tokyokko
/ tokyokko. : "people of Tokyo" /
ii. brunch
.
The warmth of the sun woke Akira from his sleep. Various specks of color appeared before him as he freshly opened his eyes. He looked at the calendar and clock, realizing it was already Friday – ten o' clock.
Much to Akira's dismay, the nightwalk Ann promised him did not happen that same evening. But it did not matter; he held on to another promise she made – that they would see each other again sometime this week, although Wednesday and Thursday have passed by without the sighting of a blonde girl.
The good news, though, were aplenty. He had landed himself a part-time job as an assistant at the nearby clinic of Dr. Takemi Tae and just finished running errands for his long stay in the city. He also applied for a library card at the National Diet Library, too. His expectations of the capital did not fail him at all; except for some areas that seemed to have been thrashed by gangs.
His train of thought came to an end as he heard the AM radio below. He did his morning routine since his arrival – some warm-ups, a few push-ups, fresh clothes then coffee. He climbed downstairs and headed straight to the bathroom, catching a streak of yellow from his peripherals.
It was morning, and his sight was rather hazy. And yet he couldn't help but wonder.. Was that just..?
He splashed cool water on his face, and slightly dampened his mane so he could tidy it up with a comb. He needed no hairspray when his hair had the natural curls. When he finished, he cautiously opened the door and peaked to his left, verifying his assumptions earlier.
It was Ann indeed, her hand and ear on the telephone. She wore a black, short-sleeved turtleneck top and a red mini skirt; her soles wore a simple pair of oxfords that seemed to cozy her. She also wore a red beret, matching her yellow hair. Her outfit reminded him of a French actress in some of the few Nouvelle Vague films he and his friends watched from the high school film club watched back in Iwata; even though they were in black and white. He also noticed she was wearing pigtails again. Must be her favorite 'do, he assumed.
Her voice battled with the morning news radio broadcast, but neither Sojiro nor Ann seemed to mind the clashing of sounds. Akira stepped out of the bathroom, his eyes glued to her again.
"You got it bad," Sojiro had snapped him out of his thoughts, placing a cup of coffee for him on the counter.
"Good morning," greeted Akira, ignoring the hint of playfulness in his tone. He watched Ann talk nonstop over the phone. "why does she have to make calls here?"
The old man grunted, again with his signature cocked brow. "Why don't you ask her," answered Sojiro. For Sojiro, it was none of his business as long as she paid for her calls. Fifty yen for each call – and she made five to seven most of the time.
"Isn't she supposed to be rich?" said Akira. He brought the cup near his lips, cooling the substance with his breath. He can't imagine someone like her to not own a telephone line of her own.
"Backwater mentality right there," scoffed Sojiro, much to Akira's astonishment. "just because a quarter dose of gaijin runs through her veins doesn't make her rich,"
The boy opened his mouth, but no words came out. He was quite taken aback by the sudden criticism from his guardian, but he did weigh there was sense to it. His regretful eyes dropped to his coffee, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Sorry." He hoped Ann didn't hear anything.
The old man's scowl twisted to a smile. "You'll encounter a lot of stuff like this around here; kids are sensitive nowadays. Best that you learn soon," said Sojiro, now lighting a cigarette before him. "well, you are right though. The Takamakis are well-off."
Akira glanced at the girl again. She had fallen silent, but her face still positioned to the mouthpiece and earpiece. "So.. her phone calls?"
The owner threw him yet another frown and turned his back to him. "I told you to ask her, didn't I?"
Ann had her eyes closed as she waited for her the next person to pick up the phone. Her lips were slightly parted, showing her front teeth.
She jumped from her seat slightly. He concluded she actually dozed off with her former position. "S-sorry! Hello? This is Takamaki-san,"
Akira scratched his head and let out a sigh. Her intimidating appeal was disappearing before him. What a weird girl..
The wind chimes rang, rapid steps came inside after.
"Sojiro," it was a girl's voice. Akira turned to meet a girl with long ginger hair – her small face framed with full fringes. She wore a white collared tank top and plaid mini skirt, paired with black thigh socks and a black boots that he kept seeing around most teenagers of his age. She caught him looking at her and responded to his gaze with an apprehensive look.
He looked away and focused on finishing his coffee, reckoned he had scared her.
Not for long Sojiro turned around to deal with the girl. "What is it?"
The little lady glanced at Akira, then to the owner. "I.. I'm heading out to the gallery."
Sojiro cocked his brow in suspicion. He inhaled his cigarette. When he breathed out, a soft smoke escaped his lips. "You hang out with him too much,"
"He's not that sort, Boss," the voice came from Ann, no longer with the phone in her hand. Her sudden interjection surprised Akira. "Besides. I know him. I'll make sure Futaba comes home this time."
So this is Futaba.. realized Akira. If his understanding so far was right, they were talking about a boy. She's probably seeing him..
"I didn't come home last time because it rained hard and it was at the other side of the metro," defended Futaba, her brows knitting between. She looked rather different when angry.
The owner now turned to the blonde.
"And how are you going to ensure that?" Sojiro tapped his cigarette on the ashtray, before taking another hit.
"Akira and I will pick her up."
"Huh?" the sudden mention of his name alarmed him.
Sojiro and Ann stared at each other for a few seconds. The old man knew Ann for a year now. Whilst he held the same first impressions most people got from Ann, her hanging out in his cafe on a weekly basis since then had led him to think she wasn't what most ought her to be; and he held a soft spot for outcasts. Now, he couldn't help but assume she had already taken a liking to his new tenant. "I want both of them back fully sober, without a bruise or funky smell, got it?"
"You know I don't do that stuff," the blonde held her nose high-up out of pride.
"I'll get going now then," Futaba turned around and headed straight to the door. "I'll see you later, dad.. Ann.." her eyes met Akira's, now acknowledging his presence. "..new guy."
She closed the door, the chimes ringing again.
Sojiro put out his cigarette as he released a long, tired sigh.
"That was my daughter," said Sojijro to Akira. "well, adopted daughter."
The boy only nodded in acknowledgment, finding himself not really in the right position to inquire further. He walked towards Ann, who still sat on the last stool. He pulled a seat next to her as he leaned forward to see her face. His hand rested against his cheek as they entered a staring contest.
She broke into a grin. "Good morning,"
"Good morning," he said, returning her warmth. "you're here early."
The unexpected reply brought heat to her cheeks.
"Yeah. I needed to make some calls," she replied as she ran a hand through her pigtails. Their proximity was somehow flustering her. "I found some posts from the classified section or the past few days. My list just keeps getting longer,"
Akira could tell that she was very proud of this achievement of hers in the tone of her voice.
"Hey,' she called him, her blue eyes drawing him again. She was biting her lower lip as if cautious. The intense gaze she has on him indeed arrests him. "do you have anything to do today?"
He was in stupor, the lump in his throat stuck as he tried to open his mouth.
This wasn't the first time a girl had asked him out or approached him first; nor was it the first time a beautiful girl had done so. Akira was aware that he fared well when it came to women; usually taking him little to no effort with the girls in his high school. He found it pretty easy to toy around words, believing respect, honesty and a bit of mystery as the secret ingredients to charm them. He did so as not to earn ire and fit in with the rest of the boys, hence gaining their respect.
Now, it was both a problem and an opportunity. He couldn't help but allow his anxiety to swallow him as he wondered what it was about Takamaki Ann - a mere stranger - that fumbles him. Perhaps he just wasn't used to seeking out someone else's attention, for it was always the other way around. At least that's what Akira thought.
And yet, with all the chaotic voices in his head, he disguised his apprehension with suave.
"Not really," he answered feigning his composure. He bobbed his head on the side. "visit Ginza, maybe."
Ann smirked. She kept touching her hair, worried if there was a strand misplaced. "I did promise you the last time to go with you,"
"You did," he said, catching her infectious grin as he returned it. "but just in the nighttime, right?"
The girl leaned against the counter, her back slouching as she pouted at him. She knew he was playing along with her, and the fact that he could resist her in the slightest made her feel somehow insecure. See, for a girl like Ann, unconsciously benefiting from her exotic looks, refusal and inhibition from boys was something she wasn't used to; even though she never wanted most of the attention.
Don't be pushy, Ann, she reminded herself. She was rested head and arms on the counter, her eyes never leaving his as she now stared at him upwards. She hid the ecstatic smile that beckoned to come out against her arm.
"We can go right now," she offered. "let's have the whole day."
The building tension between them did not help him come up with witty comebacks or replies. Akira could only chuckle.
"Is this a date?" he teased as he stared down at her form. She looked really great, whatever pose she went with.
Her eyes widened in surprise upon hearing his suggestion, but retreated back to her grin before. "Are you asking me out or just confirming?"
Another soft laugh escaped him as he covered the mirth with his fist. Their whole exchange was becoming ridiculously playful for early morning. Even Sojiro, who was overhearing everything despite the AM radio on, could not help but smirk in amusement.
Akira cleared his throat, ready to concede. "Both."
His answer turned her visibly pink, even he noticed. She hid the lower half of her face with her arms, but he could still tell she was smiling. His grin grew wider at her reaction, it was almost embarrassing. He rubbed a hand on his neck, looking around the area to see if anyone was witnessing this.
He slightly tilted his head, his hand supporting it on the side. He remained like that until she recovered from her giggling.
She sat back up, her body in a straight posture, showing off her 'endowment' – something he didn't notice until today. She stretched her arms and back, then looked at him with a confident face.
He raised his brows, waiting for her answer.
Ann stood up from the stool and straightened her skirt. He followed her, standing up as well. He fished his pocket for his wallet, checking if he has it with him. He debated whether he should bring a bag along, feeling naked without the accessory.
No man-purses today, Akira, he told himself. His senses have heightened, anticipating how this day will go by with Ann.
The sunlight on her back shadowed most of her features, except for her eyes. They twinkled as they looked through his. "Let's go then."
Sojiro chuckled to himself, watching the two disappear from his sight as he placed his freshly-delivered television on the table.
They walked, but didn't know where exactly to go. Akira had been walking wherever his feet may take him - in this case, to the train station. Ann doesn't seem to mind this 'date' going unplanned.
She kept him at an arm's length, her hands held together behind her, while his were inside his pockets. She looked at him from head to toe; white sweater, khaki slacks.. her eyes widened as she noticed he was wearing gentleman's oxfords. Not that it looked bad on him. Quite opposite rather, for he was pulling it off so well.
"That's cute," she said again earning his look.
"Excuse me?"
Ann pointed out to his brown shoes. "Dainty, aren't we?"
"Just a country boy," he joked.
"No," she interjected. "not every guy can wear those. I'd know."
Akira smirked; now debating himself whether she was patronizing or sincerely complimenting him. His non-response had Ann quickly search for an icebreaker. She looked at the morning sky, thinking.
"Where'd you come from, Akira?" she asked.
"Iwata,"
"Where's that?"
"In Shizuoka, down south."
"What's it like there?"
He briefly looked up as he searched for the right words to describe his hometown. "Plain. The ocean view makes up for it though,"
"That's awesome," she chimed. She was about to ask him more about his area but was cut off when she noticed they were now entering the train station. "Sorry, I forgot to ask. Where are we going?"
"I thought you were going to 'tour' me around," he jested.
"You said you're taking me on a date," she replied.
A train just stopped by, its doors now opening as people scattered across the once-barren platform.
"Wait," he gently placed a hand behind her back, guiding her to a corner. "let's think over there."
They stood at the side of the stairs, waiting for the mass of people to lessen. Both of them watched the platform get filled.
"You don't have a plan, don't you," she told him.
"You came by very unexpectedly," he replied. Inevitably, they stood together with close proximity, her shoulder already touching his arm. It's crazy how he paid attention to such a minor detail.
"You still asked me out anyway," she said proudly.
"You easily get comfortable, don't you?" smirked Akira, musing on the arrogant expression she wore. "Especially with a guy you just met twice."
It was Ann's turn to burn red. Her blush was paired with an annoyed scowl. She had been taking notice that he's been very smooth. Too smooth.. It slightly offended her.
"I'm not what you think I am," she retorted playfully, masking the hurt. She crossed her arms and looked away from him. "you just seemed like a really nice guy.. or have I judged you wrong?" she teased.
"I didn't mean it that way though," he chuckled, instinctively reached for her shoulder so she could face him. "I'd like to believe that, but tell me what you think of me after today,"
Her pout turned to a smirk, satisfied with how he saved himself from 'error'. "Okay, Akira."
"Okay," he said, relieved. "Now what about my tour?"
"You'll get your tour tonight all right," replied Ann, her eyes twinkling. "first, you take me out."
He snickered, now realizing that the problem is he actually had no clue where he should take a Tokyo girl like Ann to a date. He was yet to be familiar with everything else. "This is really weird, considering I just got here a few days ago,"
The girl held her chin, her mood quickly changing. "You're right," she relented. "Okay, fine. I'll be your guide for the whole day,"
"Thanks."
Ann smiled to herself, breathing in and out as she mentally prepared their itinerary, thinking what a country boy like him would like to experience. She grabbed his wrist, dragging him along with her as they headed to the ticket teller.
"Shibuya for two, please." He heard her say as she reached for her wallet. He stepped in, halting her hand as his other reached for his own.
"How much is it?" he asked her, peeking into his wallet. Ann raised a brow, a smirk forming across her lips.
"200 yen," she answered, slapping his hand away a she reached for her money, taking two 100 hundred yen banknotes. "Come on, this is on me, country boy."
She handed him their tickets as they both headed to the platform. He could not help but smile as he obsessively mused over her behavior. They stood behind the yellow line, waiting for the train.
"My mother told me to never make a girl pay," told Akira in a playful tone.
"Really," mused Ann, smiling. "you'll be broke if you keep hanging out with me,"
He tilted his head, his gaze mischievous and soft. "To run out of money from spending it all on a pretty lady is a privilege,"
Ann giggled, charmed with his half-seriousness as blood rushed to her cheeks once again. It was insane how she had caught herself blushing many times today now.
"I'll look forward to it," she replied. He said nothing more and smirked in satisfaction; relished the silence between them as they waited for their ride to Shibuya.
The whole train ride was rather quiet as well; Ann was been people-watching, sometimes observing Akira too, who stood before her. It was the simple gestures he did that made her self-conscious – whenever he held her lightly as to guide her, or let her get in the train first and take the open seat. She even tried to match his gentleman-like demeanor with the prim-and-proper lady image; an image which sadly Ann doesn't have a shred of similarity with. She is normally confident of her looks, but now she wasn't so sure. For a country boy, he's incredibly sophisticated..
Shortly they arrived in Shibuya, with Ann leading the way as they changed to Line 3 – the train heading to Ginza. This time, Akira made sure he paid for their fare.
"So you're really taking me there," said Akira. They now boarded the train. There were no open seats this time; Ann stood facing him.
"It was your original plan," she answered nervously, again hyper-aware of their proximity. They remained quiet still so as not to aggravate the heat and humidity of the train. The sun was full-out today that he could even see his own reflection in Ann's eyes whenever she turned to look at him. They arrived in Ginza in a few minutes, stayed at the corner of the platform as they waited for the crowd to subside.
Ann glanced over her watch, then placed a hand on her stomach, feeling it. She was hungry, and she needed to fill up, soon. She looked at Akira, wondered if he was feeling like eating as well.
"You didn't have breakfast earlier," she told him.
"No," he replied casually. "I don't really get hungry in the morning."
"Well. We can get some brunch."
The last word caught Akira's attention. He reckoned it was probably an urban slang or an English word. "Excuse me?"
"Brunch," repeated Ann matter-of-factly. "It's a meal that serves as both 'breakfast' and 'lunch'," she explained, emphasizing the last two terms in English.
The raven-haired boy scratched his head, unsure of what to say. He grinned sheepishly. "Is that really a thing?"
"Yep!" the blonde chimed. "It's a thing in New York. I've lived there for quite some time."
Ann motioned him to follow her as they exited the station. Compared to Shibuya, the roads in Ginza were wider; the cars came by in packs. He noted that there were a lot of fancy ones. The architecture of the buildings reminisces of America – like the ones he had seen in postcards and magazines. His gaze fell back to Ann.
"So," Akira dipped his hands in his pockets, his earnest look suggesting for her to continue her story. "how was New York?"
The girl gave him an unusual, melancholic smile, before resorting back to her normal disposition. They walked, with Ann leading him a bit.
"New York is great," although she said this nonchalantly. "there are a lot of things to going on. There was always something new,"
"I hope you don't mind me asking," said Akira. "but your heritage.. quarter-American, is it? You were born in America?"
A nervous smile came across her lips.
"Quarter-American, but I wasn't born in America," she answered stiffly. They were now waiting at the corner of the pedestrian lane. "My dad's Japanese. My mom, a hafu,"
"I see.." He noticed the lack of extra chatter from her end. He pondered for a bit before saying anything that might offend her. They stayed silent until they were allowed to cross the lane.
"I don't get it when people refer to you as 'the quarter-American'," he said boldly as he guided her to walk faster with a hand on her back.
"Is that so," she giggled, amused of what he has to say. "how can you say that?"
Akira licked his lips, eyes wondering around the city as he thought of his answer.
He smiled. "Isn't it kind of stupid for people to only refer the quarter-part of you and ignore the remaining three quarters of you?"
"I don't know," she disagreed, although finding the whole conversation really entertaining. "as you can see, my hair and eyes conveniently scream 'gaijin',"
Good point, Akira noted. Although, he still couldn't help but imagine how ostracizing it must have been for her to stay here; he was aware of Japan's 'receptiveness' to difference after all. Even now, he could notice the way passersby – young-and-old, man-or-woman – stare at her.
And it wasn't because she was beautiful.
"You're right," he conceded with a smirk, finally reaching the other side of the street. "Sorry."
She giggled once more against her palm, hiding her blush. It was refreshing for her to have someone think about her racial status with so much sensibility. Even more so than Sojiro, who was among the first adults to explicitly tell her he didn't care about her 'foreignness'.
"How do you think they should refer to me, then?" she teased.
His eyes went from her toe to her head, taking in every distinct feature of hers, from her eyes that reflected the sky to her hair that caught the light of the sun. He snickered when he caught her blush. The pink shade suited her very well. "Lady Ann."
Her blush deepened shade, paired with a surprised expression and a hand to hide the lower part of her face.
"You're really good at this," she complimented bashfully, now turning to a corner. "come on, this way."
He smiled satisfactorily as he followed.
Ann had taken him to a skater-themed diner. It was the full-fledged 1950's – the swing music, the skater skirts, pastel interiors and the smell of breakfast; nostalgia to his childhood. It seemed like a hanging spot for young teenagers and young ladies. Akira chuckled to himself, remembering there's actually one like this back home; hence, not a really 'new' experience for him. He chose not to bring it up anymore, as he could feel his stomach grumble.
They sat across each other in a booth. He was very familiar of the kind of food they served here, so he ordered what he usually got back at home. On the other hand, his companion ordered a single-patty burger, with lots of stuff from the desserts menu.
Their 'brunch' went by quietly. Only now had Akira felt the slight sting of his soles from all that loitering with Ann. But it was only noontime, and they had plenty of time to kill before evening. Akira was enjoying the company of his chaperon, so far.
He glanced at the girl across him, who was sternly looking through the window as she bit on her pancakes. His eyes tuned to the view, too, studying the people passing them by.
"My father told me that back in their days, this area was a mass of disappointment," he opened.
Ann glanced at Akira, smiling. "Really?"
"It was destroyed by an earthquake some decades ago. Heavy reconstruction turned it into a hub,"
"That doesn't seem terrible.." mused Ann as she looked around the buildings. "at all. Especially if they made it into a huge commercial area."
"But a few years later this same area got destroyed again. By bombs.. you know. During the war." He heard Ann gasp; he glanced to her side to see the expression she wore.
"Yeah. That is terrible," she nodded in agreement. She scooped a spoonful of her sundae as she continued to watch the area. "It's amazing though. I imagine older people – the people before us –sometimes wonder and ask themselves, 'did it really happen?', 'was it all real?'.. You can barely see the trace of such tragedies now.. like a passing dream.. no – a passing nightmare.."
Akira smirked when he watched her speak her train of thought, liking the way they translated into her words. His gaze went back to the city. "Tell me more about your brunch stories, Ann."
"That again?" She giggled nervously. Her personal history wasn't something she was proud of, but she didn't mind sharing, if asked. "My parents came up with their own fashion line when I was little. We moved to New York, and they became very busy, I only get to see them when they dropped and picked me up to and fro for school. But some day in a week, the three of us eat together at the nearest café,"
Akira could sense the sadness tucked underneath her cheerful voice as she narrated her story. Her eyes were still stuck on the window, but they looked somewhere very far and beyond.
"'Brunch'. And it was the only time of the day we all dined in a table together," she chuckled, scratching a pigtail out of embarrassment as she felt the mood becoming too dramatic. "It's okay though. I'm just glad I'm back in Japan for good. All those years of moving from one place to another is really tiring."
"You have a very colorful life," said Akira as he compared his childhood to hers. He remembered manga and television to be his only forms of traveling as a child. "It's slightly envious. To travel around the world,"
The blonde heartily laughed, wondering what he could actually be thinking behind his sentiments. She pried no further. "Perhaps."
Another silence enveloped them as their focuses went back to the view. There was something comforting in the set-up, and it was only now he had a long observation of locals in the city life. They remained serene, until an unusual, quaint black truck that drove in the middle of the square. The people who rode at the back of the truck were wearing black shirts. They began setting up of what seemed like a makeshift stage.
"Uh oh," Ann pursed her lips, her mouth filled with her leftover pancake. "here comes another one."
"Another one?" repeated Akira, his dark eyes filled with curiosity.
"A protest," she answered simply. She stood from the booth, sensing he'd start barraging her with questions by the way his eyes were glued to the building demonstration. Another black truck came by, this time filled with people wearing red. As soon as the other truck was sighted by the rest, people both inside the diner and outside began to leave the area. She sighed, her mind drifting to certain people.
The sudden change of climate got Akira curiouser than ever. Now that he recalled, he has been seeing a lot of demonstration posters and flyers during his first three days. The posters all came from different movements and groups, upon his perusal. He looked at his companion, who smirked at the sight unfolding before them. He cocked a brow. She probably knows something..
"It's gonna get a bit chaotic around here," she said, suppressing a laugh as she tapped his shoulder. "We should get going,"
"I see." He turned around to see her smiling face, completely distracting him from the uproar about to occur outside.
The megaphones have turned on.
"Let's go, country boy."
He stood up from the seat and smirked, wondering with fear and excitement as to where she'll take him next.
I always pictured the Ann/Akira romance to be very harmonious, and some parts of this chapter was how I thought they both would hit it off in P5, had they met in normal, positive circumstances. Some hints for the next chapter: enter Ryuji :)