Cape of Escape Chapter 1 Scene 1

Cape of Escape by Saho Sasazawa 1987

Chapter 1 The Innocent Cage 

Scene 1 

Her complexion changed.

Although she used to have a pale appearance, her complexion turned even paler, nearly bluish, on that day. There was a trace of insanity in her stern look. Her hanging eye brows were twitching. Only her lips glew brightly red. The beauty of her frozen facial expression contributed even more to the dreadful eeriness radiating from her. Her hair trembled as if her body was trying to convey a message. This is Misa Takamizawa, plunging into a state of distress, after hearing about the breakup. Misa was never strong-willed, but rather the self-centered type.

'Try and see if you're really able to break up with me. Seriously...!', responded Misa. She was shaking her head in denial while glaring at Ichirou Kumon. It seemed as if she faked the sweet smile and her easy-going nature right from the start of their conversations. From one moment to the next she became a different person.

'I'm not kidding! If you really insist on leaving me, then why don't you just kill me then!'

'Come on, just do it. Kill me!' Misa returned to the sleeping room and placed a knife on the table. It started again was Kumon's first thought. He glanced over the bed and saw a black cat sleeping cozily on it. It was Misa's cat Choro.

'I can't live without you. You know it. Leaving me is like ordering me to die.'

'Don't make such a fuss. The neighbors will hear us.'

'I don't care if they hear us. I can do whatever I want, since I'm paying the rent here.'

'It's always 'Kill me, kill me'. You're ridiculous.'

'Why not?! If I got killed, everyone living in this house would think that you're the killer.'

'Why don't you come up with something else? It's always the same thing, like a drama play.'

'It's not a drama play! I'm serious!'

'I didn't say that it's a drama play. But it feels like one.'

'Anyways, if you think that I'm only playing, then I'm going to show you how serious I am.'

'I didn't say that you're playing a drama.'

'If you won't kill me, then I'll do it!'

'Talking about suicide again?'

'What do you mean 'again'?'

'You already attempted it twice.'

'I didn't succeed but this time I'm going to show you. I'm pretty sure! '

'And how?'

'I'll jump out of the window!' 

'I see. Then do it. I'll be heading home.'

'Before you leave, I'll die first.' Misa dashed towards the only window in the sleeping room.

'Good-bye'

Kumon left the dining kitchen. He really wanted to go back home. He was aware that she might jump out of the window. Misa's apartment was on the fourth floor. A parking space was located on the southern side of the house. If she jumped she wouldn't survive it. However, Kumon didn't mind if it happened. Since dating Misa, his thoughts got messy. He couldn't help it how he felt at that time.

'Wait!' Misa's screechy voice reached Kumon's back. He stopped. But he didn't feel like turning back and so he stayed as he was.

'You're killing me!' screamed Misa.

A couple in their 60s was living in the apartment next to Misa's. Their son lived at a different location, so they had to live off their savings. In fact, they hardly went out and led a rather secluded life while pursuing their hobbies; calligraphy and handicraft. These two were the least people Kumon wanted to disturb. But Misa tried hard to be heard by shouting in a loud voice on purpose.

'I will never kill you. You need to do it yourself.' He wouldn't let her tyrannize him with her loud voice any more.

'Driving me into suicide is like killing me!', shouted Misa in a high-pitched voice.

Suddenly a glass breaking noise reverberated shrilly throughout space. She must have smashed the flower vase or the decorative plate located on the TV. He didn't know which of those got smashed. But if Misa did snap, one never knew what she was up to.

He lost his cool composure again.

'Pull yourself together!', shouted Kumon in an angry voice.

'What's your problem. You killer! Breaking up with me means that you're waiting for me to die. If it's not suicide, then it would be you who kills me. What have I done to you! You think that it's so easy? Breaking up and killing a woman. How dare you killing an innocent woman like me? You are a monster. You're an evil killer!'

Kumon didn't know what to say.

'I think, you'd better stab me with a knife or push me out of the window.' She drew closer to him.

'Stop it!' Kumon swang his right hand towards Misa's face.

'Shriek!' Misa screamed as if she was being murdered and collapsed on her bed. She didn't fall due to the blow but rather threw herself onto the bed. The cat fled under the bed and started to lick itself clean.

'Alright, now kill me already. You'd better kill me. Kill me!' , she said in an eerie voice while swaying her arms and legs back and forth. Beating Misa felt like having sand between one's teeth.

Misa was crying endlessly. But all of a sudden she stopped. And her compliant phase set in. Once the crying stopped she became rational again.

'I'm sorry.'

'I'm a good-for-nothing. I knew it. I'm hopeless.' Misa got up from the bed and looked down.

'I'm sorry. I instantly snapped at you.'

Her compliant behavior was only temporary. It was meaningless. Kumon knew it very well. She would do it again.  He didn't feel like saying anything comforting to her.

'It's enough.', he exhaled while gazing at the ceiling.

'Please forgive me.'

'I got it.'

'I beg you not to be mad at me.'

'Yes.'

'I appear quite strong-willed. But actually I'm weak.'

'All women who appear strong-willed or arrogant and so, are weak on the inside. These kind of women usually snap at the slightest opportunity.'

'Yes, you're right.', she confirmed.

'There are many women with a strong core.'

'I want to be like them, too.'

'Impossible.'

'Yeah, it's my character.'

'Well, yes.'

'But I really love you.'

'The one you love is not me.'

'Who is it then?'

'Yourself. The one you love is yourself. There's no one else you care more about than yourself. That's why you don't care about people's opinions and whether you cause troubles to them. '

'So, you say that I do not love you, but instead it's all about me?'

'That's what I meant. I haven't grasped your idea of love. It's lacking dedication, effort and willingness to make compromises. '

'So, my only intention is to use you, huh.'

'You can't stand it if you don't get it your way. This is just proof that it's not me, whom you love and care about, but yourself.'

'I don't know.' Misa drew her knees closer towards Kumon. She always feigned ignorance when confronted with anything unpleasant. It was her way of deceiving the person she was dealing with.

'Never mind.' Kumon didn't feel like explaining anything to her. He knew that he had no other choice but retreat from the conversation, since there was no rationality inside of Misa.

'You aren't mad at me anymore?', she looked up to Kumon and put her arms around his waist.

'Yes.' Since Misa was in her compliant mood, Kumon felt the urge to cast his eyes away from her sensual look.

'Then show me proof of that.' She pushed her face towards his lower body while pulling up the front of her sweater with one hand. Below her sweater was no sign of a bra. Then she stripped off the sweater. Her shoulders and breasts appeared - white as porcelain. Kumon felt them on his trousers.

Eventually, he let the same thing happen again. Kumon felt miserable while he was considering his situation at already 29 years of age.