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The heat radiating from the august sun began to dissipate as Nene and Kou trekked deeper into the Kamome Cemetery. The wind’s breath brushed against Nene’s skin, stirring her spine to shiver with unease. The sight of the marble headstones exacerbated her emerging discomfort.
Whilst the pair had been to the cemetery earlier that month during Obon, Kou was eager to visit Mitsuba’s grave again. Nene had offered to come along with him, for company! Her heart sank in her chest as she recalled Kou’s forlorn expression.
Kou, who was now a few steps ahead of her, turned his head towards her. Nene could only respond with a strained smile. She wasn’t close to Mitsuba—neither his ‘human’ self nor school mystery number three. Yet, an unnerving pit was forming in her stomach. It must be residue from the uncomfortable circumstances of their last visit to the cemetery.
Nene’s eyes scanned over the cemetery’s expanse. The tombstones were organised in a monotonous pattern. It was a wonder anyone managed to find anything in here. Nene continued to trail behind Kou, her eyes still lingering on the field of graves.
Her gaze landed on a grave situated in the cemetery’s periphery. Whilst the sun was already beginning to set, the remaining light failed to reach the grave, enshrouding it in darkness. Nene’s stride halted, her attention fixated towards the solemn gravestone.
There was nothing out of the ordinary about the gravestone. It was in harmony with the dozens of others. Yet, even as she attempted to continue walking forward, she repeatedly glanced towards the grave. It would only stray from her sight momentarily before she was driven by an impetus of sorts to search for it again.
When she managed to detach herself from its sight once again, she was not met with the familiar image of Kou’s back. Nene whipped her around in a frenzy, desperately searching for Kou’s blond hair amongst the greys of the cemetery. She quickened her pace and moved aimlessly through the graveyard. Whilst she bellowed Kou’s name, the only response was the wind’s whistling.
Nene slumped to the ground and let out a hefty sigh. It was fine! She was fine! Kou likely had found Mitsuba’s grave and was too lost in thought to hear her! She’d just have to find her own way there. Nene stood up and dusted the dirt now covering her uniform off. She had completely lost track of where she had run off to.
Night was firmly settled into the sky, and the setting sun was now replaced by the hanging moon. Remind her why they had chosen to visit a graveyard at night? Nene let out another sigh and reached for her phone, which was snuggled in her pocket. Her heart began to steady as the phone’s flashlight returned her vision. Nene surveyed the area; she had managed to wander towards the cemetery’s margins. Her surroundings looked eerily similar to the location of the gravestone, which had caught her eye earlier.
Nene’s contemplation was abruptly interrupted as she noticed a small grave tucked away in the desolate corners of the cemetery. She pointed her flashlight towards the stone; the name etched onto it was obscured by moss and vegetation. Without thought, she slowly approached the grave, each scratch and crack in it slowly becoming more distinguishable. Upon reaching it, she hesitantly crouched down to face it. The name of the grave’s owner was no clearer than it was when she observed it from a five-metre distance. Her hand slowly rose to brush the moss off the marble surface, revealing the kanji characters for ‘Yugi.’
Nene’s eyes widened, and her body felt paralysed. Was ‘Yugi’ a common family name? There was a hitch in her breath as she returned from her thoughts to refocus her attention on the task at hand. Yet, her heart was pounding loudly in her chest, drowning out the already soft voices of the night. There was no reason to be wiping the moss off of some random gravestone in this massive cemetery, but here she was. How did she even get here again? She raised her hand once again to continue wiping the moss off. Her fingers were unsteady, and she prayed with all her might that the moss wouldn’t fall to reveal the name she knew all too well.
But it did.
The first kanji in the word ‘normal’ stared back at her. The kanji she knew was read as ‘Amane.’
‘Yugi Amane’ was the name written on the gravestone.
Her vision began to cloud as her eyes began to dampen.
She had never even considered it before. Hanako-kun… having a grave. The dates 25th of November 1955 to Day X Month X 1969 were carved into the stone. Only 13, almost 14 years, did Yugi Amane live and breathe. She knew that. She always knew that. At least she thought she did.
Her silent tears gradually morphed into violent torrents.
Nene caressed the grave gently; the lichen felt rough against her skin. Much of it had sunken deeply into the words inscribed on the grave. She tried to scratch off the particularly stubborn pieces with her nail, but time had cemented its place. In frustration, Nene began to frantically hack away at each imperfection on the grave and its surroundings. Each overgrown weed, each piece of algae, each piece of debris. Her breath began to quicken as each desperate action drew her closer to exhaustion. Until she eventually slumped onto the cemetery floor.
Her head was pressed against the frigid stone. She wondered if beneath her, ‘Hanako-kun’ was there. Whether it be his body. Whether it be an urn. Was there any evidence of the fact that he lived present? The absence of any flowers or incense near his grave was so utterly glaring.
She made a mental note to herself to return to the cemetery on a later date with proper cleaning materials, along with flowers.
Nene separated herself from the floor and came face to face with his name. His real name. ‘Yugi Amane.’ The words she wanted to say were severed from her mouth, encroached deep within her throat. Her eyes flicked upwards, and she was met with the moon. It hung in the sky, and from so far below, it looked so big, so bright. But she knew that wasn’t the case. The light she saw as emanating from it was merely a reflection of the sun’s own light. But even so, it felt so real. So alive.
When the morning inevitably comes, and dawn’s radiance flushes out the satellite’s image, concealing it from view, Nene would know it wasn’t really gone. It would still be looming above her, omnipresent no matter the time or place.
A smile crept on Nene’s face at the thought. Simultaneously, a singular tear rolled down her cheek. She finally picked herself off the ground and was greeted by a familiar blond head of hair in the distance.
Nene took a final glance at Hanako’s grave. Its condition was critical, but it wouldn’t be like that for much longer.
“I promise I’ll come back for you, ” Nene whispered, and she twirled towards Kou’s direction.