JAMES S. POTTER
…and the Birthday Surprise
"Making sushi is an art, and experience is everything."
—Nobu Matsuhisa
A diary entry where James Sirius Potter goes to Japan to meet his penpal for a tasty (and shocking) treat to celebrate his birthday.
7th July, 2019
Day 1 in Japan
The summer in Japan was as hot as Britain's—well, maybe a little cooler since we were seated comfortably in the Shinkansen, en route to Kyoto. Turning to my penpal, Miyu Kisaragi, I raised an eyebrow at his effeminate but impassive face. (You know, the kind of cute, girly features that even straight boys like me would fall for if he had tried to smile.) In return, he gave me an icy glare that made me shudder, reminding me of Headmistress McGonagall's stern look—that one time where I sent Filch howling down the corridors with Dungbombs attached to his arse. (Uncle Ron was very proud of me, but Mum didn't find it remotely funny.)
Miyu was a half-blood wizard studying at Mahoutokoro; I first encountered him by chance in London at a Muggle concert. It was an interesting one, since the singers on stage were not real people but synthesized voices that were represented by holographic characters projected on a translucent screen. Miyu was an attendee who sat beside me and lent me a huge lightstick, reminiscent of a lightsaber from the Star Wars movies, to wave with the crowd. We exchanged contact details before parting ways, but I didn't know he was also from the magical world until he returned my owl mail ('twas an April Fool's joke) with a pigeon letter with his email address. There was even a postscript asking me if the British wizarding world was still unreceptive towards Muggle technology.
It wasn't easy to convince Mum to let me go for this trip alone. I knew she was worried about me—like any mother would be—but in the end she gave in after I showed her a photo of my penpal. And now here I was, in the Land of the Rising Sun, just in time for my fourteenth birthday.
At my request, Miyu brought me to a sushi bar to celebrate the occasion. (Cakes are overrated, anyway.) We arrived at a wooden shop front that screamed of a bygone era at the end of a long alleyway. I entered through the sliding door after Miyu, who was talking to the chef behind the counter in rapid Japanese. There were colourful plates on the counter with pieces of exquisite rice rolls, but I was more amused that the plates were… moving.
"Conveyor belt sushi," Miyu explained for my benefit, probably hoping to wipe the shining look of delight off my face. "Very popular around the world, but not common in traditional eateries like this place."
I took a seat at the counter. Immediately, I almost fell off the high stool upon meeting a big yellow eye staring at me; I blinked to regain my composure, calming down my thumping heart enough to register the salmon fish swimming in a tank beside me. Although Miyu's expression was still rigid like the Noh masks that lined the walls in the sushi bar, I swore I heard a quiet chuckle from him as I squirmed in my chair.
It was satisfying to see the coloured plates stacking higher and higher, almost like I was having an eating contest with Miyu (we were neck and neck). It was also nice to see Miyu slowly breaking out of his cold demeanor with each bite, but it was awful when he tricked me into a choking fit with a spoonful of green stuff called wasabi.
That wasn't the last surprise in store for me, however.
My eyes widened when the sushi chef pulled the live salmon out of the tank beside me. With deft fingers and confident knifework, he cut up the fish, filling up a row of plates with slices of fresh meat from the twitching remnants of the salmon that had intimidated me earlier. Miyu was as unfazed as ever at the shocking barbarity that had just occurred, pointing to each plate with his chopstick while giving me a simple lecture on the types of salmon sushi that were presented before us, but I was too dazed to pay much attention.
Rolling his eyes at my gaping face, Miyu's sarcasm was what brought me back to my senses. "You said you wanted a surprise, and it looks like I've won the bet. Now you owe me a surprise for my birthday."
He picked up a salmon slice—the word 'sashimi' popped into my head—and dipped it into the soy sauce. "Sushi is more than just food in Japan. It is our culture, and a form of art by itself. Sushi chefs are not mere cooks—they are craftsmen. Do not see the horror before you as violence. Appreciate it as the result of the many years of experience and hard work the chef has put into honing his skills. Many people like you would fall in love with sushi not just for the delicious freshness, but also for how the chefs gave their all to create the best experience they can offer with their craftsmanship."
"I'd have fallen in love with you too if you could at least smile more, just like how the chef is grinning at me."
I reeled back at Miyu's narrowing glare, my eyes now fixated at the teaspoon of wasabi that was inching towards my face.
"Not funny. Anyway, tanjōbi omedetō—Happy Birthday, James."
I wouldn't mind taking another mouthful of the spicy green paste just to see another rare smile on Miyu's face. (Honestly, it's such a waste of his good looks.) I think I have an idea for Miyu's surprise birthday next year when he comes over to my house. I can already imagine his shock when he meets my Dad—the famous Harry Potter, in flesh and blood.
Author's Notes:
* Story events are loosely based on my personal experiences when I was in Japan a few years ago.
* In my headcanon, James is a closet nerd for Muggle entertainment and multimedia franchises, hence why he has interest and knowledge in stuff such as the "Star Wars" films and the Vocaloid concerts.
* Also in my headcanon, the Japanese wizarding community is more receptive to Muggle technology based on logical reasoning. We all know that Japan is a technologically advanced nation, and it makes no sense if the Japanese wizarding world does not accept Muggle techs to blend in better with the Muggle community. Also, Japan has an aging population, so all the more they have to rely on technology to curb the issue.
* There are many forms of sushi, with the most popular few being "nigiri" (raw or cooked meat slice on top of a rice cake), "maki" (seaweed and rice roll with filling in the middle), and "sashimi" (raw meat slice only).
* According to the HP Wiki, James Sirius' birthday is most likely between September 1, 2003, and August 31, 2004. I chose July 7 because it's in the same month as his dad's, Harry's, birthday, and it's the Tanabata festival in Japan (one of my favorite Japanese holidays).
Forum: The Houses Competition
Year/Round: Year 4, Round 5
House/Position: Ravenclaw, Year 5 (stand-in)
Category: Drabble
Prompt: [Food] Sushi
Rating: T for a bit of language and fishy gore
Word Count: 943 (G-Doc, story only; excluding title, sub-title, AN, summary, quote)
Betas: 2D, Newt, Viola, AJ, Holly