Night in Kyoto
"Tokyo Tribune", criminal column:
" Ishida Masaharu, 44, was found dead in his apartment this morning. Mr. Ishida's death was ruled suicide, as the body was found in the tube with it's wrists cut. Seemingly he's been dead for two days when found.
Mr. Ishida's 15 years old son Yamato, who was living with him, is missing, his blood discovered on the lounge's sofa..."
* * *
Four years later
Koto-In temple,Kyoto, Japan.
Koto-In temple's tea garden was dark, silent and filled with odor of pines. The time was almost 11pm, so no one was around, except for one visitor. In his late teens, tall, handsome and dressed in blue jeans and bright orange hooded winbreaker, he stood in front of a round stone vat, couple of hundred-years-old and covered with moss. It was snowing; snowflakes, waltzing slowly in the air, were landing and melting in the black water; light bamboo scoop that was floating in the vat had already turned white . The youngster was moving his sign back and forth from the vat to a sketch-book in his hand and a pen in his other hand slid over white paper leaves, leaving thin gray lines on them, lines soon transforming into the image of the vat, the scoop and the snowfall.
Drawing done, he sighed with satisfaction and removed the hood, running his fingers through wild and uncontrollable mess of dark hair, observed the picture and then, remembering something, took the pen out again and wrote his name in the corner of the sheet:
Yagami Taichi,
Faculty of Arts,
Tokyo University
Finished, he once again grinned, satisfied with his work, then turned around and walked from the garden, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket and ordering a cab on his way out.
Taichi didn't have to wait too long. After a few minutes, taxi arrived to the Koto-In enterance, he hopped in, and asked the driver to take him to city center. He nodded indifferently and the car pulled off, radio blasting in the salon:
Winter's city side
Crystal bits of snowflakes
All around my head and in the wind
I had no illusions
That I'd ever find a glimpse
Of summer's heat waves in your eyes
You did what you did to me
Now it's history I see
Here's my comeback on the road again
Things will happen while they can
I will wait here for my man tonight
It's easy when you're big in Japan
* * *
Suburban Kyoto, Japan
"So you won't stay for the night, Yama-kun?"
Slim, tall youth, whose withtrown, dreamy handsomeness bordered with feminine, got up from the bed and walked through the dark room to the window, his musculed, flat-waisted body seemed to glitter and his shoulder-long blond hair looked silver underneath the moonlight. Dressed only in black skin-tight shorts, he stood there, observing the view laying in front of him - a garage, a big garden and a figured fence surrounding luxorious mansion where he was at the moment; in the distance, lights of night Kyoto were playing.
"Yama-kun?"
"I'm afraid I have to go, Mr. Aizawa. Got to meet someone later tonight, you see..."
"Another sugar dady, huh?"
Silence.
"Oh... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that..."
Solidly built, gray-haired man in his sixsties wearing red and golden silk gown approached Yamato and stood behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm just a bit jealous," - he admitted in whisper. - "If only... You know... I would do anything..."
"Sorry, Mr.Aizawa," - Yamato replied, without turning his head. - "You know I'm a free agent."
The old man bowed his head.
"When will I see you again?"
"You know my cell number, don't you? And anyway,I have no special plans for this weekend, so..."
Mr.Aizawa beamed,"Great! By then my jet will be fixed, so what do you say about spending a few days in Hawaii?"
"Sounds kawaii," - Yamato smiled and started dressing, putting on tight jeans, turtle-neck thin sweater and leather jacket - all black.
Old man looked at the big watch on the wall - it was half past eleven.
"Don't feel like going to sleep. Can I give you a ride to the city?"
"Yes, thanks, I'd appreciate that," - Yamato nodded, lacing his shoes.
"Give me a few minutes to change my clothes then," - with this, Mr. Aizawa excited the room.
Being left alone, the youth sat down on the bed and turned the radioclock standing on the bedtable. And smiled bitterly. Alphaville was playing "Big in Japan"
Neon on my naked skin, passing silhouettes
Of strange illuminated mannequins
Shall I stay here at the zoo
Or should I go and change my point of view
For other ugly scenes
You did what you did to me
Now it's history I see
Things will happen while they can
I will wait here for my man tonight
It's easy when you're big in Japan
* * *
City center, Kyoto, Japan
"You should've seen professor Nagata's kisser when he saw the picture of Garudamon I drew," - Sora laughed back in Tokyo. - "You know he still refuses to believe Digimon are real. Goes totaly nuts when someone mentions them."
Taichi laughed too, pressing cell phone to his ear. "Hey, it was risky. I mean, it's an exam work and you bring him..."
He was sitting in small caffee, near the window and enjoying bright lights, chilly night breeze and a glass of pina colada with rhum. Night Kyoto was fab; he didn't want to return to the hotel.
"It's OK." - Sora answred. - " When all was said and done,I got an "exellent" mark."
"Hey, congrats, honey," - he smiled.
"How's your work going?"
"Done. Went to Koto-In, draw a pic of that ancient vat, you know. If Nagata doesn't like THAT, then I don't know what will satisfy him."
"Oh, you're so humble," - she giggled.
Taichi sipped his pina colada.
"You bet..."
The next second he chocked and spewed the drink onto the table.
"Tai? Tai? Hello? Are you OK?" - Sora sounded worried.
"Wait a sec, babe... Be right back..."
On the street, right in front of the window he was sitting near, black "Cadillac" parked and out came black-clad, icy-blue eyed blond...
"MATT!"
Taichi rose from the chair, refusing to believe his eyes. The car meanwhile pulled off and the blond waved to the driver and started to walk away. Taichi stood frozen on his place. Could it be him? No, really. Matt disappeared four years ago, the night his father was found dead. Suicide, the cops ruled. For next few months they had scanned the country in search for the boy, but to no avail. Some were saying he was dead, too. Some even stated it was him who killed his own father, which was just sick. And now Taichi bumped into the missing one here in Kyoto. Maybe this guy just looked like Matt? On other hand, there aren't many blonds with blue eyes in the country...
"Matt!" - Taichi finally yelled, storming out of the caffe. - "Matt!"
"MATT!!!!!"
Black clad youngster turned around and Taichi thought for a second he saw fear and desperation in his eyes, though the distance between them was quite big... and then he began to run.
"Matt! What the hell is wrong with you?! Stop!"
No effect.
"Come back here!" - screamed Taichi and ran after him.
Yamato was scared, confused, angry. Taichi was here. To make things worse, he recognized him. To make things worse, he was chasing him. To make things worse, Yamato knew he had no chance whatsoever running away. Taichi has always been better athlete than him. He, on the other hand, was a realist. He knew when he was losing. Running into a narrow side street, Yamato leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and breathing heavily. Few seconds later he heard footsteps and someone grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Matt! What's.. What's the matter with you? Please!" - Taichi was half-happy, half-mad. - "It's you, man... I just.. Whoa..! How... Where have you..."
"Tai, please, leave me alone." - he said quietly.
That confused Taichi.
"Just let me go. Forget you ever met me here, ok?" - Yamato asked, then started walking away. When his friend tried to grab him by the jacket and turn him around, Yamato knocked him down with a punch to the jaw.
"Whatta heck?!"
Instantly,Taichi kicked upwards, bringing Yamato to his knees. He folded in two, grasping the damaged area and groaning through clenched teeth.
"You shouldn't have done that," - Taichi said getting up and extanding his hand. - "Hey listen, I'm sorry, ok? My fault. Got physical first. Listen, Matt, I didn't run half this town to fight you. What's the matter with you? C'mon, Matt, don't you recognize me? Hello, I'm Tai, your friend. C'mon, dude..."
Yamato, still on his knees and wincing in pain, looked up, straight in his eyes.
And took Taichi's hand.
"So Matt, where had you been all those years? What do you do in life? And how..." -As they were walking down the street, Taichi was asking one question, then, without waiting for an answer, going for another. Yamato wasn't really keen to answer, though.
"Just wait till we get get to my place,"-he kept saying,-"I'll explain everything then."
And so they were at the door of his place, an 9th floor apartment in fashionable, newly built skyscraper, staring down at the envelope lying on the door carpet.
Yamato went to pick it, and as he did, a piece of pink, perfume-smelling paper slipped out of it and this time it was Taichi who kneeled to pick it.
"Hey,don't-!" - a panic-stroken Yamato said, reaching for it, but Taichi chuckled and turned his back to him, hurrying to read the mysterious letter.
"Sweet bun," - he cooed, - "Hey, Matt, who's that chick who calls you sweet bun? That's corny... Came over to see you... aha... and you weren't around..."
"Give it to me!" - Yamato was yelling, reaching for the letter.
"... and your cell phone was off... aha, how romantic... so she decided to leave you a note, Matt-o... Wants to know if you're free tomorrow... if you are, call her... call whom?... let us see who calls da man himself "sweet bun"... here, signed... Oh my God!!!"
stunned, he dropped the letter, then slowly turned to Yamato.
"Konoe Zenzo?..." - he mouthed.
"Yeah.. you know...", - Yamato mumbled, - "Konoe Oil, Inc."...
"I know who he is! He's a guy, for God's sake!"
Yamato shook his head sadly, staring down on the carpet. Taichi made a couple of steps back.
"Hey... Matt... Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... you know... Really, I don't have anything against... er... you know, guys like you... It's just... surprising, I mean you were normal... sorry, I wanted to say you were into girls... used to hang out with Sora and all..."
"Which reminds me. How is she?"
Taichi got totaly confused.
"She's... Fine. Well, as a matter of fact, we're going out and..."
"Good for you," - Yamato said. - "She's a really nice girl. Well let's come in, should we?"
"So you want to know what happened then?"
They were sitting in luxorious and well equipped lounge of Yamato's apartament, sipping beer from tin cans.
"Yeah," - Taichi said. - "I mean, dude, you disappeared, and the same night your dad..."
Yamato's face tightened, so as his fists.
"My dad," - he whispered. - "Oh yes, my dad..."
* * *
Four years before.
Odaiba,Tokyo,Japan.
"Fuckin' slut..."
Dad was home. Late. And drunk. Yamato sighed, put his guitar down and walked to the corridor to meet him. Strange. Mr.Ishida quit drinking a long time ago, but now he was absolutely boozy, falling off his feet, which meant something REALY went wrong.
"Dad... er, hi... are you ok?" - the boy asked, seconds before the big, bulky man tripped over his own foot and collapsed on him. Yamato nearly felt, but regained his ballance and even prevented his father from crashing down on the floor.
"Bitch..." - Mr.Ishida grumbled and Yamato nearly threw up from the smell of alcohol. - "You think you're too good for me, huh?"
Ah. Now Yamato understood. Dad probably broke up with Misako, his colleguae and resent fiancee.
"Hey, dad, relax." - he panted, trying to get him on his feet. - "C'mon,take it easy. Wanna eat something?"
"Who... is this? Yama? Is that you?"
"Yeah, Dad, it's me. Now try and stand up,ok? You're kind of heavy, you know..."
"Bitch... Misako, you cocksuckin' bitch... " - Mr.Ishida was definately "out there", traveling between reality and delirium of his alcohol-poisoned mind.
"So you're saying you're too good to get laid. Too good for me,really? You fuckin' played me like a piano for six damn months and now all of a sudden you're too good to get laid by me?"
His fingers dug deep into Yama's forearms. And the boy felt scared.
"Dad? Hello? No Misako here, you understand what I'm saying?" - he was trying to speak calmly. - "You're home. And I'm Yamato. Yama. Matt. You know - your son."
"Too good to get laid..." - dad hoarsed. - "Well, Misa, that's what you think..."
"DAD! ARE YOU NUTS?... GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!!!"
Next thing Yamato knew he was slapped hard across the face and thrown halfway across the room. Doused, he laid in the corner, helplessly watching the hulk, dark figure approaching.
"Dad, please..." - he managed to whisper and tried to pull himself out of the corner, before Mr. Ishida grabbed him by the shirt, jerking the boy on his feet and hit him hard in the face. Once, twise... After half dosen of punches he tossed Yamato onto the sofa...
Yamato could hear sound of clothes being torn, his dad's loud breathing, and then came pain. Pain and blood. Lots of it. At one point he bit his own palm to prevent himself from screaming and now blood was in his mouth as well. The torture seemed to last for hours, but finaly the big man withdrew and started to snore. The boy lay still, staring on his pained palm...
* * *
Real time,
Yamato's flat, Kioto,Japan.
"I ran away that night." - he said. - "And the next morning I read about his suicide. He probably woke up, saw all that blood, saw that I was gone and remembered everything. Then..." - Yamato swallowed hard and shut his eyes. - "I don't know.. It's probably my fault. If I'd stayed I wouldn't let him kill himself. If only I was there..."
Overwhelmed, Taichi put his hand on Yamato's shoulder.
"It was not your fault... Matt, please... stop bashing yourself... Matt... And you didn't have to run away, you could've spoken to your mom, or call the cops, or just talk to me, or Sora, or Izzy... I mean, come on, you..."
"What? I what?" - Yamato angrily pounded himself in the chest. - "What was I supposed to say, "Hi Mom, hi TK, dad did a number on me last night, and guess what, I liked it"?!
"You what???"
"I dunno," - he sighed. - "Perhaps I had that side of me burried deep inside of my uncounciousness or wherever stuff like this is supposed to be hidden, until dad did what he did. Another reason I ran away then. Didn't want to stay around him because you know, it happens once..."
Tai kept silent, then said," Gee, dude... I'm so sorry for you. Maybe it's still not too late? Come back to Tokyo with me, we'll think of something..."
"Thanks, Tai," - Yamato smiled sadly. - " But I think I'll stick here in Kyoto. Don't want to hurt mom and TK, and they'll be hurt for sure when they find out about me. Besides, look, I'm living kind of a good life. With all them sugar daddies I got, I'm fixed for the rest of my life... not that I plan to live long. Will probably go before I hit fourty."
"Geez, Matt! Don't say that!" - Taichi pleaded, getting up from his armchair.
"Why not?" - he continued calmly. - " I'm having fun now, enjoying myself, but I know when to go. I know when the party's over.One day I'll find myself not all that cute and fresh destiny's child... And that's all I got, Tai. That's what I do for living and that's all I know to do. So, when time comes, click-clack-bam, thank you, ma'am, this sweet bun leaves this world... and besides..." - he gulped the sob down and whispered, - "I'm filled with hatered, Tai. I hate myself for what I am and for what I do, hate them all for what they do to me... It's pretty hard to live with this stuff inside you. Believe me, it's hard..."
Taichi was walking down the empty, dark street, hands deep in his windbreaker's pockets, head hooded, Yamato's last words repeating in his head.
"Please, Tai. One last favor. Don't tell anyone we met. Especially mom and TK. They don't deserve to suffer like I do. And take good care of Sora. You've got the hottest girl in Japan, chap."
Suddenly, he heard engine working and a lonely car slowly passed by him. Its windows were open. And radio was on. DJ was re-playing today's program.
..Things will happen while they can
I will wait here for my man tonight
It's easy when you're big in Japan
Aha when you're big in Japan, tonight...
Big in Japan,be tight...
Big in Japan... ooh the eastern sea's so blue
Big in Japan, alright,
Pay and I'll sleep by your side
Things are easy when you're big in Japan
Oh when you're big in Japan.
After the car disappeared around the corner Taichi stood alone under the streetlamp, remembering the past, the good times, the bad times.
And weeping silently.
The End
"Tokyo Tribune", criminal column:
" Ishida Masaharu, 44, was found dead in his apartment this morning. Mr. Ishida's death was ruled suicide, as the body was found in the tube with it's wrists cut. Seemingly he's been dead for two days when found.
Mr. Ishida's 15 years old son Yamato, who was living with him, is missing, his blood discovered on the lounge's sofa..."
* * *
Four years later
Koto-In temple,Kyoto, Japan.
Koto-In temple's tea garden was dark, silent and filled with odor of pines. The time was almost 11pm, so no one was around, except for one visitor. In his late teens, tall, handsome and dressed in blue jeans and bright orange hooded winbreaker, he stood in front of a round stone vat, couple of hundred-years-old and covered with moss. It was snowing; snowflakes, waltzing slowly in the air, were landing and melting in the black water; light bamboo scoop that was floating in the vat had already turned white . The youngster was moving his sign back and forth from the vat to a sketch-book in his hand and a pen in his other hand slid over white paper leaves, leaving thin gray lines on them, lines soon transforming into the image of the vat, the scoop and the snowfall.
Drawing done, he sighed with satisfaction and removed the hood, running his fingers through wild and uncontrollable mess of dark hair, observed the picture and then, remembering something, took the pen out again and wrote his name in the corner of the sheet:
Yagami Taichi,
Faculty of Arts,
Tokyo University
Finished, he once again grinned, satisfied with his work, then turned around and walked from the garden, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket and ordering a cab on his way out.
Taichi didn't have to wait too long. After a few minutes, taxi arrived to the Koto-In enterance, he hopped in, and asked the driver to take him to city center. He nodded indifferently and the car pulled off, radio blasting in the salon:
Winter's city side
Crystal bits of snowflakes
All around my head and in the wind
I had no illusions
That I'd ever find a glimpse
Of summer's heat waves in your eyes
You did what you did to me
Now it's history I see
Here's my comeback on the road again
Things will happen while they can
I will wait here for my man tonight
It's easy when you're big in Japan
* * *
Suburban Kyoto, Japan
"So you won't stay for the night, Yama-kun?"
Slim, tall youth, whose withtrown, dreamy handsomeness bordered with feminine, got up from the bed and walked through the dark room to the window, his musculed, flat-waisted body seemed to glitter and his shoulder-long blond hair looked silver underneath the moonlight. Dressed only in black skin-tight shorts, he stood there, observing the view laying in front of him - a garage, a big garden and a figured fence surrounding luxorious mansion where he was at the moment; in the distance, lights of night Kyoto were playing.
"Yama-kun?"
"I'm afraid I have to go, Mr. Aizawa. Got to meet someone later tonight, you see..."
"Another sugar dady, huh?"
Silence.
"Oh... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that..."
Solidly built, gray-haired man in his sixsties wearing red and golden silk gown approached Yamato and stood behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm just a bit jealous," - he admitted in whisper. - "If only... You know... I would do anything..."
"Sorry, Mr.Aizawa," - Yamato replied, without turning his head. - "You know I'm a free agent."
The old man bowed his head.
"When will I see you again?"
"You know my cell number, don't you? And anyway,I have no special plans for this weekend, so..."
Mr.Aizawa beamed,"Great! By then my jet will be fixed, so what do you say about spending a few days in Hawaii?"
"Sounds kawaii," - Yamato smiled and started dressing, putting on tight jeans, turtle-neck thin sweater and leather jacket - all black.
Old man looked at the big watch on the wall - it was half past eleven.
"Don't feel like going to sleep. Can I give you a ride to the city?"
"Yes, thanks, I'd appreciate that," - Yamato nodded, lacing his shoes.
"Give me a few minutes to change my clothes then," - with this, Mr. Aizawa excited the room.
Being left alone, the youth sat down on the bed and turned the radioclock standing on the bedtable. And smiled bitterly. Alphaville was playing "Big in Japan"
Neon on my naked skin, passing silhouettes
Of strange illuminated mannequins
Shall I stay here at the zoo
Or should I go and change my point of view
For other ugly scenes
You did what you did to me
Now it's history I see
Things will happen while they can
I will wait here for my man tonight
It's easy when you're big in Japan
* * *
City center, Kyoto, Japan
"You should've seen professor Nagata's kisser when he saw the picture of Garudamon I drew," - Sora laughed back in Tokyo. - "You know he still refuses to believe Digimon are real. Goes totaly nuts when someone mentions them."
Taichi laughed too, pressing cell phone to his ear. "Hey, it was risky. I mean, it's an exam work and you bring him..."
He was sitting in small caffee, near the window and enjoying bright lights, chilly night breeze and a glass of pina colada with rhum. Night Kyoto was fab; he didn't want to return to the hotel.
"It's OK." - Sora answred. - " When all was said and done,I got an "exellent" mark."
"Hey, congrats, honey," - he smiled.
"How's your work going?"
"Done. Went to Koto-In, draw a pic of that ancient vat, you know. If Nagata doesn't like THAT, then I don't know what will satisfy him."
"Oh, you're so humble," - she giggled.
Taichi sipped his pina colada.
"You bet..."
The next second he chocked and spewed the drink onto the table.
"Tai? Tai? Hello? Are you OK?" - Sora sounded worried.
"Wait a sec, babe... Be right back..."
On the street, right in front of the window he was sitting near, black "Cadillac" parked and out came black-clad, icy-blue eyed blond...
"MATT!"
Taichi rose from the chair, refusing to believe his eyes. The car meanwhile pulled off and the blond waved to the driver and started to walk away. Taichi stood frozen on his place. Could it be him? No, really. Matt disappeared four years ago, the night his father was found dead. Suicide, the cops ruled. For next few months they had scanned the country in search for the boy, but to no avail. Some were saying he was dead, too. Some even stated it was him who killed his own father, which was just sick. And now Taichi bumped into the missing one here in Kyoto. Maybe this guy just looked like Matt? On other hand, there aren't many blonds with blue eyes in the country...
"Matt!" - Taichi finally yelled, storming out of the caffe. - "Matt!"
"MATT!!!!!"
Black clad youngster turned around and Taichi thought for a second he saw fear and desperation in his eyes, though the distance between them was quite big... and then he began to run.
"Matt! What the hell is wrong with you?! Stop!"
No effect.
"Come back here!" - screamed Taichi and ran after him.
Yamato was scared, confused, angry. Taichi was here. To make things worse, he recognized him. To make things worse, he was chasing him. To make things worse, Yamato knew he had no chance whatsoever running away. Taichi has always been better athlete than him. He, on the other hand, was a realist. He knew when he was losing. Running into a narrow side street, Yamato leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and breathing heavily. Few seconds later he heard footsteps and someone grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Matt! What's.. What's the matter with you? Please!" - Taichi was half-happy, half-mad. - "It's you, man... I just.. Whoa..! How... Where have you..."
"Tai, please, leave me alone." - he said quietly.
That confused Taichi.
"Just let me go. Forget you ever met me here, ok?" - Yamato asked, then started walking away. When his friend tried to grab him by the jacket and turn him around, Yamato knocked him down with a punch to the jaw.
"Whatta heck?!"
Instantly,Taichi kicked upwards, bringing Yamato to his knees. He folded in two, grasping the damaged area and groaning through clenched teeth.
"You shouldn't have done that," - Taichi said getting up and extanding his hand. - "Hey listen, I'm sorry, ok? My fault. Got physical first. Listen, Matt, I didn't run half this town to fight you. What's the matter with you? C'mon, Matt, don't you recognize me? Hello, I'm Tai, your friend. C'mon, dude..."
Yamato, still on his knees and wincing in pain, looked up, straight in his eyes.
And took Taichi's hand.
"So Matt, where had you been all those years? What do you do in life? And how..." -As they were walking down the street, Taichi was asking one question, then, without waiting for an answer, going for another. Yamato wasn't really keen to answer, though.
"Just wait till we get get to my place,"-he kept saying,-"I'll explain everything then."
And so they were at the door of his place, an 9th floor apartment in fashionable, newly built skyscraper, staring down at the envelope lying on the door carpet.
Yamato went to pick it, and as he did, a piece of pink, perfume-smelling paper slipped out of it and this time it was Taichi who kneeled to pick it.
"Hey,don't-!" - a panic-stroken Yamato said, reaching for it, but Taichi chuckled and turned his back to him, hurrying to read the mysterious letter.
"Sweet bun," - he cooed, - "Hey, Matt, who's that chick who calls you sweet bun? That's corny... Came over to see you... aha... and you weren't around..."
"Give it to me!" - Yamato was yelling, reaching for the letter.
"... and your cell phone was off... aha, how romantic... so she decided to leave you a note, Matt-o... Wants to know if you're free tomorrow... if you are, call her... call whom?... let us see who calls da man himself "sweet bun"... here, signed... Oh my God!!!"
stunned, he dropped the letter, then slowly turned to Yamato.
"Konoe Zenzo?..." - he mouthed.
"Yeah.. you know...", - Yamato mumbled, - "Konoe Oil, Inc."...
"I know who he is! He's a guy, for God's sake!"
Yamato shook his head sadly, staring down on the carpet. Taichi made a couple of steps back.
"Hey... Matt... Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... you know... Really, I don't have anything against... er... you know, guys like you... It's just... surprising, I mean you were normal... sorry, I wanted to say you were into girls... used to hang out with Sora and all..."
"Which reminds me. How is she?"
Taichi got totaly confused.
"She's... Fine. Well, as a matter of fact, we're going out and..."
"Good for you," - Yamato said. - "She's a really nice girl. Well let's come in, should we?"
"So you want to know what happened then?"
They were sitting in luxorious and well equipped lounge of Yamato's apartament, sipping beer from tin cans.
"Yeah," - Taichi said. - "I mean, dude, you disappeared, and the same night your dad..."
Yamato's face tightened, so as his fists.
"My dad," - he whispered. - "Oh yes, my dad..."
* * *
Four years before.
Odaiba,Tokyo,Japan.
"Fuckin' slut..."
Dad was home. Late. And drunk. Yamato sighed, put his guitar down and walked to the corridor to meet him. Strange. Mr.Ishida quit drinking a long time ago, but now he was absolutely boozy, falling off his feet, which meant something REALY went wrong.
"Dad... er, hi... are you ok?" - the boy asked, seconds before the big, bulky man tripped over his own foot and collapsed on him. Yamato nearly felt, but regained his ballance and even prevented his father from crashing down on the floor.
"Bitch..." - Mr.Ishida grumbled and Yamato nearly threw up from the smell of alcohol. - "You think you're too good for me, huh?"
Ah. Now Yamato understood. Dad probably broke up with Misako, his colleguae and resent fiancee.
"Hey, dad, relax." - he panted, trying to get him on his feet. - "C'mon,take it easy. Wanna eat something?"
"Who... is this? Yama? Is that you?"
"Yeah, Dad, it's me. Now try and stand up,ok? You're kind of heavy, you know..."
"Bitch... Misako, you cocksuckin' bitch... " - Mr.Ishida was definately "out there", traveling between reality and delirium of his alcohol-poisoned mind.
"So you're saying you're too good to get laid. Too good for me,really? You fuckin' played me like a piano for six damn months and now all of a sudden you're too good to get laid by me?"
His fingers dug deep into Yama's forearms. And the boy felt scared.
"Dad? Hello? No Misako here, you understand what I'm saying?" - he was trying to speak calmly. - "You're home. And I'm Yamato. Yama. Matt. You know - your son."
"Too good to get laid..." - dad hoarsed. - "Well, Misa, that's what you think..."
"DAD! ARE YOU NUTS?... GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!!!"
Next thing Yamato knew he was slapped hard across the face and thrown halfway across the room. Doused, he laid in the corner, helplessly watching the hulk, dark figure approaching.
"Dad, please..." - he managed to whisper and tried to pull himself out of the corner, before Mr. Ishida grabbed him by the shirt, jerking the boy on his feet and hit him hard in the face. Once, twise... After half dosen of punches he tossed Yamato onto the sofa...
Yamato could hear sound of clothes being torn, his dad's loud breathing, and then came pain. Pain and blood. Lots of it. At one point he bit his own palm to prevent himself from screaming and now blood was in his mouth as well. The torture seemed to last for hours, but finaly the big man withdrew and started to snore. The boy lay still, staring on his pained palm...
* * *
Real time,
Yamato's flat, Kioto,Japan.
"I ran away that night." - he said. - "And the next morning I read about his suicide. He probably woke up, saw all that blood, saw that I was gone and remembered everything. Then..." - Yamato swallowed hard and shut his eyes. - "I don't know.. It's probably my fault. If I'd stayed I wouldn't let him kill himself. If only I was there..."
Overwhelmed, Taichi put his hand on Yamato's shoulder.
"It was not your fault... Matt, please... stop bashing yourself... Matt... And you didn't have to run away, you could've spoken to your mom, or call the cops, or just talk to me, or Sora, or Izzy... I mean, come on, you..."
"What? I what?" - Yamato angrily pounded himself in the chest. - "What was I supposed to say, "Hi Mom, hi TK, dad did a number on me last night, and guess what, I liked it"?!
"You what???"
"I dunno," - he sighed. - "Perhaps I had that side of me burried deep inside of my uncounciousness or wherever stuff like this is supposed to be hidden, until dad did what he did. Another reason I ran away then. Didn't want to stay around him because you know, it happens once..."
Tai kept silent, then said," Gee, dude... I'm so sorry for you. Maybe it's still not too late? Come back to Tokyo with me, we'll think of something..."
"Thanks, Tai," - Yamato smiled sadly. - " But I think I'll stick here in Kyoto. Don't want to hurt mom and TK, and they'll be hurt for sure when they find out about me. Besides, look, I'm living kind of a good life. With all them sugar daddies I got, I'm fixed for the rest of my life... not that I plan to live long. Will probably go before I hit fourty."
"Geez, Matt! Don't say that!" - Taichi pleaded, getting up from his armchair.
"Why not?" - he continued calmly. - " I'm having fun now, enjoying myself, but I know when to go. I know when the party's over.One day I'll find myself not all that cute and fresh destiny's child... And that's all I got, Tai. That's what I do for living and that's all I know to do. So, when time comes, click-clack-bam, thank you, ma'am, this sweet bun leaves this world... and besides..." - he gulped the sob down and whispered, - "I'm filled with hatered, Tai. I hate myself for what I am and for what I do, hate them all for what they do to me... It's pretty hard to live with this stuff inside you. Believe me, it's hard..."
Taichi was walking down the empty, dark street, hands deep in his windbreaker's pockets, head hooded, Yamato's last words repeating in his head.
"Please, Tai. One last favor. Don't tell anyone we met. Especially mom and TK. They don't deserve to suffer like I do. And take good care of Sora. You've got the hottest girl in Japan, chap."
Suddenly, he heard engine working and a lonely car slowly passed by him. Its windows were open. And radio was on. DJ was re-playing today's program.
..Things will happen while they can
I will wait here for my man tonight
It's easy when you're big in Japan
Aha when you're big in Japan, tonight...
Big in Japan,be tight...
Big in Japan... ooh the eastern sea's so blue
Big in Japan, alright,
Pay and I'll sleep by your side
Things are easy when you're big in Japan
Oh when you're big in Japan.
After the car disappeared around the corner Taichi stood alone under the streetlamp, remembering the past, the good times, the bad times.
And weeping silently.
The End