A Winter of Ghosts

Epilogue

Shortly after ten o'clock thenext morning, Sakura stood outside the hospital smoking her last cigarette.

She had taken up the habit outof nervousness and a careful cultivation of rebellion. Or at least theappearance of rebellion. Smoking cigarettes had given her an excuse to besolitary, to find places to hide and think. Miho's friendship had been her onlysalvation at first, and then Kara had come along and surprised them all, thisgaijin girl who had become like a sister to both Miho and Sakura.

A sister.

Sakura would miss Akane for aslong as she lived, but she felt a peace now that she had only thought she hadachieved before. This was different. She and Akane had had a glimpse into eachother's hearts in a way that she had never imagined possible, and they hadrecognized a kinship that went beyond being sisters. They shared anger.

But now Akane had found peace. Sakurafelt a terrible loss at the thought that they were parted from one another,now, but she had made her peace with that as well. She wanted to live a lifethat would make her sister proud, to strive and succeed and find happiness thatwould have been enough for both of them.

With a smile, she glanced at thecigarette in her hand — only half-smoked, she flicked it to the walkwayand ground it under her heel. It reminded her of a girl she no longer wanted tobe.

A door whooshed open behind herand she turned to see Mai coming out of the hospital. The girls regarded oneanother for a few seconds, and then Mai smiled.

"Is this the smokingsection?"

Sakura gestured to the deadcigarette on the ground. "I just quit."

"Can you spare one, then? Ithought I saw you headed out here."

Sakura handed her the half-emptypacket. "Take them. I won't need them anymore."

"Wow. You're serious. Goodfor you. I would like to quit, but not today," Mai said.

She lit a cigarette, took adrag, and blew out a plume of smoke. Sakura felt tempted to go back inside, butinstead she wrapped her scarf more tightly around her neck and plunged herhands into her pockets.

"How is Wakana?" Sakura asked.

Mai nodded. "She is doingwell, thank you. I believe they will let her go home this afternoon, ortomorrow at the latest."

"Mr. Harper is beingreleased today," Sakura said. "But they're keeping Ren another day. Mihois with him now."

Mai turned to her. "AndKubo?"

"He is alive," Sakurasaid. "The doctors say they must watch him closely, but they believe hewill recover. A feat of pure will, they say."

Mai smiled, watching the smokerise from the tip of her cigarette. "I am so happy to hear that."

Again Sakura felt tempted to goin, but she could not escape the feeling that Mai had come out specifically tospeak with her, that she was working on something she wanted to say, so shewaited.

A minute passed. And thenanother.

"Ume confessed," Maisaid at length.

Sakura blinked in surprise, butsaid nothing.

"She also named all of thegirls who were there. She told the police which were only witnesses and whichtook part in beating Akane," Mai said, without looking at Sakura. "IncludingEmi and Kaori."

The pain in her voice when shegave those names was obvious.

"Your friends," Sakurasaid.

Mai took a long drag and blewout the smoke. Her expression had turned hard.

"Not any more," shesaid.

Sakura looked at her. "I'msorry."

Mai glanced up in obvioussurprise. "You're sorry? Why? I would think you would have been happy."

"Happy that Ume confessed,and the truth has come out at last? Yes. But happy that your friends turned outto be. . something other than what you thought they were? No."

Mai nodded. "Thank you forthat."

"Fortunately you have otherfriends," Sakura said. "Wakana. Reiko."

With another puff of hercigarette, Mai studied her. "You. Miho. Kara."

Sakura arched an eyebrow. "Arewe friends?"

"Believe me," Mai saidwith a smile, "I'm as surprised as you are."

Kara woke in her own bed, awash insunshine that poured in through the window. She blinked at the brightness ofit, realizing how late she must have slept. The events of the previous day — the previous week — came flooding back to her, and she lay there for amoment relishing the warmth of her bed. She would have loved a day to indulgeherself, to stay in bed and read or, considering how sunny it was for January,to wander Miyazu City and take photographs.

She threw back the covers andbounced out of bed, grabbing a thick black sweater and tugging it over herhead. The repercussions of the previous day needed attending to, and she hadalready slept too late. Her father was still in the hospital and she wanted toget down there as early as possible to see him, and to see Master Kubo as well.The Unsui had astounded them all by living long enough to get to Ume's car, andthen astonished them further by surviving all the way to the hospital. Kara hadto know if he had amazed the doctors just as thoroughly.

A glance at the clock told herit was nearly ten a.m. and she frowned deeply. Why hadn't anyone called? Sakura.Miho. Hachiro. They couldn't all be sleeping.

Troubled, she tugged on a cleanpair of blue jeans — she had taken a hot shower the night before andwashed her hair, and now that she was running so late she didn't want to takethe time. She went to her desk and scooped up her keys and what little moneyshe'd had in her pockets the day before, but her cell phone was missing. Thecharger was plugged into the wall, but the cord ended in nothing.

Frowning in confusion, shebrushed her hair in front of the mirror and tied it back with an elastic. Sheplopped back onto the bed and pulled on her boots, trying to solve the mysteryof her missing cell phone. Now that she was fully awake, it took only seconds. Withher father in the hospital, it would not have been appropriate for a teenagedgirl to be alone in the house, so Miss Aritomo had spent the night.

She must have taken the phoneto let me sleep, Kara thought. Which was all right, actually. If anythingvital happened, Miss Aritomo would have woken her.

They had all gone to thehospital the previous afternoon. Ume had driven Kubo out as far as the mainroad to wait for the ambulance. When it had arrived, the EMTs had insisted thatRen go along with them as well. He had been having trouble breathing because ofsharp pain in his chest and they suspected broken ribs, which turned out to betrue — three of them.

Mr. Yamato had ridden to thehospital with Ren and Kubo, while Ume drove the rest of them back to MissAritomo's car. The principal would have to get his own car today, but theprevious afternoon he had not wanted to be parted from Kubo's side. At thehospital, they had all been checked for frostbite. Several of Kara's fingershad turned a soft, eggshell blue, but the doctors managed to get the bloodflowing properly again.

Another hour or two and thismight have been a very different story, a young, handsome doctor had toldher. And, in truth, as her hands warmed up and the blood started to flowproperly again, it had hurt like hell.

Kara's stomach grumbled, but sheignored it. A quick glass of juice would be enough to keep her until she couldget some lunch with her father at the hospital. They were supposed to let himgo home today, and she wanted to be with him when he was discharged.

She left her bedroom, steppingout into the short hallway and heading for the bathroom. Three steps away, sheheard voices in the living room. With a frown, she changed direction, walkingdown the hall. Even as she stepped into the room, she recognized the voice, andthen she saw him.

Hachiro sat at the table withMiss Aritomo. As Kara entered, they both looked up. Miss Aritomo saidsomething, but Kara did not hear a word of it. She grinned so wide that it hurther face and she rushed to him, a giddy feeling fluttering in her chest. Whilehe had been missing she had been so full of fear that now, to be without it,made her feel light as air. Yesterday they had both been exhausted and in shockand overwhelmed, surrounded by people. At the hospital they had held each otherand, when no one was looking, had shared half a dozen tender kisses.

But that had been the aftermath.Even then, the sky had been gray and snow had been falling lightly.

Today, though. . today was anew day, bright with promise.

"Good morning,"Hachiro said.

"Good morning to you,"Kara replied, still grinning, knowing she must look foolish but unable to stopherself. "What are you doing here?"

Hachiro laughed, and it was themost wonderful sound she had ever heard. Kara had been so afraid that she wouldnever hear him laugh again, never hold his hands or feel his kiss.

"I knew you would be goingto the hospital. I thought I would come along. Miss Aritomo said it would beall right."

He nodded to the art teacher andMiss Aritomo nodded back.

Kara looked at Miss Aritomo, whosmiled as well.

"Your father asked me tomake sure you were able to get plenty of sleep," Miss Aritomo said, almostapologetically, as she handed over Kara's cell phone. "I am afraid I havemade Hachiro wait for nearly half an hour."

"I didn't mind,"Hachiro insisted.

Kara grinned at him again, thensighed and forced herself to stop. She knew she should say something, butfeared the idiot babbling that she knew would result. Instead, she looked atMiss Aritomo.

"Thank you."

Miss Aritomo nodded her head."Whenever you two are ready, I will drive us to the hospital."

Kara could not stop looking atHachiro, wanting to touch him to reassure herself that he was actually there. Shewas about to say she was ready to leave right then, but then she felt the slickgriminess of her teeth and realized that she had not brushed them.

"Just a minute!" shesaid, and she raced to the bathroom wondering how awful her breath was andwhether or not Hachiro had been appalled by it.

She brushed quickly, wished thatshe had showered after all, and then hurried back into the living room. MissAritomo and Hachiro had put their jackets on already. Kara felt emotion surgingup inside of her, words screaming for release.

"Um, Yuuka. . I mean,Miss Aritomo, I just need to get my coat. If you want to start the car, Hachiroand I will be right out."

Miss Aritomo narrowed her eyesfor a moment and Kara knew she was about to protest. It would be inappropriate forher to leave Hachiro and Kara in the house alone together. But she hesitated,and then smiled in understanding.

"Don't be long," shesaid, going out the door.

The moment she closed the doorbehind her, Hachiro turned to Kara with a curious look.

"What was — " hestarted to say.

Kara silenced him with a kiss,reaching up to pull him down to her. A new warmth spread within her, muchstronger than the cold of Yuki-Onna's storm.

"I almost lost you,"she said between kisses, breathless. Then she stopped and pressed her faceagainst his chest.

"You didn't," Hachirosaid, stroking her hair. "It's all over, now. The curse is broken."

And it was. Last night she hadsat by her father's hospital bed and they had spoken of many things, but mostlyof the future. For more than half a year, the curse of Kyuketsuki had taintedtheir lives and filled their time in Japan with tragedy. And yet even in themidst of that tragedy, they had found happiness, and love. Her father lovedYuuka, Kara had no doubt about that now, and he did not want to leave Japan anymore than she did.

Kara and her father had startedover, just as they had set out to do, but they had been in the shadow of thecurse. Now they were both looking forward to spring — and another year inJapan — hoping for less drama and more time to appreciate the beauty ofthe nation. Kara would graduate from Monju-no-Chie school, perhaps even attenduniversity in Japan, since she doubted her father would want to leave. They hadbegun this new life together, and they would always be close, but now they wereestablishing new lives of their own, separate from one another. Her fatherloved Yuuka, and Kara. .

She laughed softly.

"What is funny?" Hachiro asked.

"Me. Love. People,"she said, trying to form an answer. "Once I was afraid to be in love withyou because I knew that I would only be in Japan for a year or two before Iwould have to go home."

"You know that I had thesame fear," Hachiro said.

"We were stupid. You don'tget a choice, Hachiro. You can't just decide that you are not going to lovesomeone. It would be like trying to stop the sun from rising or the spring fromarriving. We can pretend otherwise, but it just happens."

She gazed up into his eyes."I don't want to pretend anymore."

Hachiro smiled. "I love you.And I will love you even when you return to America. And I am content to behave you here with me for as long as I can. As to what the future will bring.. "

"Who can say?" Karafinished for him.

Hachiro nodded. "Who cansay?"

"I love you, too. And I'mnot planning on going anywhere. This is home, now."

They stole one last, quick kissbefore Kara put on her jacket, and then they left the house, walking out intothe sunlight. Kara had been living in the shadow of Kyuketsuki's curse for solong that she had forgotten what it was like to be truly light of heart.

Laughing, she raced Hachiro tothe car, giving herself a good head start.