I just can't seem to keep to a damn update schedule, can I? Oh, well. Here's the next chapter for your enjoyment (or lack thereof). Cheers!
Edit: I just noticed this is my 100th post sooo that's a thing. Hooray.
Scene 20: Breakfast
“You’re in a desert, walking along in the sand. All of a sudden, you look down, and you see a tortoise crawling toward you.”
Kagami leans across the table, peering deeply into my eyes. I can’t read her expression – she seems to have thousands of calculations going on behind her blank stare. Those gray eyes slide through mine like dull knives. I struggle to stay focused.
The electrodes attached to my arm and forehead begin to itch something fierce. I want nothing more than to relieve said itch, but at present my arms are restrained by tight leather straps across the arm of the chair I currently occupy. The breathing monitor across my chest adds difficulty to my already labored inhalations.
“You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over.”
I can feel my heart rate increase slightly, the irregular rhythm pulsating against my ribcage like an off-tempo percussion section in an amateur orchestra. My mouth becomes inexplicably sticky. I close my eyes for a moment in an attempt to regulate the air passing in and out of my lungs.
Kagami leans in closer, her lips seeming to move in slow motion as she continues her question.
“But it can’t. Not without your help.”
She removes her glasses in one fluid movement, setting them gently on the desk beside her.
“And you’re not helping.”
Am I not helping? Why wouldn’t I? Surely I’d be willing to…
Kagami’s final words drip from her lips like slow poison.
“Why is that?”
Why is- what? Why wouldn’t I be helping, again? It doesn’t make any sen- wait, why would I have flipped the poor thing over in the first place? I can’t remember any instance in which I’d have flipped a tortoise on its back. Hell, I can’t even remember how I got into this room.
…How did I get into this room?
As my eyes wander around the small, dark space, I notice it’s strangely devoid of features. Just a door to my right, and the desk and computer in front of me. There don’t seem to be any vents at all, which is strange because it’s rather cold. I wonder how they regulate the temperature in here. I quickly scan the room for an air conditioning panel, but there doesn’t seem to be…
Right, back to the topic at hand. How did I get into this room? Er, wait, no, that’s wrong- tortoise! That’s what I’m supposed to be thinking about. Something about it being flipped on its back? It’s hard to pay attention when there’s a suite of machines attached to you, monitoring your body’s every response, let alone to actually think.
I realize I must have been thinking for a long time, because Kagami leans back in her chair rather suddenly. A squeak emanates from the chair’s base. Probably should get that oiled.
“Never mind that, Hisao. Let’s move on to a simpler question.”
Wait, I had an answer, don’t- or did I? It was right there a second ago.
“Describe — in single words only — the good things that come into your mind. About your father.”
Well, my father is… he’s… well, he’s tall, for one. Is that a good thing? Wait, how tall is tall- taller than me? Okay, skip that one for now. What about good looking? Yeah, I suppose he’s definitely good looking- hold on, that’s two words. Well, I suppose it could be a hyphenated word. Is that technically two words or one? I’m not entirely sure…
“Hisao? Can you not think of anything good about your father?”
“Can I have… just a bit, please…” I manage to spit out through the wads of cotton inside my mouth.
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you need to answer my question as soon as you can,” she responds.
“W-well, he’s… nice, I suppose,” I say rather feebly.
Kagami frowns. “Could you please be more specific?”
I feverishly wrack my brain, squinting tightly in the face of the bright light pointed directly at my face.
“C-can you please move the light? It’s making it difficult to remember…”
“You can’t remember your father,” she says, her voice laden with more and more disdain every time I hear it.
“That’s not what I-“
“Answer, please.”
I have to come up with something. Just make something up, Hisao. Anything at all. No, wait, the machine will catch that. Think, dammit!
I can feel myself beginning to glance nervously at the computer monitor in front of Kagami, its contents somewhat cruelly obscured from my vision. A few heavy beads of sweat begin to form on my forehead.
Think, Hisao. Think of a way out of this.
Why am I being asked these questions again?
Why am I here?
What is she not telling me?
I idly begin to click my pen as I think, twirling it through my middle and ring fingers slowly. The sleek metal sticks to my skin as the pen flips over my knuckles, landing with a small clatter on the desk as I lose my grip. I lean forward across the desk, and the suit coat I’m wearing bunches up around my elbows, tightening around my shoulders. It must be too small.
Right, back to the questions.
“As I was saying, Ms. Takahashi. Any memories of your father? Any at all?” I ask.
“G-give me some time to think, dammit,” Kagami says nervously as she squirms under the observation of the machine she’s hooked up to. The electrodes on her forehead wrinkle with her brow as she thinks. I tilt my head, attempting to be as nonthreatening as I can.
“Just one good thing. Just one.”
The breathing monitor flashes dimly on the screen next to me. Her heart rate is accelerating. Calm down, Kagami. It’s just a simple question. I lean back in my chair, in an effort to make myself seem less imposing, and am rewarded with a loud squeak from underneath. I should oil this thing.
“I don’t know! I haven’t seen him in years! He just up and left us! How am I supposed to have any good memories of that?!”
“I thought you said you didn’t have any memories of him at all,” I point out.
The girl in the chair in front of me freezes. Her eyes lock with mine. The heart monitor slows.
“What?”
“Isn’t that what you said?”
“…who said, exactly?”
“What?”
Kagami pauses for a brief moment, her fingers slowly dragging across her lower lip. The cuffs on the suit coat she’s wearing droop lazily towards her elbows. It looks a little big on her.
“I think you were somewhere else for a moment, Nakai. Now, back to my question. Have you thought of anything?”
I briefly struggle to lift my arm from the chair before realizing that it’s restrained by a rather tight leather strap. It’s
been restrained. The electrodes on my body are itching again.
“I thought not,” she says flatly. “Well, this is all I needed to hear. Thank you for your time,” the girl across from me says as she slowly stands and begins her exit. As she passes me, however, she drags her long, calloused fingers across my shoulder and leans in closely to my ear.
“I know what you are, Hisao,” she whispers.
“I-I…” is all I can manage to croak out. Her hot breath oppresses my ear. All I can hear is the subtle sound of saliva between parting lips.
“You’re… asleep.”
And I open my eyes and swing myself upright, breathing heavily. The light filtering through the blinds into the room floods my eyes; instinctively, I swing my forearm over my face to cover them.
It was just a dream.
As my eyes adjust to the midmorning light, my elbow slowly lowers to my side. I quickly check my phone for the time- wait, where’s my phone? Come to think of it, where’s my nightstand? This isn’t- oh, that’s right. This is Kagami’s father’s apartment. We got in so late last night, I really didn’t have much time to take stock of the place.
The room I’m in is small and square, with a soft orange glow pulsating behind the window. A fine mist of dust particles hang lazily, suspended, gleaming as the sun’s rays stream through the window and set them ablaze. There’s very little in here besides the closet in the corner, my suitcase, and the traditional bedroll I currently occupy. The hardwood floor’s cold seeps up through the meager insulation of the bedroll, although it’s hardly surprising I feel a chill, considering I’m soaked in sweat.
I rise from the floor, clutching one arm in the other in an attempt to stave off the cold that comes with occupying sweat-soaked pajamas. I need to find a shower. Then, I need to find Kagami.
I collect some clothes from my suitcase and venture into the rest of the unfamiliar apartment to locate a bathroom. The hardwood floor continues out into the hallway and throughout the apartment, walls painted an eggshell white with no pictures or decorations to speak of. Afraid to wake Kagami or anyone else who may be in the apartment, I inch down the hall hesitantly, even if it didn’t seem like there was anyone here last night when we arrived. Always better to be safe than sorry.
I arrive at a fork in the hallway. The bathroom, thankfully, is visible to my right and I don’t have to blindly guess which way I should turn. I duck inside and close the door, checking twice to make sure it’s locked. Not surprisingly, the bathroom itself is also very bare: a western-style commode directly ahead of me, with a plain, white sink next to it. I step into the shower area to the right and pull the curtain before turning the faucet and quickly stepping into the stream.
The water's cold at first, but quickly warms to a more than acceptable temperature. I slowly let all the tension out of my shoulders and allow the water to pour over me for a few minutes. I close my eyes and listen to the sound of the water pattering against the sides and floor of the shower.
After losing complete and utter track of all time, I realize that I can't stand in the hot water all day, comfortable as it may be.
Eventually, after washing — and taking a few more moments to let myself be enveloped by the steam of the shower — I finish toweling myself off and step back into the bathroom. The steam has fogged up the mirror something awful, and it takes a few moments of wiping the reflective surface with a towel before I can fully observe the rather messy state of my hair.
As I stare at my own reflection, I pause for a moment, trying to think back to the dream that had me so worked up. Something about... a dark room? There was a tortoise, too- wait, wasn't I in the desert? No, that doesn't make any sense; tortoises don't live in the desert. Or do they?
I honestly can’t remember what it was about. Damn it. Well, it’s probably for the best anyhow. I don’t think it was in any way pleasant, judging from how much I was sweating.
A sigh of defeat escapes my lips as I simultaneously give up on flattening down a rather boisterous bunch of follicles at the back of my head. I should probably get a haircut sometime in the near future; the unruliness is starting to become overbearing.
After dressing, I venture back out into the hall, which is slowly growing brighter as the sun continues to rise into the sky. A quick scan of the doors later, looking for any sign of a room that may be Kagami’s, I remember that her father moved here after her accident, and she’s never actually lived here.
I sigh frustratedly and resign myself to opening each door slowly to check on the possible occupants. The doors each seem to squeak louder than the one before, earning more and more exasperated sighs as each room is revealed to contain everything but the girl I’m looking for. Minutes pass, and I finally reach the last door in the hallway, opening reveals a sparsely furnished bedroom that seems to have been used the night before.
This is where she slept last night, huh? That bed looks infinitely more comfortable than the floor.
I groan to myself. Way to treat your guests, Kagami. So she must already be up. I wonder why she didn’t come and get me.
I venture further into the center of the large, sun-bathed bedroom, but as I slowly scan the room, it’s clear that the princess is in another castle indeed. I slowly turn away from the mass of unkept blankets, facing only more of the unexplored sections of the impossibly large apartment.
The rest of the place consists of a large room with vaulted ceilings. An L-shaped beige sofa separates the dining area from the living room, either of which would be totally indistinguishable from each other save for the traditional low table in the dining area and the rather old, small CRT television that sits atop a wooden hutch. I guess Kagami’s father doesn’t watch much TV. The kitchen, which also sports a rather outdated-looking gas range and refrigerator, is separated from the dining table by a small bar, complete with a half-full bottle of scotch.
One thing that catches my eye as I look around: everything’s covered in a fine layer of dust. It looks like nobody’s lived here in a while. Kagami did say her father was always on business… that would also explain the lack of… well, everything. The man obviously prefers a very simple lifestyle when he
is home, at least. Considering his wealth, though, he could probably afford to keep a maid coming around every month or so to dust, at least.
I’m about to call out for Kagami when I hear the lock on the front door turn suddenly. I quickly bolt out of the front room in an effort to give myself at least a few seconds to prepare in case someone other than the girl I’m dating… er, “not-dating”, comes through that door. As the door swings inward with a loud squeak, I can hear Kagami finish talking to someone else in the hall.
“…highly unlikely he’s still asleep. I’ll find him and bring him over for breakfast.”
“All right, dear. Just so you know, your uncle should be home any minute. If you want to introduce Hisao before he goes to sleep.”
“I’ll be sure to hurry him along. Be right back over, aunt Mei.”
“Hopefully he’s as cute as you say~” the voice trails off.
Kagami laughs. “You’ll see~” she responds.
A small blush creeps across my face. I wonder how cute she said I was…
I hear Kagami shut the door quietly before starting to walk over towards the hallway. It’s at this point I realize that I’m crouched against the wall near the entrance to the living area, and will quickly be discovered in my somewhat inexplicable state.
Embarrassed to be caught eavesdropping, I make a snap judgment and dash rather loudly back to the room I slept in, half-closing the door.
“Hisao?” Kagami calls out from the hallway. “You there?”
Right, dolt. She’s got short-term memory loss. She’s not deaf.
I casually open the door and stroll out into the hallway. “Hey, you. What’s up?”
Kagami shoots a quizzical glance over the top of her glasses. “You weren’t in the hall, just now?”
“Nope. I’ve been in here,” I say too quickly while gesturing awkwardly with my thumb towards the room I’m exiting.
“Really?” she questions, narrowing her gaze. A small smile begins to form at the corners of her mouth.
“Really,” I respond, leaning against the doorframe and crossing my arms.
“You look flushed.”
“Nuh-uh. Cool as a cucumber.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a saying. Cool as a cucumber. Cucumbers are often cool.”
“Is it, now? If I were assessing your cool-level at the moment, I’d put you closer to… anchovy. Not cucumber.”
“Anchovy? That’s a… strange choice for the description of someone’s cool. In any case my previous argument still stands. Anchovies are often served chilled.”
“True… but unlike cucumbers, anchovies have a distinctly fishy smell. A similar smell to that which I am smelling currently.”
“Ah, I-“ I begin before realizing what she means. Damn. I really fell into that trap, didn’t I? A large smile begins to break over my face as I start to laugh. Kagami joins the laughter a split-second later.
We enjoy ourselves in the mirth for a few seconds before Kagami approaches me slowly, wrapping her arms around me.
“Hey.”
Her warm smile radiates warmth as she presses her chin gently to my chest.
“Hey,” I respond, returning her smile. “Good morning.”
“Good morning to you too. Sleep well?”
“Pretty well. I had some sort of strange dream.”
“A dream, huh? I don’t suppose it was about me, was it?” she teases.
“You know something,” I reply, “I can’t remember, honestly. It was gone by the time I finished my shower.”
“Wrong.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Wrong. You’re supposed to say, ‘Of course, my one and only love. What else could I possibly be dreaming of?’ Not so hard.” Kagami gives a smug smile.
“Eh, lots of things. Things like space, or being a rock star, or a really good cheese sandwich-“ My jest is quickly interrupted by a soft smack to the arm.
“Ass.”
“What can I say? I like cheese sandwiches.”
“How very… Hisao of you.”
“Hey, that actually stung a little,” I rebut, giving the best puppy-dog eyes I can muster.
Kagami replies with a derisive snort of laughter. “One, you were the one that said you like cheese sandwiches. The point is self-proving. Two, your puppy eyes need
serious work.”
A small silence fills the air before we both, yet again, simultaneously burst into laughter.
After a few moments more of giggling, Kagami places one hand on my chest, her other arm still around me. “So since you’re already ready, you should come and have breakfast. My aunt and uncle have the penthouse across from this one. My aunt in particular is very excited to meet you. She’s said so about fifteen times already this morning.”
“Breakfast sounds great.”
“Good,” she replies, and leans up to give me a quick peck on the lips. I reel slightly from the kiss; I guess I’m still not completely used to it, at least casually.
Kagami breaks our embrace, turning on a heel and starting down the hallway before turning around to address me once more.
“Oh, Hisao?”
“Y-yeah?”
“You should probably brush your teeth first.”
~^~
A few moments and much fresher breath later, I’m standing at the door to Kagami’s aunt and uncle’s apartment. At least I think it’s this door. I knock hesitantly for a few seconds before a tall, thin woman pulls open the door violently and smiles brightly.
“Ah, you must be Hisao! Welcome! I’m Kagami’s aunt Mei,” she booms before bowing courteously.
I’m slightly taken aback at the… ferocity… of the warm welcome that I almost forget to bow in return. Thankfully, I’m able to recover from my near-gaffe and return the gesture.
“ThankyousoverymuchforhavingmeinyourhomeTakahashi-sama,” I blurt out, not really thinking about my pace of speech or sudden affinity for formality.
Kagami’s aunt starts to giggle and puts her hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laughter. “You might have mentioned he was a bit skittish, Kagami,” she calls over her shoulder into the apartment.
“He’s a bit skittish!” yells a voice from somewhere inside the apartment. I attempt to express indignation before I realize that I’m still somewhat bowed over.
The woman in front of me gathers herself as I begin to stand upright. “No need to feel uncomfortable, dear. Come on inside; I’ve made breakfast,” she says, whirling around and heading inside the apartment. “Oh, and please just call me Mei, or aunt Mei. I’ll have none of that silly honorifics stuff here; there’s enough pomp and circumstance in the academic world without me having to bring it home.”
“O-okay,” I reply meekly, and follow the woman inside. As we walk, it becomes obvious that she’s a sharp dresser, which I suppose is fitting of a curator for a museum. The black slacks and tan leather blazer coupled with a white blouse underneath complement her thin frame.
Once we’re inside and I remove my shoes, she turns around again and gestures to the table. “You’re welcome to join Kagami and me for breakfast. I’ve made some rice porridge and omelets if you’re hungry,” she says before turning to the refrigerator and digging around for something inside.
I nod like an idiot for a few moments, forgetting that she can’t see me, before I decide to stop embarrassing myself any further and take a seat next to Kagami, who is still trying to suppress her laughter at my discomfort. I gently smack her on the arm.
Kagami’s aunt… er, aunt Mei returns to the table with a few bottles of fruit juice after a brief moment. As she sits, I’m able to take better notice of what she looks like, seeing as how I don’t have my face buried in the floor any more. Her face is framed by shoulder-length brown hair, which flares out slightly near the ends. There also a few telltale silver streaks through her hair, but they’re so well-placed they make me wonder if they were left there intentionally.
She pauses after she sits down, adjusting her glasses. They look remarkably similar to Kagami’s glasses. Come to think of it, the two of the look very similar in the first place, which doesn’t really make any sense considering I thought Kagami’s uncle and father were related.
“You were finishing telling me about your trip down?” Mei asks.
“Yeah, like I said, it was uneventful. We got in close to eleven or so last night, right Hisao?”
“Sounds about correct,” I agree, careful not to mention having to cajole a half-drunk and half-asleep Kagami into finding me something to sleep on for the night for over half an hour.
“Glad to hear everything went as expected.” Mei takes a small bite of porridge before turning to me. “So, Hisao. Have you ever been to Tokyo before?”
“Can’t say I’ve had the pleasure. I’m looking forward to seeing some of the sights,” I reply rather blandly, helping myself to a bowl of the still-steaming rice dish.
“You simply
must come to the museum during your visit. We’ve got an excellent postmodern exhibition that’s only opened a few weeks ago.”
Kagami rolls her eyes. “I was thinking about taking him to do
fun things, aunt Mei.”
Mei huffs. “Oh, come off the snide teenager act. I’m an excellent tour guide.” She crosses her arms in mock indignation before chuckling loudly. I can see where Kagami gets her sense of humor, as well.
“I’m twenty, aunt Mei. Hardly a teenager anymore,” Kagami replies, sticking her tongue out.
“Goodness me, I couldn’t tell with how you still wear your hair in that awful braid like you were fourteen,” Mei retorts.
“I, for one, like the braid. It’s functional and it keeps my hair out of my face when I play. Hisao likes it, right?”
The two women in front of me glance over, neither apparently caring that they’ve just put me on the spot.
“Uh. I decline to respond on pain of injury or disagreeing with the host.”
Mei turns to Kagami. “You didn’t tell me he was smart as well as diplomatic,” she laughs, and Kagami joins in. I smile feebly — I can’t tell whether to laugh with them or run away.
“Anyhow,” Kagami interjects, “I have my MRI for later this afternoon, but we can come by the museum before. I was thinking after we’d go to the park, or maybe the imperial palace.”
“Were you two planning on being home for dinner tonight?”
Kagami shoots a questioning look over at me, to which I shrug in reply.
“I… suppose not?” Kagami says tentatively.
Mei breathes a sigh of relief. “Good. Your uncle and I have a benefit tonight anyway.”
“We have a what?” a gruff voice asks from behind me. I turn around and stand up, startled, and find myself nose-to-nose with a man who I assume to be Kagami’s uncle.
“Very pleased to meet you, Takahashi-san,” I say, feeling somewhat more satisfied with my introduction. “My name is Nakai Hisao. I’m a friend of Kagami’s from school,” I continue as I bow deeply.
The man in front of me, who has a shaved head and large dark circles under his eyes, leans around my bow and remarks, “Skittish, isn’t he?”
Mei giggles behind me. “That’s what I said! Believe it or not he was much worse about five minutes ago or so.”
Damn it.
I right myself quickly and step off to the side, to allow Kagami’s uncle to slide past me and take a seat. He’s dressed in a somewhat-dirty white button-up shirt and dark brown corduroy slacks. He sets a bright yellow hard hat down next to him as he sits.
There’s a silence of a few seconds as the man to my right takes a few omelets and some porridge before beginning to eat. Mei coughs loudly.
“Hm?” he asks through a mouthful of food.
“Introduce yourself, you oaf.”
He sighs, and swallows quickly. “Right, right. Takahashi,” he says, extending a hand, which I awkwardly accept. Mei gives another loud cough, which garners an even louder sigh. “Ichiro, if you must. I assume my wife has given you the ‘no-formality’ speech already.”
I nod sheepishly.
“Honestly, Ichiro. It’s the way of the world these days. Nobody in America or the entire West uses surnames anymore.”
“Last I heard this wasn’t America,” he retorts, giving a sly grin.
“Could have fooled me,” she counters, gesturing at our still-clasped hands. He glances down at the handshake, then back at his wife as he quickly relinquishes my hand.
“It’s different. This is a bad habit from the business.”
“
Speaking of which,” Kagami interrupts the bickering adults, “how is the business, uncle? Were you on-site
all last night?”
“Unfortunately, as I’m sure your aunt already told you,” he states flatly, before turning to me. “I’m the manager of several project sites across the city, and we had a gas leak last night around midnight. Took for-fuckin’-ever just to get the civil department to let us down so we could stop it. I wish I could say nights like last night are a rare occurrence.”
I’m slightly taken aback by his brashness, but it does make it rather easy to see where Kagami got her mouth.
“Were you going to meet Kagami and Hisao downtown today for her appointment?” Mei asks.
Ichiro, who has since shoveled an entire omelet into his mouth, responds with a series of grunts and gestures. Mei rolls her eyes.
“Looks like you’re on your own for that, kids.”
Kagami smiles and glances over at her aunt. “I think we’ll be fine. I have your numbers, and I
suppose we can come by the museum beforehand.”
Mei gives a large smile. “I knew you’d see reason.”
“Are you trying to drag them to that exhibit of yours?” Ichiro interjects. “Postmodernism is anything
but reason.”
“Are you done with your food, dear? You really
should get to bed,” Mei says sarcastically.
“What time is your appointment?” I ask Kagami quietly as the married couple continues jousting opposite us.
“Uhh… around one-thirty. I think. I have it written down somewhere.”
“Good. Are… are they always like this?” I ask.
Kagami giggles. “It’s all in good fun, I promise. Besides, it’s not like you don’t tease me or anything.”
“Fair enough,” I whisper.
Breakfast ends rather unceremoniously, and Ichiro rises from the table, declaring his absolute exhaustion and stomping off rather loudly to what I assume to be either the bath or the bedroom.
Mei glances down at her watch. “Goodness, I’m going to miss the train if I don’t get out of here this instant.” She glances over at the pile of dishes near the sink hesitantly, before rising from the table. “I do apologize for leaving like this, but I have a nine-o’clock call. We should be done by ten, though, if you two would like to come by the museum then.”
Kagami smiles. “We should have enough time.”
Mei returns the grin. “Great. I promise it’ll be worth your while. Lovely to meet you, Hisao. I’ll see you two soon.”
And with that, Kagami’s aunt turns and exits the apartment, shutting the door rather loudly behind her.
Kagami and I share a small silence for a moment before she slides her hand on top of mine and squeezes gently. I crack a smile in return.
“Well, I need to finish getting ready. We’ve got a big day ahead, y’know? You ready?” she asks.
I nod. “You know what? I think I am.”
__________
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