ã€ŠIntegrationã€‹


 1 : A Thin Wall

    Cicadas buzz outside the apartment, but there is no trace of sound other than the drone of TV news in the apartment. Lan sits in the middle of the couch, his long black hair obscuring the vacant stare towards the floor. The place seems prefab, new furniture, spotless counters and walls, only a few pictures: an older woman smiling, a family, Lan when he was younger, between a taller girl, and an impeccably dressed man and woman. Muffled jingling catches his ear as his neighbor come home. He hears her laughing, talking loudly to a friend? No, into a cell phone.

    I know my neighbor. But she doesn''t know me. She seems nice enough. Loud, young, twenties? Thirties? There is that college nearby. Does she go there? Does she work? I wonder what that''s like.

    His mind races with thoughts, possibilities as to her origins, her personality, or even what she looks like, though for all of that, he''s still and quiet on the couch, staring at nothing. He can hear her laughing through the thin walls.

    Who is she talking to? It can''t be family, you don''t talk to family like that. A friend? Maybe making plans for the weekend. What day is it, it''s Thursday, right? Thursday the..

    For the first time, Lan''s brow furrows, reaching up and pushing back his hair, the half-Japanese, half-American man actually showing an emotion for once. Confusion. Frustration.

    The.. twentieth. The twentieth? Three months since then, that was a Tuesday, May, June, July.. Wednesday? It''s a fucking Wednesday, you moron, plans for the weekend, seriously?

    Today is July 23<sup>rd</sup>. A Monday.

    --

    Saya is grinning to nobody as she talks on her phone, shedding shoes, socks, a jacket, seemingly unconcerned with the fact that the balcony door is half open. It was a nice summer day, why not let it in?

    ¡°--I know, I''m SO happy to be back in my apartment. The summer break was so utterly BORING back home. My parents wouldn''t let me do ANYTHING, not that I could either way with the part-time job, and don''t get me started on my brother. Ugh.¡± she complains, falling backwards on her twin bed, bumping the frame against the wall loudly ¨C against the wall between apartments. She winces and pauses her conversation for a moment to look at the poster-covered space.

    Her conversation partner finally speaks, a masculine voice: ¡°What was that noise?¡±

    ¡°My bed. It hit the wall. I hope I didn''t wake up the guy next door. Not that I ever see him..¡± She turns and lays proper on the bed, even being a full, it dwarfs her five foot nothing stature. ¡°Hey,¡± she asks, ¡°You were the one that helped me find this apartment, do you know anything about the guy next door? In 2D?¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.   The voice on the other end hmms, ¡°Him? I don''t know. The super mentioned he had been there for six months or so, but never saw him come or go, gets deliveries, pays the rent on time. Why, is he bothering you or something?¡±

    ¡°Mm-mm,¡± she shakes her head, even though they can''t see it, ¡°I just.. I don''t see lights on under the door when I go past, or in passing. What do they call them? Hoarders? Hermits? Hermits.¡± She looks at the wall as if it could give her answers ¨C who was on the other side? Someone was there.

    ¡°Hermit,¡± the voice affirms, ¡°You think he''s one of those? Do you ever hear anything from..¡±

    Opposites, she thinks. Vibrant, and solitary. Black and white.

    Outside, the cicada''s call grows louder.

    --

    The TV murmurs in low tones as the couch is empty, an anchorman droning on about local news, and the storm above. Lan is stood in front of his freezer, looking at the packaged meals, pizza, ice cream, ready-to-heat, but not very healthy. Time passes, as it always does, he seems more gaunt, hair stringier than it was before. Lan closes the freezer, opening the fridge. It seems brand new, except for condiments on the door, and one or two takeout boxes. A tupperware with feminine writing on it sits unopened with home-cooked food ¨C obviously not from here, or by him.

    Some memory, not from recent times, comes flooding back to him and Lan''s eyes start to well with tears. He shuts the fridge quickly and clasps both hands over his mouth, his gaze hardening against whatever feeling he''s remembering, but it doesn''t stop the tears. Rolling down his face and over his hands, he sniffs, but only briefly, any other air would have to come out and he was very, very afraid of the sound he would make should it escape. He tries desperately to rid himself of the memory, think in tech, think of news. It''s going to get colder, you should look into getting a new graphics card. She''s dead and gone and you are the reason why. When is the rent due? What has Travis been doing lately? How much sodium is in that frozen pizza? You could have done something, you piece of shit. I NEED TO ORDER GROCERIES, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME I CHECKED OUT NEW MUSIC STOP THINKING STOP THINKING PLEASE JUST STOP THINKING.

    His eyes squint shut, hard, as if fighting the urge to vomit, nothing can escape. If you breathe you sob. If you sniff, you sob. Hold your shit in, you pathetic fuck. Stop. Thinking. Stop.

    After a few minutes, his trembling hands release his own face as blood flows back into his cheeks and through his fingers, his jaw sore from gritting his teeth. Calmly, swallowing, he pulls off a piece of paper towel and rubs his eyes, finally okay with a slow inhale, shaky exhale. He blows his nose, turns away from the fridge and tosses it in the trash.

    He was safe for now. Safe. It crawls in slowly in the back of his mind

    (safe, hah..)

    slumped, he makes his way back to the couch, sitting in front of the TV as the anchorman has moved onto presenting a shelter dog for the adoption of the week. In one ear, out the other, day by day.

 2 : Neighbors / Contrasts

    Saya, you cannot be this dumb. And you cannot be this late.

    Pushing back the hood of her gray poncho, her hair spills around her cheeks as she searches in her brown messenger bag for something. Cell phone, book, tablet, makeup, other necessities ¨C but absent are the telltale jingle of a ring of keys ¨C the one item she desperately needs right now. Groaning in frustration, she presses her hands to her own door and peers through the peephole ¨C backwards, then rolls her eyes. They don''t work that way, stupid. GOD, it had to be today, didn''t it?

    Twisting the knob, the door is quite firmly locked. She ducks down and presses her cheek to the ground as if looking under a weather-sealed door would give her any clues as to any structural weaknesses.

    Giving up for the moment, she leans back against the balcony''s waist-high rail, weighing her options. Faced with none, Saya tugs her phone out and scrolls through her contacts, clicking her teeth at her first option.

    ¡°Are you sure you can''t come back yet? I''m locked out of my.. the.. wait what? You''re in OSAKA? Are you ff¡ª..¡± She holds herself back from the next words even though she turns from the phone with a grimace.

    ¡°No, no, Miss A, it''s fine. I''m okay. Enjoy your vacation.¡± She angrily thumbs the END CALL button and stuffs her phone back in her bag. She resorts to trying things she knows from TV. First her discount cards. Wedge it in the door and slide it behind the.. behind the.. BEHIND THE F..

    Relax. Breathe. You don''t think like this in front of the kids. Calmer, she digs the card in harder, it doesn''t budge, is bent and wedged in the frame. She stares at the frosted privacy glass next to the door, she could break it.. she could get in easily, but the super won''t be back until.. and you can''t even afford the replacement.

    Don''t kid yourself.

    God, she thinks, this would be so much easier if she had access to the only other entr.. the balcony. Oh god, Saya, you are so dumb, so, so, so-- Racing down the stairs, poncho up, and around to the other side of the building, she looks up at her balcony. It''s a bad habit, but she always leaves the sliding door unlocked. It''s easier to open it lazily from her bed when it''s constantly unlocked.

    But she may have well been looking up at a skyscraper. At her height, she could get to the balcony of whoever lives below her ¨C provided they didn''t call the cops ¨C but she considered her upper body strength to get her up anywhere close to over her own balcony, automatically shaking her head.

    Standing in the planter area surrounded by holly bushes, she paces back and forth, thinking. Gregg is at his school, and would just break the window. No dice. None of her other friends had any sort of skills.

    A flash catches her eye in her next door neighbor''s room. TV? The TV is on? Backing her way out of the planter, she watches the sliding door on that side, as brighter flashes, muted changes, there was a TV on in there. Her eyes scan to the side, if she could get on that balcony, she could squirm her way to her own. YES. A CHANCE.

    Splashing through puddles as she races up the stairs again, stopping in front of her neighbor''s door. Grinning at her own ingenuity, she raises her fist and halts it inches from the door.

    Who lives here, again?

    --

    ¡°When''s the last time you showered? Or ate? I assume you''re eating.¡± the therapist says to her patient.

    Head down, as always, hair in front of his face, a gravelly voice utters ¡°I eat, it''s not healthy, but I eat.¡±

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.??¡°And the medication?¡±

    ¡°I take it.¡± He''s not lying, but it doesn''t seem to matter. This crash has been a long time coming, and no amount of pills is going to fix it, though they keep throwing them at Lan en masse.

    ¡°Lan, you''re here on your own, nevermind who''s paying for it.¡± Your father, he reminds himself. ¡°If you don''t talk, I can''t help you.¡±

    Lan opens his mouth and pauses, nothing comes out. I want to scream, I want to wail and prostrate myself, to curse every God in name and form, I want to explode, I want to be beyond this, I can''t get beyond this. You''re supposed to be helping me, how can you fix me. ¡°I..¡± Will yourself to speak, Lan. Push it out, push the air over your vocal chords and SAY SOMETHING.

    ¡°Alright, Lan.. we''ll try next week.¡± The doctor pushes from her chair as her patient finally perks up, only to look at the clock. Had it been an hour already? He hadn''t said anything, he listened, always listening, but nothing will be fixed if you don''t speak ¨C the last part of that thought in his father''s voice. What does talking about it do? What does it help?

    His body moves on its own, walking out of the office without even bothering to schedule another appointment. Every Thursday, without fail - the doctor''s assistant makes the appointment for him whether Lan stops to ask for one or not. Pushing his hair back from his eyes, he stands under an awning covering him from a curtain of rain. Two stops and home, huh.

    Lan rubs his fingers together, an umbrella would have been nice. Inhaling deep, he ducks into the rain towards the closest stop.

    --

    Saya squints into the frosted glass next to her neighbor''s door, as if it would help. She doesn''t bother with the peephole, that was embarrassing enough before, even with no one watching. Gripping the doorknob with both hands she tenses up, had to be today, didn''t it? Rage builds up inside as she yanks and pushes at her neighbor''s door, gritting her teeth and an almost inaudible hiss escaping her as she finally lets go, thumping back against the railing behind her and pressing her palms against her forehead.

    Her shoulders slump as she gives herself a bit of a pat on the back for not cursing up a storm, but still.. Super''s gone, friends live somewhere else, and your pathetic ass is wailing on a neighbor''s door like he has the skeleton key to all of your problems. She looks up at the door for a moment, idly wondering if she would be responsible for damages. Were there any?

    Standing back up, Saya runs her fingers along the door, specifically near the knob, it didn''t look damaged, not that she could do much even if she wante..

    Freezing, she stops cold as a tall, dark figure stands near her ¨C in front of her door while she stands in front of his. Whoever it was is soaked to the bone, and TALL. But damned if they don''t look like Sadako. Saya would have laughed if she weren''t fighting back the real fear starting to churn in her stomach. His black hair was covering his face, hands in his pockets even though his long-sleeved shirt drained at the wrists of the water soaked in it. And he didn''t move. That was the weird part. He didn''t move, and he didn''t speak.

    And neither could Saya.

 3 : Little Wanderer

    ¡°I.. I..¡± she stammers as she starts stepping back from both the door and the imposing man next to her. Saya had her hands out in front of her, as if to show she had nothing of his, meant nothing by her intrusion. She didn''t know this man, was this even his apartment? She had a can of pepper spray in her bag, but could she actually reach it, unlock it, and hit him? He stood only a few feet from her.

    Saya clenches her fists and finally forces her voice out. ¡°I.. I''m not trying to steal anything, I don''t.. My.. MY KEYS!¡± She reaches behind her and tears the bag around from her side and holds it up as if that explained everything, wide open with both hands towards him. ¡°I don''t.. have my keys.. that''s.. my apartment, I locked myself out.¡± Despite herself, her hands shook as the bag acted more of a shield than explanation.

    He turns, looking at her door ¨C 2E, then back at his own, then to her. Just breathe, she thought to herself, people are generally good.. right? Why isn''t he talking?

    Purely instinctively, she jerks back when he does move, stepping forward, he pauses at her reaction, his hand dropping a little. After a moment, ¡°Right. Keys. I d.. don''t..¡± fishing in his pocket, he holds up a single key, no keyring, no other keys. ¡°It.. this is mine, it wouldn''t work..¡± His hair slaps against his jawline as he looks back at Saya''s door, then to her. ¡°The.. old lady, have you talked..¡±

    Easing her bag back down to her side, Saya started to examine her neighbor. The boring clothes didn''t leave much to the imagination, she had expected someone overweight ¨C to her own shame, but this.. boy, he looked more like a boy to her than anything, was skinny. As he turned she could see his sunken collarbone, sharp shoulder blades. Jeans, black t-shirt, so.. generic.

    But she frowns a bit, she can''t see his face. That dark hair, and straight, a half? maybe? Saya perks back up at mention of the superintendent. ¡°Her? Oh. OH, her. She.. vacation. She didn''t even bother to leave anyone else in charge, which I thought was illegal, to not have a landlord in case of emergencies..¡± She rummages in her bag, finally finding her cell phone as she holds it out to him, again trying to prove a point.. ¡°I even called her and she said she was in Os..¡± He was staring at her when she looked up from her phone. ¡°..aka. O.. Osaka.¡± It didn''t seem like a malevolent gaze, more just curious, studious - almost like a tall version of her own kids at school. And his eyes were blue. He had to be a mix.

    ¡°Like I said..¡± his voice smaller, as he steps to his own apartment door, in front of her, unlocking it. ¡°I can''t.. do anything to help you, I don''t know anything.¡±

    ¡°The balcony!¡± Saya exclaims, pushing her hand against her neighbor''s door which causes him to cringe back a bit from her, confusing her just as much as she pulls her arms around her bag, gripping the strap. ¡°I.. I don''t ever really lock my balcony door, so I know I can get in that way.¡±

    ¡°And your balcony directly connects to mine, I could get in that way, if you''d let me.¡± Gazing up with her most pleading eyes ¨C she used that pretty often with Gregg to get her way ¨C and her neighbor''s face stares down at her like an inconvenience, nothing more. ¡°I would climb up from the first floor but I''m kinda--¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± cutting her off, he twists the knob and pulls open the door to a dark hallway beyond, holding the door open for her. ¡°Just.. be quick, alright.¡±

    ¨C-

    Jesus, she''s tiny. I could rest my arm on her head like sidling up to a bar, Lan thinks as he''s stopped dead by the girl apparently trying to break into his apartment. He narrows his eyes and fishes out his key, the units don''t have the same keys, do they? Don''t be stupid, idiot, of course they don''t.

    The girl keeps talking, she''s locked out of her place as he finally stammers out. ¡°I can''t help you, I don''t know anything.¡± He inhales sharply through his nose and rears back as she slaps his door. She was so loud, he thought. What do they call people like that? Fireworks, fire.. crackers. Firecrackers. Tiny and explosive. It fit her, he muses, but she wants into his apartment. And that''s.. a problem.

    Not because Lan is embarrassed at his place, it was clean, if not spotless, but he hesitates at the fact that it was that way. What would she think of what equated to an Ikea showroom? Unused furniture and appliances, an almost sterile environment.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.??¡°Just be quick, alright..¡± he mumbles, twisting the knob and holding the door open, his arm above her. It''s her turn to hesitate as he looks into his own place, a dark and uninviting. ¡°Oh, ah, hang on..¡± He reaches in around the corner and flicks on the entryway lights, at least lighting the way to the living room, lit by the TV he left on from earlier.

    She starts her way inside, gripping her messenger bag tight as Lan turns to follow her, the hinge of the door creaking loudly as it starts to close, sending a bristle up her spine. She turns to look at it as it closes. ¡°It''s.. that way..¡± He motions towards the other end of the apartment, tilting his head with his eyes closed, rolling them. Of course it''s that way, moron, the places are identical.

    And she''s humming, what is she humming?

    ¡°There''s a lightswitch.. there to your right.¡± She finds it and clicks on the cold, fluorescent lights overhead. The room looks like a clinic waiting room. She''s acting like this is a haunted house. Like you''re Dexter. For all she knows you may be. Have you seen yourself?

    Lan pulls open a closet to tug a towel over himself, starting to rub his hair dry, the clothes can come later. Just get her over to her apartment, it''s not a big deal.

    She gets halfway through the living room before starting quickly towards the balcony''s sliding door, tugging on it, then unlocking it and opening the room to the noise of the thunderstorm above them. Without waiting, she heads outside and bends over the railing, peering around the wall that led to her side of the balcony.

    ¡°YES!¡± she exclaims. ¡°I can get over here, it wouldn''t be that hard.. to..¡±

    Before Lan was anywhere near the door, she swings a leg over the railing and scoots her way towards the wall''s divider, grunting with effort as she starts swinging her leg up and over her railing.

    He darts his way out the door and grabs her wrist, to steady her. ¡°WAIT, ARE YOU FUCKING.. crazy.. just..¡± he sighs, relieved. ¡°Don''t do that.. at least I can help..¡±

    Lan transfers grip of her wrist to his other hand as he leans out over the railing, meaning to touch.. instead, hovering behind her back.

    It was strange, talking about himself, his situation was.. impossible. Touching family, friends, and his hands would shake. But strangers in need, a grocery store clerk, a convenience store associate, he could talk. He could be forgettable, they wouldn''t remember, and neither would he.

    The girl starts scooting her way over and grips Lan''s hand hard, them up his forearm for a stronger grip, as if realizing that she actually could fall. She twists and straddles her apartment''s railing, pulling her leg up to stand her on the balcony proper. She''s humming again, in this type of situation. It sounds so familiar, though.

    Lan releases the grip on her now that she''s standing on her own two feet on her side, leaning against the wall that divides their rooms.

    ¡°Is it open? Your door.¡±

    The telltale roll of a glass door opening and a high pitched ¡°YES!¡± answer his question. There are muted thuds as she runs into her own room and the jingle of keys. She runs back to the railing and leans over, enough that she can see him, the towel draped around his neck.

    ¡°I got it! I found them, you''re a lifesaver. Thank you soooo much. I.. I can''t stay, I have a class that I am really late for, we.. we''ll talk later, right?¡± she rambles on, ¡°I''ll make it up to you, I''ll.. wait, what''s your name?¡±

    ¡°Lan Sata..¡± The name catches in his throat, unable to escape. ¡°Lan.¡± He reaches around and holds the towel out above her head, it was still raining after all, feeling it slide out of his hands. ¡°Just.. you can keep it, don''t..¡± --worry about it..

    He steps back and stares down at her bending over her railing and peeking at him as best she can. ¡°Saya. It''s nice to meet you, Lan, gotta go!¡± He turns and watches through the wall, where her footsteps echo as she yanks open her apartment''s door and slams it shut.

    What a strange, strange girl.

 4 : Damages 1

    Saya ducks out of the classroom, tugging her bag over across her chest, glancing at the underside of her wrist to her watch. 3:00, thereabouts. She smiles to herself, she was done with classes for the week! She still congratulates herself from time to time, scheduling her classes so that she had Friday off ¨C not an easy task with a full course load.

    Saya pulls her phone out of her bag, unlocking the screen with a simple L design on the nine dots, the notification number lights up with 3. Tapping it, two are from Gregg, and one ¨C as always ¨C is from her mom. She takes that one first, replying that yes, Mom, classes were alright, she''s on her way home now. Sent.

    Now Gregg. I''ll be an hour later than usual, he wrote in the first one, wanna grab dinner? in the second. She thought about this for a moment before replying with an easy yep, same place! Smile, heart emoji. Saya hated those, but relationship conformity. She didn''t think Gregg liked them too much either.

    Walking to the parking lot, Saya thinks back on meeting Gregg. It wasn''t a very whirlwind kind of thing, but it was close. He had sat next to her in Southern Regional Lit, and they had hit it off. He protested to her that even things like Nicholas Sparks could be considered, even standing up for his first paper when the professor wasn''t entirely convinced. She stifles a laugh at that ¨C it''s not that he was wrong, it was just so unlikely that this decent looking man would put up such a fight for something like Nights in Rodanthe or The Notebook.

    Saya pulls open the door to her car and tosses her bag in the passenger seat. It will be a year in.. May? May. That they had started dating. He had caught her by surprise last spring, he almost sounded like a child, asking her to be his girlfriend. The last time she had heard something along those lines was middle school. She didn''t hold back this time, laughing to herself at Andrew Watson, the boy back then, stuttering his confession out to her before they got on that yellow bus.

    She pulls her car into drive and starts towards the university''s exit, shaking her head and smiling at that fat little kid saying he loved her.

    Yeah, but you remember how you responded, don''t you?

    Saya''s smile falls a little as she does, her fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly.

    ¨C

    It''s interesting what you can get away with, when you cover it up.

    Lan pulls a shopping cart from the stack, turning towards the rest of the store and moving along the aisles. Counting them out, even though he knows exactly where he''s going.

    He turns into the grocery aisle, despite this being a pharmacy, they carry some necessities, and stops to look at the shelves. Lan knows exactly what he wants, his eyes glancing to the case of beer, but portraying indecisiveness. He''s thankful that the store has a rotating staff that maybe recognize him once a week as he puts two cases of beer into his cart, rolling it back towards the pharmacy.

    There''s a line, but no one really recognizes him, or pays him much mind as each file in to pick up their prescriptions, and Lan is no different. Doctors, shrinks especially, are happy to throw prescriptions at a patient if they think it will help. Does your antidepressant not work the way you thought it would? He thinks, then try Tartazine. Cimbolify, Azopram.. I could make a living naming drugs..

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.??Lan''s turn comes and he recites it off. Name, birthdate. ¡°Oh, we have one ready, the other two.. one was denied by your doctor.¡±

    Holding a hand up, he shakes his head. ¡°No, just the one that''s ready.¡± The one out of.. five, he counts, antidepressant, second antidepressant, antianxiety, heartburn medication, soporific, and.. naltrexone ¨C the one he''s filling today. The excuses he has made for accepting the drug and buying alcohol alongside of it isn''t lost on him. One stops the other from working, but only if you actually take the pill. Lan had stopped taking them months ago, telling no one about it. Those around him had their doubts, but he presented well, and that''s all that mattered.

    ¡°That, and these, please.¡± He tugs a case of beer up onto the pharmacy counter, fighting back the utter embarrassment of it as the tech scans it ¨C twice, then the bottle of naltrexone. The pinpad prompts him for his phone number, which he gives.

    ¡°Ah, and how would you like to pay?¡± the clerk asks.

    Lan doesn''t miss a beat. The talented performer you are, you disgusting fuck. ¡°Express pay, please.¡± He puts the case of beer back into the cart as the tech nods and the payment goes through. It''s like a dig in his heart, knowing who is paying for that, and knowing they don''t know that he''s using it for this.

    Taking the bag with the naltrexone he has no intention of using, he wheels the cart around and heads towards the exit.

    Lan hauls his booze up the stairs, stopping to look at Saya''s door, then down at the bottom. No lights, she must be out. Then again, there aren''t many people that are in at 3pm on a Thursday.

    Opening his door, he''s greeted with the void of a dark, empty apartment yet again, turning to stock the fridge with the cases ¨C an easy feat, there''s barely any food there as it is. Lan hooks his fingers into the corner of the sealed flaps and tears the cardboard, pulling out his first of the day.

    ¡°It''s good to have a routine, son. A routine makes..¡± he pauses, realizing he''s parroting his father''s words, which just bristles the hairs on the back of his neck.

    Everyone wants to save you, and no one knows how.

    Lan lets the fridge door close as he turns back to the living room. Pulling the tab on the can, it cracks open and he starts his.. routine. Walking to the couch and turning on the TV, he thinks about what his shrink said. When was the last time he showered? Jesus. And you showed up probably disgusting as fuck to that poor girl.

    The inner mind is a very difficult debate opponent to win against. He doesn''t bother sitting down, starting for the bathroom door intending to scrub himself head to toe.

    But he doesn''t forget to take the can with him.

 5 : Reverb

    The same damn place, every time. If he disliked it, he never showed it to Saya. Gregg was a creature of habit. Very much so. And so here she sits in the parking lot of Subway, tapping her fingers along the steering wheel.

    Which one this time, the BMT? A salad, or a wrap? They offer soup, too, how many times has it been this year? You could order for him, like a foreign restaurant, you know what he''s going to order anyway. It never changes. It never fucking changes it never changes it never changes it never--

    Saya leans back and looks at the ceiling of her car, taking a deep breath in and holding it. Anxiety experts say to let it go slowly through the mouth. Seven in, four out. It''s only when she is startled by the knock on her window that she jumps and turns to her boyfriend smiling at her, letting out that trapped breath.

    She twists the keys, killing the engine and pushing the door open as he steps back to give her space to exit. The same greeting, a kiss on the cheek as he takes her hand towards the restaurant.

    ¡°How was your day?¡± he asks, Saya gives a non-committal shrug and an ¡°Mm.¡± - okay. Same as always. ¡°Today was Film Theory,¡± Gregg continues, ¡°It just seems like all we do is watch movies and discuss what we think, which isn''t really teaching us anything..¡±

    He pulls open the door and waits for her to go first, he had manners, after all. After Saya walks in, Gregg steps past her towards the line to order, and she scans him from behind. He wasn''t unattractive, far from it, he was short, which always came up in conversation, his complex about being under six feet wasn''t far from any topic, though he was taller than her.

    Good Jewish genes, she thinks. What the hell does that mean? Curly black hair? Circumcision? He wasn''t practicing, as far as she knows as she stands beside him, scanning the list of sandwiches.

    Kosher. Gregg wasn''t too interested in following that part of being Jewish, not that she could fault him for it, pigs are rather delicious, and nothing here was kosher. His mother would kill him if she knew how often..

    He steps up and starts his order, even though the server smiles and entertains the man he''s seen at least once a week. Saya doesn''t open her mouth, but her tongue moves as she recites Gregg''s order to a T:

    ¡°Footlong meatball, on wheat, no cheese, except for the parmesan, please.¡± She watches as four meatballs are scooped onto bare bread on one half, another four on the other half. Saya smiles to herself, thinking it must be a company policy ¨C four meatballs, no more.

    Gregg turns to her: ¡°What do you want, babe?¡±

    Saya''s mouth opens but hitches for a moment. Food, real food? At a sit down restaurant where people serve you? Just.. pick something. They''re all the same, just say anything. Shaking her head clear, she smiles at the server. ¡°Ham and cheese, on wheat.¡±

    --

    Lan doesn¡¯t like being alone with his thoughts. Most people would view the shower as a form of solitude ¨C to sing, to think. Thinking only ever leads Lan down some sort of dark road. It¡¯s for that same reason he keeps the TV on at all times, even when he sleeps. With someone else in your head, it¡¯s much easier to not have to worry about your own consciousness creeping in.

    Thus, he keeps his shower tonight as quick as possible tonight, pulling back the curtain, the mirror hadn¡¯t even had enough time to fog all the way up by the time he steps out. There¡¯s a line in terms of self-depreciation, no matter what you think of yourself inside. His shoulders slumped, standing naked in front of himself. Lanky, gaunt. Lan tilts his chin up and pushes his wet hair back behind him. He used to think he was at least passable once, but the bags under his eyes, he inhales, eyes dropping to see his ribs visible.

    You used to swim. Before. Now, he simply felt himself drifting from place to place. Apartment to store. Apartment to therapy. Apartment to.. he pulls a towel from the rack and starts toweling himself off as he makes his way to the dresser in his bedroom.

    Lan sets the can of beer on top of the dresser, hesitating for a moment before pulling open the drawer to his underwear. Boxers. Easy. Confusion crosses his face.. Do I really only go to two fucking places? It didn¡¯t really surprise him, but once dressed, he tosses the empty can in the trash where it clanks around with last night¡¯s. Luckily his ¡°keeper¡± never really asks or peers into his trash. There would be ways to hide that, too.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.??Lan pads barefoot into the kitchen and grabs another, opening it as he makes his way back to his couch. He had nowhere to be, but he kept his watch on anyway, which he glances at. There was that nagging itch in the back of his mind that the end of the month is coming up. That sneer by proxy flashes by and Lan¡¯s fingers dig into the can, feeling it start to give. Not that he would deign to visit me in person. That¡¯s why he has.. helpers, isn¡¯t it? He twists the dial on his watch to its calendar, it was next week. Guess he should get his story straight over the weekend, huh?

    Not that Lan will remember anything in a few hours. How many people has he told ¡°past 3pm I may not remember anything..¡± and at first they find it cute, a drinker, maybe I can fix him.

    And then they leave. And Lan is always left wondering why.

    Because he doesn¡¯t remember.

    --

    Saya, on the other hand, was starting her weekend. She didn¡¯t have plans, but having nothing scheduled was better than the part-time work she dreaded doing next week. The program offered exactly what she wanted: teaching English in Japan, and her parents helped her out so she could do her graduate studies here.

    She heads into the convenience store, the attended greeting her cheerfully. She smiles and nods, picking up a basket and heading through the aisles. College back home was.. easier. Stupider, if she was being honest. Everyone goes in a coddled child: your own place, your meal card, get these books, this computer, gain weight and fuck around for a few years, not knowing what they want to study ¨C until the last minute in which they pick a department and blam, now you have an English degree, and no idea what to do with it, she thinks.

    Though honestly, she thought of herself as a coddled child still. She worked, but only part time. She only knew how to cook properly with ingredients here that she put into her basket for use over the weekend, because she had to ask someone to teach her how. Not because she wanted to learn, but because she had gained fifteen pounds in her first month because all she would do is live off pre-made stuff in this very store. Delicious and cheap, like all fast food. Maybe a bit healthier, but.. no one mentions the graduate 15. She frowns, pausing as she looks down at herself. Twenty.

    She was conversational in the same way a toddler in Japan is. Yes, no, hello, goodbye, I am, this please, delicious! More please! Cheers! It helped that she lived in what was a sort of.. ex-pat community. Saya wasn¡¯t far from one or two others that had more of a grasp of the English language than her minimal Japanese.

    Thankfully her translator was nice, and the kids were young, so they all thought she was pretty and foreign. At least those are the words she picked up. Or chose to hear.

    Saya places her basket up on the counter as the employee tallies up about 1500 yen in groceries. That was an odd quirk, she chuckles to herself, budgeting in a foreign country was fun. How far can you make your dollar go? I suppose 1500 isn¡¯t so bad.

    The man rattles off a very long word - numbers past two digits were.. tough - motioning open palmed to the register¡¯s total. 1549. Fishing in her wallet, she pulls out a banknote and the rest in coins, placing it on the tray beside the register. So strange and sterile. No touching. No accidental grazes. Greetings from afar, masks, anonymity. It can¡¯t be easy to be that tall if you want to disappear. It was so far from what she was used to back home. The employee places her change in the tray as she takes both it and her bag towards the exit.

    Saya stops before the automatic doors as they open anyway, brow furrowed. Why had her neighbor¡¯s image come up just now?

 6 : Varying Degrees of Con-Artistry / Instigator

    Four years ago, Lan was a happy man. A useless, nothing of a man, but happy. The reason why always made him feel guilty. When no one expects anything of you, you start to expect nothing of yourself. And thus, Lan¡¯s destructive impulses started much, much earlier than four years ago.

    Lan Satake¡¯s father was a very, very successful man. As CEO of the Satake Group, Satake Toshio worked for his fortune. Everything was business. Everything was negotiation. Everything had a price. Toshio held himself confidently no matter where he was, he had brought the group kicking and screaming into the 21<sup>st</sup> century.

    As dependent as Japan was on rice, land was at a premium. Toshio¡¯s father recognized this and taught him enough to know that not production, but harvesting and fabrication were the future, but he was not grateful for his predecessors. The rice his machines processed in other countries were only possible from the first power driven mill. Times change, cities expand, rural becomes suburban, becomes urban. Food once local is now imported, so the machines can be exported. A shifting landscape of business. Everything was business. Relationships, especially, were business.

    It was inevitable for heirs or heiresses, presidents, CEOs, and their offspring to mingle with each other. The world didn¡¯t evolve without it, true deals were face-to-face, anything less was insulting. Accompanying his plainly suited father, Toshio shadowed along behind him in a perfectly-fitted tuxedo, observing his movements and mannerisms.

    His father had chided him for his choice in clothing, but it was formal, and acceptable. Toshio thought his father¡¯s choice of a simple suit was a.. lower representation of the Satake name. His father would chuckle and shake his head. When no one expects anything of you, his father would reply, you can do anything.

    Toshio would nod and listen, but he intended to be his own man. After all, personal growth is as important as corporate growth. But even after business school across the ocean, he came with only historical knowledge, market analysis. Toshio valued that, but it was the experience in person of watching his father work that he took in like a sponge.

    It was much to his chagrin that early on accompanying his father, Toshio would be delegated to those heir¡¯s princes, the CEO¡¯s sons and daughters. There had been a few he had kept his eye on, who were just as intent on succeeding as he was. Then there were the boys and girls of leisure that wanted nothing to do with where the money came from, just that it kept them in the lifestyle that they were accustomed to: doing anything at anytime to anyone, anywhere they saw fit.

    The latter disgusted him, he¡¯d smile and nod, most knew English, and he was fluent, but their conversations would eventually drift into the latest car, or mansion, or plaything they had acquired. Toshio would find an excuse to withdraw from the conversation, neither leaving a positive or negative impression on them. Neutrality, his father taught, is a simple skill to play with, but hard to master.

    Except, he found, when it came to Emma Matsui nee Greene.

    --

    She stared down at the vegetable plate one of the servers had handed her. Specifically, the cucumber slices. Picking one up and popping it into her mouth, she considered her surroundings. Perfectly dressed, perfectly acted, perfectly choreographed. She was used to it at this point, but this moment in time, cucumber slice in mouth, it came to her.

    Everyone here is.. well, a cucumber. She smiled proudly to herself at this comparison. To her, it made perfect sense.

    On their own, cucumbers are.. mildly tasteless. They can be interesting, even bitter if the rind is left on. Her eyes scanned the crowd until she found what she was looking for: an impeccably dressed older woman, drink in hand, frown on her face. Bitter. And nothing.

    But, cucumbers can be.. developed. Refined. Or perverted. Take.. pickles, for example. A slumped man at the bar fingered his drink ¨C certainly not his first and if the bartender was worth his salt, hopefully his last. Disheveled and here for the booze. They can be fun, but too much salt in the brine.. hm.

    Or as a Tzatziki. A light, fluffy yogurt-based-- athletic looking man, obviously proud of his physique and.. she stifled a smirk at his overly sprayed on tan.

    And then there were the reasons why cool as a cucumber was a saying. Why they were refreshing, lending to a fresh scent, placed over eyes at spas, and were so.. recognizable.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.??Emma set her small plate on a cocktail table nearby, watching the motions of a sharply dressed Asian man in a tuxedo. He flit from conversation to conversation, mingling with his elders as well as his own age. It was intriguing. He adjusted his glasses in minutiae, with gloved hands, she knew exactly what was going on. That man¡ªboy, she mused. He thinks he¡¯s better than they are.

    Glancing at her own parents briefly, she linked her fingers behind her back and started after him, but not to engage in conversation. A game. He had observational skills, so, the young 26-year-old Emma Matsui set off after her target.

    --

    She¡¯s not as stealthy as she thinks she is, Toshio thought. As he moved around the room, so did she, in an opposite direction. Caucasian women weren¡¯t unheard of at these types of parties, it wasn¡¯t unheard of that people of varying skin color all came together for the color green after all. Money transcended all petty squabbles in the end.

    Introducing himself, he stopped at one group, mostly older gentlemen, but he smiled and nodded at their recognition of his namesake, only to continue their previous conversation as if he weren¡¯t there.

    Even as he spoke up about the expanding reach of NTT Docomo, which usually garnered a response or a compliment were met with non-committal ¡®mm¡¯s or ¡®ah¡¯s before the conversation was steered to another topic.

    What was this? Toshio did his research, so why were they disregarding him? The realization of it crawled up the back of his neck. What is different about me and you? Experience? Years? Do wrinkles add that much trust in method analysis than my conclusion would? He churned in his own mind, hearing his teeth grinding up his jaw to his ears.

    --

    She had to tug her dress up a bit to keep up with him, slipping from group to group, but unlike him, she simply remained unseen. The burgundy dress was muted, not at all billowy. Emma refused to wear heels, even though her mother would always protest that a tall, demure girl is quite attractive these days.

    The way she dressed and looked was the least of her worries in almost 90% of situations. She knew when to look good, but more importantly, she knew how to talk.

    Skirting behind a relatively tall, broad-shouldered man, Emma opened a compact to examine her face, frowning as she catches the man turning a bit to see who is behind him. He cleared his throat at her gaze and turns back to his companions. Tilting the mirror to the side, she scanned the guests and found him, grinning at her discovery until she noticed his expression.

    Emma closed her compact and slipped it into her clutch, turning to look right at him. That¡¯s the face when you¡¯re trying to hide something, she wondered. She knew because that was the face she would see in the mirror when something didn¡¯t go right for her. Downcast, tight, squinted eyes, his whole body was taut, even as he tried to hide the balled fist behind him. What had they said to him? Or was it that they hadn¡¯t?

    --

    Toshio was faced with a choice, not one he was used to facing. Walk away and know that his mind would come up with every conceivable disappointing judgement without them having to say a word, or bow your head like the young man he felt like, nodding and smiling. His vision shook side to side as he looked at their shoes, Toshio didn¡¯t see red. He lost focus, and it was only getting worse as they felt much taller than him, though they had the same stature. Bow out, useless, you tried. Go back to the unknowing idiot childr¡ª

    He felt an arm slide around his taut bicep, his slowly-easing vision following gloves matching his own up to a bare shoulder and a burgundy dress. Facing him, was the white girl from before, she¡¯s taller than me, he thought, her hair pulled up in a simple ponytail but tied with a gorgeous large bow. He squinted at her in confusion before she leaned forward to his ear, causing him to hitch back before she grabbed his arm harder.

    ¡°If you show them your indignation,¡± she murmured in perfect Japanese. ¡°They win. Breathe. You¡¯re surprised to see me, aren¡¯t you, nod your head.¡±

    The nerve of this woman, telling him what to-- His dark eyes glanced at her, who met his look with her own tremendous gaze. Dark blue rings surrounded the stunning green center of her eyes, and watching them slowly made his fist uncurl, his jaw unclench. A brunette eyebrow raised at him: Understand?

    Toshio nodded once, then turned to the men who were quite interested in the latest addition to their conversation, and bowed slightly to them. ¡°Gentlemen, I have previous business to attend to, I hope you enjoy the rest of your night.¡± They bowed slightly back, and he didn¡¯t dare look up, turning with the insistence of his newfound acquaintance, away from the situation altogether.

 7 : My Sons Keeper

    Toshio slowly opens his eyes from behind his desk. The seventeenth-floor office looked over a few landmarks. The production facility across the street, Sanyo Main. On certain days, the 71-year-old CEO could see the Suwa shrine. Today was overcast, sadly. Turning his attention to the tablet on his desk, his finger slid up the screen, hour by hour today, Tuesday, the 31<sup>st</sup>.

    He felt his eyes narrow a bit but quickly let it go. The tablet scrolled slowly to the next appointment: Reo, proxy, L. He knew what it meant, he simply didn¡¯t want to deal with it. No, that¡¯s not right, a voice talked for him in his head. It wasn¡¯t his, but it might as well be. Toshio wanted to deal with it, but he didn¡¯t know how to. He didn¡¯t have the capability, and even patience can only go so far.

    He let the tablet screen fade off and, on cue, two short raps came from the thick glass doors in front of him. ¡°Yes.¡± He answered, and the door swing open silently, enough for the man to pass through and let it close.

    Reo was the spitting image of Toshio at 28. He wondered if his son styled himself based on that. He never really knew whether to be proud or saddened that he hadn¡¯t wanted to fashion himself his own man, or rather, his own style. His suits were impeccable though. Toshio supposed styles jumped a generation.

    ¡°Father,¡± the man bows slightly from the door. Toshio motions with a crook of his hand that Reo should come closer, towards the two chairs in front of the large glass desk. His father smelled him before the other man could ever get close ¨C it wasn¡¯t overpowering, but Reo¡¯s cologne was the only thing he ever really let himself indulge in. Reo waits at one of the chairs until his father takes a seat himself, sitting and flipping open a leather-bound cover for his own tablet. His fingers move deftly along the glass screen, flicking two fingers out towards his father¡¯s tablet ¨C requesting access to display.

    Toshio mused a bit at this, it took a personal trainer two straight years to teach him how to do the simplest things on these. Then again, his father didn¡¯t adapt to cell phones. He presses ¡®accept¡¯ on the tablet.

    ¡°I will keep the report short, if you like. SMI is requesting your intervention as their demand for magnesium is exceeding their current budget. I took the liberty of requesting a larger shipment from America for next month..¡±

    Reo continues, his father nodding. The group had grown exponentially under his, and even Reo¡¯s guidance. Satake Metals, Engineering, Manufacturing, they all grew like branches from a mighty trunk, roots squirreling their way into other developing countries, India, China, even the seemingly impenetrable United States. Wheat was plentiful, and their machines could do that just as well as rice here or anywhere else.

    ¡°On the tablet, are the five items we¡¯ve discussed today, all they need is your signature,¡± Reo holds his hand out, palm up. No gloves. That would drive me insane. Glancing down at the tablet, he picks up an inkless stylus, signing off on the degrees and setting it to the side. Ink and paper, how quaint, they must think, Toshio thought.

    The notifications on the elder¡¯s tablet disappear and Reo¡¯s cover snaps shut like a thick book, despite how thin it is. Toshio rises from his chair and his son only follows after, bowing to his father before turning and walking to the door.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.??¡°Reo.¡±

    The man freezes, staring at the twin glass doors in front of him for a moment before turning, gaze down. ¡°Yes?¡± he answers.

    He steps quietly towards the floor-to-ceiling windows and makes a fist, gripping his wrist with his other hand. She never did rid him of that, did she?

    ¡°It¡¯s the end of the month.¡± He said, curtly.

    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his son flinch a bit, wanting to pull the tablet back out but hesitating.

    ¡°Take the checkbook, the card, and.. one-hundred twenty thousand, cash. Hana will have them in her desk outside.¡±

    Toshio didn¡¯t turn, but heard the scuff of shoes and the whoosh of the door opening behind him, his son departing his office.

    --

    Reo digs his fingers into the leather of his tablet case, turning to his father¡¯s secretary, Hana, who ¨C even though she couldn¡¯t have heard the conversation, is already laying the items he needs out on the desk in front of her. A relatively new checkbook register, and a chipped debit card, worn across the top. Reo gathers them up and pauses for a moment, he looks at Hana, who isn¡¯t looking at him.

    He inhales slowly through his nose and tilts his head back, looking up at the ceiling for a moment, exhaling in a low, long, ¡°Hmmm.¡± Fine. ¡°He requested cash, as well. 120,000.¡±

    She nods and turns to the cabinet behind her, pulling open a panel revealing a small safe. Reo didn¡¯t know the code, nor did he care ¨C whatever was in that safe was not petty cash. He made sure his accountants made sure every unit of currency was accounted for in the group. If it was petty cash, it would be in the records. And this.. quote unquote matter, he thought, is not something that should be anywhere near the Satake Group¡¯s accounting records. At least Father knew that.

    Reo pulls out his phone and calls his own assistant, turning towards the coat rack and his briefcase on the floor. ¡°It¡¯s me, I forg.. haven¡¯t made any preparations for my trip to Tokyo. Yes, the end of the month.¡± He hefts his briefcase onto her desk and pops open the clasps as she starts placing wrapped stacks of 10,000y notes side by side. ¡°The train?!¡± he hisses into his phone as Hana cringes a bit, placing the last of the cash in Reo¡¯s briefcase. ¡°I¡¯m not about to spend ten hou¡ª yes, a flight. Now.¡±

    The case snaps closed as he thumbs the tumbler¡¯s code and starts pulling on his coat. ¡°A 2:45? Yes. Do it, I¡¯ll eat the travel expense. I should have remembered anyway. Good.¡± His thumb mashes end as he slides his arms through his suit jacket, buttoning it up and flicking his wrist out to check his watch.

    Almost 2:00pm, the hands under the cracked glass dial read. Reo didn¡¯t trust a taxi this close, father¡¯s driver could get there and back before father wanted to be driven home. He turns to Hana. ¡°Call his driver, I¡¯ll only need him for an hour.¡±

    The assistant nods and picks up the phone as Reo turn towards the elevators, a frigid scowl setting in on his normally neutral face.

 8 : Cacti

    Saya pulls her hat down over her face to block the sun, she had been here a while, but the summers in Tokyo were so oppressive. She loved the business of it, but hated the lack of green. She stops at the corner, looking up at the sky. An ant on pavement would think it a desert, wouldn¡¯t it?

    Her gaze looks up at the corner mirror as a car rolls slowly past her on the single lane she walked down. She waits for it to pass before continuing on her way behind it. Cars weren¡¯t rare around here, but usually not so large as to take up the entire road.

    The kids were nice this week, or at least nice to her. She thanked her stars the program placed her in with a younger age. Saya had no problem teaching the simplicities of I am, I was, I will be, when grammar and vocabulary don¡¯t come up as often, but if she stayed after her studies.. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d ask me to start teaching middle or high, she pondered, even some of the cram schools scouted me. She could make more money, but it wouldn¡¯t be as much for the public welfare, though she would still be teaching kids. She knew she wanted that much, at least.

    Saya tugged the bag she carried open and peered down at the fist-sized cactus covered by its own plastic greenhouse dome. Succulents were easy to care for, like cats. They¡¯re good on their own, and there when you need them.

    And prickly. Like him.

    Him?

    Them. Cats. You remember how Lindsay was back home. The Maine Coon she grew up with, that cat would only allow three pets, then it was anything goes, except for Saya. Saya could get closer than most. She still had a few scars from Lindsay, though, particularly her hands, like all cat owners.

    She chews on her bottom lip for a while, looking at the plant. Saya had a few herself, even managed to keep more than cacti alive, so she didn¡¯t give it a second thought in picking this small one up for him as a gift for the other week. His apartment was so Spartan, like he had just moved in, but from what the landlady said, he had been there at least six months ¨C she heard that from Gregg himself. Perhaps he has a maid, or is out a lot. She shook her head ¨C he had also mentioned her neighbor doesn¡¯t get out a lot. So which was it?

    Mind wandering, her feet carries her back to her destination slowly until at the next corner, she¡¯s faced with the rear end of the car from before. Saya peers around it on the driver¡¯s side, then slinks past it on the passenger¡¯s, as it takes up nearly the entire courtyard of her apartment building.

    Grumbling, she taps her way up the stairs to the second floor, fishing out her keys from her purse, deciding to get settled before giving him the present.

    ¡°Miss, a moment, if you would?¡± A voice asks from behind her.

    Saya turns; blinking as she¡¯s faced with what she can only assume is a smaller, shorter-haired version of her neighbor. Brother, she thinks. She hadn¡¯t even heard him get out of the car, then, she notices why. He has a driver, and the rear door was still open.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.??He isn¡¯t looking at Saya, though, and she follows his gaze, turning to her neighbor¡¯s door to blue eyes peering at them from behind the door chain.

    Before either could say anything, the door snaps shut and locks from the inside.

    --

    Reo swears and straightens back up from his reaction to dive at Lan¡¯s door before it closed. He can deal with that later; for now, the girl in front of him.

    ¡°Ah, sorry, miss, about me. And about that.¡± He explains in English, assuming based on Saya¡¯s appearance. He motions to Lan¡¯s door.

    She nods, lingering on the door before turning to face him. ¡°I figured you were.. related? You look like him. Well, sort of. You seem..¡±Shorter, smaller, more Japanese, less¡ª

    ¡°Better dressed. Especially for today, aren¡¯t you hot?¡± she asks. Her response catches him a little off guard, most comparisons between Reo and Lan were of physical appearances, never fashion, except from Father, but that conversation was ages ago.

    ¡°I¡ªum.. hm.¡± He tilts his head and briefly looks at the woman from head to toe. She wasn¡¯t Asian, and she spoke perfect English ¨C American? Her shoulder length hair seemed a natural dark brown under a wide sun hat, plenty of freckles, pale eyes, and a plain flowery sun dress. Saya¡¯s purse hung from the crook of her elbow as she held a bag in front of her.It only took Reo a moment before he was nearly slapped across the face with the realization. She looked very, very much like her.

    Oh, my God, Freud would have a fucking field day, he thought, what his therapist must think.

    ¡°Apologies,¡± he fishes in his coat for the case and doles out one single business card, holding it out to her formally with both hands. She sets the bag down and takes it as formality dictates. Reo wonders if she¡¯s been here long enough to know that.

    ¡°Satake.. Reo? Executive Vice President, Satake Group. Hiro.. Hiroshima?!¡± she exclaims. ¡°What are you doing in Tokyo?¡±

    Reo starts to answer until he watches her roll her eyes and look to Lan¡¯s door. ¡°Ah, yes. I am here to see Lan. You reacted like you¡¯ve seen me before. Or is it our resemblance? Do you talk to.. excuse me, I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. I haven¡¯t asked you your name.¡±

    He holds his gloved hand out to her to shake. Saya fumbles a bit to place the business card in her purse, and rather than take Reo¡¯s hand, she produces a business card of her own, holding it out as he did to her.

    Reo takes it gingerly in his fingers, it¡¯s bent slightly at the corners, as if she didn¡¯t get many chances to use her cards.

    ¡°Saya Travis. English.. teacher?¡± He looks up from her card to see her beaming at him.

 9 : Watch Your Step

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°May I ask where?¡±

    ¡°Ah.. Sunny Plumeria? It¡¯s not far from here, thankfully this complex is only two stations away,¡± she explains.

    Reo turns a bit to scan over the other buildings around them. ¡°Is it also in Ota? It makes sense you¡¯d be living here then. Your commute must be easy.¡± He stops and holds her card back out to her ¨C not his usual practice, but he figured she only had the one. ¡°Sorry, here you go.¡±

    Saya looked from him to the card, her grin slipping a little as her brow creases.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t take you seriously because you¡¯re white.¡± A voice from the right mumbles. Lan¡¯s door was open again, but all the two could see was his hand on the knob.

    Reo straightens immediately at this and yanks his hand back, holding it properly in two hands again. ¡°LAN!¡± He stammers, ¡°That¡¯s.. that¡¯s not true, I assure you. Thank you, Miss Travis, for your card.¡± He hastily tugs open his jacket and puts it in his breast pocket.

    Saya had yet to say a word, simply surprised that her neighbor was talking. Once she registered the comment, she knew what it was. Siblings were siblings no matter what country you were from. Still, amused, she keeps silent for a moment.

    ¡°Apologize!¡±

    ¡°No. Why are you here? Just give me the register.¡±

    ¡°You know I won¡¯t.¡± Reo bristles.

    Deadpan, ¡°Then go back home.¡± Lan replies.

    ¡°You¡¯d starve if I did.¡±

    Saya¡¯s eyes flick between the two as if following a tennis match. Reo seemed like he was taking it more seriously than Lan. It was only when he raises his voice to say,

    ¡°..because father doesn¡¯t TRUST YOU WITH THE MONEY--¡±

    --that Saya steps forward and holds her hands out, not touching Reo, and in front of Lan¡¯s door before they continue. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s.. enough, I think.¡± She looks at both of them as she would her kids, which only makes her want to smile again.

    ¡°Reo-san,¡± to him, turning to the cracked door, he speaks before she can: ¡°Just Lan.. is fine.¡±

    ¡°Lan. I¡¯m assuming you¡¯d be rather.. mad if I invited your broth¡ª¡°

    ¡°Half.¡± They both correct her at the same time.

    ¡°Half-brother in for tea, yes?¡± Saya turns to Reo before Lan can speak,

    ¡°And I¡¯m sure you¡¯re the type of gentleman that would not accept the invitation anyway.¡±

    ¡°Not alone, Miss Travis, no.¡± Reo responds.

    Saya nods and drops her hands, turning her back on the both of them and picking up the bag that contains her gift to Lan. This will have to wait, she thinks. She pulls her key out from her purse and unlocks her door, pulling it open as Reo stands back.

    ¡°Then both of you wait here. I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡±

    Saya¡¯s door creaks shut as the two stare daggers at each other in silence outside until told otherwise.

    --

    Reo is the first to turn around towards the courtyard, looking elsewhere. ¡°Useless,¡± he mutters under his breath.

    ¡°Prick. Give me her business card.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Reo hisses.

    Lan clicks his tongue but keeps the door cracked, mostly out of curiosity at this point.

    --

    Saya can hear the two muttering in Japanese outside, but at least they weren¡¯t as loud anymore. She sets her purse and the gift bag to the side, and kicks off her shoes, padding over to the kitchen area.

    It doesn¡¯t take her very long to put together three mugs, mismatched as they are, side by side on the counter. She taps her fingers next to them as she waits for the water to heat up.

    He seems.. livelier when his half-brother¡¯s around, which, to be fair, isn¡¯t saying much. Her only view of him is a glowering, soaked-to-the-bone ghost from the other week. Though she could see the resemblance between them, obviously. As the kettle started to whistle she cut the burner off, pouring an equal amount between the cups, wondering which parent they shared.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.??Father doesn¡¯t trust you, Reo had said. Safe to assume they share a father, he¡¯s definitely Japanese, she thinks, but Lan¡¯s mother?

    The mugs clink together as she gathers them in one hand, stepping down into her shoes and tapping her toes on the ground. Twisting the knob, any conversation they were murmuring stopped as Saya opens the door.

    If the warring brothers won¡¯t compromise, she would.

    --

    Reo turns back to the door as he hears it open, looking head-height but dropping down as he sees a hand holding three mugs appears first. He fires a sharp glare towards the crack in Lan¡¯s door, Look at this, you moron, before pulling the door open for Saya.

    ¡°Please, you didn¡¯t have to..¡± he protests as she steps back out onto the landing, letting the door close.

    ¡°Well, he wouldn¡¯t come out, you wouldn¡¯t come in, so, I made the choice for you.¡± Saya holds out the mugs, Reo taking one gingerly as both turn to Lan¡¯s door, waiting.

    Lan sighs before his door closes, the chain clinks behind it, and the door swings open fully. Reo, thankful he¡¯s behind Saya, doesn¡¯t hide the tremendous display of rolling his eyes as his brother exits.

    Saya was expecting the height, but it was the first time she got a decent look at Lan Satake. ¡°Cut your hair, fool.¡± Reo chided at the big reveal. Lan sneered in response, stepping out barefoot.

    Standing nearly a foot taller than her, he had his hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, dressed in ¨C thankfully ¨C dry jeans and a t-shirt. He¡¯s still so thin, the damp clothes didn¡¯t hide anything.. she thought.

    Lan reaches out and takes one of the cups from Saya, leaving her with her own. He looked as if he hadn¡¯t slept well in quite a while, but his eyes were a little greener than she first saw. It was her first look in the day, anyhow.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he mumbles.

    Saya nods and blows on her tea, looking between the two. Again, when they didn¡¯t speak, she did.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting the idea that you two are not on the best terms.¡± She asked. Lan nodded, as did Reo. So far it was working, treating them like she did her children. Don¡¯t smile, girl.

    ¡°Reo-k¡ªsaaaan..¡± She just caught herself from TALKING to them as if they were her children, ¡°You came all this way for some reason, right?¡± Reo was drinking from his cup as he nodded, using the cuff of his glove to dry his lips.

    ¡°We.. Lan and I.. go shopping for his supplies for the month. Today is the 31<sup>st</sup>, and father sends me here to.. help him.¡±

    Saya turns back to the other brother to catch the coldest, shut-your-damn-mouth stare from Lan over his cup. He seemed to be using it as a prop. Lan¡¯s gaze softens when he nods to Saya, swallowing.

    ¡°It can be a lot, shopping for a month. It¡¯s.. necessities, clothes, the car makes it easier,¡± Reo motions with his free hand towards the car below.

    She looks between them, as far as she was concerned, she did her job for now ¨C both were lying to her, or at the very least hiding something from her, but they were talking, albeit through her.

    The two were talking in English for her benefit, she realizes. As they dig themselves deeper and deeper with excuses, Saya makes sure to keep her mug up to hide her silly grin.

    ¡°So, Lan, should we be going? The driver¡¯s waiting.¡± Reo holds his cup out to Saya, ¡°Thank you for that, I¡ªwe, didn¡¯t mean to impose.¡± Reo starts down the stairs as Lan begins to follow, holding his cup out to Saya.

    ¡°Right, okay.¡± She takes Lan¡¯s cup as well, having to use both hands since his isn¡¯t empty, but he¡¯s stopped before he can make a move when Saya leans over the railing, bowing slightly to Reo as he steps down.

    Puzzled, Lan moves to slide around her when one light touch of a shoe on top of his bare toes makes him freeze. Saya raises a brow up at him, then glances to his open door.

    ¡°..r-right.¡± He mumbles. ¡°Be right there, Reo.¡± Lan slides his foot out from under hers as she makes for her own apartment.

    Shoes. Right.

 10 : Should I Stay or Should I

    The car glides silently through the thin lanes of Ota, neither brother looks at the other, preferring to stare out their respective windows.

    Reo''s ankle rests on his other knee, his fingers tapping idly against his leg. One is used to silence, the other uncomfortable with it until it finally breaks.

    ¡°You look like shit. You treated her like shit. You made me look like shit. Do you even give a shit?¡±

    Were he not stuck alone in this car with his half-brother, Lan would have laughed straight in his face at how utterly planned that last statement was. Reo did love forming his sentences before blurting them out, and Japanese was great for repetition.

    But no, Lan simply stares out the window at the houses counting by until it opens into a proper road. The supermarket was first. The two receive their share of stares as they get out of a chauffeured car. Both of them hook a basket on their arm, and both go down the same aisles.

    ¡°It''s been a year, and I don''t know what you eat. I''m assuming it''s all instant.¡± Reo hisses, ¡°No, it''s been more than that, two months more.¡± He plucks condiments off the shelf, regular staples that will last another month.

    Lan pauses as he picks up a package of udon, looking at the back before placing it in his basket.

    ¡°Are you seeing anyone these days?¡± he asks.

    Reo stops in his tracks as Lan continues, picking items off into his basket. <em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">Is he fucking with me? He thinks, <em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">I wouldn''t put it past him. ¡°No,¡± Reo replies, catching up to Lan. ¡°No, I''m not seeing anyone. I''m far too busy to..¡±

    ¡°Do you think.. you.. hm.¡± Lan stops and scratches the side of his neck for a moment. ¡°Is it imposing on someone if you''re.. broken? Like.. don''t you owe it to the person to get yourself together before dating someone else?¡± He turns to Reo and looks at him, who has a look of unsure disgust in return.

    ¡°Okay, I''ll bite. Are you serious? Is this a joke? It''s a piss poor joke if you''re trying to fuck with me,¡± he responds.

    ¡°No, it just occurred to me with Saya, she seemed to have her shit together, yeah? I mean you do too, so I wondered if that was a.. prerequisite for a relationship.¡±

    Despite himself, Reo ends up picking out Lan''s preferred vegetables, while Lan himself busies with the meat and seafood. He holds a bunch of carrots in his hand as he looks at his brother for a moment.

    ¡°No, I don''t.. think it''s realistic to expect anyone to be ''sorted out'' before they enter a relationship. Fuck, maybe that''s why Japan has a negative birth rate.¡±

    Lan barks out a laugh at that, a deep, staccato noise which Reo has rarely heard in the past few years. So he is capable of it, still. His face didn''t show it, but Reo was rather proud of himself for that, at least.

    ¡°Are you done? I think this is enough for the month. It''s a decent variety, simple, but enough.¡± Reo counted in both their baskets, vegetables, noodles, instant, tea, meat, fish, bread. Not a great amount, but enough. ¡°Come on. I want to get out of Tokyo before nine tonight.¡±

    Lan follows Reo up to the cashier, but not before Reo grabs a bottle of multivitamins. No fruit. Scurvy. Potassium. He does bruise like a banana, he thinks, if only he''d eat a fucking banana.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¨C

    Gregg stops for a moment as a large car passes in front of him. He thumbs along his phone''s contacts until he gets to Saya, hovering over the options of call, text, or info. What he had to say wasn''t exactly text-worthy, nor was it really something he could talk about over the phone.

    He presses the call button and starts walking again, even though he''s in Ota, only a few blocks from her apartment. She picks up cheerfully, it sounds like she''s doing dishes.

    ¡°Hey, babe, I''m walking to your place now, do you wanna get dinner tonight? Actually let me rephrase that, let''s go get dinner tonight ''cos I''m two blocks away.¡±

    He chuckles as she laughs into the phone, saying she''ll meet him outside as he hangs up the call.

    Now what the hell am I going to say, he thinks.

    ¨C

    Gregg and Saya walk down the path, turning to walk over the Nomi River, her arm looped around his. They don''t seem to have any destination in mind.

    ¡°It''s rare for you to go outside your.. culinary quirks.¡± She smirks at him which causes Gregg to duck his head. ¡°It''s fine, don''t worry about it. But I didn''t know you were okay with sushi.¡±

    He inhales and hmms, thinking. ¡°It''s not so much that, it''s more a not-broke-don''t-fix situation. I''m willing to try. But even then I didn''t get the ones you did. Something about the way salmon roe looks.¡± He over-exaggerates his shudder to get her laughing.

    ¡°Fair. Well, thank you, it''s nice to vary it up now and then. And it was a very nice restaurant.¡± She turns a bit, looking over at him. ¡°You didn''t pay too much, did you? We could have gone somewhere--¡±

    Gregg holds up his hand and shakes it a bit. ¡°It''s fine, it wasn''t expensive.¡± It was tremendously expensive, he thinks. ¡°Like you said, varying it up.¡± Buttering her up.

    The two meander down the road from the bridge as the sun sets, slowly approaching Morigasaki Park. Saya perks up for a moment and fishes out her phone from her purse. ¡°Hang on a sec..¡± She holds it up to a sign in front of what seems to be a school. Saya turns and shows him the phone.

    ¡°I thought this looked familiar. Some of my kids said they were going here next year. A few already are enrolled.¡± Gregg nods, looking up at the building, then out towards the bay. ¡°Must be a hell of a view,¡± he muses, the kids would have a great view. Of the highway. And the airport. Jesus what a shitty location for a school, he concludes.

    Saya is quiet for a moment before she drops her hands down to hold one of his, looking up at the building. ¡°The.. program.. has asked if I wanted to try teaching here. Sometime this year, I think.¡± She wasn''t looking at him, but he already knew what she''d show him: she was really, really beautiful when she was in awe. She turns and looks at him, just in time for him to put on a thin smile. ¡°Yeah? You aren''t done with your degree, though.¡±

    She shakes her head, her hair brushing across her cheeks. ¡°They know, they said that it would be fine to have the same schedule, it''d test me more, and.. it is kind of a pay raise,¡± she admits. ¡°So? What do you think?¡±

    Gregg''s smile drops a bit as he opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. He looks down at his hand in hers and then up to her, closing his grip around them.

    ¡°I.. think I need to tell you something.¡±

 11 : Yesterdays Favorite

    Reo had insisted that they walk at least around the block, having sent the car back to Lan''s apartment. The sun was setting, Reo knew he wasn''t going to get back until late anyway. The awkward couple walked at Lan''s pace, barely a shuffle as the rest of the busy world parts around them.

    The younger one of them was irked not only with the speed of their walk, but the fact that this towering beanpole looks like you just killed his favorite teddy bear, he thinks. Reo shakes his head a bit, that''s not fair, though. Not that he knew what was going on in Lan''s head anyway, he was just in charge of keeping his half-brother alive. Lan''s emotions weren''t his concern, that''s what the therapist was for.

    ¡°When she--¡± Reo pauses for a moment before speaking again. ¡°When you came here, to Tokyo, why did you choose Ota? I mean you know Hana set it all up. You know Hana..¡±

    ¡°I know his secretary, yes.¡± Lan mumbles.

    ¡°Is there a reason you wanted this? Ota wouldn''t be my first choice.¡± Reo looks down the road, shaking his head a bit, Ota wouldn''t have been his fourth or fifth choice.

    ¡°I mean, why not Shima, or Niigata? Beaches. Or hell,¡± he throws up his hands. ¡°Hokkaido or something, at least we own places there. Why some hole in the wall in this big city? You could have been in a nicer hole in the wall in Hiroshima.¡±

    Lan let his brother rant, usually it wasn''t this bad, but it''s surprising what you can tune out once you''ve heard it five or ten times. He had his reasons to talk, just as Lan had his reasons to come to Ota, thin as they might seem.

    ¡°She liked Tokyo Bay. And she hated big cities. She never told me why.¡± Lan said, pausing midstep as he counts on his fingers. ¡°No, that''s not true, she liked Italy. Merano was like a ''small-big'' town. I guess that doesn''t count..¡±

    Reo only turns to look at Lan five paces away. He tuned Lan out the same way. He''s looking at his hand and talking about Italy. They had gone to Italy, once, that was fifteen years ago. Why the fuck is he talking about it now? Reo thought.

    He waits for his brother to catch up, Lan stuffing his hands in his pockets. Reo grabs Lan''s arm and holds him in place. ¡°Stay here.¡± Enough of this, I''ve done enough. He steps to the street and raises an arm as a taxi rolls up to a stop next to them.

    ¡°Come on, we need to get back. I''m paying that driver like this taxi. Get in.¡± Reo pulls open the door, getting in after Lan does.

    Reo gives the driver Lan''s address and leans back, pulling out his phone. There was no way he was getting back before midnight, so he set out to message Hana and anyone else that may have been expecting him.

    ¡°Why do you still wear the gloves?¡± Lan asks, looking at his brother''s thumbs as they move along the phone''s screen. ¡°Or rather, how are you using the phone with them on?¡±

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.??Reo stops typing for a moment, turning one palm up and looking at the glove. ¡°They''re touch-capacitive, I had them made.. as to why? I mean.. habit, I guess. Why do you wear underwear?¡±

    ¡°Because my dick hates denim? What do you mean, are your gloves hand-underwear?¡±

    This idiot.. Reo turns away for a moment and bites back a laugh because he knew if he looked at Lan it would be a perfectly curious expression, no joke intended.

    ¡°No, I.. grandfather always used to wear them, remember? Not so much late in life, but in all the pictures we have, when he was out and about, he had his gloves on. And I.. always thought that was..¡± Cool. ¡°I thought that set him apart from his peers.¡±

    ¡°But father never wore them. Or rather, it was rare.¡± Lan sat back, looking out his window.

    "Yeah, well, how many of father''s habits did you inherit? Don''t kids end up being the antithesis of their parents?¡±

    Lan rests his chin in his hand, mumbling again, ¡°And only when they''re older do they realize just how similar they were in reality.¡±

    Reo glances down at his hand and rubs his thumb and forefinger together, opening his palm again. He hadn''t thought about the <em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">why in quite a while. They had just become.. normal.

    ¨C

    They sit under a tree overgrowing the pergola in Morigasaki, Gregg''s fingers linked through Saya''s as they watch a few kids kick around a soccer ball in the green in front of them. Says''s mind races with intentions, actions, excuses, Gregg hadn''t told her why he wanted to talk at first, she had just nodded and followed him here.

    Saya was overly conscious that her hand was sweating against his. This is like our first date, she thought. So this is the last, then? Gregg was looking down at his feet, but he seemed like he was trying to find the words for something. When you work with kids.. Saya thought, she saw the same frustrated face on her students that can''t find the right word.

    Looking up through the foliage above them, Saya thought back on their relationship. It wasn''t the sturdiest, but it was.. driftwood bumping against driftwood in the ocean. They knew English, they came from America, they were lonely, they were cute. So why this, why now? Best not think about it, let''s just..

    Saya pats the back of Gregg''s hand and stands up, stretching her arms above her head as she turns to him. ¡°Shall we go? It''ll be dark soon, come on.¡± She holds her hand out to Gregg again and after the tenth second he doesn''t take it, she drops it down to her side.

    She is a smart girl. She''s not stupid. She knows. But it still catches him off guard when she sighs and says:

    ¡°So when are you leaving?¡±

 12 : Dont You Hate It? / Everythings Alright

    ¡°September. I have to be gone before September 1<sup>st</sup>.¡± He admits after a long while. Before letting her reply, Gregg pushes up off the bench and takes her hand again. ¡°Come with me. I''m just going home, back to New York. We can go together.¡±

    Saya couldn''t look at him, preferring to look back the way they came, towards the street they''d eventually walk back towards. Her hand was limp in his grasp.

    ¡°My parents.. they''d be happy to pay your ticket back, and you''d have no problem getting a job in the city.¡± He rambles on, and it slowly starts becoming nothing more than white noise to Saya.

    ¡°--Who,¡± she interrupts him mid-sentence. ¡°are you trying to convince, Gregg?¡± Her voice is torn, broken. He skirts around to her front as she tries to turn away, he pulls her back into his view and Saya looks down. He didn''t push further, her tears dripping off of her jaw were enough. ¡°Why didn''t.. you tell me?¡±

    Either double down or redirect the blame. You''re good at both, Gregg thinks. But don''t you think you''ve done enough of the latter?

    He drops her hand and stands in front of her, finding no gentle way to say anything at all.

    ¡°I didn''t.. renew my visa.¡± He states, it''s out, keep going. ¡°I came here as.. a tourist. Max 90 days. I.. over the last year I kept getting extension after extension, and I can''t do it anymore. I don''t have a reason to be here, Saya.¡±

    He sighs when she balls her hands up into fists at her sides. ¡°You.. were the reason I stayed. And I.. hoped it was enough.¡±

    Saya''s sadness was turning into anger with every word he said. She sniffs back her running nose and grits her teeth. ¡°So you.. give me one month to decide. To.. uproot myself from the life I have here, because you want to go home.¡±

    She pulls up the front of her dress, not caring who sees to rub her eyes and nose, forcing herself to stop crying over this. ¡°Gregg Aarons can''t take life away from the United States, let''s shatter someone else''s life because ''I WANT TO GO HOME!!''¡± she yells.

    The kids near them stop mid-play, looking at the couple before conversing between each other. They gather up their ball and head towards the park''s entrance.

    Gregg watches them go and glances left and right, reaching out to touch her shoulders. ¡°Saya, we can t--¡±

    ¡°If you touch me, I will kick you in the balls. I may anyway.¡± she almost growls. Gregg rears back, turning his body slightly to the side on instinct. ¡°''We can talk''? Are you serious? They sent you a notice three months ago, didn''t they? To renew.¡±

    She finally looks at him, her eyes red, holding back tears that were still falling despite the malice in her words. He could only stay there and take it.

    ¡°You.. lied to me. You have been lying to me. For all this time. Why? Fuck with the girl for a while, fly back home, no strings attached? Get on with life? How could you possibly think I could follow you back with the life I have here?¡±

    ¡°I have responsibilities, I have friends, I have students, I.. you selfish asshole! Come with you.¡± She laughs wryly, wiping underneath her eyes with the back of her hand. ¡°I knew you were hiding something, I thought it was cute, you taking me out for sushi. You hate sushi. You hate Tokyo. You hate Japan, why are you even here, Gregg?¡±

    Saya looks at him expectantly, but this time it was Gregg who wouldn''t meet her gaze, nor did he have an excuse.

    ¡°You had your fun, you wanted your cake, and you wanted to eat it too.¡± Her mother''s voice echoed in her head as absolute anger took over the sadness, good, she''d say, tell that self-entitled shit what''s what.

    ¡°Gregg, look at me.¡±

    He did, raising his head to look directly at her, as she held a solid middle finger halfway between his gaze and hers.

    ¡°This is your cake walking away. America o tanoshimu, shiri.¡± She spat at him, knowing full well he wouldn''t understand - pushing past him and walking towards the way they came.

    Enjoy America, asshole.

    ¨C

    Lan stands quietly in his kitchen, looking around. The fridge was stocked, the cupboards full, but any passerby wouldn''t know. Nothing is out of place: the Ikea model home he lives in. He had left the TV on, just so it sounded like someone actually lived here.

    It''s pretty easy to hide things in plain sight when no one gives a shit about you, he thinks as he pulls open a drawer next to the stove, a Beretta M9 sliding along the bottom and hitting the front of the drawer. Lan picks it up and regards it impassively, turning it over in his hands. He''d kill me if he knew I took this, he thinks.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.??Yep, ''cos that matters now. Lan walks over and sits in the middle of the couch, his index finger tracing along the engravings of the gun''s features.

    His father was proud that he had an actual M9, this particular one was in mint condition, fired once or twice at a range, and it was hell to import.

    Funny.

    Lan parts his lips and sticks the barrel of the M9 in his maw, cocking back the hammer and holding it down, digging the muzzle up against the roof of his mouth. His bottom teeth click against the slide.

    It would be so easy.

    --

    Click.

    Lan was neither dead, maimed, nor harmed. This confused him as he pulls back on the hammer again and pulls the trigger.

    Click.

    He pulls the gun out of his mouth, wincing as the sight catches his upper lip, breaking the skin. He holds the back of his hand up against his bleeding mouth and thumbs the magazine release, letting it fall to the floor between his legs.

    Setting the gun beside him, he picks up the magazine and looks at the top ¨C nothing. No bullets. Bullshit, he thinks, I made sure of it.

    Wiping his mouth, staining his cheek red with blood, Lan grabs the gun and pushes back the slide, expecting it to be chambered ¨C but not with what appears to be a sticky note.

    He reaches in and pinches the note out of the barrel, unraveling it against his thigh, reading out the words:

    ¡°Eat dicks, not bullets. He would kill you if he knew.¡±

    Reo. Asshole. Lan rears back and sends the gun flying, making it stick handle-out from the new hole it made in the drywall, stopping dead with a hard thunk. Lan would have laughed at the perfect throw were he not more angry about the situation.

    Lan rests his head in his hands and drools blood onto the white carpet in front of him, slowly staining it a brilliant crimson.

    You have knives.

    That would hurt.

    He argues with himself, tilting his head side to side for each voice''s opinion.

    Electrocution hurts. Drowning probably hurts. You could jump, but with your luck, you''d be paralyzed and not dead.

    Sighing, Lan stands up and wipes his mouth again, only now noticing the red smear on the back of his hand. He touches his lip and winces, looking at his red fingertips.

    Can''t kill yourself, but you''re good at maiming.

    He walks into the kitchen and ducks his head under the kitchen faucet, cold water rinsing out his new wound. Lan rubs the blood off the back of his hand at the same time, leaning back and pulling sheets off the roll of paper towels and holding them against his lip.

    Opening the refrigerator door, he pulls out a beer, cracking it open in the same hand. He raises it to his mouth and awkwardly holds the paper towels on his upper lip while pouring the beer in his mouth.

    You beautiful man, he thinks with a sneer, making his way to the couch until he hears a loud slam from the apartment next door.

    ¨C

    Saya slams the door behind her and turns to the entryway, dropping her purse where she stands.

    She takes a long, deep breath in through her nose and.. crumples. She lets herself fall into herself, kneeling on the wood floor as she lets wracked sobs wash over her. Who gives a fuck if they hear.

    Tears pour down her cheeks as she bends over on all fours, sobbing harder than she can remember ever crying. She had held it in on her own on the walk back, on the train, up the stairs, but this is home.

    Saya rolls onto her side and pulls her knees up against her chest, tears blurring her vision as she sobs, saliva, mucus out onto the floor, you look disgusting. She thinks, which only makes her wail harder, digging her fingers into her shins, holding her legs tight.

    And everything she did wrong or right cycles through her mind, like a life flashing before her eyes, she replays her relationship with Gregg as if searching for a reason. There had to be a reason.

    What did I do? What didn''t I do? What''s wrong with me, why is he leaving? Why did I say no?

    After a while, she gets up, sitting with her back against the wall in the thin entryway to her apartment, her feet pressing against the opposite wall.

    Saya tenses up, every muscle taut in a silent scream as she pulls her foot back and hammers it into the wall until her heel makes a dent, cracking into the drywall.

 13 : Instigator, Part 2

    Toshio started twisting his arm out of this girl''s reach, finally having to yank it out forcefully. She spoke Japanese, so he spoke Japanese.

    ¡°Than.. THANK YOU. You can let go now.¡± He breathed in through his nose and exhaled, pulling the wrinkles out of his vest, twisting on the cuffs of his gloves ¨C though that was more for her benefit: don''t touch, he hoped it said.

    ¡°You''re welcome,¡± she stated, brushing down her dress.

    They stood in a hallway off the main room, catching their breath.

    ¡°What makes you think.. that you know anything about these people?¡± she asked, crossing her arms in front of her. ¡°What are you, 20? 23?¡± She used her hand to show Toshio to himself, head to toe. ¡°Did you think they would take you seriously?¡±

    ¡°They..¡± Another breath, relax. ¡°They have before.¡±

    ¡°When Daddy was around?¡± She smirked at him, if she were a man, he thought, his fingers curling into a fist.

    ¡°And you know better? Does age matter? You tell me.¡± He sizes her up with a sneer, forcing the insult onto her.

    She tilted her head and looked at him as if he were a newborn. ¡°Yes.¡± she stated. And he knew she was right.

    Emma pushed off of the wall and turned towards the open ballroom they had came from. ¡°It hurts, doesn''t it? To know that you know as much as they do.¡±

    She looks back at Toshio. ¡°Or more.¡± She turns and points to the beeper hooked on his belt. ¡°You''re not wrong. That''s the next step.¡±

    Toshio visibly relaxed, finding himself again as he stands up. I wish I were taller, he thought, standing next to her. She pointed at his pager, he plucked it off his belt, looking at the LCD display.

    Eventually this will be a phone, in our hands, he thought, turning it over with his fingers. She was validating his quip about Docomo.

    He looked up at the girl and smiles slightly. ¡°Anyone ever tell you have more smarts than looks?¡±

    Emma raised her hand and pointed at Toshio, despite his grin. ¡°If I slap you, how much security will show up?¡±

    In response, Toshio said nothing, but pushed off the wall and turned, arcing his elbow out to Emma, waiting.

    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, though after a moment she did take his arm and walked with him out towards the ballroom, the tall girl and the big man.

    At least he felt that way that night.

    ¨C

    He stopped caring about the others in the room that night, instead, the two of them sat together with each other, a circular coffee table between them, right up against the bright glass separating them from the rest of the city.

    ¡°You''re four years younger than me?¡± he balked, then glanced down at the glass of chardonnay she tipped at him, which meant she was at most, nineteen. And has no business drinking, he thought. Toshio didn''t make a move to take it away from her, though, it was only her first or second anyway.

    ¡°So I assume you are in college?¡± She nodded, glancing over the crowd as they mill about in front of the two. ¡°Where, if I may ask? I attended..¡±

    ¡°Tohoku,¡± she stated, then turned and points at his cocktail. ¡°Want another? I want another one.¡± She plucked the glass out of his hand and stands up, walking over to the bar.

    He simply stared where her body would be, not even noticing that she''s long gone by the time his brain processed that this white girl was attending one of the top universities in Japan. He turned to look at her back as she ordered refills. Who in the hell is this woman? He thought, rubbing his cheek with his hand thoughtfully.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.??She had said her name was Emma, but that didn''t mean anything to him, she hadn''t given her surname yet. She''s here at this party, so she must have connections, or relations. Emma walked back to him and gave him his glass, a vodka tonic. Had she even asked him what it was to begin with?

    ¡°I''m sorry to interrupt, you were talking about university? Which did you attend?¡± she inquired. Toshio was about to answer when he suddenly realized he was embarrassed to say. He didn''t attend any slouch of a school, but it wasn''t Tohoku.

    ¡°I.. I attended Keio, here in Tokyo. I just recently finished my graduate studies. But that''s not.. just who are you, Emma?¡±

    She peered at him over the rim of her glass, taking a sip and tilting her head. ¡°You know my name already, riOH. Oh! You mean last name. Apologies, it just slipped my mind. Matsuri, Emma Matsuri. Pleased to meet you.¡± She held out her free hand to Toshio.

    He shook her hand, searching his mind, the name sounded so famili--¡°OF MATSURI SECURITIES?!¡± he exclaimed, clapping his free hand over his mouth at just how loud it echoed through the room. Emma ducked her head as if hiding would help, a laugh escaping her at his outburst.

    ¡°That.. yes, my parents run Matsuri Securities, shush!¡± She lightly batted the hand that covers Toshio''s astonished mouth. ¡°Yes, they are my parents.¡±

    ¡°That explains why you''re here, but.. they''re not?¡± Toshio scanned the room, looking for them. He had seen their profiles, but never met them in person.

    ¡°They''re not here tonight,¡± she offered, ¡°They said I didn''t have to come, but I figure if I''m going to be a proper Matsuri..¡± She shrugged.

    He hadn''t even considered that, the Matsuris were both Japanese, but they had a white daughter?

    ¡°About that..¡±

    ¡°Adopted.¡± She cut him off before he could ask the question she always got. ¡°Mom and Dad couldn''t.. conceive, so.. here I am.¡± She opened her arms wide at Toshio, smilingly slightly. It bothers her, he thinks.

    ¡°Do they..¡± He paused, searching for the words. ¡°Are you going to take over when they retire?¡±

    She ran her finger around the rim of the glass, thinking to herself. ¡°I haven''t thought much about it. They only ever asked that I pursue what makes me happy.¡± She squinted at him, as if she wasn''t familiar. ¡°Which isn''t a very Japanese thing, is it? I mean no offense.¡±

    Toshio took a sip from his vodka tonic, shaking his head. ¡°It''s not offensive. I figure stereotypes are there for a reason. Japan expects its youth to work hard for the sake of parent and country.¡± He almost parroted, something instilled in him from an early age. ¡°Present company not withstanding,¡± as he looked at the rich boys and girls around the room.

    There are so many questions I have and none of them are appropriate to ask in any situation whatsoever, he thought. Why was she adopted in Japan? Was one of her biological parents Japanese? Is it a corporate adoption?

    She rest her arm on the back of the couch they sat on, smiling a bit. ¡°You seem awfully confused, Toshio.¡±

    Toshio.

    ¡°I.. I.. well, yes.¡± He deferred for the moment by taking a gulp of his drink, ¡°I don''t..¡± he looked at the exit nearby, then turned to her. ¡°I don''t want to be here anymore. Do you want to..¡± get out of here..

    She grabbed his hand and pulled him up with her as they both walked towards the door. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

 14 : Instigator, Part 3

    It wasn''t long until they were standing at a corner on the Shibuya Crossing. Toshio hated crowds, but he held onto Emma''s hand nevertheless. He grabbed after her as she let go, walking out into the crossing. His eyes flicked from her to the sign behind her as it turned red ¨C and she was still in the middle.

    Cars honked and twisted their way past Emma as she stood in the middle of the crosswalk. She crossed her arms and looked at Toshio on the sidewalk. Waiting.

    ¡°You don''t like the risk, do you?¡± she shouted at him.

    She wasn''t even looking at the oncoming traffic to her right. It''s as if she knew, though she could have been inebriated too, he thought.

    Toshio looked down at his hand, clenching it in a fist and extending it, looking at the back of his gloved hand as he looked up at her, fearless, waiting. Stupid girl.. She held her hand out towards him expectantly.

    His legs still carried him out into traffic, along the crosswalk, drivers, taxis slamming on their brakes to avoid hitting him before swerving around to continue driving.

    Inwardly, he was disgusted at all of this. That this woman is making him do all of this, but it wasn''t that. She wasn''t making him do anything. It was what Toshio hadn''t done before that was the draw.

    From the day he was born, he felt his path was set. Follow father, take over the company, earn wealth, retire and die.

    He took Emma''s hand and slid his fingers between hers as her smile widens, cars streaming past them over the crosswalk. "Letting go is pretty nice, isn''t it?¡± she asked.

    Toshio looked to his left, as each car twisted left and right once they saw the two of them, it felt like a power they shared, a bubble of invulnerability.

    Letting go is pretty nice, he thought.

    ¨C

    ¡°I''m a cheap date. Very easy to impress,¡± she stated as they both exited the ramen shop. The total for the both of them was less than 1500 yen. The drinks they had had earlier were probably much more than that. His father''s advice rang true, even for Emma. When no one expects anything of you, you can do anything. Emma''s parents expected nothing but her happiness, and Toshio would be able to confirm that by her constant demeanor.

    He had overcome his shyness after the Shibuya crossing stunt. The alcohol didn''t hurt, either. He let her take his arm again as they wandered down the thin back streets. It was late, and in the back of his mind he thought I need to get her home.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.??¡°Miss Matsuri,¡± he started ¨C and still refused to call her by her first name, ¡°do you mind if I ask a personal question or two?¡±

    Emma tilted her head back and looked up at the black sky, the light pollution around them. She had fielded this question before. ¡°How.. does a white girl become the daughter of two of the most successful Japanese people in the country?¡± She looked over at Toshio, who was dumbfounded again, but he nodded.

    ¡°Yes, if it''s not imposing or uncomfortable to talk about.¡±

    She hummed to herself, thinking of where to start. ¡°I.. do not remember my biological parents. Nor have I ever felt the need to seek them out. They said I was.. not abandoned, but.. given up.¡± She glanced out of the corner of her eye at his expression ¨C and there it was.

    ¡°Pff. I''ve told this story so many times, and there is always one emotion people show me, despite it making no difference.¡± She spun in front of him and walked backwards for a moment, tilting her head. ¡°Can you guess--¡±

    ¡°Sympathy,¡± he interrupted. ¡°And you hate it, don''t you?¡±

    Emma turned around and continued walking for a bit. ¡°Every time. The pitiable white girl, out of her element, how unfortunate. Even if they know my parents.¡± She stopped to let him catch up, her hands linked behind her back as they kept on.

    ¡°I already told you that Mom and Dad couldn''t have their own child,¡± Mom and Dad, he thought, had he ever used those terms with his family? ¡°And they.. knew the..¡± She paused, trying to find the word. ¡°Okay, put it this way. Before I opened my mouth, before we talked, what did you think of me?¡±

    ¡°That''s a trap and you know it,¡± he responded, raising a brow at her. She only laughed and shook her head.

    ¡°No trap, promise. Be honest, I have been with you so far.¡±

    Toshio crossed his arms and looked at her briefly as he did before, head to toe, thinking.

    ¡°Naive. Out of place. Very pretty, I might add.¡± He peppered in his compliments, though she wasn''t falling for it. ¡°But.. what''s the word.. when a girl.. is only a face?¡±

    ¡°Ahh. Arm candy. Trophy wife.¡± she said in English, but it seemed he understood, nodding. But quickly shaking his head and holding his hands up.

    ¡°I certainly don''t think that now, I promise.¡±

    Emma laughed and shrugged a bit. ¡°You''re not wrong. That''s everyone''s first guess. And you''d be surprised at how much you hear when people think you don''t know the language.¡± She leans over and whispered to him. ¡°Telling people to go fuck themselves in Japanese is much more exciting when they least expect it.

    Toshio tilted his head back sharply as she leaned close, clapping a gloved hand over his mouth as he tried very, very hard to repress the blush in his cheeks at her closeness.

    And she just grinned at him.

 15 : A Thin Wall, Part 2

    Lan pushes up to stand as he looks at the latest damage, no security deposit anymore. He could care less, tossing his empty can at the gun embedded in the wall, wandering to the kitchen and getting a fresh beer.

    He pulls open the sliding glass door, stepping out into the still-oppressive heat of Tokyo in August. His neighbor is crying, as to why, Lan has passed the point of giving a shit. About her, the world, he rests his forearms on the railing of the balcony, watching the world go by.

    Leaning against the wall that divides his and Saya''s apartment, he looks down at the lane below him. No traffic, a blinking street light.

    It''s only when he catches sight of a few cats playing around in the storm drain does he perk up, squinting as they play hide-and-seek in them he remembers his toy.

    Lan scrambles back into his apartment, into the kitchen as he yanks open a drawer, pushing aside pens, pencils, notepads: Ah, there it is. He picks up a laser pointer with a keychain dangling from it. Leaving the drawer open, he thumps his way back to the balcony, leaning over it. They''re still there, good. He thinks.

    Pointing it at the opposite wall, the cats take interest immediately, both of them darting their vision side to side as Lan moves the pointer slightly. He grins and takes a long sip from his beer. I wonder..

    He angles the red dot onto one of the cats, catching the attention of the other one. A little wiggle.. and the one watching tackles the lasered one, who yowls out and fights back at its attacker. Lan laughs and points the dot up against the wall again, capturing the wrestling cats'' attention yet again.

    ¡°Seems kinda mean.¡± A voice croaks next to him, Lan fumbles with the pointer and his beer, putting the toy in his back pocket as he leans over the railing of his balcony to look next door.

    He couldn''t quite see her, just her silhouette, but she was there. ¡°To.. tease them like that.¡± She said. ¡°I mean, I don''t know, I haven''t.. had a cat in a long time.¡±

    To her surprise, an arm reaches around the divider between their balconies, holding a cold beer. Saya takes it out of his hand and looks at it. It was nearly six percent alcohol, she hadn''t had a beer that actually advertised how fucked up you could get. She did smile a bit at the offer, though.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.??¡°Thank you, Lan.¡± she mumbles, cracking it open and taking a drink. It was strong, she can almost taste it by the burn it leaves behind.

    ¡°How was your day?¡± Saya asks the can she holds in both hands, though it was meant for Lan, standing two inches of concrete away from her. She didn''t really care, but the less she thought about herself, the better.

    ¨C

    ¡°Oh, uh..¡± I''m drinking myself stupid; did you know I tried to kill myself today? Maybe I''ll be successful tomorrow; You''re the only person I actually talk to these days; my world ended last year wanna talk about it? He thinks and grits his teeth, shaking his head clear of all those internal thoughts. ¡°It was.. we went shopping. To.. stock the fridge. Reo comes and.. helps out every month.¡±

    Well, now you sound mentally disabled, he shakes his head. ¡°I mean, I''m no good with making meals, so he helps out.¡±

    But she wasn''t answering, but she was still there, he hadn''t heard her door slide open and closed.. maybe she wasn''t in the mood for it.

    ¡°How was your day?¡± he asks in return. You stupid motherfucker, she was.. you utter asshole, he bites his closed fist to not reprimand himself out loud at such a stupid question, knowing she was crying a while ago.

    To her credit, she laughs a bit at the question, ¡°It was.. not one of my best days, you could say?¡± He can hear her drink from the beer he gave her, breathing out slowly. ¡°A boy.. that didn''t want to be here, and.. the girl that thought everything was alright.¡±

    Lan rests his chin in his hand, listening. The boyfriend? Someone had shown up to their complex before, but he couldn''t remember what they looked like. All that came to mind was Reo, which made his upper lip curl in disgust.

    He pushes up and walks to the kitchen, opening the fridge and gathering four cans, two in each hand as he walks back out to the balcony, leaning over the railing and holding two to her.

    She laughs and reaches up, taking both and setting them on either side of her. ¡°Listening is so easy if you provide the alcohol, isn''t it?¡±

    Lan smiles to himself and turns the unopened can in his hands,

    ¡°No, talking is the hard part.¡±

 16 : A Thin Wall, Part 3

    Saya leans against the concrete wall ¨C she was tipsy, which helped her mood. Thinking about Gregg wasn''t helping, but that''s why people drink.

    The two of them had been silent for a while, the cats outside had bounded off somewhere else. Lan wasn''t used to having a drinking partner, since most of his friends and family had abandoned him because of it.

    To his left, a line of empty cans started forming. Normally he would crush them before tossing them in the trash, but the amount he drinks embarrasses him. The last thing he wants is for Saya to realize how much of a lush she lives next to.

    She was on her third, and he was on his tenth. His tolerance put them at the same amount of fucked-up, despite the difference in amounts.

    ¡°Was he..¡± Lan suddenly pipes up, looking out at nothing in particular. ¡°Nice about it? How he told you, your ex.¡±

    Saya chuckles, but it''s a pitiable, sad sound. ¡°Hah.. yeah he..¡± She sniffs. ¡°We went out for sushi. And he.. isn''t a guy that likes..¡± Anything here. ¡°--Asian cuisine, you could say.¡±

    Lan furrows his brow and takes another pull from his beer. ¡°And he''s been here for more than a year? What.. does he eat?¡±

    ¡°You know Kamata station?¡± He nods, then rolls his eyes: she can''t see you, stupid. ¡°Yeah, it''s not far from..¡±

    ¡°Subway. He ate-- we.. ate Subway on almost every date we ever had. Oh, but sometimes it was KFC. Dates like that were him ''changing it up''.¡± She sneers, he can hear it in her voice. Saya shakes her head.

    Lan remembers her line from earlier. ¡°And.. he''s leaving? Where is he from? Actually, where are you from, while I''m at it..¡±

    ¡°California. Los Angeles, actually.. his.. father is a producer for TV or something. I never met his parents, only ever saw a picture.¡± she replies.

    ¡°And I''m.. guessing he didn''t tell you he was leaving..¡± he draws his words out slowly, <em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">like walking on eggshells to not set her off, hopefully.

    ¡°Yeah, he.. wanted me to uproot my life from here. For him. On such short notice.¡± She pauses to drain the rest of the can, crushing it in her hand and tossing it to clank on the balcony next to her. ¡°But you don''t do that to people you truly love. He knew I couldn''t. Or wouldn''t.¡±

    Lan stands up and holds out another beer for her from around the divider. ¡°Jussst.. one more.¡± she slurs a bit, plucking it out of his hand.

    ¡°You know, this is starting to feel like a Catholic confessional. Forrrrgive me Father, for I have sinned.¡± She giggles a bit.

    ¡°Well, I''m no Father, nor am I a saint. Just an.. open ear.¡± he replies.

    ¡°Must be nice,¡± she says, ¡°to have the money to come to Tokyo for so long and do.. nothing. Gregg toured the country every other month, I thought it was.. cute. That he was learning.¡±

    Lan winces a bit at that fact, because aside from the ''touring'' part, his employment status was as bad as Gregg''s.

    ¡°I guess.. it''s better to know now before you get any more serious?¡± he poses, ¡°That''s a cop-out answer, I''m sorry, it hurts no matter when you find out..¡±

    <em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">??Change the subject, stupid. ¡°You know, I think you really surprised Reo. I''m.. sorry if I acted rudely.¡±

    She laughs this time, a genuine laugh as Saya remembers meeting the brothers. ¡°I could.. tell you were related. Somehow. You don''t look it, but the way you play off each other--¡±

    ¡°<em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">Play?!¡± Lan balks, shaking his head. ¡°He''s a stuck-up asshole. Didn''t you see the gloves? Who still does that?¡±

    He can hear the smile in her voice as she speaks, ¡°Oh, don''t get me wrong, you''re both assholes.¡± <em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">Ouch, he thinks. ¡°But.. all siblings are assholes to each other. It comes with the territory.¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.??Lan blinks as she starts singing, a little off kilter from the booze, but nevertheless..

    ¡°<em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">I love it when we fight, it makes me think at least, you still care.¡±

    He knew the song, but couldn''t place it at the moment. She continues, ¡°It''s endearing, sort of. To know that there''s someone out there that cares about you. Even if fighting is the only way they know how to show it.¡±

    ¨C

    Another can clinks to the ground on her side, Saya was done. Lan only halfway through his nightly intake. He decides to keep that number to himself.

    ¡°You know, outside of the landlady, you''re.. the first neighbor I''ve actually talked to in the time.. I''ve lived here. Gregg found thisss.. apartment.. for..¡± she mumbles.

    Lan''s hand pauses with his mouth open in front of the can. His eyes flick to the other side of his balcony, apartment 2C. <em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">Yet another secret you keep from people, he thinks.

    He doesn''t reply, but she doesn''t press him about it either. Nor does she talk much at all after that, and Lan tilts his head, listening.. he could hear her breathing, slow and even.

    ¡°Saya?¡±

    Nothing.

    He stands up and awkwardly bends around the concrete divider: Saya was passed right the hell out in her chair.

    Lan reaches an arm around and snaps his fingers, loudly, in front of her as close as he can reach. Nothing, she was out like a light.

    Exhaling slow, he sets his can down on his side of the divider. ¡°Lightweight. Fuck.¡± He mumbles to himself. I can''t just leave her out here.

    Glancing down at the ground from their position, he carefully, awkwardly stands up on the balcony''s rail, his fingers holding the thin divider for dear life as he steps over onto her side. Lan wasn''t afraid of heights, but a fall is a fall is a fall.

    Easing down on her railing, he steps lightly onto the balcony in front of her. Her arms were dangling on either side of the chair, and her legs were spread open lazily. We''ll.. keep that to ourselves should she ask, he thinks as he nudges them together with his knee.

    ¡°Saya.. Saya.. you gotta get up..¡± he whispers, patting her shoulder. She barely stirs, even as he starts raising his voice.

    Lan looks into her room, then to her. The bed was only a few steps away. Fuck it. He slides his hands under her arms and lifts her slowly up, bending way down and resting her arm around his neck.

    ¡°C''mon, like.. three steps..¡± he says, and she complies, nearly asleep as she is, enough so that he can lay her down in her bed ¨C the wrong way, her feet on her pillow. But she was inside, in bed, and that was good enough.

    Looking around, Lan grabs a blanket and lays it over her.

    He stands up and looks at her front door, thinking for a moment. He pats his front and back pockets, remembering his key is in his wallet.. back in his apartment.

    Back around we go.. he walks back onto the balcony and pulls her glass door closed. He couldn''t lock it, but it was better than her sleeping on the balcony, he thinks. Hoisting himself up onto the rail again, Lan shimmies his way back around to his balcony, breathing a sigh of relief once both feet are planted firmly on the floor.

    He starts collecting the cans next to his chair, crumpling them as he walks inside, dumping the lot into the recycling bin. Lan turns and grabs another beer from the fridge, walking to the counter where his wallet sat, looking down at it. He looks up at the wall that separates his apartment and 2C''s, his other neighbor.

    And knows for a fact that no one lives there.

    In fact, no one lives on the second floor.

    No one lives on the first floor at all.

    The only tenants of the entire apartment complex were Lan Satake and Saya Travis.

 17 : Beautiful Mistake

    Reo opens the door to his father''s waiting room, Hana looking perky for a this early. Reo himself looks awful, bags under his eyes, he hadn''t gotten home from Tokyo well beyond midnight. But here he was, 8am sharp.

    ¡°Is he..¡± he trails off, asking Hana. She nods and holds her hand out to his father''s office. ¡°He''s ready for you.¡± she responds.

    Reo nods and pushes the door open, turning to close it silently. His father sat at his desk, staring at the computer monitor. As always, he had an almost bored look on his face. Satake Toshio was nothing if not unreadable.

    His son stood quietly in front of the door. He knows the etiquette, the procedure. It''s only when his father turns his attention to Reo does he step forward, sitting in the chair in front of the desk. Always the right, he thinks, I wonder why I choose that.

    ¡°How is he?¡± his father asks.

    ¡°He is..¡± Reo pauses, thinking. ¡°He is Lan. He is.. still a disaster.¡± He places his leather-bound tablet on the other, unoccupied chair, leaning back. ¡°I think he''s still drinking. I don''t know how, or where he gets the money for it.¡±

    If he could gather the words back into his mouth, Reo would have, ¡°What do you mean? I instructed you to take 120,000 with you. I don''t like that he drinks, but I..¡±

    Toshio narrows his eyes at his son, who can''t meet his gaze. ¡°You don''t give him the money, do you?¡±

    Reo explodes, pushing the chair back and holding out an arm towards the window, towards Tokyo. ¡°No! Are you kidding me? Father, you cannot expect me to hand cash over to him, you know exactly what it would go to.¡±

    He paces along the office, fuming. ¡°To give him cash is to fuel the addiction. Are you even sure he''s going to therapy?¡± Reo unloads everything he was thinking. ¡°You take it on ''good authority'' that he is. You pay his bills, you pay for his therapy, I will not see you pay for his addiction!¡±

    Toshio looks at Reo, waiting for him to finish. When he does, the older man links his fingers and rests his hands on the desk. ¡°Something in Lan..¡± He pauses, looking down for a moment before continuing. ¡°Something in him broke last year. When.. Emma died, he didn''t.. he doesn''t know how to function.¡±

    ¡°So he didn''t grow up,¡± Reo responds, ¡°big deal, he''s in his thirties, father, are you seriously going to--¡±

    ¡°YES, I AM.¡± Toshio roars, causing Reo to stiffen, rearing back, ¡°He is.. a part of this family. And I''m not.. going to give up.¡±

    ¡°So you would enable him? You would have me give him cash, when you know what it would go to?¡± Reo asks. ¡°You may be okay with that, but I''m not. I feel for him, I do, but there comes a point where you have to say no. Lan is costing you.. millions of yen a year, father, how long is this going to continue?¡±

    Toshio looks at his son, a hard glare. ¡°You know we have the money. Don''t try that shit with me, I''m not the group''s accountants.¡±

    ¡°I.. I don''t know what you want me to say. I am looking at this as a bystander. You buy his food. You pay his rent. You bought out that whole fucking complex for his benefit, and you know what? He still wants out.¡±

    Reo reaches in his back pocket and produces the M9''s magazine, slamming it on his father''s desk. ¡°I took the bullets. I took the magazine. The man wants to die.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.??Toshio picks the magazine up and counts out the bullets along the side. All of them were accounted for ¨C even the one that could have been chambered.

    ¡°Thank you.. for this. I didn''t know he took this when he left.¡± He thumbs the back of the topmost bullet into his other hand, twisting it in his fingertips.

    ¡°I don''t know how to fix my son.¡± Toshio admits, ¡°I hope that the doctors may. That the time away will help. None of us know what he''s thinking.¡±

    He sets the bullet on his desk and sits down again, looking at it. ¡°I can.. be there, but he doesn''t want me there.¡± He sighs and leans back. ¡°I don''t know what to do. Neither do you. Neither do the doctors, neither does he.¡± Toshio focuses on the bullet, sighing.

    ¡°We can only really hope that there''s a path out he can find. And if I can help him find it, that''s all I can do.¡±

    ¨C

    Lan sits in the middle of the couch in his therapist''s office. His eyes wander from her face ¨C it''s hard to look people in the eyes, looking over a floor plant, her desk with pictures of her family on it, a soft, warm light. He hates the way all of this looks, and the sounds. This wasn''t Lan''s first therapist, but every fucking one of them used that annoying white noise machine. He knows why, of course, but it doesn''t bring the privacy and calmness to him as it does for other patients.

    ¡°You look better. Than last time, I mean.¡± she offers. He had eaten, he had showered, things a normal person would do. For him it seems to be worthy of praise. Lan nods in return.

    ¡°Are you still drinking?¡± He nods again and she sighs. ¡°I''m assuming your relatives know?¡±

    He shrugs, admittedly he did hide it as best he could. The alcohol was in his bedroom when Reo came over, and took my bullets, he thinks.

    ¡°Do you still only talk to Reo?¡± she asks.

    ¡°No, I..¡± he hesitates, thinking. He did have a conversation with Saya, but he can''t really remember what they talked about. She was sad? ¡°I mean.. it''s not much of anything, but I''ve been talking with.. my neighbor. She even served us tea.¡±

    His therapist blinks, shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°Well that''s.. something. It''s a start. Wait, ''us''? Oh. End of the month, Reo was there?¡± She deduces, Lan nods.

    ¡°I mean, after that, we went shopping like normal, and when we got h--¡± he stops himself, home, I stuck the barrel of a gun in my mouth and tried to kill myself. Do you want to go back to the hospital, you moron? ¡°I talked a bit more with Saya, she seemed sad? I think?¡± He scratches his temple, still trying to recall their conversation from last night.

    He senses a tiny bit of disbelief on her part, as if that wasn''t what he meant to say, but she shrugs. ¡°Any.. progress forward is good progress. Saya, was it? From a psychologist standpoint, I''m a tad offended that she can get you to talk and I ca--¡± She doesn''t finish, instead smiling at Lan. ¡°I kid. You are talking, and that''s something.¡±

    Lan nods, leaning back into the couch.

    What the hell did we talk about last night?

 18 : Hang On Me

    Saya snorts herself awake into her sheets and opens her eyes. She was in bed, a good start. She glances around her apartment for a moment, still at home.. she rolls onto her back and presses the palm of her hand against her forehead, the headache already starting. Saya groans, trying to remember yesterday.

    It starts as a trickle, but in reverse. Lan gave her beer, how many she drank, who knows. And Gregg. He''s leaving, she remembers. She turns back onto her side and pulls herself into the fetal position, ¡°Oh God, that''s right..¡±

    The rest comes after the sucker punch of Gregg''s announcement, they had sushi, she talked to Lan and Reo.. Saya sits up in recognition that one of them may know something, only to regret it as her head throbs at the movement.

    ¡°Ah! Shh.. shoot.¡± she grabs her head again, turning and planting her feet on the floor. The blanket on top of her puddles around her ankles. She looks at her bed, one hand against her forehead, the other at the back of her head, squeezing, a trick she learned from her mother.

    Backwards. She had slept backwards last night? She had done that before, it wasn''t a new practice, though once she started teaching she made it a habit to limit how often it occurred.

    What''s the last thing you remember? She thinks, sushi, Gregg, park, school, train, crying.. She looks over at her entryway and grimaces at what appears to be a hole in the drywall, and out to the.. porch?

    Saya looks out at her balcony and the railing. We talked. He gave me booze?

    She stands up and drops her arms for a moment, looking on the balcony and in her trash for empty cans and finds none. No evidence, no crime. Like he''d ever.. Saya wants to laugh but winces as her head throbs again and she slaps her hands back where they were, squeezing hard until the pain goes away temporarily.

    Saya digs out the pill bottle from a cupboard, pours herself a tall glass of water, and shuffles back to her bed, taking the pills and downing the entire glass before laying down oh-so-slowly as to not trigger the throb in her brain.

    Water, ibuprofen, water, rest, call in sick, ow.. ask what happened..

    She did three of those five things and lay back down in bed . The rest would have to wait.

    ¨C

    Lan walks up to the complex, his phone rumbles in his pocket as he looks at his watch for the notification.

    Are you coming home for Mountain Day? It was from his father. For him to use texts.. he doesn''t want to talk to you any more than you want to talk to him, Lan thinks.

    He hadn''t planned on going home for it, holidays didn''t mean much to someone who didn''t remember which day of the week it was. But it had been quite a while since he visited Hiroshima. Therapy left him feeling good for the first time in a long while, so why not?

    His first thought was how he could continue drinking in the Satake household. Lan''s father kept a stocked pantry of liquor, and Lan wasn''t.. unfamiliar with sneaking a drink or two. There were the pharmacies nearby he could hit up.

    Who the hell thinks like this when they''re traveling? Anyone else would think of clothes, toiletries. No, you need to know where your alcohol is, he grumbles to himself.

    But he can make it work. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and looks at the text conversation with his father. It''s littered with his father texting Lan, and minimal responses in return.

    Lan thumbs the microphone icon and dictates into his phone: ¡°Yeah, I''ll be there.¡±

    The phone prints it out as he presses send, stuffing the phone back into his jeans as he looks up at his apartment, then to Saya''s.

    He ambles up the stairs and stops in front of her door. His fingers tap along his thigh, thinking about what to say. Lan knocks lightly on her door, not knowing if she was even home.

    Steps thudded slowly towards the door as she starts unlocking from her side. Lan didn''t get hangovers anymore, a perk of being an alcoholic, on the flipside, fuck, she must feel terrible, he thinks.

    Stepping back from the door as it swings open, she looks up at him, blinking the sun out of her bleary eyes. Don''t laugh, god damn you, he chides himself. She looks utterly destroyed.

    ¡°Oh, Lan.. I--¡±

    ¡°I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to wake you..¡± She shakes her head and runs a hand through her messy hair. It was cute in a I-feel-sorry-for-you kind of way. ¡°No, no.. it''s..¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.?? She opens the door wider and stands up in front of him.

    ¡°Can we talk?¡± they ask each other, at the exact same time.

    --

    Lan walks in and steps on the heel of his shoe, then the other, standing in socks as Saya closes the door. He feels terrible, watching Saya shamble her way back into her apartment. He follows meekly behind, she turns into the kitchen to start the kettle.

    ¡°If you don''t want to, today, we can..¡± he says, rounding the corner. Saya looks at him, but he can''t tell if it''s contempt or why-the-fuck-are-you-here.

    ¡°I.. I can do that. For you. If you want.¡± Lan points at the kettle, she shakes her head and keeps her hand on the handle, just waiting.

    She looks so tired.. ¡°Please, I can.. I insist.¡± He holds his hand out over the kettle over hers, ¡°Where''s the tea? And the cups, you can do that. You can do that, let me do this.¡±

    Saya looks up at him, squinting. This motherfucker did this to you, she thinks, but she relents, that''s not fair, letting go of the kettle and pulling out two cups. Opening the cupboard, her hand hovers over a box of loose tea leaves and one next to it of teabags. This isn''t a ceremony, girl, you don''t need to put on airs.

    How wordlessly they move about her kitchen, she peels open one teabag, then another and drops them in the empty mugs. Gregg hated tea. Saya stands next to Lan for a full minute, looking down at the two empty mugs. It''s only the whistling that brings her out of it.

    He reaches over and turns off the heat, picking up the kettle and nodding towards the cups. ¡°Did you.. wanna sit, or.. I mean we could just have it here..¡± Saya links her fingers through the mugs and motions towards her living room.

    Her eyes flick up at him from under her brow, still mildly pissed at the intrusion. He looks down at the kettle, panicking. She had a coffee table, but she didn''t have an oven mitt, or a pl..

    Lan grabs a ceramic coaster from beside her sink and starts out after her.

    ¨C

    He pours the kettle''s contents into her cup first, then his, setting it down on the coaster. It didn''t fit, but it kept the hot metal off of the wood.

    And they wait. And if she was uncomfortable, she wasn''t showing it. She just looked tired to him. He curls his fingers around the mug looking down into it, ¡°I''m sorry.. if.. you feel bad. I wasn''t.. I didn''t think about the alcohol content when I offered the beer.¡±

    When she doesn''t answer, he squirms a bit, only made to feel more awkward. ¡°I..¡± drink a lot, he thinks, but his throat catches before he can say it. Lan desperately doesn''t want to tell her his problems. His flaws. Thankfully, she sighs and shakes her head a bit.

    ¡°It''s not your fault, it''s just been.. a very painful day, I guess.¡± Saya rubs her forehead with the palm of her hand and raises the mug up to it, holding the hot cup to her skin.

    One eye closed, she looks up at him as she sets the cup down. ¡°What did we talk about? I remember part of it, I''m sorry I unloaded on you about Gregg.¡±

    Gregg. Who was Gregg? He thinks, really straining to try and remember. Her boyfriend? No, her.. ex.. the rest is a blur of impenetrable fog. ¡°It''s alright, everyone needs to vent somehow..¡± he murmurs.

    Pushing his hair back out of his vision, he looks around her room, the first room outside of his own and his therapist''s office he had been in for quite a while. Pictures of her family lined a bookcase, they looked happy, not stiff, like his were. She also had quite a number of books. Lan wonders if she had read all of them. A few catch his eye as he leans forward to read the titles.

    ¡°Oh. You read Murakami?¡± She nods, looking behind her at her bookcase. Saya had a few of his novels, some even hardback. ¡°Did you follow him before 1Q?¡± he asks, 1Q84 was a mouthful anyway.

    ¡°Yeah, someone.. recommended that I read Norwegian Wood, and I loved it.¡± She smiles a bit and takes a sip from her tea. ¡°He''s a great writer, but everything he writes seems so..¡± Saya pauses, as if trying to find the right word. ¡°Defeatist? Does that make sense?¡±

    Lan nods, leaning back. ¡°He''s not the most.. happy.. of authors.¡± He notices one other which actually gets him to shift out from under the table and crawl towards it, tilting it out of the shelf and pulling it out.

    He turns it over in his hands as Saya watches, almost like reverence, she thinks. Murakami was an expected interest, an expected compliment.. He smiles down at it and turns it to her, Ichigo Takano''s Orange.

    ¡°You have my favorite story.¡±

 19 : Indecision

    Saya looks at him, puzzled. ¡°You.. read romance?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Well.. yeah, I..¡± Lan places the book back on the shelf and slides back to where he was sitting, turning a bit to hide his blush. ¡°I''m kind of a sucker for romances, cheesy or not. But Orange was so much more. I read some.. sci-fi as well, and that kinda mixed the two, yeah?¡±

    She couldn''t hold back a chuckle as it makes him blush even more. ¡°I''m.. sorry, I don''t mean to laugh. I''ve just never met a guy that is big into romance stories. I suppose it''s nothing new, though.¡±

    ¡°But um.. I didn''t ask you in to talk about that, I wanted to know.. what did we talk about last night?¡± She traces her fingers around the rim of her cup idly, looking down at it. ¡°I don''t drink that often and the beer you had was.. strong.¡±

    She points to her bed behind him. ¡°I apparently got into bed, but I don''t really remember doing so. Though you were drinking too, maybe you don''t remember either.¡±

    Admittedly, he didn''t, but Lan remembered the start of it, so he tackles that first. ¡°You mentioned a guy named Gregg and how he''s.. leaving?¡±

    Saya grimaces and sighs to herself, taking a sip of her tea. ¡°My boyfr.. ex-boyfriend. He was on a visa, and.. just.. decided he was done.¡± Despite herself, she can feel the tingle in her nose, her eyes starting to well up. Don''t do this in front of him, Saya, she reprimands. But she sniffs hard anyway.

    ¨C

    Lan''s fingers lift off the table and hesitates. You don''t know her, don''t touch her. Though when was the last time he touched someone out of comfort?

    At her funeral, he thinks. It wasn''t so much Lan touching people as they touched him. Hugs, pats on the shoulder, respectful bowing along the procession. A year? His father and Reo weren''t particularly touchy-feely when it came to expressions.

    So his hands circle around the cup. ¡°We don''t.. have to talk about it, if you don''t want, I honestly couldn''t tell you what we talked about afterwards anyway.¡±

    He stares over at her looking down. ¡°I am sorry that it happened. Seemed kind of cruel to not tell you beforehand.¡±

    She bristles and nods with a fierce look over at her guest. ¡°Right? The nerve! And I.. can''t just leave, the new term starts soon. And.. they had just offered me a promotion.¡± She slowly eases down, tapping her fingers on the cup.

    ¡°Offered? You.. haven''t accepted? What uh.. would you still be teaching English?¡± Lan asks.

    Saya nods, ¡°At a new school, a middle school this time. You know the one near Morigasaki Park?¡± He nods, faking it ¨C he knew of the park, but not that there was a school nearby. That''s near the airport, he thinks, what a noisy place for a school.

    ¡°Are you going to take the job? I assume they wouldn''t mind if you wanted to stay with the younger kids.¡±

    She inhales slowly, looking up at the ceiling. ¡°I''m not sure. They just offered it to me recently, but I''m not done with my graduate studies, and.. it would mean more of a workload, but also more money..¡± Saya levels her gaze over at Lan, tilting her head. ¡°What would you do?¡±

    Lan Satake had never had a full time job, nor a degree. Nor a job at all in the last.. fifteen years, he thinks, what the fuck do you know about.. He shakes his head negatively, but holds up his hands when he realizes he''s in front of her ¨C not to make her think she shouldn''t do anything. ¡°No, I mean.. I''m not the person to ask.¡± His finger twirls around the string of the teabag lazily, thinking.

    ¡°Compartmentalize.¡± he states. When Saya looks confused, he looks around the room for a moment for small items and centers on the open makeup bag next to her bed. ¡°May I?¡± he asks, pointing to it.

    She blinks, nodding and shrugging as he takes it, thumbing through it. Why the hell does he want to see my makeup?

    Lan sets the bag to the side and sets out a few items on the table in front of them. ¡°This is.. you as you are now.¡± He places a compact of eye-shadow to his right. ¡°Comfortable, simple, you know what life is. Elementary teaching, degree studying.¡±

    On the other side of the table, he places a tube of lip-gloss, pointing at it. ¡°This is the offer. More work, maybe more stress, but more money, and more knowledge. Notice how they''re on the same horizontal plane here.¡± He motions to the two items. ¡°You know exactly what you''re getting into with both, yeah?¡±

    She watches Lan for a moment before looking at her makeup on either ends of the table. ¡°And in the interest of.. fairness, here are the other ends of the spectrum.¡±

    Lan sets the nail polish closer to her, above the known plane. ¡°This is Gregg. And what he offers. I''m assuming you can finish your degree no matter where you are,¡± she nods in response, ¡°so you could just.. not.. accept another contract of teaching and go back to the States.¡±

    Lan''s hand lingers a bit on that last option, but plucks out a simple, fine brush and places the bag on the floor next to him. ¡°And then there''s.. my idea.¡± His mother was a firm believer in this trick, even if he knew the logic of it.

    He turns it, brush down, and pushes lightly on the handle to spread filaments out in an easy balance. Releasing it slowly, it stands on its own. Lan never had the heart to explain it to her, but his mother always thought it only worked on a full moon. It''s simply a matter of weight distribution, he thinks, but she was always so excited about it.

    Lan moves his hands away and leaves Saya just as interested in how the brush stands like that, looking at a diamond shape of her makeup. ¡°Compartmentalize and visualize.¡± he says, borrowing a Satake way of thinking for the moment.

    Saya nods and lifts her hands up from the table as if it would disturb the diagram. She points at each. ¡°Same. New. Gregg.¡± she deadpans, not an option, but it was nice of him to put it out there, she thinks. ¡°And.. what is that?¡± motioning to the brush.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    That is..

    ¡°What are you doing for Mountain Day?¡± he asks.

    --

    She squints at Lan, thinking. ¡°I don''t.. know? That''s that latest holiday.. we had it off last year on a Friday? I didn''t know what it meant.¡±

    Lan leans back on his arms, chuckling to himself. ¡°Japan is.. mountainous, and the government thinks you should go appreciate them for a day.¡±

    She''s not getting it, he observes. ¡°It started a few years ago, it''s a federal holiday. Which means everything is closed and it makes for a good vacation.¡± Lan slides back and leans against the side of her bed.

    ¡°It''s more of an excuse for my family to expect me back home for a few days.¡± he admits. ¡°And I thought maybe you could use a.. getaway. Maybe.¡±

    He starts fidgeting when she doesn''t reply. ¡°I mean there''s not.. a lot to do in Hiroshima, there''s the castle, and mountains, do you hike? I guess I never asked..¡±

    ¡°And museums..¡± Lan trails off, mumbling as he looks down, the fact that Saya wasn''t responding starting to get to him.

    ¡°That''s.. a long trip for a weekend,¡± she finally answers. ¡°The train ride would take up--¡±

    ¡°No, we would fly. I mean, I don''t like it, but it''s only an hour and a half..¡±

    Saya sighs and rests her forehead in her hand, looking over at him. ¡°Lan, I can''t afford that. I couldn''t even afford the bullet train, I''m a teacher. We don''t--¡±

    He sits up and waves his hands side to side. ¡°No no no, no no. It would be on me. I''m offering this, it''s only right that I front the travel.¡±

    Was she even giving this a rational thought? ¡°And where would we stay? I''m sure you''d cover that too,¡± she smirks, spitting it out sarcastically, though she regrets it as it escapes her mouth.

    He tenses back a bit and picks up his cup. ¡°I''m.. the group..¡± Lan shuts his mouth and pauses for a moment, collecting himself. ¡°At.. my house. You would have your own room, no one would bother you, I promise."

    Saya looks over at her guest, head to toe, who are you? She asks herself. A prim and proper brother with his own driver, vice president, even, but Lan represented nothing of that. And now he''s offering a free vacation. This is how girls disappear, Saya. She thinks.

    ¡°When is this.. day. Mountain Day?¡± she asks.

    ¡°The 11<sup>th</sup>.¡± he answers, a little more than a week from now, on a Saturday. She didn''t have class, she wasn''t working until next month, but why now?

    Saya thinks towards her interaction with him and Reo. Spiteful. Angry.

    FATHER DOESN''T TRUST YOU WITH THE MONEY, echos in her head.

    Lan doesn''t want to go home alone. Does she want to put herself in the middle of all that? A vacation would be nice, and she could always spend the majority of her time outside of the house. His house, she reminds herself.

    ¡°Can I think about it? For a few days. I.. barely know you, Lan.¡± she replies.

    ¡°R.. right, you''re right, absolutely. But..¡± He pulls his legs under him and stands up, nodding down to her. ¡°Thank you for.. this. The tea. And if you have questions, let me know, just know the.. invitation is open.¡±

    Lan walks out to her apartment''s entrance, stuffing his feet into his shoes. ¡°Thank you for having m--¡±

    ¡°Lan.¡± Saya calls after him, neither can see each other, but she asks the question anyway. ¡°Are you.. is your family..¡± She holds back her comment, shaking her head. ¡°Nevermind. Goodnight, Lan.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight, Saya.¡± And he lets the door drift closed.

    --

    Lan stands in front of her door, his fingers curling over the railing as he breathes out a long exhale. The shakes were already coming back, and he counts himself lucky to get out when he could. He lets go and hovers his hand over the bar, his fingertips shaking.

    Rummaging in his pockets, he takes out his key and grits his teeth as it taps around the tumbler before he gets it in, twisting and yanking his door open wide. The benzo he had taken earlier was wearing off, and he either needed more of it, or alcohol.

    Lan doesn''t pull the door closed, letting it drift closed on its own as he darts into his bedroom, pulling open a drawer as his many medications roll to the front. Square bottle, square bottle, small bottle, orange, no, orange, yes! He thinks, twisting it open and dragging a small circular pill to the top and into his mouth.

    He crushes it between his teeth, grimacing at the bitter taste but guiding it under his tongue as it dissolves, capping the bottle as he steps back to sit on his bed.

    His tremors weren''t psychosomatic, but even knowing that the pill was working its way into his bloodstream was enough to calm Lan''s breathing. Xanax was fast acting as it was, but the placebo effect was powerful in its own right.

    Lan''s abdominal muscles radiate soreness at how tight the anxiety and withdrawals kept them, but slowly over the next few minutes, both they and he relax into the bed.

    He stares up at the ceiling fan above him, watching it lazily circle on low. His eyes lose focus and the problems for now melt away. Lan had been addicted to them in the past, but it wasn''t the same. Funny how one relieves the other, but both are addictive in different ways.

    The medication wouldn''t stop him from drinking, though. Lan feels like moving through molasses as he places the bottle back in its drawer, tapping his fingers idly on top of the dresser.

    I should get a beer.

 20 : Indecision, Part 2

    ¡°I need fifty thousand yen.¡±

    Lan types on his computer the next day as Reo doesn''t respond. They didn''t bother greeting each other when they talked, but.. ¡°Hello?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Are you drunk already? Why the hell would I authorize that?¡± he responds. Reo walks from the entrance of the Satake building towards the production facility.

    ¡°Father wants me back for Mountain Day, right? So, I need airfare.¡± Lan replies. Reo stops, looking up as he does some mental math, train is 30, airfare is only 20..

    ¡°No, I''ll buy you your plane tic.. wait, you''re going to fly here?¡± In the time he had known his brother, Reo knew Lan hated to fly, even if it meant tacking on hours to his itinerary. So why is he okay with it now?

    Reo turns away from his assistant and leans down, hissing into the phone. ¡°The last time we flew anywhere you were so fucked up on Valium it could have killed a horse, what are you trying?¡± He wasn''t stupid to Lan''s attempts to get cash, cash meant alcohol.

    ¡°I.. thought I''d bring a friend with me this time. You know how awkward..¡± but Reo was only half listening, the word friend came out of his brother''s mouth as little as the w ord love did. Friend. Friend? Someone from the hospital? Therapy? Lan doesn''t have friends. Who..

    ¡°You are not bringing her here, Lan,¡± knowing exactly who he is talking about. ¡°They will eat her alive.¡±

    ¡°I''ve already asked her. I told her I would get us there.¡± Lan replies.

    Reo holds the phone away from himself at arm''s length, gritting his teeth and tensing up, as if he wants to explode. His assistant stops, looking as Reo walks to a chain-link fence and stomps against the aluminum pole. The shoes themselves were worth more than the fence.

    He thumbs the unmute button as he straightens himself out, ¡°Then go next door, and tell her you were.. mistaken. That it''s a family holiday.¡±

    ¡°She hasn''t decided yet. I just need to make sure that we can get there. I don''t have a credit card, so I need you to--¡±

    ¡°No, Lan! What about the word no do you not understand? You have a rail pass, you can get here, but I''m not going to pay for some stranger you just met to co--¡±

    ¡°Do it, or I''ll call Father.¡± Lan says.

    That stops Reo mid-speech, mid-stride. He looks at his assistant, then up towards the tall blue building he was leaving ¨C and the office up top. He''ll break like a twig if Lan calls, he thinks.

    He finally relents, almost hissing into the phone. ¡°Alright, give me.. give me twenty-four hours.¡± Reo didn''t even wait for a response as he thumbs the red end button and looks over at the fence. Maybe it needs a few more kicks..

    ¨C

    Lan pulls the phone from between his shoulder and ear, looking at it as it fades back to the home-screen after Reo hangs up. He sets it aside and continues typing:

    ANA, JAL to HIJ. He scrolls down the page as it lists three digit numbers. For such short notice, a direct flight for a couple hundred, but she doesn''t have to know that. Japan Airlines was the cheapest, All Nippon was the same. Lan hovers his cursor over the next entry: Japan Railways. It was more expensive, and it was over double the travel time. But it wasn''t flying.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.??He pushes back from the desk and turns, looking out the window for a moment. Lan hated flying, and could never explain it. Once the plane was in the air, he was fine, but the takeoff and landing..

    He glances at his medication drawer, thinking back on what Reo said a bit ago. ¡°I have the meds. I can..¡± Do they allow sleeping people on planes? He thinks, take the pills, go to sleep, wake up in Hiroshima?

    And leave Saya to deal with us like that? Fuck you. He grumbles. That wasn''t an option, but he could take enough and still be awake, at least for check-in and seating.

    Lan looks over at his phone. Reo always needed ¡°twenty-four hours¡± to get anything done, family or business.

    He would give his brother two.

    ¨C

    Saya rests her chin in her hand, zoning out to the variety show in the background. She processes a few words, but it''s more slapstick humor than she likes. A war of decisions hides behind her eyes, though, as she considers Lan''s proposal.

    You don''t know him.

    But you know his brother is.. formal? Business-like? Rich?

    And you''ve never been further south than Osaka.

    She grumbles to herself at the two sides that all seem to blend together in her own voice. Portraying conscious decisions as angels and demons on someone''s shoulder never resonated with Saya, it wasn''t ever that simple.

    ¡°Mow?¡±

    She looks over towards the bathroom as a stark black cat with cool yellow and green eyes pads out into the living room. She had hidden when Lan visited the other day, and finally felt the courage to exit her safe place.

    ¡°Mm?¡± Saya replies. Most of their human to cat to human conversations were the cat being vocal, and her humming in return. Boo catches sight of her and starts over towards the living room table, pausing to stretch one front leg, then the other before hopping up in front of Saya, blocking her view of the TV.

    Saya reaches up and runs her hand along her cat''s back, even along the tail with a few fingers, smiling as it stands up straight. She tilts her chin in her hand to look at Boo''s face, who responds by bunting her head against Saya''s, purring loudly.

    ¡°Didn''t like the scary dude, did you?¡± she asks. She didn''t even like Gregg. Is it a male thing? she wonders.

    Boo flops unceremoniously on the table in front of Saya, the cat''s back to the TV, her tail lashing and thumping on the table. No, pet me and make up for it, Saya imagines her thinking.

    She does, paying special attention to her cat''s ears, smiling wider as her back leg curls up as if to scratch but not wanting Saya to stop. When she finally does, Boo shakes her head back and forth in a ''erblerblerb'' noise, which makes Saya wiggle her own cheeks to imitate the sound back at her.

    She sighs and looks at Boo''s corner, she had an automatic feeder, and plenty of water. And you''ve never been to Hiroshima.. she thinks.

    Boo closes her eyes slowly up at Saya, purring like a motor.

 21 : Yamamoto-san

    As he wakes, Lan''s eyes open, but not at the same time. First one, then the other, with a telltale headache behind them both. He felt melted into the mattress, all of which led him to the conclusion: I must have taken another one before bed.

    He slowly raises his arm and wiggles it to activate the smartwatch''s gyroscope as it displays a black and orange face. The hour hand was halfway past twelve, which didn''t surprise him, he slept like the dead when he took a Xanax after drinking.

    Lan reaches up and twists the bezel, heart rate too high, restless sleep for hours, he didn''t have the watch for it to tell him how unhealthy he was, which it did often. He had two unread texts and two e-mails. The summary on his watch didn''t tell him much other than Reo telling Lan to go fuck himself, so he turns and grabs his phone.

    Thumbing the power key, Lan''s half-lidded eyes aren''t enough for his phone to recognize the owner, so he drags his finger in an L shape along the nine dots to unlock it. He opens the text thread with Reo and sees: ¡°Go fuck yourself.¡± and an hour later, ¡°Fine.¡±

    He remembers having a conversation with his brother, but what it was about.. backing out of texts, he looks at his new e-mails, both a forward from Reo. The top half was Japanese, the rest in English. He reads along the top..

    Thank you for booking with Japan Airlines, Satake Lan!

    Ticket type: e-ticket

    Booking Reference: A659Z1

    This is your e-ticket receipt, you will not receive a paper..

    Lan sits up, pressing the palm of his hand against his forehead to uselessly fight back the headache that will only get worse. Reo had booked a ticket for Friday in his name. He swipes right and is met with another:

    Thank you for booking with Japan Airlines, Travis Saya!

    Ticket type: e-ticket

    Booking Reference: A659A3

    This is your e-ticket receipt, you will not receive a paper..

    Reo had booked the two of them direct flights from Haneda airport to Hiroshima yesterday. Apparently, whatever Lan had said to Reo was enough to get him to book the tickets. He didn''t quite remember what he said, something to do with Father.. is all he recalls.

    Lan inhales sharply as he remembers that Saya has yet to say yes, wincing, dropping his phone on the bed and pressing both palms against his forehead as the headache begins in honest.

    ¡°Fuck.. ff.. food, ibuprofen.. water.. first.¡± He pushes back the covers and stands up, thudding his way into the kitchen for all three.

    ¨C

    Saya exits her apartment and locks up, looking over at Lan''s door. She hadn''t truly made up her mind to go or not, but she had errands to run. Walking and thinking may help.

    Yeah it helped Gregg, didn''t it? Her pessimistic side interjects.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    She shakes her head and pulls her purse up onto her shoulder, starting her way down the stairs to the courtyard.

    ¨C

    Reo, meanwhile, was in business mode, for the most part. Nothing in his job description required him to do weekly tours of the plant across from headquarters, but since Father had taken a step back in day-to-day operations, Reo felt like it benefits him and their employees to do a once-over.

    His assistant follows behind as the employees of the milling machine production facility stop in their monotonous jobs to turn and bow to Reo until he passes. He didn''t mind, glancing over each station as he passes by. Nothing about the plant was a clean area, grease, oil, machined shavings littered the floor, Reo is used to that, what he was looking for was the employee''s safety.

    Cigarettes hung out of some of their mouths, which was fine. Well, it''s not fine, but.. Reo made some compromises to keep them happy, so long as..

    He stops at an employee running a lathe, who had yet to notice Reo. He didn''t expect all of them to bow to him, production was always more important, but it was the workstation that caught his eye.

    Reo signals to his assistant who thumbs through sheets on a clipboard and hands him the employee''s profile. Reo scans it for a moment before stepping forward and yelling out:

    ¡°YAMAMOTO-SAN.¡±

    The factory required a deep, loud voice, and Reo''s was practiced enough that the employee heard him through his yellow earplugs. He flicks the lathe''s power switch as it spins down, turning to see who called out for him before flinching.

    The reaction wasn''t uncommon, so Reo waits as Yamamoto pulls out his earplugs, removes his safety glasses, and bows at the waist at his boss ¨C and stays that way. ¡°Sir!¡± he replies.

    ¡°Even though I don''t like it,¡± Reo starts, ¡°Satake allows employees to smoke on the floor. Smoke breaks would simply.. decrease production.¡±

    Yamamoto''s shoulders tense up as Reo speaks the word ¡°smoke¡± - he knows exactly why he''s being called out, but stays silent as Reo continues.

    Reo points down at his shined black dress shoes, in front of which lay three cigarette butts, but there are more around Yamamoto''s station.

    ¡°As you undoubtedly know, parts of our machines are magnesium. You even work with it yourself for this part, don''t you?¡± Reo walks past the bowing man and leans over the lathe, glancing down at the shavings underneath the machine.

    ¡°Stand up.¡± Reo commands from behind Yamamoto.

    He does, hands at his sides, staring straight out, unable to meet his boss'' eyes. Beads of sweat start to leak out from under the safety glasses on his forehead. Reo circles around and despite the fact that Yamamoto was taller, he looks up at the worker, leaning in.

    ¡°Do you know how much damage you could cause from letting those shavings burn?¡± Reo knows from experience, he only did it once, but Toshio had shown him just how white-hot magnesium burns, akin to a welding torch with very little accelerant. Yamamoto knew too.

    ¡°You''ve been..¡± he looks down at the profile in his hands, ¡°an adequate employee so far, only here a year. So I will say this.¡±

    Reo hisses through grit teeth, ¡°If I find one more cigarette butt anywhere near this lathe, I will send your ass packing back to Gunma faster than you can say ''But sir..'' - do I make myself clear?¡±

    Yamamoto bends even deeper, the safety glasses dropping to the floor between him and Reo, yelling out an emphatic ¡°YES, SIR!¡±

    Reo clicks his pen and makes a single slash to the left of his name on his profile ¨C a single warning. There are none with two.

    ¡°Good.¡± He holds the clipboard to his assistant, who takes it from him. ¡°Clean this up and get back to work.¡±

    Another resounding ¡°YES, SIR.¡± from Yamamoto, and Reo continues his inspection down the line. It''s not until Reo is out of view does he pick up his safety glasses.. and the cigarette butts around his station.

 22 : The Look / A Light Turn, Part 1

    Saya meanders her way through clothing and bookstores, she didn''t think much of the former that often, and much more about the latter. Even a new bookstore smelled different than the outside, used book stores even more so. What was on her mind today was Lan and his offer. Conscious or not, she stands in front of the travel guides, most in Japanese, of course, but a few in English.

    Saya plucks out a small guide of places to go and see around Hiroshima. The Peace Memorial, that would be a must, but she was just as fascinated by Itsukushima. The floating torii gate. Saya knew the basics, that they mark the entrance of sacred places, but she also knew that it was somewhat encouraged that should an individual or family believe that their fortune came from deities, donating the funds for a torii was rather common, especially in Kyoto. They had been so dense that slivers of sunlight could barely pour in.

    At most, Saya herself had a torii keychain in a desk somewhere at home, a souvenir from one of her first shrines, though she couldn''t remember which.

    She thumbs through the guide to see museum after museum, parts, even a castle. They even had a zoo down there. When was the last time she had been to a zoo? She wondered.

    Obviously there was plenty for her to do there, even over just a weekend. Saya runs her thumb over the cover, thinking. It wasn''t the place so much as who she would be going with that left her uncertain.

    She places the book back on the shelf and steps back out onto the street.

    ¨C

    Reo rides in the back of the sleek black car on his way home. Both he and his driver were silent as the muffled sound of rain tak-tak-tak on the roof.

    He had caved last night after a few hours to Lan''s threat of calling Father. He didn''t like it, but it was only two plane tickets anyway. The thought that nagged at Reo was Lan neither confirmed nor denied that Saya was actually coming. He said he had asked her, but when Reo pressed for an answer, his brother was evasive.

    He sits up once he remembers the one question he didn''t ask: where they were staying. Lan had no money, and most certainly couldn''t expect Saya to pony up for a hotel room on a teacher''s salary. Idiot. Which only left one option:

    They''re going to stay at Father''s compound. He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. Leaning forward, he talks to his driver, ¡°Take the next exit and turn us around, we''re not going home yet. Take us to.. my old house.¡±

    The driver nods and confirms as the car starts to veer to the next lane.

    Reo himself made enough money that he could live on his own in comfort, even his assistant lived in the same building albeit on a lower floor. Reo saw enough of both him and Father at work to have to suffer them constantly at home.

    Mother would also be there, and both would be overjoyed at seeing Lan in any capacity, even more so in the company of a woman. Reo had his misgivings about her being a white woman, but neither his brother nor Saya were in any sort of relationship more than acquaintances.

    What bothers Reo is the state of the house. Mother''s caregivers were certainly capable, but there were rooms in the old house that were little more than decorative in how they were cleaned. His family entertains guests whenever they can, but in this case they would have no idea about them arriving.

    Their father wouldn''t have minded much if they showed up unexpected, but his mother would likely snatch his earlobe off and give him The Look. Why was I not made aware of this? Her glare would accuse.

    The car turns and gets back on the highway in the opposite direction they were traveling. Reo will not let himself be subject to that look of hers because of Lan, whether they decide to come to Hiroshima or not.

    --

    Reo''s car pulls through the compound''s gate as both men and women shuffle out with umbrellas to flank the vehicle. He always thought the custom was ostentatious, but that''s what affluence means. ¡°Don''t mind the door,¡± he says to the driver, who nods, probably relieved he doesn''t have to step out in the rain. He does motion to the assistants towards Reo''s door and one walks over to the door as Reo steps out.

    Not one drop of rain reaches any part of Reo as the employee holds the umbrella over his door. ¡°Welcome back, sir.¡± he says.

    ¡°Who is home?¡± Reo asks, closing the door behind him and buttoning his suit jacket again. The employee''s eyes flick up in thought before replying, ¡°Just your mother, sir, no guests today, nor is your father home yet.¡±

    Reo nods and turns towards the entrance of the main house, each of the caretakers bending to bow at him as he passes by. Customs, he thinks.

    Once they''re under the veranda, the man that held the umbrella over Reo turns and closes it, shaking it vigorously and wrapping it tight. He steps forward and pulls open the door for Reo.

    Ten feet in, his mother, Satake Aiko stands. Impeccably dressed as always, her arms crossed over her chest. As expected. Reo walks in and leans down to unlace his dress shoes, shifting out of them and into the slippers nearby, standing in front of his mother. ¡°I''m home,¡± he announces.

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.??¡°Welcome back,¡± she replies, but it sounds more like a where-have-you-been than anything. But it doesn''t last long as she finally gives between their same-eyed stare and she places her hands on her son''s shoulders.

    ¡°It''s been too long, you really must come home more often.¡± she chides. Turning, she motions to one of her assistants who raise their hands up on front of Reo, who begrudgingly accepts as he is disrobed of his dress jacket. The others seem to know what to do next as they dart beside them as he follows his mother, leading them to the living room, Reo can hear the clinking of china placed on trays elsewhere.

    ¡°It''s always lovely to see you, mother, you know that, but the Group keeps me busy. And I''m sure Father relays my well-being to you when he comes home.¡± Reo glances at his watch, it was still early afternoon, he''d prefer to be out of here before his father actually did come home.

    Aiko slides open the doors to the living room, which betrays the house in its Western furniture. Two elegantly upholstered chairs face a dark wood coffee table with inlaid ivory, and a matching couch. His mother chooses the couch and pats the seat next to her.

    Every damn time. He thinks, I''m too old for this. Reo chooses one of the singular chairs across from her, her disappointment creasing her brow momentarily. Behind them, a woman enters with a tea set, placing them soundlessly on the table between them. She holds the top as she pours an equal amount to each cup, plucking cup and saucer and holding it to Reo, the guest. Only after he accepts does she do the same for his mother.

    Reo takes a sip in obligation and leans forward, setting it down on the table in front of him. She doesn''t seem to mind as she sips herself, looking at her son.

    ¡°This is.. early in your monthly visit,¡± the last two words again seem spiteful, but he says nothing. ¡°Which means you are here for something.¡± She squints her eyes at Reo, almost as if analyzing.

    ¡°And you haven''t asked your father for it.¡± Reo''s jaw clenches at somehow being readable, at least by her. God, I should have just booked hotel rooms while I was at it, he fumes.

    --

    She sets the cup onto the table, genuinely curious at this point. Her son was successful enough to do what he wanted. And if it was out of reach in some way, his father could grant it. But he''s coming to me, she thinks. Why?

    Silence was Toshio''s tactic. The man could go minutes before the other party broke, Aiko preferred honey to vinegar. ¡°Come now, Reo, you know I''d help you out with anything, within reason.¡±

    Reo softens a bit at that, finally turning to look at his mother as his mouth opens, but his breath hitches. He closes his mouth. What on Earth is this boy going to say? She wonders. It''s very rare that Reo could surprise her anymore.

    ¡°We..¡± he pauses, choosing his words carefully. ¡°I have.. guests coming. And it''s a last-of-the-minute thing, and they don''t have any local reservations. So I thought..¡± He looks around, open palmed at the room they were in, but the message was clear: the rest of the house and its many guest rooms.

    Usually Toshio was the one to ask these things, but again, he had come to her. She was no stranger to hosting guests; foreign, domestic, friends, family.

    Family. She looks at him, who again won''t meet her gaze. And there''s only one person that can make Reo act like that, she confirms.

    ¡°Lan is coming, isn''t he. When?¡± she asks.

    Aiko does still feel a sense of pride when she can outwit the men in her life, Toshio and Reo alike. When she came into her own, many took her as another pretty face. It''s interesting to see someone''s reaction when they''re caught off guard. And Reo was no different. It was plain to see on his face that he was blindsided that his mother had any idea, or that he had given any indication.

    ¡°H-How did you..?¡± he stammers, shaking his head, as much as she got a kick out of it, he was used to his mother''s preternatural abilities, even if he couldn''t explain them. ¡°Yes, Lan is coming, for Mountain Day, remember? It''s next weekend.¡± People in Hiroshima didn''t give much thought to the holiday as most were near sea-level, and Fuji was a background set-piece.

    ¡°Father asked him to come, like he asks for all holidays, and for some reason, this year, he accepted.¡± Reo continues.

    Aiko was silent, taking her son''s news in, but she herself didn''t understand. Lan hated it here. Lan hated Hiroshima. Her mind cycled through reasons: Why would he come for such a minor holiday? Toshio and Reo take care of his needs in Tokyo. They don''t allow him money, and he doesn''t do anything except.. exist. He doesn''t dislike me, but he doesn''t like me either. So why? The question truly baffled her as she gave up and finally asks Reo.

    ¡°Why? What is his reason for coming here? I don''t mind in the least, but why now?¡±

    Reo reaches down for his tea and drinks from it, as if stalling for time. Its only when his gloved hands place the saucer on the table does he reply.

    ¡°I said I was hosting guests.¡±

    ¡°Plural.¡± He states.

 23 : Fishing / A Light Turn, Part 2

    ¡°Explain,¡± she demands. If Reo didn''t have her full attention before, he certainly does now. It was a strange look for her, one he rarely saw.

    ¡°Lan is bringing.. a..¡± What even was the word for Saya? From what Reo saw, they weren''t friends, just neighbors living as the only two people in that flimsy apartment complex. ¡°An acquaintance of his,¡± he finally settles on, mentally prepping for the barrage of questions incoming.

    ¡°Acquaintance? We are talking about the same Lan, correct?¡± Reo didn''t answer, nor did she wait for one. ¡°I thought Toshio rents the whole complex he lives in. And he doesn''t go out..¡±

    Aiko talks out her thought plan, hesitating here and there, but ultimately coming up short. Reo can''t help but let his mouth quirk up a bit at his mother so confused she was speechless. There were quite a few faces he was seeing from her today.

    Sighing as he relents, Reo rests his forearms on his knees and laces his gloved fingers together, wondering how to put this. ¡°It''s his neighbor.¡±

    The look of confusion doesn''t leave his mother''s face, so he continues. ¡°When Lan wanted to.. escape..¡± Reo grimaces, as if the last word tasted bad. ¡°And Father rented out the apartment complex, they weren''t all open.¡± Before she can speak, he holds up his hand. ¡°Most of the tenants took the buyout, as expected. And I''m not sure how this all went under the radar, but one remained.¡±

    His mother picks up her tea and listens intently as her face eases, no longer confused but more recalling how it all played out. ¡°Have you met this.. man, woman?¡± Aiko asks.

    She''s fishing now, Reo recognizes. ¡°I have, they didn''t know me, or Lan, or really anything Father has done. Just that Lan was well.. reclusive, as he is wont to be.¡±

    ¡°And just like that,¡± she waves a hand in the air, ¡°He offers to bring them here? You make it sound like they''re nothing but passing strangers, Reo.¡±

    She''s not wrong, he thinks, he picks up his own cup and saucer and pauses, tilting his head. ¡°They''re.. not strangers. Not friends, either, but..¡± She''s the first female to talk to him in the last nine months, ¡°They haven''t ever been to Hiroshima, apparently, and Mountain Day is soon..¡±

    Aiko rolls her eyes at that. The irony is far from lost on the Satake family in Hiroshima. They may be surrounded by hills and mountains, but they were barely above sea level where they lived.

    ¡°..and Father asked if he wanted to come. This time he said yes.¡± Reo sips his tea and sets it back down onto the table as his mother examines him, not replying.

    ¡°Miho!¡± she calls towards the sliding doors. Reo watches as it opens to a woman around the same age as his mother, a woman Reo regarded more than once as pure evil. If his mother was now head of the household, Miho was her vice president.

    ¡°Ma''am,¡± she answers, bowing to the two of them.

    ¡°Over the next week, I need the house spotless. All three wings. Nothing like the simple turn we do every week or two.. we are expecting..¡±

    She levels her gaze at her son, who looks over at Miho, and back to his mother.

    ¡°..''guests''.¡±

    ¨C

    Toshio''s driver pulls into the family courtyard around 7pm, which was normal for him. What wasn''t normal was what awaited him. The first surprise of the day was what could only be Reo''s car there, and the second was the lack of attendants that usually preceded his arrival.

    ¡°A moment, sir.¡± his driver states, getting out himself and hurriedly around to Toshio''s side, thumbing open a large umbrella and only then opening the car door.

    He turns and steps out onto the gravel, under the umbrella as he scans the front of his home. They''re always so punctual, he thinks as he starts forward towards the entrance, looking down at Reo''s car. His driver follows behind, keeping Toshio out of the rain.

    His bare hand hovers over part of the hood of Reo''s car as he continues walking, mildly warm, his son had been here an hour or two, at least.

    He stops and squints into the open doors of his house ¨C of people scrambling both left and right, but he couldn''t make out the shapes. The reason didn''t bother him.

    Toshio tilts his head back and hmms to himself, thinking. When nothing comes, he speaks to his driver. ¡°Guests, are we expecting guests?¡± That was the only conclusion he could come to for Reo being here and the chaos inside.

    The driver fishes in his breast pocket and thumbs open a small notebook, all while keeping himself and his boss dry with the umbrella, though he does talk to himself: ¡°No, no.. that was yesterday.. the next few.. no..?¡± He shakes his head, shrugging as well. ¡°No, sir, as far as I know there are no guests on their way.¡±

    A fit? A tizzy? Toshio smirks a bit at that. It wasn''t being Aiko to have those, but it does make him wonder if Reo was a part of it, or was the cause of it.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.??He starts on towards the entrance of his home, the umbrella following him as their shoes crunch gravel underfoot.

    --

    Toshio steps out of his shoes and into slippers, watching as the housemaids and attendants run around in front of him. He doesn''t move for a while, still trying to figure out why. The family had guests on the regular but it was always with warning, he thinks. And the way they all move in front of him is simple panic.

    He peers around the corner to where Aiko would host guests, assuming Reo and his wife were there. The occasional attendant skids to a stop in the entrance and bows to him before resuming their duty.

    The Satake household had entertained corporate influencers, dignitaries, even foreign ambassadors now and then, but never at this pace. He passes the kitchen which is hard at work on entrees, soup.. Are they coming tomorrow? He guesses.

    Before he gets to the closed doors of the living room, Miho appears before him. She doesn''t bow, nor does he expect it, she had been with the family long enough that it didn''t matter.

    ¡°Apologies, sir, we weren''t alerted to his arrival until just a while ago. So we''re all making sure the house is ready when he gets here.¡±

    Toshio just smiles and nods, ¡°So who are we hosting this..¡± And his face drops immediately. He digs in his pocket and fishes out his phone, unlocking it. Reading, much less replying to texts or e-mails wasn''t the septuagenarian''s strength, but he flicks through the alerts.

    When Lan''s name comes up, Toshio thumbs the screen and blinks at the response: Yeah, I''ll be there.

    His father looks behind him, and then down the hall past Miho, all of this activity obviously explained by who was coming, but it told him more than that.

    Reo is here, he thinks, and Aiko knows of this.

    The patriarch of the family inhales slowly through his nose as he puts his phone away, exhaling slowly. He looks at the closed living room doors, then to Miho.

    ¡°Tea, if you wouldn''t mind,¡± he asks. She nods and blends into the bustling hallway, disappearing into the kitchen.

    Toshio himself moves to the living room door and slides it open to find his wife on one side, and his second son on the other. Both turn to regard him and bow slightly, even if they don''t get up to do so.

    He steps in and slides the door closed behind him, though the old house''s construction does little to mask the fact that the family''s attendants are scrambling around the house.

    ¡°I''m home,¡± he nods to his wife. Turning to Reo, ¡°I saw your car in the driveway, and I''m assuming all of this,¡± he points upwards and spins his finger in a slow circle: referencing all of the soft cacophony behind the door. ¡°..is because we are expecting a guest.¡±

    Aiko was the first to speak up, turning and patting her knees excitedly as she smiles up at Toshio, announcing:

    ¡°Guests! Plural!¡±

    ¨C

    The plural part catches Toshio off guard as it did his wife. His brow creases in thought as he cycles through Lan''s relationships. He knows Lan had distant friends, but none he kept up with, but his son was secretive as it is. Toshio relents that he may not know who Lan is bringing.

    Reo seemed his normal self, but Aiko was absolutely ecstatic. He smiles at her, and couldn''t fault her excitement. Over the years, she had tried so, so hard to connect with Lan, despite not having any relation to him. She had gone through a gamut of emotions regarding him, including that one dinner, he thinks, she utterly snapped.

    Their relationship never progressed further than Lan being cordial to her, which was all Toshio could ask for. What was, is no more, what''s new, is the norm. At the end with Emma, Lan followed her more than him, but that was no surprise. Toshio now recognizes what he chose over his family: the Group. Power is attractive. And there are times when it gets the best of even the best men.

    Reo was the product of his second marriage, both looking and taking after both his parents. He had the capability of humor, love, showing emotions, but from Toshio''s perspective, maturity had changed his son. He went to the best schools, had the best upbringing, and.. maybe unfortunately, turned out very much like his father.

    And his grandfather, Toshio thinks, looking at his son''s white gloves. He had such an eye for business, like himself at that age, but he wonders if Reo has anyone at his side, in a romantic sense. As a father, Toshio couldn''t see it. Emma was a cosmic aligning of opposites attracting. He could see his son with someone just as focused as Reo was.

    It made the rare chill run up his spine at such a cold partnership. He needs his own sun. If Lan and his mother were the sun, Toshio and Reo were the cold, reflective moon.

    Shaking his head clear of past memories, he refocuses on his wife.

    ¡°Apologies, lost in thought.. plural, you said?¡±

 24 : The Rules / Come Find Me

    Lan flips his shirt and places it on top of the rest of his clothes in the travel bag. Jeans, shorts, t-shirts, underwear, socks, he counts in his head. Hiroshima was hot this time of year, but he packs the jeans anyway.

    He tilts his head back and closes his eyes, inhaling through his nose in a slow breath. She hasn''t answered. Lan walks into the bathroom and gathers up his toothbrush, toothpaste, other miscellaneous toiletries and zips them up in a sealed bag before laying them on the top of his clothes.

    The notepad next to his black carry on was lined down to the bottom. He counts off in his head at the list.

    Phone, charger, laptop, charger, medications, e-cig, juice, watch charger, USB hub, POWER BLOCK.

    He looks to the left at the tangle of black wires that make up the technology he''s bringing with him, almost all USB in nature.

    Lan goes down the list and without a pen nearby, he digs his thumbnail into the paper, crossing it out one by one, pausing over medications. Those were last minute, so they sat on his dresser for now. He gathers up the laptop and the bunch of wires and places it on top of his clothes and zips the suitcase up to meet in the middle.

    The front of it gives him pause, smiling a bit as he runs his fingers over the logo of the company that made it. The suitcase itself was perfect, undamaged, but because the logo was stamped on it upside-down, he got it for a steal at an outlet. A fifth of what it was worth.

    She bought this for you.

    Lan''s smile drops almost immediately at the thought, and grabs the suitcase from the handle on the top, setting it next to his bedroom door.

    He looks over at the living room wall, the barrier separating his apartment from Saya''s. She hadn''t refused, but she hadn''t said yes, either. Resting a hand on the door jamb, he looks at his watch.

    August 9<sup>th</sup>.

    ¨C

    Saya, though, was standing outside of Lan''s door with her hands to her sides, her index finger tapping rapidly on her thigh. She realizes representation of anxiety as it happens, but it helps her think. Or so she convinces herself.

    She had been there for the last few minutes, weighing the pros and cons of Lan''s offer. There were a few things she would have to make sure of first.

    Her finger stops as she reaches up and knocks on his door, waiting.

    She hears Lan pull the chain and opens the door, and she forgets his height for a moment even as he leans out. Saya goes from looking at his shirt up to his face.

    ¡°You.. sorry, I nearly..¡± he visibly relaxes when he sees it''s Saya, but looks at her and the edge of his door. He could have easily hit her with it, but she was just out of reach for that.

    Almost immediately, she holds up a hand to him to take control of the conversation:

    ¡°One. We would be going as..¡± Friends? ¡°neighbors.¡±

    Lan starts to nod, but she continues.

    ¡°We have separate rooms, like we do here.¡±

    He simply rights himself and looks down at her as she counts on her fingers.

    ¡°This is a vacation. For me.¡± She tilts her head a bit, remembering Reo''s business card. ¡°I know that you.. your family''s business is based out of Hiroshima, but that is not why we''re going.¡± ''We''re'', what a strange thing to think when it comes to him.

    ¡°If you have to deal with that in some way, I can keep myself busy.¡±

    ¡°And lastly, I pay for myself. I hate being beholden to anyone, even you. Or your brother.¡± She looks at her fingers at the four held up, then up to Lan, who is wincing a bit.

    ¡°What?¡± she inquires.

    ¡°Your.. the..¡± He looks behind him for a moment, thinking of the printouts he made for both of their tickets, whether she accepted or not.

    ¡°Travel is.. already paid for?¡± Lan says, the sentence sounding more like a question than a statement.

    --

    Stolen novel; please report.

    Saya squints up at Lan, but there''s not much to read. Resting bitch face. ¡°Paid.. for?¡± She imitates the upward lilt of his voice.

    Lan lets go of the doorknob and hooks his hands in his pockets, his thumbs out. ¡°It''s.. faster than the train, and cheaper, and..¡± he turns to the side, unable to look at Saya''s face. ¡°already booked.¡±

    ¡°It wasn''t me, it wasn''t!¡± He backpedals, holding his hands up in front of him defensively. ¡°Reo..¡± Father.. ¡°wanted to know if I was coming home for the holiday, and I said yes. That I was bringing a friend. And they went ahead and booked a ticket in your name as well.¡± Lie right to her face, Lan, that''s what you''re good at.

    Saya seems to accept it, she was three-fourths pissed off about the situation, one-fourth excited about the trip, but she didn''t let any of that show. She hopes the latter can overcome the former as she looks up at her neighbor.

    She studies his face, all she''s ever seen on it has been guilt or spite. Saya looks to where Reo stood before in front of her door, then back to Lan. Spite. And how he looks now, this can''t be how rich people act, she thinks, and the ticket isn''t that expensive, after all.

    Who are you?

    ¨C

    Lan goes back and forth between his facade and the truth. He has already told Saya lies, what''s one more? He thinks. He looks up at the skyline in the afternoon sun and sighs, shaking his head.

    ¡°Alright. You deserve to know the truth, so I''m going to tell you all of it.¡± He pulls the door to his apartment open and steps to the side. ¡°Are you okay with coming in? I know all of this seems suspect but.. here.¡± In an effort to show his sincerity, he holds a key out to Saya, who takes it tentatively.

    ¡°It''s my apartment key. If you want, I''ll leave the door open. All we''re going to do is sit in the living room and talk, like we did in yours. Is that okay?¡±

    Saya looks into Lan''s apartment, the same as when she had to use it to get to her own. ¡°Oh, hold.. hang on..¡± he says, leaning in and flicking a few switches on the wall so that the interior lights up.

    ¡°Lan you''re kinda.. freaking me out here,¡± she admits, holding up the key. ¡°This means nothing from the inside, but I get what you mean by it.¡± The realization makes Lan''s cheeks flush in embarrassment.

    She taps it on the back of her other hand, thinking to herself. ¡°I don''t think you''re a bad man, but I don''t think you''re being honest with me, either. So..¡± She motions into the apartment. ¡°You.. tell me the truth, and we''ll go from there.¡± Saya makes no moves to go in ahead of him, which takes him a moment before he gets it and nods slightly.

    ¡°Right, right, alright..¡± Lan ducks his head under the door''s frame and steps into his own place. He stops at the entryway to the kitchen and points at it. ¡°I don''t.. really do tea, but is a bottle of water okay with you?¡±

    Saya glances over at her own apartment door, then down the walkway at the other rooms, and down at the key he gave her. Stepping into Lan''s apartment, she lets the door close but does double-check that it remains unlocked. Your mother would kill you if she knew about this, she thinks.

    ¡°Yeah, that.. water is fine, yes.¡± She steps out of her shoes, leaving them in the landing as she moves further in, and he moves into the kitchen.

    She takes stock of his room, and it hadn''t changed even though she had only a passing glance in her rush to get to her own apartment through his.

    Saya looks at the TV, on a news channel with the volume down low enough that she couldn''t make out the words, not that she was fluent in Japanese. The couch seemed like it was used, but there wasn''t much else to the room. Two armchairs sat to the left and right of a central coffee table ¨C none of them seem to have been used recently.

    Everything screams premade, ready-to-use furniture. Everything in its right place, she thinks. She scans the walls, and finds no art, no decoration, just the same off-white color that matches the off-white of everything else.

    A showroom. The only thing out of place were the pictures she didn''t have time to examine last time she was here, walking over to them. Lan was behind the counter itself, rummaging in the fridge as she looks from frame to frame.

    An older woman, in black and white, clearly happy and laughing at something off to the side.

    A younger version of the woman, with an Asian man standing proudly next to her, and in front of them a per-teen boy in a suit himself. All were smiling. Saya recognizes the blue eyes of the woman, and the blue eyes of the boy. She looks over at Lan for a moment, when he was younger?

    The woman, about the same age, with what looks like a flight headset on, smiling in the backseat of a small plane even though the microphone covers part of her smile.

    Lan, older, standing next to a younger boy with black hair and dark eyes, Lan smiles, but the boy''s visage is almost expressionless. Reo?

    Saya concludes that the woman must be Lan''s mother. And by the way Lan conducts himself versus how he looks in these photos, she knows that this person is no longer around.

 25 : The Truth, Part 1

    Lan comes around from the kitchen and holds out the bottle of water to Saya, and in his other hand, he cracks open a can of beer. She takes it, but looks at him opening the can, glancing out at the window. Saya didn''t wear a watch, but it was nowhere near sundown, 5pm, or anything that would excuse day drinking on a Thursday.

    She follows him to the couch, sitting down in one of the unused armchairs, confirming her suspicion. The cushion, the pillow were bouncy, not many people had sat in them before. Lan himself sits in the middle of the couch and crosses his legs under him, holding his beer between his hands as she waits.

    ¡°I guess.. you don''t know a lot about me.¡± He admits. ¡°The reason.. no..¡± Lan pauses, collecting himself. ¡°Do you mind if I start at the beginning?¡±

    Saya looks at him, wondering what that meant. ''The beginning'' is a very strong phrase. But he''s talking. So she nods, leaning back in the armchair, resting the bottle of water against her.

    Lan picks up the TV remote and thumbs the mute button, leaving them both in silence until he starts.

    ¡°My.. mom.. died a year ago. Back in the last part of July.¡± He draws out his words as he speaks them, as if trying to confirm what he wants to say. ¡°Aaand.. she was.. my.. connection. To the outside world.¡±

    Lan drinks from his beer, three measured sips, strange, Saya thinks. He taps his fingers against the can. ¡°So I had.. have.. a father and a mother. Right?¡±

    He reaches up and slides his fingers through his hair, and smiles sadly at her. ¡°Told you I''d start at the beginning.. do you want me to continue?¡±

    Saya watches him as he drinks, as he talks. This is all a practiced speech. He''s done this before. Bluntness over.. confrontation. She thinks. But she nods to him.

    ¡°It was all pretty normal, I got shit for being a half, but it didn''t bother me much, and I was very much a mama''s boy.¡± He laughs, but not in the way there was any humor behind it.

    ¡°Father traveled a lot. I mean, I can''t fault him for it, I guess he was doing what he thought was best for us? We never wanted for anything, I mean.. we had a nice house, I went to a good school, we had the latest technology..¡±

    ¡°And everything seemed fine, you know?¡± A pause, and another drink, three gulps, Saya guesses he was half done with it already. ¡°And I was halfway through high school, and everything went..¡± Lan shakes his head, and puts his hands together and spreads them apart from left to right. ¡°Divisive. Not wrong or right, just different.¡±

    ¡°It went from normal to a hard split.¡± He chops the air down in front of himself, then leans back. ¡°I''ve heard both side''s excuses, chat rooms were a new thing back then, yeah?¡± He looks at Saya, but doesn''t wait for her confirmation. ¡°And Mom got into them as an.. escape, maybe.¡±

    ¡°And she met a man. And my parents had separated. I''d visit this man with her, and I think she had her best intentions, but I can''t be sure. And I would stay with my father, but his apartment was cold, uninviting.¡±

    Lan looks around and laughs again, ¡°Kind of like this, I guess. I didn''t like staying with him.¡±

    ¡°The divorce started, and it.. escalated. It''s.. very strange to be seated in one room as an argument between your parents ends up in them wrestling on the floor in anger and overhearing something you were never meant to hear.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.??¡°Some.. things. A child is a very good pawn when it comes to adults divorcing.¡± He smiles sadly at Saya, shrugging a bit. But Lan realizes he''s been doing all the talking, and not about easy things, either.

    ¡°Let''s stop, starting at the beginning meant something different to you, and I can be truthful, but you don''t deserve all of this at once.¡± Lan sets his beer in front of him on the coffee table, shaking his head. ¡°You''re not my therapist, we''re barely friends, and just neighbors, sorry.. sorry, I..¡±

    Lan stands up and walks to his desk and picks up the printouts of both their tickets and takes Saya''s, turning and holding it out to her. ¡°Here. It''s the confirmation for the ticket to Hiroshima for the weekend. You''ll have to find somewhere to stay, but it''s.. still valid.¡±

    ¨C

    Saya takes the paper and looks over it, Japan Airlines, the flight was tomorrow, and in her name, like he said.

    But when he doesn''t move from beside the armchair, she folds the paper in half and puts it on the coffee table, picking up the bottle of water and taking a drink from it. She twists the cap back on and looks up at him.

    ¡°You said the truth, not a cop out.¡± She shrugs, and points to the couch where he was sitting. ¡°You want to get it all out before I get to my questions, go on and do it.¡±

    After her interactions with Gregg, or now lack thereof, Saya''s mood wasn''t at her best. She recognizes her sharp temper, but doesn''t hold it back in talking with him.

    Lan rubs his wrist for a moment before sitting back down in the middle of the couch. After the trepidation, Saya was surprisingly direct today. ¡°The.. the rest.. look,¡± he turns towards her, ¡°I know you''re not my therapist. I don''t expect you to be. If you think you can fix me like a project, you can''t. People have tried.¡±

    ¡°So why me?¡± she asks, matter-of-fact.

    Lan picks up his beer and looks down at it. ¡°Deflection? That sounds so selfish. I''m going home to a family that.. I don''t know anymore. I haven''t for a long while. But I thought I could.. use you as an excuse. ''I can''t spend time at home, she wants to see Hiroshima.''¡± He mimes in a fake conversation before taking another drink.

    Saya is quiet for a moment as she searches what she knows of him as her neighbor, his brother, how he arrived, this paid trip. She looks over at Lan. ¡°Where is this money coming from?¡±

    ¡°You''ve been here, in this complex, what..¡±

    ¡°A little less than a year.¡± he answers.

    ¡°And I''ve been here longer than that, and I never see you come, or go, host other people, you wouldn''t even let Reo-san in.¡±

    He grimaces and holds up a hand. ¡°Don''t call him that, please. Honorifics are.. he''s just my half-brother.¡±

    For her it was habit, though, ¡°So.. why are you here,¡± she asks, ¡°How.. are you here? Who pays your bills, who supplies your food, utilities, who paid for all of this?¡± She picks up the folded paper next to her.

    ¡°Who is paying our way to Hiroshima?¡±

 26 : The Truth, Part 2

    ¡°The Group.¡± he states, simply. Lan''s head tilts a bit as he reconsiders the answer. ¡°My family isn''t.. so much a family as it is a corporation now.¡± He looks over at her. ¡°I am Satake in name as much as Lan. Just names.¡± He takes the can from the coffee table and walks back into the kitchen.

    Saya hears him drop the can into the trash and the fridge opening. ¡°So what.. do they do?¡± she asks, not turning back to look at him.

    He returns, resuming his seat as another can is opened in front of her. Is this normal?

    He smiles a cheeky grin at her, ¡°You like bread? Or rice.. especially rice.¡± Lan takes a drink from the can. ¡°The Satake Group is the ''oldest, largest, most diverse company in its field, serving over one hundred and fifty countries'',¡± he recites. Corporate speak from a non-corporate mouth.

    ¡°We don''t make the rice. Well, not anymore. We make the machines that process, cook, and package it.¡±

    Saya leans back in her chair, thinking of what Lan said. Groups, hierarchy, incorporation, boardrooms. And what he said about what they did, who they were. All the countries that grow wheat, all the countries that grow rice? They must all need Satake''s machines.

    ¡°So you''re a billionaire. Is that it?¡±

    The comment tickles Lan, enough that it forms in a loud, silly, chaining-laughter at the statement, he only eases back when some of his beer drops down on his shirt. He wipes his free hand down along it, still smiling. ¡°Sorry..¡±

    Lan looks over at Saya with a sad, resigned smile. ¡°Do I look like any type of billionaire to you, Saya?¡±

    To her credit, she considers his question seriously, only to look back down at the paper at her side, her confirmation to Hiroshima. ¡°It''s.. fifty-fifty, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°Wealthy people fall into two categories, I''ve observed,¡± continuing. ¡°Either they show it off in every way possible, or they don''t change.¡±

    She makes sure she has his attention until she continues. ¡°Money doesn''t change them. It just means they don''t have to worry about where or how they live.¡± Saya picks at the label on the bottle of water in her hands idly. ¡°Things like not worrying about how much an international call costs, or taking a taxi over the train. Sushi over a sub sandwich..¡± she trails off, looking distant out over the balcony rail.

    Lan opens his mouth and closes it with a clack of teeth, biting back his first instinctual comment. It took a moment before he responds. ¡°I''m not a billionaire, Saya. I''m the black sheep, the disaster. You just happen to live next to me. But I told you I''d tell you the truth, and I''m.. not done yet.¡±

    ¨C

    Saya looks up at him, resigned again after thinking about Gregg, gesturing to the beer. ¡°You''re an alcoholic. I got that much. No one drinks this early, and this.. kind of beer,¡± referring to the high alcohol content she noticed the other night.

    Lan nods, running his thumb along the rim of the can as he looks at it. ¡°I''m not being cheeky, do you want to keep guessing, or should I keep going?¡±

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.??Saya shakes her head and opens her palm to him. ¡°No, I was being cheeky, nearly self-depreciating, even..¡± her chest lifts in a breathless laugh, thinking of Gregg. ¡°They were.. your parents were divorcing.¡± She grimaces at the word, what a horrible place to start revisiting.

    Lan pulls his legs under him again and rests the can in his lap. ¡°Right. We moved.. we couldn''t afford the mortgage on the house anymore. I didn''t mind that. Home was.. with her.¡±

    ¡°So in the settlement, she got money, not nearly enough that you''d think someone like my father would agree to. But she had bills to pay, a child to take care of, and it''s all what you''ll sign in the moment.¡±

    ¡°She was a homemaker. She had degrees, of course, but very little experience. And who is going to hire someone of her age these days? She could have fought it, but it would have been expensive and she had me, so.. she signed.¡±

    He inhales slowly, starting to mime thumbing through stapled papers. ¡°She even let me read it, the divorce papers. This much over this many years, and it felt disgusting. How little she ended up with in the end.¡±

    Lan barks out a laugh which catches Saya by surprise as he remembers the next part. ¡°And.. I can''t remember why, but I had his credit card information.¡± He looks over at her, and to her, he looks genuinely smiling.

    ¡°So.. I went online and built a seven thousand dollar computer for myself. And charged it to him.¡± Saya does a few calculations, a computer of that cost today is shocking, when they were younger it would be outrageous.

    ¡°And he found out about it, of course,¡± his face falling a bit. ¡°And made me return it. It wasn''t so much wanting the computer as wanting to.. do something. To.. make him pay. In my young mind.¡± He squints a bit, looking over at her. ¡°Does that make sense?¡±

    Saya nods, she had her tiffs with her family, not in this proportion by any means, but like the argument between Reo and Lan before, she knew the gist of it.

    His emotion outright disappears, ¡°I think four months later he bought the exact same computer for me for Christmas.¡± Lan deadpans. This time he wasn''t smiling, or laughing. ¡°I think that was the first time I was.. really excited and really disappointed at the same time. ''Yes, here it is!''¡± He exclaims, arms open, pantomiming a large box.

    ¡°And ''yes. Here it is.''¡± Lan''s voice more dejected, his arms drop back to his sides. ¡°I thought about it like.. my message did nothing. It meant nothing. Or he didn''t understand. Which is kind of ironic, considering later in life he has been fond of saying ''Any time I want to see you, I have to open my checkbook.''¡±

    Lan tilts the can almost vertical into his open mouth and stands up, grabbing another beer from the fridge. Meanwhile Saya hadn''t taken more than a few sips of her water. She didn''t ask questions, yet, as he sits back down. His hands are trembling less, she thinks.

    ¡°She got a job, and I got.. online.¡± He shrugs, setting his drink down for the moment. ¡°I turned inward. Misery loves company, right?¡± Lan shakes his head slightly, ¡°There are a lot of people on the internet to be miserable with, I''ve found.¡±

    ¡°And so began the long, long road of avoiding everything in my life until now.¡±

 27 : The Truth, Part 3

    ¡°Here, they call them.. us, hikikomori.¡± He scratches the back of his scalp, looking at Saya. ¡°Does that mean anything to you?¡±

    She had heard the term in the past, but never really in her early-children line of work. She figures it out on her own anyway. ¡°Hermits, basically.¡±

    Lan nods, ¡°Kinda the same thing. If society is here,¡± he holds up one fist, ¡°then we..¡± He pauses and frowns a bit. ¡°..they, are here,¡± holding up his other fist away from the first. ¡°Sorry, my therapist is trying to kind of dissuade me from using it as describing myself. A mind-over-matter exercise, I guess.¡±

    He drops his hands back to his lap, ¡°The less I think of myself as that term, the more I can be okay believing it.¡±

    ¡°But you''re right.. you don''t see me leave, you don''t see me arrive. Not much has changed,¡± Lan admits. He takes a drink from his beer, then looks at the television on mute. ¡°Do you.. have any questions for me? I can keep going, but I figure I''ve been talking for a while..¡±

    Saya taps her thumbs against the water bottle, thinking, forming the questions.

    ¡°Is it by choice? Or is something keeping you from going outside?¡± she asks.

    His brow creases but Lan shakes his head. ¡°It''s not.. fear of the outside. I can walk around just fine. Talk to shopkeepers, our landlord, it''s.. I don''t need to.¡± He gestures behind her to the kitchen. ¡°Reo and I went shopping for food for the month, I have water, electricity, internet..¡± His hand moves from doorway to TV to pointing behind himself at the desk.

    ¡°So where does that.. come from?¡± She points at the can on the coffee table, Reo yelling at his brother before their little meeting reminding her.

    He hisses in a breath and tilts his head again, holding back the answer, the truth is the truth, he thinks. ¡°The.. same place you pick up prescriptions. I just happen to pick up cases of beer alongside it. When you have a lot of medications that your father is okay with paying for when you say ''autopay'', cashiers don''t really care.¡±

    Saya nods, it made sense with what she heard before, if Lan''s bills were paid by Reo or his family, there wouldn''t be any worry that he would drink. But he''s hours away from supervision, and obviously it''s not working.

    ¡°I''ve been wavering between deleting his info from the site. His credit card information. Without that, I''d.. there would be no options. I haven''t really come to that yet. And he hasn''t noticed.¡± Lan says.

    There''s no way he wouldn''t have noticed by now, she thinks, Reo would have seen to that. Willful ignorance? ¡°Go on, not.. about this. The drinking, I mean..¡± Saya pauses a moment and wants to ask about the woman herself, but nods towards the computer. ¡°You said you turned to that?¡± She didn''t find it uncommon, the Japanese just had their name for it.

    ¡°Well.. with school, I just sort of.. stopped. I got my equivalency, and after that started taking other classes online. Mom brought in enough for us in an apartment like this, and I sort of.. drifted away. It takes a lot of discipline to actually do classes on your own rather than attend them.¡± Lan drink some from the can and crosses his arms over his chest.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.??¡°And I think she knew, that something changed in me when they divorce happened. So she would push about education, or a job, I''d be evasive..¡± Lan sighs and shakes his head. ¡°..I was an asshole. I was a bum, a leech. I am now, nothing''s changed.¡±

    He looks at Saya, or at least she thinks he is until she realizes he''s looking at the pictures on the counter behind her. ¡°And.. in 2013, she got.. really, really sick, but that was.. my.. ¡°

    ¨C

    Lan swallows and tilts his head back as another can empties and he stands up, stopping next to her, his long fingers nudging towards her bottle. ¡°More, or.. stronger?¡± He sort of chuckles as he keeps going, another can in the bin, another cracking open.

    ¡°No.. no, I''m okay..¡± she replies.

    A small clink behind her makes her turn as he holds out one of the pictures of her to Saya. The woman in question was laughing to something off-screen as she rubs a big black lab. ¡°She loved dogs. Couldn''t live without them.¡± Saya takes the picture and examines it.

    His mother was bent at the waist in a tank-top, sunglasses, the dog just as happy as she was, her short hair curling under her jawline ¨C shorter than his at this point. She was slim, maybe shorter than herself.

    Lan walks back to the center of the couch but his balance is starting to waver as he places two fingers on the arm of her chair, holding there for a moment before resuming his path to sit in the middle again, opening another beer.

    ¡°That was..¡± he tilts his head back. ¡°2004? Five? We had him.. somewhere around there.¡±

    Lan rests the can on his ankles, sitting cross-legged again, inhaling through his nose as if he were mediating, but his stare bore right into the muted TV in front of him.

    ¡°Imagine this.. no.. imagine you''ve grown up with a woman as your hero. I don''t mean comic books, or movies, someone right there. That you come home to every day. You do the shopping, the cleaning, the groceries, she does the work, the rest. And more and more that she pulls herself up by her bootstraps, she realizes her son is less and less like her. That he is this.. parasite.¡± Lan glances over at her, smiling slightly, though he doesn''t quite believe it: ¡°Paraphrasing.¡±

    ¡°But I''m 18, 20,¡± he continues, ¡°and things are the status quo. She pushes, you bob and weave. Evade. ''I''ll do this'' or ''I''ll do that tomorrow,'' or ''next week''. You become practiced at it.¡±

    ¡°And so it goes. For year after year, more than a decade.¡±

    Lan looks over at Saya, motioning to his own face that has a dulled, practiced expression on it.

    ¡°And you realize you''re thirty, and you have thrown your life away.¡±

    The two sit in silence for a bit as Saya processes what she''s heard so far, but one comment sticks out.

    ¡°You said she got sick.. a few years ago?¡± she asks, before looking up at him again, pulling back a bit.

    Lan''s eyes had taken a hard, angry tone at that, even if they were staring straight ahead.

    ¡°Yeah.. she got sick.¡±

 28 : The Truth, Part 4

    Lan glances over at Saya who flinches back at his tone, hastily placing the can on the table. ¡°No, no, I mean..¡± He rubs his eyes and rests his cheek in his palm, looking at her. He looks tired and the day isn''t even half over yet.

    ¡°She got sick, yes. But we were.. both kinda sick before all that.¡± The index finger on his cheek points out beside him, at the can of beer. ¡°We kinda started at the same time. Alcohol''s an easy go to to relax. For.. some.¡±

    ¡°For her, it was relaxation after dealing with the school. I didn''t understand it at first, until I started drinking myself. It was something to enjoy, like you or any other person could. Every now and then.¡±

    ¡°And then it became something you.. did. Not because you needed to, but just because you weren''t doing anything else, so why not?¡±

    Saya relaxes as he talks, that hard edge disappearing for the moment as he takes a drink, standing up. His motions may have been starting to show, but he wasn''t trembling, or stuttering as he did when they talked previously.

    Lan was clear, smooth, if not a bit long winded, she thinks. But what was this, his sixth beer, seventh? She hadn''t been keeping count as he returns.

    ¡°And then it becomes something to help you sleep. Your.. features don''t show it yet. When you''re sober.¡± His fingers run along his own strong jawline, side to side. ¡°I was taller than her, and she''d have to look up at me, and she had this gentle shake of her head, side to side.¡±

    Lan motions to the picture she holds. ¡°To me, that was an indication of Parkinson''s. It was the only thing I knew that could make a person unconsciously tremble like that. Other than that she seemed healthy.¡±

    He laughs, soundlessly and ironic, ¡°I know what it is now. But she dismissed it when I brought it up finally saying, ''Oh, it''s the drinking.''¡±

    Lan rests his elbows on his thighs and leans over to Saya, holding his head straight at her. ¡°Look at me. Aside from it on my breath, aside from you seeing me drink, could you tell I have a problem?¡±

    Saya looks at him as his hair slides down to frame his face, looking from eye to eye, to his lips, his jaw, down to his hands which hold the beer between them. She sets the picture down on the coffee table and really studies him.

    Whatever tremble he had before was gone, whatever dullness in his eyes was gone, he even spoke more. It''s endearing, to an extent. Talked more about himself. Offered more about himself, but Saya had known alcoholics in the past, which pulls her back to the present.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.??She holds out both her hands and motions for him to put the can down on the table. ¡°Let me see your hand, if you don''t mind.¡±

    Lan shrugs and holds out one hand to her, almost smiling as he places it on both of her palms, dwarfing the small span of her hands. She slides one of her hands out from under his and places it on top of his knuckles.

    ¡°Now.. just hold it there,¡± she says.

    Gently, the her left half on top lifts up off of his hand, less than an inch away from touching his skin. And then the bottom hand pulls away from his palm about the same distance.

    Saya''s hands were steady, holding his between them like they were a magnetic field keeping it in check, but she wasn''t looking at their hands, she was looking at his face, who was looking at their hands.

    And Lan wasn''t smiling anymore.

    ¨C

    A silver tongue gets you only so far, no matter how good you are with words. When someone calls your bluff, you better have a pretty face and a calm hand.

    The fingers always the first to betray you. You don''t need words to figure out the truth.

    His palm on hers, there was no way his tremors would be detected, and even if they were, they would be simple nervousness. Relaxation is easier than exercise, which Saya asks for by letting his hand hover between hers.

    It starts in his fingertips, impulses shuddering down the knuckles and to the wrist, the larger the muscle, the easier to control sometimes, but the fingers always go first.

    At first, he was angry at her, how dare she put him on the spot like this? She knew he drank, what was this? Was she expecting something different?

    Lan looks down at his wrist, willing it to stay still. It did, but he felt his fingertips, his fingernails tapping on her skin above and below as her little experiment went on until finally he yanks his hand back and looks at her like she burned him. ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°ALRIGHT!¡± he yells, clenching and unclenching his fist away from her view, on his other side. ¡°You made your point, what.. why did you bother? You knew I drank.¡±

    Saya presses her palms together and rests them in her lap, looking over at him honestly.

    ¡°I wanted to know how bad it was. I wanted to know if you did the same.¡±

    She looks at the picture frame on the table, murmuring, ¡°You were worried for her. What''s the difference here?"

 29 : Long-winded

    Saya stays silent for a moment, searching his face. Lan had secrets, but he didn''t seem to be lying. She pulls the paper out from beside her and looks down at it.

    ¡°You said I''d have to find a place to stay, if I went without you,¡± she says before looking up. ¡°If I went with you, where would we be staying?¡± A valid question, even if Saya doesn''t bring up the trustworthy-with-money topic.

    ¡°Your family is in Hiroshima, so I''m assuming you didn''t think far enough ahead bringing a stranger in for a night or two.¡± she states.

    Lan tilts his head for a second as he recalls his family home. They were obviously thinking of two different sized places, because he could throw a football across their complex and not come anywhere near where Saya''s room would be from his own.

    But he understands her point, nodding. ¡°I can call Reo, and he''ll.. find you a hotel room, no problem, if you''d like. The offer was just sort of last minute, so I didn''t think..¡±

    Saya folds the paper again and taps it against the top of her crossed legs, cycling through situations in her mind. She knew enough people and could send enough messages that if Lan was psychotic, she could be found. What a terrible way to think.

    But people don''t just offer vacations to neighbors, picking up a stranger''s tab, or paying it forward, possibly. And he was honest about why.

    ¡°Alright, Lan. I''ll go with you." She tips her hand back towards his front door as he follows where she points. ¡°The rules, from outside, still stand. This is my vacation, and I will..¡± she pauses, ¡°..entertain your family for you.¡±

    ¡°You were honest with me, and I appreciate that.¡± A little too honest, she thinks, and there''s more where that came from, and you know it. ¡°You want to use me as a shield, and I''ve done that with my friends towards my family before, it''s nothing new.¡±

    ¡°So I''ll play the bashful foreigner-next-door that you are taking on a tour of Hiroshima ''because she''s never been there'' ¨C or something to that effect, correct?¡± Lan nods, his whole body language had changed in front of her, his palms on his knees as he looks over at her, going from morose to strangely excited, another expression Saya hadn''t seen.

    Her ''listen-to-me'' attitude of lecturing faltered a bit as she thought of the smiling black Labrador she had when she was younger. Why am I thinking about this now? She wonders.

    ¡°It''s short notice, so beyond the flight and the hotel, which I will be reimbursing.. Reo? For?¡± she asks, not really sure who is paying their way, even as Lan shakes his head. ¡°Yes, I will. Everything in Hiroshima, I pay my own way. Okay?¡±

    Lan squints and looks to the side as if that may not be totally possible, but stays silent and nods.

    Saya breathes in slowly through her nose, and out through her mouth, calming herself after all this overwhelming information washes over her to process later. Focus on the now. Weekend. Hiroshima. Free.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.??Starting to stand, Lan does as well, which seems antiquated to her, but well mannered. He doesn''t walk after her as she makes her way to the front door, pausing halfway.

    ¡°You said you don''t go back to Hiroshima often..¡± Saya places her hand on the wall next to her, the confirmation paper in her hand as she looks back at him. ¡°When was the last time you went back for more than a day?¡±

    Lan furrows his brow and glances up, oh Jesus, he''s doing math, she thinks.

    ¡°Two-thousand and.. two?¡± he answers.

    Saya would have been ten years old.

    ¨C

    ¡°Right. I''ll..¡±

    His answer had obviously thrown her for a loop, as she opens the paper back up, looking at the recommended check-in time. ¡°It says just before noon, so do you want to meet outside around nine?¡±

    Lan nods and starts towards her. ¡°Let me walk you out, at least.¡± She nods and turns to slip back into her shoes in the landing of his apartment, twisting the knob and opening it to the now-afternoon sun.

    ¡°Nine, then.¡± She had.. quite a bit of packing to do, and quite a few messages to send. Saya turns and waggles the folded paper up at him. ¡°Reo. Hotel. Yes?¡± It was less of a question than a qualifier.

    He nods curtly and fishes in his pocket for his phone. She puts her hand down near his wrist before he can dig it out. ¡°Once we''re done.¡±

    Saya lets go of Lan''s doorknob as it rests on his forearm, keeping it open. ¡°And Lan?¡±

    He looks over at her as he squints, the sun starting to set behind her. Just a silhouette. ¡°Don''t do this again. You said ''a child is a very good pawn'' earlier.¡±

    Saya taps the paper with her free hand, ¡°I''m not yours, either. Just this once,¡± before turning and disappearing behind his door to her own, and into her own apartment.

    ¨C

    In two different cities, across an entire country, tens of people worked in unison for what amounts to three days.

    Saya starts packing while telling her friends and family that her ¡°strange alcoholic neighbor¡± offered her a trip to Hiroshima, no strings attached, to which her parents nearly had an aneurysm hearing.

    Lan frantically calls Reo, who has to excuse himself from the main household to hear Lan at all, pawning off the finding of a hotel room to his assistant once he hangs up with his brother.

    Aiko, who hasn''t seen Lan in years is more than happy to watch her attendants make the complex as utterly spotless as possible, and he''s bringing guests!

    And Toshio, who stands looking out at the courtyard as all of this happens around him, one simple question on his mind:

    Why now?

 30 : Reinforcement

    Toshio sits with them for a time as Reo relates the information, and Aiko relates her excitement. She was a tremendous entertainer, and loved to impress, but family was family, and she pulled out all the stops.

    If she was happy, then the household was happy, which meant Toshio himself was satisfied.

    Once they were finished talking his ears off, he smiles and nods to his wife. ¡°Dear, if I may, I need to borrow Reo for a bit, and I''m sure you have plenty you want to do..¡± He leads his wife on, looking to the attendants scurry outside of the room.

    ¡°Oh! Yes. Yes, I do, thank you.¡± She stands up ¨C he and Reo follow suit out of formality, and Aiko plants a kiss on Toshio''s cheek. ¡°Welcome home, dear.¡±

    After which, she joins the fray in the hall, as Toshio turns to his son. ¡°A word, if you will.¡±

    ¨C

    The two exit the room towards the courtyard, workers giving them a wide berth as the two walk together.

    ¡°I haven''t seen Lan with a friend for more than an hour in well over a decade,¡± Toshio says, ¡°so what has changed?¡± He even pauses mid-stride to ask Reo, ¡°And never with a woman, is this a joke?¡±

    Reo stops and turns back to face Toshio. ¡°I.. do not know. I am almost certain it isn''t, the woman in question being how she is.¡±

    Above them, the little clattering sounds of a rainstorm start echoing through the open house, rivulets of water draining into the courtyard from between the tiles.

    ¡°My guess?¡± Reo poses, ¡°Distraction. If he''s the tour guide on a sightseeing trip, he doesn''t have to be here as much if it were a true visit.¡±

    Toshio''s brow creases, the train of thought made sense, but it wasn''t complete enough for him. He starts walking again, Reo doing the same.

    ¡°It makes sense he would bring her, as far as I know ¨C outside of you ¨C she''s the closest thing to him.¡± Toshio cringed at his own wording, closest physically and mentally, if you think about it. ¡°Unless he brought his therapist here, which I assume he''s still going to? I''m still paying the bills for them.¡±

    Reo shrugs and links his hands behind his back as he walks. ¡°''You can lead a horse to water, but you can''t make it drink.''¡± He quotes. ¡°He says he goes, I believe him. What he talks about there, if anything, I do not know.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.??¡°He eats, sleeps, takes his medications, and drinks, still. I think he does translations online for extra cash if he needs it.¡± That earns Reo a sharp glare from his father, but he doesn''t shy away ¨C giving Lan cash was giving him a bottle, no matter what Toshio''s intent was.

    ¡°So tell me about this woman, Travis? It sounds familiar.¡± Toshio says. Reo unlocks his phone and scrolls through his documents, tilting the phone to his father who skims it lightly. She and Lan were different in ages, physically, but that meant nothing after a certain point and it certainly didn''t apply to Lan.

    ¡°It should, she''s the only tenant you approved to live in the building with him.¡±

    He nods and pats the back of his own hand with the other, remembering. ¡°Right. and considers why he allowed Miss Travis to live there. She was American, spoke English, he thought maybe that the girl could relate to Lan somehow. Culturally, physically, even phonetically for all Toshio cared. All he wanted was his son to find a way back into what he himself considered normal society. A home, a job, relationships, friends, family, something.

    Technically, the Group owned the apartment building. And employed the landlady, who took care of general maintenance and collected rent and utilities. It just so happens that we pay for nine of the apartments out of our own pocket, Toshio thinks. He had mandated the eviction of all of the residents except for her ¨C but could not explain why other than hope.

    He looks out over the courtyard, thinking back to the first few conversations with Lan after his mother had passed. Nothing would have made him happier if he had wanted to come home to Hiroshima to live, but his son was insistent on staying in Ota. Staying where she was.

    Lan had moved apartments, but not mindsets. He had always been a homebody, but now he was a homebody without a home. Toshio did what he thought was right, and wanted to give Lan a fresh start. A reintroduction to society. Something simple, an apartment without the hassles of actually having to maintain an apartment.

    What ensued was the direct opposite. Instead of Toshio''s ideal situation of a newly hatched chick emerging from an egg, Lan turned even further inward, a steel reinforced cage around the egg.

    It was as if his son was frozen in time.

    The death never happened.

    Nothing changed.

    And Lan was slowly killing himself.

 31 : Slow. Slow down.

    ¡°I don''t.. fly well.¡± Lan says as the two of them walk into Haneda airport, tugging their carryons behind them.

    Saya stops and shuts her eyes for a moment before turning around and facing him. ¡°Is this going to be a thing? Are you going to do a thing?¡± She couldn''t explain it, but it was enough that he understood.

    ¡°No, no, it''s.. it''s just the takeoff and landing. I don''t..¡± Lan straightens up and grips his suitcase''s handle hard. ¡°You.. it''s not gonna be.. it''s not gonna be your problem, I promise.¡±

    Saya studies him for a moment, she hadn''t known him for long, but a tell is a tell ¨C and after a while Lan''s face would tell if he was lying.

    When it didn''t, Saya starts on her own towards the counter.

    ¡°You can..¡± He waits, until she stops again, to look back at him. ¡°You can stop worrying about me.¡±

    Lan walks up to her and puts his suitcase between them, both hands gripping the handle. ¡°I''ve seen that look, I know that look. Saya, I don''t need another mother.¡±

    Saya leans back a bit, Lan was imposing as it was, much less a few inches away from her. But he was searching her eyes as she did the other night.

    ¡°I''m not stupid, and neither are you.¡± Lan''s grip tightens around his baggage, ¡°I told you, you can''t fix me. And I don''t want you to.¡±

    To passers by, it seemed a tall man was wishing his small wife farewell. Lan''s black hair on either side of them didn''t help.

    ¡°I have.. people there. Problems there. You,¡± he taps against her collarbone, setting her at ease ¨C but moreso himself, ¡°are going on vacation. Scot free.¡±

    Lan tucks his hair behind one of his ears, standing up straight. ¡°You just have to deal with.. some shit, before you''re released. And for that I''m sorry.¡±

    Saya started to pipe up to refuse that, but Lan shakes his head. ¡°It comes with the territory, I''ve found. It''s not your problem.¡±

    "And you inadvertantly helped me to relax too, just now. Worrying for you means less worrying for me. But I don''t-- you don''t need to."

    Saya looks up at him, quiet for a moment before saying, ¡°You hate this, don''t you?¡±

    ¡°With every fiber of my being, but it''s only an hour flight versus hours on the train let''sgobeforeIlosemynerve,¡± he blathers out before dragging his suitcase towards security.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.??Saya follows, but not without smiling a bit at the surrender of comfort versus ease Lan was giving her.

    An hour versus hours.

    ¨C

    Lan eyes the bar once they''re past security, rubbing his hands together with his elbows on his knees. It didn''t matter, he had no way of paying for any type of alcohol. Everything was taken care of and curated by his family.

    Saya, meanwhile, was lounging back in her seat, looking a the ceiling. It was coming over here, wasn''t it? She thinks, the last time you flew anywhere.

    She loved to fly, the feeling of transportation over an ocean fascinated her, like time-zones. She could be a day ahead of her parents. Her New Year was actually a newer year than theirs.

    ¡°Boarding for JL 252 will begin momentarily, we ask that disabled passengers come up front to be..¡± the intercom announces, making Lan flinch a bit.

    Saya sits up and looks at the queue forming at the door, then to Lan, who seems so wound up.

    To his credit, Saya observes, he knew his exercises, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Slowly.

    It also helped that he had taken two Xanax half an hour ago, and they were just starting to kick in.

    Lan feels his muscles ease, his fingers stretch out over the handle of his rolling baggage as the anxiety starts to slip away. It was like being drunk, but smoother.

    What kept him grounded was the presence next to him, radiating like a bright light. Lan makes sure his moves are slow, calculated, that they come off as normal to anyone looking at him. <em style="font-family: Ubuntu, serif">I can do this, he thinks.

    ¨C

    Saya watches in earnest as Lan moves his arm from holding onto his rolling bag to his pocket, but ridiculously slowly. The twitching was gone, replaced with what could only be described as an actor trying his best to move through liquid as he pulls the phone out to check his messages.

    She holds her tongue on this one, simply watching this man move in slow motion, thinking he''s fooling everyone when a moment''s glance betrayed just how high he was.

    But if it kept him calm on the flight, Saya was just fine with keeping quiet. Assuming he knew how to present his ticket to the attendant.

 32 : Everything Is Going to Be Okay

    To his credit, Lan was able to make his way onto the small aircraft, having to duck quite low to accommodate his height. The puddle jumper only had twenty or thirty rows, with two seats on either side.

    He only truly starts wavering when they get to their row, hesitating. He looks back at Saya, bent over as he is, questioningly. She looks at her own ticket, they were seated together, but hers was on the aisle. Lan wanted nothing to do with the window seat.

    Saya hefts her bag up and into his arms and ducks into the row first, taking the window seat. Lan meanwhile manages to get their luggage in the upper compartments, before shakily lowering himself into the seat, his knees bumping up against the seat in front of him.

    Despite the medication, Lan could feel the anxiety start to build in his chest and stomach, like a heavy lead ball radiating nervousness. Saya buckles herself into the seat and looks at Lan for him to do the same. When he doesn''t, she taps the hand gripping the armrest with dread to remind him.

    He nearly jumps out of his skin at her touch, head spinning to look down at her. She points to her seat belt, then him. Lan nods and rocks side to side a bit, fishing out both ends before locking it loosely in place.

    She doesn''t bother to get him to tighten it, at least it was secured. His hands returned to their normal, white-knuckle position on the armrests. He looks like a spooked deer, she thinks. She''d have laughed if she didn''t know where it was coming from. Heights had never bothered her, but she had her own fears, rational or not.

    Saya pulls down the window blind for his sake and turns to him. ¡°Try.. closing your eyes. And breathing. And imagine you''re on a car ride instead,¡± she suggests. ¡°Like you said, it''s one hour, five minutes of going up, five minutes of touching down, and then we''re done!¡±

    She realizes that she may have well been talking to a brick wall in his state, but he does lean back and close his eyes. Lan''s grip doesn''t let up on the armrests though, and his breathing starts to slow.

    Up front, the flight attendants were pulling the door closed and sealing up the plane with a heavy thunk.

    ¨C

    Once they were actually in the air, Lan was fine. Relaxed. Mellow, even, but it wasn''t until the feeling of climbing up into the air was over that he exhales the breath he was holding.

    Between the ground and the air, though, Saya tried her best not to stare, instead keeping an eye on him slyly. And it wasn''t until this very day that she learned that yes, grinding teeth can be heard over a roaring engine. As he catches his breath, his jaw finally relaxes.

    And with him, Saya relaxes too. Anxiety was contagious, it seemed, at least from him ¨C she started to doubt the plane and the pilot''s capabilities herself on the way up.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.??¡°Planes want to be in the air, right?¡± he asks, extending his fingers out from their claw-like grip on the armrests, wincing a bit. ¡°Isn''t that what you always hear? That you''re more likely to die in a car crash than anything to do with a plane.¡±

    Lan turns to look down at Saya, still under the haze of the medication but much more at ease now that taking off was behind him. There was the landing, but that was for later.

    Saya nods, she always thought it was akin to being struck by lightning in terms of odds, but his car fact seemed more probable, even if it was rather morose. She points to the closed window blind, still looking at him. ¡°Do you.. mind?¡±

    Lan shakes his head, reaching up to rub his eyes tiredly. ¡°No, no, go ahead.. the clouds.. it just looks like a floor to me when we''re finally up here.¡± She raises the blind and is greeted with a wide expanse of fluffy clouds, and beyond that an open, endless sea she hasn''t seen from this angle in quite a while.

    ¡°At least we have good weather for it today,¡± she murmurs, not wanting to think of what a stormy takeoff or landing would be like for him.

    Now she''s glad to have taken the window seat as the plane glides south, around the large pluck of Mount Fuji poking up from under the clouds. This view itself was worth the flight altogether.

    She was doing what the federal holiday was made for, majesty of mountains and all that. The clouds seemed to part around the large mountain like a white fork on either side of the snow capped summit. Saya laughs to herself a bit as she remembers visiting it herself, and finding that they had the gall to sell canned air from the mountain, or so her translator said. She wanted to get one just for the cheeky aspect of it, but it was still spending money on.. air.

    ¡°To be honest, I haven''t traveled with anyone in.. a while. Not for just a holiday, I mean.¡± He looks past her out the window, raking his hair back from his face before looking at her. ¡°I mean, your holiday, my home visit,¡± he corrects himself.

    ¡°Even by ground?¡± she asks, and he shakes his head. ¡°If I do go anywhere, it''s usually alone. Besides, who would be traveling with me other than some family member? That would.. not be ideal.¡±

    ¡°And Reo comes to you, instead? Do you go home for.. other holidays?¡± To be fair, Mountain Day wasn''t a very big one to travel for. She was thinking the end of the year, or golden week.

    ¡°I do, once or twice a year. I don''t stay that long. I may not be on the best terms with my father and his family, but he''s still my father.¡±

    The way he said that made Saya a little sad, his family, he had said.

    Not my family.

 33 : Just Believe, Just Breathe

    Lan glances at his watch as it creeps past the 1pm mark. Leaning down, he rubs his eyes as he tries to keep a little more lucid than the Xanax was allowing. The withdrawals hadn''t crept up on him yet, thanks to it, but it wouldn''t last forever, hopefully they''d be at his father''s before it was a problem.

    ¡°Ah, this isn''t my trip anyway. Do you.. have anywhere you want to go? I realize that it''s all kind of last minute, there are THINGS to do in Hiroshima..¡± He leans back in his seat, looking over the top of the passengers in front of him, drawing a blank at what there actually was to do there.

    ¡°Oh! I have a few ideas, I didn''t end up buying it because I wasn''t sure I was going to say yes, but I looked through a guide a while ago.¡± Saya squints a bit, trying to remember herself what she wanted to see.

    ¡°Crap, all of them seem really somber for a holiday, now that I think about it.¡±

    Lan laughs and shakes his head, ¡°It''s.. Hiroshima. Which is best known for.. you search for the name, what''s the first thing that would come up?¡±

    She couldn''t argue that, and it was honestly what she first thought of when she thought of the city. Instead, she pauses for a moment, and reverses the question.

    ¡°So, you know the big places. The memorials, the museums, if it were up to you, as a native.¡± He glances down at her incredulously, to which she rolls her eyes, saying, ¡°okay, semi-native. Where would you go?¡±

    Lan breathes in, a loaded question even if I wasn''t loaded myself, and starts trying to remember locations around the city, starting with his father''s home.

    His memories course through thin lanes and train lines, places that would seem normal to him, but not to a tourist. Things that left an impact.

    ¡°Itsukushima comes to mind. Just as a starter. It''s this..¡±

    ¡°..shrine, with the gate in the water. That''s on my list.¡± She finishes his sentence, chuckles and taps her temple. ¡°Up here. What else?¡±

    ¡°Mmm.. hm.¡± He shifts in his seat and continues down his exploration of his hometown in his head, all of his stops were sentimental to him for unremarkable reasons, but there were a few.

    ¡°What do you think about eel? Yay, nay?¡± He wavers his hand side to side.

    Saya scrunches up her face a bit which makes Lan laugh again, nodding. ¡°It''s not for everyone. Buuut.. there is a ''best restaurant in the city'' that we could go to. It''s been ages, I don''t really like eel myself, but apparently it was great?¡± He rubs his forehead, thinking. ¡°I was maybe.. ten. I''d have to look up the name.¡±

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.??He counts on his fingers towards her. ¡°Museums, castles, peace.. everything. You know all those.¡±

    Lan shakes his head and blinks as he remembers a certain spot. ¡°Oh, shit, the..¡± He sighs and ponders how to put it.

    ¡°When you were a kid, did you have.. model trains or cars?¡±

    ¨C

    Saya wasn''t expecting that, she had her toys, and her brother had his, he was big into everything with wheels. ¡°I.. David had Hot Wheels.. I mean, sorry. My brother, David, had a lot of toy cars, model cars, remote control, that kind of thing?¡±

    ¡°Hiroshima has this great museum, and it sort of sounds like a boring Tomorrowland, but it''s like a museum of transportation. And I just remember loving it as a kid.¡±

    ¡°It was a lot of models and buttons and noises. Which for a kid is.. just a great time.¡± Lan rubs his jawline idly. ¡°Aquariums are great, museums are great, but they weren''t ever as interactive. And I don''t want to touch a horseshoe crab.¡± He shudders back a bit, touch pools weren''t exactly his thing.

    ¡°To me, those kind of places were right up my alley. Pushing buttons, the more.. electronic side of science than biological.¡± He realizes he''s gushing a bit, and that the medication isn''t helping ¨C no matter the substance, Lan did most of his talking while somehow inebriated.

    Saya raises a brow as he quiets down and taps the armrest between them, ¡°And you are afraid of flying?¡±

    ¡°I''m not!¡± He ducks down as his voice was a bit loud for a tiny plane cabin. ¡°I''m not afraid of flying, it''s the leaving-and-returning to ground part.¡±

    A soft chime echos from above them as Lan''s hand jerks up and slams against the upper compartment above him as the pilot comes on the intercom, explaining their descent in muffled tones. The lurch in his stomach was enough to tell him they were on their way down.

    Saya jerks back at his reaction then holds up her hands in front of him like some wild animal she''s trying to placate. ¡°Wait, just.. wait. You were fine for an hour. No..¡± She grabs his chin and turns his vision back to her when it starts darting around.

    ¡°You were fine for an hour. You were fine when we took off. Look at me. Five minutes, and it''s over, okay?¡±

    A few of the passengers around their seats had turned to look at Lan''s hand hitting the ceiling, the flight attendant even tilting a bit in her chair to look down the aisle.

    ¡°Trust in the pilot.¡± Not working. ¡°Trust in the plane.¡± Not working. ¡°Trust in me, this is nothing. Close your eyes and breathe,¡± Saya says.

 34 : Traffic

    Lan didn''t take a breath until the plane started rolling, not hovering over the tarmac. Saya watches as this big man sort of collapses in on himself as he exhales, the tension from before melting away.

    ¡°See? That wasn''t so bad.¡± She tilts her head back to watch the lines of the runway roll past them. ¡°And I didn''t even have to close the blind, either.¡±

    The plane taxis its way slowly towards the terminal as people start to unbuckle their seatbelts. Some even start getting up in the aisle to collect their belongings from the overhead compartments, which earns them a scolding from the attendant, which they all seem to ignore.

    Saya wasn''t in much of a hurry, this was a vacation after all. This was her first time in a smaller plane, though, and walking out onto the runway to board was new. When it seemed that the same would be done for disembarking, she''s rather surprised.

    ¡°Does this..¡± she wonders out loud, not bothering to finish her sentence as she realizes why. Even though the plane was smaller, it was faster to load and unload, which meant more flights, which meant more money.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lan, beside her reaches up and unlocks the overhead compartment, not needing to stand up to get at their bags.

    He looked so small five minutes ago, she thinks, looking at his arm reaching up, his knees still bunched up against the seat in front of him. She shakes her head and unbuckles her own belt. ¡°Mm-mm, it''s nothing.¡±

    He does have to stretch though, pulling her bag out first and letting it thump down in the aisle. The plane had started to brake, as crew crossed their arms in a stop motion, others running under with wooden blocks to chock under the tires.

    ¡°C''mon, we should be..¡± he says, stopping. The flight attendant stands up and starts releasing the door locks and laying out the stairway-door to the open world. She only turns to look back at the cabin when two passengers start arguing.

    Saya winces a bit and turns to look at Lan, who is looking behind him as well, at a suited man bumping his knees up against her carry-on. They were arguing in Japanese, and though she caught only a few words, it was enough. He wanted past, and Lan wasn''t letting him.

    ¨C

    ¡°Move your bag.¡±

    Lan turns and looks up at the man nodding down towards Saya''s bag. He turns to the front and people had barely started making their way out of their seats to the open door.

    ¡°In a minute,¡± Lan responds ¨C in English - holding a grip on the handle of Saya''s bag when his arm jerks forward a bit.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.??The man had bumped his knee against her bag, nudging it forward. ¡°Move your fuckin'' bag you foreign asshole.¡±

    I did not suffer on this flight for you, he thinks, his jaw clenching as he holds her bag in the aisle. Don''t. He smiles up at the passenger and nods, turning to Saya.

    ¡°C''mon, we should be..¡± This time a harder knee to her bag, his arm yanking as the bag is shoved up in the aisle, the suited man following almost tip-toed behind it. ¡°Out of the way, already,¡± the suit repeats.

    And I was just starting to enjoy the medication again.

    Lan reaches over with his free hand and shoves the rolling bag back against the man''s knees, unbuckling his belt and twisting to look up at him proper.

    The suit was in a hurry, it seemed, and did not know his fucking manners, he thinks.

    ¡°OI.¡± Lan belts out, catching the suit by surprise at the yell. ¡°Where the fuck you going?¡± he states in Japanese ¨C further making the man draw back a bit.

    ¡°You see all these fucking people in front of us? You think getting past us is gonna get you to that door faster, asshole?¡±

    Lan couldn''t turn to exit his row facing the man, so he simply backed a heel up against Saya''s bag and slid out into the aisle, turning to look down at the man: from a craned, too-tall-for-this perspective, it was ridiculous.

    ¡°Front to back, haven''t you ever flown before, shithead?¡±

    Saya recognized that word, or words like it, and reaches over and puts a hand on Lan''s arm, who looks down at her, his expression softening.

    She shakes her head and tilts her head towards the open aisle ¨C all the other passengers in front had exited already. Lan steps into the row opposite their own and crooks his fingers to Saya, motioning her out. C''mon.

    She looks between him and the other half of the argument before deciding it''s easier to get it over with than bother. She shifts from her seat to his, and into the aisle, picking up her bag.

    Saya bows slightly to the man, who was clutching his briefcase against his chest with both arms in protection from Lan. He nods his head slightly in return. When the suit doesn''t make a move to trample forward as before, Lan grabs his own bag out of the compartment, and gives him one last look. Say something else, it said.

    Sighing, Lan follows, bent over behind Saya who led the way to the exit. ¡°You didn''t have to bow, you know,¡± he switches to English.

    She just rolls her eyes at the machismo of it all and smiles to the attendant as she exits the plane.

 35 : Home

    Saya holds her hair down as it whips around her from the open wind of the tarmac, stepping down onto solid ground as another attendant thanks her for flying with them.

    At first she is a little irked that the weather isn''t that different. She shakes her head as she draws a line across the country horizontally and remembers that this is only a little more south than home. But it was sunny, and that''s what matters.

    She looks back to the airplane''s door to see Lan emerge, gritting his teeth as he extends up after bending down for so long, thumbing the button on his luggage as it drops in one smooth swoop to the concrete on its wheels.

    Very.. practiced, she thinks.

    He turns to face the wind, rather than fight it like Saya does. Despite his drab attire, the wind blowing his long hair back was enough so that Lan didn''t look nearly as glowering in the sun as he did back at the complex.

    He catches up to her in a few strides, leaning down and plucking her bag out of her hand while she''s not paying attention. ¡°Ah, hey! I can take..¡± But he was already walking ahead of her, and she hops to catch up to him instead.

    ¡°I can take that, you know.¡±

    Lan looks down at her, both arms behind him as they roll their suitcases across the runway towards the terminal. ¡°I know, but this is a holiday, isn''t it?¡±

    She kept pace with him as they reach the sliding door, Lan waits until she goes first before following her, winding their way around rows of queue lines to the main hall of the terminal. Thankfully, they didn''t have any checked bags, so they didn''t have to deal with the large crowd surrounding the baggage carousels.

    The busyness of it all kind of overwhelms Saya, who follows next to Lan as he walks towards the exit, skidding a bit as he turns towards a counter instead, standing behind the first customer there.

    He tugs their bags around in front of them and rests his wrists on the handles, tapping his toe against the floor as they wait. This is weird. He''s being weird, she admits to herself.

    Saya looks down at his hand and doesn''t see any sort of tremble. There''s the restless tap of his thumb on the grip of the suitcase, but nothing like the night they talked. She didn''t have the experience of alcohol withdrawal, nor what Xanax felt like. Alcohol smoothed out the rough edges of his speech and movements, maybe the medication did the same? She thought him so slow before they boarded.

    She turns and looks at the counter, and the sign above it: TOYOTA Rent-A-Car.

    ¨CThis tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Lan felt normal again. His mind was clear, the anxiety in his stomach was gone, and it simply left him feeling like he did before he ever started drinking, that it ever was a daily problem. The irony of how it would be if he outright quit wasn''t lost on him, though.

    ¡°Wait.. you.. have your license?¡± Saya asks, and he turns to look at her as they wait in line.

    ¡°Yeah, I.. I suggested the transportation museum, right?¡± He scratches his head for a moment as if it weren''t blatantly obvious before shaking his head. ¡°No, I.. sorry, yes, I have my license. A few of ''em, actually.¡±

    A few? She thinks. ¡°But I don''t drive anywhere other than here, or outside of Ota, owning a car or motorcycle is kind of a pain in the city itself.¡± He rests his palms on the handles of their luggage, stretching up a bit as he works out the kinks of sitting in that small plane.

    ¡°It''s kind of the only luxury I afford myself when I come home.¡± He blinks and looks between her and the counter. ¡°Wait, do you get carsick? We can take the train if you want. I didn''t even ask.¡±

    ¡°No, I''m fine. I just didn''t think you''d.. have a license.¡± To have one was a luxury in itself, much less a car to drive with it. Saya was starting to get the hint that she shouldn''t continue to be surprised with Lan. That you don''t know anything.

    She wrings her hands a bit as the customer in front of them steps to the side, done with his business. Lan rolls their baggage up to the counter and rests his hands on it.

    ¡°Hi, I have a reservation? Under uh.. Satake?¡±

    Saya finally gets to what is bothering her and she grabs his forearm, turning him to face her. He seems surprised, but chuckles slightly. His eyes were a bit dilated, but they didn''t seem panicked, nor was he woozy.

    ¡°Wuh.. what is it?¡±

    ¡°You''re gonna drive, like this?¡± she asks, ¡°And you want me to ride with you.¡±

    Lan leans back and glances to the receptionist, then Saya. He holds up a finger to the girl behind the counter and steps to the side with Saya, legitimately confused.

    ¡°What.. you mean on the Xanax?¡± He shakes his head, holding up both hands in front of him. ¡°No, no, we''ll wait. I''m not stupid.¡±

    ¡°I''m.. relaxed. Not stupid.¡± He nods across the terminal to a restaurant in the corner. ¡°We''ll wait there until you''re satisfied. Okay?¡±

    She follows his gaze to the restaurant, then back to the counter, at the waiting receptionist. She politely smiles at the girl and nods.

    ¡°Alright, lead the way.¡±

 36 : Prepare to Qualify

    He rests his chin in his hand, a smiling Lan was.. new to Saya. So while she enjoys her tea, he leans back and turns the cup of water in his fingers.

    ¡°You think I''m crazy, don''t you.¡±

    ¡°No, I know you''re crazy. I''m just weighing how crazy I am for going along with it,¡± she responds, looking out at the cars, bumper to bumper, for the arrivals concourse.

    Lan looks at the table, then plucks some of the condiments from their caddy. ¡°What if I.. qualified it?¡±

    He sets his phone down on the table, then twists it and turns it horizontally between them. Lan holds his index finger on the back, tapping it before he speaks. ¡°If this is baseline me,¡±

    ¡°And this is.. airplane me.¡± He slides the salt shaker towards her, above the phone, ¡°And this is..¡±

    He hesitates as he reaches for the pepper, looking down at where it would go. Still, he plucks it and places it lower than his phone. ¡°And this is.. fucked up me. The me past.. a certain time in the afternoon..¡±

    Lan looks over at her and she gets it, enough that he doesn''t have to go down his list of withdrawal symptoms.

    ¡°We are here.¡± He thumps his finger down on the back of his cell phone, trying to indicate normality. Saya understands his logic, anxiety plus medication equals normal, anxiety plus alcohol.. she can add it up. But she wasn''t about to test that logic with herself in the passenger seat of a rented car with a man on benzos.

    Lan gulps down his water and leans back in his chair. ¡°Without the alcohol, I''m useless. In the air, I''m useless. The medication lets me stop worrying. It tells that part of me in my stomach to let go, if only for a little bit.¡±

    ¡°My doctor doesn''t even like prescribing it, because it can be addictive. Yeah. I get why. You can go from your worst to an even keel.¡± He taps his phone again, shaking his head.

    ¡°I don''t get off on this. The medication. I come back with this. God that sounds so..¡± he glances out the window. ¡°Junkie-like. I wish I could explain it better.¡±

    Saya looks at her bag, thinking of it pushing on the man''s knees to keep him back on the airplane. So far she had seen a few faces of Lan, and she couldn''t really put a finger on which one was normal.

    Bull, she thinks, you know what''s normal. This is abnormal. Sober Lan, drunk Lan, and this Lan. So far, she prefers this Lan.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.??She''s about to finish her tea until he stands up, the chair noisily backing up behind him as he grins out the window at something she misses.

    ¡°Time to go.¡±

    --

    ¡°You have got to be kidding me,¡± she answers, standing curbside in front of it.

    Lan, meanwhile, was all smiles. After loading their luggage into the car, the receptionist hands over the keys and a ticket, which Lan pockets.

    ¡°What?¡± He holds out both hands to the car. ¡°It''s a nice car, right? And It''s been long enough in the cafe that you think I can drive, right?¡±

    Saya looks up at him, while he still motions to the car, like it explains everything. Two hands out, palms up, eyebrows raised as if to ask eh? Eh?

    Yes, she thinks, you''re crazy.

    --

    Meanwhile, Lan was chomping at the bit from the moment he saw it crawl up to the curb, a silver NISMO GT-R, God almighty, what a beauty, he thinks. There were faster and more precise machines, to be sure, but even this car was pushing the line as to what a company would rent out to normal drivers.

    Saya, however, seemed less than impressed, which he dismisses to not understanding exactly what is in front of them. He holds back dancing his way to the driver''s side and thumping down into the bucket seats of the car. Comfort was not this car''s selling point.

    He rubs his fingers together as one hand grabs the wheel, the other hovering over the stick. ¡°No, this one''s.. not like that,¡± he actually says aloud.

    ¡°What?¡± Saya asks, thinking it was directed at her.

    Lan looks over and waves a hand at the man that shuts her door for her, reaching over and pulling the belt down from way behind her, holding it out so she could latch it herself.

    ¡°Lan, why do I regret getting in this car?¡± she mentions as she clicks the belt in place.

    He leans back, one hand on the steering wheel again as he grins over at her. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± he asks.

    ¡°No, I don''t.¡±

    ¡°Good. Lean back.¡±

    She does, and she''s glad she did.

 37 : Hang On

    All was well for the first ten minutes. The car didn''t seem to have much in terms of shocks, but it didn''t seem to bother Lan. Saya keeps her head back as suggested, her fingers curling around the bottom edge of the bucket seat.

    ¡°I didn''t kno-OH-ow..¡± she exclaims, mid-word, as they yank to the left and start up the ramp to the expressway, ¡°that you drove.¡±

    ¡°No? I guess I don''t really advertise it..¡± He replies, as they coast up the ramp in second and into the merging lane.

    ¡°There are a lot of things I don''t like about coming home.¡± He murmurs, glancing at his mirror on the right. ¡°This isn''t one of them.¡±

    They start slow, merging out onto the highway in the slower lane as he shifts up in gear, matching speed with the flow of traffic. Saya kept her head back anyway, knowing the look of this kind of car, and this kind of driver, she thinks. It seems to be just another ride. It didn''t last.

    She hears two distinct thumps coming from the driver''s well, the clutch and the gas as the car almost bucks up like a protesting horse before all four wheels catch pavement.

    Lan keeps one hand on the gear stick, the other on the top of the wheel as the car in front of them barrels up into their view, and he slides easily into the next lane.

    Saya spares a glance over at him now and then, his hair whipping around his face from the windows being open, the roar of the engine assaulting her ears.

    It''s not manic or sarcastic, but the look on his face is absolutely genuine. Lan has a grin ear to ear as his eyes scan out the windshield, twisting the car in between the slower vehicles.

    She had no doubt that they were breaking some sort of law, or even if Lan was telling the truth about having a license at all, but it was something she hadn''t seen before.

    He seemed genuinely happy.

    Watching him for a long moment before he turns to look at her, she turns back to look out at his view, at the road they''re taking, smiling a bit herself ¨C even if she wasn''t about to let go of the seat.

    --

    You''re glad she came, but this is why you came.

    Lan thumps paddle behind the steering wheel to shift the car up into its sixth gear and pushes the pedal down to the floor. Thankfully there wasn''t a lot of traffic this early in the day.

    He still had to ease off to switch lanes, but only at the last minute. Grilling up against their tail bumper before swerving into the next open lane.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.??The Sanyo Expressway was fantastic for rides like these, even if it was peppered with toll booths. Had it stretched in a better manner from Hiroshima to Tokyo, he''d do nothing other than drive home.

    He felt like a patient receiving oxygen after being denied it. The anxiety was left back in the arrivals lobby of the airport, the pain in his stomach siphoned away. Lan''s hair whips around him, slapping and biting at his skin as it hits.

    But this is why he came.

    The group had an account with the rental agency, and just saying his name could get him the car he wanted, he learned that a while ago. No one had stepped up to call him on it, either, which he would have expected Reo to do.

    Instead, he was given this luxury, if only for a while, to let go. They would always frown at his choice of vehicles once he showed up, but between the airport and home, Lan was free.

    He eases off on the pedal when both lanes are occupied, but the moment he senses enough space, he worms the car in and guns it.

    It was enough that both lanes were open for as far as he could see, and Lan moves the car so that the lane markers split down the middle of the car, as he took up half of both lanes.

    He finally turns to look at Saya after a few minutes, and finds her understandably taut, but smiling. Lan raises a brow at that, that''s.. not how people react to this. He thinks.

    Finally, traffic forces them to slow as they near a toll, the engine still growling in front of them, but Lan isn''t looking so much in front anymore, casting glances over at Saya, whose smile hasn''t faltered.

    --

    After crossing a slim river, Lan pulls the car down a ramp and onto a smaller highway, heading south.

    "So you.. you didn''t mind that?¡± he asks, glancing back from where they came, then to her. ¡°I''ve had.. passengers before, and their lungs were louder than the car.¡±

    Saya had had enough time to relax and work through her tense kinks in her fingers before Lan noticed ¨C like him on the plane. She shakes her head. ¡°Well, no, I''d be lying if I wasn''t a little freaked out, but you seemed in control.¡±

    ¡°I can''t drive, this is all..¡± She motions to the gear shift. ¡°I know you have to shift up to go faster, but I don''t have a license, and never bothered learning stick..¡±

    ¡°So.. I thought of it like a thrill ride.¡± Saya sits up as best she can, squirming a bit as the seats were designed to keep you in one place.

    ¡°You know, enjoy it while it happens,¡± she says.

    Lan looks at her silently, his mind toiling away behind his eyes and it takes the driver behind them to honk his horn before he realizes the light is green.

    He shifts back into first and they move on.

 38 : Legacy, Part 1

    Eventually, they coast down a ramp adjacent to a set of large, multi-story buildings that dominate anything else around the skyline.

    Along the top of the closest one, Lan''s last name, SATAKE, is emblazoned on it in bold, white letters near the top. Saya glances at it, then sidelong at Lan, who guides the car around a corner and through the gates, which close behind them.

    ¡°We could have gone straight to the house, but considering what time it is, it''s more likely that they''re here instead.¡± He answers her questions before she even asks as they pull under the awning over the front doors.

    She looks around the lot, noting that this is the only car in it. Lan coasts to a stop and pulls the parking brake before killing the engine. He looks past her to where she''s looking, the lobby and reception.

    ¡°Listen. He''s just my father. He''s just a man. You are my guest, and if you feel uncomfortable, we can leave.¡± He motions over to the glass doors. ¡°Take away all of this, the car, and you''d have a less damaged me, basically.¡±

    ¡°Or a me that has some of his shit together, I''d guess.¡± He pulls the key out of the ignition and rests his hands in his lap. ¡°And you can always stay in the car, if you''d like.¡± He offers her the key.

    She turns back to him, then looks at the key in his hand. ¡°No, it''s fine.¡± Saya answers, holding a hand up in front of his to decline the car keys. ¡°I think I was more nervous to meet my co-workers when I first got here.¡±

    Her brow creases a bit, looking at him. ¡°Does he.. speak English?¡± He nods, putting the keys in his pocket and unlocking their doors. ¡°Yeah, he''s fluent. Part of his upbringing, though I don''t know how often he gets to use it these days.¡±

    Opening his own door, he crawls out and stands next to the car, stretching his legs again before shutting it, walking around the front to find Saya already getting out, even though he intended to get her door.

    She tugs her purse up over her shoulder, resting her elbow against it as someone from inside pushes open the doors in front of them, welcoming them in. He tugs on his shirt and pokes at imaginary wrinkles for a moment before he recognizes he''s stalling. Taking a breath, he holds an arm out towards the door, starting in front of her. ¡°Well, let''s.. whatever, I guess .¡± He blanks, clearly unenthused.

    --

    Lan recognized the person as a long-time employee, but couldn''t place the name until he sneaks a look at her nametag. They bow politely to her and walk inside, the employee''s shoes tapping across the marble floor as he and Saya walk toward the reception desk.

    The one behind the desk recognizes him immediately and picks up the phone, starting to dial before she stops, unsure of who to call. ¡°Sir,¡± she tilts her head down a bit and nods towards the phone, ¡°Should I call your father or brother to announce that you''re here? They''re both in the building today.¡±

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.??Lan let slip a bit of a sneer at both options before shaking his head, smiling down to her. ¡°Sorry, long trip,¡± he excuses himself at the emotion before nodding. ¡°My brother, if you wouldn''t mind.¡± At least Reo would be able to gauge their father''s reaction before he had to face him. Lesser of two evils, for the time being.

    The receptionist nods and dials a four digit extension, the three of them waiting awkwardly as it rings Reo''s assistant.

    ¡°I thought you said the group was a manufacturing..¡±

    Lan leans against the receptionist counter before pointing out across the parking lot to an inconspicuous looking two story building across the street.

    ¡°They make ''em there. Well, they make them everywhere these days, but that''s the manufacturing facility. Stretches for a few blocks. You''ll see it in a bit. This is all just the business side.¡± He taps the desk: the building they were standing in.

    ¡°And.. how old is the Satake.. corporation?¡± She asks, if that was the correct way to put it.

    Lan looks up as if probing into his own memory. ¡°A hundred.. and.. twenty-one.. no, two years old. 1896?¡± Math wasn''t his strong suit, but it sounded right. ¡°But it really took off in the 50''s and 60''s.¡±

    He chuckles and turns away from the lobby entrance, facing the receptionist as she talks in hushed tones over the phone - Lan idly drums his fingers from pinkies to thumbs on the countertop. ¡°Turns out, electricity makes things go faster.¡± Lan pauses mid-sentence, fingers freezing as well as he tilts his head, remembering. ¡°Well.. you know, <em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">after the bombings.¡±

    Yes, forgot the atomic bomb, did you? Moron. He chides himself, shaking his head again.

    Saya hadn''t even considered it until now, and to Lan, Hiroshima was just where he grew up. She pulls her purse off her arm and holds it with both hands, resting the small bag against her legs.

    ¡°I hadn''t considered that,¡± this time Saya rebukes herself for the lapse, and honestly didn''t know the answer as she asks, looking down around them at the floor. ¡°Is it still.. irradiated?¡±

    His smile returns as he holds up a hand to her, using his other hand to poke past his pinky to represent another digit. ¡°Mmhm, what, I haven''t mentioned my twelve toes?¡±

    He laughs as she frowns up at him, then shakes his head. ¡°No, they were detonated high up. Did damage, but no more radiation today as anywhere else, thankfully.¡±

    The receptionist nods and agrees with whoever is on the other end of the call, then places it back in the cradle. She looks up at them both and motions towards behind her towards the banks of elevators.

    ¡°Your brother said he will be expecting you. Do you need directions?¡± she asks.

    Shaking his head, he pushes off the counter, ¡°No. Thank you for the help,¡± and bows slightly in thanks. Saya does as well, and the two start off towards the elevators.

 39 : Legacy, Interrupted

    Lan taps the up button they walk past and stop ¨C or rather Lan stops and Saya does as well, flanked by three elevators on either side.

    ¡°So is this kind of what you expected? When you said yes,¡± he asks.

    Saya pauses for a moment before answering. ¡°Kind of,¡± she admits, ¡°Expenses paid always comes with.. qualifiers.¡±

    Ouch, he thinks, rather, ouch if she wasn''t so right about it. ¡°And you don''t regret it, even now, in this.. opulent palace?¡± He waves a hand up around his head, indicating the building.

    She looks him dead in the eye from under her brow with a look that says Really? ¡°Lan, this is an office building. Yes, it has your name on it, but it''s just a business. You yourself said he''s just a man.¡± Her expression relaxes when an idea forms, ¡°Or were you saying that for you, and not me?¡±

    He honestly hadn''t thought of that, his raised hand now rubbing his forehead as he processes it. Saya, meanwhile, lets a smirk across her face at figuring a part of him out, not waiting for an answer. ¡°Interesting,¡± she says, turning towards the elevator and looking up at the floor number.

    Lan drops his hand and holds it out to her towards her reflection in the mirrored finish of the elevator doors, even though he stood behind her. ¡°It''s not like that, it''s.. you already knew you were my scapegoat when you said yes.¡±

    Though as the light blinks on, the chime announcing the car''s arrival as the doors part, he doesn''t protest her statement more. She was right, and he knew it.

    Saya steps in first, turning to the front as Lan follows, his hand hovers for a moment around the panel of buttons, unsure. In the end, he splits his fingers and presses both 16 and 17, stepping back alongside her.

    ¡°It''s been a while. Reo thought it better that he not work on the same floor as our father. I''m not sure that''s still the case,¡± Lan explains.

    ¡°Reo didn''t want to be thought of as.. a favorite.¡± Lan trails off a bit, his hands sliding into the pockets of his jeans as he thinks on that. Lan was the only child, between his parents, and was the favorite. Had that tainted his view on the world somehow? Is favoritism leniency?

    The elevator dings on ten, a small woman with a rolling suitcase stepping in. At first she looks at Saya, around her own height, then blinks up at Lan, confusion crossing her face before she turns to face the doors, pressing the button for the 14<sup>th</sup> floor.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.??The astonishment gets the best of her and she turns, looking up at Lan. ¡°Has anyone told you that you have a striking resemblance to the president?¡±

    Lan glances at Saya who doesn''t seem to catch all of the conversation in Japanese before he smiles slightly at the employee and nods. ¡°I.. get that a lot. Thank you,¡± but doesn''t elaborate further, and she doesn''t push for more. Still, she is quite obvious in staring at him in the doors in front of the three of them.

    --

    The woman slips out at her intended stop, and the elevator starts rising again towards their two destinations. ¡°What was that about?¡± Saya asks.

    Lan inhales, his breath hitching. ¡°She..¡± He saw no real reason to lie about it, ¡°said I look an awful lot like the president of the company,¡± he admits.

    Saya slowly grins which turns into a snort, which she holds the backs of her fingers under her nose to stifle from happening again, turning away from the mirrored doors and Lan himself. He rolls his eyes.

    ¡°Go on, snorter,¡± he jabs at her, ¡°get it out.¡±

    As if his permission mattered, Saya does hold her hand to her mouth as she laughs out loud, trying to keep it quiet in the small confines of the elevator. ¡°She had no clue! Good lord!¡± Lan''s head tilts back lazily as he mimes being exhausted with the joke already, looking up at the ceiling.

    He turns to her and holds an arm out towards the doors, and the rest of the building, et al. ¡°I haven''t been here in years, there had to have been some people that don''t kn ow who I am, even if they know father.¡± Saya, meanwhile, cups her hand over her mouth and looks up at him, she wasn''t making much noise, but her eyes said enough.

    She couldn''t help herself as she mumbles from behind her palm. ¡°The man with his name on the building..¡± She couldn''t finish her joke as she claps her hand over her mouth again and turns away from him, holding back laughter.

    ¡°Uhhh huh.¡± Lan turns back to the doors as they finally arrive at the 16<sup>th</sup> floor.

 40 : Legacy, Part 2

    The elevator doors part to a figure waiting right in front. Reo, impeccably dressed as always, his eyes flick up towards Lan, clearly perturbed about something.

    ¡°A GT-R? Seriously? Japan has trains, we employ drivers, Lan. Do you know how much that rental costs per day?¡±

    Lan breathes in slowly, tilting his head back, mumbling. ¡°And heeeere we go..¡± He pushes against where Reo stands, ¡°Can we at least get off the elevator first?¡± Reo steps to the side and both wait until Saya is off before Lan starts getting more of an earful. ¡°Miss Travis, a pleasure again,¡± Reo bows more to her ¨C and explicitly not to Lan as he passes.

    ¡°I figured you wouldn''t have bothered with the fine print insurance, so that was taken care of once the accountants flagged it up to me,¡± he continues to talk to from what Saya can see, is an uncaring and uninterested Lan. In one ear, out the other..

    But she keeps pace with Lan, who is leading the walk down the hallway from the elevators, across more marble floors, Reo''s dress shoes clicking against it as he walks on Lan''s other side.

    Lan reaches up and rubs his hair frustratingly, leaving it messy and points down at his half-brother as he stops, ¡°Okay, then, let me see your wallet.¡±

    ¡°What? No,¡± Reo leans back, lip curling a bit in disgust. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I''ll bet you.. a million dollars that you carry more cash in number than the year you last remember carrying an ICC card. And not in yen, in Euro and USD.¡±

    The question puzzles Saya for a moment before it clicks ¨C she had only ever seen Reo arrive and depart from a summoned, driven car. She holds back her grin, admitting it was likely they were close on both sides of the bet.

    Reo''s brow furrows a bit as he presses a hand instinctively to his jacket''s breast pocket, eyes narrowing at his relative as he considers the challenge. His gloves hand curls in a bit which elicits a bark of laughter from Lan, apparently the winner was already decided.

    He glances to Saya, turning a bit red at the slight from Lan, but crosses his arms over his chest, following along.

    --

    ¡°Fine, I haven''t had an ICC card in..¡± he pauses, and Lan continues for him: ¡°You were driven to primary, middle..¡± Reo cuts him off, ¡°high school! I demanded to take the train then. So you''re wrong.¡±

    ¡°I would have had one.. back in 2008. Yeah. You''re wrong.¡± They keep walking as Lan looks down at him.

    ¡°Not by much,¡± Lan admits, and goes silent to the puzzled look of Reo. He knew already, because Reo kept all three currencies in his wallet in case of unforeseen travel. A thousand in each USD and Euro, so, technically, you''re right, by eight.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.??Lan knew this, because it was surprisingly easy to steal from a man who hangs up his jacket when he sleeps. Not one of his prouder moments, but Saya was smiling, and Reo never noticed the skim off the top.

    It was mainly a ploy to tease Reo in front of Saya, and Reo would never admit to how much was in his wallet. A zero sum game.

    ¡°Anyway. I thought we could stop here and talk before we go up and see father. They said you were both here today, and it would have been a little awkward going home without either of you, nice as your mother is,¡± she wasn''t Lan''s mother.

    Reo straightens his jacket, buttoning it back up as they walk towards a large office at the end of the open layout building. Open floor-plans encourage teamwork, Reo thinks, and still believes it. However, it also lets all of his employees pause mid-work to gawk at him, the gangling half, and the white woman walking by.

    ¡°Oh, Miss Travis, how was your flight? I was.. surprised that Lan stepped foot in an airport, much less on a plane. Was he much trouble?¡±

    Lan turns to answer before Saya peeks around him, ¡°Oh, no, it was fine. He was fine too, after a while. It''s not a long flight, but I did get some very nice views out of the window. I suppose that''s what Mountain Day is for, after all, and I have you to thank..¡± she pulls her purse down from her shoulder and starts opening it.

    ¡°By the way, I want to reimburse you for the travel, I know it was short notic..¡± The two stop abruptly as Reo steps in front of them and holds out his hands, gently pushing hers down, shaking his head.

    ¡°We wouldn''t hear of it. You''re a guest, and it''s our honor to have you. Also, while we would love for you to stay at the main house, Lan let my assistant know you''d be more comfortable in a hotel room. So..¡±

    Reo glances out of the windows on the far wall, tilting his head a bit. ¡°There''s not much in terms of accommodations this far east ¨C mostly industrial and local, so she booked you a room at the Sheraton Grand downtown, which is only a few kilometers south from our house as it is.¡±

    Lan raises a brow at that, had he asked for a room for himself, no doubt Reo would have booked him the nearest cardboard box under a highway.

    Saya was perfectly capable of paying her own way.. ¡°Well, at least if we go out for food or drinks, I insist on at least that much, if you don''t mind.¡±

    Behind him, Reo''s assistant pushes the door open to his office and bows slightly to her boss and his guests. ¡°Tea is ready, if you''d like, sirs.¡±

    Reo thanks her and nods to Saya, relenting as he holds his hands up from hers, ushering them through to his workplace - clean, impeccable, like Saya expected.

 41 : Legacy, Part 3

    ¡°So how are.. things?¡± Lan asks, walking behind Reo as he circles around behind the desk, indicating to Saya to sit in one of the two chairs in front. As she does, they both follow suit, Reo''s assistant picking up the teapot on a side table, pouring the three of them cups of tea, placing two for the guests on the small table between them before returning to grab Reo''s.

    Reo accepts the tea from his assistant, who shows herself out of the office quietly. ¡°That''s a.. loaded question. Do you mean here, or home?¡± He blows across the liquid before taking a sup, setting both it and the saucer down on his desk.

    ¡°Home, I suppose. You and father seem to have this place going like it always has.¡± Lan looks behind him slightly, ¡°She seems new, but I wouldn''t really know, considering,¡± the last time he was there, he meant.

    ¡°Abe-san started here a few years ago, it helps tremendously that she''s a polyglot. English and Korean, and I think she''s working on her Mandarin? That made her stand out when I required a new employee.¡± Reo picks up a leather bound tablet, thumbing the bottom button as the screen comes to life. He scans it idly.

    Lan didn''t touch his tea, but Saya felt obligated enough to at least try it. Loose leaves floated lazily in her cup, barely tinting the color of the water, but it smells and tastes great. She rests the saucer in her lap, watching the exchange between the two men.

    ¡°As for home..¡± Reo taps an icon, the screen going white as he scrolls down the message, paraphrasing what he reads, ¡°''Do tell your father that everything is ready for when he arrives, also, does he want anything specific for dinner tonight, blah blah blah..''¡±

    He sets the tablet down in front of him. ¡°From mother. The house has been very busy once I told them you were coming.¡± Lan rubs his forehead and sighs, shaking his head.

    ¡°You can tell her thank you, but it''s not necessary, even though she''ll,¡± he waves a hand around frivolously, ¡°say it''s no problem, I''m sure.¡±

    Reo nods and picks up his tea again. ¡°I haven''t told her that Miss Travis isn''t staying in the house, we can deal with that later. She seems ecstatic to meet anyone you brought home.¡± He drinks again before looking over at Saya.

    ¡°She, and by proxy, father, will want to meet you.¡± His eyes flick to Lan. ¡°They have planned a dinner ¨C I specifically told them nothing extravagant but you know how people are with guests ¨C but I haven''t said whether you accepted or not.¡±

    Lan looks over at her, then turns her way. ¡°Listen, this is all you. I''d like you to meet them, but this is just how the way things are for me, and him.¡± He motions to Reo. ¡°But I''m not blind to think that this feels like introducing a girlfriend or fiance rather than just a friend.¡±

    ¡°So we can go say hi, have tea, and then go; or we can go have dinner, but either way, this is your vacation.¡±

    Saya sets her tea down on the table, rubbing her fingers together as she thinks about it.

    Reo continues, ¡°I.. don''t know how much you know about our family, Miss Travis. I''m not sure what he''s told you. You''ve seen the chauffeur from when we were in Ota, the car Lan,¡± his eyes flick with a bit of menace to his half-brother, ¡°brought you here in, and.. this building.¡±

    With their name one story high on it, she thinks. ¡°Lan gave me a history, brief as it was, that the corporation or.. group?¡± She questions, not sure how to refer to it, either way, Reo nods, ¡°deals with milling machines, rice and grain processing?¡±

    She leans up in her chair towards the large windows that look over the long two-story factory Lan had pointed out before. ¡°That you make the machines there, and.. you''ve been at it for a hundred years or so.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.??Saya sits back and looks at Lan, then levels her gaze at Reo. ¡°I wouldn''t have accepted this trip if I didn''t know what I was getting into, Reo-san. Lan wanted company, I want to see Hiroshima. If that means a dinner around semi-strangers, so be it.¡±

    ¡°You don''t have to handle me with whi--¡± white gloves, she stops herself from saying, glancing down at Reo''s hands. ¡°I can take care of myself.¡±

    Reo nods, looking to Lan who simply shrugs at him, motioning to her, as if to say he had no influence over the matter either.

    --

    ¡°So what''s she like? Your mother, I mean. I''ve heard of Satake-san from you and Lan, and I heard he''s here today, but I haven''t heard anything about his wife.¡±

    Reo blinks, lacing his fingers together on the desk as he ponders that for a second. ¡°Mother? Hm.. I''ve never really thought about how to describe her, not that I don''t know.¡±

    Lan opens his mouth but before anything comes out, Reo shoots him a razor''s edged look. Lan closes his mouth.

    ¡°Her name is Aiko, before she was Satake, her maiden name was Matsuoka. She''s.. fifty-two, which doesn''t mean that father married her young.¡± Saya is a little puzzled at this, but doesn''t question it. Lan catches her expression and remembers that he hadn''t actually told Saya how old his father was. He wonders how she would react to a nineteen year difference.

    ¡°She''s.. educated, classically trained.¡± He holds out a hand towards Lan. ¡°Aside from race, and age, there wasn''t much difference between mother and Em--¡± Lan bristles at that, sitting up in his chair and glaring at Reo. ¡°What? You have to admit the similarities.¡± Reo says.

    ¡°There''s nothing simil..¡± His fingers curl and extend on the chairs armrest, exhaling when he remembers his present company. ¡°Let''s move on, shall we?¡± Lan offers.

    Saya looks between the two, she knew Lan''s mother was a touchy subject, and the brothers had their differences altogether, another notch on the sensitive subject board, she thinks.

    ¡°Traditional, I think, is how I''d describe her. Enough that she can give father a hard time when he deserves it.¡± Reo smiles a bit at Saya, watching Lan relax a bit out of the corner of his eye, shrugging and nodding, agreeing at that last point.

    ¡°She sounds like a lovely woman,¡± Saya says, picking her tea up again and drinking the rest before setting it back in the saucer with a clink.

    ¡°Honesty up front, she''s probably going to fawn all over you. She''d probably fawn over you were you a man, too, considering how often he comes home, much less brings someone along,¡± he points over at Lan.

    ¡°We''ll,¡± he looks at Reo, ¡°try to keep that to a minimum. I''ll try and curb the endless questions. But we still have a bit of time until you decide on tea or dinner,¡± Lan says.

    Reo nods and pulls the cover out from under his tablet, closing it and pushing back from his desk, standing up. He looks at Lan, waiting for him to do the same ¨C Saya looking between the two.

    ¡°I.. guess it''s time.¡± He looks at his watch and holds an arm out towards the doors behind them, his tablet under his arm as he starts from around his desk.

    ¡°One more visit, then we can go.¡± Lan says down to Saya, holding out his hand. She takes it politely and stands, pulling her purse over her shoulder again.

    ¡°Your father?¡±

    Lan nods, looking tired at the prospect already.

 42 : Legacy, Unexpected

    The three boarded the elevator as Reo presses the button for the 17<sup>th</sup> floor. He stands closest to the doors, Lan and Saya behind him.

    ¡°So.. how is he?¡± Lan asks.

    ¡°Father? He''s..¡± Reo tilts his head a bit, ¡°well, he''s father. He''s a workaholic and doesn''t seem to show any signs of retiring anytime soon, much to mother''s chagrin.¡±

    He turns a bit to look at both of them. ¡°Physically he''s fine. Has a physical every six months, is here from 7 to 5 at night.¡± Reo shrugs, ¡°Though he has started delegating more of the work to me, especially the overseas travel.¡±

    ¡°Which I end up delegating to some of the upper level managers, depending on how far it is. I used to love traveling. Then I started doing it for business.¡± Reo turns back to the front of the elevator. ¡°Turns out no matter how comfortable business class is, it''s still a pain in the ass.

    The elevator dings and the doors part, Reo steps out and both wait for Saya, who exits, followed by Lan.

    What awaits them is nothing like the 16<sup>th</sup> floor. A wide expanse of bare, beige carpet covers the main room, flanked on the left by a glass-walled conference room with a large, open-centered table with high backed leather chairs at each station.

    To the right were architectural models under plexiglass, which draws Saya over to them as she looks down at one of them. The first was instantly recognizable, the dark blue buildings of the Satake corporation jutting out of the landscape, the long factory building across the street. Lan wasn''t kidding about a few blocks, she thinks, as the highway they passed under stretches along the tremendous manufacturing facility. Small, nondescript homes dot around the landscape, with small lanes snaking around, dotted with green parks and tiny, fake modeled trees along a flat, blue divot representing the river nearby.

    She bends down slightly, looking at the building she stood in, smiling to herself as she imagines a tiny Saya standing on the top floor as she did now.

    ¡°I had that built,¡± Reo says, walking over to her as he looks down at the model. ¡°I''d say I built it myself, but I don''t have the patience. But I made sure every building and tree corresponded to a satellite image. We presented it to father a few years ago as a present.¡±

    Saya looks at Reo, then to Lan who didn''t show much interest, the other man was looking at the frosted glass doors ¨C their destination, she assumes. There were other models, smaller representations of the milling machines the company made, building expansions in other parts of the world, she assumes.

    ¡°I don''t mean to rush, but shall we?¡± Reo asks, stepping back and motioning to the doors Lan was staring at. Saya casts a glance down at herself for any folds of clothing out of place, lint, or other oddities as she pushes her hair back behind her ears and nods.

    ¡°Apologies. I love large.. small models. I grew up playing with Lego, this just seems much more detailed. What did he think?¡± He, being their father. Reo crosses his arms over his chest and regards the model.

    ¡°He enjoyed it. It was a surprise, and very hard to keep him out of the office while it was assembled.¡± His smile slips a bit before he rolls his eyes, turning back and starting towards Lan. ¡°He never said it, but you could tell he thought it was a waste of space.¡±

    Saya watches after him, then looks back at the model. ¡°I''m guessing he doesn''t like any of this floor then, does he?¡±

    Lan nods to answer her question. ¡°He could work in the space of a closet, and would be just as happy. But when you run this kind of company, space is a luxury.¡± He looks over at her as she steps in time with them. ¡°An.. intimidation tactic. You know?¡±

    Reo pushes open the first door with a woosh, and they''re greeted by Hana, Toshio''s secretary, who stands up and bows towards Reo and his guests. ¡°Sir, a pleasure. Shall I let him know you''re here?¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.??He holds up a hand and waves her off. ¡°No, considering our.. company,¡± Reo looks back at Lan for a moment, ¡°I''m pretty sure he''s..¡±

    --

    With perfect timing, Toshio Satake pulls open both of the doors to his office with an intake of air enough so that the doors lock at a 90 degree angle, and is much, much different than Saya was expecting.

    Standing about Reo''s height, his smiling face betrays his age as he grins at the three of them ¨C mostly from Reo to Lan. He wore a black suit, unbuttoned with a muted dark tie hanging from his neck. Stark black hair and dark eyes, which squinted in a grin ¨C not exactly the air of a president.

    ¡°Boys!¡± he exclaims in Japanese, stepping out as he walks briskly over to them, bowing to Saya slightly, in a moment, she thinks, but instead of a bow or a handshake, Toshio wraps his more distant son in a bear hug, pinning Lan''s arms at his sides and making him squirm, turning his head back and to the side.

    ¡°F.. ather.. it''s good to see you too..¡± Lan mumbles.

    Saya bites down hard on her lower lip to keep the smile back, but can''t hold it when she looks at Hana, who is just as dumbfounded at the actions of her boss. To Reo, he turns towards them, unflinching, as if this were nothing new.

    Lan''s fingers twist uncomfortably through the hug before his father finally lets go, slapping his son''s biceps with his own hands. ¡°You look.. good, actually.¡± His father''s brow creases at that, then looks up at Lan''s eyes. Toshio''s grip relaxes a bit as his smile falters. ¡°Oh. Right.¡±

    Saya wonders what his father sees in Lan''s face that would cause such exuberance to dissipate, then thinks back to the airport lobby and how Lan''s eyes were dilated from the medication he had taken to get here.

    Lan may be clean, but he''s not.. ''clean'', she thinks. Still, Toshio recovers a bit and pats Lan''s arms. ¡°It''s great to see you, it''s been.. a while that you came on your own volition. Aiko will be very pleased. Are you st--¡±

    ¡°Father,¡± Reo interrupts, ¡°our guest isn''t fluent in Japanese, it''s a little..¡±

    Their father looks at Reo, then brightens again at Saya, stepping over to her which makes her recoil back a bit unconsciously, expecting just as big of a hug, but it doesn''t come. Toshio clears his throat a bit and pauses before speaking, trying to remember.

    ¡°M.. Miss?¡± He says in English. Was that a question? She ponders, before he continues, bowing down in front of Saya, who starts to bow in return. ¡°F.. forgive my English, it has been.. long since I.. used it.¡± Toshio says.

    He holds out his hand and Saya takes it, shaking it with a slight smile. ¡°It''s fine, you speak it wonderfully,¡± she answers, which he nods in thanks. Glancing over to Lan, he turns back to Saya.

    ¡°Welcome to Hiroshima. To Satake. I hope my.. son has been.. un..¡± He pauses again, as if searching for the word. ¡°Un.. embarrassed?¡±

    Lan tilts his head back with a sigh and Reo steps forward, shaking his head, speaking to his father in Japanese before Toshio nods, restating, ¡°Sorry, a kind.. presence. Yes?¡±

    A good representation of our family, she interprets herself. But she can''t deny it was cute the way he said it. ¡°Yes, Lan''s been a kind man to me. Thank you for inviting me here.¡±

    Finally releasing her hand, he steps back and motions towards the open doors of his office, waving them towards it. ¡°Come, come, we''ll talk!¡±

    Following behind them, he rattles off requests to Hana, who skirts out the office to another room, no doubt another tea service.

 43 : Legacy, Part 4

    As Lan and Saya sit in front of the desk, Reo stands next to his father as he sits across from them.

    ¡°Saya-san, Reo mentioned? He offered tea before, yes? We don''t have to now,¡± Toshio says. ¡°Mountain Day is.. strange holiday. It is young, yes?¡± He looks up at Reo as if to confirm. Reo nods.

    ¡°As of 2016. The government wanted the public to enjoy the splendor of Japan, butthe campaign only everhonestly ever came across as a way to spur travel and tourism,¡± his voice dripping with sarcasm.

    ¡°So Lan invites you to stay with us? We are happy to have you. Aiko is very excited,¡± Toshio continues, ¡°Lan doesn''t come often, and never more than a day. So this is a good surprise.¡± He nods, looking over at his son.

    ¡°Saya..¡± Lan pauses, between Reo and Saya, he could use English vocabulary as second nature, but he pauses to simplify it for his father. ¡°She wanted to see Hiroshima. Museums and shrines.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Numaji! You have told her of the transportation one? You loved that as a child.¡± Toshio smiles a bit, recalling the memory for a moment.

    Turning to Saya, he leans forward, resting his forearms on his desk. ¡°But why Hiroshima? Why not Hokkaido or Osaka? Hiroshima is good town, but not much for sights.¡±

    Deja vu, Saya thinks, but she''s up against a wall, glancing up at Reo before forming an answer. ¡°Well, I teach young kids, and as for traveling, I''ve only ever been as far as Osaka. And Hokkaido is too cold!¡± she chuckles ¨C to her, it was almost as if she were talking to her children at school. Basic info only, though she knew he knew more, but like any skill, rust forms with disuse.

    ¡°Mmm,¡± he nods, tapping his fingers on the desk before speaking again, ¡°so you are the.. the..¡± Frustration crosses his face before he crooks a finger up at Reo, who bends down to his father, who murmurs in Japanese.

    Reo looks over at Saya, then to Lan, speaking the word aloud. ¡°Distraction.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Toshio exclaims. ¡°You are Lan''s distraction this weekend, yes?¡± Saya blinks, there was no insincerity or malice behind their father''s eyes, as if this were a common occurrence. She looks over at Lan.

    ¡°My excuse,¡± he explains, ¡°like I said before we left. My shield.¡±

    Saya looks back at Toshio, who is still smiling. She expected that Lan would use her as a reason to not be around his family, she wasn''t expecting for it to be so blatant and transparent.

    --

    ¡°I..¡± her voice hitches before she shrugs and nods, if they were truthful with her, why not do the same? ¡°In a sense. Seventy-thirty. I want to see Hiroshima, I''ve never been.¡±

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.??Her fingers curl around the handles of her purse unconsciously, ¡°And if that means sacrificing some of my time to be the odd man out in an awkward room, so be it.¡±

    Toshio glances back at Reo again who leans down to explain the phrasing Saya spoke. He nods to his son and turns back to the two of them.

    ¡°A fair trade. I do not approve of it,¡± he snaps a sharp glance towards Lan before softening when he looks back at Saya. ¡°But we are happy to have you in our city, and our home.¡± He bows a bit towards her, who returns it politely.

    Toshio looks past them as the two in front turn to see Hana politely waving at her boss, business to attend to. He nods and stands up, pushing back from the desk.

    ¡°It was short, but very pleasurable to meet you, miss Travis. We can''t leave yet, business call, you see.¡± He walks around the desk and takes her hand again in both of his, a hybrid of shaking it and bowing to her. ¡°Thank you for taking care of Lan.¡±

    Saya returns the handshake and nods, ¡°Of course.. it''s been lovely meeting you.¡± Toshio smiles and holds out an arm towards the doors, where Reo strides over and holds open for the two of them.

    ¡°I would maybe drop her off at the hotel first, get checked in, and decompress for a while. It''s..¡± Reo hikes his arm out so his watch is exposed, ¡°early yet, we won''t be leaving for a few hours.¡±

    Lan nods and follows behind Saya as they cross the rest of the floor towards the elevators, thumbing the down button. When she turns around, Toshio has returned to his desk, flanked by both Reo and his secretary, back to work.

    The elevator dings and the indicator lights up, the doors sliding open as Lan walks in, holding the door as Saya thinks, searching her memory.

    How did he know my last name?

    --

    On the ground floor, the two of them make their way out towards the building''s entrance, Lan''s rental car left right where they left it. Either no one complained, or no one drove right up to the doors like the corporation''s namesake.

    Lan holds open the door and does make it around to the passenger side this time, pulling it open for Saya as once again she pauses, looking up at him.

    ¡°Did you tell them I was coming?¡± she asks.

    Lan shakes his head and pushes his hair back as the wind starts to pull overcast skies above them. ¡°No, just Reo. To book the tickets and the hotel.¡±

    It''s possible, she considers, they did say that Reo''s mother was excited at a guest. The last name part, though..

    She puts it away in the back of her mind for now, sinking back down into the bucket seat of the car, Lan closing it gently behind her.

 44 : A True Mountain Day

    They pull back onto the Sanyo Highway, thankfully at a more manageable speed ¨C it seems whatever demons Lan had when first getting behind the wheel were sated. Saya pulls her phone out from her purse and looks at the map application, following their progress as they head west towards downtown Hiroshima.

    Most of the locations were in Japanese, but a few had English alongside them and she picks out where they were headed, the Sheraton Grand. It seems to her like a lovely high-rise hotel, until she scrolls down to the reviews. She balks at the amount a room costs a night and looks over at Lan.

    ¡°Lan, this is too much. These go for nearly thirty-thousand a night!¡±

    Shaking his head with a smile, he eases off the accelerator as the traffic slows. ¡°Reo made the reservations, take it up with him,¡± he offers, but when she starts rummaging through her purse, plucking out Reo''s business card he gave her when they first met, he laughs and shakes his head, placing his hand overtop both of hers.

    ¡°I''m kidding, don''t actually,¡± he says.

    Saya turns her phone towards him, pointing at the much less expensive dots around the same area, in the tens of thousands, not thirty. ¡°Any of these would be fine,¡± she protests.

    Lan, still driving, only glances at it before returning his hand to the steering wheel, leaning back in the seat. ¡°It''s done and paid for,¡± he states, ¡°You keep thinking about money, Saya. I offered this as a vacation to you.¡±

    Without taking his eyes off the road, he taps his own temple. ¡°Start thinking like it is. Reo and I already.. sort of agreed that you could pay for your food, drinks, souvenirs, but I brought you here, so let us take care of some of it.¡±

    Saya grumbles a bit and puts Reo''s card back in her purse, sliding her finger around on the phone''s screen.

    ¡°Reo said you lived a few kilometers.. north, I think? North of this hotel, whereabouts? Everything looks so.. dense,¡± she says.

    Lan furrows his brow at that. Dense? We live in Tokyo. An American thing? Between looking out at the road, Lan glances at her phone, which is centered on the hotel they were heading towards. ¡°Zoom out a bit?¡± he asks.

    Saya pinches at the screen of her phone, zooming out from the dense downtown area of Hiroshima, little patches of green surrounding the gray and white streets. Another glance, ¡°move the map north a bit?¡±

    She pulls the screen down so that it centers over a rather large patch of green, surprisingly unmarred by any roads or houses. Her finger hovers over the screen, waiting for the next part.

    ¡°There.¡± Lan states.

    --

    Saya leans down to look at her phone, squinting to try and find any sort of road or domicile or.. anything other than a forest.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.??She moves her finger left to right, not seeing anything resembling it until the label on the map comes into view: Ushitayama.

    She doesn''t recognize what it stands for, but she does know the word for mountain, yama.

    ¡°I''m.. not seeing it, you mean around the outskirts of this ¡°Ushita--¡±

    ¡°--yama,¡± He finishes for her, nodding. Saya looks over at him and to her, he seems particularly unwilling to meet her eyes like he usually would.

    Lan slows the car as it veers off to the left, onto another highway as they both lean right with the turn. Saya is still studying Lan before looking at her phone again.

    ¡°Lan this is a mountain.¡± she states.

    His fingers tap a little too fast along the rim of the steering wheel as he nods. ¡°That''s right.¡±

    ¡°You live on a mountain.¡±

    He tilts his head and grimaces a little, making Saya even more curious.

    ¡°Lan I''m not seeing any roads or buildings or.. sidewalks here. It says it''s a national park, but w.. what?¡±

    He pushes on the brake as they''re stuck in another line of cars. Lan sighs and looks over at her phone, then her. ¡°Technically, the government owns it now.¡±

    Owns what, the mountain?! She thinks.

    ¡°We, I mean my family, negotiated with the government to turn it into a national park. Most of it, in 1971.¡± The car rolls forward slowly as drivers merge onto a road heading south towards downtown Hiroshima.

    ¡°The Satake family owns about a kilometer''s worth of land, where our house is, and the other ten or so are walking and hiking trails. It''s actually rather pretty in the fall.¡±

    It was their turn to merge as he speeds up, flicking the turn signal and easing out into traffic. ¡°There are no taxes on the land, and since it''s now a park, no neighbors, either!¡± He grins, then feels it slipping as her wide eyes just stare back at him.

    ¡°Your family.. owns a mountain,¡± she mumbles at him in disbelief.

    He holds up a finger from the steering wheel, shaking his head. ¡°Owned. Owned. There is a difference. And the lane up to the house is private so you won''t find it on street view..¡±

    Saya turns back to face out the front of the car, now completely reconsidering what her expensive hotel room must be a drop in the bucket for them.

    She also quietly thanks herself for arguing for a hotel room in the first place. Reo and Satake-san himself were proper, Lan thought of himself as a black sheep ¨C what were his other relatives like?

 45 : Overabundance

    This time, pulling under the overhang of the hotel, a valet skips around to Saya''s door, opening it for her as she steps out, Lan taking a ticket from the one near him. Saya''s valet friend plucks out their luggage from the car ¨C but not before Lan stops him in curt Japanese not to take his bag, only hers - before it takes off to be parked elsewhere.

    The valet leads them through the automatic double doors and towards the reception desk, setting their bags down. For once, Lan was grateful that tipping wasn''t a thing in Japan, considering he didn''t have any cash whatsoever.

    The woman behind the counter smiles and bows, welcoming them in Japanese, but quickly switching to English based on appearances ¨C yet again.

    ¡°Welcome to the Sheraton Grand, do you have a reservation?¡± She looks up at Lan, which doesn''t really bother Saya, imposing height can be a draw to attention.

    Lan pauses for a moment before pulling his wallet out and thumbing his ID out of its slot, holding it out to her. ¡°It should be one room, either under this name or hers, Travis,¡± motioning to Saya.

    Before she can pull out her own ID, the receptionist nods and starts clicking away at the keyboard in front of her workstation. ¡°We have one room reserved under Satake, a deluxe Club corner king suite?¡± She asks Lan, looking between him and Saya, though neither knew exactly what that meant beyond the bed size.

    Lan nods and slides his ID back into his wallet. ¡°The room should already have a credit card on file,¡± to which she nods, placing a piece of paper in front of Lan and holding a pen out to him.

    Lan starts to sign his name in English, out of habit, as the receptionist continues. ¡°The Club room you have booked allows for complimentary use of the indoor pool and sauna, as well as breakfast starting at 6:30, tea twice a day, and cocktails in the evening.¡±

    He turns the paper back to the receptionist who takes it and places it in a vertical scanner, continuing her practiced speech. ¡°Should you desire, you can call the Shine Spa at any time to schedule a treatment, including Ella Bach¨¦, or the most intensive Germaine de Capuccini."

    Neither of those phrases made any sense to either of them, but they nod anyway as the woman slides two keycards across the counter towards the two of them.

    ¡°Thank you for choosing the Sheraton Grand, enjoy your stay!¡±

    Lan picks one key up, Saya picking the other up. He glances over at the smiling receptionist before turning away, holding out his keycard to Saya.

    ¡°Guess she thought we were a couple,¡± he chuckles as she takes it, holding both in the hand that doesn''t grab her own luggage as they walk towards the elevators.

    --

    They step out onto the 14th</sup> floor, looking at the numbers directing them towards the room.

    ¡°He didn''t have to do all this,¡± Saya says as they walk down the hall, counting off door numbers.

    ¡°You knew he would. Or I did, I suppose.¡± He tilts his head, thinking, hands in his pockets as he walks beside her. ¡°They know us here, the group puts potential clients and dignitaries here all the time. I doubt the location and price even crossed Reo''s mind.¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.??They come to the last door on the left at the end of the hall, Saya inserts the keycard which makes the lock beep and turn green. She pushes the door open and the lights automatically illuminate the room, even though the curtains were already drawn back, letting in the day''s light.

    Lan reaches over her and holds the door open as she starts in, looking around, it was a hotel room, yes, but it was a damn nice hotel room at the same time. The massive king-sized bed took up the majority of the room, but there was enough space for a glass business nook.

    The bathroom was strange to Saya, almost completely open, the bath in one room, toilet in another, but the sink and mirror faced out towards the bed. She lifts her case up and lays it on the luggage rack, walking over towards the open, corner window and looking out.

    It was breathtaking, below her, to the left was Hiroshima''s central downtown district, but to her right, an abundance of green crawling its way up over a large hill, with even more forest spanning the horizon as she looks out.

    Saya had to admit to herself, the view on its own was worth the room, despite the ample amenities that came along with it. She sighs, looking between the concrete and glass buildings downtown and the greenery next to it.

    ¡°Ota has green spaces, but not like this,¡± she whispers. ¡°Parks don''t really compare.¡±

    Lan stands behind her, leaning over towards the left window, looking out the corner at the forest she was seeing.

    ¡°Oh, that''s Futabayama.¡± Again with the mountain words, she thinks. But she turns and looks up at him.

    ¡°That''s not Utsu.. Ush..¡± she grumbles a bit at already having forgotten the name.

    ¡°Ushitayama? No, Ushitayama iiiss..¡± he leans forward, squinting as he points in the same direction of where they were looking. ¡°Back there. See that taller one in the distance?¡±

    Saya leans up on her tip-toes, but it was fairly obvious: the peak in the far distance was nearly double the elevation of the one closest to them.

    Jesus, Saya thinks, and they''re all so nonchalant about it.

    ¡°Anyway.. they''ll be expecting us in a few hours, so I can wait downstairs so you can uh..¡± He looks back at the room, arms open towards it. ¡°Decompress, I guess? Going there and back would be a waste of time.¡±

    He starts towards the door before hitching in his step and turning back towards her.

    ¡°Listen, all we have to do is show up. Tea, dinner, or neither, I could say we have reservations at a restaurant.¡±

    He doesn''t have to say them, but they come out at a whisper at her: ¡°Va-ca-tion.¡±

    Saya rolls her eyes at the most obvious of his statements, and responds by mouthing quietly: ¡°De-flec-tion.¡±

    Lan grins a bit and holds up his hands to her, she was right after all. He turns back and pulls open the door, leaving Saya to her on devices.

 46 : Someone Elses Dime

    The elevator thumps down on the ground floor as Lan walks out into the lobby, walking out towards the middle until he finds what he''s looking for.

    The bar was unapologetically western, no cushions or knee-high tables, which suits him just fine. There were a few business-types at the tables to the right, but Lan sidles up in one of the chairs at the bar.

    The bartender walks over to his only customer, and rests his hands in front of him. ¡°Afternoon, sir,¡± he says in an English lilt, no doubt hired because of it. ¡°What can I get you?¡±

    Behind the tender were top-shelf liquors, placed in between backlit accents to make the bar seem more sophisticated. The architecture he likes, but the rest was lost on Lan.

    He rest his elbow on the bar and pointed at a nearly full bottle of Jameson Bow Street 18 set in the wall as if to advertise itself.

    ¡°Three fingers, ice, if you would.¡±

    The bartender nods and pulls out a hard metal cylinder, wedging a brick of ice in between the top and bottom parts. Lan watches as water drools down the bottom section before the bartender speaks up.

    ¡°A.. laziness of mine. A luxury.¡± He holds up a chisel and taps the handle on the top of the sinking cylinder. ¡°I could chip a sphere for you, absolutely. Took months of training.¡±

    The bartender sets a cordial glass in front of Lan and pours out his three fingers before twisting the top of the cylinder slowly, lifting it up, revealing a clear, perfect sphere of ice.

    Using a set of tongs, he eases it down into Lan''s glass of Jameson, the liquor rising up around the ice.

    ¡°But that would take longer, and wouldn''t be nearly as perfect, would it?¡± The bartender smiles, pulling the cylindrical device under the counter and setting the Jameson back in its place, leaving Lan to look down at a small glass, a brown liquor, spread out by a perfectly formed sphere of ice.

    He picks it up gingerly and rolls the liquor around as it pools in the corners around the sphere of ice. Were it not cold to the touch, it could pass as a wet glass ball. Connoisseurs swore by it as it melted slower, resulting in less dilution of the liquor that you actually want to drink.

    Lan tilts the glass back and takes a mouthful of whiskey as the ice bumps against his upper lip, feeling it burn down his throat and spread out in his stomach.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.??Connoisseurs, he thinks, shaking his head. If it was alcohol, Lan drank it. Taste mattered little these days, but a drink always tastes better when it''s on someone else''s tab. Especially a 1,600 yen drink.

    Lan tips it back as the bartender hears the clink, starting back over to where he sits.

    --

    Up in her room, Saya was indeed decompressing. She knew she would be meeting Lan''s family, and dressed in a nice skirt and blouse for the flight, so she wasn''t embarrassed about that. Between his father and Reo, they took care of the ''looking good'' side of business.

    Unzipping her carryon, Saya looks down at her choice of clothes, thinking. She has a choice ¨C she could go as she was, which was bright and summery, but she also packed a more serious, more adult, she thought, black skirt split up the thigh.

    Picking it up, she walks around to the bathroom and looks at herself from thighs up, turning to look at herself from the side. Saya frowns a bit at her own face, though, she still had that complex of a cherubic face, because of which she wasn''t always taken seriously.

    Instead, she holds the black skirt in front of her waist, weighing her options. The yellow blouse didn''t help, but it did give her an idea.

    Stripping out of her clothes, she wiggles into the black number and picks out a white pseudo-button-up shirt with a smaller bow below the neck. The blouse was solid white but the from the shoulder to her arms were slightly translucent.

    Saya hikes it over her head and doesn''t bother tucking it in as she returns to the mirror, pulling on the shirt from behind to judge the contrast.

    It''s not formal, but it''s not a sun dress, either, she muses, turning to the side again. You''re a professional, right? Right.

    Considering what Lan told him about where he lived, his house had to be old. Chairs weren''t a guarantee in traditional homes, and a skirt any tighter would limit her ability to kneel should she need to. Her mind skids sideways as she looks at her leg through the split up the side.

    Mentally she counts back to when she last shaved her legs. Better safe than sorry as she lays the skirt and the shirt out on the tremendously large bed, grabbing her toiletries from her suitcase and heading into the bathroom.

    Professional tonight. Sightseeing tomorrow.

 47 : Ushitashinmachi

    After his third drink, Lan presses his hand on the bar, and none of the fingers twitch. What was three drinks in for him was normal sobriety for anyone else.

    He spins the cordial glass in a slow circle, the now-melting sphere pooling water at the bottom. Things were starting to pick up in the late afternoon, and the bartender paid less attention to Lan as he services other customers.

    Reaching into his jean pocket, he pulls out the valet''s ticket, thumbing over it idly. 03521. Lan taps it on his other hand, looking towards the lobby, then back down to his empty glass. Would she be able to tell?

    Don''t talk, breathe through your nose, it''s only a few kilometers, he thinks. And in his mind that was convincing enough. The lack of a tremble in his hand reinforces his thought process. Speed limit, you know the route.

    The bartender finally makes his way back to Lan, tapping the counter towards the empty glass. ¡°Another, sir?¡± he asks.

    Lan leans back on the stool and waves a hand, shaking his head. ¡°No, I''m alright. Just the bill, if you would.¡±

    The bartender nods and walks over to a point-of-sale, tapping out the receipt, hooking it and a pen in a black tray, setting it beside Lan''s glass.

    ¡°It''s been a pleasure, sir, do come visit us again,¡± he says, as Lan looks over the damages. 4,800 yen for three drinks. ¡°Still prefer beer,¡± he mumbles, signing the bill with his name and marking out Saya''s room number, 14<sup>th</sup> floor, 14.. 30.. 32? 36? Who gives a shit, they know the name.

    Lan tosses the pen onto the tray and pushes off from the bar.

    --

    Saya tugs down on her skirt, even split at the leg, it was awfully tight around her waist. But after gauging herself in the mirror, she felt and looked damn good. Professional. Professional casual.

    She held her clutch in both hands, containing lip gloss, tissues, a few thousand yen, and her ID. Saya hated carrying these things, they never had any strap ¨C or if they did, they were truly gaudy. But a skirt meant no pockets, and no pockets meant carrying this.

    The elevator set her down in the lobby as her awkward heels carried her towards the front desk. Saya didn''t know where Lan was until it occurred to her, turning and looking towards the bar. There he was, sitting alone as the afternoon crowd started in.

    He was looking at an empty glass with ice in it, but she wasn''t sure how much he had drank. The bartender didn''t make any motion to refill his glass, though, which was not the best sign. Bartenders do that before they kick you out.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.??Still, they had an appointment to keep. Tea, dinner, it didn''t matter as Saya walks towards the bar, her clutch in her right hand as Lan turns and looks at her.

    His hand covers the glass as he twists in his seat to face her, glancing from head to toe, shaking his head with a bit of a mile. ¡°You look.. fantastic,¡± he says, resting an elbow on the counter, ¡°you want to impress her, don''t you?¡±

    Lan stands up as the bartender clears the glass and the tray with the bill out of the way. ¡°Aiko, I mean. You looked.. great before, though, don''t get me wrong.¡±

    If he was drunk, he hid it well, Saya observes, watching Lan''s movements. Like on the plane, his movements were slow, methodical, but didn''t betray that he was on any substance.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Saya finally answers, ¡°I thought this was somewhere between casual and business. Plus, I didn''t really know what to expect when we get there.¡±

    Lan nods, looking over at the front desk, then out the window towards the valet kiosk. ¡°Right, it''s..¡± He hikes his hand up so his watch shows, 5:00. He looks around at the people drinking tea rather than what he had at the bar, his free hand tapping rapidly against his thigh.

    ¡°So.. I guess.. we should get going, then.¡± He digs in his pocket and pulls out the valet ticket before Saya plucks it out of his hand, flicking open her purse and dropping it in.

    ¡°No. We''re taking a taxi.¡± she states. Lan opens his mouth to protest, but closes it quickly realizing she could probably smell the liquor on his breath.

    He follows behind her as they exit out of the hotel, Saya asking the valet to summon their ride. He jumps out towards the sidewalk and holds up an arm, a for-hire car squealing to a stop under the awning of the hotel''s entrance.

    She even opens the back door for Lan, which gives him pause as he looks down at her. He crawls in and waits for her to follow as Saya closes the door behind her. Leaning towards the driver''s window, he looks back at Saya before announcing to the driver:

    ¡°????a customer is a customer, the driver flicks down the fare counter and starts off.

 48 : Non-Starter and Meeting Eiji

    Fuck, Lan thinks, pulling out his phone and bringing up the text app. He thumbs Reo''s thread and starts typing.

    I need one of the attendants to meet us down at the bottom of the lane. Send.

    He looks over at Saya as she peers out the window at he world going by. ¡°You were probably right, you know,¡± he says. She turns to look at him, raising a brow.

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°Me driving. I probably could have handled it, but it''s.. different with a passenger.¡± Saya nods and opens her clutch, fishing the valet ticket out and holding it to him before curling her hand back hesitantly.

    ¡°Wait, that''s the first thing you think of? The safety of the passenger?¡± Her hands drop to her lap as she looking out the window again, ¡°What about all these people? The walkers, the drivers.¡±

    Saya places the ticket back in her bag and closes it, turning and looking at him seriously. ¡°Lan, how often do you drive after drinking? And be honest.¡±

    Lan opens his mouth, but hesitates. It wasn''t something he was even remotely proud of, but.. ¡°A.. handful of times. Less than the fingers on my right hand.¡± He holds them up towards her, and her frown deepens.

    ¡°It''s.. always here, when I come home. When I rent a car.¡± None of this was alleviating her of her disappointment in his declaration.

    Lan sighs and rubs his forehead. ¡°With the exception of this trip, I usually take the train. I could drive, but that would take forever, and you heard Reo, they don''t.. trust me with money, so I couldn''t refill the gas..¡±

    ¡°And I''d get home, and it would be pleasant for a while.. and I''d find a way to drink. And.. we argue. We fight. And I want to get out, so I take a drive around the neighborhood.¡±

    Saya was quiet for a long while, studying him enough to make him start to begin to sweat. She sighs and turns back towards the front of the car. Lan''s phone chimes with a new text.

    He stares at Saya''s profile, wishing he could read minds, but knowing exactly what hers would say. He wasn''t a stranger to disappointment. When she doesn''t speak, he turns his phone, looking at the response.

    Why? Reo writes, I thought you had that stupidly expensive rental.

    He taps out a quick response: I''ve been drinking, so we''re taking a taxi. She''s wearing heels, can''t you get someone with a golf cart to meet us? Send.

    ¡°I''m sorry,¡± he says, looking at his phone as it turns it over in his hands. ¡°I didn''t consider.. I didn''t think.. I don''t think when I''m.. drinking and angry. Which happens a lot here in Hiroshima.¡±

    ¡°I''m learning your tells, you know,¡± Saya replies, not turning to look at him as she speaks. ¡°When you''re sober, when you''re in withdrawal, when you''re on Xanax, and when you''ve already started drinking.¡±

    She looks over at him, her expression a thin line across her mouth. ¡°You have habits. You''ve told me that much. But if you ever, ever get behind a wheel after drinking, we''re done. Absolutely done. I''ll leave, and avoid you in Ota, that''ll be it.¡±

    ¡°There''s no negotiating this, Lan. What''s done is done, thank God you''ve never had some sort of accident before now. But this is a non-starter for me. Are we clear?¡±

    Lan nods, nods emphatically at her, ¡°Yes, yes, I understand. I-i-i-it..¡± he stumbles over his own words as he finally gets it out. ¡°You''re right, it''s.. egregious. And.. I''m sorry.¡± Lan''s phone chimes, but he ignores it until Saya''s expression softens a little.

    ¡°Alright. I''m keeping the valet ticket on me for the rest of the trip.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I.. okay. Train, taxi, walking. Okay.¡±

    --

    The taxi pulls up to what looks like a simple iron gate at the end of a lane. The residential overlook they were parked on showed a slow sunset over downtown Hiroshima. Saya thought it gorgeous.

    Lan leans up to the driver and speaks to him in Japanese: ¡°Do you mind waiting here? The man there has the money for the fare.¡± Lan points at an older gentleman climbing out of a golf cart to unlock and slide the barrier to the side.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.??¡°Come on,¡± he tells Saya, who opens her door to follow Lan as he does the same. She watches across the car''s roof as the older gentleman smiles at Lan and both embrace in a hug.

    ¡°Eiji, it''s wonderful to see you again,¡± Lan tells him in Japanese. The smile doesn''t fade as the older man hugs Lan back, nodding as he steps back to look at him from head to toe, clapping his arm.

    ¡°Too skinny, but you look alright. If you''re staying for dinner, Miho will make sure you eat more than your weight,¡± he laughs.

    ¡°Reo called ahead, about the fare?¡± Eiji nods and bends down to the taxi window, holding out a few bills for the ride. Standing back up, he looks over at the woman that came along with Lan curiously.

    With nowhere to turn around, the taxi begins to carefully reverse, turning into a residential driveway and returning the way he came.

    ¡°Eiji, this is my friend, Miss Saya Travis,¡± he continues in Japanese, stepping over towards Saya and motioning back to Eiji, in English: ¡°This is the family''s groundskeeper, Hisakawa Eiji. He''s taken care of the place for.. quite a long time.¡±

    The older man steps over and takes Saya''s hand in both of his, bowing low to her, and she returns the motion in kind. ¡°A pleasure to see Lan with friend,¡± he says.

    His English wasn''t the best, but she chuckles and looks over at Lan. ¡°Friend. Yes.¡± She turns back to Eiji, ¡°Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, Hisakawa-san.¡± she says in her limited knowledge of greetings.

    He smiles wider at her use of his language, then pats her hand before letting go. ¡°No, no, Eiji okay. Just Eiji.¡±

    Saya glances at Lan as if looking for his approval, and he just shrugs, ¡°He''s never cared much for formalities, so..¡± She nods as Eiji turns and beckons them towards the opened gate, motioning to the golf cart.

    ¡°Come, we go up to the house,¡± he says.

    --

    Saya and Lan walk side by side behind Eiji as she leans over, murmuring to him. ¡°How did he know to be here? And the taxi fare?¡±

    Lan taps his front pocket where his phone resides. ¡°I texted Reo on the way here, since you didn''t want me driving.¡± Saya nods, he continues, ¡°and.. apparently I am blocked from using the bar at the hotel, as well.¡±

    He gives her a lopsided ''sorry'' smile, ¡°I told him I had been drinking, and I guess he figured out how. You don''t have to worry about the bill for the drinks, either. Everything is paid for by the group, but it''s all in your name now.¡±

    Lan mimes signing his name in the air. ¡°No more accepting my autograph on a receipt, basically.¡±

    Saya nods as they cross the threshold past the gate, Eiji starts pulling it closed. ¡°They seem to care about you, Lan.¡± She motions to Eiji, ¡°him, Reo, even your father. Even if you don''t think so.¡±

    The groundskeeper clicks the gate closed and stands by the driver''s side, motioning for Saya to sit in the back, which she does, Lan joining her. The cart whines as he puts in in reverse, turning around, flicking it into drive and starting up what looks like a rather long lane up through a densely forested area.

    ¡°I know they do. I mean.. even Aiko.. we don''t get along, both she and Reo think father is lenient on me, and they''re not wrong. I''m an exploitative asshole, I admit it.¡± Lan leans back, glancing out the other side of the cart as it hums along.

    ¡°The therapy I go to.. I''d like to think it helps, but I''m not sure. I''m honest with him.¡± He turns back to look at Saya. ¡°I''m.. as honest with him as I am with you.¡±

    But it doesn''t stop your habits, does it?¡± She replies.

    He inhales through his nose and breathes out slowly. "They want to send me away. All of them." Lan waves a hand towards where they were going, shaking his head. "My family, my therapist.. to some sort of rehab."

    "But when you don''t care, and don''t want to quit; when you''re scared of the outside world, what exactly do they expect?" he asks, not expecting an answer ¨C not that she had one to give.

    Eventually, a building comes into view, a very traditional looking house with a few modern looking black sedans parked in the circular driveway. It''s only when they crest the hill that it levels out that Saya realizes just how large the Satake home is.

    It''s not a home. It''s a damn compound, she thinks.

 49 : Dont Test Me

    ¡°Here''s where it''s up to you,¡± he says, looking at his watch. ¡°It''s.. coming up on 5pm. They''d.. oh, Christ..¡± Lan looks past her as the cart slows down in front of an opulent gravel entranceway with stepping stones leading up to the front door.

    Lan makes no movement to get out of the cart as he watches from behind Saya, attendants in yukata, folks dressed like Reo, he thinks, line up to the right and left of the walkway towards the main building.

    All of them bend at the waist in a polite bow towards their new guests, Saya looking back at Lan who honestly had a bored, this is normality expression on his face with his hand holding his chin. When she looks back to the men and women kept bowing until their guests made a move, Lan finally speaks.

    ¡°She likes to show off,¡± he mumbles, behind his hand as he looks out at the entrance Saya''s staring at. ¡°And this is what I meant.¡± He drops his hand down from his face, ¡°If you want, we can say hello, have tea, and leave. But if I know Aiko..¡±

    He tilts his head, grimacing a bit at the fact that he knew her habits, ¡°If you''d like, we could have dinner here. And.. afterwards a taxi would take you back to the hotel.¡±

    Saya looks back at Lan and points out towards the men and women still bowing, awaiting their entrance. ¡°Lan, who are these people? Is this where you grew up?¡±

    Starting on the left, he taps the air in front of each of the people facing them. ¡°Fumi, Hana, Fu.. shit.. Fumiko? Junko, Chiyo..¡± He stops, hovering at a larger woman who waits on the porch and isn''t bowing. ¡°Miho,¡± he almost spits out, continuing as the males on the right come up in the list, ¡°Goro, I don''t know, I don''t know, Hiroshi, Naoki..¡± More females, ¡°Naoko, Yumiko, and.. I.. don''t know.¡±

    ¡°Seems they hired a few new people since I''ve been back,¡± he says, grabbing the roof of the cart and pulling himself out, walking around to the back where his bag was, unhooking it and setting it on the ground.

    ¡°Besides, the only ones that mattered were Eiji and Miho.¡±

    Saya frowns and steps out of the cart, turning towards Lan at the back. ¡°That''s not fair, what about the others? That''s kind of insulting.¡±

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it??Lan smiles at that and leans down to Saya. ¡°If Eiji is the happy one, Miho is the devil.¡± Holding a hand up, he waves at Eiji as the groundskeeper takes off in his cart, his job done.

    ¡°So, Miss Travis, tea, or dinner?¡± Lan asks.

    --

    Lan starts out first, and it doesn''t take long before one of the women steps forward to grab his suitcase, turning and skirting around the rest of the attendants as they welcome the two.

    To Lan, it was nothing new. To Saya, it was as if she were a royal. Strange, and very, very awkward. Lan had pointed out all their names, but only two stuck, Eiji and Miho.

    As he starts up the few stairs onto the porch, Aiko finally makes her entrance, dressed in her best formalities, with a smile on her face, which did nothing but piss Lan off, even though he returns the smile to her. ¡°Aiko-san, thank you for having us,¡± he tilts his head down, speaking in Japanese.

    ¡°Nonsense, it''s always a joy to have you come home, Lan,¡± she speaks in English, which makes his eye twitch ¨C all of this was showing off. He glances at Saya, who kept her wits about her even in the face of such pseudo-regality.

    ¡°You are Miss Travis, yes? We were told that you would be arriving with Lan today.¡± Soundless feet pad over to Saya, as Aiko takes both of her hands with both of hers. ¡°And this is your first time in Hiroshima? It may not seem like much, but we have plenty to see.¡±

    Saya smiles politely at Aiko, gripping her hands in a gentle hello but does manage to look over at Lan, who isn''t smiling, but isn''t frowning either. There''s that neutrality, she thinks, looking at Aiko who is either truly happy to have them in her home, or was very good at faking it.

    Taking her hands back, Saya bows slightly towards the woman, ¡°You speak English very well, if I may say so. But Lan hasn''t told me more than just meeting you and your husband, is it for tea, or for more, like dinner?¡±

    Lan''s eyes glance sharply down at Saya''s who meet them with a raised brow when she makes the comment.

    This is your house, you make the decision, not me, her look seems to say.

 50 : Grandeur and Ugliness

    Aiko looks between them as if there''s something she''s missing, but doesn''t question it for now.

    ¡°It''s still early, yet. Toshio and Reo don''t arrive for another few hours. Always working, it seems.¡± She motions down at the entrance and then for them to follow.

    Saya bends mannerly at the knees and slips out of her heels before stepping up onto the raised floor in front. Turning to pick them up, she finds them already in the hands of one of the attendants, who place them in a cubbyhole to the side. Lan wasn''t as gracious as he simply steps one shoe on the heel of the other, stepping up next to Saya.

    She watches as the same woman places Lan''s shoes in another slot, but keeps an eye on the man next to her. He may not like this place, but he knows what to expect, noting that Lan didn''t even turn around to deal with his shoes.

    ¡°Let''s start with a.. late afternoon tea, shall we say, and should you both like, we can all have dinner together,¡± Aiko says as she turns a corner and starts down a hall. At the very mention of the word tea, attendants skirt in front of her and off to the side, murmuring to each other. The three walk single-file for now, Aiko, Saya, and Lan bringing up the rear.

    She looks to the right in a brief glance at the kitchen, massive and stainless everything, one assistant preparing a tea set before they kept moving.

    For what should have been a century old house, if what Lan said was true about the company''s age, everything was pristine. Her feet made soundless steps on glossy, polished wood, sliding doors open to tatami clad rooms and out further into a courtyard with other buildings beyond that.

    Her instinct was right, at least, it was more of a compound than a simple home.

    Aiko stops at a closed door and moves it aside with a swff before entering. Saya looks back at Lan, who stands next to her, but holds his arm out for her to enter first.

    She does and is presented with a low table, seats with cushions and a solid wooden back tucked underneath. Aiko pulls one out and motions for Saya to see. ¡°If you would.¡± The matriarch herself walks around opposite, waiting for the guest to sit before she finally does. Lan was left to fend for himself as he pulls out the seat beside Saya''s ¨C but hesitates.

    ¡°Actually, if you''ll excuse me for just a moment..¡± Saya looks sharply up at him for leaving the two of them alone, and he simply holds up his hands. ¡°Restroom, right back.¡±

    --

    As Lan steps out, the attendant steps in with the tea set, placing it gingerly on the unoccupied table space next to Aiko. She nods and the assistant holds the top of the ceramic teapot and pours it out slowly into the three cups, being very methodical about it. She picks up the cup and holds it out to Saya across the table, who takes it with a slight bow, before doing the same for Aiko.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.??Showing off, intimidation, the best defense is.. why am I thinking about this? Saya wonders. This woman has shown her nothing but kindness, and all she knows is based on what Lan has briefly told her. And what person actually gets along with a step-parent? She exuded both affluence and influence, but hadn''t wronged Saya thus far.

    Saya takes a sip from her cup, before setting it down in front of her. Blank slate, open mind.

    ¡°I have to admit,¡± Aiko starts, ¡°that I am rather curious as to who you are and why you are here, Miss Travis. Lan hasn''t visited for a long while, and it''s been.. more than a decade since he has come with anyone else.¡±

    She marks the pause with a drink from her own cup, tilting her head to look over at Saya.

    ¡°And never with a woman.¡±

    --

    Meanwhile, Lan steps quickly, and quietly down the hall to the back entrance of the kitchen, peering around the corner as the staff seems to have cleared out for the time being, tea was made, there were other things to attend to.

    His father was only mildly security conscious, and Lan didn''t think the home cameras would be inside, but he had noticed them outside as they came up to the house itself.

    He walks across the kitchen and pulls open the pantry door, eyes scanning each shelf quickly, tapping a bare section of wood where what he was looking for would normally be.

    So they dried it out when they heard I was coming, he thinks.

    Reo''s voice echoes in his head as Lan had once admitted to his half-brother when they had started to control his income when they noticed his alcoholism: ¡°An addict finds a way. Always.¡±

    True to his own words, he kneels at the bottom of the pantry and snakes his hand behind a large bottle of rarely used dinnerware, including a set of large silver champagne chillers and ice buckets, smiling to himself as his fingers wrap around the neck of a bottle he expected to find.

    Pulling it out, he tilts it in his hand as he blows off the dust of the nearly-full bottle of vodka, twisting open the top and tilting it back, taking two, three large swallows before coming up for air, gritting his teeth at the burn down his throat.

    Lan takes one large, last gulp and twists the bottle closed, replacing it in its hiding place. He briefly wonders if any of the other hiding places he stored things like this in this home had been compromised. He''d have to wash his mouth out a bit before going back to Aiko and Saya, but pauses as he reaches up to grip the light-switch cord.

    An addict finds a way, he thinks, pulling down and plunging the pantry back into darkness.

 51 : Negotiation via Dissimulation

    The alcohol starts to catch up to Lan, as he holds the open door to the kitchen, looking down an empty hall, and the hall that contains Saya and Aiko, in that room down there.

    He sniffs and holds his hand out in front of him, and it doesn''t shake as much as it had started to on the way here. He turns it over and looks at his palm as one of the attendants scoots by him without a second glance.

    Lan closes one eye, a habit he has when he''s a little over the limit. He squints down the empty hall, towards the door where Saya and Aiko sit. Some awkward conversation, he thinks. To his right, another empty hall that splits into a multitude of rooms ¨C one being his.

    He taps his fingers on the open door, index to pinky, weighing his options. He was curious if they kept his room the same as he left it, but Saya was on her own with Aiko..

    Lan tilts his head down and scratches his scalp, hard, pushing his hair back as he leans into the doorway, before catching himself and straightening up.

    He tilts his head back and squints his eyes closed hard. Don''t be an asshole, you''re being an asshole. Don''t be an asshole. Lan tilts his head back down and opens his eyes, looking into the kitchen, finding the sink as he walks over to it, twisting the tap open.

    Cupping a hand under the running water, he rinses out his mouth and spits it down the drain, multiple times, but still feels it when he breathes out, the alcohol on his breath.

    One of the attendants walks into the kitchen and skids to a stop as she sees Lan bent over the sink. She holds a ceramic cup and pulls it to her chest as she doesn''t really know what to do in this situation.

    Lan stares at her with his lips under the faucet before twisting it off and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. ¡°Thirsty,¡± he tells her in Japanese, ¡°the tea wasn''t enough.¡±

    Whether or not she believed him, she nods, turning quick and skirting her way out back into the hall where she came from. Don''t ask questions, do your job.

    Lan grips the faucet handle and turns it off, breathing in and exhaling, feeling less of the alcohol on his breath.

    ¡°Tea dinner sleep, tea dinner sleep,¡± he starts again but holds for a moment. ¡°Tea, dinner, taxi, sleep. Tea dinner taxi sleep.¡± Lan corrects himself for his guest.

    The hand on the faucet stretches out its fingers, the telltale shaking gone now. He needs to get back, it''s been a few minutes, and Saya is alone with Aiko..

    --

    Lan walks down the hall from the kitchen, his hand grazing along the wall for tactile touch, but honestly to keep him upright.

    Gone were the maids and butlers, just him and his socks as he steps towards the room where he left Saya at the mercy of Aiko, and who knows what the hell that conversation was.

    He clasps his hand over his mouth and wipes it again, but still feels the vodka leaving him with every breath. Just don''t breathe their way, he thinks.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.??Lan''s fingers trace over paper squares as he comes upon the room where the women were, hovering over the divider between the sliding doors.

    He actually did need to use the bathroom, but that excuse was gone by the wayside, Should have fucking gone.. before.. Lan rubs his temple idly. God dammit. Breathe. Act sober. If he could slap himself without being heard, he would have.

    Instead, Lan crooks his neck side to side, breathing in slowly as he pulls the sliding door open, both women looking at him as he enters.

    He smiles to both, reminding himself to keep his fucking eyes open and focused, you shitbag. He pulls back the cushion next to Saya and sits down, crossing his legs as he looks at the two of them, then to the tea set.

    With the lack of an attendant, Lan picks the teapot up and pours himself a cup of tea, congratulating himself on the lack of shaking as he sets it down and picks the cup off the tray, setting it in front of himself.

    But both women were examining him for every minute movement, just waiting for a slip..

    --

    ¡°Apologies, from the airport to the hotel to here, I didn''t get a chance to..¡± he trails off, they''re smart enough to extrapolate on their own.

    He looks over at the woman across the table, ¡°Aiko, thank you for having us. I.. know that you offered to host Saya while we are here, but to be fair..¡± he looks over at Saya, considering his words, ¡°Until recently, we were just neighbors.¡±

    Lan turns back to Aiko, ¡°But seeing as this was a holiday weekend, I thought I''d offer to show her around Hiroshima.¡± He tilts the cup of tea a bit, looking at the steam curling out of it.

    ¡°So, rather than it be.. awkward.¡± As if it already wasn''t, he thinks, ¡°I asked Reo to book her a hotel room. I''ll still be staying here, though.¡±

    She nods, none of them truly interested in the tea in front of them, but it was a platitude to hosting guests in any fashion. ¡°I can understand that, I would like to know more about Miss Travis, and you, Lan, I always get my news second-hand from your father or Reo. And it''s usually never..¡± she hesitates, tilting her head a bit as she thinks of the word in English, speaking it for Saya''s benefit. ¡°..encouraging? Is that the word?¡±

    Lan breathes in slowly through his nose, he could push that right back at her, but doesn''t, exhaling and letting it brush past him, ¡°It''s.. been difficult. But I''m..¡± His memory flashes to the night he pulled the trigger on an empty gun in his mouth, ¡°still here,¡± he says, smiling wanly.

    ¡°But since it''s rather late, and I know everyone wants to see me in some fashion, I thought it would be nice to show Saya where I grew up. For a time,¡± he adds, the bite of that last statement wasn''t lost on Aiko as her gaze hardens a little looking at him.

    ¡°And to have dinner, I suppose,¡± he relents, ¡°I know from experience that your staff can make an.. elegant meal. So, I hope you don''t mind me exploiting that to impress Saya a bit.¡±

    Aiko returns Lan''s smile with no hint of mirth behind her eyes as she nods. ¡°Of course. It is a holiday, after all..¡±

 52 : Intentionally Lost in Translation

    She looks down at her cup of tea, running a finger around the rim idly as she ponders her next question. ¡°I assume you didn''t know much about Lan''s background before all of this.¡±

    Lan bristles and points at Aiko. ¡°Hey, no. No, this isn''t a Satake thing.¡± He looks over at Saya, then back to the woman across from them. ¡°This is exactly why she''s not staying here instead of a hotel.¡±

    It''s very easy to feign ignorance when you''re practiced at it, and Aiko knew what she was doing as he leans back, looking at Lan incredulously.

    ¡°Look around you, Lan, you know who we are.¡± She slips back into her native Japanese, ¡°and you think I wouldn''t think that this white woman had other ideas in mind?¡±

    Lan pulls his lips into his mouth and bites, hard, turning towards Saya and looking down, though she doesn''t understand the last part of that statement. The anger was obvious on his face until he parts his lips, his teeth still grit that Saya could see, turning back to Aiko.

    He continues in Japanese, ¡°I''m not here to see you. I''m not here to see Reo.¡± Lan licks his lips and breathes in slowly, his fingers, his body may not be trembling from withdrawal but damned if they betrayed him in anger.

    ¡°I thank God that she can''t understand you, the disgusting woman you are. I thank God that Reo is so much more than you are.¡± All Saya could make out were sneering hisses from Lan towards Aiko, who seems to take it nonchalantly.

    ¡°If you utter one word in English to her about you, me, or father, I''m gone. Done.¡± Aiko seems nonplussed by the threat, until Lan continues.

    ¡°And who do you think he''s going to side with?¡± Her neutral expression falters slightly as they stare at each other. ¡°His own son or you. I''m damaged, but you like being damaged. Being damaged keeps you interesting.¡±

    ¡°Now I am going to stop speaking in Japanese, because she is looking at us, and you are going to smile at me, and I am going to give us a tour of the house, but if you try me, you will lose. Do I make myself clear?¡±

    Saya keeps her hands around her cup of tea as the two argue ¨C it''s easy to know when people argue, no matter what the language ¨C in Japanese before Lan turns to her, his face changing from grim to a bit of a smile.

    ¡°How about a tour, around all this. Aiko said she wants to get dinner ready while I show you around. That okay with you?¡±

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.??Aiko said nothing of the sort, but understood Lan as he spoke English nonetheless. Saya nods and pushes away from the table, standing up and bowing slightly to Aiko. ¡°Thank you again,¡± she says. The woman smiles up at Saya before her gaze flicks to Lan, who doesn''t look back as he leads Saya into the hallway.

    --

    ¡°I.. ah.. hm..¡± He pulls the door of the room they exit from closed and looks side to side, hallways extending long between them. ¡°I mean.. do you have a preference? There''s utility,¡± he motions behind him, ¡°and quarters,¡± to the left, ¡°and us..¡± to the right. ¡°I.. where do you want to start?¡±

    ¡°How much have you had to drink since we got here?¡± she blindsides him with.

    The two stand in a darkening hallway as the sun glares into the entryway where they came in, illuminating one side as they face each other.

    ¡°Hold out your hand,¡± Saya commands, and Lan curls both into fists, tilting his head in feigning ignorance. ¡°I.. what? I haven''t had..¡±

    ¡°Bullshit. Hold out your hand.¡± She glares up at him, this time it wasn''t a question.

    Lan rubs his thumb along the fingers of his hand before finally comitting to the action, lifting his hand up between them. There was a normal nerve twitch, Lan clenches his hand before stretching his fingers out as Saya looks down at it.

    The fact that there was no trembling was her telltale sign. Saya was already starting to get fed up with Lan and this whole family as she pushes his hand out of her way and starts down the hall on her own.

    Lan follows behind, clenching his fists hard to try and squeeze out the stress as he starts pointing out places in the Satake house. ¡°This is.. the.. this is the first guest bedroom,¡± he pulls the door to the side, an empty tatami mat room, before Saya keeps walking, radiating anger.

    ¡°This is the..¡± Lan holds his hand on the next door before realizing that Saya isn''t stopping to look at each room. She steps along the glossy wood floor on her own.

    Lan scratches along his scalp, watching Saya walk away, still gritting his teeth that Aiko made all this happen, even if it wasn''t anywhere near her fault.

 53 : In Stasis

    Saya rounds a corner and walks along a bit before turning, noting Lan hadn''t followed her. Her pace slows as her fingers touch lightly against a door, pushing it open a crack and finding a lovely dining room, a cabinet with beautiful china, polished to a sheen.

    She slides it closed and continues on down the hall Lan referred to as ''us''. What that meant, she didn''t understand, but as she is figuring out about Lan and his family, there is a lot that she doesn''t understand.

    Saya walks along, inspecting each room briefly, a den with a couch and a TV, looking comfortable but largely unused. A restroom with an attached shower and bath.

    The quiet, perfectly manicured courtyard spreads out between the buildings on her left as she turns another corner, coming to a bedroom. This, too, looked perfect, but someone obviously lived here. She lingers in the doorway as she looks at posters, bookshelves liked with novels, awards.

    Pictures of what look like a younger Reo with his family, friends at school. An uncluttered desk with an organized pen and pencil cases, tape, stapler, a study nook, basically.

    She slides the door closed and continues on, her fingers hovering before the notch of the next one. If she was right, this would probably be Lan''s bedroom.

    Would have been, she thinks.

    She slides it open and stands in the doorway, looking around. Built like Reo''s, Lan''s room was similar. Same desk, same bookshelves, same bed. A blue-grey comforter spread across a queen bed made of a lighter, pine wood.

    The rooms were set up similarly, but the contents were different, almost imperceptibly.

    Saya was about to take a step in before she hears Lan''s voice from her right, making her jump in her own skin as if she were doing something guiltily.

    ¡°Seven.¡± He states as she turns to look at him, Lan leaning on a post between the two bedrooms, his arms across his chest.

    --

    ¡°Seven?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Including the hotel bar, and since we''ve been here all of.. 30 minutes, I''ve had the equivalent of seven shots of liquor.¡± He explains, his answer to her previous question.

    He holds out his hand again, not for her to take, but for her to examine. There was no tremble in it. Saya watches it for a moment before looking up at him, nodding.

    ¡°So you didn''t go to the restroom like you said.¡± He shakes his head, no, he hadn''t. Lan couldn''t look her in the eye.

    ¡°I don''t..¡± She places a hand on the door frame and turns to him, ¡°I don''t expect you to tell me everything, Lan. I''m not your shrink. I don''t want to be.¡±

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.??¡°But you said you were honest with me, on the ride here. You bared your soul to me almost right before we came here. The night before, actually. You wanted me to know what I was getting into.¡±

    She looks over into the room, at the window letting in what light there was left outside.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me. You don''t have to tell me everything, but don''t lie to me, either.¡±

    Lan still looks at the floor, but nods slightly as he chews on his bottom lip. ¡°Alright. You''re right.¡± He inhales and finally does look at her, shrugging. ¡°I''m.. going to drink. And I''m going to hide it from my family. They know I lie to them too, but they don''t know all the secrets hidden around this house.¡±

    He tilts his chin towards the door she stood next to, ¡°It was mine. Was. But not for a long time.¡± Lan pushes off the post and walks around to Saya''s other side, opening the door wider as he steps in, looking around quietly.

    ¡°They keep it like this, for me. I usually don''t stay overnight.¡± He steps to the foot of the bed and looks down at it, considering. ¡°It hasn''t felt like home in a.. very long time.¡±

    Saya follows in behind him, the same corner nook as Reo''s, a little more barren. Older comics and sci-fi novels along the bookshelf. Above it, a long row of differently shaped and sized shot glasses, from all around the world. And on the top shelf, pictures.

    He watches her look around, staying quiet. The pictures were mostly of Lan, his mother, his father, some friends, but they all looked very young. Even Lan as a baby. Saya smiles a bit at that last one.

    She sorta grins back at him over her shoulder as she motions to the picture of him as a baby. ¡°You were a chubby kid, huh.¡± He turns a little red at that, but nods, chuckling.

    ¡°Friends and family always have that one joke they use,¡± Lan says, ¡°''You used to be so cute, what happened?''¡± She laughs and nods, turning back to the picture, ¡°I get that too, sometimes, seems it''s universal no matter where you''re from,¡± Saya replies.

    She reaches up and picks up the frame of Lan''s mother holding the fat blue-eyed baby boy in her lap, tilting it towards the light. He was giggling, and his mother was smiling along.

    ¡°She was beautiful, Lan. I don''t think I told you before, in your apartment when I saw the pictures. There''s a lot of her in your looks, I think.¡± Saya replaces the frame on the shelf, and turns back to him.

    Her smile falls when she notices his red eyes, tears dripping off his chin, almost holding his breath to hold back the rest of how he was feeling.

    A dishonest smile appears on his face as he sniffs, hard, finally choking out with a laugh even less genuine, ¡°Yeah.. it''s.. uh.. it''s why I don''t come here often. Or stay. Or look at her pictures.¡±

    ¡°I ah.. can''t do that anymore,¡± Lan states, ¡°It''s like looking directly at the sun.¡±

 54 : Lock It Back Up

    At first, Saya doesn''t know how to react. Had he not been drinking as he told her the truth the other night, would he have been like this? But no, she thinks, he''s been drinking today. What changed?

    Location, she concludes, and starts to deal with it the only way she knows how, reaching out for his hand at his side.

    Instead, Lan takes a full step back from her, the hand she intended to touch flying up to cover his mouth with a slap as he inhales with a deep hiss through his nose, shaking his head slightly, staring at her with tear-filled eyes.

    He holds his other hand up palm-out to her, as if saying wait.

    Don''t think, don''t look and don''t think, you''re not here. Don''t look at the pictures look at the floor, the floor dammit. His gaze drops, staring down through blurred eyes at his feet, still holding his breath.

    This is a vacation, this is a vacation for her, you''re only here for a while. Everyone''s glad you''re here, everyone is excited for dinner. Don''t breathe.

    Lan''s eyes shut, hard, the tears in his eyes dropping out as he seals it back in. The symptoms, the consequences of thinking of it all, burying it back as he always does.

    He stands like that for a long while, cycling through images in his mind of Ota, the stores he shops at, television shows he watches, the bliss of sleep, mundane things that have nothing to do with this place or anyone specific.

    Slowly, he pulls his hand away from his mouth, exhaling a slow, shaky breath as if any more than that would crack the shell of an egg were he too careless.

    His eyes burn, but they weren''t filled with tears anymore. He looks around the room, and in the study nook behind Saya, he walks over and plucks out three tissues from the box, rubbing his eyes before blowing his nose.

    It takes him a moment as his breathing evens out, still cycling through mundane images of surfing the web, pictures of cats, dogs, comedians he loved to listen to and watch, videos, distractions.

    When Lan gets ahold of himself enough to the point where he think it may not happen again, he turns back to Saya and breathes in, shaking his head clear as he stuffs the tissues in his pocket, using his free hand to push the hair back from his face.

    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he almost laughs it out, waving a hand as if to dismiss it. ¡°It''s uh.. I don''t come here often. Don''t worry about it.¡±

    He points out the sliding door as he starts towards them, ¡°Don''t you want to see the rest of the place? This is just old memories.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    --

    Saya stares at him while all of this happens, but makes no move to step towards him again, much less reach out to Lan. She watches as he steps past her to the corner of the room, wiping his face, blowing his nose.

    She stays silent as he is until he turns around to face her again, his eyes still red, but dry. Saya recognizes burying feelings, but is still surprised as he puts on a smile with more

    <em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">??lying

    feeling behind it, more convincing, pointing out the door and mentioning the rest of the house as he starts to leave the room.

    That was enough, though, as she moved to intercept him, grabbing his hand as he turns back to look at their hands, then her, confused. ¡°What?¡± he asks.

    ¡°What do mean ''what''? What was that? What just happened, Lan?¡± she asks, returning his confused look.

    ¡°That.. what? Oh. The.. I have a few memories in this place that I don''t always like to remember. So let''s..¡± Lan starts to pull away from her and she grabs his hand with both of hers and pulls back on it, unsatisfied.

    ¡°No, wait. You did this when we talked. Almost. You stopped talking about..¡± her, she thinks, but decides against the word. ¡°You stopped talking that night, before you got to the present.¡±

    ¡°It''s not.. just this place.¡± She holds his hand, squeezing it tighter so he doesn''t move as she looks back at the picture she picked up earlier.

    ¡°You don''t talk about this, do you? With.. anyone. You don''t talk about this with your therapist?¡±

    Lan sighs, still facing away from her as he shakes his head. ¡°No. I don''t. I don''t talk about.. that.. with anyone. I can''t talk about it, I can''t even look at pictures, I can''t stay here because of the smell, the scent,¡± he admits, his hand going slack in hers, resigned for the moment.

    ¡°It''s.. a.. probably the most explicit reason I drink. I get to stop thinking for a few hours each day. I get to feel.. normal.¡± Lan finally turns and looks down at her.

    ¡°And in the morning, the cycle starts all over again. Every day.¡± He glances above her, around the room he was trying to leave, pulling on her hand and nodding his head towards the rest of the house.

    ¡°So can we.. not.. be here anymore?¡± Lan asks.

 55 : Deconstructivism

    Saya''s frown softens, but she relents and steps up beside Lan, who starts walking down the hall. ¡°It''s not healthy, you know,¡± she says.

    Lan shrugs a shoulder and looks over at her. ¡°Neither is the drinking. I''m just full of bad habits.¡±

    They stop at another door as Lan pushes it aside, Saya peeking in. It was a larger room, adorned with a massive bed, an armoire, dressers, and closets lining one side. ¡°Father and Aiko''s room,¡± he states.

    Saya didn''t really feel like stepping foot into their room considering she knew so little, but nods. ¡°It''s very pretty. They have lovely taste.¡±

    ¡°She would liken it to covering a boiling pot,¡± Lan mumbles, which leaves Saya looking confused.

    ¡°Mom, not this.¡± He motions to the room before sliding the door closed and continuing his thoughts as they walk.

    ¡°Or a volcano. The way I treat my emotions. At least the negative ones.¡± They pass by an adjoining hall that disappears down further to their right. ¡°Their bathroom and more storage,¡± Lan says.

    ¡°You know how the water will eventually bubble over even if covered, or a volcano builds such violent energy all under the surface until it can''t be held back anymore?¡±

    ¡°Repression, sure. I think everyone does that to some extent,¡± she says.

    He smiles awkwardly down at her as he shrugs again, ¡°I guess I''m just.. really good at it. Even if it isn''t healthy. I think it wouldn''t be so self-destructive if I had more people around me, but that''s why all my relationships suffer too. I don''t talk, and when I do, it''s this explosion of emotions or arguments.¡±

    He lifts his hand, and the hand that still held onto hers intending to make an explosion pantomime then stops, his grip loosening around her hand as it slips from his. ¡°Ah.. I didn''t. Wasn''t thinking. Sorry.¡±

    Saya shakes her head and chuckles. ¡°No, I did it first. It''s fine.¡± She steps over to look out on the courtyard again, ¡°I get it though. Kind of a vicious cycle. The depression leads to the drinking which leads to the rest, over and over, like you said.¡±

    She looks over her shoulder at him, ¡°You''re not the only person with substance abuse issues I''ve encountered in my life, Lan.¡±

    The house starts to light up as it starts to get darker, possibly on a timer as wall sconces come to life around them and the darkening courtyard.

    ¡°I also know that neither your family, friends, or even me can dissuade you otherwise until you choose to yourself.¡± She crosses her arms and leans against one of the support poles, he shrugs and nods.

    ¡°Shrinks say the same thing,¡± he says, ¡°But you''d be surprised how low you can sink before you--¡±

    He stops and walks over, sitting down with his socks touching the ground lightly, ¡°''Rock-bottom'' is a very hard thing to describe, I''ve found.¡±

    Saya looks down as he sits, but doesn''t say anything.

    ¡°People assume rock-bottom means losing everything, but that''s not really the case. I''ve lost friends over it, my family walk on eggshells around me, and I''ve never given them reason to do otherwise.¡±

    He pulls a heel up under him and rests his arms around it. ¡°The lengths you go to to continue the cycle you mentioned. Outsiders can see the destruction, but I can''t. Or won''t.¡±

    --This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    When he doesn''t speak again, she stares down at him quietly. ¡°You said.. they want to send you away. But that it scares you. Why?¡± she asks.

    Lan tilts his head and considers her question for a moment before looking up at her. ¡°It''s not so much a rational fear as it is a.. deconstruction of the idea in general.¡±

    He turns and leans against the support pole opposite her, sitting cross-legged. ¡°I realize I''m a very lucky man. That my father, Reo, and even Aiko support me. Without them, I''d be penniless or dead ¨C in more ways than one, I''m convinced.¡±

    ¡°But I deconstruct everything before it starts. It''s why I don''t have a job, it''s why I don''t have new relationships ¨C well, you''re the first ¨C and it''s why I am scared of rehab. It''s like a form of pessimism.¡±

    Lan taps his knee for a moment, thinking, then holding out his hand towards her. ¡°You, for example. You teach English here, yes? But why? And why so long?¡±

    Saya slides her hands down behind her along her skirt as she kneels in front of Lan, considering. ¡°I.. wanted to travel,¡± she starts, ¡°I had finished a bachelor''s, and.. rather than go right into a corporate kind of job, I wanted to go somewhere I''ve always wanted to.¡± She shrugs, motioning out towards the courtyard.

    ¡°My parents gave me a lot of help with paying for college. I couldn''t rightfully expect them to provide me with money to travel, or to take a gap year, you know?¡±

    As soon as she says it, she realizes the ridiculousness of saying it to Lan, pausing in her story, embarrassed. Lan just laughs a bit and nods.

    ¡°I get it.¡± He rolls his eyes at his own stupid reply, rephrasing. ¡°I get the idea of it. You wanted to go, but you didn''t want to trouble them about it.¡±

    Saya nods, looking down at her hands as she fidgets a little, ¡°So I.. researched teaching here, it''s what my degree is in anyway, English. Though they''re not very picky in what the degree is in, so long as you have a good grasp of the English language and the degree.¡±

    ¡°They paid my room, board, utilities, a salary. I get to continue studying in graduate school here and there, and I love seeing the kids as they learn, so I just.. stayed. For a while.¡± Lan nods as she continues.

    ¡°I don''t know if I''ll stay here forever, but I like it. It''s a beautiful place, especially if you''re not native to the language. I''m learning just as much as I''m teaching, yeah?¡±

    She laughs slightly and looks around her at the lit hallways, the sheen on the floor, and finally back to Lan, shaking her head. ¡°And before I came to Japan, if you told me I''d be in the house of a..¡±

    Saya pauses, trying to come up with the word, ¡°..wealthy business owner, about to have dinner with his family and son, who just happens to be my neighbor, I''d have said you were utterly insane.

    Lan smiles and laughs, nodding. Saya grins back at him, he looks better laughing anyway. ¡°It is.. not something you''d expect, I guess,¡± he admits. His laugh slows, and the smile doesn''t fade, but it does slip a bit.

    ¡°You''re here because you had the courage to do those things. You didn''t think of absolutely everything that could have gone wrong before it ever happened. That''s what I do. I don''t see the positive in anything. So nothing ever starts,¡± Lan says.

    ¡°It''s a type of architecture, really, but I''ve always liked the term ''deconstructivism'' as my way of thinking.¡±

    He breathes in and shakes his head over at her. ¡°And that''s not healthy either. I know. Like I said before.. bad habits,¡± he offers, as if that was that.

 56 : Give Me Your Eyes

    Across the courtyard, the entrance to the house suddenly became busy, the staff hurrying left and right.

    ¡°Seems they''re home,¡± Lan says, looking where Saya looks. The courtyard itself was dark, but the lights in the entrance were enough to show Toshio and Reo stepping into the foyer.

    ¡°Guess that''s our cue,¡± Lan says, looking back up at Saya, who was watching the show in the house''s entrance.

    ¡°So they do that for everyone, guest or not, huh,¡± she utters, watching the staff line up on either side to bow at the two men that are entering with such a blas¨¦ attitude. That all of this was normal.

    ¡°It''s so strange, like watching a real life Sims game,¡± she says, and she wasn''t wrong. Aiko hurries over to greet her husband and son, who simply want to decompress. Aiko waves the staff along to start tea, and ducks into the kitchen herself, presumably to direct more.

    Saya holds up her thumb and forefinger above Reo''s form as he steps out of his shoes, moving her hand this way and that, imagining a health bar above the man. She laughs and looks over at Lan. ¡°And this is normal?¡±

    He looks over at the commotion and shakes his head. ¡°No, well.. to be honest, I don''t know. I doubt it.¡± He rests his wrist on his knee and points at her then him. ¡°Guests are a big thing here. You wanna put on your best face, you know?¡±

    Saya rests her chin in her hand and her elbow on a knee as she watches it all across the courtyard. ¡°It''s kind of a beautiful thing, I guess.¡± She turns to look at Lan for a moment, ¡°and embarrassing. All of this. I don''t think I could do that. As part of being the staff, it seems so.. panicky.¡±

    Lan looks over to where she''s looking, maids, well-dressed men all in a hurry to get somewhere, to please their

    masters

    employers. All with a job to do.

    It was one of the reasons he never came here, there is only so many times you can be asked for a feeling, or an employee asking you if you need anything before you throw your hands up and say ''fuck it, I''m done''.

    The other side of the family didn''t seem to have that problem, Aiko, Reo, and even his father were okay with it ¨C or at least beared through it.

    ¡°I didn''t ask, do you have any allergies?¡± he finally pipes up, Saya looking over at him.

    --

    She cycles through her medicinal allergies, but shakes her head back at Lan. ¡°No, raw, cooked, I mean I have.. preferences. But no, anything is fine.¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.??Lan tilts his head back and breathes in before sharply looking down at her across the way. ¡°Give me an excuse. Anything. First thing.¡±

    ¡°An excuse,¡± she blurts out, confused as to what he was actually asking, and giving a joke answer.

    Apparently that was enough as he grunts and pushes up to stand in the open doorway, holding out a hand to her. ¡°That''s enough. You wanted to see the rest of the place, so that''s where we were.¡±

    Ah, an excuse, she thinks, taking his hand again and pulling herself up as she looks over at the busy side of the household, then towards the darker side behind her.

    ¡°What was it, us, them, utility, quarters?¡± she asks, unsure herself. Lan shakes his head. ¡°Sorry, that''s.. not fair.¡±

    ¡°This is the main wing, we sleep and eat here. Off to that side,¡± he motions across the courtyard, ¡°is the kitchen, all that. The hallway we passed is more for father and Aiko.¡±

    Lan steps forward, again holding onto Saya''s hand as they come across a four-way crossroad, walkways on all sides, and another, more Zen garden courtyard than the last.

    ¡°The.. utilities and maintenance are that way.¡± He points to his right, ¡°And the staff stay that way.¡± Motioning to his left.

    It was enough that Saya concludes that the house ¨C the compound, rather ¨C was a sort of figure eight. Living quarters, staff quarters, but either way, it was impeccable and gorgeous no matter who stayed in which rooms.

    Lan turns to her and lets go of her hand again, sliding his hands into his jean pockets. ¡°So now you have a choice. Or rather, we have a choice.¡±

    ¡°I could make up an excuse for us to leave. You''d have to give me a minute to think of one, and I would blame you for it.¡± She frowns at that, but it made sense. Saya knew what she had signed up for, and was admittedly his shield.

    ¡°If it weren''t so late, I''d say sightseeing, since it''s only the weekend.¡± Lan scratches his temple and turns away from her, really thinking. ¡°Jetlag, it''s only an hour..¡± he says, thinking out loud.

    ¡°It''s fine,¡± she says, reaching out and turning his shoulder and him to face her, shaking her head as she looks towards the busier part of the house. ¡°They don''t..¡± she sighs and looks up, thinking, ¡°they''re not here to see me, Lan.¡±

    ¡°I''m.. ancillary. Don''t say you don''t realize all of this is for you,¡± Saya says.

    She wasn''t wrong ¨C again. Lan crosses his arms over his chest and looks over at the busy wing of his home. ¡°And you''re.. okay with dinner, they''re going to make it a full fancy course bullshit.¡± He admits, waving his hands in front of himself as if pantomiming figures around a table.

    Saya looks over at him, raising a brow, and tilting her head towards where he looks. ¡°I came for a vacation, sir, despite how rich all of you may be. So let''s go eat, shall we?¡±

 57 : Haute

    Lan breathes out a sigh of resignation before nodding and starting towards where they came from ¨C towards the commotion. The two stick to one side again, as staff rush by from room to room, at one point cornering the two of them at a junction until the foot traffic had subsided.

    ¡°Have you ever had a.. hm..¡± he pauses, tapping his fingers together before he shrugs and relents. ¡°It''s called kaiseki? No?¡±

    Saya shakes her head, never having heard the word. Lan scratches the back of his head as he tries to think of an English equivalent.

    ¡°It''s.. it''s the Japanese version of the ''full fancy course'' bullshit from earlier,¡± he explains, ¡°Now.. I haven''t been here for a meal in a while, but the last time I was, they went.. bonkers.¡±

    ¡°At its most base, it''s four courses, or dishes. Like any other meal, right?¡± She nods, traditional.

    ¡°And at its fucking..¡± he pauses, rubbing his mouth and shaking his head, ¡°Sorry. At its most.. extravagant, it can be up to.. fourteen.¡±

    Saya blinks and shakes her head, looking past him down the hall, it would make sense, that everyone would be this busy if that were actually the case.

    ¡°I only say this in case it happens. I wouldn''t put it past them, but I will say something to either father or Reo to.. keep it down, you know?¡± He glances behind him, wondering where they would be in the house at this point. Aiko would be in the kitchen, of course, Reo would probably be in the room they had tea in beforehand, since he doesn''t live here anymore, either, Lan thinks.

    ¡°I didn''t even think that there were fourteen,¡± she glances up, thinking, ¡°paletes to entertain.¡± She wasn''t sure that was the right word, but all of this seemed ostentatious as it were.

    ¡°It won''t be,¡± Lan assures her as he starts moving again, moving past the front entrance of the house and towards the kitchen and reception room. ¡°Aiko will want to go all out, father will.. acquiesce, and Reo..¡±

    He stops in front of the half-open reception room and glances in, turning to look back at Saya. ¡°Give me a minute, will you? I promise it''ll be quick.¡±

    Without much to go on, she nods and presses her back against the wall so as to not be in anyone''s way as Lan ducks into the room across the hall.

    --

    ¡°I need a favor.¡±

    ¡°And I need a break, what now, Lan?¡± Reo answers, tapping his gloved fingers next to the tea on the table, having been interrupted in probably starting to drink it.

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.??¡°Aiko is going to go crazy with tonight''s meal if left to herself. Don''t look at me like that, you know exactly what I''m talking about,¡± Lan says, to which Reo shrugs and nods.

    ¡°Go tell her to.. make it basic. Traditional. Not..¡± He pauses in his rattling off in Japanese to Reo, not coming up with yet another word for it all. He frowns and Reo leans back against the chair, crossing his arms with a tired, losing-patience look on his face.

    ¡°Haute. Right? Haute?¡± He shakes his head and motions out the door, towards the kitchen. ¡°The pretentious multi-course bullshit.¡±

    Reo raises a brow at that, he knew the word, understanding it perfectly, but, ¡°How is that my problem?¡± he asks.

    ¡°She''s your mother. And you know father won''t dissuade her.¡± Reo remains immobile, thoroughly unconvinced. ¡°And you don''t want to be here any longer than I do, right?¡± Lan continues.

    Reo rolls his eyes and picks up his tea, blowing steam off of it. ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about, I like being here now and then.¡±

    Shit, Lan thinks, this is his home more than it ever was mine, he admits to himself, that he would be more comfortable here than Lan.

    Business, bargain, what do you have to trad--

    ¡°I''ll call Nissan to pick up the car tonight. From the hotel, and I-- we''ll take trains around Hiroshima instead. Okay?¡±

    Reo''s eyes flick up at Lan, who holds out his hands, offering the invisible trade. Despite being annoyed at being swayed like this, Reo sighs and pushes back from the table, setting his tea down before he even took a sip.

    ¡°Call them, right now, while I talk with her.¡± Reo shakes his head and stands up, pulling down on his vest to straighten it out.

    Lan deflates in relief as he pulls his phone out of his pocket. ¡°Got it, got it. Just.. simple, okay?¡± He tilts his head out towards the kitchen as he starts to search for the rental company''s number.

    ¡°I got it. Call them.¡± Reo points at Lan''s phone, walking out into the hallway.

    Reo almost starts to sneer at the fact that Lan knows anything to save the group money would work, but straightens up as Saya stands right outside the room he left. He bows slightly to her, changing his expression to a professional smile.

    ¡°Miss Travis, a pleasure having you here. If you''ll give me a moment, I have to have a word with my mother. Feel free to have a seat in there,¡± he motions behind him to where he just exited, before stepping his way down the hall towards the kitchen.

 58 : Along for the Ride

    Lan finally steps out after a moment and ushers Saya back into the room they first sat down in.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± He motions down to where she sat before as she sits, he leans on one knee next to her instead of sitting himself. ¡°This is.. clusterfuck,¡± he admits, looking behind him and pulling the door closed behind them though it does nothing to dampen the chaos beyond.

    ¡°Reo is going to talk to Aiko about toning it down. It won''t be in here, I don''t think, there''s family casual and guest casual.¡± Lan sighs and rubs his forehead, all of this was turning into a bigger deal than he ever wanted it to be.

    ¡°The dining room, probably, but I''ll make sure it''s simple, yeah? And if it is.. ridiculous, we just leave.¡± Saya starts to protest that option, but he holds up a hand. ¡°It wouldn''t be the first time, and it wouldn''t be your fault. I''m not asking for much for them to keep it.. normal.¡±

    Briefly, he looks past her at where they were before, sitting in front of the bedrooms, then looks back at where the kitchen would be. Lan weighs his options but it didn''t take him long. ¡°Stay here for.. twenty seconds. I''ll be right back, I forgot something over there.¡±

    Abruptly, he stands up and rather than use the door they came from, he ducks out, hopping down into the courtyard in socked feet, crossing it in a few strides. He steps back up in front of his own old room and disappears from her sight.

    --

    And like that, she was left alone ¨C again. Saya knew that Lan coming home was a big deal around here, much less with a guest. She reaches out and cups her hand around her teacup, still lukewarm from before.

    A full cup sits across the table, steaming, but apparently untouched. She wonders who it was for. Reo was the last in here before they came back..

    She takes a sip and leans back, reaching up with her free hand to rub her eyes lightly. In some ways, this was more stressful than dealing with the children at her school. At least with the kids, she knew what to expect day to day. There was a lot about Lan, and his family by extension, she didn''t know.

    But he was right, before, that it didn''t bother her. The unknown was.. exciting to Saya. To an extent, she thinks. But she thinks about Lan and his myopic, tiny little world. Everything so planned around the isolation, the drinking, even.

    Saya looks across the dark courtyard, realizing exactly what Lan ''forgot'' over there.

    --

    Leaving slightly damp footprints from crossing bare grass, he steps into his old room, sliding the door closed behind him as he looks around. The obvious would be gone, but like before it should still be there.

    Lan opens his closet and is greeted with old clothes, things that would never fit him today, but were kept out of.. nostalgia? He wonders. But neither the clothes nor the toys at the bottom of the closet were what he was interested in, looking up above the top shelf.

    His fingers run along the seam between the wall and the ceiling until he finds it, pushing a cracked portion of it up as he reaches into the dark beyond, stretching up on his toes as his fingertips pat around as they touch a thin glass bottle, a half-pint bottle.

    He wasn''t sure how much he had left in it last time he was here, and it takes a while for liquor to go bad, even opened. Lan pulls it down and tilts it towards the lights coming from the hall, examining the contents, about a half remaining in it.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.??Lan sighs in relief and spins the cap off, catching it in his hand as he raises the bottle to his nose. It didn''t smell off, which was fine, he probably would have drank it anyway. Tilting it back, he drains the remaining whiskey out of the bottle ¨C two to three shots worth as it burns its way down into his stomach.

    He winces at the burn as he recaps the bottle, glancing in front of him. If he put it back up there, and needed it later.. instead, he reaches into one of his old school jackets and slips it into the breast pocket.

    Stepping back, he looks at the closet from top to bottom, making sure nothing seems out of place before pulling it closed, turning back towards the exit.

    --

    Meanwhile, across the courtyard where Saya sat, the door opens, leaving both parties surprised as Toshio bows a bit before stepping into the room.

    ¡°Miss Travis! I was not expecting you here,¡± he glances around, squinting a bit as it occurs to him, ¡°..alone?¡±

    Saya nods as he steps over and sits in Aiko''s seat from before, patting his hand lightly on the kettle, frowning once he rests his hand on it and realizes its not hot, but shrugs anyway, starting to place the cups ¨C used and unused ¨C back onto the tray.

    ¡°Everyone around is.. very busy!¡± He smiles, his pronounced crows feet crinkling a bit in the corner of his eyes as Saya smiles back, still holding onto her cup. ¡°We have guests, yes, but.. a long time for Lan.¡±

    Saya glances across the courtyard at where Lan disappeared, turning back to his father ¨C but he was looking the same way as she was.

    ¡°Lan is.. drinking? Yes? Still?¡± Toshio asks.

    Saya breathes in and rests her chin in her hand, elbow on the table as she keeps looking over at the bedroom wing of their house. ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°And you still came?¡± he ponders. The question surprises Saya, who looks over at Toshio, who is still smiling, but the smile was.. tainted somehow, faked. So that''s where the brothers learned it, she thinks.

    ¡°I..¡± Saya leans back and pushes her cup away from her, Toshio plucking it off the table and placing it on the tray to their side. ¡°I know that.. Lan has problems. You know it too, when you called me his.. distraction?¡±

    Toshio nods and laces his fingers together on the table, ¡°I worry, but he is an adult. There is only so much I can do, despite all.. this.¡± He waves a hand around, at the wealth, the opulence.

    ¡°He has told you of Emma, yes?¡± Saya looks confused, shaking her head as he reforms the question, ¡°his.. mother. Her passing.¡±

    Emma.. what a pretty name, she thinks, before nodding, ¡°Oh, yes, I didn''t know her name, though. He never said it.¡±

    Toshio smiles again, but this time it felt and looked genuine, if not a little sad. ¡°And that she passed last year?¡± Saya nods, staying quiet for the moment.

    Lan''s father taps his fingers along the table for a bit, looking down at it as he speaks, ¡°It.. broke.. my son,¡± he admits. ¡°I think it was broken before she passed, but.. it was enough to..¡± His brow creases, as he searches for the word, ¡°negate? Negate his.. world.¡±

    ¡°And nothing I say, or Aiko or Reo say, or..¡± he shakes his head, ¡°a therapist, maybe.. I don''t know how to fix it.¡±

    ¡°So even if you are a.. distraction, it is good to have my boy around for a while.¡± Toshio sits up in the chair and bows to her, his head nearly touching the table. ¡°Thank you very much, Miss Travis.¡±

 59 : A Simple Affair, Part 1

    One of the maids, Saya had already forgotten her name among most of the staff, slides open the door a bit, bowing a bit to Saya, then to Toshio. She speaks in Japanese to her employer, who nods his head and turns to his guest.

    ¡°It seems all is ready.¡± He slides back and starts to stand, waiting until she follows suit, smoothing out her black skirt and stepping around the table to join him. Toshio does frown a bit as he looks out into the courtyard, then to her. ¡°Hm.. I''ll send someone to find Lan.¡± He smiles down at her and pulls the door open in front of them. ¡°If you do not mind escorting an old man, for now.¡±

    Saya chuckles. ¡°Of course. Thank you, as well.¡± She steps forward out into the hall and points to the left questioningly. ¡°This way?¡± she asks, Toshio nodding. ¡°On the right,¡± he answers.

    She knew, but was being polite anyway as she walks in front of him to the open double doors of the dining room where a member of the staff stands. He rattles off something to her and is relieved when Toshio speaks up instead.

    ¡°With everyone here, he says they put you and Lan together.¡± She looks in and sees two settings one seat apart on the long table, one across from them, and two at either end.

    ¡°Ah, I see. Thank you again.¡± She starts to walk around the end of the table, around to one of settings just as Toshio speaks to the man at the doorway, who nods and steps away towards the bedroom wing.

    Lan''s father goes and stands at one of the ends of the table just as Reo enters, doing the same at the one across from Saya. Neither sit. ¡°Three course fare, normal dinner anywhere else,¡± Reo assures her, ¡°which is why it''s ready so fast. Though truth be told she was a bit disappointed not to be able to do more.¡±

    He smiles over at her when she looks a bit upset, shaking his head. ¡°I told her it was Lan''s request. Not yours. Please,¡± he holds out his hand towards her seat. She pulls back the chair and slides her hands behind her skirt and sitting. ¡°Thank you,¡± she says.

    Saya didn''t have to ask why they were still standing ¨C manners do run in the family. Behind Reo, Aiko steps in, scanning the room and is apparently not surprised to see no Lan. She steps over across the table from Toshio and doesn''t hesitate, pulling the chair out and sitting down as Saya did. Only then did both Reo and his father start to sit down themselves.

    --

    Brushing past the staff sent to retrieve him at his own bedroom, Lan walks with a bit of a hurried pace around the courtyard ¨C properly this time ¨C and around to the entrance of the dining room.

    Stopping just before he was in view, he takes a long, deep breath and rocks his head side to side, stretching a bit. The alcohol was already making him feel sluggish, all he needed to do was get through dinner (which would help) and get Saya into a cab, and that would be that.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.??Thankfully, Toshio and Reo were just sitting down as Lan starts to walk around behind his father to join Saya. Toshio turns his head and speaks under his breath, ¡°Don''t leave guests alone, you know better than that,¡± his father chides. As he pulls out his own seat, he nods in acknowledgment and turns to Saya.

    ¡°Sorry. I..¡± she already knew he was going to drink, ¡°sorry I left you alone.¡±

    She nods and picks up her napkin from under the utensils, laying it across her lap. Lan does the same as the first of the staff file in ¨C each holding a tray with tonight''s dinner.

    True to Reo''s word, what Saya was served was indeed appropriately normal. Rice, soup, salad, and a grilled fish entree. Typical, everyday dinner. Lan leans forward a bit and utters a casual ''thanks'' to Reo, who just nods his head in return, the dishes being placed in front of each of them. The attendants file out as all of them look to Aiko.

    She places her hands together and nods solemnly as all of follow suit, giving thanks for the meal before the clink of dishes start echoing around the room.

    Hopefully, Lan thinks, Aiko doesn''t bring that shit up from before, but it''s his father that talks first, looking at his wife across the table. ¡°Oh, did you have time to talk to Saya before?¡± He speaks in English, for her benefit, Saya assumes.

    ¡°Mm? Oh, yes, we did,¡± she looks over at their guest, nodding. ¡°But not for long, Lan wanted to give her a tour.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, I see. This house has been in our name for quite a while, you see,¡± Toshio says to Saya, ¡°it has been..¡± he pauses and looks to Reo in Japanese, who replies in English: ¡°modernized.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Modernized for today. But the architecture is very old. Glad to have electric heating and cooling!¡± he exclaims, which makes Saya smile.

    ¡°It is a very, very beautiful home. Thank you for having me, and.. all this.¡± She motions towards the dishes in front of her, looking from Aiko around the table in thanks.

    Aiko waves a hand, blotting her lips with a napkin before speaking. ¡°This is simple, I wanted to do more, but you have been traveling today, I thought faster would be better. If we have the pleasure again, putting together fantastic menus has always been a fun hobby of mine.¡±

    Saya smiles to her and raises her teacup towards Aiko before taking a sip.

    ¡°So, Lan, how much have you had to drink today?¡± She asks bluntly, causing Saya to inhale some of the tea, setting it down and bringing her napkin up and turning to the side to mask her coughing fit.

 60 : A Simple Affair, Part 2

    ¡°Aiko!¡± Toshio exclaims, intending to continue until Lan holds up a hand towards him as he checks on Saya, patting her back lightly.

    ¡°What?¡± she shrugs, returning to the dishes in front of her. ¡°It''s a valid question, isn''t it?¡±

    Finally catching her breath, Saya sits back up and nods to Lan in thanks, but also searches his face for a reaction to such a blatant question.

    If there was one, she couldn''t see it. Lan simply shakes his head, pushing his hair back before picking up the bowl of soup. ¡°She''s not wrong,¡± he admits, though his eyes cut a hard edge over at Aiko.

    ¡°Enough, for tonight. Reo knows, as does Miss Travis.¡± He does get one barb in as he says: ¡°It''s rather embarrassing to try and eat with chopsticks when your hands are trembling. Wouldn''t want to embarrass anyone tonight, after all.¡±

    Aiko doesn''t deign that response, so she turns to look at Saya, ¡°I never did ask, before, what do you do in Tokyo?¡±

    She sets down her chopsticks and looks at the other woman, ¡°Oh, I.. teach English to primary students in Ota. At Sunny Plumeria? It''s near where I live, so it''s rather convenient.¡±

    Aiko nods, cutting the fish with the edge of her chopsticks. ¡°A valuable skill, but you don''t speak Japanese yourself?¡± Saya shakes her head.

    ¡°Very little. And I can only read a bit of katakana. But it''s enough to get around.¡± She chuckles to herself, ¡°I''m probably on the same age-level in Japanese as the children I teach, but I do have the school''s translator, who assists me.¡±

    ¡°I think it''s a good skill to have,¡± Toshio chimes in, looking between his wife and Saya. ¡°Japanese may not be everywhere, but English is always valuable. At least I think so. I do send Reo out on more.. technical issue trips?¡± He looks over at Reo, who nods.

    ¡°I understand both fluently, especially when it comes to the inner workings of our machines and facilities. But when it comes to Chinese or Korean, I have to rely on my own assistant.¡±

    ¡°Emma.. made sure that Lan knew both as well, much like Reo, she was good in both,¡± Toshio says, ¡°though, Lan did have trouble picking up the more.. harder parts of kanji.¡±

    Lan wasn''t looking at her, but his cheeks were rather red at that little bit of information, which made Saya smile a bit. ¡°It would take me years, I''m sure,¡± she replies.

    ¡°She''s also a graduate student,¡± Lan says, setting down his bowl of rice. ¡°In..¡± He turns to her, raising a brow. ¡°I don''t think you ever told me.¡±

    ¡°Ah.. well it was going to be journalism. Living here has taught me that I love to travel, but now I''m not so sure.¡± She smiles awkwardly at Toshio, shrugging. ¡°Maybe I should just change it to English, like my first degree.¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.??She digs her chopsticks into her salad, lost in thought. ¡°I like it here, and I could teach older kids, or even adults with it.¡±

    ¡°Ohhh? Both good! Japan loves skilled workers, very tough visa laws, though.¡± He furrows his brow at that, shaking his head. ¡°Low birth rate, and tough entry? Hmm..¡± he trails off, though that last comment makes Saya herself blush a bit at the brief thought.

    --

    ¡°You should stay! You are always welcome, and Satake could use English speakers, no matter what degree.¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    ¡°Father!¡± Reo exclaims, shortly after Lan. Both did not want her subjected to business tonight.

    Toshio holds up his hands defensively at the commotion, ¡°What? It is true, yes? She knows the language, we have the need.¡± He shrugs and picks up his salad bowl. ¡°Forgive me,¡± he admits to Saya, smiling, ¡°it is hard to turn off business.. brain.¡±

    Saya smiles and nods in return, ¡°I understand, and thank you very much for the offer. My father is like that in a lot of ways as well.¡±

    Reo pauses in eating as he looks over at her. ¡°Do you mind me asking what he does?¡±

    She shakes her head, ¡°Mm-mm. It''s alright. He''s.. actually a factory manager. Well, now anyway, he worked his way up over the years.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What does the company make?¡±

    Saya laughs and sets her chopsticks down, shaking her head as she looks from Aiko to Reo. ¡°Ah.. would you believe crayons?¡± then to Toshio who has a confused look until it sounds it out wordlessly, dawning on him.

    That gets Lan''s attention as well, all of them looking at her. ¡°He.. oversees the creation of Crayola crayons where we''re from, in Pennsylvania.¡±

    ¡°Really? How interesting,¡± Reo replies, crossing his arms over his chest as he tilts his head, thinking. ¡°On the floor or on the business side?¡±

    ¡°Oh, the floor, definitely. He started low, years ago, now he oversees the production, machinery, coloring. He gave me a tour ages ago, and it was surprisingly loud for what was just a wax factory.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Reo entertains the thought further, speaking out loud, ¡°He''d probably do pretty well in our factory too..¡±

    ¡°Reo!¡± Lan was the only one that spoke up this time, more business talk ¨C even if they couldn''t help it. Reo holds up a gloved hand.

    ¡°Right, sorry. Habit.¡± He picks up his chopsticks and resumes eating, even though all of them were very pleased that Saya was still smiling through what anyone else would say is a rough start to a family dinner.

 61 : Tomorrow / Fragments

    It was an extravagant exit, to say the least, as the whole family and the staff came out to bid Saya goodnight. Lan rest his hands on the top of the golf cart, looking down at her.

    ¡°Wasn''t so bad, was it?¡± He grins crookedly, his hair covering most of his features in the dark, despite the compound''s accent lights behind him.

    ¡°It was.. an experience.¡± She admits, breathing in slow now that she''s on her way out, she looks up at Lan and exhales, reaching up and pushing his hair back behind his ears as he does himself.

    ¡°Your.. family is lovely.¡± Saya''s eyes flick back towards the three standing in the middle of the staff holding their bow towards her, making her uncomfortable with every passing minute that she waited.

    ¡°I don''t know about Aiko, but your father and Reo are at least.. candid about caring, in their own way.¡± She bites back a smile as he turns his head away from her when she touches him.

    ¡°But you promised me a weekend around Hiroshima, right? Tomorrow?¡± He nods, his hair coming loose on one side again. Saya resisted the urge to find a hair tie in her clutch.

    ¡°I''ll come get you tomorrow morning. Is ten okay?¡± he asks, turning back to her as he stands up to his full height and drops his hands from the top of the cart, she could barely see his face unless she leaned a bit.

    ¡°That sounds fine. I told them already, but do tell everyone that they were wonderful hosts,¡± she says.

    He nods, leaning over and talking to Eiji in Japanese as he thumps his foot down on the brake pedal, disengaging the parking brake.

    ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± he murmurs as the cart starts moving, leaving her thumping along the road down towards the street, looking back at him.

    Lan''s figure stood tall and dark in front of the staff and his family behind him, a monolithic figure, as if left to the smiling, waving people behind him.

    --

    Saya grips the handle beside her with one hand as the two make their way back towards the street, a taxi waiting for her beyond the gate.

    ¡°He likes you!¡± Eiji suddenly declares, both of them still bumping over branches in the lane, jarring Saya up out of her seat for a moment.

    ¡°What? Who?¡± She leans forward slightly, raising her voice over the whine of the cart''s battery operated motor.

    ¡°Lan! Never brings guests. You the first in a long time!¡± he shouts out, echoing against the plexiglass windshield, whether it was for his benefit or hers, she couldn''t tell.

    Saya didn''t respond, but looks back at the path they came down again, the figures were long gone, her fingers dig into the handle of the cart a little harder, worrying a little more about him as they approach the gate, alcoholic or not.

    --

    The staff finally raise up as the cart disappears down the hill, starting to shuffle back into the house to start cleaning up.

    Aiko and Toshio follow suit afterwards, but Reo stays behind, looking at Lan''s unmoving form. His shadow cast by the lights behind him left a large blank space in the foliage beyond. Reo tilts his head slightly, resisting the urge to hold up his fingers in Ls to frame a picture. Photography had been an old hobby of his, long buried.

    ¡°C''mon, it''s getting late,¡± he calls to Lan, who doesn''t register it at first, taking a moment before turning back towards the house. But Reo''s eyes were still on the large shadow behind him, growing larger with each step as he walks towards the lights in between them. It felt..

    intimidating, he thought.

    --

    Lan was bent over, wincing as the rain pelted down on him in his scrubs, his arm over a woman near the age of his mother ¨C unfortunately this one had discovered the attractiveness of crystal meth. She was barely conscious, the fire alarm blaring out from the building in front of them.

    She was fading, he could feel it, his other arm looping around her waist as he held her up against him, her hands dropping down to her waist, clutching a pack of cigarettes, the other a lit one, still, he hoisted her up in the rain.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.??¡°Rachel. RACHEL. WAKE UP.¡± He shook the woman he held a bit, her cigarette dropping into the pool of water they all stood in, she slowly roused from her stupor, Lan holding a hand over her forehead as she looked up at the building, sirens wailing.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she uttered, slowly falling limp again and back into the phenobarbital''s lethargy they all were roused from, some more than others. Lan enough to keep standing while holding a woman twice his age, squinting up at the building.

    Breathing in hard through his nose, Lan looks over at the locked gate of their normal smoking courtyard, all of them on the other side, soaked in their standard issue detox scrubs.

    There was no fire, nurses and patients both knew it was some twat trying to light up inside to avoid going out to smoke.

    It would be another ten minutes until the fire department arrived to cancel out the alarm.

    --

    Lan pulls in a ragged, drained gasp, back arching as he is torn from his dream. Were it only a dream, it would be forgettable. Memories aren''t that forgettable.

    He sits up in his bed, looking around, confused for a moment before remembering where he is. The house. His shirt was soaked with sweat, though that was nothing new ¨C part of his disease, and he usually took it in stride. Shuddering, even though it was late summer, he pulls the shirt off and uses it to wipe himself dry, dropping it on the floor as he crawls out of bed.

    Sighing, he wipes his eyes with his fingers before reaching into his bag for another shirt, pulling it on as he looks from the window to his watch, shaking it so it wakes up, telling him it''s 5:10am.

    He knew himself well enough to know that any more sleep wasn''t coming, even if he took medication. Instead, he pulls the blanket off the bed and around himself as he pads around his old room, stopping at the bookshelf.

    Lan smiles a little at the old titles, and how it was all arranged. On the left were the ¡°hard¡± sci-fi novels, most with minimalist covers ¨C he found that attracted him more to a book than some flashy already-drawn hero in a suit in an action pose. It also meant that the story was likely more realistic than the others. The book asked of the shopper to look deeper than the title or the graphic on the front. A lot of Asimov, Gibson, Reynolds books used this type of format.

    Continuing down the line were the true fantasy books, most by Salvatore. Some Tolkein, and even Robert Jordan when a girlfriend was head over heels with the Wheel of Time. Lan found it too bland and wordy, and never got past 20 pages.

    And the manga near the end, with no definable genre whatsoever. Intermingled in the action and thrillers were romance and tragedy. Admittedly more of the latter, Lan had used to like stories that made him cry, in a good way.

    Like everything in this room, though, the books were decades old by now, even though when Lan runs his finger along the wood of the shelf it comes up clean. No doubt from word of his arrival, he wondered if they cleaned it this way very often.

    Looking out the window, he shakes his head again ¨C not more than ten minutes had passed, and the house was dead calm except for a light breeze blowing through the leaves outside. It would be a few hours before it woke up along with the rest of its inhabitants.

    Lan plucks out a random volume of Kare Kano and returns to bed, clicking on the table light as he leans back against the wall, thumbing open to a page in the middle with no real destination in mind ¨C he knew the story front to back anyway.

    --

    Across town, another form of disorientation was happening as Saya''s phone vibrates on the bed next to her pillow. She begrudgingly opens one eye, reaching out as she tilts the screen towards her, reading the time: 7:30am.

    It took her a moment for her vision to focus on the white sheets and blanket she was under (she preferred pastels herself) until she looks around, remembering herself where she was ¨C a hotel in Hiroshima. Her memories of yesterday and the dinner come flooding back as well. God, that was.. awkward, she thinks.

    Her phone buzzes for attention so she cancels the alarm, sliding up a bit on her elbow in the massive bed, the morning sun starting to creep its way into her room through the cracks in the drapes. Saya didn''t have to get up this early ¨C in fact, this was sleeping in for her for most days, since the school started earlier ¨C but she wanted time to get ready.

    She leans back against the plush headboard, her eyes closing again as she thinks about the start of the day. Just a tourist today, she reminds herself, just you and Lan, and no family, no problems, museums, sightseeing, relax.

    Saya rubs her eyes with the palms of her hands and stretches upward languidly, feeling her joints pop a bit as she pushes the covers down off of her, sliding her feet into slippers next to the bed and standing up to start the day.

 62 : Cleaning Up

    Reo starts walking his way around the courtyard as Lan pulls open the door to his room. He pauses midway in latching his watch to his wrist to look his relative up and down. ¡°Well you look.. awful. And up early.¡±

    True enough, Lan''s hair was a mess, even if you could see his eyes they would be ringed with dark circles, not to mention the fact he was only in a t-shirt and boxers.

    ¡°Gimme some money,¡± Lan states before a large yawn overcomes him.

    ¡°What? No.¡± Reo turns his attention back to his watch as he slides the band in place, pulling his sleeve down over it.

    ¡°No, I mean for.. tourist.. museum..¡± Lan sighs and leans against the doorframe. ¡°You know father won''t, but there''s only so much I can do with an ICC card. And she''ll want to visit some attractions.¡±

    Reo looks at Lan for a moment, conscious of his own wallet in his back pocket, he had the cash, but to give money to Lan.. Still, he wanted to make a good impression of his town for Saya, at least. He wavers in his decision as the house starts to come alive again as everyone wakes up.

    ¡°Your word means shit to me, so I''m not going to ask for it like he does,¡± Reo shakes his head, pulling his wallet out. He unfolds it and fingers through some of the bills.

    He pauses on a ten thousand yen note, thinking of what there actually is to see that requires a fee in Hiroshima, then flicks back to a five thousand bill, pulling it out and holding it out to Lan. Forty-five dollars would be more than enough.

    ¡°No booze, no..¡± God, I even sound like them now, he thinks. Lan was nodding as he folds the bill in his hands. His transit card would get him around the city, at least. ¡°She''s our guest, Lan. And you know people know who we are.¡±

    Lan nods, bending back a little in a stretch as he pushes off of the door. ¡°No booze, no embarrassment, clean and sober. I got it.¡± Even to Reo it sounded lifeless and rehearsed. It wasn''t the first time he had heard that kind of talk from Lan, either.

    ¡°And take a shower. I don''t know how you got it after the hotel, but I can still smell it on you,¡± Reo frowns a bit, as Lan covers his mouth and nose, inhaling behind it. It didn''t matter, the smell of alcohol was definitive, day of or day after.

    ¡°Right.. Right.¡± Lan rubs his eyes with his free hand, shaking his head slightly to try and regain some of the sense that a morning should bring. ¡°And thanks.. for.. this.¡± He holds the cash up between his index and middle finger, ¡°I know no one likes giving me.. whatever.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.??Reo purses his lips and holds back a comment about what their father truly intended to give to Lan on their end-of-month trips, but nods as he starts on his way past Lan''s room. ¡°Food, and tourism,¡± he reminds Lan, who is nodding as he starts walking back into his room.

    He knew exactly where the excess would end up, though, but saying the words, Reo at least felt a little better as he continues towards starting his day.

    --

    Both Saya and Lan were in the bath at the same time ¨C in different locations. One was comfortable with it, Saya enjoying the large shower her hotel room came equipped with, raining shower heads were a luxury, so she took her time. The shower itself was a technological wonder, with the pouring water above, a wand for up close, it even has a marble seat, she thinks, shaking her head at the thought of her own bathroom in Ota, functional but cramped.

    Tourist, sightseeing, relax, she reminds herself.

    --

    Lan on the other hand, was sitting bare ass naked on a seat in front of a mirror, looking like a drowned rat. He pushes his hair back out of his face, one hand holding the wand attached to the wall.

    This traditional bullshit, when the divorce happened, this wasn''t one of the things that Lan missed, at all. With the house came the way of bathing, which was scrubbing before getting into a tub. He looks over at the tub, and even though it was steaming ¨C and inviting, to an extent ¨C Lan didn''t plan on relaxing in it.

    Opening his mouth, he turns the spraying wand right into his face, gritting his teeth a bit until he''s used to the temperature. He drops the wand and takes a breath, blinking his eyes open. Lan wasn''t much for tea or coffee, but that was enough for now.

    He grabs the bar of soap in front of him and starts shoulders down, having spent enough time fucking around, clean thyself, and get out.

    Lan finally steps out of the bath, a towel around his waist as he finds the clean clothes he brought in with him to step into ¨C though it wasn''t much different than any other day ¨C jeans, t-shirt. He grabs the comb and tugs it relentlessly through his own hair, knots and all, until it''s smoothed back.

    Standing in front of a mirror, if Reo were taller, and more casual, he muses, the slicked back, air drying hair lending Lan to look more like his half-brother ¨C for now.

    Clean, sober, tourist.

 63 : Losing My Edge

    He kept to himself on the train, sitting in a nearly bare car, stretching his legs out. One thing that wasn''t near the compound was a station. The seven or eight blocks burn in his thighs as Lan rubs on them, sighing as the short train ride pulls into Hiroshima Station. Were he not trying to save money, he would have called a cab.

    Groaning out loud, he pulls himself up to stand and ducks under the car''s exit as others start to pile in. He only had a few blocks to go from here.

    --

    Saya picks out some long slacks and a blouse from her suitcase, laying both out as she thumbs the power on the TV while still dressed in a towel. The news was on, which she didn''t understand, but she didn''t tune in for that. The weather eventually came on, it jumps from place to place in Japan until it gets to Hiroshima, a humid, hot eighty-some degrees with a chance of rain.

    Saya looks over at her choice and puts the slacks back in her suitcase, pulling out a white pair of shorts instead. If Tokyo was hot, Hiroshima wasn''t to be reckoned with, she concludes. Stepping into her shorts and pulling the shirt over her head, she bounces on her heels, standing in front of the full-length mirror.

    Neck down, she loves her look ¨C neck up ¨C lacking makeup and her hair in a wild tangle, that comes next. She holds up a hand towards the mirror, blocking her view of herself from the neck up. Pastel blouse, white shorts, she wiggles her toes, her slip-ons waiting for her at the entrance of the room.

    Now, head up, she thinks, walking over towards the bathroom and pulling the wall-mounted hair dryer out from the cradle, grabbing her curling brush and getting to work.

    --

    Lan did stop into a shop for a moment, buying a small bottle of water as he pops open the top of his prescription, reaching in and pulling out a Xanax.

    He stops mid-stride, turning towards the building near him as he takes it in both thumbs and breaks it in half, dropping part of it back into the bottle, and putting the other half under his tongue.

    It starts to dissolve in a bitter taste, and he starts thinking why he did it that way ¨C a nurse once told him it worked faster that way. The frown on his face makes him wonder if it''s worth it until he unscrews the top off the water and rinses his mouth out, swallowing.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.??In a moment of forgetfulness, Lan pats at his front, then back pockets for keys, rolling his eyes as he starts to remember the beginning of last night ¨C Saya took the valet card, and Reo took the car back. Shit.

    Eventually, he walks up in front of the Sheraton, walking inside and looking around the lobby. It was early, still, but there she was.

    --

    Saya accidentally gets out at the mezzanine, looking around until she finds a set of stairs leading down to the lobby.

    She pulls her purse up against her side, over her shoulder as she looks down at the lobby from her higher viewpoint, looking around the crowds until she spots Lan.

    Saya bites her lower lip as she holds back a smile at the bewildered boy looking around for her.

    <em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">Don''t be an ass, go down, her conscience prods at her, and she turns, starting down the stairs towards the lobby. It wasn''t until the last flight that she stops midway, her hand on the railing, looking down at Lan.

    --

    His hand on the same railing, he stops at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at Saya, raising his free hand up in a hello, while his mind is churning.

    Close your mouth, you knew she was cute before this, he thinks, but fuck me if she isn''t..

    Lan looks down and shakes his head clear a bit before looking back up at Saya.

    ¡°Right, hi. It''s.. sorry I''m early.¡± He looks at his watch even though the LCD doesn''t respond. Lan hides it behind him, stepping back down to the ground floor.

    ¡°You look.. very nice,¡± he manages to get out. Then, laughing a little, Lan looks up at her, and whether this was the Xanax speaking or him, or both, it wasn''t clear. But the confidence came from somewhere.

    ¡°So, my town. Bored, depressed, or happy starting off?¡± He asks, ticking off fingers on his other hand as he asks. All three were valid, thinking of the transportation museum, the peace memorials, and one in his back pocket, a silly little amusement park.

    ¡°Breakfast,¡± she answers, walking down to join Lan on the ground floor, ¡°or at least coffee. Yeah?¡±

 64 : Lack of Sensation

    They walk towards the bar ¨C now a breakfast restaurant, as Lan gets them both coffee. That was enough for him, but Saya starts in on the continental breakfast, plucking out two croissants as she walks to their table.

    ¡°Sorry, I didn''t even ask if you drank coffee. Tea?¡± he asks, she shakes her head.

    ¡°No, I do. Sparingly.¡± Out of the condiments she grabs two creams and three sugars. ¡°The less it tastes like coffee, the better, though..¡±

    Lan, meanwhile, only pours in one small dose of creamer, ¡°I''m not.. a fan either. But it serves its purpose. But I''m the opposite of you,¡± he blows into the cup, wincing at the heat and the taste, shaking his head a bit.

    ¡°Caffeine for later, the taste to wake you up now. Christ, this is bitter..¡± His upper lip curls a bit in disgust, but he doesn''t place the drink aside. Instead, he wraps his hands around the mug for the warmth.

    Saya breaks her breakfast up into bite sized pieces with her hands, chewing on one as she looks outside at the road passing them by.

    ¡°You didn''t answer me back there,¡± he pulls out his phone and thumbs the keyboard in a search for tourist destinations around Hiroshima ¨C he may have lived here, but coming at it as a vacation was new to him.

    ¡°Mmn?¡± She sounds out, her mouth full of bread.

    ¡°Well, this isn''t a big tourism destination.¡± He turns the phone her way, at the images at the top of the search ¨C most of them populated with the peace memorials and remembrances of the atomic bombing.

    ¡°So, it was more.. begin with the solemn places, or leave them for later.¡±

    Saya leans forward at Lan''s phone, tilting her head. She did look through the visitor''s guide back in Ota, but only briefly. Swallowing, she leans back, thinking. To her it was better to rip the band-aid off than do it slow.

    ¡°One or two of the memorials, after this. Get it out of the way,¡± she nods, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

    Lan pockets his phone and takes another sip of coffee, ¡°When you look at me when we go, don''t be surprised with this face.¡± He holds his hands up under his chin, his face could not be more blank.

    He breaks and resumes not-acting, stirring a straw around in his coffee, ¡°You grow up here, you''re kind of indoctrinated. So much so that it ends up being a part of daily life and you don''t really question it when someone marvels that a bomb was dropped here years ago.¡±

    ¡°Field trips were to the memorials, history was centered on it.. and as a kid you''re like ''Okay, I got it, bombs bad, death happened, got it.'' And maybe that is kind of callous. I don''t mean it to be.¡±

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.??Saya nibbles on her second croissant, nodding. She got the idea, at least. ¡°Repetition isn''t always teaching,¡± she admits. Saya herself always tried to change things up day to day with her kids to make it fresh and fun.

    Lan sighs and looks beyond her out the windows. ¡°There''s only so many times you can show a kid an atomic bomb shadow before it loses meaning.¡± He frowns at his words and rubs his forehead. ¡°That sounds.. really depressing. Sorry.¡±

    --

    Despite that, after breakfast, they caught a bus towards Nakajima-cho, standing in front of a large building with green all around, the Peace Memorial Museum. Saya pulls out her phone and takes a picture.

    Even on a weekend, past ten in the morning, the crowds were thin as they started in towards the main building. Saya paid her own way as Lan did as well, the 200 yen ticket not cutting into his allowance from Reo.

    Saya, though, is wide-eyed at the place, first stopping in front of the ''Peace Watch'' ¨C the top showing the five digit number since the first drop of the A-Bomb, the bottom showing the last nuclear test ¨C sadly a much smaller number made possible with the tensions of North Korea. She takes a picture anyway.

    Lan grins a bit, trying to hide it as this white woman was acting exactly like Asian tourists abroad. The stereotype of a professional camera around the neck of one of them, taking pictures of anything and everything. Phones just make it easier, he thinks.

    He follows behind Saya as she wanders from exhibit to exhibit, from testimony of survivors to actual pieces of clothing, toys, and other items that ''survived'' the bombing ¨C most mangled.

    Eventually, they came across the set of steps Lan mentioned before, the shadow of a man burned into the steps of a bank, cut and donated to the museum. The shadow outlined what seemed to be an elderly man using a cane, sitting or standing on the steps. What he saw, no one would ever know, as this was the last remnants of his life in Hiroshima.

    Saya leans in to read the description of the artifact, and Lan crosses his arms, looking at the head of the shadow, thinking to himself, It''s been a while. Still in good condition, I see. He talks to the imprint as if it were conscious, still as boring as ever.

    He places a hand over his face to hide his disgust at his thought process, while the rest of the museum was quiet and revered, Lan''s stupid mind was thinking more of anywhere else he''d rather be. But this wasn''t his vacation.

 65 : My Kinda Place

    The two of them step onto the train, finding a seat as Saya sits down, Lan holding onto the strap about head height for him. She was busy with her phone, scrolling through the pictures she took at the Peace Museum.

    To be honest, the formation felt comfortable for both of them ¨C there weren''t enough seats, and Lan gave her the seat without thinking about it, it was customary.

    ¡°Ah, is it insensitive to post pictures like this to Facebook?¡± She asks, turning the phone to Lan, flicking through some of the mangled items, a picture of the shadow.

    Lan shrugs and shakes his head. ¡°I don''t think so. It''s just a place you visited about a thing that happened.¡± He grins down at her a bit, his dark humor surfacing for a moment. ¡°So long as you didn''t post something like ''Great exhibit, can''t wait for the sequel!''¡±

    Saya''s lip curls up in disgust at Lan, but behind it is a smile that he knows she feels bad about almost laughing at. ¡°That''s terrible! No, I wouldn''t say that.¡±

    ¡°Oh? But you thought it. We can always take a side-trip to Nagasaki for the actual sequel.¡±

    That does elicit a chuckle from her, but she covers her mouth and looks up at Lan, frowning with her eyes ¨C not that it meant much when there was still mirth in them.

    They were headed north from downtown Hiroshima, ironically past Ushitayama to the east. They cross the Ota River again, which makes Lan think of the drive here. They must have collected the car by now, he thinks, shame.

    Eventually after a half an hour or so, they arrive at Chorakuji station, both exiting out and heading to street level, the rest would take a short walk.

    They pass a mall, a shrine, a park, everything in Japan was so densely occupied, but everything had a balance. You were always in a stone''s throw distance of any of those things, moreso in a city.

    The two of them cross another bridge as Saya finally puts her phone back into her purse, a large building coming into view. It looked a few stories tall, with wings on either side of what looked like a tremendous circular tire.

    ¡°Now this,¡± Lan stops in his tracks, holding out his hands, ¡°this is my kinda place.¡±

    --

    Lan insists on paying for the both of them ¨C the admission fee over double it was for the Peace Museum. Saya starts to protest, but he holds her ticket up between them, the deed already done.

    She grumbles, but doesn''t continue as she takes her ticket and both enter. The first floor was filled with restaurants, a library, and a gift shop, stairs leading up to the actual museum at the back as they walk towards them.

    ¡°Look at this!¡± Lan exclaims as they step onto the second floor. Saya looks around and encased in glass are thousands upon thousands of model vehicles. Scale replicas of everything from sedans to trucks and model trains, all manner of transportation.

    ¡°It''s a.. Hot Wheels museum,¡± she remarks, looking around.

    ¡°Well, yeah! I mean no, it''s.. you''re not wrong.¡± He walks up to one of the display cases and looks at the older model cars from the 70s and 80s, the boxy look for production cars.

    ¡°As a kid, I loved this place. Love. I still do. Model cars are my thing. Locomotion is my thing, I mean. Not just cars.¡± Saya looks up at him as he speaks, and he''s showing a bit of that same interest he had when they first came across the rented car at the airport.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.??¡°Said the man afraid to fly,¡± she jabs at him, grinning.

    Lan spins and frowns at her, holding up a hand. ¡°On the ground. Locomotion on the ground, please.¡± They wander around, admittedly this type of place was interesting, but would not be Saya''s preference. But Lan seemed entranced, and that was always fun to see.

    Not only were there scale model cars, but memorabilia from when all locomotion first appeared. Old, sealed cans of motor oil, the first license plates, an old driver''s license.

    Kids were giggling and running around the two adults as Saya just keeps following Lan, until he comes up to what looks like a seated photo booth.

    ¡°Ah! The simulator!¡± There were kids in there already, so he peers in, looking at their progress as he turns back to Saya. ¡°You may not have a driver''s license, but how do you think you''ll fare running a train?¡±

    Saya peers around Lan at the kids that had no real interest in driving the simulator, banging on the controls and yanking levers back and forth. The simulated train wasn''t going far, they were just interested in the moving parts.

    ¡°I don''t.. think..¡± I''d be good at it, she hesitates in saying, but he shakes his head and holds out a hand to her.

    ¡°It''s easier than it looks. Just give it a try, yeah?¡± Lan turns back and whispers to the kids in the simulator who look around him at Saya, then giggle up at the two before taking off out the other side of the booth to wreak more havoc elsewhere.

    ¡°C''mon, it''s fun.¡± He takes her hand and steps into the booth himself. She follows, both of them sitting on a bench made for two. In front of her were knobs, levers, gauges, nothing she understood.

    Lan presses the reset button and the screen goes dark for a moment, before both are presented with a look out the window of the front of a passenger train.

    ¡°Now I know this doesn''t.. none of this makes sense. But indulge me. You''ve ridden trains before, what''s the order to start out?¡±

    Saya pauses for a moment, looking across the dashboard and furrowing a brow. ¡°It''s all in--¡±

    ¡°Just point to something, I''ll tell you,¡± he cuts her off, already knowing that the control labels were in Japanese. She considers each button and lever carefully before focusing on the most obvious ¨C the center throttle.

    As she starts to reach for it, Lan shakes his head. ¡°Think about what happens before the train starts. Even things you don''t think about as a passenger.¡±

    Saya does, leaning back and regarding the panel and video, it all lines up with the control board, but she tried going back to basics.

    The announcement, she thinks, the ''Mind the gap''. But there was no walkie-talkie, no intercom, but a button did line up with the simulation''s version. She reaches out and holds her hand over it, which gets a grin from Lan.

    ¡°Now you''re getting it. ''Stand clear of the doors,'' and the like. Go on,¡± he urges.

    Saya pushes the button as it lights up, the corded speaker/microphone pulling free in the simulation, held by an invisible hand as a muffled voice recites the words she had always tuned out, telling them to watch the closing doors, sit down, shut up, this station next, she always interpreted it as saying.

    ¡°Now what?¡± He grins over at her, obviously enjoying himself. And Saya set herself to figure this control puzzle out.

 66 : Ten Fingers, Different Hands

    Brake, slow throttle, up to speed. Both of them had their hands on either side of the big lever in the center as it maxes out at a safe speed. Lan sits back and nudges Saya in the side. ¡°See? If teaching falls through, you got the controls down, hm?¡±

    She laughs and watches the scenery pass by as the train pilots itself for now. ¡°Yes, despite not speaking Japanese or reading it, I''m sure I''d be a shoe in.¡±

    A red light passes them by in the simulator and neither notice the warning to pull back and brake, but loud warning signal breaks them out of their conversation as Lan leans forward and yanks back on the throttle.

    ¡°Oh shhhiii...¡± He looks around the control panel and eases the brakes out slowly but it''s much too late ¨C the simulation shows them blowing past the next station, with too much speed to stop.

    Eventually, the train comes to a slow halt with only a few of the rear cars still in the boarding area of the station. The two of them are rewarded with a large red stamp that says FAIL in Japanese.

    ¡°Well maybe not so much,¡± Lan says, the reset button flashing a muted yellow as the next in line peer into the booth.

    ¡°Right, so.. trains not so much. Shall we?¡± He ducks out of the simulator and stands up, holding a hand to Saya as she shifts over, taking it and stepping out herself.

    ¡°And that''s not really fair, either, they could still board three cars at the back!¡± She chuckles.

    ¡°Have you ever had a late train in Ota?¡± He asks, she shakes her head, curious. ¡°Something I learned here, and in taking the trains, if they''re more than five minutes late, the staff announce an apology, and often offer a delay certificate. For a free ride. For five minutes.¡±

    Saya thinks back as she walks with him, and can''t remember a time that her usual trains weren''t on time within at least a minute. ¡°Punctuality. That seems very.. Japanese. And the one time I visited New York City, I learned two things: the train will show up when it wants to show up, and they''re required to point before they take off.¡±

    ¡°Point?¡± He asks, confused. ¡°At what?¡±

    ¡°It''s a.. board, black on white, diagonal lines. Cameras are everywhere in the stations, and they use that to make sure the conductors are paying attention.¡± She raises her free hand up and points at an imaginary space. ¡°Making sure they recognize and acknowledge that board means they''re paying attention.¡±

    ¡°Really!¡± Lan grins, having learned something new. ¡°I''ve been there myself, but I never noticed. We didn''t take the subway much but that''s actually a good method.. huh.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.??The two of them approach the stairs up to the third floor, still holding hands.

    --

    In front of them lay a huge miniature of the area around them, but there were two: a realistic version of the area, and another where transportation was the method of movement ¨C walking was a pastime.

    Lan stops in front of a console with a few buttons, thumbing one of them as they light up the rail section, displaying Japan''s extensive and comprehensive system. Another button lit up the highways.

    ¡°And where are we?¡± Saya asks, Lan looks around and walks into the U shaped area, the model city surrounding them.

    ¡°So, we started.. here..¡± He points north above a set of islands where the Hiroshima Airport resides, then follows the highway west slowly towards downtown Hiroshima. ¡°That''s your hotel.. and..¡± His hand moves north. ¡°That''s Ushitayama..¡±

    ¡°So we are.. oh, right. Here.¡± Northwest of Lan''s family home, a building was lit up with LEDs, in the shape of the building they were currently in. ¡°There.¡±

    ¡°And then.. actually this is a good chance to figure out where to go next. I have an idea, but if I''m honest, it''s close to lunch, so maybe that should be next.¡± He laughs, leaning into the model, not that it told him anything about nearby restaurants ¨C but this was his neighborhood, even if it had been a while.

    ¡°There''s.. a family restaurant.. a conveyor sushi.. ah, there''s an Italian restaurant down the road near Yasukawa.. but it''s all up to you and what you feel like.¡±

    Lan steps back and looks down at her. ¡°Kind of the same thing you''d find around Ota. But! But we''re not done here yet.¡±

    He holds back his grin as he looks out the window across the model, then to her. ¡°How do you feel about radiation and fucked up bikes?¡±

    Neither of those suggestions made sense to Saya - briefly she wondered if the radiation modified the bikes somehow - but a lot of this museum didn''t make a lot of sense to her. ¡°I.. guess let''s start with radiation?¡± She had asked him before about it at the Satake building, but to hear Lan talk about it as if it were a tourist attraction starts to make her a little worried.

    He didn''t seem to care, though, and still holding her hand, he starts off, walking towards the stairs they came up from.

 67 : All A Reminder

    ¡°It survived?¡± Saya asks, looking at Lan who nods, both of them looking at what looks to be an intact train car.

    ¡°I think they may have painted it, but that''s what the signs say.¡± He nods towards the signs in Japanese, but there weren''t any entrances into the car itself, as if it were sealed off.

    ¡°If you were worried about radiation, this would be your best bet,¡± he chuckles, Saya backing up a little. ¡°Relax. You''d get more from an x-ray.¡±

    ¡°Still, it looks so.. pristine. I''d expect it to be more damaged,¡± she says, ¡°It looks right off the production line.¡±

    ¡°Well that''s.. Hiroshima,¡± he says, looking over at her. ¡°Acknowledge, but defer. Does that make sense? Gloss over?¡±

    Saya steps back and runs her fingers through her hair, shrugging and nodding at the same time. ¡°Kind of like nine-eleven. It happened, here are the names, and here is a tower.¡± She holds her hands out towards the train car, dropping them and shaking her head. ¡°Not that it compares, but.. in terms of response..¡±

    She turns and looks up at the multi-story building behind them, then out at the courtyard they stood in. ¡°And even all of this seems.. remember, but don''t. You know?¡± She looks up at Lan, who turns after a moment, thinking about it.

    ¡°I uh..¡± Lan looks between the train car and the museum. ¡°You''re right, it''s.. more of a display of progress, versus.. this.¡± He turns back to the train, stepping towards it and leaning up on his toes to peer inside. All of it was empty, from front to back.

    ¡°I hadn''t actually thought about it,¡± he admits, pointing towards the museum, the other hand towards the train. ¡°The distance they keep between exhibits.¡± Lan laughs, playfully brushing his clothes off as if it mattered.

    ¡°Though maybe they took the radioactivity in mind..¡±

    --

    Saya held up a hand a foot away from the train car, and to this day, she would swear she felt heat from it, though whether that was from the sun or the A-bomb was hard to tell.

    ¡°There''s only one last thing out here, if you wanted to see. Then we can get lunch, yeah?¡± Lan asks, looking over at what looked like a race track.

    Saya drops her hand and stands next to him, squinting at the crowd around said track, confused. ¡°What.. what is all that?¡±

    Lan grins and starts off towards it.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    --

    What awaited Saya wasn''t wrong in any way, but it screamed JAPAN! In huge letters in her mind. She steps up to the track''s boundary, watching as both kids and adults pilot.. things.. of all shapes and sizes.

    A young kid blazes by on a two-wheeled bike, whereas a man in a reclining tricycle makes his way around a corner. Behind him, two people on conjoined welded bikes both cooperate and fight each other for the direction of their strange ''vehicle''.

    Saya looks to her side, a few kids piloting small vehicles in an arena, not quite bumper cars, even though they treated it that way. The whole of her vision was surreal.

    Lan leans over on a barrier between the two of them and the track housing the strange bikes, watching as they pass by.

    ¡°Wanna try one?¡± He grins, already knowing the answer as he looks back at Saya.

    She steps up beside him and rests her hands on the fence, the pair on the four-wheeled bike still arguing over the direction and speed. ¡°I.. think I''m okay,¡± she answers.

    ¡°You know, back there, in the museum, I didn''t really talk about it.¡± Lan says, ¡°They had models of planes, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Everyone around here knows about the Zero, the Mitsubishi one, but..¡± he takes in a deep breath, exhaling before he continues.

    ¡°She always loved the Allied response, the Allied version. The Spitfire.¡± Lan wasn''t looking at the people on the track anymore, instead looking up at the sparse clouds above. Saya didn''t understand at first.

    ¡°The planes, you know? Japan had the Zero, the Allied had the Spitfire. And she lived here, but she always loved the Spitfire.¡± He turns from the track and leans back on the waist-high fence, crossing his arms over his chest.

    ¡°It''s.. this isn''t my town anymore, but it still echos around with her.¡± He pulls his arms tighter around himself, ¡°And I haven''t figured out how to.. deal with that.¡±

    Lan laughs, but it''s a sarcastic bark, shaking his head again, ¡°No matter where I go, everything is a reminder.¡± He looks up at the building, the museum, ¡°I thought this would be a safe place. I''m stupid, all of Hiroshima isn''t a safe place.¡±

    Saya looks at Lan, recognizing the insulation of someone withdrawing, his body language, the language of sarcasm, and steps forward, holding out a hand.

    ¡°I think we''ve seen enough of this place today, yeah? Wanna go get some lunch?¡± she asks.

 68 : More Than That, 1 and 2

    ¡°You in the mood for anything? There''s probably nothing special about food here than in Ota,¡± he says as they walk down the sidewalk, looking at the shops and restaurants.

    ¡°Mm-mm, last night''s dinner was wonderful, so I''m good with.. ramen, a burger, a family restaurant.¡±

    Lan chuckles and shakes his head. ¡°It would have been more.. fantastical had Aiko had her way. We''d probably still be eating now.¡±

    They had caught a train back to the middle of downtown, a ways from Saya''s hotel, but it seemed like the best place to find a good selection for lunch.

    ¡°Alright, then.. a Gusto? Is that okay?tor¡± He points ahead of them at a chain restaurant up the block. ¡°Ever eaten there?¡±

    She fixes him with an are-you-serious look, then smiles. ¡°It''s fine. It''s actually one of the first places my translator took me to when I came to Japan.¡±

    Lan did finally recognize that they were holding hands more as they explored the town ¨C whether it was anything but her comforting him in a difficult place, he didn''t ask. He pulls the door open to the restaurant, as she steps in, following behind her.

    --

    After being seated, he excuses himself to the restroom. Washing his hands, he pulls the flier for Miroku no Sato, Hiroshima''s sleepy little amusement park. After the seriousness of last night, and the morose and boring to her, he thinks of the transportation museum, a little levity wouldn''t be terrible.

    He fishes in his other pocket and pulls a simple hair tie out, matching the black of his hair as he pulls it back into a loose, small ponytail. In most casual settings, he did this, but knew his hair length was a point of contention with his family. All of them preferred it short.

    It''s more laziness than anything, he thinks, stepping out and back to the booth, sitting across from Saya, who was perusing the menu. He knew it enough to know what he was going to order.

    Saya looks over at him from behind the menu, glancing down and doing a double take as Lan''s hair was pulled back. She knew why, of course, her own hair stayed in place most of the time, but straight hair like he has might make it unruly.

    Using the menu as a bit of cover, she finally got a good while to study his face across from hers. Thinking back to the pictures in his apartment, and even in his room last night, she could see the similarities, but somewhere between then and now he had lost all trace of baby fat, holding back a smile at his cute baby picture.

    Were it not for the naturally straight hair and his fair complexion, no one would question Lan as being foreign. Long eyelashes, blue eyes, and a sharp jawline, all of which he must have inherited from his mother.

    But outside of the ride and museum from earlier, Lan''s eyes lacked the.. sparkle of what she saw in her kids when she taught them. Excitement, enjoyment. He has.. go on, say it, she thinks, frowning at her first admission to herself, resting bitch face. Her body jumps as a slight laugh does escape her, though he doesn''t notice. To be fair, she knew plenty of people that had that ''syndrome''.

    But it disappears in a flash as he turns to look up at the waitress who set down to glasses of ice water ¨C and he flashes a polite, genuine smile, then asked them if they were ready to order. Saya quickly looks down for something to order, deciding on a simple chicken set, placing the menu down ¨C opened for her to point to, considering that''s how she ordered at most places in her time in the country.

    Lan defers to her, as she reaches over and taps on his menu her selection. ¡°Grilled or fried?¡± he asks in English, she didn''t even consider there were options, the picture showing fried chicken. ¡°Oh! Uh.. grilled, please.¡±

    He nods and recites her order to the waitress in Japanese, continuing with his own order. The waitress collects their menus and gives a polite bow before walking back to the front desk, leaving them alone.

    --

    After lunch, they sat together as the sun crosses over its peak ¨C neither were looking to go outside in the dead of August around midday. Even in the air conditioning, their drinking glasses almost immediately started to condensate.

    ¡°I know you said you didn''t get that guide, but you had a few ideas?¡± he asks, lacing his hands around the glass in front of him.

    ¡°Well, just one. And I..¡± she glances at her watch, brow furrowing as she thinks. ¡°I think I timed it right.¡±

    ¡°Timed?¡± Lan leans back, looking out the window ¨C it was the weekend, so everything should be open at this time.

    ¡°Low tide,¡± she grins, looking proud of herself. ¡°Looked it up last night, and low tide is an hour or so away from now, the best way to get close up to the torii gate.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± It clicks for him, nodding. ¡°Itsukushima. I hadn''t even thought of the tides. It''s pretty either way, but yeah. It may be a little popular around this time, but we should be able to walk right up to it. And..¡± he points, returning her smile. ¡°I actually know about that place too. So I can be a good tour guide.¡±

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.??¡°Well, consider me lucky that you don''t charge a fee.¡± To which she almost immediately pats her hand down on the tab the waitress left. ¡°For the tour, or lunch.¡±

    ¡°I''m assuming you''re going to be just as stubborn as I am in terms of lunch, so let''s meet halfway on this,¡± she suggests.

    Lan didn''t frown, but he was intending to pick up the cost for lunch, considering he had the cash to do so today. Instead, he hooks a thumb under her palm covering the paper ¨C and while she playfully tries to hold it down, laughing, he catches enough of it to see the total. The damage wasn''t terrible, Gusto was neither bargain-basement nor upscale, coming to around ten dollars for each.

    Sighing melodramatically and withdraws his hand from hers as she pulls the tab towards her. ¡°Fine,¡± he relents.

    Saya grabs her purse and scoots out of the booth, Lan following. ¡°Though it is a bit of a trek from here. You okay with ferries?¡±

    She nods, motion, air, seasickness never got to her but she does stop, remembering the plane trip down here, raising a brow at him. ¡°Are you?¡±

    Lan holds up his hands, his wallet in one of them as she stops them in the middle of the restaurant. ¡°Actually, yes. But I can swim. I just can''t.. fly. Should anything happen to a plane.¡±

    The image of a skydiving Lan briefly crosses Saya''s mind, who smiles and shakes her head. ¡°What?¡± he asks, but she just turns and heads towards the front counter.

    --

    Lan wasn''t kidding, the train skirts around Hiroshima Bay from downtown, exiting out of the majority of the city to the south. The view of the water was lovely, but there''s only so much of that you can enjoy when you''re still cooped up on a train.

    As it left the major downtown areas, there were enough seats for Lan to feel comfortable enough to sit next to Saya without anyone else having to stand.

    Saya was poking around on her phone idly, from news, to weather, to Facebook again, reading the comments on her museum pictures ¨C Lan turning away from looking over her shoulder at that part. Facebook may be public to friends, but it was still personal information.

    Lan himself didn''t use it much, nor did his family, and all his friends matured without him with their own spouses and kids. It wasn''t depressing to him, but unless you were in a relationship or had kids, Facebook didn''t get much use, he had concluded.

    ¡°Ah, I was right,¡± she pipes up, turning the phone towards him. ¡°It was kinda morbid to post the Peace Museum pictures.¡±

    Lan leans down and covers the phone from the sun with his hands, reading some of the comments. It had plenty of likes and emoticons, but a few of her friends had chimed in the comments.

    ''That''s so sad!''

    ''What a powerful image ¨C literally and figuratively.'' That one made Lan smile slightly. Her friends had the same kind of humor they both shared.

    The last comment, ''Hope you''re doing well in Hiroshima!'' came from what looks like a joint account from an older man and woman, Mary and Robert Travis. Her parents?

    ¡°So they were okay with you.. coming here?¡± he asks, pointing down at their comment.

    Saya thumbs the power button on her phone and slips it back into her purse. ¡°Well.. no.¡± She saw no reason to dance around the truth.

    ¡°If I''m being as honest with you as I was with them, they.. did not want me to come,¡± she continues. ¡°I mean, your daughter is halfway around the world, and is going on vacation with her strange, alcoholic neighbor, expenses paid.¡±

    She turns to look at him, but has to squint and hold her hand over her eyes in the sun. ¡°What would you think?¡± she asks.

    Lan leans his head back and rubs his eyes with his fingers. ¡°I think I have made the worst fucking first impression to a set of parents in history.¡± He turns back down to her, ¡°That''s what you told them?¡±

    ¡°I.. yeah? I forget that not every family shares everything all the time. We do. It was just habit,¡± she shrugs, ¡°I didn''t mean anything by it, in reference to you, just the truth.¡±

    Though when he sighs, for real this time, she starts to feel a little bad for it. ¡°Look, they''ve dealt with alcoholics in their time, and they trust me. They know I''m not stupid.¡±

    Finally, when Lan hears their stop, Miyagimaguchi, he looks out across the aisle at the station slowly crawling into view. ¡°Y.. yes? But, you told them more than just that, right? C''mon, this is our stop.¡± He reaches up and grabs a standing pole, holding a hand out to her as the train finally stops, the door opening.

    But Saya doesn''t move, nor does she look at Lan for a moment, enough that Lan was starting to think the doors would close on them and they''d miss their exit.

    When she finally does stand, she skirts around him and onto the platform, leaving him to wander out behind her as the doors close.

    ¡°You.. told them more than just that, didn''t you?"

 69 : The Studious Daughter

    ¡°Saya!¡± Lan shouts, and her shoulder-blades tense up, stopping right at the top of the stairway down to street level.

    The train announces its departure and starts to squeal its way out of the station as people walk around Saya, not leaving the platform empty, but practically.

    Lan walks up behind her and reaches out, touching her shoulder which causes her to flinch, quickly lifting his hand off of her.

    ¡°Who do they think you''re on this trip with?¡± He asks, ¡°Just that.. one sentence? ''Strange, alcoholic neighbor that paid for it all?''¡± quoting her own words.

    ¡°Do they know my name, my family, anything?¡± When she doesn''t answer, he fishes his phone out of his pocket, shaking his head as he unlocks it.

    ¡°What''s their number?¡±

    That gets a response from her, she whirls around and looks at him, then to his phone, reaching out to grab it as if he actually already knew. He hikes his hand up above his own head, looking at her, confused.

    ¡°What? No, you''re not calling them,¡± she states, dropping her hands as it clicks that he doesn''t have their number ¨C that he doesn''t even have her number, for that matter.

    ¡°Just.. tell me their number.¡± He glances at his watch, it was just past 12pm here, that would make it.. a little past eight to ten at night in the States. He briefly wonders what time her parents turn in for the night, but still dials in the country code: +010-1

    ¡°No,¡± she repeats, crossing her arms in front of her chest, looking up at him defiantly. ¡°They know enough, they trust me.¡±

    Lan shakes his head in confusion and holds his arms out, looking down at her. ¡°Why not? I just want to introduce myself, tell them who I am, and that their daughter is not murdered in a back alley in some Japanese city, by some strange alcoholic neighbor.¡± His words bite at her, once again repeating her own words.

    When Saya keeps her silence, they stand on the platform, almost frozen in each other''s defiance before Lan shakes his head. ¡°Fine. We''ll do it my way.¡±

    Lan clears the numbers from his phone and scrolls down his contacts, thumbing a name and holding it up to his ear. He turns away from Saya, though she can''t help but taking a step closer at who he is calling.

    ¡°Hana. You''re still at the office?¡± Lan pauses while speaking ¨C in English, but she doesn''t notice that, while Saya tries to remember who Hana is. The assistant. His father''s assistant.

    ¡°Can you find a number for me? In the US. Pennsylvania. Ah.. Travis. R.. Robert Travis?¡± he continues, looking back at Saya briefly as he remembers her father''s name from the Facebook post. ¡°Works at Crayola. Anything you can--¡±

    In a panic, Saya reaches up and wraps both hands around Lan''s hand and phone, yanking it out of his hand and turning it over to end the call, only to be presented with a black, locked screen.

    There was no call, he hadn''t talked to anyone, and finally when she realizes that he was talking in English to his father''s Japanese assistant, she mentally curses herself, hissing out a tsk before holding the phone out back to its owner.

    --

    Lan takes the phone from her gingerly, and holds it down by his side. ¡°I doubt I even would have to call her, right?¡±

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.??He walks over to a bench and sits down, looking at Saya who was still frustrated with herself. ¡°Googling his name and the company would probably get me something, wouldn''t it? Or even calling the corporate headquarters, despite it being.. evening over there.¡±

    Lan rests his elbows on his thighs and cups the phone in both hands, looking up at her. ¡°Why are you so against this? There''s no harm in it. Or you call them, on your phone. I just want to assure your parents you''re safe, is that so wrong?¡±

    She relaxes a little, then completely as she turns and walks over to the bench, twisting and sitting next to him. He sits with her in silence until she takes a few moments to reply.

    ¡°No, it''s not wrong. You''re not wrong,¡± she admits, sighing as she leans back on a billboard behind them. ¡°You''re not wrong, it''s just.. God.¡±

    She reaches up and covers her vision with her hand for a moment, picking out her next words carefully. ¡°They.. hm,¡± she stutters a bit, ¡°I don''t.. they don''t like me being here.¡±

    Saya pulls her purse around and sits it in her lap, holding it in her hands. ¡°You''re not the only one with family issues, Lan. And everything you''re saying is right. I think I said it that way just to get a rise out of them.¡±

    ¡°That I am a grown-ass woman, and I can make my own grown-ass decisions, including going on a trip with my ''strange, alcoholic neighbor''¡± she spits out, as if the truth was a bad taste in her mouth.

    ¡°I am halfway across the world, doing.. a job that isn''t very glamorous.¡± Lan leans up and starts to protest, but she holds her hand up for him to wait. ¡°Imagine your only daughter, your youngest, says she wants to go to America out of the blue, how would you feel?¡±

    Okay with it, because she would know English, is his first thought, but he gets where she''s going with the point, so he nods instead.

    ¡°Easton isn''t the biggest town in the world. It pales in comparison to Tokyo. And my family is really close, it''s why I was honest with them. But I''m sitting on this.. ledge.¡± She turns her hand flat and tilts it side to side.

    ¡°I like it here. I like what I''m doing. I go back for holidays, but I may never truly go back. And I think that scares them. So I wanted to scare them further so that scare outweighed that their daughter is.. grown up. And can make her own decisions.¡±

    ¡°And.. I lost Gregg. I needed to get away.¡± Lan leans back and puts his phone in his pocket, staying silent for her to continue.

    ¡°So if I made it sound crazy, or dangerous to them, it was by design. And I kind of liked it like that.¡±

    After a moment, he finally responds, ¡°I take it you didn''t have much of a rebellious streak when you were growing up,¡± he poses.

    That gets a cold laugh out of her, shaking her head. ¡°No. I was nearly valedictorian, if you can believe that. That kind of studious daughter.¡±

    She sighs and looks out at the empty train platforms, the crowd forming on the other side to catch the next scheduled ride. She pulls her phone out of her purse and looks down at it as it prompts her for her lock code or biometrics.

    Saya tilts it up and down lazily, thinking on her own time before looking up at Lan. ¡°Alright. Let''s do it.¡± She unlocks her phone and selects to contacts, herself and her home phone number, holding her phone up vertically towards him ¨C waiting for Lan to do the same for NFC transfer.

    ¡°They should still be awake. Be my guest,¡± she says.

 70 : Places to Be, Americans to Drown

    Lan holds his phone up against the back of Saya''s, both vibrate as the contacts transfer to Lan''s phone. He lowers it into his lap and thumbs the confirmation, looking in his contacts to find Saya Travis, and Home (2). He presses the new Home one, an American number.

    He scrolls up and edits it to ¡°Saya''s Parents ¨C Robert and Mary¡± so his phone isn''t confused with his own original contact of the landline to here, to Hiroshima.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He looks at his watch, trying to remember the conversion from GMT +9 to GMT -3 or -5.. but Saya nods. ¡°They''ll be in bed,¡± she replies, ¡°but awake. At least Dad will be. He stays up for the late night shows.¡±

    Lan pulls his arms behind him as his breastbone cracks, tilting his head from side to side as if he''s readying for a race. Breathing in through his nose, and out his mouth as he touches their contact info, hovering over the Call icon.

    Finally, he presses it, the phone going into call mode as he also presses the speaker button, holding it flat in between them as it starts to ring ¨C three notes as it connects, followed by the waiting brrr.

    It''s only when they hear the fourth one that Lan looks over at Saya, who leans back, rolling her eyes. ¡°They screen their calls. I don''t know what shows up for them when I call, but a generic international number..¡±

    After six rings, a man''s voice comes on the line: ¡°You have reached Mary and Robert Travis, we aren''t home right now, please leave your name and number after the tone.¡±

    Lan was ready to hang up as he recognizes it as a recording, but Saya grips his wrist and tilts the phone towards her, until it beeps.

    ¡°Dad, pick up the phone.¡± There was still a delay between what she said and what they heard, she remembers, pausing before droning out. ¡°Daaaaaaad, it''s me, pick up the--¡±

    They both hear a fumbling of a phone as it is turned on, and a muffled ¡°Mary, Mary, it''s..¡± - more fabric against the microphone until Saya''s father gets it in place.

    ¡°Saya! How are you? Where are you?¡± He asks after a second or two delay.

    ¡°Hey, Dad, I''m good, I''m.. in Hiroshima. A ways south of Tokyo? Remember, I told you I was coming here?¡±

    Pause.

    ¡°Yes!¡± He was almost yelling into the phone, as if that made him sound clearer and lessened the delay. ¡°You said you were going with a boy? A..¡± Her father covers the mic, but not enough, as he asks Saya''s mother. ¡°What did she say? Alcoholic..¡± the microphone cut off as he releases it. ¡°Your neighbor?¡±

    ¡°Um.. about that.. ah.. Dad, we''re on speakerphone, this is Lan.. my neighbor''s number, and he''s right here.¡±

    Another cover-up, but enough to catch a ''Shit!'' from her father who turns on the speaker on their end. ¡°Right! Right, L.. Lan? Satako? Is that who he is? Hi, Satako, it. is. a. pleasure.¡± Her father sounds out, which makes Saya roll her eyes and sigh, shaking her head at the phone.

    ¡°He speaks English, Dad. You don''t have to do that,¡± she rests her chin in her hand, looking between Lan and the phone, though Lan was trying to hold back a grin.

    Meanwhile, a rustled woman was groaning and slowly waking up, making muffled curses at her partner at waking her up. It wasn''t until Saya''s father hisses at her with a ''shh ¨C it''s Saya!'' does she clear her throat and take interest.

    ¡°Saya! How are things?¡± The two can hear shifting sheets. ¡°How is Hiroshima? You haven''t sprouted new fingers, have you?¡±

    That gets Lan, who turns and tries laughing as quiet as he can, still holding the phone up between them, and even Saya smiles at the recall of Lan''s joke from the museum.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.??¡°I''m fine, no extra appendages, no cancer, I''m fine. I just thought I''d..¡± She glances at Lan. ¡°I thought I''d check in with you guys, and Lan wanted to talk to you.¡±

    More whispers, barely covered - ¡°Lan who? Lan?¡± ¡°The neighbor, the al--..¡± Static, dead air, until they finally come back on the line.

    ¡°Lan.. Satake, was it?¡± Her mother asks, while her father whispers. ¡°Satake? Is that it?¡±

    Taking a deep breath, Lan sits back up on the bench. ¡°Right, Satake Lan, Lan Satake, however you want to say it. I''m--¡±

    (the strange alcoholic neighbor)

    ¡°Saya''s neighbor, and I thought she would be interested in seeing Hiroshima. It''s a pleasure to talk to both of you,¡± he says in perfect English.

    Pause.

    More of a pause, actually, which makes Saya and Lan look at each other before her father finally speaks.

    ¡°Well, Lan, it is great to hear from both of you. What time is it there?¡± ¡°Nearly 1pm,¡± Saya chimes in, the two of them speaking at the phone between them.

    ¡°So you''re okay and.. safe?¡± Her mother asks, hesitating at the last word. ¡°Of course, mom,¡± Saya replies, ¡°Lan and his family have been very accommodating. Hotel and all.¡±

    Pause.

    ¡°Good!¡± they both echo, her father continuing, ¡°Do watch out for her, if you would, Lan, she likes to.. wander.¡±

    ¡°I..¡± he mouths at Saya, <em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">wander?, she shrugs and shakes her head again, ¡°She''s in good hands at the Sheraton downtown, we''re just doing the tourism thing here today, sir.¡±

    ''Sir!'' they hear from Saya''s father as the phone''s moved away from her parents, Lan chuckles, rubbing his forehead with the back of his free hand ¨C manners transitioned language.

    Saya leans up above Lan''s shoulder, whispering to him: ¡°This will never end, hand me your phone.¡±

    Doing so, Saya taps the speaker icon and holds it up to her ear. ¡°Hey, it''s just me. Yes, he is nice. Yes, I''m okay.¡±

    ¡°Hot?¡± She looks up, holding her hand between her at the sun as she looks up, then to Lan. ¡°Hotter than Easton, yeah. More humid.¡±

    ¡°I have to go, this is an expensive call,¡± Saya says, who bends over and nods while listening. ¡°I will. I will. I got it. I love you too, I''ll call you later. I..¡± She glances over at Lan, who was watching her, turning away from him as she murmurs into the phone.

    ¡°Yeah, there''s more to it than that. Sleep well, yeah?¡± She waits and nods, lowering the phone and tapping the end button, turning to look at Lan.

    ¡°They have.. questions..¡± She hands over his phone, but seeing it blank, Lan looks back at her. ¡°But they know I''m okay. That you''re.. okay.¡±

    Lan cradles his phone in both hands in his lap, nodding at her, then towards the phone, turning it over idly in his hands. ¡°That''s all I wanted.¡±

    He taps the back of his phone against his other hand, squinting up at her as she didn''t quite block out the sun behind her. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Standing up, Lan slides his phone into his pocket, exhaling as the problem was solved, for now. ¡°So, can we start off towards the shrine? I have an American girl to drown in the low tide.¡±

    Saya frowns until she gets the joke, smiling and prodding two fingers into Lan''s ribs, causing him to laugh as they finally make their way towards the train''s exit to the street.

 71 : Mild Thalassophobia

    They head east from the station, along a wide road that leads them out towards the bay, the ferries at the end. Lan wasn''t in much of a hurry, as they ran all day, and neither of them knew the actual timetables.

    Still, it was also because the heat of the day was quite overbearing. The open bay provided a much needed breeze, and Lan was cursing himself for not bringing shorts, instead wearing jeans and a black shirt. Good call, idiot, he thinks.

    ¡°Your parents seem nice enough. Though it was a short call,¡± he says.

    She smiles, even if it is a little wistful. ¡°They mean well. But I wanted to travel. Like I said, they didn''t stop me, but I think they wish I was closer.¡± She links her hands behind her back as they walk, tilting her head. ¡°An office job..¡±

    Saya pauses and shakes her head. ¡°Sitting in a cubicle every day is daunting. Oppressive. Even if I do go back, I know that''s not what I want for my life.¡±

    Lan nods, wondering what life would be like if he followed in his father''s footsteps. Would he have turned out like Reo? He thought the same way as Saya in terms of an office job, but frankly he had been so out of the game for so long, all responsibility scared him.

    Finally, they step up to the ticket counter at the pier, scanning the timetables as Lan looks at his watch. The boats ran back and forth every ten or fifteen minutes, since it was the peak season for tourism.

    When Saya reaches for her purse, Lan holds up a hand and shakes his head. ¡°It''s not expensive, it''s just easier.¡± The cashier welcomes him as he pulls out his wallet, asking for two tickets on the next boat, thumbing out what looked to Saya about 300 some yen.

    Taking the tickets, he holds one out to Saya, ¡°Thank you. I guess I thought it would be more expensive since it''s a ferry, but it isn''t really that far away..¡± she says, looking out over the water, the island, and even the gate were in sight.

    Lan pockets his wallet and the ticket as he leads her over to the railing. Here, the breeze felt even better. The salty scent from the sea carried with it.

    ¡°Since it''s close to low tide, I''m not sure they do it, but they do a closer sway out towards the torii on the ride, for pictures and the like,¡± he says, and leaning out, Saya squints a little, the gate itself was almost completely revealed as the remaining water moved out with the tide.

    Still, tiny people were starting to gather at the water''s edge as it recedes so they too could walk right up to it.

    --

    Lan turns his back to the bay and looks around, spotting a few vending machines outside of a convenience store. He leans his elbows on the rail and points with one hand towards them.

    ¡°Again, it''s only a ten minute ride, but do you want anything?¡± He squints up a little, holding his hand up to block the sun, his mouth already sort of dry. ¡°Water? Just to have for later.¡±

    Saya looks to him, then where he''s looking, nodding as they both walk towards the machines. ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°I''m sure they have water over there, but what they don''t have are trains. So we''ll be hoofing it. It''s not a long walk, though.¡± He digs in his pocket for a few coins and looks at the choices.

    ¡°You know, I''ve lived here for a while and I''ve never had this.¡± Saya taps the machine, indicating a Pocari Sweat. ¡°To be fair, it doesn''t have the best.. sounding name.¡± She has a look of mild disgust on her face, which makes Lan chuckle.

    ¡°In.. English, sure. It''s been around for a while, too, and I think they meant it as what you should drink when you sweat, but, you know translations..¡±

    ¡°Have you had it before?¡± she asks.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.??Lan nods, but now it''s his turn to stick out his tongue a little at it, ¡°Once or twice, it''s not bad, carbonated and fruity? Japan''s answer to..¡± He furrows his brow, thinking. ¡°Like a carbonated Gatorade?¡± Lan scratches his head and shakes it. ¡°That makes it sound even more disgusting. But you get the idea.¡±

    ¡°Not that then,¡± Saya replies, scanning the other drinks. Lan starts putting the coins in as the buttons below light up. ¡°Just water?¡±

    She nods and follows his hand as it pushes the button under an unassuming clear bottle, putting in more change as he plucks it out of the receptacle, holding it to her, and getting one for himself.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she takes hers and holds it in her hands, the cool bottle feels good, and is already starting to sweat even after being taken out.

    A boat horn sounds as a large underwater engine revs to life, their ferry hitting reverse so it slows down to approach the dock.

    ¡°Ah, there it is.¡± The two of them start towards the entrance where a few people had already started to gather, the incoming passengers, bikers, and lastly a few small cars drive out from the ferry''s hold.

    --

    Stepping through the gates, they hand over their tickets, when Lan suddenly curses, shaking his head. Saya looks back at him as he points up above them to a banner in Japanese.

    ¡°I should have known I could have used my ICC card for this. We both could have. I just didn''t think they accepted it ''cos it was a ferry, but..¡± he points down at the waist-high card reader that she was familiar with.

    ¡°Well, for the way back, then. It wasn''t that much anyway,¡± he sighs, threading his ticket through the opening on the gate after Saya, both starting towards the ferry''s ramp.

    ¡°Makes sense, though,¡± she says, stepping up onto the ferry and following the other pedestrians up to the top part of the boat. ¡°It is a form of transportation on an island nation. I can pay you back, if you want?¡±

    He shakes his head as the wind picks up now that they were exposed to the bay, and rather than lose it, he pulls the hair tie from the restaurant free, pocketing it. His black hair whips around his cheeks. ¡°It was only a hundred-eighty. Don''t worry. Do you want to stay out here, or go inside? They have AC..¡±

    As if to answer him, she stuck the water bottle in her purse and was already taking a few pictures with her phone of the bay, and the island ahead. ¡°Oh? No, this is fine. It''s beautiful.¡±

    Lan nods and walks over to a bench that was relatively free of other passengers. Satisfied, she follows and sits next to him. ¡°So if the water goes out so far from the island, how do the ferries get around?¡±

    ¡°Well, look down..¡± He points through the railing they sat in front of, there was plenty of water for the ferry to get up close to their side of the dock.

    ¡°They dredged the sand up into a ''channel'' ¨C circles all around the bay and between the islands, so that larger craft don''t run aground. But I don''t remember how wide it is, or how close they dug out near the gate itself.¡±

    ¡°So how deep is it under us, then?¡± she asks.

    Lan pauses and uncaps his water bottle, thinking about it. ¡°I wanna say 20 meters? That sounds right, but don''t quote me.¡±

    Good lord, Saya thinks, doing a bit of conversion, sixty feet or so. She could swim, but she also liked to be able to see or feel the bottom of where she was swimming. Despite the heat, a shiver runs up her spine at the anything that could be down there.

    The horn sounds again, louder now the closer they were to it, making both jump and cringe down a little through it, the engine starting up and with an almost imperceptible feeling of movement, it starts gliding away from the dock.

 72 : Technicalities

    Saya glances over at Lan''s hands, resting in his lap ¨C considering the time, the trembling should be taking effect, but he seems still, looking out over the bay.

    ¡°You''re not shaking,¡± she points out blatantly. He turns and looks at her, then his hands. With a sigh, he pulls them apart and tries holding them in a still position, the tremble now quite visible.

    He threads his fingers together and lays them in his lap where the trembling vanishes, ¡°You.. find positions of comfort that don''t betray the symptoms.¡±

    Lan fishes out a bottle from his pocket, rattling the orange tinted cylinder out in front of him. The benzos, Saya thinks. How many has he taken?

    ¡°Better living through chemistry,¡± he smiles wryly before pocketing them again, hands in his lap. ¡°But there are signs I can''t control.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡± she asks.

    Despite him cracking his neck side to side, he moves from staring straight ahead to look over at her ¨C and were she not looking for it, she might have missed the fact that it wasn''t a smooth motion ¨C as if somewhere in his neck were a gear wheel with cut teeth, making it tick as he turns.

    ¡°It''s even worse the more a muscle is stretched,¡± he continues, looking up and back behind him as the rattle was more pronounced, almost a vibration at the back of his neck that makes his head shake the more he keeps the position.

    Returning to facing forward, his idle state was no different than anyone else''s. But this is him on medication, too, she remembers.

    ¡°Doesn''t it bother you? What it does to you.¡±

    Lan breathes in through his nose and considers the question. ¡°Of course. But not enough. I--..¡± he closes his mouth, still sorting out his answer. ¡°I used to drink for the fun of it, the intoxication. I thought I was funnier and charming.¡±

    He raises a brow and grins at her, but she wasn''t returning any of the humor, so he looks back out at the water. ¡°And it was fun, for a while. And.. manageable. I had rules. I started to tell you this before we came.¡±

    ¡°And then..¡± Lan rubs his forehead and shakes his head. ¡°It went from something I liked and wanted to do, to.. something I had to do. To not have these symptoms.¡±

    ¡°And.. Mom died, and I thought, why bother stopping now? My reason to exist.. stopped existing. So, why not?¡±

    --

    Lan leans back against a pillar next to him, not looking at Saya, though she was concentrated on him like a laser, hanging on his words ¨C it all felt like a continuation of their talk the other night. She didn''t want to push it, not on vacation, even if he didn''t think of this as one.

    ¡°So you''re.. lost,¡± she says after a while, looking out at the water with him. ¡°I can''t imagine the feel, or the need for it, I''ve been in the presence of alcoholics, but not one myself.¡±

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.??¡°What was fun is now.. required.¡± She leans forward and the wind catches her hair as well, before turning to look at him. ¡°Do you want to stop?¡±

    Lan looks down at her, finally, thinking. He shakes his head, ¡°No. I don''t have a reason to. They say my liver enzymes are elevated. I don''t know what that means. I don''t care.¡±

    He turns and leans against the pillar behind him, facing her now. ¡°Do you believe in God?¡± he asks.

    ¡°That''s a.. loaded question for a short ferry ride.¡± Even now they were more towards the island than away from it, but she entertains him for now. ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°May I ask what religion?¡±

    ¡°The.. my parents raised me Presbyterian.¡±

    He nods, crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°And the Bible, do you believe that as the word of God, the.. history of Christianity?¡±

    ¡°I was ta--¡± She cringes and shrinks again as the ferry blares out its approaching horn, the forward motion starting to ease into a slower approach to the dock. People start to make their way to the end of the ship, but neither of them were in a hurry to disembark.

    ¡°I was taught that it was something to live by, but I will admit that there are.. contradictions in it, especially in this modern age.¡±

    Lan didn''t have to ask what she meant, the obviousness of same-sex relationships, how to treat a spouse, how God tested some of the first believers, he thought the same way. There was no reason to go into it further.

    The ferry comes to a shuddering halt, a hydraulic ramp whining as it makes contact with the dock, the crowd having left them mostly to themselves.

    ¡°Does suicide lead directly to hell?¡± he asks.

    Saya blinks, then studies Lan''s face for a moment, looking around his features, but everything about his expression shows that he was being completely sincere.

    ¡°The..¡± She grips her purse, really conflicted in her answer because it was so up front, and so close to what he might actually be thinking. Initially, Saya would quote the Bible, but it didn''t feel right with him, but she wasn''t going to lie.

    ¡°To hell, I don''t know. I do think a soul is punished for it. Whether that be purgatory, or hell, or reincarnation, I don''t.. I don''t know.¡±

    Lan turns back to the deck and stands up, stretching his legs before turning back to her, holding out a hand. ¡°And if you stop caring, does that make it suicide?¡±

    Saya doesn''t take his hand, standing up on her own as she looks towards the dock, then back to him. ¡°Your organ failure is your choice. I don''t think God would be okay with you pleading your case on a technicality, Lan.¡± She starts off towards the stairs down to the dock as he stands there for a moment.

    ¡°Now you''re getting it, you don''t know either!¡± He shouts after her until she''s out of view.

 73 : Excuses and Immovable Objects

    Lan rubs his forehead and looks out at the bay, shaking his head. <em style="font-family: "Ubuntu", serif">Fucking idiot, he thinks, forgetting how often he uses dark humor for such situations.

    He immediately starts after her, darting around a few people as he spots her from behind in the crowd shuffling their way to the exit ramp ¨C one of the few perks of being tall in Japan. He turns from side to side, apologizing to the people he''s squeezing through until he''s behind Saya.

    ¡°I''m sorry, that was.. insensitive of me.¡± She turns and looks back, then up at him, before turning around and moving with the crowd towards the single file ramp.

    Eventually, they can breathe again as Saya pulls her purse from in front of her to her side, stepping out onto the solid dock, Lan following.

    ¡°I can''t.. be serious about anything anymore.¡± He stops, but quickly catches up when she shows no signs of stopping, walking up to solid ground from the dock.

    ¡°Saya, wait. Wait, please?¡±

    She slows and walks over to the guardrail, not out of the way of the crowd, but enough for them to stand without being pushed around.

    The rail was only knee high, so he sits down on it, this time looking up at her, though she was only looking out towards the bay.

    ¡°If.. I stepped back and took inventory of my life.. without any humor in the view, I wouldn''t be here. I wouldn''t..¡± He sighs and pulls the hair away from his face as it whips around behind him from the bay.

    ¡°Before you.. accepted to come here, with me, a few nights before, I tried to kill myself.¡±

    Saya turns and looks at him with absolute, utter disgust instead of the surprised reaction he was expecting. Though with her, expectations were hard to gauge.

    ¡°Fuck you, Lan. How dare you use that for some sort of sympathy from me.¡± She turns and starts along with the crowd again ¨C not knowing where they were going but just remembering that Lan had mentioned walking a bit.

    Lan''s sneakers squeak against the asphalt as he blinks away his initial confusion, again swerving around tourists as he has to trot to keep up with her this time. The faster walk of a woman that wants nothing to do with whatever is behind her.

    Reaching out, his large hand wraps around her wrist as she twists and yanks it free of his grasp, bumping into people behind her as she stands in front of him.

    ¡°Don''t touch me!¡± She yells, her hands balling into fists as the crowd starts to stare, passing slowly at the tall Half and the white woman blocking the sidewalk.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    --

    ¡°What do you want, Lan, sympathy? To pluck that little gem of knowledge out of nowhere as if that explains all your actions?¡± Saya doesn''t let him answer as she continues, ¡°To remind me that on the one hand, a man that cares enough to call my parents to ensure my safety to them, then plainly says he wants to die when the passive question didn''t hit hard enough?¡±

    Saya steps up and digs a finger into Lan''s chest, hissing up at him. ¡°With a gun? Not in Japan. Hanging? A razor? Did you have it planned out?¡± This was nothing but anger, no sympathy. From what Saya knew of his family, he guesses that she already knew the support around him was lost on deaf ears. Still, he holds up his hands when she prods at him.

    ¡°Define the word vacation, Lan.¡± She crosses her arms over her chest, waiting.

    ¡°Th.. j.. the act of.. getting away, traveling, experiencing other.. I..¡± he stutters over his own words, put on the spot as the crowd from the ferry starts to thin, leaving just the two of them on the sidewalk.

    ¡°How many times are we going to have this conversation? You acknowledging that I am not your therapist. I am not your family. I may have agreed to be your shield, but I am not your horrible humor dumping ground.¡±

    ¡°People are surrounded by depression, Lan. I''ve lost people near to me to suicide, and you joke about it.¡± She turns away from him again, head tilting to the side as she looks down the road. ¡°You''re not suicidal. Not actively or passively. You just don''t care.¡±

    ¡°Have you written a note? The night you ''tried to kill yourself''.¡± Saya looks over at him, actually waiting for an answer this time.

    Lan had, repeatedly, to himself. Over years and years if depression, but he had never left them for anyone to find. But that night, he shakes his head. ¡°I have before. But not that night.¡±

    ¡°You know why I ask? Twenty-five percent of people that kill themselves do. The other seventy-five believe it would hurt more, finding a note, and all of them would be truly tortured as to why. ''Why did it happen, what could I have done.''¡±

    She sighs and rubs her eyes with one hand, this is as far from a vacation as you could get, she thinks. But even with him, it wouldn''t be on her watch.

    Unbuttoning her purse, and holds it open and turns to him, holding out her hand. ¡°Empty your pockets. The pills, your wallet, anything else.¡± He places his hands over his jean pockets protectively, confused ¨C until he realizes she''s starting to think like his family, removing temptation completely.

    ¡°This is my vacation. Not yours. And if we''re going to go further from right here, we do it my way.¡±

    ¡°Or I walk.¡±

 74 : Sympathy

    Lan doesn''t say anything for a while as he processes what''s in front of him, Saya holding out her purse, and it doesn''t take him long to come to his conclusion. His riled up look softens, as he shakes his head.

    ¡°Then walk.¡±

    Saya''s arms drop as she looks at him with a face of both demand and now confusion. ¡°Excuse me?¡± she asks.

    ¡°I''ve been doing something when I interact with you, that hadn''t dawned on me until now. I''ve been doing it unconsciously. Do you remember what I said to you in the airport before we took off?¡±

    The airport wasn''t very memorable except for Lan''s drugged attempt to get on the plane, but it comes back to her, the moment before.

    I don''t need another mother.

    ¡°That wasn''t..¡± she starts to argue, but he places his hands on hers and pushes them down, and the purse away.

    ¡°It wasn''t you. None of it was. The way I''ve been acting, I was speaking one way and acting another. The jokes about suicide were awful, I''m sorry. But you are completely right. I don''t care.¡±

    Saya clasps her purse shut and pulls it around to her side, letting him continue.

    ¡°In not caring, I''ve been forcing you to. Very overtly, even if I didn''t realize it until now. Even what you did, you''d do to a child, demanding their toys because of the way they were acting. And I didn''t realize I was almost forcing you to act that way.¡±

    She is starting to understand, as she pulls her hair out of her face, nodding. ¡°Like a..¡±

    ¡°--mother,¡± He finishes. ¡°And for that I am sorry as well.¡± He steps beside her and starts leading the way towards the shrine, pausing until she starts alongside him.

    ¡°I think I do that to my family as well. And friends I''ve lost because of my habit. Family will stay with you, ''til the last straw, but to act like that with friends and acquaintances, always looking for sympathy because I have none for myself, isn''t fair.¡±

    Saya thinks back over the last few days, and how she was acting because of the way Lan was acting. The tantrums, the care on the plane, taking the rental car''s ticket from him, even the way that Aiko and Reo regarded Lan versus his father.

    ¡°It''s not your fault, it''s absolutely mine. And I can''t believe it''s taken me this long to realize it. And I put you through it to get there.¡± He smiles wanly as he uncaps the water bottle he was holding. ¡°Don''t need another mother; don''t need another therapist,¡± he repeats more to himself than to her, ¡°And that''s exactly what I was forcing you to be,¡± he finishes before taking a drink.

    --

    Saya walks along the guardrail, Lan putting himself between her and the road. She looks out over the water, thinking quietly to herself.

    It was a few minutes of walking in silence that she finally speaks. ¡°A..¡± she closes her mouth, forming the sentence she wants to say in her head first. ¡°A majority of it was you. Yes.¡±

    He nods, but wouldn''t look at her, instead keeping his eyes down at the sidewalk as it curved east slowly.

    ¡°But I''m not blameless, either. You say your actions forced me, and that is both true and.. not.¡± She looks up at him, even though he won''t meet her eyes. ¡°Sympathy is a very easy thing to give. I wouldn''t be a very good teacher if I didn''t have any, would I?¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.??When he doesn''t answer, and she doesn''t continue, he finally meets her gaze, which has softened much more than before when she laid out the terms. Saya was the one to turn back to the sidewalk first.

    ¡°And sympathy can be dangerous. It''s easy for people to take advantage of. I''m sure I''ve done it myself at some point in my life. When you don''t care about yourself, you''re so practiced at it, you don''t notice that you''re begging everyone around you for it.¡±

    ¡°To the point where they.. snap, or outright leave. I didn''t realize I had been playing the part you set up either.¡± When the sidewalk curves upward a bit as the shrine entrance comes into view, she pulls out her bottle and drinks from it. Saya stops, but Lan keeps on until she reaches her free hand out and gently grips his wrist.

    She finishes drinking and presses the back of her hand against her mouth. ¡°I''ve known alcoholics, like I said. But yours is..¡± she lets go of his wrist to cap the bottle before putting it in her purse again. ¡°Yours is compounded. By your family, mother.. something above my.. pay grade,¡± she halfheartedly laughs. ¡°Your family, your therapist.¡±

    ¡°I care, but I''m not an expert.¡± They step in line together at the entrance of the shrine, which is less oppressive than the ferry, and moving faster. ¡°But you.. recognized it. And so did I.¡±

    ¡°It''s a step towards something, isn''t it?¡± she asks, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looks up at him, Lan looking.. strangely relieved.

    --

    Saya stops suddenly and Lan bumps up behind her as she''s confronted with more Japanese, and a list of numbers. Admission prices, she assumes.

    ¡°I what.. oh. Right..¡± He stretches his arm out over her shoulder, his large hand almost pointing exactly where her vision was. ¡°Shrine, hall, both.¡±

    300, 300, 500 for what she assumes is individuals, the others for students maybe? Though she looks past the entrance at the wide shrine grounds, people milling around a bit, taking pictures. ¡°And the hall is.. what?¡±

    ¡°Ever seen old Japanese artifacts? Uniforms, outfits..¡± He blanks a bit as he tries to remember the last time he was here. ¡°Stuff. Like the Peace Museum only.. not.. burned?¡±

    Saya nods, then leans to the side, seeing just the upturned tips of the torii ¨C what she really came here to see. ¡°I''m okay with just the shrine, the gate?¡± And already Saya is rummaging in her purse, plucking out a 500-yen coin and placing it on the counter in front of the attendant before Lan could protest.

    He does the same with three 100-yen coins, briefly asking the attendant for just a shrine ticket in Japanese, who slides them out towards the two, moving two of Lan''s coins towards Saya as her change.

    She takes both, pocketing them in her purse as they move out of the way of the slowly agitating crowd behind them. They step out onto the open pavilion.

    Even in low tide, there were still knee-high pools of water around the main shrine, but there was enough of a dry bed way out in front of them that people had started congregating around the base of the gate itself, dwarfing themselves in the shadow of it by at least three stories.

    ¡°So, you said you knew about it. Start up the facts, tour guide.¡± Saya thumps her knuckles back at Lan''s chest, still looking out towards the torii.

 75 : Leave You Wondering

    They step down onto the wet sand, the tide nearing its lowest as they follow a snaking sandbar that leads its way out towards the gate. Several people amble around the stilted shrine, picking up shells and other oddities now that the tide is low.

    ¡°Sooo.. the gate itself is..¡± he counts on his fingers lazily, squinting. ¡°2018, 2008.. eeeeight hundred some years old? Sometime in the 1100s.¡±

    Saya turns and looks at him in disbelief, ¡°Wait, what? And it''s still standing? After all that time?¡± The bottom of the torii was covered in barnacles and discolored, but for it to be that old and still standing..

    ¡°Oh, no, no no, this is Japan. Typhoons come here regularly. This one is.. a hundred and ten years old?¡± That sounded about right to Lan as they kept walking. Saya was nevertheless impressed.

    ¡°I know the difference between lumber and salt-treated wood, but I''ve never heard of wood structures lasting that long.¡± She holds her hands out, ¡°I mean it looks weathered, but intact.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you see,¡± Lan grins, smug with the knowledge of his town''s landmarks, at least the few they visited. ¡°They build ''em with camphor wood. It''s all over Asia, and is very sturdy. You know uh.. Vicks. Vicks rub? When you have a cough?¡±

    She nods as they''re nearly up to the base of the gate. The crowd starting to get a little louder as cameras click and snap. ¡°Same thing,¡± he says, ¡°just distilled. Turns out camphor is useful in all sorts of things.¡±

    Saya stops in the middle of the first two posts, pushing back her hair and craning her head back to look up at the beautiful gold-on-black lettering in the center near the roof, surrounded by the stark red of the rest of the gate.

    Lan was quiet behind her for a moment before he catches up, following her gaze. ¡°Oh.. you''re not pregnant, are you?¡±

    She spins and drops her vision to his face, which is grinning. ¡°What?!¡± He shakes his head as he laughs, taking her shoulders and turning them back around to face the gate.

    --

    ¡°It''s part of the belief. The shrine needs to retain its purity, so it''s discouraged for late-stage pregnant woman to avoid the gate, as well as the elderly. You do know what people believe of torii, right?¡±

    Saya nods, then shrugs under his hands. ¡°I have an idea. Entrance to a sacred space?¡±

    ¡°Mhm, or a place of the thinning of the barrier between this world and the next. It''s all in what you choose to believe.¡± He lifts his hands from her shoulders and steps in front of her, walking a few paces ahead. ¡°I''ve heard some crazy believers that won''t walk through them. They''re few and far between, akin to..¡±

    Lan stops with the main bar of the gate above him as Saya walks up next to him. ¡°Like walking under a ladder. Does it feel much different to you than before?¡±

    He holds up his hand and moves it towards the shore, then away, directly under the beam. He was smiling, but shrugs, leaning down to her and murmuring. ¡°The best tour guides leave you wondering, right?¡±

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!??When she turns a bit and glances at his eyes from the corner of her vision, he raises a brow with that impish grin before standing back up.

    --

    The area around the gate was dry enough that they could walk around the whole thing, and Saya did, with Lan right behind her. From where she stood, the water line was nearly a foot above her head. Even at Lan''s height, he''d likely be underwater.

    ¡°Can I?¡± She holds her hand up, pointing to the base. Lan curls a lip in disgust, looking at the sea''s green slime and barnacles attached to it, but nods, ¡°Nothing stopping you, no.¡±

    The algae didn''t bother her, but the barnacles.. she leans up on her tiptoes to a relatively bare, pale red part of the gate and presses her palm flat against it. The wood was drying, but not completely yet. She knocks her knuckles against it, feeling as if she were knocking on concrete.

    Lan did the same, his hand much higher than hers above the waterline, though. ¡°The one thing I always found interesting about this was its.. symmetry. All torii are symmetrical, mostly, but this one, being so big, look.¡±

    He points at the outside of the middle posts, as tall as tree trunks, made out of them, as well, but with little imperfections. A bulge here, a thinning up higher, the base wider than the top. ¡°Now look over there.¡±

    Lan runs an finger from base to top on the opposite trunk, and it bulges and thins in the exact same places as its partner that they stood beside.

    ¡°Like mirrored trees,¡± she says, and he nods, dropping his hand.

    ¡°Mhm. And if you think what kind of tools they had in the 1800s, kinda makes it a little more fantastical. Much too young to compare to Stonehenge, but I still find it interesting.¡±

    Now she was comparing each pole to its opposite, every little detail seemed carved to be symmetrical, even with minute little changes and natural weathering.

    --

    As they walk back towards the shrine along the sandbar, he pulls out his phone. ¡°Here, NFC again, would you?¡±

    Saya tilts her head but clicks open her purse, thumbing her phone as she touches it to his ¨C it asks if she wants to accept an image file, and she accepts.

    Lan keeps walking, but Saya stops in her tracks once she opens the image.

    It was taken nearly at ground level, with a blur of people around her, but it was Saya from behind, hand on head to keep her hair calm, staring up at the tremendous gate above her ¨C frozen in time.

    She looks at Lan''s back as he kept on, and though she couldn''t see his presumably grinning face, his step had a bit of a yes, I did swagger to it.

 76 : Willpower

    ¡°I''m.. thinking of quitting. Trying quitting.¡± Lan says.

    Saya was busy on her phone, sharing Lan''s picture with anyone and everyone she could. She only puts it away when he starts talking as they walk along the shrine''s walkway.

    ¡°Quitting?¡± she asks, shaking her head, ¡°Sorry, quitting what?¡±

    ¡°Drinking.¡± His fingers run along the waist high rail, brow creased as he thinks it through. ¡°I''ve done it before, I know what to expect.¡±

    ¡°Really? How many times have you.. tried?¡±

    Lan starts with his thumb and counts it out, stopping with his middle finger. ¡°Three. Three times. All this year.¡± He stops and sits back on the railing, watching the crowd wander by in front of them.

    Saya does the same, looking over at him. ¡°By choice?¡±

    He shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest. ¡°Always through some sort of inpatient, forced situation. Two voluntarily, one involuntarily.¡±

    ¡°You mind.. telling me about them?¡± she asks, tentatively. He shakes his head, though he meant he didn''t mind. ¡°It''s fine,¡± he answers.

    He breathes in slowly, "The first one was.. December of last year. My withdrawal symptoms we so bad one day, I couldn''t drink fast enough to relieve myself of them. So I was admitted to the hospital, and then a mental ward slash detox.¡±

    Turning to lean against a support post, he looks down at her. ¡°It''s strangely calming. They try to teach you ways to deal with addiction, but it''s a short term facility. And in my case, for both mental health and detox. Suicidal people ambling along the hall with people coming down off drugs or alcohol.¡±

    ¡°And I had no intention of trying. I was there against my will, even though I signed the form keeping me there for 72 hours of my own will. And I hated it. I worked the system, and not in a good way. I knew what they wanted to hear, I participated, and they let me go. It wasn''t even.. five hours before I started drinking again. I had an argument with Reo, and that was enough.¡±

    Saya winces, but nods, ¡°I mean if you don''t want it, there''s not a lot anyone can do to stop a grown person..¡±

    ¡°The.. second time was in February. This was the involuntary one. And it''s ironic, in a sad way. I did want to quit, I had had enough, I contacted an ex-alcoholic friend and said okay, what do I do. And that was a.. Wednesday.¡±

    He rubs his mouth as he glances down, shaking his head. ¡°And the Sunday after that, I lost.. someone dear to me. Not physically, they had decided to drop me like all my other friends, and that was the last straw. Even though I was sober, I texted Reo.. and.. said how easy it would be to..¡± he pauses, looking at her as if trying to find the right words, finally deciding on:

    ¡°Remove myself from this Earthly plane, so to speak.¡±

    Saya just nods, considering the conversation they had just hours ago, it didn''t surprise her. ¡°And I''m guessing your family got the law involved.¡±

    Lan nods, smiling, but there was no humor in his eyes. ¡°Interesting when two officers show up to your apartment and take you to the hospital in handcuffs because of the reasonable suspicion of self-harm. That time was for seven days. And I don''t know if you know anything about hospital rehab, but there isn''t a whole lot to do, and you go a little stir crazy.¡±

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.??¡°Anyway, come on, let''s head back towards the ferry. When we get back downtown it should be time for dinner.¡±

    --

    Lan tosses the empty water bottle into a recycling bin as they start making their way back down the sidewalk they originally came from.

    ¡°And.. I decided this time to work the system. Not say what they wanted, but be honest, with staff, nurses, doctors.. and they gave me a shot when I was there, it basically made me impervious to getting drunk.¡±

    Saya raises a brow, then the memory comes to her. ¡°The one that makes you ill if you..¡±

    ¡°No, no no, I haven''t.. and don''t want to try that one. This one.. blocks the receptors up here?¡± Lan taps his temple, ¡°So I can drink, in fact I tested it two days after I was out ¨C got a beer, and you can taste the alcohol, but you''ll never get drunk. You can die of alcohol poisoning, but you''ll still be sober as it happens.¡±

    ¡°So I thought.. well, why should I even try? Nothing I could do would get the medication out of me faster, and I did well, I did really, really well on it, knowing it wasn''t worth me trying. Like an ace-in-the-hole in my own head, I could buy the alcohol, I even carried cash around. But once I saw it I remembered the shot and got something else.¡±

    Saya was thankful that some clouds were moving overhead, and the cool air from the bay was returning as they made their way back to the dock. ¡°So what changed? Why.. how did you start again?¡±

    ¡°Willpower. And cost. But mainly willpower. The shot is.. about.. a hundred and sixty thousand yen. A month.¡±

    Saya balks at him, her jaw dropping, shaking her head. ¡°That''s.. insane. That''s rare cancer treatment levels of cost. What the hell makes it so expensive?¡±

    ¡°It''s.. a premium. Even for the NHI. Even for my family, as we are.¡± He hopes she got the idea of the wealth aspect, and she nods. ¡°So.. the company has this 30 day shot, but costs that much. Or, you could take a pill every day for.. about 5,500 yen for a thirty day supply.¡±

    The two of them step up to the ferry''s waiting area, Lan bending at the waist and resting his forearms on the railing, looking out over the water. ¡°Between 160k and 5k, which do you think the NHI is going to opt to cover?¡±

    ¡°The latter, I''m assuming,¡± Saya replies, standing next to him.

    The wind was blowing his hair back again, as he squints into it, ¡°And if you have control over your sobriety and have a bad day, how long are you going to willingly keep taking that pill version?¡±

    ¡°Seven days,¡± he says before she can answer, and turns towards her, smiling wistfully. ¡°When you stop taking the pill, you can get drunk again within seven days.¡± He looks down at the water splashing against the dock, ¡°And when you don''t care about yourself or anyone, who is really making you take the medication?¡±

 77 : Dress to Impress

    They spend most of the ferry ride in silence, though near the end, Saya hops up to take a few more pictures of the tide creeping back in towards the torii, though it would be hours before it was ''floating'' in the bay again.

    As the boat was docking, Lan''s phone buzzes twice, and glancing at his watch, he immediately fishes it out of his pocket, reading the rest of the abbreviated text.

    ¡°You have got to be kidding me,¡± he says to his phone, while typing it out as well, hammering the send button. Saya looks over at him, confused.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± she asks, and when Lan leans a shoulder on the metal wall of the ferry, he sighs, looking out over where they were disembarking.

    ¡°It''s..¡± he grits his teeth and curses under his breath as he presents Saya with a neutral face so not to betray his anger. ¡°Interference,¡± is all he replies with.

    ¡°What now? What was that message?¡± She points down to his phone, to which he hands it over to her, unlocked and uncaring, but all she''s left with is staring down at a thread of complicated kanji characters and numbers that she could read. A time?

    ¡°Lan, I don''t read..¡± Saya starts to hold the phone back to him when he stands back up, placing his hand under hers and lifting the screen up, standing behind her. He thumbs his way to the latest messages. One incoming.

    He reads aloud for her, pointing along the characters in the text. ¡°Be at Nakashima at 6, clothes delivered to Sheraton, Aiko judged, let me know if..¡± he pauses, then continues, ¡°..something doesn''t fit. Basically.¡±

    Continuing on, he reads out the blue response on the right side ¨C Lan''s response. ¡°Are you fu.. effing kidding me? And that''s it.¡± The end of the text thread.

    Lan pulls his phone from Saya''s hand and puts it back in his pocket, resuming his place with his back against the wall, not even reacting when the ferry''s horn sounds loudly above them. Saya watches him slump, only thinking that he looks utterly resigned to.. whatever the texts meant.

    ¡°So the hotel I''m at, clothes? What is Nakashima?¡± she asks, and he looks over at her, the exuberance of visiting the shrine sucked out of him. Lan looks past her and pushes off the wall, waiting until the majority of passengers were heading down to the exit before they start moving themselves.

    ¡°I''ll..¡± No, he thinks, it''s an hour and a half trip, you can''t tell her later. ¡°Another.. family dinner,¡± he says back over his shoulder as they step down towards the passenger exit. ¡°Definitely not my idea.¡±

    --

    Though her mind was doing circles as to what all of that meant, Lan unfortunately slept through the train ride, his face pressed against the corner railing, away from Saya, as they rode. She did manage to get a picture of him, giggling, then stifling it once she started getting disapproving glances from the public around her. Etiquette, etiquette, etiquette, she repeats to herself. Always a reminder.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.??It''s only when she hears the words Hiroshima Station does she start to nudge him awake, first a gentle shake on his shoulder, then a jab of her thumb into his side, which causes him to burst out laughing and bash the back of his head against the window behind them.

    Saya recoils and covers her mouth as Lan''s face drops from joy to pain, covering his side with one hand, and rubbing the back of his head with the other. He swears in Japanese, but Saya knew those words well enough to get the idea.

    ¡°I''m sorry, I''m sorry!¡± She hovers her hands near his shoulder, as he looks over at her. ¡°I didn''t know you were.. that ticklish. I just wanted to wake you up.¡±

    ¡°Only when I don''t.. see it coming. Ow..¡± He ruffles the spot that hit the window, wincing a bit. ¡°It''s fine, thick skull. Where are we, what time is it?¡±

    The train squeals to a slow halt as Saya stands up, holding a hand out to her wounded companion. Lan takes it and stands up, the dangling hand-holds thumping him in the face before he ducks around it, adding insult to injury.

    ¡°Fuckin''..¡± Lan trails off, but grabs the pole near the exit, still trying to shake his head clear as the two of them move slowly out of the train, and down to street level, blocks away from the hotel.

    --

    ¡°So can I ask questions now?¡± Saya asks, to which Lan gives her a confused look just for a moment before his eyes roll back as he remembers the text, family plans, he nods.

    ¡°Yes, right, sorry, sorry I fell asleep. Yes, ask away,¡± he answers as they head northeast towards her hotel.

    She squints, remembering, as the word comes to her. ¡°What''s Nakashima?¡±

    Lan groans, remembering himself. ¡°It''s a r..¡± They take a right, the neighborhood starting to look familiar to Saya as she can see the hotel rising above them. ¡°Do you know what a Michelin restaurant is?¡±

    Saya''s face drops, or more her jaw ¨C again ¨C as she skirts around in front of Lan, stopping him in his tracks. ¡°I know exactly what they are, are you serious? Are you serious?¡± she repeats, then starts talking to herself. ¡°I only brought the one outfit..¡±

    Lan, meanwhile, just stands there, his hands in his pockets and the back of his head throbbing. All of this was natural for him, explosive for others. He just waits it out.

    ¡°It said outfits, Saya,¡± he finally speaks, which stops her mid-pace. ¡°Apparently Aiko wants us to look all purdy,¡± he sneers, dropping into a Japanese Kansai dialect for a moment. ¡°All pretty,¡± he corrects himself, in English.

    ¡°And that was the sizes thing, if she got any of yours wrong, for me to tell Reo and he''d fix it.¡± She stares up at him, then her vision turns accusatory. ¡°No, dammit, I do not know your sizes or gave him any hints. None of this was my idea.¡±

    Saya relaxes as they start to walk again, coming up on the lobby of the hotel. The attendants push both doors open for them as they enter.

 78 : Not Alone

    Saya was almost vibrating beside Lan as the elevator takes them up to her room on the 14<sup>th</sup> floor. When it dings and opens its doors, she nearly darts out, walking fast towards her room as Lan ambles along behind her. Kid on Christmas Day, he thinks.

    She waits for him to catch up before she unlocks the door, the two of them entering to find two large boxes on her freshly made bed. Hers had a card resting on it, clearly addressed to one Miss Saya Travis.

    Turning it over in her hand, she sets to working a thumb under the flap, opening it and pulling out the single card inside. Lan, meanwhile, tilts his part of the ''gift'' open a little and rolls his eyes and lets the box close on its own. ¡°Christ,¡± he murmurs, though he didn''t seem very surprised.

    Saya turns the card over and finds it handwritten, not exactly perfectly either, in English, but.. confusing. She starts reading it out aloud.

    ¡°Miss Saya, please find in this box dress attire for tonight dinner. If size is wrong, Lan call me.¡± Her eyebrows furrow as it just seems to get weirder. ¡°Pleasure to host you at Nakashima at 18:00. Reo.¡±

    Lan plucks the card out of her hands once she finishes reading, looking at it, then smiling slightly, despite being irked about the whole situation. ¡°Sounds like the store used a translation app for this. But you know what it said anyway, by the text I read to you.¡±

    He holds the card back out to Saya, who carefully reinserts it into the open envelope, setting it on the bed beside her gift. She looks over at Lan''s, then up to him. ¡°What did you get?¡± As if she was comparing rewards.

    Lan runs his hand through his hair and scratches the back of his head, hissing as he winces at the knot in his scalp from hitting the train window. ¡°It''s a..¡± He sighs, ¡°you can look yourself.¡±

    He turns and looks at the open bathroom plan, more specifically at the shower that is frosted from the floor to shoulder height. This is gonna be real fucking awkward, Lan thinks. ¡°Do you have any problems with me taking a shower in the same room as you?¡±

    ¡°W.. what? What?¡± Saya was about to open Lan''s gift box when she''s shocked to stand up straight, looking over at the bathroom area.

    ¡°You.. you know what, nevermind, I can call Reo and ask for another booking, I know this is weird.¡± He pulls his phone out and starts scrolling through his contacts until she grabs the top of the phone, lowering it.

    ¡°No, it''s.. your family has already spent so much on this.. this trip, because of me. I''ll um..¡± She looks around the room and centers on the desk and its office chair. ¡°I''ll turn around, face the view.¡± Saya picks up her gift, which she has yet to open, and sets it on the glass desk, twisting the high-backed chair towards the open window.

    ¡°And it''s..¡± She looks at the underside of her wrist at her watch, ¡°nearly five, it''ll take some time to get there, right?¡±

    Lan looks past her out the window, trying to remember where Nakashima is, it wouldn''t take them more than 15 minutes by train, but she was right. If the reservation was at 6..

    ¡°Alright, I''ll.. uh..¡± He walks around towards the open bathroom. ¡°I''ll be quick. Sorry, again.¡±

    --This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    As Lan busied himself doing.. whatever it is that is going on behind me, Saya thinks, she sets the box on the floor and finally pulls it open.

    A striking navy color catches her eyes first as she bends down and picks up the single piece of clothing out of the box, raising it up and holding it in front of herself.

    Whoever picked this has extraordinary taste. A loop around the neck in dark blue and down the front led to horizontal white and blue lines around the waist. Below that, a zig-zag pattern up and down of blue and white.

    Behind her, the shower starts, the glass door closing, but she was interested in what she was holding for now. Saya stands up, turning the dress around and laying it against her front, looking at the faint reflective image of herself in the window.

    And whoever sized this knew what they were doing, she thinks. Saya wants to put it on as soon as possible, turning halfway towards the bathroom area before stopping and spinning on a dime to face out the window again.

    ¡°Right, not alone,¡± she murmurs to herself. She wants a shower, and a bit of time to herself to change. Still, she admires the sundress in the reflection.

    --

    Lan runs his hands through his hair under the shower, squeezing out the last of the hotel issued shampoo, the last of his shower routine. He turns the knob on the wall, the water getting hotter as he turns and rests his hands around the back of his neck, enjoying the endless hot water hotels provide for a bit.

    He drops his hand, face down, in front of him, trying to hold it still. It was late, and he would have been drinking by now. It was only thanks to the Xanax that his hand wasn''t shaking as violently as it would be without it. But still, it shakes.

    Turning back to the wall, he pushes the faucet closed, the water stopping as the creep of the cool outside air start to move into the shower. Lan wipes a hand on the door to see Saya still looking away, at a head to toe dress.

    The glass door slides open as he grabs a towel off the rack and yanks it in with him, starting with his hair, drying it out with zero thought to tangles, rubbing all over his head ¨C including the sore spot at the back.

    The rest was easy, leaving him dry.. ish, were the shower not a sauna now, Lan wraps the towel around his waist and hooks the edge into itself, pulling the door open in a woosh of cold air prickling at his skin, his hair looking like a ridiculous starburst of stark black before he could get a comb to it.

    --

    Lan steps up to the sink and mirror, looking at himself. He leans forward and rubs his mouth and chin, wishing he had a razor for the stubble coming in, but finding none among the hotel''s conveniences.

    He freezes up a bit as he realizes that his outfit box is still on the bed, and Saya feet away from it, respectfully looking the other way. Lan steps out from behind the mirror, in just a towel from the waist down, pointing at his box before he speaks. ¡°I uh, sorry, I forgo--¡±

    Saya spins around in the office chair happily, thinking he was done and dressed, about to proudly show off her new outfit when she''s presented with a half-naked man, pointing at the bed, with an unkempt, explosive shock of hair around his face.

    Both freeze.

 79 : Cleans Up Damn Well

    Saya''s first instinct is to belt out a hard laugh at how Lan''s hair was sticking up around his face, uncombed and wet. It happens whether she wanted it to or not, slapping her hand over her mouth to hold back more. It''s only when her eyes drop down does her laugh fall away and her cheeks almost glow red.

    He wasn''t ripped, but Lan didn''t have much of a reason to wear a shirt, either. Despite the fact that he had a slight beer belly, the rest of him was rather toned, angled and sleek, and like most Asians, even Halfs, very little body hair ¨C swimmer, she thinks briefly before she realizes she''s staring and spins quickly back around towards the window.

    ¡°S.. sorry, I didn''t.. see anything, really.¡± She pulls the sundress up to her face, rolling her eyes even though they''re closed.

    He sighs and stands up straight once she turns back around, reaching up with a hand and pushing his springy, clean hair back towards his scalp, which does nothing with how tangled it is. ¡°I just forgot to bring the box into the bathroom.¡± Lan holds the towel with one hand, making sure it''s secure as he picks up the box with the other.

    ¡°G-got it, I''ll just keep.. this.. way,¡± Saya stutters out in her reply, speaking into the fabric of her new dress. Lan was the most embarrassed of the two, knowing he had let the alcohol make him gain weight. Quit, remember, back to the pool, immediately, he swears to himself as he steps back into the shower area, placing the box on the covered bath.

    --

    As she hears the door close behind her, Saya risks a peek behind her and then exhales and thumps down into the chair again, resting the dress in her lap. What are you, a teenager? Get a grip, she chides herself, hearing Lan rustle with the box and his clothes in the shower ¨C the only private place in this open layout of a room.

    But still, another voice chimes in, the devil on her shoulder: he isn''t the stereotypical alcoholic, is he? Quite the difference between him and Gregg.

    Saya tries to shake her head clear of both sides of the internal argument, pinching her thigh hard enough to make her wince, and it was enough ¨C for a moment.

    And that hair, what the hell! She grins, biting her lower lip at how it was just this pale face surrounded in a circle with outlandishly stuck up, tangled black hair. That was enough to distract her from being embarrassed for now, looking over her dress again.

    That is, until she remembers that the situation would be reversed shortly, since she also wanted a shower. Saya makes a mental note to bring the box and everything she may need with her at least in arms reach of the shower.

    --

    Before dressing, Lan sits on the plastic stool next to the bath, rubbing his forehead. ¡°Well that was.. fucking awful,¡± he mutters to himself, sliding his hand up over his hair and grabbing his bag of toiletries, fishing out a comb.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.??He winces as he starts combing out his hair, most with long hair would care about tangles at the end, Lan wasn''t one of them. It turns out straight either way, as he finally gets through all the knots to have a flat, straight, wet hair draped around his face.

    Lan looks up at the ceiling and shakes his head, starting to pull the comb backwards over his scalp. The hair dryer was outside, but he rarely used them, and it wasn''t getting any less humid in this shower.

    Finishing the rest of his grooming routine, he opens the box and looks down at it, sighing. Fucking Reo..

    He pulls the items out and places them on the towel rack with the clothes hanger, dropping his towel and wiping up the tile. Getting dressed with someone in the next room was awkward, getting dressed in a still-wet shower was even more so.

    Making do with what he can, leaving his feet bare, he turns to the mirror in the shower and wipes his hand along it, down to his waist, looking at himself.

    God, you look like both of them.

    --

    The shower door wooshes open as he places the box beside the sink, now looking at himself at a waist-up mirror, grumbling at his own reflection at the thought of how he had let himself go, turning to the side before turning away from the mirror completely at the image it gave him.

    Looking down in the box, he picks up a pair of white gloves, rolling his eyes at his stepbrother''s stupid preference, simply tossing them in the trash can under the sink. Reo wouldn''t want them because they wouldn''t fit, and Lan didn''t have the patience to return them.

    Shortly after it went the tie, because fuck ties forever, he thinks. All that was left were socks, which he puts in his back pocket for now, folding up the large box and placing it in the trash.

    --

    ¡°Right, ah.. the shower''s all yours, if you wanted.¡± Saya hears from behind her, and, having calmed down herself, she stands up and lays the dress over her forearm, turning and facing Lan ¨C eyes down to begin with after the last encounter.

    Her eyes start with bare? feet on the room''s carpet, long, black slacks held with a brown belt, a white button-up tucked into them, no tie, but a dark blue blazer, unbuttoned. Lan was in the process of grumbling at buttoning his wrist cuffs. His hair was no longer unkempt, slicked back, exactly like Reo.

    Saya''s first thought was oh my god, he''s yakuza. But quickly dismisses that idea, having met his family ¨C affluent as they may be ¨C just one night before.

    That little voice pipes up again, this time with no opposition. He cleans up damn well, doesn''t he? it whispers to her, and she didn''t disagree.

 80 : Introspective

    ¡°You.. look.. n-nice.¡± She gets out, which makes him raise a brow at her.

    ¡°Got a thing for suits, Miss Travis? Maybe we shouldn''t go tonight, considering my father and Reo''s normal getups,¡± he teases, smiling. ¡°See, I can look good when I am,¡± he glances briefly back at the trash can with the box in it. ¡°..forced to.¡±

    He pulls on the lapels of his jacket, shaking his watch out from his shirt cuff to glance at it. They had time, plus he would only be on time for Saya''s sake, he didn''t really care if they went at all.

    But to the matter at hand, he points to the chair. ¡°I don''t have to stay in the room, I can stand outside, if that would make you more comfortable.¡±

    Saya shakes her head, walking over to her carry-on and picking out what she needed for the shower all beforehand. Plus, the idea of leaving Lan in the lobby.. next to the bar.. even though he said he didn''t have access to it anymore. Temptation is a strong thing.

    She looks down at her bag of toiletries, hiding fresh underwear under them and the sundress, turning back to him. ¡°No, it''s fine. It seems private enough back there, plus the TV is still a ways away if you wanted to watch that instead.¡±

    He nods and holds up his hands. ¡°I promise, no looking, no funny business. Sorry about earlier, I should have used a robe.¡±

    Saya chuckles and starts off to the shower. ¡°It was a surprise, but I''m not so reserved as that.¡± Though color does return to her cheeks as she remembers it, setting her clothes on a rack outside but within arm''s reach, taking the bag in with her.

    --

    Lan watches the door close, pulling the rolling chair back to the end of the bed, picking up the remote and turning on the TV. He had no intention of watching much as it flips to the afternoon news, using it more for background noise, even as he hears the shower turn on.

    Lan really wasn''t looking forward to tonight. He had hoped they could have a quiet dinner, part, and then tomorrow go back home to Ota, but what Aiko wants, Aiko gets. And he would have been able to drink, in secret, at home. Nakashima nor the lobby were an option now, so he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the bottle of Xanax, shaking it a little as the pills rattle about.

    He looks around and doesn''t see any bottled water, and the glasses on the table weren''t much use since he didn''t want to go to the sink, it would have to wait. Lan pockets the bottle and takes his phone out instead.

    Scrolling through his texts, his father was low on the list, one, because they didn''t talk much, and two, because he didn''t text much. Leaning back in his chair, he rests his chin in his hand, watching the sun start to pull low towards the horizon.

    His father hadn''t changed much when he married Aiko. Loyal to his own mother, Lan immediately didn''t like her. And still doesn''t. To be fair, his father could have married Mother Theresa and it wouldn''t have been okay to Lan.

    Toshio had become strangely more religious a few years into his marriage with Aiko, which didn''t bother Lan that much, whatever works for everyone else. But now it started to bleed into his own life, with his father and Aiko mentioning they would pray for him, pray for guidance.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.??Everyone believed that AA was the solution to everything plaguing Lan. Lan did not. He had a sponsor, a family friend. He had even gone to his sponsor''s AA meeting, but found it to be nothing but older people talking about all their fuckups in the past ¨C but never what they did for a solution. He hadn''t gone to a meeting since.

    The program itself, he doubted. It required a lot of.. faith. Letting go of what you cannot control, and placing it in a higher power. Lan wasn''t even sure what he believed in that before he started drinking, and after both last and this year, his faith wasn''t exactly.. firm.

    He puts his phone in his inside breast pocket, glancing over at the talking head, speaking to the camera through a teleprompter, upcoming elections, weather, happenings around Hiroshima.

    Lan had been to rehab once. And he hadn''t lied to Saya about his family wanting to send him away again. He panicked and ran a week in. Everyone was disappointed. None would come to his aid, to even pick him up. He had had enough on his ICC to get halfway back to Ota, the rest he had to go by bus.

    Briefly the woman''s face, Rachel, crosses his mind. Lan wonders where she is now, if she''s better. If she''s better than she was. If she''s better than he was. He wished he had at least learned her last name, or contact information.

    Reaching up and rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, he could feel the tremors start to come back, but the shower was still running. Left to his own thoughts, they always strayed into terrible places.

    --

    Saya, meanwhile, was glad Lan had his back turned, and that she was short. Shower caps on anyone looked utterly ridiculous, and she was no exception.

    As she rinses herself off, shoulders-down, she thinks of what''s next. Lan''s family ranged from welcoming to abrasive, in three steps. His father, Reo, and Aiko. Reo seemed like a delicate balance.

    And Lan was.. well.. she presses her hand against the frosted glass and leans up on his tiptoes. He seems to be watching the news.

    What Lan was was a mystery. She had even used it against him earlier today in her tirade. Being damaged keeps you interesting, she had hissed. Saya sighs and turns her back towards the running water, regretting that whole argument.

    The faucet squeaks a bit as she turns it off, leaving herself dripping as she pulls the towel off the rack across from her, patting herself dry. Saya carefully pulls the cap off her hair, shaking it out as she dries off.

    As she puts her deodorant back into her bag, she wipes the mirror with the towel, sitting on the stool and rummaging for her makeup. What would she be doing now had he not offered this trip? Was this even a vacation? Everyone regarded her as a neighbor, but also a shield. And she was okay with that ¨C at first.

    Saya pauses in putting her foundation on as she looks at herself, that voice coming back, but not in the teasing way before. What''s after this? She asks herself, You''re acquaintances, barely friends, his family is a tangled web, and he is a disaster. Her hands drop to her lap as she searches her own eyes, not sure of the answer.

    Continuing her routine, the other, optimistic voice didn''t chime in, even if it wanted to point out how she hadn''t thought about Gregg for more than a passing memory so far.

 81 : Youre Not Them

    ¡°You know why she''s doing this, right?¡± Lan asks, looking down at his date that was looped around his arm as the attendants opened the doors to them again.

    She looks gorgeous, shoulders down in a blue and white sundress, her usually straight hair curled tight against her scalp ¨C whereas he was head above her, his hair pulled tight back, no strand out of place.

    And both of them faced a limousine. To her credit, Saya didn''t allow herself to be surprised this time either, instead, curling her hand around the crook in Lan''s arm. ¡°I''d answer, but I thought we were taking the train. This.. does not look like a train.¡±

    ¡°Smart girl,¡± he grins down at her, which gets a glare up at him. ¡°She wants to show off. She didn''t get to the other night.¡± He starts forward, towards the open doors, and beyond, to the driver that holds open the rear end door to both of them. Lan slides his arm out from hers and takes her hand instead, nodding towards the open door.

    Tucking her dress under her, she sits down in the spacious cabin, shifting over as Lan nods to the driver, sitting down beside her in the black leather seats. ¡°And this is her showing off.¡±

    His first instinct was to look at the minibar ¨C empty, of course, no doubt by the family''s insistence, but he still leans up and pours himself a water, and looks back at Saya, who shakes her head, looking out the window as the limo starts off.

    ¡°Am I that important to impress?¡± she asks, leaning back into the seat which dwarfs her, as he takes a drink of water? She can''t be sure.

    Water with Xanax, but he shakes his head, swallowing, as he places the glass down in the holder. ¡°If I''m being honest, no.¡± And when she frowns, he smiles. ¡°No, no as in ''this has never happened, what the hell do I do'' kind of situation.¡± Lan tilts his head a bit and looks through the driver''s view, ¡°It''s kind of interesting being on this side.¡±

    --

    Minutes later, the limo pulls to a stop, Lan is surprised when both of their doors open, and they look at each other. He motions out towards her door as he starts out of his own, face to face with the driver, and Saya next to the restaurant''s attendant.

    Lan pulls on his jacket, hard, turning his head side to side as he feels and hears it crack, the limo starting along without them in it as he steps forward to join Saya, looking at Nakashima''s slate gray exterior.

    ¡°The best sushi in Japan is made in a shitty train station by an old man who loves what he does,¡± Lan says, looking up at the apartments above the restaurant, then down to the corner entrance. ¡°Guess they couldn''t book that to impress you tonight.¡±

    Saya listens, taking his arm again, but when he''s done, she digs her fingers into his ribs, causing him to laugh and pull away, startling the attendant that pulled Saya''s door open. ¡°Too serious. You''re not them.¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.??Lan was halfway to grabbing her free hand before he stops, standing back up at her side and regarding her for a moment. ¡°''You''re not them'', huh.¡±

    The attendant holds open the door as Lan escorts Saya in first, stepping into the restaurant behind her.

    --

    Well, she got her way, Lan thinks, looking at the small restaurant''s seating area, noting that it is.. very empty. Exceptionally empty. And the three occupants turn to look at the both of them.

    Whether it was Reo''s suggestion or his father''s, Lan didn''t question it, escorting Saya towards the end (of the middle) of the bar, pulling her seat out for her ¨C with no one on her left, and Lan''s family on his right as he sits between them, purposefully.

    All of them looked up at the chef, who took stock of his recipients tonight, from right to left, he guesses.

    American, Half, Father.. he pauses for a moment, second wife, second son. Though he smiles and bows to all of them, who return the bow slightly, he turns to his assistant and starts the first course.

    --

    ¡°What do I..¡± Saya starts, and Lan shakes his head, leaning back in his chair.

    ¡°Nothing, it''s a presentation. Man places food in front of you, you eat it.¡±

    Toshio catches enough of that to turn to Lan and hiss at him, ¡°Hush, you know it''s all a show,¡± before turning and resuming his position. Lan glances over at Saya, raising a brow, turning to her and murmuring. ¡°Bet you can''t tell the difference between the conveyor sushi, hm?¡±

    Lan leans up and takes both his and her chopsticks, napkin, and any seasoning away, sliding it down to her empty left seat, leaving both of their areas bare. The clinking catches the attention of all three to the right, though only one seems upset about it.

    Lan looks up at the chef and bows with his head almost touching the top of the chef''s presentation bar, and he smiles in return, nodding at the acknowledgment of the taste of his works alone. Despite Lan''s ulterior motive.

    ¡°Honest opinion, if you can tell a difference, I relent, yes?¡± Lan leans over so his family can''t glower over his bet, his elbow on the bar, hand out to Saya.

    ¡°Don''t look at them, look at me,¡± he insists when her gaze wanders over his shoulder, even to the chef, who apparently didn''t speak English, but was smiling and nodding at her at the exuberance of her date.

    She leans back and smooths out her dress, regarding Lan cooly. ¡°And if I win?¡±

 82 : The Highs and Lows of Hiroshima

    Lan opens his mouth with an ''I..'' but closes it, having already come up with her answer before she could say it. It''s the same thing everyone said. Stop drinking. It''s partly why he closed his mouth around everyone. One misstep could lead back to the hospital, even against his will. The habits of an addict.

    ¡°I take it back, I tend to like the less expensive food anyway. All of this is tailored to ''palette styling'', I would lose automatically.¡± He sits back against the stool, Saya watching him as he turns ¨C his expression dropping a bit as he watches the chef work.

    She watches him for a moment before doing the same, the chef skillfully working four plates almost simultaneously, no assistants except the ones that present him the dinnerware and the ingredients. It was admittedly a wonder to watch, but what he was creating was a mystery as of yet.

    ¡°So, we were talking today,¡± Reo chimes in, now that Saya is back in view, ¡°How did you like our city, Miss Travis?¡± Behind him, Toshio leans forward to hear the answer, Aiko keeps an ear open but doesn''t make it a priority.

    ¡°Hm? Oh! We visited the Peace Museum, Lan took me to the transportation museum, which was actually a lot more interesting than he first described it, and kind of rounded it out to a trip to the floating torii, Itsukushima? It was gorgeous.¡± She twists her napkin around in her hands, fidgeting a bit. ¡°Though honestly, everything I''ve seen since coming here is very lovely, your home included.¡±

    Toshio chuckles and bahs, waving a hand but Aiko leans around, having caught that. ¡°Oh? I''ll take that compliment. It wasn''t as large in the past, but I made sure that when Toshio and I expanded the complex that it matched perfectly. Wood, aging, it''s like matching marble panels, yes?¡±

    No? You have to match marble panels? She thought, but she smiles, nodding, getting the idea that new wood would clash with the older area of the house. Saya also kept to herself that on Lan''s tour, she could see the difference. No need to poke the tiger with a stick.

    In front of each of them, the chef places out a curved white plate, delicately arranged as she goes by example, taking it with both hands and looking down at it as she sets it on the bar in front of her. Her head tilts a bit as she inspects it, it''s more a work of art, than anything edible, so she finally leans over.

    ¡°Lan,¡± she whispers. ¡°What exactly is this?¡±

    He wasn''t much help, turning the plate around in a circle slowly, though the other three of their party had no problem picking up theirs. ¡°Meat, greens, onion? A..¡± He stops at the yellow bulb item, choosing himself to look at his father as they seem to gather it all up in one go.

    Lan picks his up, starting to approach how to gather all of this up in one go. ¡°I''m assuming it won''t kill you, so.. thanks for the meal,¡± he scoops the strange layout of food? up to his mouth.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.??Saya waits for his reaction ¨C knowing she''ll have to eat it anyway, and is encouraged when Lan''s face didn''t turn in disgust. Her turn.

    --

    An young woman comes to collect their plates as the chef starts on the next: soup. Soup, she could do.

    ¡°Oh, thank you for this, by the way.¡± Saya leans, hoping Aiko hears ¨C though who picked her dress out in her relative sizes she couldn''t be sure. Toshio didn''t react, but Reo and Aiko did, she smiles back at her.

    ¡°Isn''t it lovely?¡± Aiko asks, looking down at Saya''s profile. ¡°I love bright colors for the summer months. Though admittedly I only provided the size, Reo picked out the final thing. Good in business and creative ways!¡± she praises.

    Reo doesn''t comment and looks back at the chef preparing the black and gold bowls for each of them.

    Lan turns to Reo, speaking lower than the people around them can hear, more in Japanese so that Saya doesn''t. ¡°Oh, thanks for the gloves. I flushed them down the toilet.¡±

    Without a pause, Reo casts a sidelong glance to him, ¡°Saving the tie so we can hang ourselves, are we? Father knows you have his gun. But not the bullets.¡±

    Gritting his teeth, he turns and hooks an arm around the back of his chair, turning to face Reo clearly, leaning down to hiss at his half-brother. ¡°Are you able to keep your mouth shut about anything you find out about me? At all? I''m on eggshells already, with all of you.¡±

    ¡°And without me, you''d be dead. I am doing a JOB, Lan, that our father asked me to do. Or do you think I like traveling up to be your babysitter every month?¡± Reo finally turns and looks up at his brother, not intimidated by Lan''s height.

    As with every conversation with Reo tends to end, Lan tsks and turns back towards the chef, who was already presenting the second course, Lan being the last to pick up his bowl. It was a simple part, broth of green onions, seafood from the bay, mushrooms from the mountain, all of what Hiroshima had surrounding it, but that was this restaurant''s niche.

    He twists the chopsticks between his fingers, looking down at the large pieces of both floating idly in a clear soup. An idle tic makes the ends of his chopsticks click together before he notices Saya, bowl in hand, looking between him and his hand, then Reo inquisitively.

    ¡°It''s nothing. It''s.. me being me, and Reo being Reo. Don''t worry about it.¡± He looks down at her bowl and nods towards it. ¡°Seafood and mushrooms, a little less weird than the last one.¡±

    While Lan eats, bending a bit, she catches a glimpse of Reo over his shoulders, who was studying her unflinchingly.

    Gauging what, she didn''t know, but he too turns forward after a moment.

 83 : Medicated Seafood

    Small courses came after one another: salmon roe, octopus, much like the food, the conversation was sparse as well. The two groups ¨C Saya and Lan, and the rest of the Satake family, didn''t have much in terms of common ground.

    Taking a sip of her tea, Saya studies Lan for a moment before realizing the time and that he''s not shaking. She squints up at him from behind her cup before setting it down, tapping him on the forearm.

    Lan turns to her, tilting his head. ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°How many have you had? Xanax, I mean,¡± she leans forward, talking in whispers.

    He sets his chopsticks down, having been holding them as a sort of fidget device, leaning back in his chair. ¡°Today, or just tonight?¡±

    ¡°I.. today, I guess?¡± she asks, Saya knew it was going to be a thing tonight, but not earlier.

    ¡°T..three and a half?¡± He answers a question with a question, not really sure of the count himself. The number didn''t surprise her, but the way he was acting did.

    She had seen him on a larger dose before the plane, but however he was acting tonight seemed like a normal, well-adjusted man. No physical symptoms, no emotional problems. It didn''t make sense.

    The next course arrived, a simple block of tofu, adorned with spices in a thin broth. To be completely honest, she wasn''t enjoying the food part of this at all. Lan had mentioned as much, and her idea of what made a Michelin worthy restaurant wasn''t so great of an aspiration to her anymore.

    Still, all of them dug in, one bite''s worth of food, and even though she wasn''t a fan of tofu herself, the accents made it much better. More complex than the bare taste of tofu.

    The waitress again clears the area in front of them, as she tugs on Lan''s cuff again. He tilts his body at the waist instead of looking at her. ¡°How are you not stoned? Like the plane.¡±

    That made him turn, smiling slightly and, instead of replying immediately, he reaches up and slides his finger horizontally across his forehead, turning it towards her. It was slick with sweat, as was his forehead when she really looked at it. He did a good job of hiding it.

    ¡°The plane was before withdrawals.¡± He wipes his hands on his napkin, speaking in hushed English. ¡°This is that and anxiety. No drinking, and sitting next to my family. Not the place I''d choose to be at this time of night.¡± He glances at his watch, poking it to come to life as the screen shows him 7:38pm.

    Saya knew if this were a regular day, he''d be well into drinking by now. To not must be twisting him into a pretzel inside. But she just nods, and he tilts back up, his forearms resting on his chair, fingers tapping a little fast against the frame for someone so relaxed.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    --

    Another course came, covered and warm to the touch, the chef nods towards them and they uncover what seems to be a nugget of what could be either sea urchin, or scrambled egg surrounded in a thick brown syrup.

    Saya glances over at the chef with an eyebrow raised, thankful he wasn''t looking her way as she looks back down at it. ¡°I have to say,¡± she speaks down at the bowl, but more for Lan, who was looking at it himself. ¡°I can''t say much for my first experience in a high-class restaurant.¡±

    Lan barks out a harsh, loud ¡°Ha!¡± which silences the restaurant, from the chef himself to the attendants, and of course, his family. He curls his lips inward and bites them, sitting back as if nothing happened.

    He straightens up and is now strangely interested in the dish before him, even if everyone in the building was staring at him. Eventually, things relax, business as usual.

    ¡°To be honest, I''m not really sure myself,¡± he speaks to the dish, but more for Saya''s benefit. It was only until Reo speaks up that things were clarified.

    ¡°It''s a nori-wrapped portion of uni that lays in a small bit of maple syrup, from what I can tell,¡± he explains to the both of them, in English for their benefit.

    ¡°Though this place doesn''t have much in the way of menus, so I can''t be totally sure.¡± Reo didn''t seem pleased at the unknown himself as he looks at the dish.

    Lan was first to pick it up, then his seatmates as all three scoop the questionable item up. Lan looks over at his father and Aiko, who seemed perfectly pleased to have finished it off a while ago.

    It didn''t help that the chef was staring at all three of them as they all three put it in their mouths at the same time, realizing it''s not egg with syrup, but urchin. And as sweet as sea urchin was, it was still a product of the sea.

    Reo was neutral, he neither liked nor disliked it. No reaction.

    Saya''s eyes shut but god dammit, you''re going to eat it, she tells herself, chewing, and then getting it down.

    Lan, however, kept his lips relaxed, setting the plate down in front of him. He turns to Reo, with a questioning look on his face, then to Saya, with the same. He doesn''t speak, instead asking questions in hmm?

    ¡°Hmm? Mmhm? Mhm, mhm.¡± Good? Okay? Excuse me for a moment, he was thinking. Whether it came across, he didn''t care. Lan pushes away from the bar and glances around until he sees the restroom, quietly excusing himself to it.

    Emerging after a moment, he straightens the cuffs of his shirt, walking back over to the group and taking his seat. ¡°Well that was.. tremendously disgusting. Can we never come here again?¡± he asks.

 84 : Say Goodnight and Go?

    The chef was confused as Lan returns, but bows to all of them, leaving the setup he had in front of them as clean as when he approached it. The assistants still started forward to wipe down the counters and start washing his implements.

    Reo was the first to look over at Saya, though the rest of them lean back in their chairs. ¡°So what did you think?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Interesting? Sparse?¡± She fidgets a bit as they''re left alone once the cleaning is done. ¡°I know that places like these are tailored to..¡± she pauses, searching for the phrase, ¡°''catering to the taste'',¡± she settles on, but shakes her head, wondering if that got the thought across.

    ¡°It.. it was an experience, that''s all I can honestly say.¡± She looks Reo''s way, smiling back at him. ¡°Wouldn''t be my first choice, but it was very interesting.¡±

    ¡°And disgusting,¡± Lan speaks up, to neither of them before turning to Reo, ¡°What the fuck was that last dish?¡±

    Reo grits his teeth and glances back at his parents before addressing Lan. ¡°You''ve had sea urchin before, and don''t curse--¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I have, and it was okay, not great, okay, putting the syrup, God..¡± Lan places his hands on the bar in front of him, shaking his head clear of the taste of that last course. He sits back and looks over at Reo.

    ¡°You can''t tell me you liked that,¡± he states, and Reo wasn''t able to meet his eyes. Gourmet didn''t always mean delicious, and all three of them knew it, though only the loudmouth in the middle was willing to speak up about it.

    Saya was the first to speak up, ¡°It was kind of.. weird. To have all this broth, salt, umami, and then this..¡± She pauses, tilting her head as she tries to nail it down. ¡°Sweetness? But not? A dessert from the sea,¡± she holds out her hands in a cup form, for nature gave unto them their feast. But her hands drop, ¡°Sea salt caramel. With just a hint of the caramel,¡± she decides, shaking her head. ¡°Let''s just agree whatever that was..¡±

    She laughs and rests her chin in her hands, her elbows on the bar as she faces forward. ¡°This is exactly what I expected.¡± Both Lan and Reo look at her inquisitively, until she finally turns to them.

    ¡°Show me the bill, and I wouldn''t be surprised at the amount. I''m learning what all this means,¡± she tilts her head to look at them, raising a brow. ¡°Am I wrong? This place is empty, we''re the only ones here.¡±

    Reo breathes in, stiffening at the challenge, looking around him for which attendant will bring the bill. Lan, though, was looking at Saya, squinting at her as he studies her face. There''s a difference between the surprise and the knowledge, he thinks, this isn''t her first rodeo.

    --

    The family stand up, Lan and Saya the last to do so, the Satake family making their way out of the restaurant as Lan reaches out and drags the black receipt tray along the bar with a finger as they walk, glancing at the total before letting go.

    Jesus Christ, he thinks. Saya starts to reach for it but he takes her hand in his before she can, leading them out of the restaurant as three cars wait for them. Two black sedans and a taxi. Lan didn''t have to guess which one was for them.

    Stolen novel; please report.??Though they were all turned towards the restaurant, waiting for both of them as Toshio took Saya''s hand first. ¡°It was a pleasure, you are always welcome here,¡± he smiles, genuine.

    Saya was the one to hold her hand out to Aiko, though, who took it gingerly, ¡°Thank you for visiting, feel free to come back,¡± she says, Saya nodding.

    And Reo, who didn''t offer a hand at all, his gloved hands linked at his waist, bowing slightly to Saya as she approaches. ¡°It was.. an experience.. hosting you, Miss Travis.¡± He glances to his parents who were already making their way to their car.

    ¡°The tow--¡± he stops himself, pausing a moment before reforming his sentence. ¡°My family would be grateful to have you as a guest whenever you want. I hope you and Lan have a good trip back to Ota tomorrow.¡±

    Saya nods, and steps back as the driver opens the door for Reo, sliding into the backseat. The first car with his parents were already gone, and the driver takes his place at the wheel, pulling the sedan into drive, leaving Lan and Saya with a cab.

    --

    ¡°So that was.. interesting,¡± she murmurs, the two of them in the back of the cab as it navigates the small lanes out to the highway.

    ¡°Better or worse than last night''s dinner,¡± Lan asks, looking over at her. She smiles, shaking her head.

    ¡°Better. Less accusing.¡± She turns and looks at him, they both know it was Aiko''s prodding that turned the dinner sour. ¡°Though what did you talk about with Reo?¡±

    Lan breathes in and turns away from her, looking at the streetlights flashing along the road. ¡°An argument. As always. Nothing you have to worry about,¡± he reassures.

    Saya studies him for a moment, wondering the truth of that. But she doesn''t see a reason for a man who is crumpled in on himself, his knees against the back of the taxi''s barrier, looking so out of place with six feet of man to bother coming up with a lie.

    Eventually, they pull up under the hotel''s canopy, attendants opening both of their doors. Saya steps out, and Lan mumbles to the driver as he starts to extract himself out of the cab, stretching his arms above his head as he looks over the top of the car at Saya.

    ¡°Are you okay from here? The cab can wait, if you want me to--¡±

    ¡°You can.. walk me to my room, yeah? The taxi will still be here?¡± she asks, shouldering her purse.

    ¡°I.. I¡ªum..¡± Lan leans down to the driver, speaking in Japanese who reassures him that the trip has been taken care of, waiting or not.

    ¡°Sure. Sure, right, should be a gentleman, right,¡± he says more to himself, walking around the back of the taxi and standing beside Saya. The doors open again thanks to the attendants, the two of them making their way towards the bank of elevators.

 85 : Love is a Chemical

    Saya and Lan both look up at the floor count, habitual elevator responses, his hands in his pockets. ¡°Listen, I don''t.. know if I''ve said as much, but I really appreciate you coming.¡±

    She looks at him in the mirrored finish of the doors, then turns to look at him proper. ¡°I chose--¡±

    ¡°--chose to be here, I know.¡± Lan nods, stepping back and resting his shoulders back against the wall of the elevator. ¡°But it''s a nicer way of describing bribery.¡±

    Saya''s vision follows him, crossing her arms and studying his face, confused. ¡°Bribery? In what way?¡±

    ¡°Be honest with me,¡± he looks at her finally, ¡°Had I offered the invite, but not paid for the trip, would you be here?¡±

    She opens her mouth to reply, but pauses, closing it and reworking her response. ¡°I''m going.. to not say anything until you think about what you just said and how it could be insulting.¡±

    Lan wasn''t quite expecting that, standing up straight and replaying his statement, trying to find the offense. Still, his mouth moves before his brain catches up. ¡°OH. Oh. ''cos it makes you sound like a--¡±

    His brain caught up in time to cut that off, but it did pique Saya''s interest as to where that one would lead. ¡°No, that.. I mean..¡± he stutters in response, closing his mouth and taking a breath.

    ¡°Knowing what you do now, would you have said yes to my invitation?¡± His eyebrows raise, hopeful that that wasn''t as insulting ¨C or insulting at all. To his relief, she relaxes, turning to look at the floor count again.

    ¡°A family''s a family, no matter where you are, Lan.¡± A soft bing announces their arrival at her floor, the doors sliding open slowly. She starts out of the elevator, Lan following. ¡°The day we had tea back home gave me an idea of how you interacted with Reo and the rest.¡±

    She waits and starts walking down the hall with him. ¡°Today was fun. Even tonight''s dinner was fantastic. Not my usual choice, but like you said, she wanted to show off.¡± Saya shrugs, looking down at the looping patter in the carpet.

    ¡°And it''s..¡± she turns and looks at her inner wrist, at her watch, ¡°Eight at night, and you seem.. stable,¡± looking over at his posture for signs of withdrawals.

    ¡°But I''m guessing a lot of that is the Xanax,¡± she looks up at him, Lan looking away when she nails it right on.

    The two of them slow and stop in front of her door. Saya pops open her purse and rummages a bit for the keycard. She raises it out with two fingers, clasping her purse closed, turning to him.

    ¡°The answer is yes, I would still take you up on the offer, knowing what I know now. You''re difficult, Lan, you''re not impossible. And just because your family is rich and you think yourself a disaster, that doesn''t mean I''m not strong enough to hold my own.¡±

    ¡°I didn''t¡ª¡± he starts to reply, but stops when she holds up a hand. Instead, she turns it and crooks a finger down at him, pointing slightly at her ear.

    Lan''s brow creases a bit in worry, but bends down at the waist to her height.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.??¡°Remember what you said before we came back on the ferry.¡± She looks at him out of the corner of her eye, before turning to him and placing a gentle kiss against his temple.

    ¡°Thank you for today, it was fun.¡± Saya says as Lan jerks back, standing up straight, going red from cheek to cheek, stiff as a board.

    The door makes a beep and a clank, Saya pushes her way into her room and turns around, smiling slightly at the state of her companion before laughingly shaking her head. ¡°Talk to you tomorrow, Lan. Goodnight.¡±

    It takes him a moment but he does reply before the door shuts, ¡°G.. good ni--¡± it closes in front of him, cutting him off, finishing anyway.

    ¡°--night.¡±

    --

    Lan stares at the number on her door as he rocks back on his heels, hands still in his pockets as goosebumps radiate out from where she kissed him, his whole skin prickling up. How long had it been since someone did that to him?

    It seemed so simple, but when you haven''t experienced it in a while.. it had as much effect as a punch in the gut.

    Still on his heels, they turn, spinning in place as he starts down the hallway, back towards the elevators. What ensues is a headache inducing argument with himself as to what that meant, leading him simply to a conclusion it was between friends, and Saya being English ¨C like his mother ¨C that was nothing out of the ordinary.

    Still, he grumbles, you don''t do that here. Anyone else would have ducked out of it.. the elevator doors open and he steps in, thumbing the button for the lobby, starting to pace around in a circle, stopping in front of the mirrored doors.

    Stop overthinking. Go home. Drink. Sleep. His mind commanded, wanting to stick to the routine. And it usually won.

    He stares quietly at the dark separation splitting his mirror image in the doors, tilting his head as one side seemed to tilt higher than the other, a dichotomy.

    ¡°You''re not wrong,¡± he says aloud to the image, which disappears as the doors part once he reaches the ground floor.

    Stepping out of the elevator, he looks towards the entrance where, thankfully, his cab is still waiting. Then towards the ceiling, as if he could see the fourteenth floor, and Saya''s room, and what happened outside of it just a moment ago.

    Lan presses the palm of his hand against his forehead, shutting his eyes and shaking his head at just how up and down his mind can be. Excited, to questioning, to remembering, to thinking the worst. It was exhausting.

    The alcohol didn''t help.

    The drugs didn''t help.

    Talking didn''t help.

    Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he starts towards the hotel lobby, and the cab beyond, back to that nest of memories for one more night.

 86 : Miho

    Lan steps out of the cab, the driver waving him off as apparently he was already paid. It wasn''t late, but it was late enough that the attendants had retired for the night, so Eiji wasn''t waiting for him.

    He squares up against the head-high fence, shaking his head as he grabs the top and yanks himself up, straddling it and dropping himself down on the other side. It wasn''t his first time coming home late to a locked gate, it had just been a while.

    The wind blows through the forest around him, sending a chill up his spine. There was nobody around Lan, but his imagination creates a looming monster stepping its way closer as he walks up the driveway, causing him to walk a little bit faster.

    The accent lights were still on around the entrance of the house as he approaches, no fanfare this time, he thinks, as he stands in front of the sliding door, knowing the outcome, but hooking his fingers into it and pushing anyway ¨C locked.

    His face twists in anger as he steps back, looking at the entrance as a whole. These fucks knew I was coming home, what the fuck?

    Breathing in slowly through his nose, he cycles through his memories, and the vulnerabilities of the house from when he lived here.

    The addition Aiko had done cut off plenty of his ways to sneak back in, but honestly, he was too old, and too tired to try and climb his way back into his own house through a window. Instead, he slaps the base of his palm hard a few times on the door, a loud, rattling bam, bam, bam, echoing through the house.

    What greets him is the ever-present Miho, causing him to closes his eyes and sigh. If his parents gave him an earful, Miho was their second in command. She slides the door open and steps back so Lan can come in.

    Lan bends down and undoes his shoelaces, stepping up to the house proper, turning and placing his shoes in a cubby.

    ¡°She''s nice,¡± Miho says, closing and locking the door behind them.

    He pauses for a moment, squinting as his brain processes what she said, looking up at her from putting his shoes up. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Miss Travis. She''s a nice woman,¡± she repeats as she walks past Lan into the house as well.

    Lan tilts his head, then shakes it clear. ¡°Wait, wait stop. Stop.¡± She does, turning to look at him.

    ¡°You didn..¡± He cycles all the interactions he''s had with Miho in the past, coming to a 99.9% negative conclusion. ¡°You hate me. And everything that I do, and everyone I bring home, what is thi.. what are you doing?¡± He stands up, turning to her, but she was straight-faced as always.

    The older woman''s expression softens, barely, but it does. Miho shakes her head. ¡°I don''t hate you, Lan, far from it.¡± She steps forward to him which makes him recoil a bit, as this woman was discipline incarnate.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.??¡°I think she''s good for you,¡± Miho says, ¡°and.. she..¡± she considers her next words carefully for a moment.

    ¡°She reminds me of your mother. Of Emma. And it''s not because she''s white or English. You know what I mean, right?¡± she asks.

    It had been in the back of his mind, certainly, but recognizing it was a different step for Lan. It took what Miho was talking about to make him realize, and the realization disgusted him.

    ¡°It''s not like that,¡± he says, shaking his head, ¡°it''s not because Mom wasn''t Asian.¡±

    ¡°It''s not?¡± she asks, no malice in her voice, she seemed genuinely curious, ¡°You''ve read of Oedipus, and his stor--¡±

    ¡°It''s not like that!¡± Lan yells at her, which causes her to wince back, strange to him as she''s never shown any sort of vulnerability. He looks down the hall towards the main house, and when no one comes at the raised voices, he sighs and shakes his head.

    He rubs his forehead and steps back, leaning against a wall opposite Miho, trying to reason it out. ¡°I-- If it is, it''s unconscious. She just happens to have Mom''s traits.¡±

    ¡°Lan, I''m not the enem--¡± He holds up a hand at her sharply, his teeth clamping down in a grimace. ¡°Don''t finish that sentence, Miho. I''ve heard it time and time again,¡± he growls, and she doesn''t. It was just his family''s go-to to placate Lan when he was mad, but these days it only enraged him further.

    ¡°It''s.. recognition, Lan,¡± she says, ¡°do I think you wanted to kill Satake-san and marry Emma? No, don''t be stupid.¡± There was the biting talk from Miho, mixed in with philosophy and comfort. Lan was.. confused, to say the least.

    ¡°Maybe this is all overstepping my bounds. If so, I apologize.¡± But she steps up and places her hand on Lan''s cheek, who was still bewildered by this nicer, softer Miho.

    ¡°I''ve known you since you were a boy, Lan. If Emma were here, she''d punch you in the face.¡± Lan recoils instinctively which makes Miho smile, sighing and looking up at him.

    ¡°I think she''s good for you. In whatever form. Friend, girlfriend, whatever.¡± Miho turns and walks down the entrance hall towards the rest of the house, though she stops before turning a corner.

    ¡°Don''t fuck it up, yeah?¡± she calls back. Lan blinks at her, it was the first time Miho had uttered any form of curse with him around. Satisfied with the effect, she nods to him and starts off towards her room.

    Lan eases off the wall and looks to where Miho last was, running his hand through his hair and scratching it up into a mass of twists and spikes, leaving him looking ridiculous. But no one was around to see, and maybe that''s why Miho was so candid.

    Sneaky damn woman, he thinks, wandering in and turning the opposite way she went, still bewildered, but thinking more and more of where his hidden bottles were for tonight..

 87 : Home Is A Fire

    Lan stands in front of his house in the morning, suitcase next to him as all three of them join him. Awkward hugs and hands shaking, his father reminding him for the ten billionth time to not to drink, to which Lan nods.

    He was pleasant with Aiko, a hug, strange by Japanese standards, but that was Emma bleeding through his father''s first marriage into this one.

    Their plane wasn''t until late in the afternoon, but Lan was almost chomping at the bit to distance himself from Hiroshima, even if he hated flying.

    He loads his luggage on the golf cart behind Eiji, turning to Reo who follows him as his father and Aiko stay behind.

    ¡°You have everything? ID, the ticket is at the airport, you can call for a taxi on the company''s dime when you--¡±

    ¡°I got it,¡± Lan states with a sigh, interrupting Reo. ¡°I got.. I can get home, yes.¡±

    ¡°Home.¡± He replies, looking back at his parents, and the house behind them. ¡°It''s like when people move out, home becomes less of a word for places like this, and more where you make it.¡± He looks back at Lan, crossing his arms.

    ¡°I don''t think of this place as home either.¡± Reo didn''t live here, and Lan had only seen his apartment once, in a high-rise, naturally, in downtown Hiroshima, closer to the factory than Ushitayama, where they were. It betrayed his priorities.

    Lan turns and sits in the back of the golf cart, Reo resting an arm above him on the roof. ¡°Do you consider that place in Ota as ''home''? It''s been a year, Lan, and it still looks like an Ikea showroom.¡±

    ¡°Home is a.. two story place a few minutes away.¡± He looks over at Reo, shaking his head. ¡°It just so happens some other family lives there now.¡±

    Reo slides his gloved fingers through his hair, even though it was slicked back and impeccable as always. ¡°That''s not.. home, Lan.¡± He pauses, weighing the decision to broach the next topic..

    ¡°Have you spread her ashes yet?¡±

    Lan doesn''t answer immediately, looking out at the driveway that led down the mountain, almost steeling himself for thinking about it at all. ¡°No, not yet. She''s.. the.. the ashes are still on my dresser.¡± Still in the same box, not an urn, still in the funeral home''s bag, barely touched. Never looked at, he thinks.

    ¡°You''re the only one that knew what she wanted, Lan. We carried out her funeral, the celebration, even her cremation because you sai¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know what she said, I know what I told you, I''m just not ready,¡± Lan''s voice was starting to get a harsh edge to it, Reo notices.

    ¡°Alright. Alright, okay. When you are.. ready, let him know.¡± Reo glances over at his father, then back to Lan. ¡°We want to be a part of it too, if only for you.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.??¡°But what father said still stands, you can''t.. hide away, life.. moves on. It continues.¡± Reo steps back from the cart, shaking his head. ¡°That''s.. a bad way of putting it, you know what I mean.¡±

    Lan nods, but still won''t look at him or the relatives he''s leaving behind, though Reo could see his eyes welling up with tears just as they were talking.

    ¡°Take care, yeah? We don''t matter, I know that,¡± he says, referring to himself and the family. ¡°But I think she''s good for you. So if that helps, I''m all for it.¡±

    Lan leans forward and pats Eiji''s shoulder who releases the brake on the cart, easing off of it as they start coasting down the paved lane. Lan raises a hand and waves without looking back to Reo, his father and Aiko, sitting in silence as they move down the driveway.

    She''s good for you, he thinks, rubbing the back of his neck as he shakes his head, and she knows a fingernail''s scratch on how deep it goes..

    --

    Saya spent the morning packing her things, as she had to be out of the room by 1pm, far off, but just to make sure. She breathes in slowly, stretching, cracking her joints in front of the wide window at morning in Hiroshima. From the skimming of the travel guide she did, it was a successful trip, even with the curveballs Lan and his family threw.

    Her phone buzzes, a text from Lan that he was on his way. She glances at the clock, a little past 11am. Their flight wasn''t until four in the afternoon, so they had some time.

    Sitting on the edge of the bed, she scoops up her phone and thumbs out Hiroshima tourist spots ¨C the biggest ones they''d visited, then switches gears, thinking of souvenirs for her family ¨C mainly her brother.

    All signs point to somewhere nearby, thankfully, Hondori. She hadn''t heard of it, but it seemed to be the tourist trap of electronics, arcades, Hiroshima''s smaller answer to Akihabara.

    She chuckles to herself, her brother had been so jealous that she could wander around Tokyo and Akihabara itself, when she went it seemed like a Las Vegas for.. well, nerds. Saya had only gone to search for a laptop, and was confronted with an assault on her senses, parts of Tokyo were very bright, but that was an understatement. She started to understand her brother''s jealousy.

    And while she had found a laptop she needed back then, there was so much more. But it wasn''t for her tastes. Hiroshima''s version seemed much more muted, a fraction of the bright and loud version back in Tokyo.

    Saya glances at the clock in the upper right of her phone. Still around 11.. which meant it was probably 2am, 3am back home? She calculates in her head, though if she called rather than texted with her plans, he''d be less mad..

    Starting with a text, she types out the message to her brother, sending it across the ocean before tossing the phone on the bed and resuming packing her things.