"Father!" Takeru tugged at his jacket urgently. "Father!"

The weight of Ryoji's body felt like nothing as he dragged the boy outside, drawing the attention of onlookers whose worried eyes began to gather. Some men attempted to intervene, but he paid them no mind. He was determined to teach this bastard a lesson.

"Tora?" Keina ran from the car, Seiji-kun and the strange girl trailing behind her. "What is this? What do you want to do Ryoji-kun?"

"Father!" Takeru clung on his stomach and pulled him away. "LET GO RYOJI!"

He wouldn't let the boy go and smacked his head instead. The boy staggered, but didn't try to break free. "What-you-did-to-my-son..."

"It's not Ryoji's fault," Takeru sobbed. "It's my fault! I was the one who teased him!"

"SHUT UP TAKERU! I'll beat you up later, but for now, let me..." one slap on the cheek, "teach a lesson..." one kick in the stomach, "to this fagot...."

Takeru's cries grew even louder - seeing his son so whiny, so effeminate, disgusted him. Keina, Seiji-kun, and the strange girl hurried over to him. Keina deftly inserted herself between him and Ryoji, acting as a shield.

"Tora, please stop. Why are you beating this poor boy?"

"He was kissing with Takeru! Kiss on the lips, Keina! I caught the two of them making out in the changing room, like lovers! How disgusting!"

The strange girl glared while making a sound like she was choking. Takeru slumped and knelt on the asphalt, still crying for mercy. Ryoji just looked down; he had not said anything. He didn't even fight back. It almost seemed like the boy knew he was in trouble.

"Ryoji-kun..." Keina was flabbergasted, her gaze shifting to Ryoji. "Is that really what happened?"

Ryoji stayed silent, averting Keina's eyes as his face turned red and tears welled up.

"You ruined my son!" He grasped the Ryoji's chin, making him meet his gaze. "I always thought you and Takeru were best friends! But now it seems you've been taking advantage of Takeru, just because you have a crush on him!"

"It's not his fault!" Takeru grabbed both of his calves, holding him back from moving forward. "Father, it's not Ryoji's fault. It was my fault. Just punish me. Don't hurt Ryoji."

"Oh, yes! I'll beat you up at home, Takeru! I'll beat you up until all the gayness comes out of you!"

Ryoji sobbed even louder, while Seiji-kun hugged his brother's waist, tears streaming down his face. The strange girl looked unsure of what to do. More people gathered, whispering among themselves and shooting reproachful glances at Ryoji.

"You must have misunderstood, Tora. I'm sure that's not what happened," Keina suggested, trying to calm the situation. She bowed slightly, apologizing to the growing audience. "Let's leave Ryoji-kun alone and continue this conversation in the car."

"Misunderstanding?" His head throbbed, his blood pressure soaring. "It's easy for you to say that because you didn't see what I saw, Keina! That was just—I don't even... it was beyond belief... absolutely despicable!"

"Hirose-san..."

Finally, the boy spoke up. He turned to him, challenging, "WHAT?"

"I truly love Takeru."

SMACK!

Keina's neck also felt the force of his slap. Ryoji staggered backward; he thought the boy might fall, but the boy quickly regained balance.

"I don't want to deny my own feelings..." Ryoji lifted his head and locked eyes with him. "I know you think my feelings for Takeru—"

"I swear, Ryoji, if you keep talking—"

"Nonsense or disgusting. But I love Takeru with all my heart—"

"I WILL KILL YOU!"

Seiji-kun howled hysterically. Takeru pressed both of his knees from behind, tumbling him down. His fist missed Ryoji's face. He pulled Takeru's collar and gave his own son three big slaps for defending the gay boy.

"Hirose! Stop right now!" Three men emerged from the midst of the crowd. They appeared to be his acquaintances, but their faces were blurred at the moment. They intervened, pulling him away from Ryoji.

"Let me go! You bastards! I said, LET ME GO!"

"What the heck are you doing? Do you want to go to prison?"

"This boy is a fagot! He deserves to die! My son too! I regret I brought my son into this world! If I knew Takeru was like this, I should have killed him a long time ago!"

Keina burst into tears, embracing Takeru and helping him to his feet, while Seiji-kun and the strange girl supported Ryoji. The five of them slowly moved away.

"Everyone's watching, Hirose! You should go home and discuss this matter privately with your son," one of his captors scolded sternly. "I'll escort Fujiwara-kun home."

"Let everyone know that there are two rotten fagots on the Wolf hockey team!"

"Either go home or go to prison, Hirose!"

"Tora," moaned Keina. "Let's go home. I beg you."

He pulled off the hands of his captors and straightened himself – a man of honor still had to maintain his dignity in an embarrassing situation like this. The men behind him gathered around in a tight circle, hands raising, ready to tackle him if he attacked again.

"I'm warning you," he whispered to Ryoji in the cruelest tone possible. "Don't contact my son. Don't stop by our house again. If you try, I'll rip your penis off with my own hands and feed it to the dogs. Do you understand?"

He spat on the boy. Then he grabbed his son and dragged him towards the car. Takeru resisted. He punched the boy in the stomach several times. Keina screamed in disapproval. His captures immediately stopped him again.

"Ryoji!" Takeru stretched out as Keina was about to lead him into the car. His shirt rose, revealing his chest. Apparently, he still had some strength left. "Please forgive me!"

Ryoji attempted to reach for Takeru, but he was held back by the people surrounding him. Wiping the blood from his torn lip, he let out a loud groan, clearly in great pain.

"Ryoji!" Takeru called out. "I will not forget our promise!"

"SHUT UP, TAKERU!" He snapped. "You're a disgrace to our family!"

He hrew Takeru into the passenger cabin, slammed the door, then locked it from the outside. Keina came in with him. He went to the driver's seat and started the engine.

"Ryoji!" Takeru banged on the window glass and screamed hoarsely. "RYOJI!"

Keina hugged the boy's stomach, stroking the back of him head while pleading. "Forget it, Takeru! I beg you, please calm down! You're only making your father even angrier!"

He pressed down hard on the gas pedal. The car lurched forward, speeding out of the parking lot. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw that Ryoji had managed to break free from the people restraining him. The boy began to chase after our car, his steps heavy and unsteady due to his injured leg.

He increased the speed of the car. Ryoji ran faster. Takeru went crazy. With his left hand, he took the spare stick on the side chair and poked his son with it to shut him up. Takeru didn't stop. He was still calling his boyfriend's name.

From the rearview mirror, he watched as Ryoji fell. The boy slipped on the icy asphalt, tumbling forward. His head struck the ground. Takeru's groans filled the air, resembling a wounded animal. Keina struck the back of his chair, urging her son to stop. Ryoji remained unconscious for a few moments. He sped the car away, leaving all the chaos behind.

As we drove, something caught his eye. There was a soft object stuck to the windshield. He reached my hand out of the window. White droplets drifted down from the sky, like angel tears.

Snow was falling.

...

She retrieved a pack of tissues from her handbag and handed it to him. The taxi driver thanked her and wipe his eyes. In all her life, she had never seen someone filled with so much regret.

"I apologize for crying out like this in front of you, Nishii-san..."

She nodded, already knowing what had happened to Ryoji-kun without needing further explanation. "I'm truly sorry for your son."

"That was the beginning of the disaster," Hirose-san continued with a bitter smile. "A few days later, Takeru ran away from home. Keina and I searched for him tirelessly. We did everything we could, from contacting every police station to forming search groups and even placing advertisements on television. But Takeru seemed to have vanished into thin air. The police suspected he had changed his identity. At that time, I couldn't help but blame myself. Then Keina fell ill - the doctor said she had a stomach ulcer due to stress. Since Keina was an only child, her worried parents came to Misawa to take care of her. After Keina's condition improved, she returned to her parents' house in Akita. I thought Keina just needed time to calm down in her hometown, but she never returned to Misawa. I followed her to Akita. Keina said she would only come back when I managed to find Takeru."

"Is that what made you finally leave Misawa?" she inquired.

"Yeah," the former hockey player replied. "I had nothing left. I almost committed suicide. I lost my daughter, my son, and my wife. But then I remembered that Takeru was still alive – somewhere in Japan. I just needed to find my son and apologize to him, beg for his forgiveness. Keina will come back, and we can be a family again. I swear I will change my attitude and become a good head of the family.

"I couldn't wait any longer for information from the police. I sold my shop and used the money to take care of Hikari's grave. Then I went out looking for Takeru. It wasn't much money, and a trip like that costs a lot. I was cheated by several people in Tokyo, and half of my money was lost in that city. So in just a few months, all my money was used up. I found myself stranded in Yokohama three years ago and worked as a taxi driver to earn money before continuing my search in the South."

Her cell phone screen lit up, and she glanced at it briefly. There was a short message from Midori. Through notification balloons, the contents of the message were the latest news about Haru-kun.

"Has Hirose-san tried searching in Misawa again?" she asked.

The taxi driver was stunned. "Misawa?"

"Yes. Five years have passed since that incident, right? Maybe your son has returned to Misawa."

Hirose-san's hand moved to his chest, touching it as if she were listening to the sound of her heart. "In your opinion, if Takeru were in Misawa right now and the gods allowed me to meet him again... would he forgive me?"

She smiled reassuringly. "Of course."

"Even though I caused him so much pain?"

"The past can be merciless in its punishment," she said, turning toward the sea. " I came back to Yokohama to bid farewell. I've been tethered to it for eighteen years. It's become a part of me. Letting go isn't easy—it feels like losing half of oneself. It's tough, but I've come to realize that carrying this sorrowful story will only weigh me down. The gods always offer us a chance to start anew. It's up to us whether we seize that opportunity or not."

The drive gazed at her for a moment before offering a faint smile. "You're very wise."

"You should meet my good friend, Midori. She's even wiser."

"Having a good friend like that sounds delightful, doesn't it?"

"Having a son is even more delightful."

They both fell silent.

"So Nishii-san won't be returning to Yokohama next year?"

The waves crashing on the pier sounded like a song. But it wasn't a sad song; it was a melody full of hope. The sun disappearing over the horizon didn't mean it wouldn't shine again. Tomorrow, at the break of dawn, it would rise once more.

"I won't," she answered. "I have a new life waiting for me in Tokyo."

https://youtu.be/oJTBTaEJ-h0

やがて来るさよならも  - Yagate kuru sayonara mo

(Even the goodbye will eventually come...)

抱きしめてく- Dakishimete ku

(I will embrace it...)

今を君と一緒に - Ima wo kimi to isshou ni

(Because now I'm with you)