Chapter 12
“Akira, it’s almost time to go,” I mutter, getting up from the bed with a groggy yawn. The light shining from the balcony is still a bright white. In a few hours though, it will turn orange. “We need to change.”
“Few more minutes…” Akira mumbles back, her voice soft and relaxed as she clings to my waist, unwilling to move an inch off the bed. “We were having such a great moment.”
“I’d say it was more than a moment,” I respond with an amused look. “But we still need to get ready.”
Truth be told, the last few hours have been nothing short of great, even if it wasn’t particularly eventful. In fact, it was the very definition of mundane, yet extremely enjoyable. The two of us woke up feeling extremely lazy today, so we spent the entire morning and afternoon simply idling around here.
Most of it was spent on the bed, either reading a book together, talking about stuff, or taking a nap in each other’s arms, which happened to be what we were doing before I remembered our meeting with my friends.
Of course, that wasn’t the only thing we did on the bed, as Akira pounced on me not long after lunch. It was as wondrous as it had been two nights ago, though while she would never believe me, I actually enjoyed reading a book alongside her just as much if not more so. By an insignificant margin, but a margin nonetheless.
“You go first.” Akira says in a childish voice, and I comply by getting off the bed, though not without some difficulty as she continues to cling to me. The disappointed groan she gives out when I finally break away from her sounds pretty cute.
I go to my wardrobe to pick something to change into, settling on a black turtleneck and jeans. Picking those up, I go to the bathroom and begin taking off my current set of clothes, folding them and placing them into a neat little pile to wear once we come back.
“Feeling nervous?” I ask. “About meeting the rest of my friends and all.”
“Not really. Sayumi and Toshiro seem cool with me, so the rest of them should too,” Akira responds. “Can’t be worse than my coworkers.”
“They can’t all hate you,” I point out. The idea of an entire company hating one person feels ridiculous to me, despite the fact I’ve heard her complain about it over and over.
“Well the ones that don’t are too scared of what will happen if they associate themselves with me,” she shoots back, letting out a frustrated groan. As I finish donning my clothes, I hear her say in a softer voice, “I was feeling so happy, too.”
“Sorry,” I say as I walk back to the bed. Akira gets up off the bed to approach me, planting a quick kiss on my lips.
“It’s fine,” she responds, walking to her suitcase to find something to wear. As she bends down, I get a reminder that she isn’t wearing anything other than a plain red shirt, and feel my face heating up. “And try not to stare at my ass too much.”
“Kind of hard when you’re deliberately trying to get me to look at it,” I point out defensively, causing her to snort in amusement. Despite that accusation, I do look away. “Besides, nothing wrong with appreciating my girlfriend’s looks.”
“That so?” Akira finally turns around, showing a red turtleneck and long brown pants. “Hmm, I guess it matches your look.”
“Other than the fact that we’re wearing turtlenecks, I fail to see how.” Akira gets annoyed at my statement, saying nothing as she walks to the bathroom, though not before I feel her hit my ass with the back of her foot. “Hey!”
“Nothing wrong with appreciating my boyfriend’s body,” she says as she enters the bathroom. Despite the fact that I can’t see her, there’s no doubt in my mind that a very smug expression is on her face.
As I sit on the edge of my bed, waiting for her to get changed, I let out a contented sigh as the memories of the previous days fill my head. Even something as insignificant as lazing around all day, which the old me would most likely have abhored, was precious simply due to the fact that it was being done with her.
“Only a few days left,” I remind myself, not wanting to feel like there won’t be an end to the wonderful experience. A short trip to Hokkaido, then a brief rest, and it’ll be over. She’ll return to the life she hates so much, and we’ll simply go back to calling each other every day, out of reach.
It’ll be hard to adjust back to that, given the fact that the last few days were some of the best in my life. I imagine she would feel the same way, and let out another sigh, this time a more somber one. The light at the end of the tunnel, a future where we could be together all the time, was still a long way away.
But there’s still a lot of tunnels left to go through. Lots of stumbling in the dark, trying to make our way there. I’m determined to go through that, but a part of me still wishes we could reach that end a little sooner than we expect to.
“Thinking about something?” Akira asks as she emerges from the bathroom, dressed in her turtleneck and pants. She stretches her body in front of me, giving me a playful smile. “This look good?”
“It does, though I may be a bit biased in my opinion,” I respond, causing her to roll her eyes. “And I was thinking about something.”
“Going to tell me?” she asks curiously.
“Maybe later. It’s not a particularly interesting thought,” I say as I get up from the bed, extending a hand to her. “Well, shall we head off?”
She reaches for it, only to slap it away with a giggle. “Gotta get my wallet first.”
“Right…” I respond as she goes to grab her wallet, with me doing the same. Then we exit my apartment, ready to meet my friends.
“So, now would be a good time to give me a heads up on your other friends,” Akira mentions as we make our way to the udon place, which happens to be quite a ways away. While it might be easier to take the train, we agree to stretch our legs after being cooped up inside all day.
“Hmm, I suppose I should start with Daisuke,” I respond, finding him the easiest to talk about. “He likes to be the center of attention, so he acts all cocky and condescending towards us, and we all make fun of him for it. It’s annoying, but in a good sort of way, I guess.”
“A good kind of annoying, huh?” Akira seems to ponder the idea a little, looking thoughtful. “Never really thought that was a thing. Guess I’ve just been exposed to the bad kind of annoying.”
“He’s a good guy, and he can be serious when he needs to. But otherwise he’s just a bit much sometimes,” I add as we cross the street, a chill breeze blowing against our faces. “He lives with another friend of ours, Takeshi. The two of them usually bicker a lot, but otherwise he’s a pretty normal guy. Really into video games, fighting games in particular.”
“Fighting games, huh? We did play that at the arcade,” Akira smiles as she says that, the memory popping up in my mind as well. “I guess he’s pretty good at it?”
“He wipes the floor with us,” I answer, causing her to laugh a little. “But he sucks at air hockey. One time he lost with over half his opponent’s points coming from him hitting the puck into his own goal.”
“Well, I know what to challenge him at then,” Akira says, taking a hold of my hand. “Anyone else?”
“Sora,” I reply, squeezing her hand, enjoying her warmth against the cold of winter. “She’s a bit of a fashionista, I suppose. She likes shopping for clothes, and is best friends with Sayumi. Absolutely hates getting anything on what she’s wearing though. One time Toshiro accidentally spilled some tea on her dress and she almost strangled him.”
“Wow, that’s quite a reaction. Though I guess if you accidentally threw all my beer away, I’d do the same thing.” Akira squeezes my hand tighter as she says that, though thankfully it was still in the realm of comfortability.
“Warning heeded,” I respond with a nervous laugh.
The two of us grow silent as we walk through the streets, each of us looking in different directions sometimes. Occasionally we look at each other, and always give a mutual smile, but otherwise we don’t say anything.
That’s perfectly fine with me. I’ve talked more with her over the past few days than I had in the previous week, or even month. Despite having an active social circle, I’m still fairly terse when it comes to conversations overall, and quietness is something I find comforting instead of depressing. It allows me to reflect on the times where I’m not alone.
Eventually Akira stops, forcefully stopping me as well. I turn to look at her, and see that she looks slightly frustrated before turning back to me, her expression instantly reverting back into a calm and casual smile.
“Heh, sorry,” she says as she inches her body closer to mine, resuming her walking. “Thought of something annoying.”
“Want to tell me?” I ask her, and she rolls her eyes.
“Maybe later. It’s not a particularly interesting thought,” she responds, mirroring my words from earlier with a cheeky smile on her face. “Unless of course, someone is willing to tell me what they were thinking earlier?”
“You really wanna know so badly?” I ask in return, and she simply nods. Letting out a sigh, I decide to relent. “It’s not something…immediately important. I was just thinking about when we’d finally be able to live together. More than temporarily, I mean.”
“That really it?” Akira seems disappointed by my answer.
“I did say it wasn’t a particularly interesting thought,” I say defensively. “Your turn.”
“Oh, fine.” She hesitates a bit before answering, looking away from me in a rare show of embarrassment. “I could have sworn I passed by Fujiwara, or at least someone who looked an awful lot like him.”
It takes me a moment to realize who she’s referring to, and all I can answer with is a very neutral “Oh.”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to bring that up, it just happened.” Akira’s tone makes it clear that she was trying to backpedal.
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” I respond reassuringly, even giving her a kiss on the cheek as proof. “I suppose you two walked around here a lot?”
“On the way back from a long work day, yeah…” Akira was unusually hesitant replying. “Usually one of us would be drunk off our asses, and the other one was just sober enough to guide both of us home.”
“Ah, sounds like a fun memory.” I comment. Recalling a memory of her previous boyfriend should make me jealous, and yet it doesn’t. In fact, Akira seems more troubled about it than I am.
“Should it be?” Akira asks, her face contorting into a confused grimace. “I mean, I feel like it shouldn’t be, considering how it ended. Especially now that I’m with you.”
“Well, you told me that I’m the best relationship you ever had, so it’s kind of hard to feel jealous with that under my belt,” I say, which does make her smile a little. “But...I don’t know. I guess the right answer would be whatever you decide.
“The memories as they are can be happy ones, and just soured by what happened later. Like a movie I saw with my friends that was great at the beginning but got pretty bad at the end. Whether or not you think the good part of it is worth keeping, or whether you think it’s even a good memory or not, is up to you.”
“That’s a nice way to think about it,” Akira says, sounding as if she’s conceding an argument even though all I did is raise a point. She turns to me and gives me a questioning look. “What about you then? Do you think the good memories you have from before are still good, even after it all went down in flames?”
Despite the fact that it wasn’t explicitly said, I assume that she’s referring to my memories of Lilly. It’s a question I thought I had the answer to before I met her, but upon reflecting at this very moment, I begin to wonder if that answer still holds true.
“I...don’t know,” I admit with uncertainty. “I thought I did, but I don’t. All this time I’ve just been blocking those memories out of my mind, since that’s all they are now. Memories. But if I start to really recall them, I’m not sure how I would feel now.”
“Mm, I guess it never is as simple as good or bad when it comes to those things,” Akira responds, playfully waving our hand up and down like a pendulum. “Funny how we keep wanting a future together, but we keep talking and remembering about stuff we’ve tried to forget.”
“Yeah…” We go silent once again, allowing me to go through my thoughts to try and find a definite answer. I get close to one, but it’s just out of my grasp. Like having the elements for a formula, but being unable to arrange them into an equation.
“Let’s drop it for now and talk about that some more when we get to Hokkaido, alright?” Akira offers as she gives me a look that suggests she’s feeling the same way. “Wouldn’t want to keep your head spinning while having dinner with your friends.”
“You’re right,” I say, feeling like a load is being lifted off me. “Let’s have fun and sort out those feelings later.”
The sky is just beginning to turn orange as we reach the area where the udon place is, a crowded area full of high class stores and restaurants, not entirely dissimilar to where Akira took us for our first dinner together.
It doesn’t take long for us to spot Toshiro and Sayumi, along with Sora. Toshiro notices us as well and waves us over, and we quickly go to meet them.
“Hey there, Hisao,” Sora says with a bright smile on her face, wearing a white winter dress and a black coat, as always looking quite fashionable. “Glad you can make it.”
“Well, it’s free food and Daisuke’s paying, so it’s hard to pass up,” I joke before turning to Akira. “And this is my girlfriend, Akira Satou.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Akira says in a casual voice, extending a hand to Sora, who gives a slight bow before accepting it. “Like he said, I’m his girlfriend. Name’s Akira.”
“Sora,” She replies as she shakes her hand, her eyes wandering up and down with an approving gaze. “I must say, you have excellent taste in style. The turtleneck and pants are really chic.”
“I’m wearing a turtleneck too, you know.” I point out as their hands separate, causing her to give me a look and shake her head.
“Color doesn’t really match your jeans, not to mention that turtlenecks don't really go amazingly well with jeans anyways,” Sora comments, acting like a fashion critic discussing the latest clothing line. “You don’t look bad, but nothing that makes you pop either.”
“Well, that’s what I’m here for,” Akira states, clinging onto my hand. “Since he can’t really cut it as eye candy, he decided to bring me to do it instead.”
The rest of them let out a chuckle at that, much to my embarrassment. I feel my cheeks heating up as I try to think of a retort, though nothing comes to mind. At the very least, she’s making a good impression on Sora.
“I like her already,” Sora says gleefully. “Can we just bail and keep her away from Daisuke for the night? I feel like she doesn’t deserve to suffer him.”
“Seconded.” Sayumi says in agreement.
Toshiro simply shakes his head and turns to the two of us, motioning us down the busy sidewalk. “The udon’s place is just around the corner,” he says impatiently. “Let’s go before I’m convinced to side with them.”
A quick walk and a turn at the end of the sidewalk leads us to our destination, a rather traditional looking restaurant, with tons of ornaments and lanterns hanging off its wooden walls. The sign above the entrance reads ‘Oda Udon’ in very large calligraphic kanji, and the smell of broth filled my nostrils, warm and inviting.
“Whew…” Sayumi lets out a satisfied breath, sniffing rather audibly. “Daisuke may be annoying, but he sure knows how to find a nice place to eat.”
“Well, I’m glad he’s paying,” Sora says as she looks at the menu just outside the entrance. “If I couldn’t smell what we’re getting into from here, I’d say these prices are a ripoff and a half.”
“Oh, they aren’t so bad,” Akira comments as she looks at the menu. “I can think of places that sell pretty crappy food for even more money, just because it has fancy French add-ons like “au fromage” or “au jus” or something like that.”
“You know a lot of restaurants around here?” Sora asks, sounding curious.
“A lot of the good ones, and some of the bad ones,” Akira answers nonchalantly. “Though some of them have changed since I lived here, and I don’t really know how good the new places are.”
Her answer just makes the others all the more interested in her. Considering that we never revealed where she’s currently staying, I suppose tonight might be a good time to bring it up, if only to get them more familiar with each other.
The five of us enter the restaurant, which happens to be a mix of tables on the left side and a long bar with stools on the right. The tables are all occupied, mostly by people wearing business suits, so we quickly decide to go to the bar instead. A lot of the seats there are empty, and we manage to find a large empty space where we can all sit, including Daisuke and Takeshi.
Provided no one else sits there before they arrive.
Looking around the place, I see that the traditional aesthetic is carried over from the outside, with the interior mostly consisting of wood, with barely any traces of concrete or stone. On the walls are several wood block paintings with the same calligraphic style as the sign outside, depicting scenes of mythology, war and nature. Behind the bar we’re sitting at is a large screen door beside a waterfall fountain, where waiters come in and out of carrying bowls of udon noodles. It was a noisy, chaotic, but ultimately refreshing atmosphere.
“So, what are you guys ordering?” Sayumi asks as the menus are brought to us.
“Well, it’s on Daisuke’s tab, so…” Sora immediately flips through the menu and points out several things, one after the other. “Some beef udon, roasted duck, maybe a bowl of miso soup or two, daikon, salmon skin…”
“Any more and you won’t be able to wear half your clothes,” Toshiro says jokingly, causing Sayumi to give him a very threatening glare, which he ignores. “I’ll have the curry fish udon, some miso soup, and tofu.”
“Um, still deciding…” Sayumi says nervously as she flips back and forth between pages, turning to me and Akira. “What about you two?”
“As long as I’m having sake, I can eat nothing and have a good time,” Akira answers cheerfully, causing the others to chuckle. “But since I don’t want to come off as an alcoholic, I’ll have something to eat first. A bowl of beef udon, and some white rice.”
“Ooooo, a drinker, huh?” Sora notes as she looks right at me. “Didn’t think you’d go for someone who likes their alcohol, Mr.I Can’t Drink.”
“Well, I never thought I’d have a girlfriend, period, yet here I am,” I reply, rolling my eyes at the comment. “It doesn’t really bother me all that much, apart from the fact that I have to keep a couple cans of beer in my fridge.”
“I’m paying for pretty much everything else during my stay here, so you’ve got to chip in somehow,” Akira adds with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. “Or are you saying that you’d rather have me in a hotel you have to walk to every day?”
My friends let out a laugh, and Akira and I look at each other with a knowing gaze. It’s not all that different from how we usually talk to each other, but there is an element of us playing it up just a bit. Perhaps she just wants to acclimate our conversations into the dynamics me and my friends share.
“You said you lived here, Akira,” Toshiro notes as we made our orders to the waiter, who immediately walked off. “Where do you live now?”
“...Scotland,” Akira responds after a bit of a delay. “I lived here for most of my life, but family and business forced me to move there, so I did.”
“Oh, I see.” Toshiro and the others seem curious about it, though I can see that they’re being cautious on how to approach the subject. “Well, from what I’ve heard, Scotland is a pretty beautiful place!”
“Yeah, I’ve heard the same thing, but…” Akira goes silent again for a moment. “Uh, d’you mind if I...uh...bitch a little? Just want to make sure you guys really want to listen, you know?”
It doesn’t take them long to nod, with Sora even adding, “Trust me, we like to bitch a lot too. Mostly about Daisuke, but sometimes other things too. Hell, I think we’ve all bitched about everyone in our group at least one.”
“Even me?” I asked in a joking tone.
“When you’re not around to help us study,” Sora responds with a smirk, causing Toshiro and Sayumi to laugh. “Or when you’re being smug about how good you are.”
“...Ok, I can be a little smug,” I say, conceding the point. “But hey, my arrogance is earned at the very least.”
“Let’s not go off topic,” Toshiro points out. “So yeah, feel free to be yourself around us, Akira. We wouldn’t want anyone to be anything less.”
Akira seems to find some feeling of relief at that, and her smile widens. “Alright then, if it’s me you want, it’s me you get. So...where do I even start?”
For the next few minutes, the spotlight is all on Akira as she tells them about her job and her place in Scotland. Or rather, about how much she hates it and finds it completely infuriating. She doesn’t go too into detail about it, but it’s enough to keep them interested in listening to her. The rant lasts right up until we hear an ever familiar voice arrive.
“Greetings, commoners. The star of the show has arrived at last.”
We all turn to see Daisuke and Takeshi approach us, with the former having his usual smug smile while the latter has his head in his hands, most likely from something Daisuke said. Nothing out of the ordinary, apart from the fact that Daisuke is currently wearing a silver suit with a red tie, like something either a flashy businessman or a yakuza would wear.
“Hi, Daisuke,” Toshiro says, sounding cheerful despite Sora and Sayumi letting out quiet groans. “What took you so long? We were almost starting to enjoy ourselves.”
“Hah, people like me have the luxury of being fashionably late,” Daisuke says in a grandiose tone, the two of them sitting down beside Toshiro at the bar. “But if you must know, our good friend Takeshi ran into a little bowel issue.”
“Seriously?” Sora asks. When Takeshi doesn’t reply, she adds, “You know being silent isn’t going to help your case, right?”
“I don’t want to talk about it…” Takeshi mutters, slumping onto the counter as the menu is brought to the two of them. “Urgh...just give me some noodles so I can forget about it…”
“Well since I AM paying for us all, I’ll go ahead and order for you,” Daisuke mentions as he leans down on the counter, eyes focusing on Akira. “And you must be the lovely lady currently seeing Hisao, yes?”
Akira doesn’t seem fazed by his weird way of speaking, and simply nods her head. “That’d be me alright, though I’d hardly call myself ‘lovely’. It’s Akira, by the way. Akira Satou.”
“...Satou?” Daisuke raises an eyebrow at that, his smile fading a little. “You wouldn’t happen to be involved with the Satou Conglomerate, would you?”
“Uh, yeah…” Akira answers, sounding a bit awkward. “I work as a lawyer there at their Scotland branch. Why?”
“Oh, nothing, nothing,” Daisuke immediately turns to stare at me, a very surprised look on his face. “It’s just that I recall Hisao skipping class to chase after someone, though it seems I underestimated just how big of a catch he truly got.”
“Hey, don’t talk about her like that!” Sayumi hisses, glaring at him. “She’s not some kind of fish, you know?”
Surprisingly, Daisuke doesn’t respond with anything witty or mildly insulting, even bowing his head towards Akira. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do that before, or at least not respectfully. “You’re right. My sincerest apologies, Ms. Satou…”
My friends are just as shocked as I am, and turn to me, as if expecting some explanation. I simply give them a shrug, as while I do have my suspicions about the sudden shift in character, I’m just as caught off guard as they are.
“Akira, please,” Akira insists as the food arrives, at least for the five of us that ordered first. “Not really comfortable with the whole formality thing.”
“Very well,” Daisuke says, and simply turns to look at the rest of us. “Might I ask why all of you are gawking when there’s perfectly delicious food in front of you?”
“Wow, you got him to apologize…” Sayumi notes, her awe as genuine as I’ve ever heard it. “I can’t believe it.”
Akira simply shrugs and goes to eat her udon, breaking some wooden chopsticks and picking up the noodles with them.
“We need her to hang out with us more often,” Sora says, turning to me specifically. “If she can shut Daisuke up, she’s a keeper.”
“I knew that already...the keeper part, I mean,” I answer with a roll of my eyes as the rest of us begin eating as well, save for Daisuke and Takeshi. My order of seaweed udon tastes superb, with the noodles nice and spongy while the broth is hot and full of all kinds of flavors, making for a harmonious dish that was clearly made with extremely good ingredients and preparation.
Is it the best bowl of noodles I’ve ever eaten? Perhaps, but the fact that I have to consider it is already proof enough to how good it is.
“Mmm, sho goodddd…” Sayumi mumbles around the noodles in her mouth. Toshiro is making similar noises of enjoyment, and while Sora is silent, she’s clearly impressed by what she’s currently eating.
“You’re very welcome.” Daisuke says as his and Takeshi’s food finally arrive. “I’ll excuse the lack of praise since you’re all too busy indulging in mindless gluttony.”
“Thanks, Daisuke,” I say after I take a sip of my broth. “I appreciate you treating us again, especially since I’ve brought an extra person.”
“Finally, the adulation I’m owed,” he responds approvingly, nodding at me before beginning to eat his own meal. “I knew there’s a reason why I liked you best.”
The next few minutes pass by as we all eat what we ordered, conversation stopping to a crawl. I occasionally turn my head to see the others, most of whom are just eating their meals and savoring how good they are. Sayumi and Toshiro sometimes feed each other a bite of their meals, earning snarky comments from Takeshi or Daisuke.
A sweet sentiment, one which I’m soon offered as Akira notices it as well and picks a piece of beef to point at my face.
“Ahhhh…” I make that sound before eating it, drawing the attention of the others.
“Well, at least there’s more than one couple in our group now,” Takeshi notes with a chuckle. “It’s refreshing, actually. Seeing Sayumi and Toshiro doing couples stuff was getting kind of old.”
“No one asked you to stare,” Toshiro points out with a grimace, causing Sayumi to giggle.
“I agree with my erstwhile friend,” Daisuke adds, even wrapping his arm around Takeshi’s shoulders to prove his point. “Though it is a bit sad that Sora remains the only woman that’s single among our little group.”
“Oh shut it…” Sora mutters, sounding as if his words cut deep. “You and Takeshi are still single too, you know.”
“I am single by choice, for I do not wish to squander the prime of my life on such matters,” Daisuke announces, as if he’s making a royal proclamation. “As for my good friend Takeshi, he has his eyes on a certain oblivious beauty.”
Takeshi immediately blushes at the insinuation, and looks away from the others. Sayumi and Toshiro trade glances, while Sora simply looks confused.
“And who’s that oblivious beauty, Takeshi?” Sora asks in a demanding voice. “Someone we know?”
Takeshi simply resumes eating his meal, and I turn to Daisuke, who simply gives me a playful smile. It’s only then that it clicks to me that he was referring to Sora. The idea of Takeshi having feelings for her isn’t completely out of the blue, given that they were friends. They’ve even hung out together outside of our circle of friends a few times, though I only know that because Daisuke would tell the rest of us in a rather loud fashion, earning the ire of both of them.
Still, I must be showing some expression of realization on my face, as Daisuke simply puts a finger to his lips. He’s asking for my silence in this. I nod, and go back to eating my meal. That matter is between them, and while I may try to influence it in the future, it’s best to let those things take their course.
After all, It’s not like they’re going to be separated anytime soon, as Akira and I were when we first realized our feelings for each other.
“Fine, don’t tell me,” Sora grumbles as she goes back to her food, and I thought I heard a hint of jealousy. All the while, Akira simply watches our exchange with an amused smile on her face.
Eventually, I feel the need to head to the bathroom, and I excuse myself to go there. The bathroom is about as traditional as the rest of the place, though fortunately it has a few modern urinals instead of having to pee into a porcelain hole in the ground. As I begin to relieve myself, the door opens to reveal Daisuke, who gives me a wide smile.
“Would you believe me if I said that one of the reasons I chose this place was because they had actual urinals, as opposed to other traditional places? Truly, some restaurants take traditionalism to a rather unhealthy degree sometimes. Excreting into holes? That should be left for primitives.”
“Yeah, I feel the same way,” I answer as he takes the urinal next to mine. Giving in to my curiosity, I ask him now that we’re in private, “Do you happen to know who Akira really is? Considering you seem to know the company she works for?”
He doesn’t answer immediately, letting me finish relieving myself before actually answering. “My father is a very influential man, Hisao. Influential and wealthy, though thankfully he’s still a good man despite that. It’s why I’m able to afford paying such lavish meals for all of you, and I do admit to being inspired by him when it comes to my more...grandiose moments.”
“Unfortunately, there’s always a bigger fish in the wide ocean of corporations, and your girlfriend’s father happens to be a rather large fish. Far larger than my own, sad to say. And while my dad is not a subsidiary of his company, he has definitely had dealings with him. So in the hierarchy of it all, she’s definitely in a much higher position than I, hence my rather tame act towards her in the beginning.”
“I see…” I say as I wash my hands. “Well, you don’t need to act any differently towards her. I can’t tell you much, at least not without her express permission, but let’s just say she’s far more down to earth than you think.”
“I figured as much. Still, of all people to have as your girlfriend,” Daisuke says, sounding impressed. “How much older is she compared to you?”
“Six years.”
“Ah, about what I expected,” Daisuke finishes up and washes his hands alongside me. Despite the both of us being done, we linger here a little longer. “Must have been difficult to establish this sort of relationship, given the many differences. Age, social status, physical distance…”
“Yeah…” I say, giving him a serious look. “Honestly, it still is. She’ll only be here for a few days longer, but I want to make the most out of it while we can. Until we can finally be together permanently. That’s the plan, at least.”
“I wish you the best of luck, Hisao.” Daisuke says fondly, in a tone that he usually only uses when it’s just the two of us.
“Thank you,” I reply with a smile. “Come on, let’s get back before they begin to enjoy your absence.”
“And I gave him the damn paper, and he was like ‘oh it’s the wrong one’. Bullshit! It’s what you asked for, asshole!” Akira’s voice is full of pent up rage and anger, her words having a slight slur to them. Her face is red, and she takes another sip of her sake. “And then he asks me to give him the right one, so I give him another document, but then he says he wants the first one!”
It has been a few hours since we got here, and most of the food had already been consumed. In its place comes the sake, which everyone but me is drinking. Instead, I simply order a nice cup of tea and watch as the alcohol slowly but surely changes the atmosphere of our little group.
Of course, it starts with them praising the quality of the sake, and teasing me to have some. I refuse, and they simply drink some more. Considering the alcoholic content, which is generally higher than that of wine, it doesn’t take long for them to start getting rowdy.
In general, I dislike it when they get drunk, which is admittedly a rare occasion. Things get noisier, people begin saying some rather inane sentences, not to mention that they start getting pushier. Being a lucid observer, I note the differences in my friends under the influence of alcohol.
Daisuke has minimal changes, all things considered. His personality doesn’t really go through any major change regardless of the state of his sobriety. Sora and Takeshi simply babble stuff and mindlessly giggle every now and then, with Takeshi babbling about his day while Sora babbles about everyone’s looks.
As for Sayumi and Toshiro, well…
“Fuck work!” Sayumi says in an aggressive voice that I thought uncharacteristic, until it dawned on me that she’s an entirely different character while drunk. “Blah blah blah! Do this! Do that! If we didn’t need to get paid, every blue collar employee would have stabbed their bosses by now!”
“Hey, we need to contribute to society!” Toshiro refutes in an equally loud tone, pointing a thumb at himself with a confident smile. “Look at me! I’ll be a baker soon, and I’ll be feeding hundreds of people! Thousands!...But yeah, that sounds like bullshit, Akira…”
“I know, right?” Akira responds, sounding extremely enthusiastic as she, Toshiro and Sayumi continue their loud tirade about work. I look around the restaurant, which is just as crowded as before, and notice that none of the patrons seem to mind. Granted, it’s probably because a number of them are getting drunk and having similar experiences, and the rest are desensitized to it at this point.
Turning back, I see Takeshi and Sora joining the three in talking about...something. In the few seconds since I’ve stopped paying attention they’ve transitioned from complaining about work to something involving smoking and taxes. Daisuke meanwhile is face down on the counter, a bottle of sake next to him.
Still, it does put a smile on my face seeing Akira interact so energetically with them, especially since I’m not involved in any way. As weird as it is, seeing her talk so freely without me makes it feel as if they’re genuinely bonding, instead of out of obligation due to sharing a mutual acquaintance in me.
I wonder if that’ll continue the next time they meet, whenever that might be. And if alcohol would still be needed, though I hope that it wouldn’t.
“Hisao? Is that you?”
A familiar voice breaks me out of my thought, and I turn to see the person standing just a few feet ahead of me, my eyes widening a little in surprise. It’s Mr.Tatsunagi, wearing a black button-down shirt and pants. And he isn’t alone, as just behind him is Mr.Kurosawa, wearing an equally black suit and tie alongside long dark blue pants. Both of them seem surprised to see me, though with Kurosawa I see more suspicion.
“Did you arrange for the boy to come here, Hisato?” Kurosawa asks in a grumbling voice, to which Mr.Tatsunagi simply raises his hands defensively.
“No, no, this is all just a massive coincidence,” Mr.Tatsunagi insists before turning back to me, glancing at the others beside me. “Regardless, it’s good to see you’re doing well, Hisao. Out with friends, I assume?”
“Yes,” I say. “You too?”
“We are not friends. Do not assume, boy,” Mr.Kurosawa chastises before sitting at the counter, a space empty between him and me. Mr.Tatsunagi simply sighs and takes the empty seat between us, giving me an apologetic look, most likely for Mr.Kurosawa’s behavior.
“I assume you’re here for the sake?” I ask him, knowing that he’s a man who likes his alcohol, especially this late and with Kurosawa with company. It makes things slightly awkward when we go out together given my refusal to drink, though only slightly.
“You would be right, though it’s for a more special occasion than usual,” Mr.Tatsunagi responds as Kurosawa orders sake for the both of them. I quickly turn back to my friends, who finally seem to recognize Mr.Tatsunagi, though in their drunken stupor all they do is stare. “My days of crashing at the college might come to an end.”
“Oh? You’re moving back in with your wife?” I ask, feeling happy for him if that is the case. Over the course of our friendship, which still feels a little weird, he’s periodically updated with his attempts to make amends with his ex-wife and child.
From what he’s told me, it’s going well, if not entirely without problems. He and his wife had a long discussion about it, wherein they admitted that their feelings for one another never truly went away, considering they’ve been together as far back as high school. Still, such deep wounds wouldn’t heal so easily, but at the very least they’re beginning to try and mend them.
He told me that remarrying was still a ways away, as they had to spend far more time and be far more certain, but it’s at least a possibility. In a way, it’s much like my relationship with Akira. The fact that he’s moving back to their place is a big step forward.
“Not on a complete basis, but yes,” Mr.Tatsunagi says with a cheery voice, to which Mr.Kurosawa simply scoffs. “We’re taking things slow, so I’ll be staying over a few days a week, and on a spare mattress. Still, it sure beats sleeping in the library.”
“Hmph, I see no reason why we should celebrate,” Kurosawa interjects as the sake quickly comes over, him pouring some for Mr Tatsunagi and then himself. “It is presumptuous to rejoice in victory when this personal project of yours is still in progress.”
“And yet you’re here, Maasaki.” Mr.Tatsunagi comments.
“Bah! For the sake, not for you,” he counters, raising his glass. “Now cheer with me, you old fool.”
“Heh, can’t exactly argue with ‘old fool’, I suppose.” The two click their glasses together, and despite the sour look on Mr.Kurosawa’s face, I can sense a hint of camaraderie between them. It’s clear that despite his claims to the contrary, they’re close friends.
I feel something tug on my hand, and turn to see Akira staring right at me, her face flush from the alcohol. She gives me a curious smile, and I wonder how inebriated she’s gotten.
“Who’re you talking to?” she asks, her voice more slurred than before.
“My college lecturer,” I answer calmly. “He just happens to come here.”
“What a coincidence. Guess a lot of people come for the alcohol instead of the food,” Akira says with a giggle, shaking her head slightly. “Want to introduce me to him?”
“You sure?” I say, wanting to make absolutely sure. Her response is a very offhanded shrug.
“Why not. I’ve already been introduced to your friends, so let’s go all the way,” Akira declares, rather loudly at that, causing the other to laugh. “Not like that...Ok, maybe like that. But not now.”
“Well, glad to know you’re not a virgin.” Daisuke comments, causing another round of chuckles.
“You guys…” I mutter before turning back to face Tatsunagi, whose expression already gives away the fact that he heard at least part of that. Despite looking away from me, there’s a playful smile plastered on his face.
“Uh, Hisato,” I say, using his actual name. “There’s someone I want to introduce you to.”
“So I’ve heard.” Mr.Tatsunagi says, his smile widening. All the while, Kurosawa looks ahead, ignoring our conversation.
I motion towards Akira, who simply waves at Mr.Tatsunagi. “This is Akira Satou, my girlfriend. She’s visiting me while I’m still on my semester break, so we can spend some time together.”
Mr.Kurosawa slowly turns to face me as I mention her name, his eyes narrowing curiously before a look of realization dawns on his face. It seems that Daisuke isn’t the only one who notices her last name, though I question why. Her family can’t be the only Satous in Japan, though I suppose the blonde hair might narrow things down a bit. Mr.Tatsunagi, on the other hand, simply nods his head and waves back at Akira.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Satou,” he says in a formal tone, the effects of alcohol already beginning to show on his face.
“Akira,” she responds. “And nice to meet you too. Today seems to be the day that I’m meeting everyone in his life. Mind telling me if he’s a good student?”
“One of my best,” Mr.Tatsunagi responds with certainty, and I can’t help but feel a bit of pride. “He has a bright future ahead of him, however he wants to pursue it.”
“A bright future, huh?” Akira seems to ponder that statement a little, growing silent before finally saying something. “Glad to know he’s doing well. Wouldn’t want him to starve.”
“Regardless, it’s good to see Hisao being so outgoing,” Mr.Tatsunagi says in an approving tone. “He was quite the shy one a few months ago, which I was a little worried about.”
“Yeah, it took a bit for me to break him out of his shell,” Akira teases, nudging me on the shoulder. “But I’m glad I did. Underneath that quiet and sometimes grumpy exterior is a pretty good guy, if I do say so myself.”
“Since when am I grumpy?” I ask, raising an eyebrow with a slightly embarrassed scowl.
“Like right now,” Akira shoots back with a giggle.
“I’m not grumpy,” I respond, trying to sound dignified. Mr.Tatsunagi simply chuckles as he takes another sip of his drink.
“It seems you two are quite fond of each other, though I suppose the fact that you’re lovers makes that fact more than a little obvious.” His smile fades momentarily, replaced by a look of longing as he stares at the both of us.
I wonder if he’s thinking about his relationship with his ex-wife, which while recovering is still rather strained from what I understand. At their best, how similar was it to the relationship Akira and I currently have before they separated? No doubt there’d be some differences, but the affection between them was surely there before it all fell apart.
Did it happen gradually, day by day? Or did a single moment completely shatter it, making them continue the relationship out of obligation? Regardless of the answer, I silently hope that I don’t make the same mistakes in regards to my relationship with Akira, as well as for his relationship to hopefully be stronger than what it was before.
My group of friends and I leave the building before Mr.Tatsunagi and Mr.Kurosawa, about an hour or so after they arrive. During that time, I divide my time between the two groups, which they don’t seem to mind despite not intermingling at all. The exception to that is Akira, who reveals more of herself to my friends and a little to Mr.Tatsunagi, with the latter even raising his glass with her more than once.
I give the two a wave goodbye, as I’m the last to leave the restaurant. My friends are all still drunk, though not to the point where they can’t function.
“Alright, I’m going homeeee…” Sora slurs out as we walk down the sidewalk, her head wobbling slightly. “Urgh, going back is such a pain, even with the trains running.”
“Alternatively, you can catch a cab with us, seeing as I have no intention of straining my feet” Daisuke suggests as we stop near a crossing. “It’s on the way to your place, and it’ll be far more cost effective if three people were on it than two.”
“Yeah, you should catch a ride with us,” Takeshi says, looking at her hopefully. It’s clear that he wants her to accept, though whether it’s clear to Sora, only she knows. “Shouldn’t go back alone, so late at night.”
“Do make your answer quick, as the nearest taxi stand isn’t across this street,” Daisuke points out, extending his hand to the left. “That would be the direction we want to go.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll go with you two,” Sora says, nodding her head repeatedly. “God I hope the taxi doesn’t smell. With the way I’m feeling, I might puke.”
“If you do, aim at Takeshi. He does love the stuff,” Daisuke says jokingly, earning a light punch from Takeshi. “I suppose this is where we part ways. I would hope you all had a fantastic night, but that was guaranteed the moment I entered the restaurant.”
“In your dreams,” Toshiro mutters, before his face lights up a little. “But we did have a fantastic night. Stay safe, you guys.”
Sayumi and Sora briefly hug, with Takeshi wishing me and Toshiro farewell. Both of them also tell Akira to enjoy her vacation with me, to which she responds that she already is. It’s a pretty friendly parting, and one I’m more than happy with. Not long after, the three of them go their separate ways while we cross the street.
“Hey, Toshiro, Sayumi. Thanks…” Akira mentions as we pass by a few shops, catching the two slightly off guard. “For tonight. I really had a lot of fun with you guys, and not just because I got a good bit of sake to pour down my throat.”
“We were really fortunate to have you, Akira,” Sayumi responds, giving her a cheerful smile. “I’m so glad I got to know you.”
“Same here. It was a blast,” Toshiro adds, showing a similarly friendly smile. “But honestly, you should thank Hisao for introducing us in the first place.”
“Eh, he gets enough thanks from me. Doesn’t really need one more,” Akira says playfully, giving me a quick wink. “Can’t spoil him too much, you know?”
“Thanks, Mom.” I reply in a rather dry tone, causing Toshiro and Sayumi to laugh.
We continue to talk some more as we head to our homes, though eventually the two of them also need to go their separate ways. Akira and I say our goodbyes to them before we begin walking in different directions, with Sayumi and Toshiro soon out of sight, leaving us alone.
I feel Akira leaning against me, her weight pressing down on my arm and shoulder. Turning to her, she gives me a grin but says nothing, her hand now holding mine.
“Should I be worried that you’ll collapse?” I ask, half jokingly.
“Depends. Think you can give me a piggyback ride all the way home?” Akira asks in return before looking up at the sky. “I remember being given a piggyback ride from my grandpa. Dad would always throw a fit at me for wasting his time.”
“Sounds like a fond memory,” I mention as she leans a little more, before adding. “I can...try. Can’t promise I won’t collapse myself though.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to rely on my legs,” Akira mutters with a pout, which I find cute, especially on her intoxicated face. “And yeah, it was a fond memory. Get ready for me to tell you a lot of those when we get to Hokkaido...though I’ll probably still bitch about a lot of things.”
“Nothing out of the ordinary then,” I tease, causing her to pout a little more more. I feel like talking about a more serious subject, but with our trip to Hokkaido so close, I decide to be patient and instead talk about tonight. “I’m glad you had fun with my friends.”
“They’re nice to be around,” she answers, letting out a rare hiccup. “Though I suppose I’m still a bit more of a ‘friend’s girlfriend’ than an actual friend, at least a little bit. Might need some more alcohol before I completely cross that line.”
“Yeah, I get that. Took me a while to really consider them friends,” I mention, remembering my first awkward conversations with them. In hindsight, they were really patient with me, and that patience is something I appreciate about them. “But once I did, I really got to open myself to them. Made me feel a little better about things, especially after you left for Scotland.”
“Glad to know they’re there to fill the void when I go back,” Akira says, letting out a calm sigh. “...Wish I could say the same for me.”
Once again, Akira brings up how lonely she is in Scotland. It’s never been a constant topic in our conversations, at least not directly, but the fact that she has no one to confide in is more than clear. I have my friends to assuage her absence, but she doesn’t have anyone.
Someone else might like that situation, as it means that she has no one else to turn to, and thus her focus is solely on me. I’m not that person, and I let out another sigh as I feel the helplessness I often feel in regards to her problems in a land so far away from my reach.
“Sorry…” Is all I manage as an answer, causing her to kiss me on the cheek in response.
“Don’t be. You’re doing more than enough,” Akira says reassuringly, squeezing my hand. “Some things you just can’t fix, you know?”
“Yeah, I know,” I respond, knowing exactly what that means given my condition. No matter how happy I get or how much my life might improve, my heart will remain a constant thorn in my side, unable to be fully dislodged.
She seems to sober up after that brief conversation, both of us staying silent as we slowly walk our way back home, enjoying each other’s company even if we aren’t talking. She occasionally nuzzles my neck, which is both comforting and enjoyable, and I squeeze her hand in return.
That silence persists even as we finally reach my apartment, Akira quickly collapsing onto the bed face down the moment we get in. I sit beside her and simply gaze at her with a smile on my face.
“Going to change?” I ask her gently, to which she lets out a noise before answering.
“Later…” she says, her voice muffled by the bed.
“Alright, I’ll go change first then.” As I get up however, I feel her hand grabbing my wrist, though not hard enough to keep me in place. Nevertheless, I stop and sit back down, wondering what she wants.
“Hisao, this might sound stupid, but don’t laugh,” Akira mentions, sounding mildly embarrassed. “But can you stroke my head with your hand?”
It’s a bit of an odd request, and definitely one I’m not expecting. I don’t bother to ask her why and simply comply with her wish, placing a hand on the back of her hair and slowly brushing it back and forth, strands of her blonde hair getting caught between my fingers.
Akira lets out a content whimper, as if I’m massaging her and untying a knot in her back. I continue like this for a little longer, finding it extremely pleasant myself.
“Thanks,” Akira mutters softly. “You’re the best.”
“You’re not gonna throw up on the bed, are you?” I tease, causing her to grumble in annoyance. “This feels nice, even though I never thought about doing this before.”
“Even though I brushed your hair a few times before?. “I like the feeling of it. Makes me feel like I’m young again, I guess. Young and mellow and free. Been ages since someone did it to me though.”
“You sound like you’re reaching forty,” I joke, continuing to stroke her hair. “I wouldn’t exactly call being in your late twenties old, you know?”
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t call it young either,” Akira says, sounding a bit forlorn about that fact. “It’s about that age where you start to realize just how much time you’ve wasted. Not to mention all the things you did that amounted to less than you wanted it to.”
I say nothing in response, not wanting to tease her about it when she sounds genuinely dejected. The feeling is something I’m familiar with, as not too long ago I thought that a lot of my life was either wasted or disappointing, during and before my time at Yamaku.
Of course, those feelings haven't changed much, if at all. To some degree, I still question the point of that period of my life, but it doesn’t plague me as it did before. I managed to find something better, much like the people in my life that came and went, so most of those memories are met with indifference rather than resentment nowadays.
And if nothing else, Yamaku is where I met Akira for the first time, so I’ll always be thankful for that.
“Alright, I think I’m good,” Akira mumbles, sounding like she’s on the edge of passing out. “Go change so we can cuddle already. Don’t have much more left in me tonight.”
I oblige and immediately head to the bathroom, changing into a more comfortable pair of clothes before returning to the bed, where Akira is now laying face up. Her expression is rather thoughtful, though she smiles a little when she sees me.
Soon after, she changes as well and the two of us lay cuddled upbeside each other in bed, the blanket keeping us warm. Her head is resting beneath mine, and my arms are wrapped around her. My eyes begin to close, and my mind slowly drifts towards the realm of sleep.
“Hey, Hisao.”
I hear Akira’s voice, soft and sleepy as well. I nuzzle the top of her head to let her know that I’m awake, if only barely.
“Thank you. For everything.”
Too tired to reply, I just hold her closer to me before I fully drift into sleep.