"Gaijin"
Prologue
I've been caged like some kind of exotic pet. Amidst the confusion I'm still trying to piece together exactly how I got here and comprehend what was going to happen next. Well, they told me what was going to happen next, but I found it difficult to process and thought surely my translation must be off: I was going to be sold at an auction to the highest bidder… SOLD?!
I was at the tail end of my vacation in Japan, spending a few days in Tokyo before my flight back home to the U.S. In recent years the ban on casinos in Japan had been lifted, so I was curious to check out the newly famous Tres Spades Hotel and Casino, not that I could afford to stay there or even to gamble. But hey, it's history in progress, so why not?
I arrived outside the hotel that afternoon and thought I'd walk around a bit. The place was huge and definitely the most grand and elegant hotel I'd ever seen. I flipped open a pamphlet I'd picked up earlier and started deciphering the different locations on the map: a shopping mall, restaurants and bars, a theater, an art museum… Wow. And of course the hotel and casino themselves. I grinned and started to grab for my rolling luggage when I realized it wasn't there. What the hell?! I whipped my head back and forth desperately looking for my bag, but it was just gone. Shit!
I clamored into the hotel and found the front desk. In my panic I had difficulty translating the situation into Japanese for the hostess, so she left briefly and came back with a smiling man in a suit. "I am Hajime Kenzaki, the general manager. May I help you?" Thankfully, this man spoke clear English.
A wave of relief washed over me. "Yes. I was just standing outside the hotel and my luggage was stolen! Can you please help me?" I begged with my eyes, feeling pathetic.
"Oh my. I'm terribly sorry. Did you see who took it?" Mr. Kenzaki's face displayed genuine concern.
My face fell. "No," I admitted. "I looked up and it was just gone."
"Do you have a reservation with us?" he continued. "If so, we could get you settled into your room in the meantime."
"No…" I replied again, dejected. My throat was suddenly feeling dry.
The manager frowned. "In that case I'm afraid all we can do is take down a description of your luggage and call on you if it shows up. Where are you staying?"
I could feel my face flush. The only type of place I could really afford to stay was a hostel or a cheap capsule hotel, and I hadn't yet found one nearby to stay in tonight.
The manager seemed to read my face and smiled sympathetically. "Are you a student on holiday?" he asked. Looks like he's getting the picture.
"Sort of," I said hesitantly. "I just graduated from college in the U.S. and wanted to celebrate by traveling abroad. I'm afraid I'm on a rather strict budget."
He smiled and reached for a pen and paper. "I'll do what I can to help you. Please give me your name, contact information, and a detailed description of your luggage."
"My name is Jesia Wolf. My luggage has wheels, is about this tall-" I gestured, "and it's pink with some stickers on it. There's also a combination lock and a luggage tag with my name and information on it. I can be reached at this number…" I finished giving the manager all the details he needed, and then added, "Oh! And my flight home is the day after tomorrow at the Tokyo-Narita International Airport."
"I see," Mr. Kenzaki's smile faltered slightly but then quickly recovered.
I frowned. "I know that isn't much time, but I really appreciate your help."
"If any of our staff finds your luggage, we will contact you right away," he assured me. "In the meantime, please enjoy looking around Tres Spades. We have much more to offer than the hotel and casino."
I smiled meekly and bowed my head. "Thank you very much, Mr. Kenzaki." He did the same before heading back the way he had come.
As I started to walk away from the front desk, I noticed a handsome young man in a dark suit walking across the lobby; he was flanked by several beautiful women in formal wear. Without even thinking, I stood and stared at the odd spectacle. He must be famous or something, I thought. Suddenly the young man's gaze found mine, startling me back to reality. He didn't look friendly, with his brow slightly furrowed and his mouth forming a thin line. Even his eyes looked cold. I shivered involuntarily and started walking in the opposite direction.
My stomach rumbled. That's when I realized I hadn't eaten lunch yet. Wasn't there a convenience store nearby? I left the hotel and started walking down the street. I had planned on eating at the hotel, but since my luggage was stolen I'll have to be extra careful with what little cash I have left. I walked inside the nearest convenience store and was immediately greeted by the cool AC. As I looked around, trying to decide what to buy, I realized I was being watched. The clerk behind the counter was a tall, skinny man with feathery brown hair that framed his face. He winked at me. Bewildered, I looked around to see who else he could be staring at, but there was no one. I turned away and continued shopping, trying my best to ignore the clerk.
After deciding on a sandwich, chips, and a drink, I arrived at the counter, where the clerk had obviously been reading a magazine. Huh… Isn't that Western astrology he's looking at? I recognized some of the Zodiac symbols. He winked at me again as he rang up my purchase. "For the pretty lady," he said in Japanese, handing me a small white rose with the stem cut short.
"Um, thank you very much," I replied as I tentatively accepted the rose.
He grinned as I spoke in his native tongue. "Clever too!" Suddenly he grabbed my hand, turned it over, and began studying my palm.
"Wh-What are you doing?" I try to pull my hand away but his grip is too firm.
"We'll be seeing each other again, I'm sure." He turned my hand over again and softly kissed the back before letting go, his eyes on mine. I stared, wide-eyed, grabbed my things, and quickly left the store.
What the hell was up with that? Dazed and lost in thought, I somehow found myself back at Tres Spades.
Even after filling my stomach I was still feeling pretty bummed. I checked my phone for any text messages or missed calls, but there weren't any. I gave a little disappointed sigh, then remembered that I had come to Tres Spades to look around. There's no point in just sitting here moping. May as well try to enjoy myself a little, right? After all, I'll be going home soon with or without my stolen luggage.
First I decided to check out the shopping mall, but everything seemed crazy busy. Is it normally like this? The boutiques appear to be full to bursting, so I ultimately decided not to bother with venturing inside any of them. Besides, all of the merchandise in the windows looked ridiculously expensive. Even the salon had a long line of glamorous women waiting to get makeovers.
In the end I decided to hop on the elevator to the thirtieth floor to investigate the casino. I wonder if it's anything like the casinos back home. I'd only been a couple of times, but I remember thinking that they seemed like amusement parks for adults. The doors open and I step out onto the lively casino floor. This place is crowded too. Is something special going on? I could hardly take two steps without almost bumping into someone. A few of the guests gave me strange looks, but for the most part I was ignored. Being a foreigner, I didn't think too much of it.
I looked over some of the nearby tables and machines, which were indeed very similar to the ones I'd seen in America. Some of the machines had wacky themes with cute characters, which made me smile. Oh, Japan, this is what I love about you, I thought.
Suddenly another guest bumped into me with a surprising amount of force. "Ahh!" I lost my footing and started to topple over; I automatically braced myself for impact but it never came. "Huh?" That's when I realized a tall man in a grey suit with slicked back hair had grabbed hold of my arm.
"Watch where you're going," he said as he held my arm firmly, allowing me to regain my footing.
"Um, s-sorry, sir. Please excuse me," I said as I looked him right in the eyes. He's kind of scary looking! "Thank you for not letting me fall."
"Tch." The man seemed annoyed. "Get out of here before you get yourself in trouble." He pretty much threw my arm back at me before walking away.
Maybe I should leave. It is really crowded, and I don't intend to gamble anyway. I took the man's advice and wove through the other guests to make my way back to the elevator.
I stepped back out into the lobby and checked my phone again, but there was nothing. It's getting a little late. Maybe I should try to find a place to stay tonight. I pull out my Tokyo guidebook from my purse and start flipping through the pages to find a cheap place to crash.
"Looking for something?" I looked up and saw a short, stocky man wearing a gaudy suit and glittering gold jewelry; he had a big grin on his face.
He's creepy. At first I pretend not to understand him and shrug, going back to my guidebook.
"Aww, don't be like that, cutie pie. Come with me. I'll show you a good time and give you a nice place to stay tonight."
My eyes widen as he takes me by the arm and starts forcefully leading me away to an elevator. "N-No! Let go of me!"
He blocks my escape by wrapping an arm tightly around me. He smells like sweaty socks and I almost gag on the odor as the elevator door shuts. Huh? This is the elevator to the basement. Not good!
The greasy man leers at me, still grinning when the elevator comes to a stop. The doors open to reveal a lavish party with lots of people. I have got to get away from this guy!
"Let go of me!" I say again, trying to pull away from the man's sweaty body.
He frowns. "Don't make such a fuss or I'll have to—"
"You'll have to what?" interjected a sweet voice.
We both turn to see a young man with sandy-colored hair wearing a striped jacket. "A-Ah, Mr. Kisaki!" said the greasy man, clearly startled.
The man called Kisaki turned to me with a serious look on his fine face. "Is this guy bothering you?" he asked. I nodded vigorously, rendered speechless by how gorgeous he was. Mr. Kisaki turned to the man and said in a strangely sweet tone, "Don't make me throw you out. Leave the lady alone."
The sweaty man finally let me go. "So sorry, Mr. Kisaki. Excuse me," he said as he cowardly slinked away into the party.
Mr. Kisaki turned back to me and smiled. "Looks like Alice has fallen through the Rabbit Hole. Do you think you can get back okay?"
"What? Oh, I think so. Thank you so much for helping me!" I gave a little bow to show my appreciation.
"Heh." Mr. Kisaki continued to smile and looked me up and down as if sizing me up, running his fingers through his hair. "Be careful now, Alice." And with that, he disappeared into the party.
What is all this? What are all these people here for?
Curiosity got the better of me as I started walking around the perimeter of the ballroom. Everyone was dressed in formal wear, some of them holding masquerade masks or glasses of champagne. It was all so elegant looking, like nothing I'd ever seen before except on TV. These people must all be rich and famous. I should probably leave. Just as I started to turn to leave, I spotted something familiar: my luggage.
My luggage?!
I'm sure of it. The guys dressed in black over there have my luggage on a cart with a stack of other stuff, and they're about to disappear through that door!
I sprinted and pushed past the guy manning the door, who had been distracted talking to a guest. "Hey, stop that girl!" he shouted. The two men with the cart stopped and turned to look at me.
"H-Hey, that's my stuff!" I yelled, pointing at my luggage on the cart. "Please, I need it back!"
The two men looked at each other and then started to laugh loudly. "Get out of here, little girl, before you get hurt."
That pissed me off. On top of stealing my luggage and not wanting to give it back, they were making fun of me. "Little girl," huh? I'll "little girl" ya! I charged at the cart, intending to grab for my luggage and then make a run for it. Unfortunately, the cart swerved at just the wrong second and I missed, accidentally tripping into it. "Ahhh!" I yelled and crashed into a heap on the floor, surrounded by items that had once been stacked neatly on the cart. A small bag fell over and a handgun slipped out onto the floor. Suddenly it occurred to me that I was in a potentially dangerous situation, so I tried to stand up to run.
"Oh no you don't!" One of the men hoisted me up roughly by the shoulders and held my arms together tightly behind my back.
I cried out, "OW! Let go!"
"Shit, she broke it! She broke the Statue of Venus!" the other man yelled.
The what?
"You're going to have to pay for that, kid. That was supposed to be the highlight of tonight's auction," the man continued, pointing to the shattered remains of a statue on the floor.
"Pay? But—"
The man grabbing hold of me snorted. "As if she can. We're totally screwed!"
The other man paused to look at me, and then smirked. "Not totally…" He steps toward me and grabs my chin, forcing me to look up at him. He studied my face for a moment before saying, "Bring her this way." A shiver goes through me, and the two men start to lead me away from the scene and into a nearby room. Inside is a cornucopia of seemingly random stuff, including a large cage. The man holding onto me holds me still while the other man grabs my purse and checks my pockets; he takes my cell phone. Then I'm pushed into the cage and the door swings shut with a loud clack. The man who had been holding me locked the door while the second man rifled through my purse.
"Stop, stop! Let me out!" I scream at them in a mixture of Japanese and English, but my protests fall on deaf ears.
The man finds my passport and flips it open. "American… Twenty-two years old. That'll do." His grin was eerie.
What is he talking about?
The two men turn away from me and speak to each other in hushed tones. "Right, it's decided then. We'll auction off the girl instead."
"What?!"
"Shut up. It's the only way you can pay us back for the merchandise you broke. And if you know what's good for you, you'll keep quiet." The man showed me a gun hidden in his jacket. And with that, the two men turned off the light and left the room, closing the door behind them. I sat there in the dark, trembling and begging to wake from this bizarre nightmare. I wanted to yell for help, but the image of the gun in the man's jacket was seared into my mind and I knew I couldn't risk it.
I don't know how much time passed before the door creaked open and the light flickered back on. The two men from before enter the room with a rolling cart. "Please, don't," I said. "I won't tell anyone, won't go to the police. Just please, let me go." They hoist my cage up onto the cart and throw a black cloth over it, making it dark again.
"You should've run when we gave you the chance," one of the men said, and I felt them start pushing the cart toward the door.
I get rolled along for a while; I hear some hushed voices here and there but can't make out what they're saying. Some of them actually sound like languages other than English or Japanese. Moments later a booming voice announces, "For the first time ever, a special treat for you, ladies and gentlemen!" The cage comes to a stop and the cloth is whipped away; a spotlight blinds me momentarily as I try to adjust to the light. "Our last item up for bids is an American woman, twenty-two years old, and yes, she speaks Japanese in addition to English!"
This cannot be happening. This is just insane. There's a sea of people in masks in front of me. I want desperately to scream at them for help, but my voice fails me. My chest tightens and I feel like I might suffocate and die on the spot. I feel utterly helpless. If I weren't kneeling, I'm sure my knees would be shaking.
"Keep her as your pet, your slave, a toy, whatever you want, ladies and gentlemen! Let's start the bidding!"
The auctioneer starts rolling number after number off his tongue so fast that I can't keep up in translating. Did I hear the word for "million"?
"To number five there in the front row! Going once, going twice…"
Despite the mask I can tell that the man bidding on me is the same creep who brought me down to the basement in the first place. I hang my head, shut my eyes, and clasp my hands together as if in prayer.
"Whoa, hold up, folks! The winning bid by a landslide goes to bidder number 100 in the balcony for two billion yen!"
My eyes snap open. Did he say billion?! Suddenly I'm being wheeled off the stage.
"Winning bidders, please come forward to collect your prizes. Thanks for being with us tonight!"
A little ways off the stage my cage is hauled up off the cart and onto the floor. I stand up, tentatively anticipating being let out. A few minutes later two men come into view: one is wearing a black fedora and a red jacket, and the other is wearing a striped jacket and has sandy-colored hair. Somehow they both seem a little familiar to me, but I can't put my finger on it because they're both wearing masks.
The door swings open, and the man in the hat holds out his hand to me. "Come with us, pretty lady," he says. I instinctively shrink away from him.
"Aww, she's scared," said the man in the striped jacket. Without another moment's hesitation he deftly linked his arm in mine and started to walk me out of the cage. The man in the hat smiled as he got on my other side and slid an arm around my waist. I shiver at their touch.
They lead me back to an elevator and push the button. Even in the elevator they never removed their hands from me. Finally I swallow my fear and ask quietly, "Where are we going?"
The two men exchange glances and say nothing. We reach the lobby floor and I'm certain they're about to take me out of the hotel never to be seen or heard from again. Instead, they usher me up a grand staircase and into another elevator, where they use a keycard to activate it. Is this the elevator to the penthouse? Sure enough, the elevator starts its climb to the fifty-first floor.
The elevator is surprisingly quick; so much so that it makes my stomach turn a little. Or maybe it's nerves? We debark and the two men escort me down the hall into a luxurious lounge area, where there are two more men sitting on a sofa. It isn't until we draw closer that I recognize that I've seen the two men before, and my mouth drops open. No way!
"Took you long enough," said a young man in a dark suit, seemingly bored. The man in the grey suit with the slicked back hair next to him said nothing.
That's the guy I saw with all those women in the lobby. And I bumped into the other guy at the casino!
"Sorry, Boss," said the man in the hat, his arm still wrapped around my waist. I looked up as he removed his mask with his free hand and had to stifle a scream.
"Yeah, you know how crowded it gets," said the man with the sandy-colored hair as he also removed his mask.
These two?! The guy from the convenience store and the one who saved me from the creep on the elevator! If it hadn't been for the two guys holding on to me I would've already hit the floor. I've already seen all four of these men before!
"What the hell is going on?!" I cry out before I can stop myself.
The man in the dark suit on the couch smirked. "We bought you. Or weren't you paying attention?"
The man in the grey suit next to him grumbled, "This is a waste of time." He crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Aww, come on, Sor, it'll be fun!" said the man next to me in the striped jacket. He genuinely appeared pleased as he looked me up and down. "She's so cute!"
"You'll be bored with her by tomorrow," the man in the grey suit retorted.
"Hey, don't be like that in front of our special guest," said the man in the fedora as he tightened his grip around my waist, pulling me even closer to him. Startled, I jumped a little.
"Baba, you're scaring her," the man in the dark suit said with an unpleasant look on his face. "We haven't even decided who gets to keep her yet, so watch where you put your hands."
"Ooh, you've got your eye on her too, Eisuke? Your groupies will be so jealous!" the man in the striped jacket teased. "I think I should get first dibs on her, though," he continued. "After all, I saw her when she first entered the IVC tonight."
The man in the grey suit looked a little taken aback. "Actually, I ran into her before that at the casino."
"At the casino, huh?" said the man in the fedora. "She came into the convenience store while I was working this afternoon."
"I saw her in the hotel lobby talking to Kenzaki," said the young man in the dark suit.
All four men looked at me, but I had no idea what to say. "Uhh… So, who exactly are you guys? I mean, I ended up at the auction by mistake and—"
"Oh, of course, how rude of us," the man in the fedora cut me off midsentence, but his face actually looked kind. Almost sympathetic? He cleared his throat before taking my hand and kneeling in front of me, removing his hat with his free hand. "My name is Mitsunari Baba. I'm thirty-five, single, and ready to mingle!" He had a big smile on his face and winked before standing up again, still holding my hand. "What's your name, pretty lady?"
I blinked. What's with this guy? "My name is Jesia… Jesia Wolf."
"What a cute name! It's nice to meet you, Jesia." Mr. Baba kissed the back of my hand just as he had done earlier at the convenience store.
"Stop showing off, Baba. It's my turn." The man in the striped jacket grabbed my arm again and turned me toward him. "I'm Ota Kisaki. You can call me Ota. Everyone else does." He grinned. "Perhaps you've heard of me?"
"Uhh, no. Should I have?"
"Ouch," the man in the dark suit on the couch snickered.
Ota looked a little hurt, but then smiled. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. My work hasn't become popular in the West yet. I'm an artist." Ota looked expectantly at the men on the couch. "Well, you two? Don't be rude."
"Fine," the man in the grey suit with slicked back hair said. "Soryu Oh."
"He's in the Hong Kong mafia!" Mr. Baba added cheerfully.
My eyes went wide. M-Mafia? No wonder I thought he looked scary! I struggled to compose myself. "Eh, er, nice to meet you," I squeaked, forcing myself to look him in the face, but it was expressionless. I am so going to die here.
There was a pause as everyone's attention turned expectantly to the young man in the dark suit, who was sitting with his legs crossed on the couch. He said nothing.
"That snobby guy next to Soryu is Eisuke Ichinomiya," Ota explained. "He owns this hotel and runs the auction you were sold at."
I gaped a little at this information. With so many questions running through my brain, I wasn't sure what to say first. Plus, this guy was actually pretty gorgeous if you could get past the sour look on his face. "M-Mr. Ichinomiya, please, I was at the auction by mistake and I'm supposed to be on a plane home in a couple of days—"
Mr. Ichinomiya started to laugh. "Home? Don't you get it?" He stood up and walked over to me, and the two men on either side of me backed off slightly. He grabbed my chin and tilted my face up towards his. His eyes were cold, any amusement from a moment ago gone. "We bought you. You're not going home. You're staying here and you're going to pay back the two billion yen we spent on you."
"T-Two billion… But—"
"First rule: don't talk back."
I immediately swallowed my words.
"That's better." He let go of my face and stepped back to study me. "Now to decide who gets you."
"Human trafficking is illegal," I start to say.
"Oh? Would you like to report us to Detective Kishi over there?" Eisuke laughed and motioned to a man smoking a cigarette over by the window that I hadn't noticed before.
"Way to blow my cover, Eisuke," Detective Kishi said lazily.
No way, he's a cop?! How can he just stand there and let this happen? At this point I'm not only feeling defeated, but also thoroughly exhausted.
"Tch, he's only a detective in title. I don't think I've ever actually seen him work," Mr. Oh scoffed, smirking.
"Hey!" Detective Kishi was obviously offended by this.
"Now, now, guys, don't fight," Ota said. "We've got more important things to do."
"Yeah, like deciding who gets our adorable Jesia here!" Mr. Baba agreed.
"But how are we supposed to decide? I know I'm interested," said Ota, running his fingers through his hair.
There was a pause, then Mr. Ichinomiya chuckled heartily. "Heh, I've got it. We'll let her decide."
All five men stared at me expectantly. "What?" I said, thinking I didn't hear correctly.
"We'll let you decide who buys you," Mr. Ichinomiya repeated.
I'm dumbstruck by this idea. "But, I don't want to be sold to anyone!" I protested.
Mr. Ichinomiya glared at me coldly. "Decide now or it'll be decided for you. Or maybe you'd rather be put back up for auction?"
Hell no, I can't let that happen again, I thought desperately. I feel a strange tightening sensation in my chest as I try to think of a way out of this. Oh! "But how am I supposed to decide among five strangers?" I countered.
Mr. Ichinomiya was clearly getting more annoyed by the second and was about to say something when Mr. Baba interjected, "The lady may have a point, Boss. Maybe we should each spend some time with her and let her decide later." Mr. Baba winked at me.
I'm confused. Is he trying to help me or hit on me? I try to read his face and don't even realize what's happening until it's too late.
"Fine, I'll go first," said Mr. Ichinomiya, and suddenly I was lifted up and slung over his shoulder.
"HEY!" I screamed. "What the hell? Put me down!"
"Shut up. I told you not to talk back." Mr. Ichinomiya started heading for a nearby staircase with me in tow.
"Hold on, shouldn't we have ground rules here?" Ota protested. "I mean, I don't really want anyone's sloppy seconds."
"Then how about no one touches her until it's decided who keeps her," Mr. Oh suggested. "And that goes double for you, Baba."
"Aww," Mr. Baba pouted in an exaggerated way.
"She's just a kid. Why would you wanna touch her anyway?" said Detective Kishi to no one in particular.
"Fine," Mr. Ichinomiya said, waving a hand over his shoulder as he started up the stairs.
This can't be happening!