space by The Poles

0:54 ⎯⎯✦⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ -2:50

↻ ⏮ II ⏭ ↺

Sundays after events like the Kyona Kaze Festival were usually quiet in town, safe for murmurs and seagulls diving to get their naughty beaks on leftovers.

But this Sunday, Mei was pedalling her bike through the dwindling streets, down the mountainside. At the other side of the lake was the Tengu Sanctuary. Kyona's only nursing home, and the nursing home where Ren's great-aunt lived.

The first week of school had been so exciting that both Mei and Ren had completely forgotten that they were supposed to hand in their proposals for the community service initiative on Monday.

Mei remembered suddenly, as she was lying in bed after the festival. Both velvet boxes were stored away in the bottom drawer of her desk. The moon that night was full and bright, shining through her wide windows perfectly, so that its silver beams passed through the gaps between her curtains and seemed to illuminate that exact drawer as if to taunt her.

Even now as she made her way to Tengu, she remembered exactly how her thoughts had gone. One velvet box, another velvet box, my bag, the tea ceremony, the nursing home, Ms. Inoue and Ren, Ren as my partner, the community service initiative— the deadline!

She had jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs to get to the phone in the kitchen where she dialed his phone number, and in the midst of her stress and her tangled thoughts (one big soup made up of remnants of her day), she'd proposed the idea.

"What if we volunteer at the nursing home this year?" She'd been biting on the nails of her fingers, one by one, improvising her words. "They're always looking for people, and you can spend time with your great-aunt. We could go tomorrow to get permission, then write up a quick report to hand in at school on Monday."

In all honesty, Mei said all this not knowing if Ren would even be okay with spending so much time with his great-aunt. She hadn't forgotten the tensed exchange at the Kyona Kaze Festival that day, and wondered if it may have been a sore subject.

But Ren agreed, albeit begrudgingly (though he could've been tired, as it was so late at this time that he was probably asleep when she called).

It didn't matter. Mei had felt relieved, said, "See you tomorrow at ten at the nursing home!" and ended the call to return to bed.

And now she was biking her way to Tengu Sanctuary: a wide, two-story building right by the edge of the lake. A strategic choice, because decades ago when the nursing home was first established, the founder wanted to honour his bedridden father's love for the water.

There were some concerns about the elderly falling into the lake a few years ago, but that was prevented by proper supervision. Now, Tengu and the area surrounding it were a beloved piece of Kyona.

Mei watched the building get bigger and bigger absentmindedly, her thoughts still occupied by those velvet boxes.

She didn't even realise she had to swerve when a goose flapped its way onto the road until the last moment, when she startled so much that her steering wheel began to wobble and she ultimately fell onto the road, scratching her palms open on the concrete with a sharp inhale.

The goose made some noises, flapping its wings frantically as it scurried back to the water.

"Mei!" A shocked Ren had apparently just turned the corner. She hadn't seen him nearby, and now he was running towards her, kneeling at her side. "Are you okay?"

Mei looked up at him. The look on his face surprised her. His hands hovered somewhere near her elbows, and his eyebrows were knitted together as his restless eyes studied her form.

At this point, Ren was no longer unfamiliar to her, yet it felt like she was looking at him for the first time. The warm light of the sun made his skin appear golden and softened the angles of his face, providing his entire body with some kind of fuzzy, golden outline like she imagined angels to have.

Up until now, Ren had always been sort of sharp-edged, both in his physical appearance and his attitude, but seeing him kneel next to her on the pavement, in the sunlight on a soft morning, did something to time. The clock ticked slower, she imagined, and the birdsong quieted.

"You said my name," she whispered thoughtlessly, in all of her awe. "And you're emoting."

Ren had heard it, because his head snapped up so that he could properly look at her. "What was that?"

Mei's eyes widened when she realised that she had said that out loud. "I— What?— Nothing."

But then, to her surprise, the knot between Ren's eyebrows dissolved, and he laughed instead. She knew it was a real laugh, because it was the type that pulled at his body and forced him to go from kneeling to sitting.

Most of all, it was contagious.

Mei attempted to stand, 'ow'-ing as she pushed herself up with her scratched palms. Ren helped her pick up her bike, his body still trembling with laughter, and they walked the remaining distance to the nursing home together, where he parked her bike against a tree and held out his hand.

Mei eyed it, startled and slightly confused.

"Let me see your hands," Ren clarified.

She slowly extended her hands and he took them in his own, turning them over to inspect the damage.

"I was distracted," she said defensively.

Mei had to try desperately to appear unaffected, as if the sight of his concern and then his laughter wasn't still swirling around in her head, messing with her perception of him as he was standing in front of her.

But it wasn't her fault. Ren had been keeping a safe distance from everyone all week, to the point where approaching him sort of felt like a fan meet, and now he was holding her hands and it had been his idea to do so.

He seemed to realise it, too, because he dropped them suddenly and lifted his eyes to hers. "Must be a nurse in there that can bandage that," he said nonchalantly, and then walked into the nursing home like he owned the place.

Mei stood frozen at the entrance for a few moments, then shook off whatever it was that she was feeling and followed him inside.

The male nurse from the Kyona Kaze festival was chatting with lady at the front desk as they walked in, and they turned to them when they entered.

"Let me guess," the lady said, "This is about the high school's community service thing."

"How did you know?" Mei was the one to ask.

"It's an annual thing. And this is a nursing home, after all. Your school is unlikely to disapprove." Long, black hair cascaded down the woman's back as she stood and extended a hand with a kind smile. "I'm Leslie. You'll see me at my station on the daily from now on."

Mei was surprised about Leslie's hospitality. She didn't seem to have even the slightest doubts about Mei and Ren being accepted into the nursing home for their project. Something about it was comforting. Mei shook her hand.

"Oh— look at that. Are you okay?"

Mei looked at her scratched palms. "It stings a bit, but it's no big deal."

"Nonsense," the nurse spoke up. "Come on. I'll get you some bandages and show you guys around on the way."

She trailed behind him and Ren as they led the way, holding her injured hands behind her back. Something about it was embarrassing. It would be better to focus on the nurse's kind tour of the facility.

Mei personally didn't have any relations in the nursing home. Chisa's grandparents lived there, as did Kenzo's grandmother and Netta's aunt, but she had never had a reason to visit.

Ren did, now that he was back in Kyona and close to family. Well, one family member with dementia, but it was still something.

He hadn't seemed to be all too familiar with the facility, which told Mei that he hadn't spent much time visiting his great-aunt since he arrived in town. Her curiosity was eating at her. What drama could there be between a great-aunt and her great-nephew, if she wasn't even really 'there' most of the time and hadn't been for at least three years?

The facility was mid-sized, with wide halls, warm lights and comfortable furnishings designed to be accessible to the nurses but still retain the ambiance of a home. In the right wing, there were rooms big enough to grant each resident a small living space and a bed chamber, aside from their own bathroom.

The left wing had a great big dining hall overlooking the western mountains, so that residents could watch the sunset as they had dinner. There was a studio for painting and working with materials like clay. Then there was a communal living room with a great big chest of board games. They even had an inside pool for hydrotherapy, as most residents were senior citizens with what the nurse referred to as 'mean joints'.

Finally, they reached the extensive gardens. Some residents sat on benches in the sun, their faces upturned to catch as much of the light as possible. Others wandered the paths slowly, on the arm of a nurse or with the support of a cane or a walker.

But the gardens extended much further than that, to an area where the residents were prohibited from going, as it was out of sight from those inside of the facility.

Mei recognised that this area was connected to the gardens of Kyona Kaze's meditation area, where she'd participated in Mrs. Moseby's tea ceremony. There was even a gazebo in the distance, by the edge of the water, that looked abandoned and run-down, but inviting nonetheless.

The nurse, who had introduced himself as Gideon, led them to the dining hall where he served them tea and disinfected the scratches on Mei's hands. He was in his mid-thirties, she guessed, and was so tall and wide that he stretched out the fabric of his scrubs. His skin was the same colour as his dark brown eyes.

"Well, what do you think of this place? Pretty neat, right?" Gideon grinned at them as he packed his first-aid kit back up.

Mei pulled her now bandaged hands into her lap. "It's gorgeous," she complimented, "But I have to ask, does this mean you'll have us for our project?"

Gideon pressed his lips together, his hesitant gaze flickering between the two. "The home is quite a popular place for students to want to do their community service project, but not everybody is cut out for it. We've had quite a number of you walk out on us before, saying that it's boring, or the medical aspect of it is gross, or the mental aspect of it is scary . . . "

Mei noticed that Gideon's voice was stern, but his eyes were kind.

"You have to realise that you're dealing with Kyona's most vulnerable residents, and that at the end of the day, we're nurses. You might see unsanitary things, or not take a liking towards a resident. Heck, one of them might even dislike you. The question is, will that stop you?"

Mei wanted to shake her head, but Ren leaned forward. "Unsanitary things?"

Gideon stood from his seat and gestured for them to come with. They were led to the bed chambers, and he allowed them to peek into a few of them.

"Mr. Jang is expected to die soon," he said, as they peered at an older man in his bed. "He had a sudden energy surge a few hours ago. We only got him in bed because he got tired soon after. When residents pass away unexpectedly, we call their families and make them presentable for the goodbyes. Then, we call the morgue, prepare lunch for the mourners, and ring the bell to let the town know. We hold a ceremony at night to pay our respects. Any resident who wishes to may join, but they're not required to. The staff is."

They continued to the next room. "And this is Mr. Percy. He suffered severe trauma a few years back, and he has days where he's doing well as well as days where he gets aggressive and scared. We would never let you near him when the latter is the case, but we can't predict what kind of day he'll be having. It might be shocking to witness us restrain him, though it is for his own safety as well as ours."

Their next stop was the doorstep of a room decorated with an overload of flower-patterns and frills. "Ms. Jackson has severe Parkinson's, though any of her neighbours would argue that her greatest illness is her stubbornness," Gideon grinned, and then it slipped from his face. "She needs lots of care during the day, but it hurts her pride to accept it. She might snap at you for even picking up a pin she dropped. It took me a good six months to get into her good graces."

Mei and Ren were quiet when they arrived back at the dining hall. Gideon faced them with his hands clasped together. "I admire your willingness to volunteer at our home," he prefaced, "But this should be beneficial to us all, and we don't want to waste anyone's effort. Knowing what you now know, do you still want to make a commitment like this?"

The pair exchanged a glance. Mei wasn't sure what she saw in Ren's eyes, but she was certain he'd find determination in hers. In any case, he let her answer the question. "Yes, sir."

Gideon seemed pleased. He extended an enthusiastic hand. "Then we'll see you arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon."

In the warmth of the afternoon's arrival, Mei and Ren returned outside. The town was quite awake for a Sunday, as young children pedalled by on bicycles and couples as well as groups of friends wandered the streets casually, enjoying leftover delicacies and the fresh air.

"We should put together that proposal, right?" Ren said as Mei unlocked her bike.

She joined him on the street, keeping an eye out for stray geese, and nodded her head. "Where do you want to go?"

Ren shrugged. His gaze wandered to the friendly view, the blue sky and the lively mountainsides. But while Mei was quite used to his hard, unreadable exterior, today's Ren seemed softer. He was appreciative.

"I know a spot," she said to him, and patted her hand on the back of her bike. "But you'll have to get on here, because walking will take too long."

Ren's eyes flickered between her and her bike. He finally looked away, squinting in the sun. "I'm not going to get on there and have you carry us both."

Mei tilted her head in contemplation and finally pressed her bike into his side. "I'll get on the back, then."

He seemed hesitant. She was about to ask if he ever learned how to ride a bike at all, when his hands clasped the handles and he tugged it towards him. "Fine."

A grin overtook Mei's face as she watched him climb on, the bike obviously too small for his long legs. It didn't bother him. He watched her, with one foot on the ground, expectantly raising an eyebrow.

Mei adjusted her crossbody bag around her chest and swung a foot over the back wheel, scooting closer to Ren's back. Her hands clung around the lower part of the seat, where she didn't need to touch him, but Ren made no move to push against the pedal and go.

"You're going to fall— again— if you don't hold on," he said to her, throwing the words over his shoulder.

"I am holding on."

He turned his head ever so slightly, in an attempt to either see what she was talking about or show his discontentment. Either way, a heavy sigh escaped his mouth as he reached back, took her by the wrist and placed her hand in his side, repeating the motion on his other side before he pushed off.

Mei felt her cheeks heat up. She clenched the fabric of Ren's shirt in her fist. The scent of his laundry detergent and his shampoo mixed as the wind rushed past them, and she had to strengthen the muscles in her core to stay upright and not collapse against him as she gave him directions.

She'd lived in Kyona for a decade now, but seeing it from the back of her own bike with Ren in front made it appear slightly different. She wondered if he was slowly learning to appreciate it more, now that she was there with him.

Mei was leading him to the lookout point, where Uncle Ryu played poker once a month. It was a spot everybody in town knew, but people barely trekked up the mountain to reach it, since it was a longer walk than other pretty spots in Kyona.

It was a place she and her friends frequented. Which meant she could've known that they'd find Chisa, Juliana, Netta and Kenzo already sprawled out underneath the overgrown pergola.

The group waved excitedly as she jumped off the bike and Ren immediately reached a hand into his backpack for his black hoodie.

"What are you doing here?" Mei wondered as she approached her friends.

Juliana held up various sheets of lined papers. "Scrambling to finish our community service proposal."

"I guess we all forgot, huh?" Mei collapsed on the ground next to Kenzo, who made a pistol motion that he held to his head, pouting. "Where are you guys volunteering for the project?"

Mei looked over at Netta for an answer, but her best friend's attention was with Ren, who approached them cautiously. She scooted over, casually messing with her Miffy pouch of pens, but her disappointment was palpable when Ren sat with Mei and Kenzo instead, sticking his head through his hoodie.

For some reason, Mei felt warm again.

"Juliana and I are volunteering at the animal shelter," said Chisa proudly. "We want to start an initiative in which animals can safely roam the streets without being either house animals, street animals or shelter animals. Everybody in Kyona should be able to keep them safe and fed as a team effort."

"And you?" Mei nudged Kenzo.

"Town hall. We're fixing potholes."

Netta disagreed. "That's not it, Kenzo, I told you a hundred times. We're improving the quality of Kyona's streets. We're assisting in proposals to honour and preserve Kyona's nature, fix what needs fixing and prioritise Kyonan's quality of life."

"That's quite a responsibility," said Mei.

Kenzo threw his arms in the air and dropped them like heavy weights. "Thank you, that's what I said! We're seventeen years old. What can we do or say about Kyonan's quality of life?" He rolled his eyes.

"That's exactly the kind of mindset that'll make you amount to nothing!" Netta balled up a piece of paper — one of their failed proposal reports, presumably — and launched it at Kenzo's head. He was able to dodge it.

"What about you two?" Juliana wondered, returning the attention to Mei and Ren.

Mei glanced at him, silently urging him to answer. He'd been quite talkative earlier (as far as talkative could go with him), but now that they were no longer alone, he'd gone back to being an observant, almost stationary part of the group.

She wondered if he truly had nothing to say, or if he just didn't believe he had anything of relevance to say.

"Nursing home."

That answered her question.

"People always have a lot to say about the Tengu Sanctuary. I didn't want to take any chances," Netta told them.

"My Mom says it's Kyona's hotspot for death and despair," said Juliana, nodding.

Mei made a mental note that said not to tell Mrs. Moseby about her and Ren's volunteer plans and frowned at Netta and Juliana's comments. "That's all nonsense. Mindsets like those are exactly why nursing home residents are known to feel so lonely and abandoned."

Netta pressed her lips together as Juliana averted her gaze.

She'd been too defensive. The last word, abandoned, reminded everybody of the same thing. Even Ren.

He scooted closer to her. "I'll write the proposal."

"What?"

He nodded, knowing that she had heard him. Everybody had. He even dug a pen out of his bag. "See it as a thank you for that day in your uncle's store, the free ice cream and that night when we were walking home. The festival, too."

Mei refused. "It's a team project, Ren. I appreciate it, but we're in this together." She picked the pen from his grip.

He wasted no time in stealing it back. "I'm a good writer. You want me to write the proposal."

"I'm not taking any chances." The pen returned to Mei's hand.

"Too bad." This time, Ren took the pen and dropped it in his bag. He even stood and walked to her bike, kicking the bicycle stand back up.

"Are you stealing my bike right now?" Mei called out to him.

"That depends. Are you going to let me take you home or should I just leave without you?"

She squinted her eyes at him. He was entirely serious— which she couldn't be sure of, actually, as she hadn't met joking Ren before. Either way, he was expectant. Mei felt the eyes of her friends on her, and the longer she waited, the more it embarrassed her.

At last, she begrudgingly rose to her feet and swung her bag over her shoulder again, before she climbed back on the bike and this time took Ren's shirt in a pair of intentional fists.

She could swear that she saw a ghost of a smile on his lips before it disappeared. They took off without saying anything else to her friends.

Their time at the lookout point didn't last as long as she'd hoped it would. In an ideal world, she'd hand in everything before the set deadline after all, and now this proposal hung over her head like a storm cloud.

But Ren hadn't joked about writing it. When they'd reached Mei's house, he said it again. "I'll write the proposal."

"Why?" Mei asked. "You don't have to feel bad for me. We'll do it together, a half each."

"Why would I feel bad for you?"

"Why do you think?" Mei swallowed, averting her eyes.

"It wasn't about you."

Her gaze returned to him. Like usual, he seemed void of emotion. He said it matter-of-factly, then took a step back. "I hate owing people things. I hate hanging out in groups, too. Those are your friends, not mine," he continued. "I wanted to go home, so I'm going home. I'll write the proposal. You can use your free time to be alone."

It was the most he had ever said at once, and Mei hated that it offended her.

She hated the vague, disinterested hand he lifted at her in a half-hearted goodbye.

And she hated that he left without saying anything else.

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