Chapter I
The Beginning of Happiness
-
-
It was said that the beginning of a relationship hints at the future. And it had been a perfect romantic evening.
So why did she run away?
-
"Hitomi, the bath is ready!" her mother called from downstairs.
Hitomi slowly rolled on to her side and got up from the bed, tucked pajamas under one arm and opened the bedroom door with the other. The cold wooden hallway on her bare feet and the slightly open window in the dressing room made her shiver as she drew off her clothing. She had forgotten to slip on the house slippers. Hitomi placed her pearl earrings on top of her dress, lavender silk in a simple A-shape with cap sleeves.
Please wear something nice tonight, he had requested.
In the humid bathroom, she rinsed off the chill and the tiredness, then settled into the bathtub, carefully folding herself beneath the water, letting its heat seep in. She skipped the shower cap; she wanted to immerse her whole body in water tonight.
Sousuke had taken her to dinner at the Grand Tokyo Hotel. Amid candlelight, heady wine, soft jazz on the piano, and gasps of surprise from neighboring tables, he kneeled beside her chair and proposed. At first, he thought that her silence was a happy consent, but when he took her hand to place the ring on her finger, he looked into the depths of her eyes, saw the wretchedness and the tangle of feelings there, and understood. Always the perfect gentleman, he escorted her to her train in silence. And when her train arrived, he only said, "I'll call you next week." Hitomi couldn't nod or reply, but watched his figure on the platform pass out of sight as her train departed.
Her parents and Yukari would probably think she was crazy. What was there to think about? After all, he was a talented electrical engineer with a bright future. He and Amano had started at Sony the same year. They met during orientation training, and despite their different departmental divisions and their opposite dispositions, they became fast friends. Amano and Yukari schemed for a few weeks, then invited Sousuke and Hitomi for dinner without telling either that the other was invited. It wasn't love at first sight, but she enjoyed his company, and subsequent meetings that arose from Amano and Yukari's insistent nudges and plots grew into friendship and then courtship. They had been together for a year, and he never pushed her, never even held her hands without her consent. Without question, he would be the perfect husband and father, undemanding, forgiving, sincere, generous.
She could quit her junior veterinarian position in the partnership. She could assume a comfortable suburban life. She could devote her attention on their perfect home and, in time, their perfect children.
Hitomi sighed. Her mother would probably scold her for her actions tonight. Her family already viewed Sousuke as another son, and often Hitomi noted with amused annoyance that they were more protective of him than of her.
What was there to think about? She was already twenty-five, an indisputably marriageable age. Her wedding would have white lilies and a tiered cake with little lilac flowers in icing. Her mother would make her try on dress after dress of white lace, but she would pick a silk with flowing lines, a bit sweet, a bit daring. She would be late to the dress rehearsal but would be too nervous to sleep for the wedding day. There would be white roses and candles floating in glass bowls on the banquet tables. Sousuke's parents and friends who would fly in from America would be perfectly respectable, while her brother Mamoru would attempt to speak his congratulations after too many drinks to bolster his courage, and her dad would reminisce about her most embarrassing childhood moments. Yukari would probably give her a wedding present that she wouldn't dare to open in front of the guests.
"It would be happiness," she told herself firmly.
He would make her happy.
Wouldn't he?
She suddenly stood up, water rushing down in sheets. It was late, but Yukari wouldn't mind.
-
-
They had agreed to meet in a cake shop in the shopping complex beneath Shibuya Station.
"Hitomi!" Yukari waved to her from a corner table. She was in a powder blue skirt with cowboy boots, her long red hair in a low side ponytail. Her cheeks glimmered with the contentment of a happy young wife. "You're late again. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore."
The tiramisu and the strawberry cheesecake were quickly finished, but the waiter kept their coffee cups full. The cake shop was a cozy nook amid incessant shopper traffic, a favorite weekend refuge ever since Yukari found it during Hitomi's second year at Tokyo University.
"How did you know that Amano-senpai would make you happy, Yukari?"
Yukari glanced up from her cup in surprise. "Did he...?"
Hitomi felt her cheeks tingle.
She grinned and slapped Hitomi on the arm. "Took you long enough!"
Oh, she was definitely blushing now.
"Did you drop any hints?"
Hitomi managed to look indignant despite her embarrassment. "I wouldn't do that!"
"Sorry, I forgot that you are Miss Romantic."
"..."
"I think that this calls for a whole year's worth of desserts."
"Huh?"
"Hey, aren't you grateful that your best friend gave you a husband?"
Hitomi flushed harder and looked away. "I haven't accepted yet—"
Yukari was on her feet, "What? Why? Are you crazy?"
She softened at Hitomi's expression. Settling back into her chair, Yukari set her coffee cup down into its saucer, oblivious to the uneasy glances from the other patrons. "Love is different for different people, I suppose."
"But how did you know that Amano-senpai would make you happy?"
"I just knew." Yukari stared into the creamy depths of her cup and blushed in turn.
"That was no help at all," Hitomi raised an eyebrow. Yukari punched her harder this time.
-
As they walked towards the Yokosuka Line for Hitomi's train to Kamakura, Yukari asked, "You're not thinking of him, are you?"
"Who?"
"Never mind."
They walked on in silence. Overhead, the platform's PA system announced, in a pleasant female voice with distinct syllables: "The next train toward Zushi will be arriving in four minutes. Thank you."
"I still think you're crazy."
Hitomi felt a twinge of frustration. It wasn't that she didn't anticipate Yukari taking sides with Sousuke, but still, it was utterly unfair. Shouldn't her best friend understand her feelings?
She opened her mouth to retort. "I—" She bumped into someone and turned around to apologize.
"Hitomi?"
It was Sousuke.
He would make me happy. What was there to think about?
And then, everything on the path was laid before her. Her new home, their wedding picture on the wall. A new life with Sousuke. His unavoidable late hours as he neared project deadlines, and his apologetic gestures the next week. The unspoken assumption to quit her job and bear a son to continue the Yamamoto family line. Polite praises on her neighbors' immaculate houses and their unruly children. Well-intended orders from her mother on the best foods for conceiving a son instead of a daughter, despite Hitomi's explanations of biology.
The certainty of her new life pressed upon her. And suddenly, Hitomi realized she wasn't sure she wanted this future. Was it only wedding jitters? Or was it all wrong? The principles on which she based her adult life seemed to be exposed as frauds. The effort she had put into her achievements, her education, her relationships, seemed insubstantial now that the end result was failure. She was alone, her family and friends in all directions calling her name, urging her on, but it didn't matter which way was true, because there was no truth after all.
Hitomi turned and ran.
The platform's floor lights began to blink in rapid succession. She could hear Sousuke and Yukari running after her, their cries of "Hitomi! Wait!" sinking into the muttering of the PA and the rush of the approaching train. Her movements were impeded by her dress flats, but she continued to run.
The crush of bodies toward the front of platform jostled her, and Hitomi fell off the platform. Someone cried out above her. She was illuminated by the approaching headlight, her shadow long behind her. She shielded her eyes from the bright light, and saw the unfolding of the scene as if outside her body. People pressed towards her, gesturing and pointing. Mothers clutched their children closer. Train conductors blew their harsh whistles and rushed toward her with long poles. The train's emergency brakes shrieked. Sousuke and Yukari were still running towards her, yelling her name.
No! I still want…
The train finally screeched to a halt, but there was no Hitomi.
-
-
-
Thank you for reading the first chapter of Deeper than the Sky!
As much as I loved The Vision of Escaflowne, I was disappointed at its ending. Of course, it made sense—they are only fifteen, after all—but the acknowledgement of its rational conclusion doesn't soothe the distress from my inner romantic self ; ; This was the starting point of my project. I hope to match the same feelings and ideas as the series, to give you guys a realistic version of Van's and Hitomi's second chance.
If you notice similarities between my story and Chocolatelova's The Last Night of the World, they are not intentional, I swear :P We are became online buddies after reviewing each other's stories on ff, and now send each other drafts and discuss elements from Escaflowne. We individually conceived our plots around the same time period (I started in April), although it is sometimes eerie to us, too, how similar our ideas are.
Much love to Chocolatelova and Sapphirefly, for their patience and insight, and their examples.
These websites have been indispensable (please note my replacement commas):
- Escaflowne Compendium (escaflowne,anime,net)
- Comprehensive information on the series. Especially useful: country,
guymelef, character, episode notes
- Lizzard (www,lizzard,net) - Complete information on the Girl in Gaea movie. Hosts transcript of Jeture drama. Especially
useful: map of Gaea (www,lizard,net/Jeture/map,html)
- Yoko Kanno Project (www,jameswong,com/ykproject/core,html) - Complete list of
series and movie music. Music clips. Especially useful: lyrics translations
- Onelook (www,onelook,com) - Dictionary,
similar words, reverse dictionary feature.
The forum for Deeper than the Sky is available through my profile if you would like to bring any questions or discussions to the table. See you there!
sharlee
07/2006