'Cause as these little brick houses are flying by
'Neath the flickering of the rail car lights
I let myself get lost in your eyes a while
- "Strangers on a Train" by David Nail
Every morning at approximately 6:47, the train would stop at Kizaki station and the doors would slide open with a slight jostle, rattling the windows. Then he would step in. He always stood a little to her left and he never sat down even though the seats were hardly ever filled up at this point. The crowd usually came later on.
There was nothing particularly special about him. He had long, raven black hair and bangs that hung just above his eyes. His eyes were dark and serious like his mind was on important matters. His uniform was always kept crisp and worn properly with his striped blue necktie pushed nearly to the top of his collar. He was just an ordinary high school boy. What bothered her though was his paper mask- the kind of mask doctors wear. That wasn't so uncommon in Japan. They often wore them to prevent catching a cold or spreading one. It was actually sometimes considered fashionable to wear one. But he never took it off. She'd ridden on the same train as him for over a year and she had never seen his face.
He was a complete mystery to her and she'd spend the entire 34 minutes he was there wondering what lay behind that paper mask. Did he have some kind of hideous scar? Was it a childhood accident? Or maybe he had an abusive father? Abusive mother? Did he have a weird birthmark? Bad acne? Ew, gross. Was he just self-conscious? Maybe he had a crooked nose or uneven teeth. Did he have mysophobia? Every morning the same thoughts crossed her mind, but she never dared to approach him.
"The next station is Kizaki. Kizaki. The doors on the right side will open. The doors on the right side will open."
She glanced up, watching the doors clunk open and a few students file in. There was the girl who wore her uniform skirt way above her knees and had slender legs, and a tall, curved nose like a foreigner. Then there were the two junior high school boys who'd just recently started gelling their hair- probably because they thought it was cool. They always overdid it though so that it looked crusty and unnatural. Behind them was a petite girl with glasses, several books clutched to her chest and her hair escaping its ponytail. Finally came the boy with the paper mask. The first girl flounced onto the green polyester seat opposite of her and crossed her legs, exposing her thighs even more. The boy stood almost in front of the other girl, but hardly spared her a glance and kept his dark eyes fixed on the small, paperback novel in his hand.
She stared at the back of his black blazer, her thoughts churning. Was he a criminal? Did he prowl with the yakuza at night and hide his face behind his paper mask during the day? No one would ever suspect him because he's the straight-A student who is always polite and adored by the teachers. Maybe he's actually the ring leader and even his closest followers have never seen his face. Her mind spun wilder tales, growing stranger with each second. It was a sort of game she played. While most everyone else on the train slept, she created entire worlds around the boy with the paper mask. Yesterday he had been a fragile boy who became sick easily and only found comfort in playing the piano. His mother was dying in the hospital and he hoped to save her by winning the upcoming national music contest.
She pulled out a notebook- she kept one on her at all times- and began jotting down the stream of ideas. On days when she couldn't think of any more original ideas, she'd go back to her old ones and continue where she left off. It was an odd hobby, borderline creepy she supposed, but it was better than accidentally knocking your head against the window while dozing during the hour and a half train ride.
By the time they reached Isesaki station, the boy with the paper mask owned an illegal gun and was in love with the rival gang leader's girlfriend. As the people around her began to shift forward, she scribbled the last sentence, tossed her backpack over her shoulder and let the crowd shuffle her out the door so she could change lines. She suddenly found herself beside the boy and her heart skipped a beat. He wasn't much taller than her and he smelled of fresh laundry and the rain. His dark eyes flicked toward her and for a second their gazes met. Her face began to heat up, but she smiled a little, and gave a polite nod. He nodded back. They finally flooded out of the train car and down the steps to the main square. She watched him move toward his transfer line out of the corner of her eye. The crowd swallowed him up and she finally tore her gaze away and made her way to the Jomo Line. It was weird how a stranger could become such a significant part of your morning.
She sat in a seat across from her usual spot, which was currently preoccupied by a stern-looking businessman. She restrained herself from sprawling across the seats, which were mostly empty, so she could sleep. She'd stayed late after school to help prepare for Culture Festival and they'd finally finished at 8 pm. She was absolutely famished and her stomach made sure she, and the businessman across from her, knew that.
Just as the doors were about to close, one last passenger got on and her eyes went wide. It was the boy with the paper mask. He moved to the seat next to her, less than half a meter away, and sat down, his backpack hitting the floor with a dull thump. She looked the other way while the gears in her mind turned. So he actually sat down at the end of the day, specifically when there weren't people getting on the train. That ruled out the theory that he stood because he was afraid of germs and the seats were unsanitary. She also mentally scratched the idea that he remained standing so he could spring into action if his alter ego was discovered.
She chanced a glance at him. His dark gaze was fixed on the iPhone, the latest model, in his hand. So she was right. He did come from a wealthy family. Wait is that Temple Run?
He turned to look at her in confusion and her face went bright pink. Had she said that out loud?
"Yes." Despite the mask, his low, cool voice was quite clear.
She gave an airy laugh. "I love that game! Everyone says I suck at it, but who cares? It's so addicting."
She talked quickly, waving her arms animatedly in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. At first his dark eyes regarded her blankly, before they crinkled into a smile. She wondered what his real smile looked like.
"It is a good distraction." he agreed, still facing her. He didn't seem to notice that his avatar had just been devoured by vicious primates.
"I'm Mei Wang," she grinned and wondered whether she should offer to shake hands. Was that too Western? She decided against it.
"Kiku Honda," he ducked his head in a little bow. He tilted his head questioningly, his dark eyes seemed more alive now. "Are you Chinese?"
"Taiwanese," she corrected, ignoring a small flare of annoyance. It was a common mistake.
"My apologies. Were you born here?"
She shook her head. "I came here five years ago. My father teaches abroad and he was hired at an international school in Maebashi. I go to the same school."
She clamped her mouth shut, wondering if she'd said too much. She had a tendency to babble. But his dark eyes only glinted with a hint of amusement.
"I see."
She waited for him to fill the silence, but after a few seconds she couldn't resist asking more questions. "Where do you go to school?"
"Kiryu Southern High School." Her lips formed an 'o'. That was one of the smartest high schools in the prefecture.
"I had a feeling you were the genius type."
He shook his head slightly, his black hair falling over his solemn dark eyes. "Not really."
"Oh stop being modest," she rolled her eyes, but smiled so that he knew she was only teasing. They continued small talk. The boy with the paper mask was polite, a little reserved, but kind all the same. A likable character, but she still thought it'd be much more interesting if he were the charismatic leader of a gang. The announcer warbled "Kizaki station" through the speakers and he stood up to go. Disappointment tugged at her heart, but she smiled at him brightly.
"It was a pleasure meet you, Mei Wang." Now that she couldn't see his eyes very well, his face was almost expressionless.
"See ya around Kiku!" His name felt odd on her tongue. The boy with the paper mask now had a name, but for some reason it felt wrong. She waved and he ducked his head in one last bow before striding through the double doors.
The next morning she made a point of sitting in the seat she knew he would stand by. This was where the other girl usually sat, but her curiosity of the boy with the paper mask was greater than the little pang of guilt she felt. Upon their arrival at Kizaki, the other girl stepped on- her hair was twisted into an elegant bun today- and glanced over to where she sat. For a moment, the other girl looked utterly perplexed and, feeling guilty all over again, she focused on brushing a stubborn, flyaway curl out of her face. She understood how the other girl felt. There aren't many things more confusing or irritating than not getting 'your' seat in the morning. Eventually the other girl slipped into the seat across from her, smoothing out her skirt.
The boy with the paper mask came on last like he always did and walked towards his usual spot. He blinked in surprise when he saw her and she fidgeted nervously. Her cheeks grew hot and she mentally kicked herself. Why did she think he would want to talk to her after one, completely coincidental conversation? Now she just looked desperate. But he nodded to her and said a quiet "Good morning". She chirped a greeting back, careful not to sound too enthusiastic. She couldn't just go about throwing herself on a guy she just met. Besides, she hadn't ruled out the possibility that he might still be the undercover head of the yakuza.
"Don't you usually sit over there?" His tone was neutral, but his dark eyes softened with amusement. Her heart fluttered.
"Someone stole it," she nodded at the other girl. She'd always been a reflexive liar, siblings did that to you, and it was a habit she'd break someday. He followed her nod to where the other girl was checking her reflection in her smart phone's camera. His eyes flicked back to her.
"Fair enough."
"Why do you always stand?" He gave her a quizzical look, but she couldn't just explain to him that she'd noticed practically everything about him. He probably already thought she was a little eccentric.
"It's polite." He replied simply. "Besides, I have the rest of the day to sit down in school."
"Oh."
Silence stretched between them. A hundred questions crowded her mind, but they were all weirder than the last. He eventually broke the quiet and they talked nearly all the way to Isesaki station. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
"Isn't it odd that we've ridden the same train for over a year and yesterday was the first day we've ever spoken to each other?" That was probably the longest question she'd ever heard him ask. She grinned at him, because she'd thought the same thing.
"Yeah, it's crazy." She'd stayed late after school to help with the decorations again, but really she'd been crossing her fingers that he'd be on the same train tonight. She'd spotted him at the station and they'd boarded together. Weird how she didn't think of him as a stranger. He was more like a familiar stranger. A friend she hadn't talked to in years.
"Mei-chan?" He was the first person to call her that. Her friends at the international school all came from other countries and simply called her "Mei" or "Mei-Mei". The way he said her name though made her heart skip a beat. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you always wear that flower pin in your hair?"
She blinked, then reached up to gingerly touch the bright pink plum blossom perched on the side of her head. "Oh this? It was a gift from my dad before we left Taiwan. It reminds me of home."
His eyes softened. "Do you often miss home?"
"Yeah…" Her thoughts wandered back to past memories. Then she brightened. "Can I ask you a question now?"
"Yes."
She was about to ask about the paper mask, but hesitated, the question on the tip of her tongue. His answer would take away all of the mystery she'd fallen in love with over the past year. There would be no magic when he walked through the doors, no fantasized tales of grandeur in the early hours of the morning. She wasn't shallow. She liked this boy and how he listened to her and how his dark, almond eyes crinkled when he smiled. If he told her the truth though, would she be disappointed? Lien was always saying she needed to get her head out of the clouds and face reality. There weren't princes and thieves who fell in love with ordinary girls in real life. But if he answered, it would never be the same. The boy with the paper mask would just be Kiku Honda.
"Why do you ride the train so late? I usually leave as soon as school is out since it takes a while for me to get back home."
"I take kendo and our practices finish at about 6. After that I have juku, so I normally board the train around 7:30."
She opened her mouth to say something when her stomach decided now would be a good time to sound like a dying whale. She turned bright red, thoroughly embarrassed, but she laughed to cover it up.
"Sorry, I forgot to bring a snack with me today so I'm starving."
His eyes smiled and he unzipped his backpack. He handed her an onigiri, laughter still in his dark eyes. "Here. You still have a long train ride."
She stared at the rice ball in her hands uncomprehendingly, then quickly shook her head and tried to give it back to him. "No, no that's alright! I can wait."
"Please take it."
"Let's share it then," she insisted, already trying to figure out how to split the onigiri. It wasn't exactly the easiest food to share.
"If that's what you want." She managed to somehow tear the seaweed packet and not drop the contents of the rice ball. She turned to hand the least messy portion to him, but froze. He had taken off his mask.
There were no scars. No acne. Not even a birthmark. His face was smooth and oval-shaped. His nose was a little tall, but not quite as tall as the other girl who rode the train in the morning. He had a curved jaw-line and moderately high cheekbones. His eyes were the same, almond shaped and dark. Kiku Honda was absolutely ordinary. He was perfect.
He tilted his head at her. "Mei-chan? Are you alright?"
"You… you took off your mask." She continued to stare at him. She knew she must look insane, but she was still marveling at a face she'd known, but not known, for a year.
"I cannot eat with my mask on." The movement of his lips startled her. She inwardly scolded herself for being ridiculous. Why was she so surprised? Of course he had to take his mask off at some point.
"Sorry, it's just… I've never seen you without your mask," she painted on another smile to reassure him she wasn't psychotic. He laughed a little and it was the first time she'd heard it unmuffled.
"You are an odd little person, Mei-chan." He took his half of the onigiri, which she just now remembered she'd been holding, and they ate in companionable silence, the paper mask forgotten. When they arrived at Kizaki station, he stood and gave her a genuine smile. It lit up his face and illuminated his normally grave, somber eyes. She thought she might be in love with Kiku's smile. Then he said good night in his low, calm voice that belied his radiant expression. She waved good bye and smiled back just as brightly.
As he stepped off the train, he didn't put his mask back on. Mei craned her neck to watch as Kiku Honda grew smaller and smaller in the distance.
This is me praying that this was the very first page
Not where the story ends
My thoughts will echo your name until I see you again
- "Enchanted" by Owl City
A/N: Wow, I honestly don't know if I feel really pleased with this or really dislike it xD This idea came to me yesterday and rather than working on HW like I should have or even updating my chapter fics, I've been working on this. Go me! I do plan on updating my other stuff though, so if any of my followers are reading this, I haven't forgotten! Plus I have another nearly-finished Kikuwan one-shot sitting in Google Drive :)
Anyway, this was an attempt to write something deep and meaningful, but I'm not sure if I pulled it off. If you read carefully, you should be able to find some symbols and themes in there. This was also a mixture of two of my styles so it floats between being really flowery and dramatic and being more straightforward and slightly humorous (Well... I hope it was) Let me know if you have any thoughts! :D
I also felt like I put a part of my personality into Mei xD Let's be honest, I think a lot of us fantasize about random attractive strangers we see (At least I hope I'm not the only one.) I create stories based off of the people around me and have a tendency to romanticize things :3
References...
- The train line, station, and announcement thing I used in this story are all based off of an actual train line to make it seem more realistic :)
- The paper mask is technically called a surgical mask, but it didn't have as near a nice ring to it as 'paper mask' xD Like Mei said in the story, people really do wear surgical masks a lot in Japan, especially during flu season. I used to think it was weird, but I've gotten used it and even wear it myself when I catch a cold. I'd never wear it back in America though.
- "Yakuza" is basically the Japanese version of gangs or the mafia. I thought about just saying 'gang', but I felt like the word 'yakuza' helped emphasize that this story is taking place in Japan, so I left it as it was.
- "Culture Festival" is a really popular event that pretty much every high school in Japan does. I don't even know how to describe it. It's like having a school fair/carnival? It's awesome :)
- "Temple Run" is a popular game app. Look it up.
- Lien is the human name I chose to use for Vietnam.
- "Juku" (or 'cram school') is basically a school you go to after regular school. You get extra help studying for different subjects depending on what you sign up for. A lot of Japanese students go here, especially to prepare for exams.
- "Onigiri" is a ball of rice with some kind of filling like tuna or fish egg, usually wrapped in seaweed.
Ugh, I still don't know if I like this or not :P I feel like it's really confusing and incoherent, but oh well. Feel free to give me suggestions! Pretty sure this is the longest author's note I've ever written xD