, "No, nothing."
Weiss walked back to my bed and sat on it, resulting in me being in a situation where I could neither get close to my bed nor run out of the room—all I could do was lean myself next to the window. Weiss's in my room right now, to be honest, I am still not too sure of what is happening, but… Weiss really is here.
"Look…" I chose my words carefully, "I don't know… back then… therefore… I'm sorry."
"You don't know what?"
"No, it's… the thing… about your sickness."
"You don't have to apologize to me. I will feel bad if you apologize."
I don't feel that great either!
"Moreover… you did nothing wrong."
With that, she turned her face away.
"That is not your fault. Those things will happen occasionally. The right side of my body will gradually become immobile all of the sudden, and sometimes I cannot even move my legs. I don't quite understand why either."
For a while, I could not speak. The right side of her body gradually becoming immobile?
"Why… can you say it as though it has got nothing to do with you?"
"Because… it doesn't feel like it has anything to do with me." Weiss lowered her head and showed a slight smile. That was the first time I saw her smile, but it was such a lonely expression. My heart really ached. "And I don't really care if it really can't move. However, that man and the records company may be slightly more troubled by that."
"… Well… aren't you going to America? I heard you will be going there for a checkup or an operation?"
"Mmm. That man will be doing a tour around America, so he'll be taking a flight tomorrow."
"T-then the reason for you coming here at this time…"
"Yes, I ran away."
I gave a loud sigh. She ran away? Then again, this girl seems to be a repeated offender of running away from home, yeah?
"That is what I had planned anyway. I'll run away on the night before I am about to be brought to America. I don't really care if my sickness can't be treated. I just want to bring my guitar and run away to a place far, far away, until my legs can no longer move…"
Weiss closed her eyes tightly, as though she was trying her hardest not to let her tears fall.
"I'll be disappearing in three months anyway." So that's what she meant by that, it's not because she will be going to America to seek treatment, but because she had already decided on running away from it. And then?
I forcibly swallowed that question back into my throat. She'll be running to a place far, far away. And then? What will she be doing after that? I knew Weiss would definitely be unable to answer that question—even if the question was directed at me, I wouldn't have the slightest idea on how to answer. Human beings will not think that much after they have decided to run away from something. They will only run desperately, and try to seek a place where they can hide in.
"Why did you look for me?"
"Because…" Weiss stared at my fingers, then suddenly lifted her head, "Because you said before, that I should honestly say whatever that is troubling me. Do you still remember?"
"Ahh… yes." I did say something like that before.
"So…" It seemed like Weiss was having trouble continuing on with that sentence. She lowered her head yet again. "Currently, my hand… is unable to carry any luggage. Therefore… together…" Upon saying that, Weiss closed her eyes once again, and shook her head fervently. "Sorry, pretend I never said that."
Weiss suddenly stood up and walked right next to me. She carried her guitar, and just as she was about to take her shoes and climb out of the window, I called out to her without hesitation. "Wait!"
Weiss turned around. I was unable to speak yet again as she stared right into me, and the words that I was originally planning to say had crumbled inside my mouth. Instead, what I asked was something unrelated and stupid. "Do you want to leave via the main door?"
"There's no one else in the house?"
"No…"
"I see. But that was my first time climbing the trees, and I thought it was quite fun."
Problem is, the expressions on Weiss' face suggested otherwise. No wait, that's not what I meant!
"… Alright. Do you have any other luggage? Or did you leave them downstairs?"
Weiss kept staring at my face, and blinked her eyes in confusion.
"… What?"
"I'm coming along."
Weiss's not-too-big backpack was placed beneath the tree in the courtyard. On it hung the recorder which I had helped to repair, though I almost forgot about the time I did it.
"Are you really coming along with me?"
"You are the one who wants me to come along!"
"So it is, but… why?"
"I don't know either. I don't even know where to go next. All I know is: I cannot allow you to leave by yourself."
I took the backpack and carried it on my shoulders. It's light.
"Umm, where's your bass? I only saw an empty casing in your room." Weiss suddenly asked that question while we were in the dark courtyard.
"I threw it away."
"… Why? Ah…" Weiss suddenly gave a shriek. "I-is it because of that time? I-I can't quite remember it clearly, but did it break because I slammed it…?"
"Nah, it's not that. Even if it is not broken, I'll probably throw it away too."
That was my reply, and it was no lie either. If I wanted to, I would definitely be able to fix it. Moreover, I don't want Weiss to think that it was her fault.
"… Why?" Weiss became even more depressed.
Why huh? I sank into my thoughts for a brief moment.
"Because… I stop playing it."
"Don't you like rock?"
That direct question which lacked any compassion had caused quite a headache for me.
"It is quite interesting in the beginning, and it felt great when I practiced. However…" I shut my mouth. Why did I throw it away in the end? I can't quite explain it myself.
"… Ah, if it is because… because of me back then…"
I shook my head and interrupted Weiss. "Let's go quickly. My sister may be back anytime soon."
Weiss's face was masked by the darkness of the night, and because of that I was unable to see the expressions on her face clearly. Somehow, it just felt like the expressions she has right now should be a lonely one, right? I pushed Weiss out of the door, and carried her guitar on my back.
"Where are we going?"
"Where do you think we should go?"
Weiss and I exchanged such stupid questions.
The two of us began walking at the same time. We passed by the desolated street of the residential area which was illuminated by only a few street lights, and made our way towards the train station.