A Midsummer's Equation

FORTY-FIVE

Kyohei was busily removing a mountain of mud with his hands. He attacked it with vigor, both arms flailing, yet no matter how hard he worked, the mud only piled higher and higher, outpacing his efforts.

The pile was towering over his head when it started to change shape into a more familiar, humanlike form. It’s going to chase me. Kyohei ran—or tried to run, except his feet wouldn’t budge. He crouched, and the mud-man peered down at him. Don’t look at his face. Kyohei shut his eyes. Then he felt it pressing into him, the mud-man’s face pushing into his own until it became difficult for him to breathe. Still, he kept his eyes shut.

I won’t open my eyes, I won’t—

Finally he couldn’t stand it any longer, and he let his breath out. The feel of the mud against his face changed, turning to something softer.

Fearfully, he opened his eyes to see he was in his room. His head had slipped from the pillow, and he’d been sleeping with his face buried in the folds of his futon.

What a crazy dream.

He got up slowly. His pajamas were clingy with sweat.

Still a little groggy, he grabbed his phone off the table and checked it, a little surprised to see it was almost eleven in the morning. He hadn’t slept in like this once since coming to Hari Cove.

He got dressed and stepped out of his room. He was hungry. He made his way down the elevator to the first floor and was heading for the dining room when he stopped. He had almost forgotten what time it was. Yukawa would have finished his breakfast ages ago. He cut across the lobby and made for the family apartment, when he heard someone talking. Kyohei stopped again, remembering the overheard conversation from the night before.

Stepping quietly, Kyohei approached the door. He was about to put his ear up to it and eavesdrop when he heard a voice say, “And how did that happen?” Kyohei almost jumped. The voice sounded exactly like someone he knew very well, someone who couldn’t possibly be inside the apartment.

“I’m sorry about all of this, really, I am,” he heard Uncle Shigehiro say.

“It’s not me you need to apologize to,” the familiar voice said. Now Kyohei was almost entirely sure who it was. He opened the sliding door.

Shigehiro and Setsuko were sitting down side by side, both of them looking surprised. The man standing facing them turned around. It was Kyohei’s father. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and his travel bag was on the floor next to him.

“Kyohei! How long have you been there?”

“I just came in. Why are you here, Dad?”

“Why? I’m here to come get you.”

“Already? You’re all done in Osaka? Where’s Mom?”

“No, the work’s not done. Your mom is still down there. We’re going to go join her.”

“What? I’m going to Osaka too?” Kyohei asked, confused.

“Yeah. We’re not so busy anymore, so it’s not like you’ll be stuck in a hotel all day. And it’s about that time when you start getting serious about your summer homework, isn’t it? I can help you if you’re down there with me.”

Kyohei stared at his father’s face. Something was wrong. There must have been some reason he came to pick him up early. Kyohei wondered what it was but didn’t ask. He was scared to hear the answer.

“Are we going to Osaka right away?”

“Well, no.” His father looked back toward Shigehiro and Setsuko, before returning his gaze to Kyohei. “Not right away. We won’t be leaving until tomorrow morning.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, there’s a few things we need to settle here first. Anyway, I’ve got you a room at a different hotel, so you can move there for the night.”

“Why? I can’t stay here?”

“Sorry, Kyohei,” Aunt Setsuko said, smiling. “It’s probably better for you to go. We’re a little busy here tonight.”

“Sorry,” his uncle echoed.

Kyohei grunted and shut the door. He walked down the hallway out into the lobby, where his eyes rested on a train schedule posted on the wall, and he stopped short.

When would you have to get on a train from Osaka to make it to Hari Cove by this time of day? He didn’t know for sure, but it must’ve been a really early bullet train, like the very first one of the morning. Why was Dad in such a rush to get here, and why are they kicking me out?