The 486 Paper Cranes

I read a Korean love story last night. I really loved it so I retold it here. I made changes, but the general story line is there. Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer** This story is based off of a Korean story I read. Although the writing and names are mine, most of the storyline does not belong to me.

 

His name was Jiro. Until last year, I had always regarded him as a childhood friend. We had been in the same class for three years and were close. Then, last year, our class went on a trip to Kyoto. During that trip, I finally realized the true nature of my feelings.

I was surprised. It seemed so simple. I wondered why I hadn’t noticed before. It was hard not to like him. He was tall and dark-haired with playful grey eyes. When my feelings were sorted out, he seemed even better looking than before. Before that trip was over, I caught him alone and confessed my feelings. For the remaining days, we were officially a couple.

Being different in our ways, our views on our relationship were, of course, different. I focused single-mindedly on him. But, being as popular as he was, there were other girls as well. The words “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” didn’t seem to have an effect on him. To me, he was my one and only, but, to him, I was just another girl…

“Hey, Jiro. Want to watch a movie together?”

“Nah, I can’t,” he said, waving me aside.

“Why? Do you need to study?” I felt my body almost deflate from disappointment.

“Nah,” he said, “I’m meeting a friend…”

It was always that way. He met girls, in front of me or not, as if it was nothing. The word “love” only came from my mouth and it was never met by its twin. I would sit beside him, wishing silently and desperately, to hear those words returned to me. After all of those years we knew each other, I never heard him utter “I love you” in my presence.

Every day, before we parted, he handed me a paper crane. Every day, unfailingly as winter turning to spring. I never understood the meaning of them, but I took them and, over time, the pile in my box grew.

Then one day, I found him by the fountain. In summer, he would put his head under the rain of droplets from the jet. That day, I gazed at him from afar. His dark hair dripped clear drops, sliding from strands to his face. Past his straight nose they skimmed and stopping briefly on his lips. Then his stormy eyes looked up and connected with mine. He gave an encouraging smile, making room next to him.

I sat down and said, “Jiro?”

“Yes?” he smiled. When I didn’t respond immediately, he said, “What is it? Just say it.”

My gaze grazed over his body. The strong shoulders…when did they get so broad? His slightly muscled arms…when did those muscles start to ripple under that tan skin? And that chest…when did it become so large and so welcoming?

I finally looked into his eyes. “Jiro? I love you.”

His smile suddenly became uncomfortable. “You…um…well…here,” he reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a gold paper crane. “Take that and go home.”

With that, he stood up and strode away. Like he was running away from me. I watched him go, staring at his retreating form. That was how my three precious words were brushed away. I held the crane to my heart. The number of cranes kept growing. I began to hang them around the room. The box had overflowed.

Over time, my 15^th birthday came around. For the days before, I fantasized about the amazing day I would have. Dinner or a party, spending time with him. I woke early, waiting for his call. Lunch passed…then dinner…and the screen on my cell phone screamed “NO NEW MESSAGES” and the last missed call was a week ago. The sky darkened to a bleak blue-purple. I fell asleep, waiting. Then, at 2 am, the much-awaited call woke me from my dreamless sleep. The caller id on my screen flashed his name.

“H-hello?” I was surprised how calm my voice sounded despite my heightening excitement.

“Mika?” the voice that I had been yearning for rang in my ear. “Come outside. I have something for you.” My heart skipped a beat. This sounded like something I would read in a manga. The boy would call the girl and give her hugs and kisses and a beautiful gift. I hastily threw on a jacket over my shirt and jeans.

He was leaning against the wall. He grinned slightly when he saw me. He handed me a red crane.

I blinked. “What is this?”

“A crane, of course. I forgot to give it to you yesterday so I’m giving it now.” He dropped it into my hands. “Well, I’m going home. Good night.”

“Wait!” I cried, taking a step towards him.

He turned to face me. The look on his face was almost annoyance.

“Jiro…do you know what day it is today?”

“Yeah, the 6^th. Why?”

I felt my shoulders fall. I had so wanted him to remember my birthday. I wanted to do something special with him…

Seeing no response, he turned and walked away as if nothing happened.

            “Wait!” I called again.

            “What now?” this time, the annoyance was clear. “What do you want?”

            “T-tell me you love me,” I said.

            The look on his face was incredulous. “What?”

            “Tell me,” I said. I ran forward and wrapped my arms around his chest. I clung tightly.

            His face hardened. He turned away and wrenched me off of him. As he walked away, he said those cold words. “I won’t tell someone that I love them so easily. If you want to hear them, go get yourself another boyfriend.”

            After uttering those words, he left. My numb legs collapsed under me. His footsteps quieted to soft echoes. Although my heart cried out, no tears came to my face. He didn’t want to love so easily…how could he? I ran those questions through my half-frozen mind. I came to the conclusion that he wasn’t the right guy for me.

The next day, I insolated myself in my room, crying with the much-delayed tears. I cried. I waited. I cried more. I waited longer. But he never called back. He even avoided me at school. But every morning he always left the cranes outside my doorstep. And, every day, I would pick it up and hang it on a mobile I made. I would lie on my bed and watch as the wind breath made the cranes come alive and fly. That’s how the number of cranes grew…

After a month, I dragged myself back to the karate academy where we trained. That only caused the pain that I had fought to control to resurface. I saw him there…with another girl at his side. Training was over and she went to him, dabbing his face with a towel. A smile that I had never seen crossed his face as he fingered an emerald crane. I ran straight home. By the time I was home, my vision was blurred from the tears.

I gazed around my room, looking at the rainbow of cranes. A gust of wind swept through the room. A dislodged crane floated down and I caught it gently. It was light blue and slightly smaller than the others. Why had he given me these cranes? He probably didn’t even make them. Maybe he asked that girl to fold some for him. Why did he even bother?

My phone rang, breaking through my thoughts. His name crossed my screen again. He told me to meet him by the bus stop not far from here. It took a lot of self-control not to yell at him then and there. But I agreed. I waited there as people passed me. I kept reminding myself that this was the end. I would forget about him after this. To get him go…

Then his tall form came into sight. I recognized it even far away. Soon, he was a few meters away. He wore a light jacket, white shirt and jeans. His dark hair was in disarray as usual. And he carried a silver crane, the largest I had seen.

He seemed surprised I actually came. He scanned me. “Wow, Mika, you really came. I thought you were mad at me…”

I was. I turned away, eyebrows bent in anger.

He held out the crane. “Here, it’s for you.”

I didn’t even move. “I don’t need it.”

His face was shocked. “What? Why?” he asked weakly.

I strode forward and, grabbing the crane, I threw it onto the road. “I don’t need this crane. I don’t need you! I don’t ever want to see someone like you ever!” it was a red light. I wished it would get run over by a car or something. Crushed, smashed to little bits…

My anger and pain hit him hard. He was shaken. For once, his eyes were the ones that showed pain. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. Then he walked towards the lone crane in the middle of the road.

All my anger fled and was replaced by panic. “Jiro! You idiot! Why are you picking up the crane? Just leave it! Throw it away!”

But my cries were deaf to him. He continued to walk towards it. Then…

HONK! HONK! The light had turned green and a large truck drove straight towards him, unable to turn or stop.

“Jiro! Move! Move away!” but, by then, my voice was lost. I watched helplessly as he bent down to wrap his hands around the silver crane.

“Jiro! Move! Jiroo!” HOOONK! Boom! The sound was terrifying.

That was how he left this world. How he left and never spoke a word to me. The days that followed flowed in a blur of guilt and pain. The sadness of losing him forever…my half-crazy mind fought to keep my sanity. Then I started to gather the cranes.

Those cranes were the last vestiges I had of him. The only gifts he had given me since we started going out. I missed him terribly. I thought of him constantly. I remembered the days I spent with him. Then I started to count the days…when the love for each other was still strong…

One…

Two…

Three…

That was how I started to count the numerous cranes. After a long time, I neared the end of the number of multicolored cranes.

“Four hundred and eighty four…four hundred and eighty five…” that’s where it ended. A grand total of 485 cranes. I started to cry. Then I heard a crumpling and ripping noise. I forgot that the cranes were made of paper, such fragile things. 

“Oh no,” I murmured. A large rip tore the left wing. I went to my desk, pulling out tape. I sat down again. As I tried to tape it perfectly back into place, I noticed something on the inside. It was written in a dark blue pen. I carefully unfolded the crane. There, plain as day, in the messy scrawl that I recognized as his, were the words “I love you.”

The yellow page fell onto the floor from my numb fingers. “No, it can’t be.” I picked up again. I reread it and reread it again. But no matter how many ways I tried to see it, it still said those three words.

“No way,” I said. I began to unfold a hundred and all of them, in the same blue ink and scrawl, were those three words. They kept echoing in my mind. Over and over I saw it. The last one fell into the pile of unfolded pages. Why hadn’t I seen it? Why hadn’t I realized that, even if he didn’t say anything, his heart was always by my side? Words weren’t the only ways to express love or affection. Why hadn’t I just taken no more than a minute to unfold the crane and read the writing at its heart?

I remembered the last silver crane. After the accident, I had taken it out of his cold and lifeless hand and sealed it in a box on the highest shelf of my closet. I crossed my room. I pulled it down. I blew away the light layer of dust that had collected onto its gray top. I reached in and tentatively brought it out. It still shone with silver and had a dried blood stain. One of the wings was crumpled, broken. Then, with numb fingers, I carefully unfurled the straight creases of the origami crane. This time, in its heart, it was in red ink and was neater than the others, but still recognizable as his. I could almost hear his gentle voice in my ear as I read his last letter.

Dearest Mika,

Do you know what day it is today? Today is our 486^th day since we started loving each other. Do you know what 486 means? Remember what Younha said about those three numbers?

Anyway, I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you that I loved you because I was too shy. I’m really sorry. If you would forgive me and take this crane, I swear I will follow Younha’s words. To express my love four times, tell you I love you eight times, and kiss you six times. I don’t think that many times are enough. But I swear that I will tell you that I love you as many times as you like until the day I die. Every single day. Mika, I love you…

Love, Jiro

Unnoticed tears flowed down my face again. I held the words against my heart. Why? Why, God, why? Why did I have to realize this when it was too late? Why now? Now he’s gone. I will never see his smiling face again. The silver crane would never again fly. Even though he can’t be by my side, he loved me up to the last moment…to very end…

And, for that reason, my pain changed to courage. Courage to face the day and live the beautiful life that he no longer had. But, in a way, he still has life. He lives in me. Every day, every hour…If he continued to make cranes for every day that I thought about him, the 486 cranes would very quickly have companions that would be numbered countless…

 

Author's Note

The song I mentioned about Younha is a Korean song called Password 486. Any suggestions?

Reviews

[WriterMe]

Have you ever felt like crying but never found a excuse to do it? Just cry for no reason at all. Well maybe because of something buried deep within you, but thats another story.
I think that story was the best reason for me to cry and weird enough.. i was glad that i did. I figured my mood would end up making me cry for something sad but i'm happy your story made me cry for something sad, yet beautiful at the same time.
Haha, I hope i made sense. Blurry eyes tend to make me babble.

Your story was fantastic. =]

[Jenn Wathen]

Wow its really really sad i almost cried but Its very nice and lots of detail very nice!

[~*~Peace Keeper~*~]

I love this story...although its sad...but it shows how people should look before they think...

[Leah Elisabeth]

This is very sad, but also very sweet and well written. Good work.

[Lady leah]

Very nicely penned, great write. sad but O so good.

[Sakura]

OMG I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's sad but really good