Track 3 - Commemorative Medal

“Yeah, it looks good on you! Just like I thought, it fits you perfectly!”

Renga nodded with satisfaction. I, on the other hand, could barely think straight.

The reason being that I was wearing the clothes Renga had brought for me. They were so clean they looked brand new.

To prepare for today, I had walked an hour to a church that let me use their shower, borrowed some soap from the nice big brother who looked out for us street kids, and did my best to look as clean as possible.

That being said, the fabric of the clothes he lent me felt incredibly soft and smelled really good. It made me nervous about whether it was really okay for me to wear them.

But Renga looked happy as he pulled the hood over my head.

“It’d be a pain if people thought we looked like twins, so we’ll put your hood on. There, perfect. Alright, let’s go up to the observation deck!”

After that, he took me into a nice-looking building. My nerves were so frayed, I didn’t know up from down, nor left from right.

I felt like I was suddenly in a completely different world, and my heart wouldn’t stop pounding in my chest.

Before I knew it, we were entering a big box called an ‘elevator.’ All the while, I was clutching at the observation deck ticket Renga had bought for me until it was completely crumpled.

Neither the security guards who’d normally make scary faces and chase away people who looked like me nor the adults in nice clothes who’d make nasty faces at anything dirty seemed to be bothered by us as we walked past. I thought I would be yelled at and told to scram, but whether it was because of my clothes or Renga himself, they left us alone.

He kept talking to me the entire time, but I couldn’t even respond to most of what he said.

I was so scared and nervous that my body wouldn’t stop shaking.

But suddenly, light flooded my eyes.

I looked up and saw the sun shining beyond the large glass window――

And through it, I could see the sky, the sea, and the town.

“...I’ve been living in such a wonderful, beautiful city...all this time?”

Colorful holograms,――that I’d learned about from Renga――were dancing on a cluster of tall buildings.

Beyond them was a blue sky, and an even bluer ocean that seemed to reflect it.

From the tower I could see far into the distance, the sky and ocean spreading out endlessly until they melted together just beyond the horizon.

The view up here was completely different from the view on the ground.

I tried to look for the area where I usually went to collect trash, but I couldn’t find it. Even if I could see it with my eyes, it’d probably be too small to notice.

The beautiful sight of the city completely captivated me. I stood there in a daze for a while, unmoving.

What was this feeling welling up in my chest?

I felt like my existence had become one of the tiny bubbles floating in the vast ocean.

But I wasn’t sad, and I felt strangely relieved.

It made me realize that my tiny life was also a part of something so big and beautiful.

Like fizzy bubbles bursting and popping, a myriad of emotions flurried through me.

It was a strange sensation.

I’d never felt like this before in my life.

“...You're going to be the tourism ward mayor that leads this town someday, right? ...That’s amazing.”

I’d heard Renga’s family held the position of ward mayor for HAMA Ward 3 for generations, so I figured that’s what he would do. When I think about it like that, he really is like the sun itself.

A presence that illuminates the whole town from up high...

He didn’t reply to what I said, but told me something else instead.

“A long time ago, this area was a part of the ocean. They filled it in and made it into land.”

“Really?”

I didn’t know that, but it made sense now that he mentioned it. I always see the town in the mornings, and all the buildings and everything around them are dyed the same shade of blue as the sea.

When the sun rises, the blue town lights up in a dazzling gold all at once.

I like to think that the reason the sun is golden is because it suits Renga, who’ll be the guiding light of this city someday.

His profile looked brighter than usual as he silently gazed out at the city, and I couldn’t help but feel proud of my friend.

...He says we look alike, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

If the city is blue, then I’m the tiny part dyed the darkest shade, swallowed up and disappearing when the sun rises.

His existence is like the sun, big enough to encompass the whole city.

Someone so amazing cares about me. It’s so strange...but I’m really happy.

While I’m lost in thought, Renga turns to me with a smile.

“Ren, let’s get some soft-serve ice cream from over there!”

He pulled me towards the stand and bought me a light blue ice cream cone.

I’ve never tried soft-serve ice cream before, but I knew about it.

It’s one of those things that little kids get their parents to buy for them.

It’s a sweet treat packed full of things like hopes and dreams.

But I’d never seen a light blue one before.

I stood there frozen, equal parts nervous and moved, wondering if it was really okay for me to eat it.

But Renga urged me, “If you don’t eat it, it’ll melt!” so I nervously took a lick.

My mouth was filled with a sudden sweetness. Before I knew it, I couldn’t stop myself and finished the whole thing.

“It’s gone…..”

While I was sad over the ice cream, he said, “Ren, stick out your tongue. See? It’s still here,” as he showed me his blue tongue.

I stuck out my tongue too, and he said while laughing, “Your tongue is blue too.”

“So soft-serve ice cream turns your tongue blue!”

“Only this kind does. The white kind doesn’t, so this one’s special.”

Special, huh?

It probably didn’t matter to him that our tongues turned blue.

But I was so amazed that I completely forgot about my sadness and burst into laughter.

Renga asked me if I wanted to go anywhere else, but I told him I wanted to stay at the observation deck for a little longer. He might have been bored, but he joined me in looking at the cityscape.

After today, I’ll never get to come to such a beautiful place again.

So I looked out at the city of HAMA, the sky, and the sea, taking in every detail and searing the image into my eyes.

So I could remember it later as many times as I wanted.

So I would think the place where I live is truly beautiful.

“Ah...it’s time for my curfew,” Renga muttered softly as the sun, once high in the sky, began to sink beyond the city.

Loneliness washed over me as I realized the end was approaching.

It’s almost over. Nighttime is coming, and Renga’s going to leave.

I wonder when I’ll see him again. I want to spend more time with him.

A sharp pain pierced my heart.

Just as I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes from the loneliness, he suggested something.

“Let’s buy a souvenir to remember our time here, so we won’t forget. Sound good, Ren?”

There was a shop selling all sorts of souvenirs inside the observation deck. He took me there and said we should get something matching.

After browsing a bit and thinking about what to get, I settled on a golden commemorative medal.

It’s small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, so I can carry it around, and I can hide it in my clothes as well, so I don’t have to worry about someone stealing it.

And also because gold is Renga’s color.

I thought that if I had it, I’d feel like he was always with me, giving me courage.

“Let’s draw our secret sun mark on here too and trade them. It’ll be a special one-of-a-kind medal then, right?”

He said that before drawing a cool mark on my medal.

I also drew a mark on his medal with the pen he lent me, but...

“It turned out weird again...”

I wanted to draw it nice and neat since I was giving it to him.

Even though the sun mark was deformed, he still looked at it and smiled like the sun.

“It’s fine. This is the only medal of its kind in the whole world. I can tell right away that Ren’s the one who drew it, so I like it.”

I was a bit surprised when Renga gently held my ugly drawing to his lips and closed his eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m praying. For Ren to always be happy.”

“I don’t think there’s any point in praying to a picture like that.”

“Ehh? Religious paintings from tribes in the past looked like this, you know. Like a little kid’s doodles.”

“So you do think my drawings are as bad as a little kid’s!”

“Ahaha!” he laughed out loud when I got mad.

That’s when I finally realized he was making fun of me.

I let out a groan, but somehow, I didn’t feel as sad anymore.

It’s always like that. Whenever I feel sad, Renga takes my mind off things and cheers me up.

“When we can’t meet, I’ll look at this medal and be patient,” he said, and I replied that I would do the same.

When I can’t see him, I’ll also look at the medal and remember him.

As I clutch the medal tightly in my hand, the cold metal slowly warms up.

No matter how cold and freezing the night, if I hold onto the medal like this, I think I’ll be able to get through it.

This tiny bit of warmth connects me to Renga. At least, that’s what I think.

Even if I’m alone, even if I can’t see Renga for a while...I’m sure he’s out there somewhere in the city I saw today.

If that’s true, then we’re not that far apart.

Yeah, I felt like I could believe that.