Counting the Differences
Chapter Twenty-Five: Estranged
Huddling over their bento boxes and cold cans of coffee, Kuma, Uchi, Minami, Shin and Noda ate their lunches at their desks under the draft of the air conditioner. They had unofficially stopped their lunch days on the roof due to the muggy weather and their secluded side of the school building was the oldest and doomed with weak air-con. They wouldn't be surprised if Sawatari cut their air-con if only in some scheme to force them to drop out.
Minami ran a hand through his rusty colored hair and then fanned his shirt, unable to soothe the humidity sticking to his skin.
Noda flipped open his phone and smacked his lips impatiently. "Hey Uchi, you get any response yet?"
Chewing on a large chunk of rice, the teenager shook his head with pronounced cheeks.
Noda, Minami and Kuma growled, already agitated from the inconsolably hot day.
"Sou, we didn't even get to talk to everyone in their group."
"Like Yoshida-chan." Minami hummed in a sing-song tune.
Shin's phone alerted a message. He tipped his chin at the pocket with his phone. Instead of reaching for his mobile, he sipped his cold coffee.
"Too bad she went off before any of us could try." Uchi said, remembering how she excused herself. With a smug sneer, he smoothed his hair. "Good for you lot, I would have swept her off her feet and left a long line of your broken hearts in my wake."
"Should we make a bet on that?" Minami dared, causing Uchi to slam his desk. "Settled! Operation Win Yoshida's Heart begins today!"
Shin's phone alerted another message.
"Remember Yankumi is making us stay to practice for Sport's day." Noda interjected, wiping his sweaty hairline with his sleeve. The thought of exercise on an already unbearable humid day killed the last of his appetite.
"What it's it going to take for Yankumi to stop whining about Sport's day?" Uchi wished to tear down the bright colored sheets of paper covering the chalkboard just so he could stop facing them. Speaking of the covered chalkboard, did Yankumi even try to teach anymore? Apparently she assigned each of them to teams based on what she dubbed "scrupulous calculation of their strengths, weakness and personalities."
…yeah right, all of 3-D thought with a roll of their eyes.
"I wish she didn't believe in us just this once. I'd rather not get sweaty. I can't believe she's making us practice." Noda whined like a child.
"She mentioned some kid earlier. Yuki was it?" Uchi asked, getting only a nod from Noda.
The blond noticed his other friends' silence. "Oi, you two got quiet all of a sudden." He pointed at Kuma and Minami. Shin's phone alerted another message. "Yo, Shin, are you going to get that or what?"
The natural light from the high windows dimmed faintly as the overcast clouds thickened. "Maybe a typhoon will blow Sport's day away."
Leaving for her evening lesson, Davina shut her bedroom door and headed for the living room. The lamps and television were on, the local news talked about a tropical storm developing by Taiwan and Okinawa. Her mother sat by the coffee table, without her reading glasses, casually filing through dozens of papers and personal items.
"Ma, what are you doing?" Davina asked but upon stepping closer, she spotted a colorful box with yellow, red, and blue panels. She froze mid-step, biting her lip, regretting her curiosity.
Her mother nervously scattered the papers, photos, and small toys. Davina saw her clutching a small blue jumpsuit. "Your grandmother and aunt Cerise have badgered me for a long time to bring some photos of you when we visit them. They're always complaining about not having any." Esmée softly answered, with a noticeable snivel in her voice, forcing her normally nonchalant humor.
As Esmée spread the stacked photos, familiar ones surfaced: some from vacation, some from Davina's recitals and next to them was a small teddy bear and a new pair of small shoes still in their original box.
Esmée saw the direction of her daughter's gaze and quietly gathered the toys and clothes. With one bunch she carefully set them inside the colored container next to the untouched stacks of family photos.
Despite the shuffling of papers and toys, the lack of words between them was nerve-wracking. Davina squeezed her bag strap until her knuckles were white. "Speaking of visiting…Johan's wife is pregnant."
Esmée dabbed her puffy eyes and cleared her throat. They both imagined the last time they saw Johan, Esmée's sister's eldest son; a young man fresh out of school, they missed his wedding because of a move back to the United States—something Cerise never let her forget.
Davina loved her cousins, and they her despite the passive aggression between their mothers. They were the closest thing she had to siblings.
Davina peered down at her shoes as the depressed expression on her typically humorous mother was unbearable. "Maybe you should give that old stuff away." The teenager immediately regretted her words but had anticipated her mother's protest. Before she could even finish her statement, her mother's face contorted with grief and anger. She spat a crude mix of English and French, stuttering uncharacteristically.
"Davina—"
Desperate to forego the situation, in a swift motion, Davina twisted the front door knob and trudged out.
"How on Earth can you say—"
Lock!
The redhead pressed the back of her head against the metal numbers 404 on her home door. She faced 405 down the hall, breathing slowly and deeply to drive out the speeding thoughts in her head. Remembering her urgency for class, she smoothed her loose bun when her phone alerted a message: Shin.
Alone in the elevator, she listened to the hum of the passing floors. She stretched her arm over her left shoulder, where Shin's words had long washed away. There were no traces of ink left (but that still didn't stop her from checking the tall ballet studio mirrors during class) and nor was there a recording of her words to Shin, but the promise was intact. She couldn't easily forget the feeling of wet ink sinking into her skin. The promise was only made a short while prior but her mind raced from the acknowledgement that she would need to make good on it soon. Far sooner than she expected.
Yuki Masato purposefully disabled the motion-activated porch light. Slow and quiet, he shut his home door behind him, gripping the knob to soften the click of the lock as much as possible. He tiptoed around the wooden panels that cracked from weight. He climbed over his fence, along the brick side, not wishing to risk the noisy gate lock. The gentle hop of his shoes on the pavement and the soft click of the front door lock were the only slips of silence and with the road nearby, he was confident he could sneak by unnoticed.
Still…the teenager peered over his shoulder and exhaled from seeing no one on the suburban street.
That teacher would have surely given up by now, he concluded. Unable to remember her name, but he could draw from memory her glasses, pigtails and jersey suit. She was rude, trying to drag him back to school so she could win a Sport's day trophy for glory. She was gone now. Teachers…always showed their true indifference in the end.
Head ducked and hands shoved in pocket, Yuki strode to the bus stop.
Yankumi peeked out from a rose bush. She had a thorn poking her behind and leaves folded in her hair, but she didn't move until her student was out of ear-shot. During her numerous visits to his house, she always caught him sneaking back into his home. "Where does he go every day?" She asked no one before bounding out of the bush to follow him.
The ballerina glanced along her shoulder reflected in the mirror as she completed her stretches, picturing the dark ink and Shin's hands. She turned away when her cheeks flushed. More of her skin was exposed in her leotard than the dress she had worn that day, even slightly unzipped…
Her hair tie loosened and red tresses swept along her ear.
"Eyes off the floor Suminsu. And fix that bun."
Davina obeyed, fixing her bun before staring straight ahead at the dark haired ballerina in front of her along the barre.
Seven pairs of arms reached forward, supple and graceful, their lean arms extending like illusion in the mirrors. The girls bent forward and back with effortless beauty earned from years of stretching and practice. They straightened as the warm-up music slowed, their right leg stretched forward, to the side, behind and on the final beat, a final time on the side.
The large metal door opened conspicuously and a tall woman with long silky black hair tied in ribbon surveyed all the ballerinas and then nodded to Madame. The woman had pinker skin than Madame, a slightly rounder face, larger eyes like a doll, but no less poise. Davina noticed a sparkle from the warm lighting and realized the woman wore gemmed hair pins.
"Would you like to be introduced now or would you prefer to wait?" Madame asked quietly, but her voice still carried in the tiny studio.
The woman closed her hands behind her to appear straighter. "I'll wonder in obscurity for now. I prefer to observe first."
Randomly, Davina felt urged to glance to her right and caught eyes with Ami Murosaki. The redhead saw the girl lift her neck higher like a swan. Without verbal acknowledgement, both girls knew they thought the same question: could this be it? Finally?
"Spread out," Madame began before strolling to the center of the studio to face reflection in the mirror. "We'll try a pointe and pirouette combination. Remember to control your pirouette, keep it effortless and graceful or you else you will look like a train wreck crashing on the floor. Take your places. 1-2-3-4…"
Once on the bus, Yuki stopped checking over his shoulder and with a deep breath, settled into his journey. Yankumi hid behind someone's open newspaper, covered by the travelers, while peeping around arms to watch for Yuki's next move.
Despite being squished between passengers, Yankumi hopped up to see the window. Beside the bus was a green taxi, but she recognized the concrete structure as they took a sharp turn. Nishiazabu crossing, which meant they were in Minato, heading towards Roppongi. The driver pulled out of the sharp turn, causing Yankumi to bump into the business man whose newspaper became her cover.
She gripped the orange sling hanging from the metal bar with a hard stretch. "Sumimasen." She murmured politely with a nod. The business man didn't say anything, instead folding his newspaper to another page.
Yuki stood up and exited the bus right as the last of the new passengers hopped on. Yankumi bumped the business man again, this time earning an annoyed grunt. She pursed her lips, pardon, I'm sorry but this is massively important! Her palms touched the plastic door as it nearly shut on her nose. "Eh?"
The bus began to pull away from the designated stop. Yankumi saw Yuki dash off while hopelessly hitting the stop button. Already back in traffic, the bus couldn't immediately stop again before the next destination. The teacher heaved a sigh and pressed herself against the plastic window to watch Yuki for as long as she could. "How am I supposed to find him now?"
Despite concentrating of their own technique, the girls were obviously intrigued by the extra presence hovering around them in the studio. It was difficult to focus on dance, checking the mirror, spotting Madame's reaction, not bumping into the other girls, while holding composure while the woman would often pause abruptly to watch a single girl's movement for ten astoundingly long seconds.
Davina's pirouette routine had gone as smooth as ever, but she sadly noticed the seasoned girls around her uncharacteristically sloppy in their grace and technique. Even with wonderful composure, Davina knew them well enough to notice the twitches in their stony faces.
The unidentified woman now approached Murosaki and again the girl lifted her neck higher like a swan.
Madame had switched them to tour jete and grand allegro routine—Davina's favorite and Murosaki's weakest. Even with Ami raising her chin to signify confidence, her forehead shined from sweat. Murosaki leaped with lower extension, but cleaner technique. A smart decision, Davina decided as she lifted her arms in position for her turn.
With the turn of the music and the first row of girls done with routine, Davina stood in center formation, asking to be seen by unnamed observer. Her chest pumped faster than normal, but she relished the rush.
She skipped into her grand allegro enthusiastically, yet gently with her landings. She spun high in her tour jete, with no show of force or effort, switching legs midair to softly land on her left to show off her extension. Madame spoke to Horibuchi; the girl on Davina's left to be more mindful of her harsh landings, heavily emphasizing 'grace' (a word rarely heard from 3-D).
Before lining up with the others on the other side of the studio, Davina glimpsed in the mirror and noticed the direction of the woman's eyes. Her hand cupped her chin with interest, holding her gaze on Davina even as the redhead pretended she hadn't noticed.
She briefly recalled the day she recoiled in the shadows of her room, stiff, out of touch with her own body because of Inoue and Tsuchida. The thrill of her routine continued to rip through her, powerful and jubilant like a drug. Suddenly, if only briefly, she couldn't remember the feeling of stiffness from that day or the grip of Inoue and Tsuchida's hands.
Yankumi sprinted after the bus finally let her depart. Minato was densely populated but maybe if she hurried in the direction she spotted Yuki last…maybe she could catch up. Using the Nishiazabu crossing as her marker, Yankumi founded Yuki's bus stop.
Panting, Yankumi pictured Yuki heading north and hoped he was still outside. Away from bustle of Roppongi, Yankumi naturally slowed to search for a match of Yuki's white t-shirt with a single black stripe. Despite living in that city her entire life, Yankumi couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu as she wondered up the pedestrian street with brick mansion buildings. A sense of dread filled the teacher; had Yuki gone into one of these numerous homes? If so, it'd be nearly impossible to find him—
Yankumi shook her head, her pigtails whipping around. No. She had to find him. Near the end of the street, before a turn, Yankumi recognized the trees of Aoyama Park and cemetery. Remnants of cherry blossoms peppered the pavement and bushes, signaling the end of spring and beginning of summer. The teacher sighed when she recalled that she hadn't gone to view the cherry blossoms that spring. Had time gone by so fast? Wasn't it only yesterday that the TV forecasters were debating the best day and time? She had promised Minoru that they would go and immediately felt gloomy for forgetting… Minoru hadn't mentioned it, which weighted heavier with guilt in Yankumi's torso.
She'd make it up to him. Apparently Aoyama was wonderful for cherry blossom viewing—why hadn't Yankumi ever gone before? Next April 3-D would graduate and that would be the perfect time. She imagined all of her students, with their diplomas under the rain of cherry blossoms. Dabina-chan lived by nearby and would probably enjoy it too.
Déjà vu whirled Yankumi's instincts again, too particular to ignore. Yankumi glanced over to the other side of the road at a large white building with two flag poles. A foreign embassy, she decided.
Déjà vu whirled again, insisting Yankumi take another look. Remarkably, a strong breeze straightened the two flags, showing both the Japanese and American flag. Yankumi stopped dead in her tracks.
The Hardy Barracks. Perhaps this was a back street as normally, Yankumi with Dabina would stroll to the front entrance. Near a broken street lamp, Yankumi heard a scuffle of branches and paused.
Squinting her eyes, she stealthily tiptoed across the road. A hand reached from the tree to the barbed fence, to Yankumi's horror. She jumped into the bush and yanked the young man off the tree before he touched the fence.
"What the—hey!" Yuki barked when he recognized the woman who dragged him off the fence. "Don't touch me! Get your damn hands off me!"
For good measure, Yankumi carried him to the other side of the road before tossing him on his behind.
"Ow," he groaned pathetically. "What was that for!"
"Are you TRYING to get arrested?! Expelled!" Yankumi scorned him, before peering over her shoulder for the police or army base security. They were alone on the street and he hadn't touched the fence, but Yankumi didn't want to risk it.
Again, she yanked on Yuki's arm to haul him away from the scene. She'd be damned if he got expelled after just meeting him…
In a dark corner of Aoyama cemetery, Yankumi threw Yuki on a ground next to a tombstone. He rubbed his tender bottom. "Did you have to throw me again? What kind of a teacher are you…"
"What were you doing? You were about to climb the Hardy Barrack's fence before I stepped in."
Yuki sorely stood up. He had spent so much resolve to attempt his climb that he experience emptiness when confronting Yankumi. "What's it to you?"
Furious and so profoundly concerned for her student, she grabbed his shirt collar so he could stop staring at the ground and face her. "I asked: what were you doing?" His eyes met hers briefly before tearing to the ground again, but long enough for Yankumi to realize that her mistake. She released his collar.
"I'm not trying to bully you. I can't sit back and do nothing."
When Yankumi withdrew slightly, some of Yuki's resolve returned. "You shouldn't have interfered! I don't care if I get expelled."
"What could be so important that you don't care?" Yankumi grimaced.
Yuki bit his lip, exposing the personal scope of his situation. "Again it's none of your business. Apparently all you care about is your trophy since you won't stop bothering me. And what if I did go to Sport's day?! Then would you finally leave me alone?!"
Yankumi clenched her jaw, restraining every whim in her body from shaking sense into Yuki—anything to make him understand. How could he conceive she was only concerned with a bloody trophy?! Minami and Kuma only recently divulged their history. When Yuki stopped attending school, Minami and Kuma inimically parted from Abe. For some unknown reason neither of them could intellectualize, they had a change of heart and didn't favor Abe's attitude anymore.
Unsaid by Minami, Kuma and Yankumi, but Yuki leaving school had indirectly brought Minami and Kuma with Uchi and Shin and eventually Noda.
"I care because I am your homeroom teacher." Yankumi answered simply and clearly.
Yuki's mouth curled with anger. "That means nothing to me. My teachers and faculty never did anything to help me. Right to an education should be their right to bully you." Yuki spat, his mind racing with memories of Abe, Minami and Kumai bullying him for no damn reason. The teachers saw it, all of them, his mother called with her concerns—nothing, zilch. "I have better things to worry about than Sport's day."
Yuki trudged away, hands in his pocket heading towards flags waving in the distance.
"Like what? If you tell me I can help you." Yankumi exclaimed after him. She saw him nudge before dismissing her statement. "I can help you because I know someone who lives there."
Her voice carried and Yuki halted conspicuously. His pause was too visible for him to pretend that he didn't care. Kicking himself already, he turned around. "What do you mean? You better not be lying to me."
"Explain what you need from that Hardy Barracks and I'll help you." She stuck out her pinky finger. "Promise!"
Yuki mulled over the idea, but desperation glinted in his eyes. "Fine." He conceded.
Yankumi heard a twig snap behind her but no one was there. "But not here in a spooky cemetery!" Yankumi cried, rubbing her arms from a sudden chill.
With thirty more minutes to go before the end of class, Davina was overly weary from overexertion as were the other girls. She couldn't remember being tired so early in a class before, nor had she seen the other girls push themselves so hard. No one was sure who the mystery guest was, but everyone had a good guess.
The threat of competition was seeping into the attitudes of long time friends—Yamada and Kinjo glared at each other when Yamada accidentally bumped into Kinjo while the unknown guest observed her technique.
Davina found herself annoyed by the growing agitation between girls who had amicably practiced together even before she arrived in Japan. Instead of watching the girls constantly measure, mentally compare their performances—and even smirk when another girl screwed up—Davina gazed out the window to their view of Shinjuku between her turns.
Eventually, the guest keenly nodded at Madame. Madame shut off the music and announced for everyone to sit down. When Davina sat, she noticed Yamada and Kinjo sitting on opposing ends of the group with Murosaki uncomfortably in the middle. Davina remembered the group of girls who opted to give her 'friendly advice' about Shirokin boys, stunned at how they could suddenly turn so cold.
Madame with a subtle smile finally introduced her guest. "Students, let me introduce you all to Joshujo-sensei"—Davina already heard the girls around her inhale a deep breath—"former dance instructor to Kasuse, Nao and appointed admissions representative for the School of American Ballet."
Davina's stomach flipped repeatedly, dancing haphazardly on the line between being happily excited and nauseated.
Before Joshuyo-sensei formally spoke to the class, Madame uttered something over her ear. "I hope you don't mind, I told them both to bring their old shoes."
"Sou desu ka? Hmm, I don't know if we have time today. I was meaning to ask only three in particular."
Only three? Davina felt her heart rise into her throat and swallowed. She fought the urge to glance around at the six other girls. She could sense sly glances, resting on her than to others, as if trying to decide which the lucky three were. Three out of seven. Not even half.
She could suddenly taste her dinner at the top of her throat as her stomach flipped.
"Sumimasen." Madame bowed her head, a sight Davina had never seen of her instructor.
"It's alright. We can look at them properly next week and talk about customization later."
Custom shoes? Davina's mind raced until she was woozy. Custom shoes=expensive, so customization for company members.
Joshuyo addressed the class, gazing at each of them equally without hinting which three she spoke of. "As you may know, my former student Kasuse has gone to dance for the School of American Ballet. They will announce it officially soon, but S.A.B. will be holding auditions for the first time here in Tokyo this winter."
Way to go, Jayla. Davina smiled; just as excited as she had been when Jayla spilled the rumors.
Ami squealed quietly next to her but the odds dawned on her again and her skin paled.
"It's a trial process to recruit diverse dancers since it is impractical to expect all dancers to travel to New York for auditions. It is because of dancers like Kasuse that you girls are getting this opportunity—so pay your respects to your sempai. However, even with the additional audition, they're still taking only the best of the best. You'll face the best in your class, the best throughout the country and the rest of Asia. A well-respected teacher, trusted colleague, and my friend, Fujioka-sensei, says some of you have potential to become professional. Yet, even with the potential I've seen, you have to want it."
"As beautiful and as graceful as ballet seems, it's a highly competitive lifestyle, often filled with injuries, heartache and disappointment."
"I am going to start hosting a private workshop for dancers I handpick, which will prepare you for the audition and company-life. However, S.A.B's audition to open to any dancer so I urge all of you to think it over. If you need guidance, please feel free to consult me or your instructor."
"With that, I'll return you to Fujioka's hands." Joshuyo-sensei bowed her head to Madame.
Back in the locker room, Davina finally untied her stubborn hair that for whatever reason that day would not stay tame in a bun. She shook the tresses and then brushed out the kinks.
Whatever subtle agitation she perceived in the studio quadrupled in the lockers, evident by Kinjo slamming hers so loudly that Davina wondered if pedestrians in Shinjuku were startled. Erika Yamada was the first to storm out, muttering curses under her breath so foul 3-D would gasp.
Murosaki hid in the bathroom to change to avoid her close friends. Kinjo audibly exited, after pacing around the locker rooms praying that her chances weren't ruined by Yamada's bump.
Without properly folding her clothes, desperate for fresh air, Davina conceded with roughly throwing her items into her dance bag. She welcomed the rain-smelling air and Shinjuku, which despite its urban noise seemed infinitely more peaceful than the studio.
When she saw Shin casually leaning against the studio building, she rushed over and wrapped her arms around him before either of them uttered a word.
The agitation of the studio, Joshuyo-sensei's sudden appearance and her mother suddenly a distant memory, Davina exhaled so deeply she felt lightheaded. She pulled away. "Better."
Shin cupped both sides of her head to steady him and her. "Did something happen? I saw a few girls stomp out of there, red in the eyes."
"Let's walk first."
Immersed in the crowd, darting around tourists and local groups, Davina raised her voice over the noise to fill Shin in. "Murosaki hid in the bathroom. For a guy who's quick to fight, I didn't think Kuma would have a soft spot for shy girls."
"Any idea of which three girls Joshuyo-sensei picked?"
"Can't bear to make predictions, don't care, just as long as one of them is me."
"Never seen this competitive side of you before."
"I have a feeling you'll see more of it soon." Davina felt weird as she reflected on the day. Just as Jayla said. The auditions were happening. However excited, she wondered if perhaps knowing about the audition had made the unveiling a twinge anticlimactic. "Jayla and Mira are the only ballerinas I hang out with…unsaid but probably because they don't want to go pro."
She had known numerous ballerinas in her life but was only ever close with Mira and Jay. Perhaps because they weren't competition. She suddenly recalled Victoria from her class and how the dancer immediately shunned Davina because of her identical aspirations.
They ventured into a convenience store that smelled of anti-bacterial floor cleaner. They purchased packets of chicken onigiri and cold cider. Shin took off his black blazer and his white button-down shirt to reveal a red-black graphic t-shirt.
Davina folded her orange and white stripped skirt under her legs when they sat on a bench to eat. She also fixed the ruffles in the straps of her grey top. In her rush to leave the studio, Davina hadn't primed her clothes.
Shin handed her an onigiri and loosely wrapped his arm over her shoulders. After a few satisfying bites, Davina asked. "Has Yankumi managed to excite everyone for Sport's day?"
Shin sighed weakly, excited not being the appropriate word. "They're a little despondent because we can't even compete in all of the sports since 3-D isn't a large enough class."
That was news to Davina…
"…that is unless Yankumi can convince a student who has been absent from school since last year to attend."
Davina swallowed hard. Shin explained Yuki—drawing surprise from Davina at how Yankumi usually so scrupulous hadn't noticed before—how he left school because of bullying. "Abe, 3-C student—ones you haven't met—along with Minami and Kuma." He added reluctantly.
Davina's gut twisted with disappointment but she remained silent to allow Shin to continue.
"I didn't know them during that time, but I know they got tired of Abe soon after Yuki left. I don't know for certain since both aren't proud of what they did. I wouldn't suggest bringing it up with them."
Davina pictured cheery, silly Minami and Kuma, torn by the image of those characters she had grown to love as bullies. "Everyone makes mistakes. Do you think Yankumi can get through to him?"
His typical poker face surfaced, unknown to her that he was recalling a particular event earlier in the evening. Yankumi had thrown the student to the ground, challenging him to slam her down. Weakened, they both collapsed to the ground.
"Even when something bad happens, you keep going! Isn't that what life is about!"
Shin remembered intensely staring at the teacher, profoundly warmed by her audacity and her sincere trust in her student. It was at that moment, that despite the barriers he created, Yankumi had countered every obstacle, changing everything he fundamentally believed, not only about teachers but people as well. Shin realized, accepted and cherished that he could trust Yankumi.
"She said that it's in his hands now." Shin's lips twitched, slightly curling. "But if he doesn't show tomorrow, she'll blame herself."
Davina smiled. "Can't Yankumi accept the fact that we can make stupid mistakes too? If we always let someone take the blame, we wouldn't ever experience regret."
The significance didn't need mentioning or indication. Not anymore. His fingers brushed along her left shoulder blade, not unnoticed by Davina. However, the two remained silent; his brown eyes met her green set as if to confirm their mutual understanding and faith in one another. As hard they both fought from trusting, trusting seemed like the easiest part. It was merely feeling at ease with someone and letting go. Profoundly liberating and sweet.
Shin's warm breath brushed against her forehead. His nose filled with the sweet scent of her shampoo. "Better."
"You missed a phone call from America this morning."
"Your great-grandmother only asked if we have traveled around the main island."
"So that's just a passive-aggressive way of asking if we have gone to Nagoya and met with Sousofu?" Davina mumbled, not convinced her great-grandmother wasn't in the very least intrigued. "Did she talk to you about her flowers?"
Kenneth leaned back in his seat, trying to quickly decide if Davina's attitude-riddled statement was worth scolding. In the scope of his memory, could he figure if Davina's attitude was a result of the moment or her new friends? He could already see Esmée staring with willful eyes, 'just let it go.' Instead of pursuing the topic of her friends, he calmly responded. "Davina, drop that smart-aleck tone. And don't call your great-grandmother passive-aggressive."
Right as Davina was replying with "yes sir," her mother interrupted.
"She's right though. Marilyn should just ask, Ken." She started giggling when she saw her husband's face as she always did when it was two versus one.
"Don't encourage her, Esmée." Ken shook his head and fought back a little smile. "Let me finalize the plans and I'll tell her we're going to meet Sou-sofu."
"Dad, he's my Sou-sofu. Since he's your grandfather, you would call him oji-chan." Davina corrected.
"Wonderful. Did your boyfriend teach you that?" Esmée asked innocently, surprised by Ken's loud slip of utensils against the glass plate as he was trying to carve into his food.
Esmée pursed her lips tightly to suppress giggles, unsure of who got redder in the face, her daughter or her husband.
Davina's mobile vibrated and rang loudly, saving her from the situation. She rushed into her bedroom, still hearing exasperated banter from her father and her mother's giggles even with a shut door. She read the unknown number before answering.
"Hello, this is Davina." She heard phones and distant Japanese conversation.
"Ah, Suminsu-san. I hope you're well. It's Shinohara from the police station."
Davina inhaled a deep breath. "Oh, of course I remember. Thank you, I hope you're well too." Despite Shinohara's former reassuring words, her heart pattered nervously from anticipation. She sat stiffly in her computer chair, clenching the phone.
She heard a change in his formerly pleasant tone. "Is this a good time? I don't want to interrupt anything—"
"Now is perfectly fine."
She could hear him nodding to the phone. "Oh good. Pardon me for asking, is Japanese alright? I can find Inagawa just for when—"
"Japanese is fine." She responded something inside quietly pointing out that their whole conversation so far was successful in Japanese. "If I don't understand a word you use, I'll tell you."
He exhaled into the receiver. "That is fine. I'll do my best." He cleared his throat and there was a sound of a door shutting. The background noise of phones and voices silenced. "I wanted to personally update you on your case. The two parties in the opposition have not responded to police inquiries so we have no choice but withdraw the complaint against you."
Two parties…Tsuchida and Inoue. The two leering arrogant boys in the Chinese restaurant who told her to abandon 3-D because they were gomi. Knowing what she knew, the irony was almost comedic.
"Withdrawn?" Davina repeated, trying the crucial word on her lips.
"Owari." Shinohara simplified. "It's over, Dabina. Not to be rude—" humor seeped into his tone—"I hope we never have to see each other again."
She withheld from saying, as handsome as Shinohara is, she also hoped to never see him again.
Davina's chest pounded as if the subject alone, even the good news, sparked discomfort. "Ehn. I understand." She bit her lip, wondering if her tone sounded too dull. "Thank you Shinohara-san for doing your best." She uttered with a smidge of cheer.
The call ended and Davina was left in the silence of her room, staring at the bare walls. One phone call and just like that the case was closed. Even without ever hearing the extent of Shin and Yankumi's interference, no one expressed doubt of their effectiveness.
However…
The aftermath emotion she experienced was…strange.
She'd thought that the twists in the pit of her stomach would go away the moment Shinohara dismissed the case. The last time she faced Inoue or Tsuchida she was escorted off Shirokin grounds. She could picture Inoue's sneer and Tsuchida's scorn for her. Though she doubted they were smiling now, those mental images were etched in her mind, inerasable.
Her throat dried and she rubbed her clammy palms on her skirt, breathing shallowly to soothe her nerves. She had expected to see them at the police station, if only in passing through the busy lobby. She hadn't.
Her phone alerted a message. She smiled upon opening it.
Wanna go for a walk?
Davina waited for Shin near the entertainment district. Her mind wandered while people-watching when he had startled her. Despite it being typically Shin's stealth mode, Davina's heart, she could have sworn, pressed so hard against her rib cage, there would be imprints against her skin. She smacked him playfully in the arm, dismissing the feverish rush, embarrassed from her yelp that must have been heard throughout all of Tokyo.
"You ok?" Shin asked, startled by her.
She grabbed a fistful of his cotton t-shirt. "Yeah, you just scared me, is all."
He rubbed a soothing hand on her bare arm, feeling goose bumps on her skin.
"How did it go today?" Davina asked as they crossed a busy cross-walk. The temperature was cooling down and with the thin fabric of her button-down blouse; she'd eventually regret not bringing a light jacket. However, for the moment, she relished the gentle breeze.
Shin shrugged his hands into his pocket, spoiling the chance for Davina to hold his hand. "We were disqualified in every sport, except basketball."
"Which means—" Davina knew the answer but was hesitant to verbalize it.
"Yuki came." Shin completed her sentence as they passed a corner café. "We won the game so we didn't end up in last place."
Davina smiled, eying the boutique windows as they strolled. "I bet Yankumi is happy."
Shin smirked, remembering Yankumi's triumphant grin as if she had won first place. "Sou."
"So what happens now? Is Yuki going to be a regular student of 3-D? Or will other things need to be settled?"
"Minami, Kuma and Yuki have made amends, but it's up to Headteacher."
Davina lowly hissed. What she couldn't give for the man to look her in the eye after hearing that his golden students were bold-faced liars…
"How do you feel?" Shin asked what typically sounded like a normal question, but the concerned glint in his poker face revealed deeper significance.
She blinked, feeling her expression relax, not realizing she had been glaring from thinking about Headteacher. She strolled closer to Shin for privacy on the packed street. "No more random jumps in adrenaline—well except that one because you snuck up on me."
Shin nodded, slowing his pace as they unconsciously veered to the side to allow striding pedestrians to pass them easily.
"Shinohara-san called today. No response from Tsuchida or Inoue so the case is officially dismissed."
"Good to hear." Shin breathily said and Davina shrugged. "What? You don't feel that way?"
Davina perched herself at the road barrier, watching an insanely expensive sports car zoom by. The sport's car engine fired piercingly, shooting the car down the road like a rocket. "Of course I do."
"Well?"
"I don't know Shin. I spoke the truth, but I don't feel satisfied."
Shin perched himself on the barrier, right next to her. "You feel angry because you haven't evened the score."
"I wouldn't say it's that." The emotion seemed too dull and throbbing for her to dub as anger.
"It's exactly that." Shin insisted. "You were violated and they didn't even get a slap on the wrist."
"I never did ask you…what happened to them after Shirokin found out the truth."
And you don't want to hear it, Shin withheld from saying. He didn't want to tell her that in spite of their recent absence from school, they hadn't been reprimanded. Shin and the rest of their friends didn't explicitly say it, though they thought it, if it were them in Tsuchida and Inoue's shoes, Headteacher would have expelled them so fast their heads would have spun on their spines.
Headteacher, Washio and Fujiyama acted as if nothing had ever happened, so much that Yankumi herself didn't wish to open the awkward discussion. However, there was still the noticeable rift between 3-D and 3-C when they ran into each other in the halls or cafeteria. It had been especially clear during sport's day. Apparently, Tsuchida's absence had cost them their soccer match.
Come to think of it…maybe Headteacher had an implicit effect on Tsuchida and Inoue's unknown absence…
Shin sighed. Still, if an unofficial suspension was the worst of it, knowing that would do little for Davina. The real sting, for Inoue, probably came from the demotion in trust and reputation among his underground criminal affiliates. "Let me tell you about what happened…after my first fight."
"The one with Minami?"
Shin shook his head. "Before that, a long time ago. I was with Uchi and another friend. We were…sort of ambushed."
"What happened?"
"After…for nearly two weeks, I was a paranoid nervous-wreck. If someone brushed against me on crowded trains, I'd get rushes of adrenaline. The headaches were terrible and frequent. I'd wake up in the middle of the night, sweaty with my chest pounding with energy to fight. The only thing I can promise is that it will get better in time."
Davina listened, truly appreciating Shin's delinquent history for the first time. Any of her other goody-two-shoes friends wouldn't have been able to share a similar anecdote—something that could actually relinquish the churns in her stomach and bring back a sense of normality.
She playfully nudged him with her elbow. "You can help by not being so stealthy all the time."
"I'll think about it." Davina laughed at his sarcastic shrug.
"Thank you for that." Davina said a few moments later, referring to his earlier confession, feeling relief that her own physical anxious overreactions would fade in time.
"Betsuni." Shin matched her elbow nudge.
The temperature dropped like a rock. Begrudgingly, the thin blouse that kept Davina cool during the day did little to guard against the evening wind. Interesting, the redhead didn't really feel it until they tore away from the dense tourist crowds.
She also couldn't help but notice more backpackers, cumbersomely wandering the streets with their large bags. It brought a little spring in her step, reminding her of summertime.
Shin had taken her hand sometime with the crowds to not lose her in the pushing and shoving. Upon strolling up the hill towards the Hardy Barracks, she had wrapped his arm around her shoulders. At first he thought it solely for affection but then noticed the chill on her skin.
Right as Davina eased into his embrace, she spotted two figures standing at the edge of the compound. She recognized the bi-speckled teacher with long pig-tails standing with someone with a plaster under his eye.
When Shin saw Yankumi and the stranger, he removed his arm, much to Davina's dismay. Before she could comment, she realized that she recognized the boy—that teenager with the green-hazel eyes and brown hair whom she regularly spotted lingering around the base, being turned away by the guards.
"It's you." Davina uttered, pointing at Yuki, causing Yankumi to pan between them frantically.
"You know each other?" Yankumi asked.
He gave Davina an once-over then stared at his shoes. Embarrassed, also not saying that he also recognized her, from seeing her enter and exit the base usually surrounded by his former classmates.
"I've seen him around the base. I always wondered why you were trying so hard to get in."
"This is Yuki." Shin introduced finally, causing Davina's eyes to widen.
"Yuki?" Up close his facially bruising was visible, stark against his skin, which meant they were fresh. Never in her imagination would she have thought that Yuki was the boy who was hovering around the base. "If I had known I would have said something Yankumi—"
"It's alright." Yankumi cut in.
"What's this all about?" Shin asked while checking his watch. It was the early evening so Yankumi had a decent idea of how and where to find them.
Yankumi peered over to Yuki who merely tipped his head. She wondered how the strength and confidence she witnessed earlier could have vanished again. However, giving the student a break, she broke the ice. "Dabina-chan, if you don't mind we'll need to burden you with a request."
Even with his hair hanging over his brows, Yuki squeezed his eyes shut. He was grateful for Yankumi's presence despite his earlier unsteadiness in the Aoyama Park when he requested her help.
"Go on."
"Do you remember the house number?" Davina asked as she ran her finger down the residential listing in the main hall. Yuki gazed at the grand stair case feeding into the decorated lobby. It surprised him to see so many Japanese people in the foreign establishment, yet at the same time, he felt like sore thumb among the non-Japanese. He considered his English decent for his age, but his estimation diminished in the sea of rapid conversation, an alien language to his ears.
He also felt uneasy with speaking to Davina despite her solely using Japanese with him. He sort of communicated with Yankumi for fear of saying something she wouldn't understand.
"I've never been inside before so I wouldn't know." Yuki said to Yankumi and Shin. Shin dismissed him, nudging his head at Yuki in Davina's direction as if to say, talk to her.
Ignoring his direction or just not noticing, Davina tapped her finger on a particular name. "Lucky for us, he lives in my building."
They rode in the elevator to the eighth floor. Shin noticed when Davina exhaled a breath in relief after they passed the fourth floor, her floor. When she met his gaze, reading his expression, she explained. "It's easier for now to not run into anyone I know."
When they arrived, Davina saw a difference in layout from the eighth floor and the lower levels. There were more residences, which she concluded were for singles and not the family residences like hers.
They circled around the floor until they found #807. The four of them saw the plate at the door: Mark H. Schmidt.
Yuki heaved a deep breath, rubbing his bandage self-consciously.
"Ready?" Davina asked her hand posed to knock. They saw a hall light switch on from under the door.
The lock turned and a man stood at the entrance. Tall and firmly built, Davina saw the same fine lines and thinning dark hair from the promotional ceremony. She wondered if he recognized her and Shin from that night, but his attention gravitated to Yuki. His worn expression stiffened from disbelief.
Yankumi, Davina and Shin saw Schmidt's green-hazel eyes meet Yuki's matching hue. Yuki's mouth waggled as he struggling to find speech.
"Masato—" Schmidt reached over to gently cup Yuki's face.
"Otou-san—" Yuki's voice broke.
"How did you…how do you know—Davina—" He addressed the redhead, stammering in English.
"Sergeant major." She greeted. Normally military personnel knew she was her father's daughter, but few remembered her name. Of course, he might remember her name…her father was the one who was taking over his position... "This is his homeroom teacher. This is his classmate and I am a mutual friend." She explained vaguely, leaving out how Yuki hadn't attended school in ages.
"Thank you for bringing him. Would you all like to sit down?"
Davina shook her head. "No, it's alright. We'll leave you two to talk."
"If Yuki is technically considered your guest, won't you get into trouble if you don't see him out?" Yankumi asked as they rode down in the elevator.
Davina shrugged. "I imagine the Sergeant Major will take care of it."
"Father…" Shin uttered.
No one acknowledged the painful truth that for whatever reason, they were estranged for a while.
"His file said 'single-mother' as his only parent. No word of a military parent. And he didn't take Schmidt as a surname." Yankumi stated.
"I wonder what they're going to do once Schmidt goes to Okinawa." Davina muttered, picturing a map of Japan. Even in a country so small, the distance felt vast.
"Hmmm," Yankumi crossed her arms in thought. "If the school doesn't know, it might not have been in the family registry…" Yankumi twitched at her own words, unveiling an uncomfortable possibility that crossed all of their minds.
Yuki could have been…illegitimate, which was nothing shameful! Yankumi wanted to cry out. Her own family was extremely unconventional. But if the structure of Yuki's family made it difficult for him to meet with his father that was unacceptable.
No one said anything on that thought, knowing very little about Yuki's personal situation they didn't want to make such a leap…
Yankumi sighed. With the new peek into Yuki's life, in addition to the bullying and apathy from school…Yankumi was even more sympathetic.
"If the school doesn't know and if the guards won't let him inside, I wonder if the base knows." Davina asked, not expecting any answer.
Shin thought of Davina's mother's comment from the dinner. The woman had speculated just why in the world would the military move such a talented man like Schmidt away from the negotiations epicenter to a much smaller operation a thousand miles away? "Major conflict of interests… sending a man like Schmidt to Okinawa is like exiling a man out to Siberia."
Maybe the military did know, perhaps all too well. Thinking of Yuki, Schmidt, Davina's mother's not so subtle comments, and Sam's comments about her Davina's father, Shin sighed from a wave of worry. They'd probably never know the full extent of the military's interference between Schmidt and Yuki. The three of them didn't verbally speculate despite the giant elephant in the room. Led Shin to wonder what else they were capable of...
Davina felt her hand being taken suddenly by the messy haired teenager. She smiled at first but then she saw his contemplative expression. "Hmm, something wrong?"
He ran his ringed thumb over her hand. "Nothing...just thinking."
DigitalWing: Thank you for your review. I completely agree with you about victim-blaming. I do not think that Davina should be blaming herself and her thoughts on this are very different from mine.
That chapter was meant to spark outrage, at Headteacher, Inoue, Tsuchida, and Davina. She lied because she had diplomatic/military immunity and didn't want a long ordeal, she was ashamed (wrongly blaming herself as many victims do), mortified at the thought of verbalizing the event to loved ones and lastly, her personality trait of internalizing her issues for composure. She's a 17 year old girl who had never been in trouble before, and suddenly she's faced with the police and school expulsion, all while needing to express herself to adults and the police in a language she's doesn't know fluently. Had she kept it secret she would have regretted it later. She's learning to cope with unexpected aftermath (jumpiness, headaches etc). As the author, it was hard for me to write her in such a vulnerable state, blaming herself in ways I hope no girl or boy ever will.
That said, I hope you (and everyone else) did not feel manipulated by those events since that arc was intended to push Davina (accepting that readers would be angry with her for initially lying), get Shin and Davina to realize just how deceptive they are with each other and to hopefully redeem her when she eventually revealed the truth.
Megan642: Thank you :) Dare I say it but the development is the best part! Rushing through it takes out all the fun. As for Yoshida… we're going to learn more about her soon. Also because you mentioned it a while back (I remember…) about Natsumi's arc, it will come after Yuuta's story, which is next.
The Velvet Ash: Thank you! It's taken a while to integrate Davina into the group, but I think now they sort of how to deal with language barriers, what to expect from each other and a certain level of trust. Not that there aren't going to be some butting of heads later on…
Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter! And as always, feedback is encouraged.