And Then, They Fell in Love

Reality wasn’t an option anymore. All Sara wanted to do was curl up in a small ball in her room and die herself. Aoi and Kenji had hidden every pill they could find in the house, and taken away the sharp things from the kitchen drawer. They needn’t have bothered - as much as Sara wished she could die, there was no way she would have had the guts to kill herself. It wasn’t in her nature.

Not to mention the baby didn’t deserve such a cruel fate.

Her hand instinctively traveled to her abdomen and felt the tiny bump there. At what she guessed to be almost three months along, Sara was only now beginning to feel uncomfortable in her jeans. She dug through Osamu’s closet one morning and pulled out his sweatpants while informing him she was stealing them. He had only chuckled and rolled his eyes then bent down to kiss her. Sara remembered complaining that he tasted like toothpaste. It was so hard to believe now that morning was only three days ago. It seemed like an eternity.

Sara pulled of the pillows closer, taking a deep breath. The pillow still smelled like him - the smell of his shampoo and that distinct smell that was Osamu. It was a smell that was unique to him alone. Sara remembered having joked about wanting to bottle that scent and carrying it with her when they were apart.

Kenji poked his head into her room. “Sara? It’s almost six . . Do you want something to eat? You haven’t eaten all day, and we’re worried about you.”

“I’m not hungry.”

He fiddled with the hem of his shirt again. “Aoi really would like it if you would join us for dinner. Please? If nothing else, just for her.”

Sighing, Sara pulled herself away from the bed. “What are we having?”

“Aoi thought she might take you out for dinner. To get you out of the house for an hour or so. It. . Might be good for you.”

“Let me at least clean up first.” She hadn’t showered since the shooting, or even changed clothes. If she were to walk into public looking like she did, someone might have mistaken her for a zombie, or worse.

The reflection in the bathroom mirror made her cringe. Lifeless hair fell into her eyes, tangled in some places. Dark circles had formed beneath Sara’s eyes, evidence of her crying all night. Her breath reeked. . . Sara was not a pretty sight indeed. She decided Aoi and Kenji could wait a few more minutes, and turned on the shower. The steam coming from the hot water seemed inviting and Sara’s body relaxed the moment it hit the water. She crumpled in the shower stall, pulling her knees up to her chest and letting the hot water run over her. She wished that she could melt and go down the drain just as easily as the water did.

A knock on the door startled Sara. “Sara?” Aoi’s voice came through the wood. “Are you alright? You’ve been in there almost thirty minutes.”

“I’m fine!” Sara called back. “I’ll be out in a minute!”

She changed quickly, not wanting to make them wait any longer. A quick glance in the mirror told Sara that she still didn’t look wonderful, but at least she didn’t look like the living dead anymore. It would have to do.

Aoi and Kenji treated her to a nice restaurant, and made idle chit-chat amongst themselves. Sara nibbled on her food, and didn’t have the heart to tell them the smells from the cooking area were making her stomach upset. Stress combined with month three nausea left her in a bad position. She was grateful that they hadn’t brought up the topic of Osamu - or the upcoming funeral. The funeral was set for Thursday afternoon, and Sara was dreading it with everything that she had. The thought of seeing her husband in a casket - unbearable.

Her phone chirped, and she glanced down at the number. Tani. She thought.

Something hit her. Tani didn’t know. She’d been on a plane for the last day or so, coming back to Japan from the United States. . . Tani didn’t know about Osamu’s death. Sara was certain if she did, she would have called her much sooner.

Sara held up a hand, turned from Aoi and Kenji, and took the call. “Hello?”

“Ichijouji Sara, I am so glad that you answered your phone!” Tani exclaimed. “Listen, I just got in from the airport. I’m starved, and dying for someone I know to talk to me. I thought maybe I could either come over to your apartment for a little while, or maybe you , Osamu, and I could go out to eat or something along those lines.” Tani paused to take a breath. “I’ve tried his cell phone, but it’s not working. What’s up with that? Osamu always has his cell phone on.”

“Tan. . .” Sara took a deep breath, and sent an apologetic glance toward her ‘parents’. “I’ll meet you at my apartment in fifteen minutes. Promise me something though? Do not under any circumstances listen to the radio, read any newspapers, or watch television. I have something I need to tell you, and it has to be in person. Understand?”

There was a small pause. “Sure. Strange request, but sure. I’ll see you there.” With a click, she hung up.

“I need to go.” Sara said, grabbing her purse and bowing toward her guardians. “I apologize for leaving so suddenly, but. . Tani just returned from the States, and she doesn’t know about Osamu. I have to go tell her. Thank you so much for dinner. I’ll call you later.”

“Be safe.” That was Kenji’s goodbye.

Tani was waiting by the door when Sara arrived. She held out a bouquet of flowers with a confused glace. “You have three of these on your porch. Is there something I should be telling your husband?”

Sara didn’t answer and opened the door to the apartment, entering and letting Tani follow her. The older woman placed the flowers on the table, and leaned against one of the chairs. “Alright. You’ve kept me in suspense long enough. What’s the big news?”

“Tani, I need you to sit down.”

Tani gave her a confused look, but followed the advice and took a chair. “Sara, what’s the matter?”

“I . . . don’t know how else to tell you this, other than to just be blunt. So please, excuse me if what I say sounds really harsh, or unfeeling or. . Something. I’ve had a very rough two days, and right now, all I’m wishing is to curl up in a ball and wait for the world to end.”

“Tell me.”

“Osamu’s dead.”

Tani blinked. “What?” she finally managed.

“Osamu was shot on Monday night. He died early yesterday morning. I . . . I thought I had contacted everyone. I called Itaria - she already knew from the news cast, and Aoi called my parents.” Sara ran a hand through her hair. “They’re supposed to be here later on this week. Apparently to help me pack and ‘send me home’.” Sara rolled her eyes.

Tani seemed to be listening, but her eyes were focused on the wall. “He. . He’s really dead? Like. . Passed away? Gone to heaven?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t believe it . . . I talked to him Sunday night. We . . . How did this happen?”

“We don’t know yet. They haven’t caught the shooter, and he hasn’t turned himself in. I doubt that he would though. I do have my suspicions, but I’m praying that they’re wrong.”

The older woman let out a breath and leaned back in her chair. “Who do you suspect?”

Sara gave a small smile. “When they find the killer, I’ll tell you then.”

“I can’t believe he’s really dead. . .” Tani whispered, and for the first time since Sara had known her, she saw a tear trickle down Tani’s cheek. Unable to stand it any longer, Sara wrapped her arms around her friend and let Tani cry into her shoulder.

The phone startled them both. Itaria’s name was on the caller ID. Sara took a deep breath and answered. “Yea?”

“The murderer just turned himself in,” Itaria sniffled. “It’s on the news right now.”

“Who is it?”

Itaria was quiet for a few seconds. “Are you sure you want to know?”

“Of course!” Sara snapped. “Who shot my husband?”

“Takanouchi Yukio.”


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Like many things about Japan, Sara found their funerals to be completely different than what she was used to. Sara had only attended one funeral - her grandfather had passed away the year before. It was a simple matter - the family gathered together for a service, where a preacher talked about her grandfather and what a great man he had been. After the service was the graveside service, where the family said their final goodbyes. While the funeral had been a sad event, Sara had gone away feeling like she’d been left incomplete. Even seeing her grandfather’s body was not enough closer.

Japanese funerals were different.

Osamu’s funeral was held in the traditional Buddhist fashion. On the morning of the wake, Rika had arrived at her apartment bright and early, determined to get her ready for the day. “This will be one of the longest days of our lives,” she muttered as she helped Sara into her black dress. “Today is the wake, which will probably be a little different than what you are used to. Guests will usually bring money, depending on how close they were to him, and a monk will be reading a sutra. Tomorrow though . . .tomorrow will be the longest.”

The wake was fairly easy to get through. Everyone went as Rika said, with the family lighting incense during the reading. It was hard for Sara, seeing the bright smiling face of Osamu in a picture, taken on the day of his graduation (had that only been almost two weeks ago?), and realizing that smiling boy was in the casket in front of her.

Rika and Shin stayed overnight in the same room as the wake, to keep vigil. It was an odd practice, Sara thought, not one that she was used to . Ken stayed with her that night, and immediately snuggled up to her chest the moment they hit the bed. He was scared to sleep by himself, he told her. What if the same murderer came after him? Telling him that Yukio had been arrested didn’t help matters much. Ken’s mind was already trying to comprehend too much.

The funeral itself was almost the same as the wake. Once again, the family offered incense while the priest chanted another sutra. The difference was Osamu now received a new name - as Rika explained, in Buddhist tradition, this name would prevent the return of the deceased if his name is called. “All something to get money,” she had grumbled, as she explained the priests charged for these names. Near the end of the funeral, flowers were placed into the casket before it was sealed shut.

“What do we do now?” Sara whispered to Rika as they filed out of the room.

“We go to the crematorium.”

For some reason, this fact startled Sara. “You’re having him cremated?”

“Almost all bodies are cremated here, Sara. Look at the size of Tokyo - do you think we have enough room for everyone to have caskets? We hardly have enough room for the urns.” Rika sighed and pinched the rubbed her eyes. “We’ll witness them sliding the body into the chamber, and then we are allowed to leave for an few hours. After they finish, we go back and we pick out the bones.”

To Sara, the entire processes sounded horrific. Yet, as she helped pass Osamu’s bones to his father, there was something that gave her more closer. She knew that Osamu was no longer in that little wooden box, nor was he in the ashes that were now so carefully placed in the little urn. He was somewhere far better.

For the first time since he had been born, Ichijouji Osamu was now at peace.


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Author's Note: Okay, I lied. There will be two more chapters after this - I have to get Sara home, and then we have the epilouge. You'll want to stick around for the epilouge, I promise. If you haven't already, please check out what I have to say in my biography. Like I expected, Osamu's death was not taken well. I have a few reviewers upset with me, but all in all I hope that you respect my decision. I assure you all, that was not an easy thing for me to do. I become very attached to my characters (so much that I honestly can not hear the song "Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel) now without it making me tear up. If you have never heard that song, I advise you to! It is a VERY beautiful song.

Also - I have been thinking of doing a few one-shots for this series. Things that I've had ideas for, but they never really. . worked their way into the story. One I have is Rika and Shin's second Christmas together (with a sixteen month old Osamu), I have a few in mind for Tani and Osamu, and even a few that have to deal with Sara and Osamu. Would anyone be interested in reading those? I also want a place where I can post the "soundtrack" I have come up with for this story (songs that inspired me, or that I listened to while writing) AND for you entertainment, has anyone seen those character manuals that pop up in fanfictions sometimes? For instance, one I love is "The User's Manuel for an ERIK" (from Phantom of the Opera). Well, I'm writing one for OSAMU. It gives me pleasure xD Reviews are still appreciated!

And to the reviewers who chewed me out for how ended this - I'm sorry I have upset you, but there is absolutly NO reason to cuss or scream at me for my ending. I'm sorry if this caused "problems in your life" but it's a STORY. A work of fiction. I am not making you read this story, that's your own decision. I've stated many MANY times in my author's note that something like this was coming. And about how Osamu's death doesn't qualitfy this story as "romance" - Bullshit. What about Titanic? Gone with the Wind? A Walk to Remember? Moulin Rouge? Are all of those suddenly unromantic because they have tragic endings? I don't think so. Although I hate to lose reviewers, I have a very simple solution if you don't like the story - don't read it. I also ask that if you do have a problem with either my story or myself, and wish to have choice words with me, please e-mail me. We can discuss it that way.