Within a week business was booming. We had lists and lists of people wanting to book appointments and get their cars into Han's garage just to get them looked at and modified. We had endless demands and I actually had to enlist Earl and Reiko's help after school in order to get some of the work done when Han wasn't around. I had to limit everything to what I could manage alone for the most part though Han had agreed to hire extra help during the day on certain days of the week which helped a lot with the simple stuff, though sometimes I found myself teaching them as I went whenever I was making modifications though I was glad whenever the kids came back as they didn't need to be constantly directed. They just got on and did it and enjoyed the fact they got some money in their pocket for their trouble.
I liked it better when Han was there, because usually those were the days when our part timers weren't around and it was just the two of us working on this car or the other and the time alone made me feel even closer to him. At least on my side it did. I still wasn't exactly sure how Han felt, he kept those kind of things very reserved and it was difficult to read him when he didn't want to be found out. With extra cash coming in, Han was able to make even more improvements and adjustments to the shop, buying in better equipment and parts we needed to fix up cars that were brought to us in a total wreck.
Soon enough we had our routine and everything was going perfectly. Within a few weeks our part timers were able to work without direction and we had ourselves a cosy little business going for us which made Han even richer than he was before, that multi-millionaire. Sometimes I forgot just how rich he was so it made me laugh whenever he asked someone for change to go buy snacks from the new vending machine he'd just put in which was basically just for him to have a steady supply of snacks to eat.
The work was tiring but I lived for it and I found myself waking up every day looking forward to the chores and extensive list of things to do. My dad came by at least once a week to check up on me and see how things were going and I had to thank him when he started to berate some of the mechanics and engineers for whatever it was they were apparently doing wrong and he'd wheel himself over rather assertively and direct them on how to do their job properly, also teaching them on the go all about specific cars and their kinks, having at least thirty years' experience on all of them so they listened reverently, sometimes even taking notes if they were working a graduate scheme and could use them for their classes.
We kept Han's side business well away from the part timers, keeping up the front of a good, legal business which I maintained from the office by keeping the books, burning the candle late into the night to make sure things got done before the next day. Things were great and rolling very smoothly, everyone working close together and I even started to help the kids with their homework when their finals came up, spending even more of my time at the shop with them. Twinkie worried the most about his exams but the kid was smarter than he gave himself credit for so I wasn't worried about him, he just sometimes needed a little push in the right direction.
The kids had already left for home a long time ago but I had been too tired to move, leaving the lights on upstairs and resting for a little while until I heard Han come in from next door, a momentary burst of loud music, voices and vibrations until the door closed and it was muffled once more. "Cora?" Han's voice roused me from my rest so I turned myself up to face him, giving a smile as I saw his figure blot out the light.
"Hey." I murmured sleepily as he crouched down next to me, making it easier for me to see him without squinting. "What time is it?"
"Late, have you been here all this time?" Nodding my head I rubbed my face to try and wake myself up a little, yawning into my hand as Han gave a gentle smile. "You work too hard sometimes Cora. Would it kill you to say no for once?"
"No." My immediate response made Han laugh however as I began to fall back asleep he quickly but carefully shook my shoulder.
"Don't fall asleep here Cora, it's not exactly ideal and you'll be on your own. Come on, do you want me to take you back to your parents?"
"They're out of town for two weeks. I saved up some money and sent them on holiday as an anniversary gift." I said to him as I sat up a little and untangled my hair which had got caught in my jacket whilst I'd slept. "The place felt empty so I've been crashing here for the past few nights. Feels more homely."
"You're a strange woman Cora. Come on, I got a better idea in that case." Still only partially asleep Han managed to get me up onto my feet before suddenly picking me up off the ground though I hardly felt it at all. He took the lift down and carried me over to his car, placing me inside though I could sense he was being careful and cautious, watching me carefully to make sure I didn't suddenly wake up and panic before getting into the driver's seat, my bag in his hand which he placed in the back before driving me away from the garage which he locked up behind him and set up the alarm.
All the while he drove the engine lulled me back into sleep so that the next time I partially came around, I was in an unfamiliar garage however I could see evidence of Han all over the place. Tools and wrappers were left everywhere, empty crisp packets and bottles loitering around as he pulled me from the car. "You awake? Cora?"
"Just barely. Where are we? How many garages do you actually own?" I asked him in slight confusion, not quite realising that he had driven me to wherever this place was.
"Since you didn't want to go back to an empty home, I figured my place was the next best option. Make yourself comfortable, what's mine is yours. For the time being." He amended afterwards with a smirk at me as he placed his arm around me and guided me into the elevator as I rested my head against his shoulder, tucking myself into him so he pulled me more securely into him as we went upwards. The bright light that glared downwards awoke me a little more so by the time the doors opened and revealed a rather luxurious penthouse suite, I had to actually blink and rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't dreaming. "Millionaire, remember?"
"You rich snob." I said to him jokingly as I couldn't hold back a laugh. "So this is what a few million American dollars can buy? You know, I think I would have joined you on that bank robbery if I could have had all this." I mused as I stepped inside and looked around me in wonder. It was all very modern, very western and very expensive looking. I was almost afraid to touch anything in case I got elbow grease on it or something. "So…for my birthday…"
"Don't even think about it."
"Damn. It was worth a try." I grinned as I took off my coat and placed it in the closet with the other coats before stretching, feeling my spine ache a little from where I had slept funny on that couch. "Are you hungry?" I questioned as I showed myself around the apartment, familiarising myself with the surroundings. "Because if you have any food in then I can make you something if you want."
"I'm fine. Maybe for breakfast." Han answered, offering me a drink which I accepted, taking a whiskey from him as he joined me with the same before we both sat down on his couch.
"Oh my god this feels amazing, your sofa is so much more comfortable than the one back at the shop." I instantly revelled in the soft plushness of the cushions, wriggling into them to get more comfortable before sighing in content. "Forget a bed, if I had a sofa like this I would sleep on it forever."
"You sleep on sofas all the time anyway." Han noted so I flicked at his leg weakly, chuckling before I took a swig of the whiskey, the alcohol bringing warmth and a particular heat to my mouth as the flavours tickled my tongue. We sat in comfortable silence for a while, finishing our drinks before Han took me by the hands and led me to the guest room, telling me to get comfortable and sleep as long as I liked and that I didn't have to go to work tomorrow if I didn't want to however before he'd even finished talking I had crashed into the bed and fallen asleep, none the wiser to his considerate words however he had chuckled, walked over to me and pulled the duvet cover over me to keep me warm, brushing back my hair before switching off the lights.
By morning I felt infinitely better rested though for a few moments I was confused as to my surroundings before I remembered where I was. Getting up I went into the bathroom to freshen up, using the spare utensils to take a shower and feel a little more human again before getting dressed and heading out front. Once more I took a tour of the apartment, avoiding Han's room because he was probably still sleeping. When I went to the window I opened the curtains and instantly took in the sight of Tokyo spread out before me, still bathed in the early morning glow of pale light and the gentle hum of quietness.
It was a breath taking view and I berated myself for not taking a look last night when it was dark and the lights were brighter. I bet the sunsets and sunrises were beautiful to watch from up here. Han really chose a great place to live, though from the looks of things he wasn't here often. The place looked barely touched and there was very little personality about it, nothing that said Han. It was just a place for him to crash every now and then, there wasn't even much in the cupboards so I grabbed my coat and purse as well as a spare set of keys which I found lying quite obviously on the table before heading out to the nearest shop.
Buying in a few supplies to make breakfast I got back before Han had even woken up, the day only just starting to begin as everyone else began to awaken for their days and head to work or school. Soon enough I was cooking in the kitchen, making breakfast for both myself and Han. It must have been the smell which woke him up because after a while, a sleepy looking Han walked in, slightly dishevelled as he wandered over to the breakfast table. "Where did the food come from?"
"I went to the store at the end of the street to buy a few things. You clearly don't spend enough time here to actually supply yourself with food because all I found was alcohol and instant noodles." I said to him with a soft smile as I flipped over the pancake. "You like pancakes right?"
"You like cars, right?" He returned effortlessly so I took it as a yes, passing him a plate with the first stash as well as the bacon and syrup. "I clearly need a woman in my life."
"That you do Han, though women do not exist to simply mother you. You should probably learn how to take proper care of yourself first otherwise you'll be stuck with someone like me for the rest of your life nagging you about everything." He gave me a funny look for a moment so I gave him a sweet smile before turning off the hob and taking my own stack of pancakes around to the breakfast table to join him, melting some butter on the top before adding the syrup which I heartily enjoyed. Since I cooked Han insisted on cleaning up, washing the dishes and the pan before putting everything away whilst I cleaned my fingers and lips from the syrup.
"So, what shall we do today?" Han asked, making me look up at him questioningly. "I said you could have the day off, so what do you want to do?"
"Han I can't just take a day off, someone has to open up the shop and…"
"We can stop by and sort that out later, but as your boss I'm telling you that you've been working yourself to the bone and you deserve some down time. So, where would you like to go? Anywhere you like." He asked me and I considered for a moment before deciding that he was probably right and I could do with taking things easy for a while. Just for a day, just today and we have to be back in time to close up the shop and for me to settle the accounts.
"Well, I've never actually been outside of Tokyo. My mom used to talk about the ocean where she lived when she was a girl. I'd like to go see it." Already I was planning a trip in my head having mapped it out countless times before since I was a child. I'd always wanted to take the train to go to one of Japan's beaches but never had the money or time spare, but now I think if I hurried I could probably get there before lunch and spend the entire day there, however Han was already getting up and going to get our coats.
"Do you want to be brave and drive today?" He offered however I just stared at the keys.
"You mean drive there? Han, that's at least an hour's drive if we're going to one of the closer beaches, probably two hours if we end up driving slowly and then we'd have to drive back. I don't…" As I trailed off Han reached around me and pulled me up from my seat, making me blink as he set me on my feet then held out my coat for me, letting me slide my arms into it though his fingers brushed against a tear in the sleeve, seemingly considering it for a moment before disregarding it though now I had noticed it, I made a mental note to stitch it back up when I next get home.
"We have all of today to get there so it doesn't matter how long it takes. Come on, how much do you want to see the ocean?" A lot. I really, really wanted to go so I hesitantly nodded my head in acceptance but refused to take the wheel, warning Han that if he was going to make me do this he was stuck with all the driving which he readily accepted and urged me to get moving so that we could head over to the shop, open up and leave instructions for everyone. I fussed that this was highly irregular and rather unprofessional to just suddenly take off however Han reasoned that things were going well and that everything was just minor work and repairs and any specific modifications that required either of us were not due to be done for a while yet. "Besides I'm your boss. You have to do what I tell you." He finished so I just scowled at him.
"That's a terrible way to end your argument Han, you were being so reasonable and realistic but then you end with that?" I queried however he just grinned at me. It took me a while to settle back into being in a car again however by the time we got to the shop I was a little more comfortable with it and after we'd opened up and left instructions on the noticeboard, explaining that neither of us would be in today and to only call us in an emergency, leaving our contact information down below before taking off.
Once again Han drove slowly and rather carefully, seemingly making it a point to always check his mirrors and indicate that it made me chuckle. "I bet you haven't driven like this since you were trying to get your driver's license." I said to him and I watched his lips tilt upward into a smirk.
"What makes you think I ever got my license?" My face dropped immediately, white faced panic settling in before Han started to laugh, making me glower at him darkly as he grinned and flashed me a card with his picture and details on it. "Relax I'm just messing with you. Here, see for yourself." He handed it over to me so I curiously took the card, shooting him a final dark look before I turned it over. Han Lue. "That's one of the few identifications I have that have my real name on it. Mostly I use fake IDs and passports to travel around. Well, I did when I was a criminal. My name has been cleared since then."
"But then you started stealing again." I mused, nonplussed and a little amused. "I thought the point of a new leaf was not to go back to old tricks."
"Can't help it. A man can only do what he knows. Besides, my record is clean, I just can't get caught." That mischievous glint in his eyes brightened and I looked at him for a while, learning a little more about him as I understood more.
"You really enjoy this life, don't you?" I asked him and he sent me a questioning glance. "I can see you do. You like the thrill of the chase and being a supposed bad guy when really you're a nice guy doing bad things. A little like Robin Hood, only you don't do the whole giving back to the poor thing." I mused as I opened the window a little.
"Does that bother you at all?"
"Not one bit." I responded lightly as I listened to the wind rasp outside, letting a little fresh air inside before letting it slide closed once more. "If it makes you happy then I'm all for it. Everyone finds their own way in life and so long as you're not hurting anyone then I don't particularly see why it should matter what you do or how you provide for yourself. If things had gotten bad for my family way back when, I probably would have jumped into the same circuits you're running right now. I would have done anything to make sure my family were seen to, so I don't think I can judge you at all since I would have done just as you do and probably even worse if it came to it." I reasoned and Han seemed a little surprised by my admittance.
"To be honest I wouldn't have pegged you for a crook, but I guess everyone has that little bit inside them that would do anything to survive. You should meet Dom someday, I think you'd like him. When I rolled with him, we went by a code which we did not cross or break. Said it separated us from other people that had no loyalty to one another, nothing keeping them together except greed. We were family and that meant something important to Dom. He's a good guy."
"Maybe you should invite him over sometime, I really would like to meet him, sounds a bit like you." I mused as I gazed out the window, watching the world sail by. "You know I won't exactly take part in anything illegal Han, but if you ever need help then you can always come to me, alright? When it comes down to it, I guess we're all family too and that means I won't ever turn on you and I won't squeal on you to anyone. So you can trust me."
"I know that Cora. I know." Han said softly, reaching out his hand to find mine and gave it a warming squeeze. "I always said you were one of a kind."
"You bet I am." I agreed cheerfully before counting down the minutes until we would reach the beach. When we finally got there, Han insisted that I closed my eyes and let him lead me to the shore so I indulged him, keeping my eyes shut until I heard and felt pebbles underneath my feet. When he finally told me to open my eyes, I saw a massive expanse of blue. It swept before me all the way to the horizon like an infinite blanket that lay over the earth, cloaking it in the vast endless depths of rolling waves and shifting hues of blue which dazzled my eyes as I breathed in the salt of the air and listened to the sounds of water as it rolled and churned, sweeping back and forth again and again in an endless pull. "Wow." I exhaled, unable to look away as Han stood next to me.
"Want to walk along the shore?" He offered and I nodded my head, unsure if the tears in my eyes were from the salt or the fact that I felt emotionally moved that after twenty two years I had finally made it here. Seeing that I wasn't moving on my own Han laced his fingers through my hand and together we walked along the beach, the pebbles crunching underneath our feet as the white foam lapped against the damp stones, constantly bathing them as the tide continued to push further inland. "So was it everything you imagined?" Han asked me after a while as I had recovered from my initial wonder and simply enjoyed the sensations of the beach.
"I guess so, it's much better than looking at pictures I can say that much. Plus the air feels much fresher out here than in the city and there's practically no one about. This is my kind of place." I smiled contentedly as I watched the ocean surf. "What about you?"
"I'm happy wherever I can find fast cars and good company." Han decided after contemplating my question for a few moments, our hands still linked together and I was in no hurry to separate myself from him. To be honest I don't think Han had even noticed so I kept quiet, enjoying our little walk together as the beach steadily got a little busier as time ticked by. He insisted on taking me out for lunch and let me order whatever I wanted before taking another walk up the beach, skimming pebbles across the ocean water though Han had to teach me the trick as at first I sucked.
The day we spent together was a day I truly cherished as I felt tranquil and rather happy within myself, not caring about paperwork or chores that needed doing back home or the fact that my family were still grieving over Alex. It was just me, Han and the ocean. I couldn't have asked for anything more and when I next got into the car I felt so relaxed that I wasn't even fazed by the fact that I now faced a two and a half hour drive to get back to Tokyo. "You seem a lot more relaxed than before, all things considered." Han noted to me after a while, looking across to me as I rested back calmly in my seat.
"I've missed being able to just drive for the sake of driving, you know? Sometimes it's nice to just take life one quarter mile at a time and not have to race to a finish line." I mused thoughtfully as the sky started to change colours from day to dusk, towns and buildings passing us by as the city came ever closer.
"You want me to slow down a little more?" He offered however I found myself smiling, gazing out the window before turning my head to meet his gaze.
"I don't mind if you pick up the speed a bit." A brief flash of surprise registered in his expression before it was quickly replaced by a smirk, Han instantly reaching for the gearstick and shifting everything up a notch.
"In that case, buckle up." Pushing towards the speed limit I felt that familiar thrill take over me as Han picked up the pace. As the world glided past I watched as we overtook car after car, the furious roar of the engine constantly working before settling into a comfortable purr. Han was constantly glancing across to me, making sure that I was okay with the speed but I found myself trusting him more and more without even thinking about it. I was comfortable with him, knew that I didn't have to worry so long as he was behind the wheel. Just so long as we could avoid any idiots on the road we would be fine. After taking the speed up a notch we knocked off quite a bit of time off our journey and when we pulled up into Han's shop, I felt better than I had felt in a long time. A little healed and as I stepped out the car, I was smiling.