WARNING: This story is based on and is inspired by the events of 1923 Great Kantou Earthquake and the Massacre of Koreans. Not all events and cultural aspects are true or accurate for that matter in this story, so please do not take it as reality. There might be some parts of the culture that is mentioned in the story, but in actuality, they began or appeared a few years after 1923. This was done for the story's convenience.

IMPORTANT: Some words or sections will be labeled with (#). This will help you navigate through the notes down below and its relevance to the story. Any translations are done down below.

Please read all of the chapters in order.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke.

"Wh-who… are you?" To Honjou Nami, this was a nightmare. Stuck in an unknown time, a chill went down her spine.

She soon locked eyes with the calm male's maroon eyes. The familiarity in his gaze, the softly cut red hair, and the unusually old fashioned clothing distracted her. Even though confusion permeated her mind, she could not help but glance back up at the man before her curiously. He looked too familiar to her and then it came to her in a flash. "...Akashi-kun?" She breathed out.

"It's been a while since I last heard that from you, Gen Yura." The coldness in his eyes unfortunately remained. He bent down on one knee carefully and reached out to touch her cheek tentatively as if judging her reaction to his action.

She narrowed her eyes and stiffened when she felt his touch. "Gen Yura…?" That was not her name. Fear gripped her heart.

Surprise flickered in his eyes before the male sighed softly to himself. Whether it was done out of relief or disbelief, she was not sure. He swiftly turned around and faced the door. "I heard that you hit your head really hard, which is why I was forced to visit you, but to think that you would forget your own name and even your reaction just now..."

A burst of courage encouraged her impulsive questioning. "Well, just who are you to me?" Honjou Nami - no, it would be Gen Yura right now - asked him.

He paused in his walk and said in a clear voice, "Akashi Seijuurou. Your betrothed for our arranged marriage."

"WHAT?!" Her answer came almost automatically. She gaped at him speechlessly.

Her loud voice caused him to face her again with a raised eyebrow. Amusement pooled into his hard gaze. His lips curled into small smirk. He never expected such an outward reaction. After all, she used to always try to seduce him at every moment of their meetings. While he found her outwardly pleasing to the eye, her personality and stupidity was something left to be desired. That was why he disliked and abhorred her existence, but now that she was acting quite differently from her previous self, she perked his interest just a tiny bit.

He watched as she stood up from her spot and paced around the room speedily, mumbling words to herself in an unusually smooth fashion. The moment she waved him out of the room, he stiffly smiled to the absent minded female and left.

"I was hiking with seito kaichou and his friends...and then I accidentally slipped and fell, but I thought seito kaichou grabbed a hold of my hand… Did I die and end up in this time?" Nami sat down contemplatively and sighed. "To think that I would be forced to marry seito kaichou. I mean he is one of the most popular at school, but I don't want to marry already…. I'm only a second year in high school after all!" That was when her maid entered the room and poured tea in her cup.

Nami smiled up at the maid. "Sakuya-san."

"Hai, ojou-sama." The maid set the teapot down.

"You said that this year is 1921 of Taisho Period (1), correct?"

"Hai."

Nami sighed. "And my name is Gen Yura?"

"Hai." The emotionless expression on her maid's face disconcerted her.

"I...see. And why do I have to marry Akashi-kun?" Perhaps her maid could give her a better picture on what she has to deal with.

"Your father ordered you, but…" Nami noticed how the maid avoided her gaze towards her. "You were also insistent about marrying him."

"Oh." Awkward silence permeated the room. "Thank you for telling me, Sakuya-san."

"It is not a problem at all." She bowed before exiting the room.

"What am I going to do now…?"

It had been a few months since her last encounter with Akashi. During those months, she had learned several disturbing facts.

One, she is ethnically Korean in this body but was adopted by a wealthy and influential Japanese family.

Second, she has to hide the fact that she is ethnically Korean and she was not going to dispute that as she recalled the 1923 massacre of Koreans (2) from her studies. If she was in her actual body, she would not have such worries since she was ethnically Japanese, but in this body, being Korean was a death sentence during these turbulent days.

Third, her previous self, Gen Yura, was not a good child; she was, in fact, almost similar to the identity of the female protagonist, Naomi, in Tanizaki's novel "A Fool's Love," (3) only when it came to Akashi. For every other male, she was, at the very least, never the type to spread her legs out though, so Nami was relieved that Yura was only an obsessive seductress when it came to Akashi.

Thankfully, Yura had also graduated from university - just as the Akashi from this timeline did. While it was still rare to have a female graduate during the Taisho Period, it was still enough for Nami to feel relieved and to use it as a reason as to why she was actually smarter than what she outwardly showed to people. It almost made it seem as though she hid her intelligence from people in the past, which she honestly did not mind at the moment.

That took her to the final point.

Akashi Seijuurou hated everything about Gen Yura. Unfortunately, that meant that her usually kind seito kaichou looked at her with disgust. It was worse than dealing with the previous Akashi. It honestly hurt to be seen in such a way by someone she trusted in her previous life.

As Nami though, she could care less about this Akashi Seijuurou since she had better things to deal with than a man who hated her, such as planning her escape out of the Kantou region in 1923 to avoid the massacre after the earthquake (4), along with gathering enough of her personal finances to complete this quest. Because of this, she was quite surprised to find Akashi Seijuurou standing in the living room of the house, waiting for her.

Nami instinctively bowed. "Is there something that you need from me, Akashi-kun?"

"Good timing. We're going to head out." Without waiting for her to answer, he held her hand and led her out of the room.

"Eh?" It was time for her tea and reading. While it was unusual for a female to be allowed to read difficult and male-oriented literature from their family's library, despite being a university graduate, she managed to convince her family members to let her read such literature by using Akashi as an excuse. Nevertheless, she was awfully confused as to why Akashi would want to take her out in simple terms. "Where are we off to, Akashi-kun?"

"To my family estate."

"Ah, I see- WHAT?!" She whipped her head to face him with a look of horror. "But why?"

"I heard from Sakuya-san that you have tea and read books, which I presume are the recently released that have been popular with the ladies lately, during this time of the day, so I thought that we could enjoy such time together at my family's library." An odd warm smile that had hints of unusual teasing lingered on his lips. To her, it was suspicious. She tried to tug her hand out of his grip, but his strength was too strong for her to overcome. "I also received permission from your family." The moment she saw the fake warmth disappear from his expression, she forced her thoughts to empty. "My family insisted in helping us bond before our marriage."

"Are you kidding me?" She murmured to herself. Sighing to herself in resignation, she decided that it would be best to just follow him in silence. "Then lead the way."

When they arrived, she admired the Japanese and Western elements of the house. "It's quite beautiful." She commented without realizing.

"I'm glad that you are pleased with your future home." His nonchalant response caught her off guard. Her heart skipped a beat, whether it was from anxiety or dread was unknown, but her face remained emotionless.

"Future home, huh…" She sighed once more, allowing him to lead them to the library. Even if she was forced to be in his family's library, she would not read her chosen book near him. After all, he would probably think of her as a fool who was incapable of reading books of his caliber.

"I didn't think I would see your betrothed at such a meeting. After all, isn't it for the scholarly?" A man held a condescending grin towards her. Nami's smile tightened in displeasure.

"At least she's pretty." Someone else commented snidely. Her eyebrow twitched.

Another patted Akashi's shoulder while yelling out to the others. "Oi, don't say that. After all, it's Akashi-san's betrothed." Akashi's eyes darkened a little dangerously.

Nami sighed. She had enough of the insults towards herself and towards her betrothed. While she did not care about others, she could not have others continue to slander their reputation and she refused to keep letting Akashi take care of their idiocy. It would only worsen her relations with him. Her eyes finally sharpened into focus. "In that case, gentlemen, why don't you spend your time on learning how to adapt and benefit from the current system?" Sarcasm dripped from her voice. "Day by day, you only complain about the lack of freedom of speech, assembly, and association. You talk about winning the rights of association and labor strikes. You talk about free education and the self-autonomy of universities from the rule of the Ministry of Education, and yet you do nothing to support those that have been part of the organized movements. Where were you in the fight?"

Some men glared at her. "Wha-"

"At least, Akashi-kun himself supported them in the way that he could. Considering that his support is common knowledge among the people in the movements, it clearly shows that you are all talk but no action. And yet you have to audacity to insult us...?" Her already emotionless face hardened into a cold glare. She took a calm step towards them. Some flinched under the intensity of her gaze. "Japan has no time to wait for the enlightenment of their neighbors so that they can work towards the development of Asia. If you prideful men are the ones in charge of enlightening others, I am very worried for the future of Japan and of Asia during this time of modernization." While she personally did not agree with Fukuzawa Yukichi's words (5), she knew that her words would resonate with and provoke the intellectuals in the meeting to a certain extent.

"You…" A man tightened his fists and was ready to attack her when a tall male pushed him to the side. "Hey!"

The tall man clapped and barked out a loud laughter. "Wonderful, wonderful… Fukuzawa Yukichi's Datsu-A (6). It seems our lady here is not as stupid as we thought she would be. Akashi-san, you got yourself an interesting betrothed. What I would do to marry her instead!" The tense atmosphere from before immediately disappeared.

Akashi only chuckled. "That would be a problem, Daichi-san."

"Well then everyone, let's head to the groups and discuss." He motioned to everyone who followed his instructions, giving nervous and tense glances at Nami. She almost rolled her eyes at everyone but stopped herself, forcing her presence to almost fade into a sleepy lull.

When she glanced at Akashi, she unwillingly met his gaze. Interestingly enough, instead of the usual intense disgust, she caught a small glimpse of admiration and pleasant surprise from him. It seemed as though he never expected her to be able to behave in such a way. She dropped her gaze and wondered miserably to herself if her current way of speech and presentation of her intellect around Akashi was a wise idea in the long run.

By the end of the first meeting, she noted to herself that she should be more careful around this man. She could not allow herself to be of interest to Akashi Seijuurou. To do so would mean unpleasant consequences. She would not be able to escape and that was what worried her the most.

Even during the next couple of meetings, she kept her distance away from him and maintained her attention towards the discussions at hand, despite his curious gaze towards her. When she had no choice but to interact with him, she remained polite and calm, unwilling to get close to him and unwilling to strain their current relations.

Akashi's voice cut through her concentration. "Sit with me." Startled by his sudden presence, she jumped backwards into the wall that she had been standing next to, gripping the book in her hand.

"What?" Nami blinked in confusion. His smile felt sincere and warm. It only confused her further. "But why?" She thought that they had a good routine going when it came to having to read and drink tea at his family's library, but she now wondered if it really was enough to satisfy Akashi's terrifying father, considering that Akashi was now asking her to sit with him.

He held her hand and tugged her gently towards him. "It has nothing to do with my family's wishes."

"Were my thoughts that obvious?" She asked him, feeling a bit miffed that he was able to tell without her explicitly saying it.

"Perhaps." He placed his hand over her head, patting it before removing it. "I want to get to know you, so sit with me."

"But I...thought that you hated me, so why would you want to get to know me and sit with me? That makes no sense." Nami faced him with a serious expression. The pat on her head earlier caught her off guard, crumpling her mind into chaos. "I heard from the others in the group in one of the meetings that you were going to end the arrangement between us..." That was why she tried very hard to at least neutralize the relations between her and him after that official meeting. At the very least, their relations should not end in a negative way for future consideration.

His eyes narrowed slightly. He sighed before patting her head again gently. "Do not believe in such rumors. While I admit that I had my reservations about this marriage, I am now pleased to have you as my future wife. Perhaps after you hit your head really hard, that caused vast permanent changes in your personality. I actually find it to be a blessing in disguise."

"Oh…" A bit of guilt towards Yura lingered inside of Nami as she looked down at the ground. "So you don't hate me then." While she was a bit happy to see Akashi not viewing her as some kind of scum or anything lower, she felt a bit sad for Yura at the same time.

"No, I do not." He shut his eyes for a brief moment and then opened them to look at her. "Not anymore."

When she saw how his gaze finally softened towards her, she pulled at his sleeve enthusiastically in hopes of changing the subject. "So where in the library should we sit? I want to drink some of that new tea today while we're reading." He chuckled under his breath before leading her to a comfortable space in the library.

It was now 1922 and was yet another day in the Akashi family's library. She flipped the pages of the book carefully, getting absorbed in texts that she never thought that she would be able to read in her previous life. Absentmindedly, she picked up the teacup and took a sip. When she placed her cup down on the table, she peeked at Akashi. He sat calmly with his own book.

His presence reminded her of the last time she talked to Yura's father. He informed her that the marriage was to take place in a month. There was no way to avoid it.

Without looking up, Akashi spoke. "I heard that you tried to convince your father to postpone the wedding."

She inwardly flinched but kept her cool. "I personally don't feel ready for the marriage life yet. Maybe in a year or two…" Her voice became quieter.

He answered just as softly. "Even if we were to marry, I wouldn't force you."

"Eh?"

"That's what you're worried about, aren't you?" Akashi glanced at her knowingly. She averted her gaze.

Her cheeks slowly glowed red. "Well… I… That…" She had not actually thought about that, but now that Akashi had mentioned it, the supposed duties of a wife during this time period caused her to panic a little. However, since he had already said that he would not force her, which she thought was a bit unusual for a male in this time period, she calmed down once more. "I guess that was one of the reasons…" She finally whispered out to him. She took another shaky sip of her tea. The main reason why she tried to postpone the wedding was because she was planning on leaving Kantou by herself before 1923. Since that was her main goal, she had not factored Akashi into her future life, but she could not tell him that.

"Then will you continue with the marriage now?" He closed his book and waited for her to answer.

She fiddled with her book. "Well…" She did not know what to say.

He stood up and walked over to her. When Nami glanced at him curiously, he trapped her in her seat, holding onto the arm rest. "Yura. Is there something else that you're worried about?"

"..." She wanted to break the gaze, but there was something in his eyes that forced her to continue to look at him. "I do, but I…"

Akashi leaned towards her and whispered in her ear. "Is it about your ethnicity?" Her throat constricted. She could not breathe. Inwardly, she forced herself to calm down. After all, her father had told her that no one would know of this truth.

"What...do you mean...by that?" Her voice shook a little. She hated herself for being weak under this pressure.

He closed his eyes in resignation. "So it's true that you're Korean." She stiffened.

"Where on earth did you get that from?" The strength in her voice returned. Before realizing, he soon unraveled her grip on the book and held it close in his hand on top of the arm rest.

"I did not mean to overhear a conversation between you and your father, but he briefly mentioned it to you. While his words did not reveal the truth of your ethnicity explicitly, your recent interest in certain political, historical, and philosophical literature, along with your words and thoughts during the meetings, soon helped me connect the dots." Once silence filled the room, she slowly slumped against the chair - almost lifelessly, but her mind was in an overwhelming panic. She could not breathe well. It was as if she was taking a backseat and waiting for her body to naturally calm down, so that she could take the next step or make the necessary changes to her plans.

"So what do you want from me?" She whispered to him. Tired tears sprouted from the corner of her eyes. "To end the arrangement? Fine. I can do that if that's what you want. To shout out to the world of my true ethnicity? I'll probably die if you do. It's a death sentence to be Korean here." She let out a shaky laugh. His eyes widened and a frown etched in his troubled expression.

"Yura, it looks like I pressured you too much. I apologize." He slowly wrapped his arms around her, letting her rest against his chest. His words provided much relief to her and gave her a sense of nostalgia, reminding her briefly of seito kaichou and the incident at the local clinic. "I don't want to do such a terrible thing to you, but clearly, your ethnicity is bothering you more than anything. So what is it about being Korean that is stopping you from continuing with the wedding?" She took small breaths, slowly calming down when she found that he was not going to use her ethnicity against her. "After all, we can just keep it a secret. My father does not need to know and I do not plan on letting him find out about it ever."

"Well...I want to leave Kantou this year. I want to stay away for a couple of years, so that is why I do not want to marry. I doubt your father would let you do that with me, which is why it would be better if we did not marry in the first place." She held onto his sleeve, breathing in his soft musky scent. "If something goes wrong politically or in general here that has to do with Koreans, my family will have no issues with throwing me out in the streets. I'll just be brutally killed by the anti-Korean nationalists." Nightmares of what would happen if she failed in implementing her plans invaded her dreams almost daily.

"I will protect you. I will make sure that we can leave." Akashi's voice was firm and convincing. "I will not allow my father or your family ruin us. I promise you."

"I'll believe you then. Please keep your promise or else I will disappear forever in the future." He did not have to ask her to understand what she was implying. To disappear forever meant death or worse.

He cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips against her forehead. "I promise." While he was not the same person as seito kaichou, she felt as though she could truly believe in his words because she knew that his capabilities were at the same level as seito kaichou's and if seito kaichou was able to keep his promise on something that she personally thought was impossible to fulfill, then this man should be able to as well. Swiftly pulling her out of the chair, he wrapped his arms around her waist tightly as though she was going to fade away at any moment. She immediately embraced him back.

While outward physical affection was usually not allowed, this very moment was their private time together.

Despite the fact that they were both trusted to not touch each other in such a manner since each parent merely assumed that their children held no interest to do that to each other, especially on Akashi's side, the two took the chance to indulge in expressing their physical affection for each other in the form of kisses, hugs, and touches - in the privacy of the library.

Overwhelming. Explosive. Intense. Soft. Gentle. Teasing. Those were the words that described every touch they shared with one another.

This became their tiny secret together and it was the only way for her to distract herself from the overwhelming anxiety she felt about their future together.

Nami changed out of her white kimono and wiped away all of the makeup. The Shinto ceremony for their wedding ended a couple of hours ago. She soon stood in the middle of the bedroom in a daze. She still could not believe that she got married. After all, she was only a second year in high school when she entered Gen Yura's body. When she felt Akashi's arms wrap around her from behind, she leaned against him comfortably. "We're finally married, Seijuurou."

"Yes, we are." Akashi whispered, only holding her closer. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, he announced. "Tsuma, should we sleep now? It's late."

"Otto…" She turned around and embraced him from the front. "Okay. If I get a nightmare, then please wake me up."

"Of course." He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. Leading her by the hand towards the bed, he immediately held her in his arms and never let her go as they laid down together on the same mattress. She almost sighed in relief. "You are mine to protect." His voice reverberated.

"As are you." She murmured to him.

"The first day of the ninth month of 1923… As long as we are long gone before then, I will be happy. So do you think that we'll make it before then?" Nami fidgeted with the book in her hand and sipped on her tea.

"Yes. We should be able to start our journey at the end of this month." Akashi glanced up at her.

She genuinely appeared relieved at this piece of news. "Only two more months before the ninth month after we start our journey…"

He patted her head and smiled. "Are you worried because it's the year of 1923? Or are you worried because of what Father said to us?"

She flushed red. "It's not because of what your father said to us. Definitely not!" She hid her face behind the book she was reading earlier. He chuckled at her reaction.

He leaned on his arm, watching her put down the book. He took this chance to tell her his thoughts. "Yura, I would like to have a child with you, just as Father wants, but also because I myself wish for it, so if you could tell me when you will be ready for that, I would appreciate it."

"Seijuurou…" She set the book down on her lap, getting lost in her thoughts.

He interrupted her thoughts. "My wife, while I do have great self-control, I might have to start sleeping in a separate room if I do not get an estimated amount of time from you on how long I need to hold back."

She very much liked the idea of having a child with the man before her, especially since it seemed unlikely that she would go back to her own time, but she did not want to take a chance if the massacre was to catch up to their new location. Once the massacre ended, that would be the perfect chance to set up a comfortable life together with her husband. "Otto, we could start our attempts on the last day of the eighth month of this year. Would that be okay with you?"

"I suppose that would be doable. A bit difficult, but I can handle it." He took a deep breath and released it in the next second.

"If… If it's really unbearable, just tell me. I'll… I can try something that I heard about from others...to try to… erm… relieve your needs...without me getting pregnant in the process." She fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably.

"Ah, you mean that." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I don't exactly want you to go to others for it…" She muttered under her breath. "So I'd rather be the one to do that with you if anything."

Akashi chuckled and walked over to her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Of course. I will let you know then."

"Un." She happily leaned against him in a comfortable manner. Perhaps their future would not be so dark as she had first assumed it to be, but the uncertain ache in her heart subtly indicated otherwise.

"We're here, tsuma." Akashi shook Nami gently. It had been a long journey on the takuri car (7).

She rubbed her eyes and blinked as she spotted a moderately sized house in a short distance away. "Is that our new home, otto?"

He nodded. "Yes. I know that it took us longer than expected, but we're finally here."

"It's okay that it took longer than expected since we still have a month and a half before the ninth month. I will have to say that I'm still amazed at how you convinced your father though… and how we don't have to tell him of our location as long as you keep in contact with him in some form. It's relieving." She brightly smiled at Akashi. "Now then... Shall we start unpacking?"

"Of course." He held her hand and helped her out of the car. Grabbing their bags, they strode towards the house.

"It looks nice and cozy. I like it." Nami commented as he unlocked the door.

"It's apparently the Western style of housing." When they entered, the house was spotlessly clean. They set down the bags, locking the door behind them, before exploring the rest of the interior.

To her, a new home meant a brighter future. She hoped as she touched the nice finish of the wood that this home would bring them bundles of endless happiness and contentment.

Akashi sat down on a wooden chair, pulling out the newspaper in front of him. "Only half a month left before the ninth."

"Yes." Nami poured some tea in his cup.

He took a sip and smiled. "Your brewing has exponentially improved since we moved here."

"I had Sakuya-san train me well before we left. We can't have bad tea while living here. I won't allow it!" She pumped her fist in the air enthusiastically. He chuckled at her antics and took another sip. "I'm almost done cooking our breakfast, so wait a little longer, Seijuurou."

"Of course." He placed the newspaper down and took out the utensils to set up the table. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted a dark shadow from the window. "Hm…?" Walking over to the window, he scanned the area but found nothing. Instead, small animals were running around. His eyes narrowed one last time. An unsettling feeling lingered inside of him.

Once she placed the food on top of the table, she glanced up at him. "What's wrong, otto? You have such a serious expression on. Is there something out there?" She stood next to him, looking out curiously.

"No, it's nothing. Must be my imagination." Akashi twirled her around, persuading her to sit down. He glared out the window suspiciously before neutralizing his expression into a warm one. "Shall we eat then?"

"Yes!" The one thing that she looked forward to the most after moving into the new house was to cook. After all, she was not allowed to engage in such activities in her family's home. Cooking was only a small mundane activity from her previous life, but it made her miss her previous life dearly. Now that she was free to do whatever she wanted, her homesickness dissipated much more. Akashi took a bite of the food. He paused. Her anticipation for his reaction was at an all-time high. "So… How is it?"

His eyes widened and he stared at the food in a daze. "It's good."

"Are you surprised that my skills in cooking aren't bad?" She laughed a little and prepared to eat as well.

"I suppose not. You were always quick at picking up new skills. While it isn't as extravagant as the food I ate at my family estate, I prefer this instead." His maroon eyes softened and he reached out to cup her cheek with his hand endearingly. "Tsuma, will you be mine?"

She held his hand against her cheek. Her pleased smile widened. "Otto, I am already yours. There is no need to question it."

He then leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead. "And I am yours too."

"Then let us finish the meal before it turns cold." Nami's face brightened.

Once the two finished their meal and she completed washing the dishes, she sat down with him at the table near the window. "Seijuurou, I don't know if it's just me, but you looking outside with a serious expression just reminded me of something."

"What is it?" He noted the grave expression on her face.

"I hope it's just my imagination, but I feel like someone has been peeping inside of the house and spying on us after the first week we moved in." Her eyes narrowed uncomfortably. "It's a bit unnerving. I'm hoping it's nothing serious, but since the ninth is coming up, I feel a little scared."

He held her hands. He also appeared worried and determined. "Would you like me to search the area? I don't know why you're so insistent about the ninth month being the worst, but I would like to relieve your fears."

"If you can, but please be careful. I don't want to lose you to anyone." Unease colored her voice as she pulled him into a tight hug.

"Of course. I will be very careful and return to you safely." He patted her head and leaned against her comfortably. They would be safe and happy. He would make sure of it. The unease she felt for such a long time slowly started to disappear from the deepest crevice of her mind.

"It's finally the day before the ninth month, tsuma." Akashi whispered in her ear before sitting down next to her. The unusual anticipation in his voice perked her interest until she recalled why he was so excited. She almost smirked, but she first had something important to tell him.

"Yes, it is." Nami leaned against Akashi, wondering if she could do this or not. "Otto, do you know why I was always scared of the ninth month?"

Seeing that she desperately wanted to tell him, he encouraged her. "...Why?"

"It's because a great earthquake will erupt in the Kantou region tomorrow, forcing Japan into a chaotic state. That will then lead to the massacre of Koreans because of the Japanese belief in that we, the Koreans, are the source of their misery." Immense worry pooled into her eyes. He knew that she believed in her words completely. She was not the type to believe in anything unless there was a solid reason. However, this seemed a bit too far-fetched for him.

"That's…" Hesitation and uncertainty plagued his thoughts.

She smiled at him sadly. Her eyes flickered of understanding. "Silly, isn't it?"

"Tsuma." He did not want her to think that he was treating her words as nothing.

She shook her head at herself. "Otto, you can call me crazy, but please remember what I'm about to tell you. Please. Even if you think of it as ridiculous, I need you to remember everything I'm about to tell you. Do not repeat it to anyone." The pleading in her voice held all of his attention.

"You have my word. I will remember everything that you will tell me right now for the rest of my life." He held her hands in his own, forcing her to see the sincerity in his eyes. "So tell me everything."

She took a deep breath before speaking. "In 77 years, I will be born as a native Japanese female baby. My name will be Honjou Nami."

"Honjou… Nami…" Her heart almost soared when she heard him call out her name. She had always wished to hear it from him, but did not have the courage to ask him. It also subtly reminded her of seito kaichou, which warmed her heart.

Feeling a bit more courageous, she continued. "When I was eighteen years old, I hiked with a group of friends up a mountain, but I ended up falling. And when I woke up, I was already in Yura's body."

"That's why you couldn't remember anything." He pondered out loud thoughtfully.

She nodded. "Yes." A comfortable but tense silence filled the room.

Akashi broke the silence. The severity of the potential future that she spoke of unsettled him for a moment. "If what you are saying is the truth, then tomorrow's earthquake and massacre will only confirm your knowledge." His thumb rubbed tiny circles on the palm of her hands. "While I will not ask why you couldn't do anything about preparing for both events for our families, since I understand that it would have been impossible from your standpoint, I will ask you to remain as you are even after."

"Remain... as I am?" She questioned him.

Akashi patted her head once more, leaving his hand there. "As my tsuma. In this house. As Honjou Nami in Yura's body."

She chuckled before nodding. "That will never change, otto. I am only relieved that I finally got to tell you the truth, even if you might not believe me. And that you have not pushed me away because of it." She held a new sense of deep appreciation for her husband.

He shrugged nonchalantly, looking out of the window. The moon was bright that night. "I have earned more positives than negatives in the end anyways. There is no need to push away a positive."

"As expected of my husband." She hugged his arm and watched the moon with him. Nami breathed in and out when she again remembered the deadline she gave Akashi. Calming herself, she still felt her cheeks flush red. Her whisper was hesitant and soft. "Seijuurou, shall we head to bed now?"

He smirked and pretended to not hear her. "Did you say something, tsuma?"

She stood up, feeling a little irritated. "Nothing." She walked towards their bedroom in a huff. Akashi followed her in silence.

"Tsuma." He caught her from behind, wrapping his arms around her tightly, as they stood in front of the bed. It was as though he was asking her to not feel irritated around him.

She sighed, giving up. She could never get mad at him anyways. "Seijuurou…" She hesitated and spoke in a quiet voice. "Just for tonight, can you call me Nami…? I want to keep this in my memory forever."

Seeing how it was important to her, he nodded and whispered. "If that is what you want, but I can also call you Nami for the rest of our life when it's just the two of us."

"Seijuurou…" Her eyes shined of appreciation for her husband's consideration. Finally dropping her haori to the floor, Nami cupped his cheeks and tiptoed, pressing her lips against his. Her skin seared and burned red, but she ignored her initial embarrassment when he wrapped his arm around her waist and held the back of her head with his hand, pulling her close to him until they were touching. Feeling a bit brave, her arm wrapped around his neck and her other arm touched his arm, deepening the kiss between them. He took a step forward, making the two to fall on top of the bed together. His legs tangled with hers as his hand clasped with hers.

Akashi then abruptly pulled away to angle himself better. Before Nami could complain about the lack of touch, he immediately bit her bottom lip lightly and rubbed his lips against hers, teasing and gently massaging her tongue with his own with more energy than before. Soon, he sucked on and laid feathery kisses on the bare skin of her exposed neck, leaving behind trails of his mark until he reached her clothing. The tingling sensation of his lips on her skin made her tremble. Playing with her hair with his hand, he breathed out. "Are you ready, tsuma?"

Pulling him down towards her, she whispered in his ear. "Yes, otto." She smiled encouragingly, locking eyes with him in an intense fashion. His eyes sparked and he smiled during their next kiss as he pulled on her obi.

"This is Radio Ichiban. Today is the first day of the ninth month of 1923 and it is now 1:00pm... I am here to announce once more of the tragedy in the Kantou region. There was an earthquake that lasted around four to ten minutes. It caused widespread damage throughout and estimated casualties are so far over 100,000. We will update everyone when we receive more information." Nami sighed and she turned off the radio (8). She sipped on her tea. It had happened and she had survived.

"It seems like your words are coming true." Akashi brought over food for the two.

Surprise flickered in her eyes. "Ah, I can get the rest of the food!" She tried to stand up but the discomfort and dull ache in between her legs made her pause.

"Does it hurt, tsuma?" The worry in his voice was apparent as he patted her head affectionately.

She blushed. "No, it's okay. It feels odd and uncomfortable, but it doesn't hurt that much anymore." She sat back down, letting Akashi bring the rest to the table.

"Then let's finish eating and then perhaps go for another round." He said nonchalantly.

Nami nodded without fully processing his words. "Okay." She quickly whipped her head towards him in shock. "Wait, WHAT?! R-round two…?"

He kept a straight face for a minute before bursting out into laughter. "I was joking. We can go for the next round at night. It's still day."

She sighed in relief. "Joking… To think I would hear a joke from you." She then nibbled on her food, nodding to herself. "Then tonight will be the next round. I can handle that."

He smirked. "Of course. Since the earthquake is over, we need to try to get a child of our own, so let's put all of our efforts towards that. Daily."

"...Daily… If you say so, otto." She sighed a little. "I don't know if I'll have the energy to do it every night though. You have too much stamina, Seijuurou." She briefly wondered how he had so much energy when he was not even playing basketball or anything of the sort in this life. It was not like he was seito kaichou in that he was required to have a lot of stamina in his devoted trade or passion in life.

He leaned on his arm, watching her carefully. He decided to interrupt her train of thought. "Nami, you seemed to quite enjoy it last night."

When she processed his words, she grabbed the book that was on the table and lifted it slowly. "...I did." She soon hid her embarrassed face behind the book. "But you did too…"

"Of course, I did. I looked forward to it for a long time." Akashi admitted in a carefree tone.

"How can you admit that with such a straight face?! I wish I could do the same when it comes to this." She pouted and took a big bite of her food out of frustration.

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Why? I rather enjoy seeing you get embarrassed over it."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you do." He only chuckled in response to her fake displeasure.

The radio crackled. "There is a rumor that Koreans are taking advantage of this devastating time, committing arson and robbery. Apparently, they are in possession of bombs as well. A newspaper reported that the Koreans were poisoning wells. What is all of this madness coming from? They are clearly rebelling and sabotaging Japan. We must protect and stand by Japan."

Her fists tightened as she sat down with a stiff posture. "That's not true." She knew at the very least that Akashi never believed in the words of the radio when it came to this matter. Nevertheless, the injustice of the fake news that forced others to believe in the rumors as the truth cut her deeply in a way she never thought was possible. While she was not Korean in her previous life, the discrimination and the constant fear opened her eyes to a stranger world that she was never truly exposed to in her previous life. "We didn't do anything wrong… It's not fair."

"Mass murders of Koreans are happening right now and has been going on for a week by mobs in Tokyo and Yokohama. Will this be lasting for a while or will the government finally put a stop to this? We will report and update everyone as soon as possible." Nami got up and turned off the radio once more.

After she sat back down in silence, she thought about whether the Koreans in her previous life were still this discriminated against, but remembering the positive effect the Hallyu wave (9) had on Japan, she believed that the Japanese were not too against them. Nevertheless, she knew that she was being too optimistic.

On the individual level, the Japanese and Koreans were definitely not against each other unless they were the extreme anti-Japanese or anti-Korean nationalists, but at the governmental level, the Japanese and Korean governments held an animosity that had an unfortunate effect on the two countries' friendship. It did not help that the Japanese did not fully get rid of the signs and symbols of their past beliefs of imperialism, militarism, and colonialism, such as the Yasukuni Shrine (10). The visitations of that particular shrine by active diplomats and legislators only worsened the resentment towards Japan by other countries that had been horribly treated and aggressively terrorized by Japan.

Even though she could not fully sympathize with the other countries and could not fully consider herself to be a part of that Japan, she knew that such thoughts were only excuses. "In the end, are we fated to hate each other for the rest of humanity?" At the very least, she wanted Korea and Japan to hold hands with one another to support each other in times of need and to team up against other countries that continued to try to control the entirety of Asia for their own benefits.

Unfortunately, to forgive but to never forget was a hard action to take for the victimized countries. However, for the sake of their future as Asia, she could only pray to herself that one day, Japan would take the first step towards this goal by putting aside their pride for the actions of their dark past by taking the appropriate measure to genuinely apologize to all those countries, including the non-biased and complete education of the reality of their mistakes to future generations in a truthful manner, so that they could all learn and then bring about a brighter future that would solidify the influence and power of Asia as one major team player in a global society, instead of remaining as a divided region.

The self-conflict she felt as a current Korean and as a past Japanese overwhelmed her in her time of silence and solitude. Those were the consistent thoughts that fiercely fought in the depths of her mind like a hurricane, despite understanding that there was nothing she could do as a single individual.

Finally glancing outside, she noted that Akashi would be arriving in a couple of hours. Stretching her arms out, she headed to the kitchen, confirming the list of the available ingredients she had at hand in her mind. "We sure do have a lot of tofu…" She chuckled under her breath when she recalled the pure pleasure that erupted in his face as he ate the first yudōfu (11) she made for him. He always asked her indirectly or directly if they would have yudōfu for dinner in the mornings before he left for work. Despite not allowing him to eat it daily, she was still happy that he loved it that much, so whenever she felt like it, she would make it for him again.

"Since I feel like it today, I'll make him yudōfu for dinner. I'm sure he'll be happy about that." She smiled joyfully to herself, preparing the ingredients in order to shorten the cooking time. When she finished, she strode towards their bedroom and stretched her arms before crawling into bed. "He seriously has too much stamina though… I'll need all the sleep I can get now…" She dozed off, feeling the warmth of the sun through the small window. "Such a good day…" Nami closed her eyes without hurry and finally embraced sleep in minutes. She never thought that this peaceful sleep would be her very last in this life.

Near the window next to their dining table, an unknown man stood with a grin. A psychotic glint flickered in his eyes. He held a match, waiting for the sun to fall, so that he could begin. The house he stood in front of would be his first victim of his arsoning. The excitement and thrill caused him to shake in happiness. It was wonderful that the husband of this house never found him in the end because it led to his current chance to do what he wanted to do most - to light everything on fire.

It was so hot for some reason. She could not reason as to why it seemed hot in the room. Her dream was nothing but a lull. Immediately, Nami coughed consistently. Her throat felt dry and something felt very wrong. Opening her eyes, everything looked relatively normal in the room, but she continued to cough heavily. "Wh-what…?" That was when she smelled something burning. Her mind quickly filed through her memories, wondering if she had forgotten to turn off the stove for the water, but then she also remembered that she had not boiled any water before sleeping.

Nami then heard someone yelling from outside of the house. "Let go of me! I have to save my wife! She's still inside and I can't let her die! She is mine to protect!"

"Seijuurou?" Hearing the desperation in his voice set off more alarms in her head. She immediately sat up, understanding that she should not stay in the house any longer for her own safety and for her husband's safety. "Fire…" Nami hoped that Akashi would not be foolish enough to enter the house, but at the same time, the uncertainty plagued her thoughts.

"Wait, young man! Don't go inside! You'll die!" An unknown person's voice screamed out.

"No!" Her husband really did decide to enter into the fire to save her. A chill went down her spine. She did not want him to die. Swiftly grabbing one thin bed sheet, she ran to the sink and poured cold water over it. At the very least, she wanted to save her husband. When she went back into the bedroom and draped herself over it, she slammed the door open. The fire was crawling in her direction at a fast pace. "I could still make it to the exit." She said out loud as she ran in the opposite direction of the fire. "Otto! Seijuurou!" She screamed. Coughing once more, she scanned the hallway and then into the living room where the exit was located.

"Nami! Tsuma!" When she was near the living room, she saw her husband from a short distance away and sighed in relief. He called out to her. "Stay right there. I will go over to you!"

The moment she nodded, she noticed from the corner of her eye of a wooden plank falling down in his direction. Her feet pushed her towards him with a speed that almost surprised her. The pumping in her ears and the desperation in her arms that reached out to him while throwing the wet sheet towards him told her that she was probably going to die. She pushed him out of the way, feeling the plank crash down on her legs. She cried out in pain.

"Nami!" Akashi held the blanket in one hand, running over to his wife. "Tsuma, why did you…" The distress in his voice was obvious.

She winced, holding onto Akashi's hand tightly. "Seijuurou… I don't think I'll be able to leave-"

He shook his head in disagreement. "Don't say that! I said that I would protect you and-" The frustration towards himself lingered in his expression.

"Seijuurou… I need you to escape for me. And…" She began coughing again from the smoke.

"Nami, don't talk too much or else you'll start coughing." He chided her as he attempted to remove the plank on top of her legs. "You said that you'll stay with me as my wife and I intend to ensure that you keep your word to me." He grunted when he pushed the plank to the side. He then collected her in his arms gently.

She leaned against his chest before gripping the end of his arm sleeve. "Seijuurou…" Nami used her last strength to look at him in the eye.

"I love you." It was the first time that she said such words to him and she had hoped to say it to him as much as he wanted later in the future, but there was no chance for that now. She wished she could have seen him smile pleasantly again when he ate the yudōfu she made for him. She wanted to raise children that had his hair or his eyes and to experience with him the societal changes that she had learned in history classes in her previous life. Whether she was Honjou Nami, Gen Yura, Akashi Nami, or Akashi Yura, it no longer mattered. She had lost everything in the end.

But was it her destiny to die like this?

She supposed that it was since humans were not allowed to venture into the path of immortality anyways. In that case, she would accept her death with the hopeful relief that her husband would stay alive for the upcoming years.

"I want you to live. Just like how you said that you would protect me, I also want to protect you. I love you so much and if I could see you again in 95 years, then I would be so happy, but since I don't know if that's even possible, I would rather see you alive now. So please leave. Leave me, otto, and live." The strain to breathe caused her vision to blur. Tears sprouted from her eyes. She felt nauseous and could hardly get a hold of her focus.

"I love you…and I will never forget you…" Her voice was soft and almost indiscernible. The last sight of her despairing husband hurt her deeply. She desperately wanted to comfort him and hold him in her arms for a long time, but time decided that it was no longer her place to stand by his side as she saw her husband crying something out to her one last time. Unfortunately, she could no longer hear him, despite wishing that she could have heard his final words to her before leaving him alone. To no avail, her vision soon turned black and her mind faded away permanently.

"Tsuma, no… You can't leave me like this. I promised-" He coughed as well, not letting go of his wife. "Nami, Yura... Come back to me…" He shook her in horror. "Tsuma… You didn't even hear my last words… The words that I wanted to tell you for a long time." Tears gathered in his eyes, but he willed them not to spill. Only the crackling of the fire and the shouts of the people outside could be heard.

"If I cannot live with you happily in this life, then I will look for you in 95 years or earlier… I will be born at the same time as you this time in 77 years with the same body and with the same name, so that you can recognize me, ore no itoshii hito yo. Wait for me, tsuma. I will be joining you soon." The fire blew the debris of the house onto them both, taking his life as if in response to his very resolve.

"That student has been visiting her everyday since she fell into a coma." A nurse whispered to another. "She's so lucky. If only she would wake up…"

"Do you think he's her boyfriend?" The other nurse giggled. "If I was just a little younger, I would seduce him for myself."

"Don't say that!" The head nurse glared at the three.

"We were just joking..." They sat back down in silence.

"..." Akashi stared at the young face of Nami. It was odd how he finally saw the last few memories of his previous life that night very clearly. In fact, the recollection of such memories all began in his third year in middle school. He started having intense vivid dreams of them, but when he pushed them to the side and entered high school as the new member of the student council, his other self was intrigued by her existence when he recognized and officially met the disinterested and younger Nami who seemed to not recognize him at all. However, when he switched personalities with his other self in his last year of middle school, the dreams had almost faded away, just appearing a couple of times a month. It was only after Rakuzan had been defeated by Seirin that those dreams had come back in full force. "When will you wake, Honjou Nami?"

He sighed to himself. While he had a lot of time to process his memories, the last few memories hurt him deeply. "After all…" A sad smile graced his lips. While being in student council with her last year and part of this year calmed him down for the most part, when he saw her slip and fall during the hike, he felt as though his life was being ripped away from him once more. It was unnerving how much he was affected by his previous life and yet, at the same time, he considered himself to be a separate entity from the previous Akashi, who was similar to the other personality that disappeared during the match against Team Jabberwock.

"Mn…" Nami's fingers twitched. Her eyes fluttered open. Her breathing turned heavy. Startled, he watched her for a brief second before calling the doctor. The Nami he learned from the previous Akashi's memory and the Nami he personally knew as a student council member blurred together into one Nami, which was the Nami who had just woken up from her coma. "Whe….I…?" He noticed how tears trickled down her cheeks before he wiped them away gently with his thumb.

"You're in the hospital. You were in a coma for a few weeks." Akashi softly informed her.

"Dream…? Felt so real..." Confusion, regret, sadness, and resignation flickered in her eyes.

"You will be okay now." He finally allowed himself to give into his whims and patted her head, leaving it there, to comfort her and also to comfort himself.

"Seito...kaichou…?" She was surprised at how this Akashi patted her head like the previous Akashi, especially since this Akashi never did that to her before in the last year and a half that they had known each other.

Once the doctor cleared her with a slightly incredulous look and left the room, she sat on the bed in silence while Akashi watched her carefully.

"Fuku-kaichou. How do you feel now?" He broke the silence.

"Confused." She answered curtly. She had a lot to think about.

When he realized that she would not engage him in a conversation, he decided to make the first move. "If I could see you again in 95 years, then I would be so happy, but since I don't know if that's even possible, I would rather see you alive now." Akashi whispered to her. Nami whipped her head to face him with a shocked expression.

Disbelief pooled into her eyes. "What… What did you say just now?" Only one person would know of those words.

"I understand that you still need to process everything that happened, but I would like you to listen to my words calmly." Akashi sat down in his chair comfortably.

"Go on." She motioned to him that he had her full attention.

"I am not the same as the Akashi from my previous life. While I do have the memories and had plenty of time to process it, he is not completely the same as me." He paused, gauging her reaction. She was still attentive and receptive to his words. He continued. "Nevertheless, I do have some things that I wish to tell you as the representative of the previous Akashi and as… well… myself."

She raised her eyebrow at the part about him being a representative of the previous Akashi. "Continue…"

"Tsuma." She twitched uncomfortably. Hearing him call her his wife felt odd but right. "I am displeased about the fact that you told me that you were from the future and yet did not have the audacity to believe that I would be able to find you again." He got an amused smile out of her from those words, which comforted him. "And how dare you die before listening to my reply to your words? How could you leave me like that? There were so many things that I wanted to tell you."

Her gaze turned sorrowful. "I…"

"Tsuma, I love you too. Ore no itoshii hito yo. You are mine to protect, whether you were Yura or are Nami and whether you were my wife or are my fuku-kaichou." The fact that he included the current her to his statement touched her from the bottom of her heart.

"Akashi...kun…" She felt the tears gathering in her eyes. She struggled to hold them in. She did not want to once again appear weak in front of her seito kaichou, so she turned her head away, hiding her tears.

"I love you and I never forgot you. And this time, in this life, you are not allowed to leave me like that ever again. Because if I could not live with you happily in that life, then in this life, we will take the chance to do so through the freedom of our choices." He shut his eyes as if calming himself. "Whether that means we stand next to each other for the rest of this life or not."

"..." She breathed in and out, wiping away her tears. She understood that what seito kaichou really wanted to say was his next upcoming set of words. She prepared herself.

"Honjou. As I said before, I am not the same Akashi as the previous life. I have no plans on becoming the same Akashi either because I am me. However, I would like you to stay in my life - just like how I was in that life. I would like to know more about the current you and I would like it if you were willing to learn more about the current me. Would you be willing to take that chance together with me?"

"..." She sat there quietly, plunging deep into her thoughts. "...I also want to say something to you."

"Go ahead." He waited patiently for her to gather her words.

"Akashi-kun, I'm also not the same as Yura. While I was the one in that body, the circumstances and the environment never gave me the chance to fully flourish as myself. So I also have no plans on becoming like Yura again since I now have the freedom to be whoever I want to be." She paused, watching him absorb what she was telling him. "So if you're willing to get to know the current me, then I will be happy to get to know the current you as well." That was her answer to his question. She then huffed at him with an odd smile. "And although I did love the previous Akashi as my husband, I honestly did miss interacting with seito kaichou when I ended up in that time…" She sheepishly laughed a little. "In the end, I suppose I also want you in my life - just like how I was in that life. So yes, I am most definitely willing to take that chance together with you." Even though she was clarifying her answer to his question once again, this time, it was actually her way of confirming her own resolve to herself of her choice.

His eyes warmed at the sight of her and his lips widened into a relieved smile. "Then let's do our best to learn more about each other from now on. Slowly. Because this time... We have more than enough time to spend with one another."

"In that case… Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, seito kaichou." She bowed towards him. "Or should I call you, Akashi-kun, instead?" Mischief and excitement lurked in her expression.

He briefly wondered if this was a good idea, but once he noted the pure sincerity in her eyes, he decided that while it would be a long journey for them both, it would be a journey that would be worth doing. "Akashi-kun is fine, Honjou. Ore mo, yoroshiku tanomu." He finally smiled serenely at her as she did the same as well.

The future is now theirs for the choosing.

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES:

*The incident at the local clinic will be shown in the next chapter.

seito kaichou = student council president

hai = yes

ojou-sama = young lady; daughter of a high-class family

tsuma = wife

otto = husband

un = okay

haori = a traditional Japanese hip- or thigh-length kimono-style jacket, worn over a kosode

obi = a broad sash worn around the waist of a Japanese kimono

ore no itoshii hito yo = my beloved person

fuku-kaichou = student council vice president

yoroshiku onegaishimasu = please treat me well; I look forward to working with you

ore mo = me too

yoroshiku tanomu = take care of me well

REMINDER: The notes that are written for this chapter come from Wikipedia, Japan Times, , Encyclopedia Britannica, Brown University Library Center for Digital Scholarship, All Car Index, my own knowledge of the topics, and my detailed notes from the classes I took that talked about the topics down below. The notes also contained the insights and knowledge gained from the original materials I mentioned in this story and from the materials that are relevant or that refer to the actual history of Japan. I only chose the information from most of the sites, especially from Wikipedia, that matched the information in my notes.

(1) Taisho Period - The Taishō period or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912, to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Emperor Taishō.

(2) 1923 Massacre of Koreans - Right after the Great Kantou Earthquake, in 1923, Japanese people from the Kantou region murdered and massacred obvious Koreans. Even after the government ordered the safety of Koreans, the police would usually hand the Koreans over to the extreme anti-Korean nationalists, which led to the death of many Koreans. The killing was extremely brutal in that they would get their head chopped off and so much more. The government officials and the police were generally ordered to group the Koreans and put them into safety zones. Unfortunately, most of that did not happen. Because most Koreans fled to police boxes, the police boxes were attacked by the Japanese. Sometimes, the neighborhoods would team up to protect the Koreans themselves. The reason why the Japanese were so adamant about killing the Koreans was because of the protesting in Korea (that had to do with making the Japanese leave Korea since Korea was under Japanese imperialist ruling during that time). And it was also because of a rumor that stated that Koreans were arsoning the Japanese and that the Koreans were taking all the jobs from the Japanese, which were all untrue. Interestingly enough, when the Japanese realized that many were escaping to other regions, they would set up a blockade and check the dialect of each traveler. If any had dialects of any sort, they were killed, so even Japanese with other dialects and the Chinese were killed as well. This was a time when a lot of protesting went on in Japan as well, so tension was at a new time high. Of course, because of the government, there is not a lot of information about the massacre since they covered it up and hushed anyone who tried to report it to the world. It was only after a couple of months later that it was sort of mentioned, but not much spotlight was placed on it. While some of the murderers were tried at court, it was pretty much a joke since they just laughed about the massacre and set those guys free.

(3) The Female Protagonist, Naomi, in Tanizaki's Novel "A Fool's Love" - Written between 1924 and 1925, Tanizaki's classic tale of Japan's roaring '20s is a warning to any man who falls for a much younger woman and is fool enough to think he can control her. It's "Lolita" meets "Pygmalion," though Naomi is no "fair lady," despite the efforts of the book's narrator, Joji (professor Higgins to Naomi's Eliza). Naomi is a dominatrix and a huge manipulator, while Joji is an obsessed fool. Hence why it's called a Fool's Love.

(4) 1923 Great Kantou Earthquake - The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 shocked the nation. The magnitude of its destruction was almost beyond imagining. Disaster struck at 11:58 on September 1st, 1923, just as families were gathering around the table for lunch. Most workers went home after a short day at work and for students it was their first day back at school after a long summer break. Although the quake itself measured 8.2 on the Richter scale, the fires that resulted from the overturned cooking stoves in many homes, coupled with high winds caused most of the destruction. The epicenter of the quake was located near Oshima Island in Sagama Bay (south of Tokyo). The tremors most heavily affected the imperial capital, Tokyo, and left the port metropolis Yokohama in ruins. In total, both the quake and fires that followed claimed the lives of nearly 130,000 people. In Yokohama, 90 percent of all homes were damaged or destroyed while 350,000 homes met the same fate in Tokyo, leaving 60 percent of the city's population homeless.

(5) Fukuzawa Yukichi - The greatest of all the cultural critics — and the true founder of modern Japan — was Fukuzawa Yukichi (1835-1901). Fukuzawa had been steeped as a boy in neo-Confucian thought, but had also trained in Dutch studies before switching to English. Fukuzawa's call was not for slavish copying of the West — a notion he derided as fiercely as the old ideas he was railing against — but rather the pragmatic adoption of all things, regardless of origin, that suited local needs.

(6) Fukuzawa Yukichi's Datsu-A - From the 1870s, Fukuzawa grew increasingly fearful of the imperialistic designs of Western nations and began to prioritize the strengthening of the nation state over individual liberty as a necessary expedient of the age. He even called for Japan to take the lead throughout Asia in resisting Western imperialism, implicitly encouraging Japan's own imperial ambitions. (The call for Japan to take lead is the core of the Datsu-A document.)

(7) Takuri Car - Takuri (1907 - 1909). Takuri was the first petrol-powered car produced in Japan.

(8) Radio in Japan - Planning for Japanese radio was delayed by the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923; transmissions did not get under way until two years later, allowing the country to refine its basic broadcast policies (based on the experience of other countries) before the first stations appeared. The first Tokyo station began regular service in March 1925, and the first network—the Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (NHK), or Japan Broadcasting Corporation—appeared the next year; it would dominate Japanese radio for decades. Several other stations were added throughout the decade and into the 1930s.

(9) Hallyu Wave - A term now widely used to refer to the popularity of Korean entertainment and culture across Asia and other parts of the world.

(10) Yasukuni Shrine - A notable image of the shrine is the Japanese Imperial Chrysanthemum featured on the gate curtains leading into the shrine. The shrine represents and is the symbol of Japanese imperialism. More recently, the visitation of the shrine by active Japanese diplomats and legislators have brought public controversy in global media. One of those legislators publicly apologized to the Koreans for Japan's horrendous acts during the war and of their imperialist acts, but then that legislator also visited and prayed at the shrine that was the symbol of their imperialism days. So the apology felt like a joke to the victims as though the Japanese weren't truly being serious and weren't taking their victims seriously enough. That is why tension rose even further and why the victims still demand an apology from the Japanese.

(11) Yudofu - Yudofu is Tofu cooked in hot water in a pot. It is a very simple Nabe hot pot dish.