I wasn’t sure how to explain that to him. “I left home to get some air… worked at a gasoline station, then went to college.”

“Oh,” he chuckled, “I also took a break before resuming my studies. I’m a mechanical engineer now.”

Looking into my eyes, he smiled a bit wearily, and stated, “But, it’s nice to see you doing better. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more back in third year… though I knew it hurt you the most.” At this he dropped his head slightly, clenching his fists from guilt. 

Seeing him like that, I realized that he was just the same as myself and everyone else, despite the pedestal that I seemed to put him up on. We were all just lost teenagers who still had much to learn, and a long way to go. I wasn’t the only one who had suffered from the memories of those days. “It was a fight with myself that I needed to take care of,” I responded, “but I never thought that way of you.”

I wanted to reassure him the way Kazama had done for me, and I smiled a little. “Although we were both a bit broken back then, I was very happy that you found me.”

Again, Noguchi seemed taken aback for a moment, but then he broke out into laughter, which was both a bit surprising, yet also relieving. “That right?” he answered. “I’m glad to hear that.”

Then, calming from his laughter a little, he shifted topics, asking, “What brings you back home?”

“Ah… I’m graduating soon,” I replied, “so I came back to visit my family. I’ve caused them a lot of trouble throughout the years, so I’d like to make it up to them.”

After a short pause, my worries got the better of me, and I added, “I only hope they won’t hate me…”

Noguchi stared at me for a while, and then placed his hands into his pocket, looking out over the skies. “Heeh… they won’t,” he responded. “You know, Hanzou, I was the same as you.”

He brought his gaze down to the ground, and shuffled his feet a little. “When I first found out what had happened to my dad, I swore that I would not get bogged down by the same corporate life,” he commented. “In my pursuit for freedom, I neglected my mom, always thinking that she just didn’t understand.”

“But after I became an adult,” he continued, “I realized that my ways were all wrong, and I had no idea what I was doing. The whole time, she’d just been trying to protect me in her own way.” 

He turned to look at me and stated, “I know you’ve also been afraid of being a burden to your family. I don’t know them that well, but I came across them recently.” 

His statement came as a shock, because I didn’t realize that my family and Noguchi knew of each other. The thought that they would have met while I was absent felt strange, and I finally grasped the extent of the time that I had been away from my hometown. 

“We had a short chat, nothing serious, but I could tell that they never hated you,” Noguchi recalled. “And your sister, she said that she’s waiting for you to come back home.” 

At those words, I thought of my younger sibling, who I had hardly known from my efforts to stay away from her. All along I had thought that my presence was a hindrance to her, and that she was afraid of me, but if she was waiting for my return, then I might have been wrong the whole time. Hurriedly, I replied, “Is… is that so…”

Glancing at Noguchi, I stated, “If that’s the case, then, I must really be going.”

As I was about to head off, Noguchi moved in front of me, stopping me. “Yeah, but before that,” he asked, “you still have the same number?”

A bit confused, I responded, “Yes, I do, but…”

“Same here,” he said. “If you’re ever in town and want to hang out, just give me a call.” He made a calling motion with his hands, and added, “I think we’re about ready… that we can move on from the past.”

Ah… so that’s why. I laughed a little to myself. He wants to stay in contact. “I see,” I answered, smiling slightly. “I understand.”

Noguchi nodded and took a step away from me, before he suddenly stopped and turned back around. “Oh, right,” he stated, “before I forget, if you feel comfortable enough, make sure to pay him a visit.”

“What do you mean— oh..,” I caught myself, registering the meaning of his words. “Of course, I’ll be sure to do that.” I had heard of the news a while back.

“Yeah,” Noguchi smiled. “Then, until next time, Hanzou.” He turned and began to walk away, waving a hand in the air. 

“Until then,” I answered.

I watched after him until his receding figure became a small shadow, and then promptly continued on my way as well. Upon reaching the entrance to my old house, I paused a little, stopping to gather my thoughts. My parents had given me a key for any time I wished to return, and I brought that out of my pockets, reaching towards the doorknob. I took a deep breath, and then inserted the key, hearing the gears in the lock click before I turned the handle. Slowly opening the door, I glanced inside at the familiar walls and furniture that had hardly changed since I last saw them. Taking off my shoes, I stepped inside the doorframe and gently shut the door behind me. 

“I’m home.”