Chapter 12
“Oh, Kazu, it’s bad,” Shizuyo says fretfully. “He’s been sitting up there for hours on end, and he won’t look at me or anything...!”
Kazunori follows Shizuyo up the stairs. “He’s still mad at me, so I don’t think it’ll help much if I show my face in there,” he says. “But if you think this is a good idea,...”
Shizuyo and Kazunori stop in front of Naoyuki’s closed door. “You don’t understand, Kazu, it’s like...it’s like he’s not even all there...” Tears start streaming from Shizuyo’s eyes. “This is just like the way he acted way back then...”
Kazunori opens up the door and steps in with Shizuyo behind him. He sees Naoyuki sitting on his bed, slouched against the wall, staring ahead blankly with trails of tears still slipping down his face. The photo of him and his parents lies beside him on the bed at the tips of his fingers. “Naoyuki?” Kazu calls. When his cousin doesn’t answer him, he steps around to the side of the bed and snaps his fingers in front of Naoyuki’s face. “Hey,” Kazu calls, “snap out of it.” Naoyuki still doesn’t respond. Kazu waves his hand in front of him. It’s like he doesn’t even see me, Kazu thinks. He takes his cousin’s shoulders and shakes him. “Naoyuki!” he calls.
Naoyuki still doesn’t look him in the eyes or even twitch. “This is the same way he was when I found him at that boys’ home three years ago,” Shizuyo says frightfully. “He’s like an empty shell...”
Kazunori frowns. It’s as if he’s completely shut himself down, he thinks. “How long did you say he’s been like this?” he asks.
“I don’t even know,” Shizuyo frets. “After we got back from your house, he locked himself in his room...and when I went to check up on him a while ago, I found him like this. I’ve been trying to bring him out of it, but...”
“So this started as a result of all the drama earlier,” Kazu surmises. “It must be some kind of emotional stress... He’s completely snapped.”
“Please, Kazu, can’t you do something?” Shizuyo cries.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Shizuyo steps up to the bed and grasps Naoyuki’s shoulders. “Naoyuki, please,” she begs, “please, you have to snap out of it...Come back to me!” She shakes him again. “Naoyuki, please!” she cries. “Naoyuki...!”
“I’m going to give my college professor a call,” Kazunori says. “Maybe he can help.” Kazu leaves the room.
“Naoyuki...” Shizuyo leans forward to wipe the tears from his cheeks and hugs him. “...come back to me, please...” she weeps. She feels Naoyuki twitch, and suddenly, he starts to sniffle and fidget. “Naoyuki?!” Shizuyo withdraws her hands and starts to pull back, but Naoyuki reaches out for her. Shizuyo falls silent with shock as Naoyuki clutches on to her shirt and curls up in her arms, bawling his eyes out.
Naoyuki’s crying summons Kazunori back to the room; he stands just outside the threshold with his cell phone still on his ear. “Never mind,” he says quietly. “The situation’s under control.” He still stands outside listening after he hangs up.
“Naoyuki, what’s wrong?” Shizuyo asks as she gently caresses his back.
“Why...? Why don’t Mama and Papa want me anymore?” Naoyuki weeps. “What did I do to make them hate me?” Shizuyo frowns. Not knowing how to answer him, she holds him tighter as he cries in her arms. She glances toward the door and sees Kazunori standing there with a frown carved on to his face. She dismisses him with a nod; Kazunori nods back and disappears down the hallway.
