Long time no see! Yuuta's arc is going before Natsumi's arc. I promise there is a reason to the madness…
Counting the Differences
Chapter Twenty-six: Yuuta-kun
If teachers were measured by the amount of academic lecturing they did on a day to day basis, Yankumi would have been considered less of a teacher and more of a babysitter. However, on that day, Yankumi felt like a proper academic teacher.
With book in hand, she sketched figures on the board, hearing only her voice expand in 3-C's classroom. No random interruptions, no shouts, no fights igniting over nothing—simply lecturing. True she had developed a bond with her 3-D students, she still relished the downright predictability of her other classes, it made things easier for her. She could teach her subject, mark coursework, and answer questions—like a teacher. If all her classes resembled 3-D, her abilities would be stretched too thin.
The only thing predictable about her 3-D boys was their unpredictability. After a half day of quiet, well-behaved classes, hopping back to her homeroom still sent jolts of shock through her.
"Hello—" She'd greet sweetly and the hairs on the back of her neck would stand on end like a frightened cat. Whether it's an argument, acts of vandalism, or rounds of amateur-gambling, it was always something. "Knock it off! Yamero!"
Last time, she broke up a 'not-so-innocent game of trump'. Scattering the cards and then in feverish panic, gathering the evidence up as fast as she could manage, picturing Headteacher, Shinohara, a herd of shaming parents magically appearing in her classroom at that moment and then accusing her of condoning illegal behavior...
"Iya! Yankumi! I could've won my money back!"
"Please don't say anything more." She had muttered under her breath. Geez, if they were set on breaking the law, they couldn't they at least be smart enough to not incriminate themselves…
On 3-C desks were no dodgy card games, just open notebooks, jotting down her mathematical words of wisdom. She checked her watch, glad to see all of her students were present—again, nothing out of the ordinary. "Before I go over new material, any questions?"
Her eyes scanned the classroom but her attention gravitated near the back left corner—three students, one in particular: Kazuo, Nakamura, and Tsuchida. She fought the urge to stare and get a deeper look, but she couldn't recall ever seeing the boys so downcast. Tired and whining about cram school yes, but the boys' complexions were paler than normal as if something ailed them. In the midst of summer that was quite strange, thought Yankumi.
Tsuchida appeared the worst off. He stared off to a corner absently, his head perched in his hand, and eyes heavily bagged, not even pretending to be paying attention to the lesson. He had returned to class after an unexplained leave of absence sometime after Sport's Day with only the tiniest trace of a facial bruise. Yankumi only knew to look for the bruise because of what her homeroom had told her.
He had returned the same day Yuki came and requested a transfer to a school in Okinawa with his American father. Headteacher fussed about filing a transfer for a 'so-called parent' who wasn't even listed with his records or even family registry but Yankumi had insisted. She had been so busy securing Yuki's transfer that she missed Tsuchida's return. She still didn't have the nerve, given the sensitive nature of the situation, to ask Headteacher if Tsuchida and Inoue's absence was from his fervent recommendation.
"Tsuchida, please focus on the lesson." Yankumi reprimanded.
The teenager glanced over to Yankumi and the glazed look in his black eyes seemed to freeze on Yankumi. A shiver snaked down her spine when he bore into her, as if he could see, through the layers of identity she worked to build and protect. As if he could see underneath her disguise of dorky jersey, glasses and pigtails.
"Hai sensei." Tsuchida replied, flicking the title.
Yankumi, lips terse, turned to jot more equations. Her chalk smacked, charged by the gears spinning in her head. She exhaled a deep breath, calming her nerves. Never had two mere words spooked her so witless.
She focused on her equation. Her hand had dragged the tail of a 9 several inches down the board. She rubbed the excess away and spun back as normal as possible, hiding all traces of worry.
While asking if someone knew how to solve it, she saw Tsuchida still staring. His eyes large, amused and reassured in what he saw.
Noda furiously keyed on his mobile phone and with conviction, as if slugging through a nerve-racking mission, he pressed the send button. He watched the screen display the sending image of an envelope zipping across his network to another phone. SENT it confirmed and he exhaled with fatigue.
Minami perched his chin on his friend's shoulder. "Eh? Do you think it'll work?"
Before Noda could respond, his phone rang with a message. He leaped to his feet and read.
"Eh, nani, nani, doushita doushita? What's going on?" Minami and Uchi slapped Noda on the arm while the rest of their classmates circled around them.
Noda grinned from ear to ear and shut his phone with a loud clap. "YATTA! I did it!"
Uchi slapped his friend on the arm harder. "Don't be so secretive. Fess up!"
"The girls from the baseball team said they would gladly meet with us."
Whatever formerly held their attention lost significance as the boys raised their hands for selection.
"How many?" Ooishi asked.
Noda counted on his fingers. "12 or 1.2 girls each if the chosen few go."
"Your math is wrong," said an aloof voice from the back of the classroom.
"You weren't included in the math." Noda retorted, recounting.
"Ah, is Shin not coming?" Kuma asked. "That wasn't the original plan."
"Oh, he's coming." Noda affirmed, getting a raised brow from Shin. "He will be the outlier."
"Ah, he's technically taken so of course he wouldn't be included in the calculations." Minami added.
"Sou sou." The others agreed.
Shin stopped reading. What the heck were they talking about? "I'll pass."
His words fell on deaf ears as Noda continued calculating with his fingers just how many girls there would be if it was only the usual group—
"Why an outlier?" Matsudaira asked.
Uchi put a reassuring arm around his friend. "Dear Matsudaira-kun, weren't you paying attention to Yankumi's Sport's Day lectures? About averages, means and medians?"
The redhead scratched and fluffed his wild hair. "Obviously not…"
Uchi grinned, delighted to explain to his friend. "An outlier raises everyone's average up unnaturally, so Shin's cool presence—"
"Even though he is emotionally taken—" Minami added.
Shin shut his book with a slam and rose to his feet. "What the hell…"
"—automatically gives everyone a better chance." Everyone uttered a definite "hai!" meaning Shin couldn't flake.
Minami held up a finger. "One concern, everyone… Wouldn't Dabina-chan be upset?"
Kuma, Uchi and Noda nodded and contemplated, as if they had missed that in their calculations. "Sou da yo. Sou da yo. True very true."
"Any girl would." Kuma breathed.
"A taken boy in a room full of single women!" Noda dragged his hand along his chin, annoyed at himself for letting such an important factor slip through the cracks.
"Abunai kara. A truly dangerous situation that will require immediate recalculation." Uchi declared, prompting a confirming huff among the boys.
"Shin could just not come along?" Kuma said but was slapped on the head for the most ridiculous idea they ever heard.
"Impossible."
"I said I'll pass." Shin repeated for the third time.
"We're trying to think!"
Minami snapped his fingers. "Got it."
Miles away alone in her room Davina packed her suitcase. A typical humid, rainy summer day, she was more than happy to spend it under the cool draft of the air conditioner. She scratched her head, debating how much to bring for the short visit. Her cousins would probably be more interested in seeing more Tokyo-inspired outfits. Meanwhile her mother would probably gripe that Davina should wear more classic pieces instead of trendy clothes vomited up daily in Harajuku.
Needing a break from packing, she headed into the kitchen for some cold water. On the table, somehow she had missed it earlier, was a letter addressed to her with her school mark with the other mail.
Exam results.
She grabbed the letter and ripped the envelope, wondering how her parents hadn't already opened to check her results if they retrieved the mail in the morning…
Two sheets of paper, one with letter grades and another with teacher comments. She scanned the results and exhaled in utter relief.
Excellent progress—said the first line of her Japanese exam comments.
She had met her parents' letter grade requirements and even had surpassed her own expectations on her Japanese final. Her highest mark for the year, the higher A had even pushed her GPA up by 0.2 points—something that would please her parents.
Excellent progress—shows evidence of regular practice. Understands grammar rules along with conversational nuances.
Below were additional comments.
Davina, do you hang out with local boys and by any chance… do you watch old yakuza films? Your speaking test showed something peculiar. Your polite Japanese is adequate and appropriate, but for the informal portion, you used mostly male slang terms. It's technically correct, but it can be said that you talk 'like a guy.' Just wondering if whether or not that was your intention…
She raised a brow before folding the letter at its creases. She stuffed the exam grades into the envelope and pocketed the teacher comments. She didn't want her parents later asking why in the world she spoke like a boy…
The clock read 12:51 and by that time in three days, Davina and her mother would be on a long flight to visit family near Nice.
The dishes in the dishwasher rattled and her pens fluttered in the cup for two seconds and stopped again. She sighed, at least after the long flight, slight Earth tremors wouldn't be a daily occurrence for a week.
Davina fanned her neck with her year results, recalling that she originally intended to get water.
Her mobile rang from her bedroom. She answered, despite not recognizing the number. "Hello?"
She could hear the commotion in the background but only could know Shin's voice in the sea of voices, "how did you get that number—"
"Dabina-chan! How are you?" A voice greeted.
She pictured the rusty-haired boy. "Is this Minami?"
"Bingo! How's it going?"
"Pretty good, just packing—"
"I'm glad to hear it! Say, when's your trip?"
"Three days…what's up?" She heard his voice distance itself from the receiver. "She said three, we didn't think about that! It's too soon!"
"Are you there?"
Minami's voice returned. "Say, how long is your trip?"
Davina blinked, wondering why they didn't just ask Shin… "Just a week."
Minami's voice distanced again, reporting his investigation results with the others. "Oh good! We have time to prepare! We can work with that!"
"Hello?"
She heard a shuffle around the receiver and a different voice answered. "Hello, Aka-chan?"
"Hi Noda."
"How are you?" He asked in English, trying to be cool.
"Pretty good, just packing—"
"How would you feel about going out with all of us to a local restaurant with the female baseball players we all met? After you return from your trip?"
Before Davina could answer or ask for clarification (she didn't recall meeting any baseball players…) because Noda spoke too fast in the midst of a circus in background, there was another shuffle with the phone.
"Hello, Dabina-chan."
"Hi Kuma." She rubbed her forehead feeling a little dizzy from the conversation.
"Ne…how are you doing?"
"Pretty good…just packing."
"Wait? You're going somewhere—"
Davina squeezed the bridge of her nose while she heard a hand slap against what was undoubtedly the back of Kuma's head. The phone changed hands yet again.
"Yo' Dabina-chan!"
"Hi Uchi. What's up?"
"Nothing much, can't complain ya know? Say, how would you feel about trying to make friends with local girls?"
With each new speaker came another piece to the puzzle of the warped conversation. Charged by the non-stop commotion from the speaker, Davina felt rushed to answer. "I don't think I'd mind—what are you guys—"
The phone changed hands again with a few gripes. She heard a long sigh and her heart fluttered.
"Hi Shin."
"They—" Shin secluded himself—"want to have a get together with some of the baseball players they met during the game. They wondered if you were interested in going."
Somehow, Davina could picture the 3-D class, the way Shin faced the staircase with a circle of hopeful spectators, waiting for their answer. Perhaps the most vivid was Shin's poker face, extra dull and twitched with irritation. "Did they sucker you in?" She smirked.
"Forced." He could hear her smile over the phone.
Davina vaguely recalled 3-D chatting up some girls after their failure of a serious baseball. She imagined normal Japanese girls with 3-D at some unnamed restaurant—and shivered. "Will I be chaperoning?"
"Of course." In the background there was a groan of oi Shhhhiiinnn! Shin spoke vaguely and remarkably—maybe not remarkable, because it was Shin—3-D waited.
"Will you also be chaperoning?"
"Without a doubt."
Noda elbowed Minami. "Eh? I can't figure out how the conversation is going. Can you hear?"
"Shhh. Wait." Uchi hushed, chewing his nail.
Dread dragged in his voice, but she couldn't help but smile. "Do you want me to help you get out of it?"
Shin tilted his head, tempted by the idea. "It's alright. I'd be reluctant to leave them."
"Ehhhh! He's switched to English!" Noda cried, his patience waning fast.
Minami smacked his arm. "Aren't you the second best English speaker in the vicinity? Should be no problemo for you, right!"
"You also understand what they're capable of when they're not supervised…" Shin uttered in a very Yankumi-like manner.
Her stomach still whirled to even the memory of those sugary sweet drinks from Takadanobaba.
"You have a point." She agreed, eager to not have to mention that night, it was embarrassing enough.
"You're leaving in three days right? Do you have any time before then?"
"For the party? With Noda, Kuma, Uchi and Minami?"
3-D, despite their excitement, managed to notice the shift in conversation and silenced their outbursts.
"For something quieter."
Davina tipped her head despite knowing there was no one in her room and no possible way for Shin across the city to see her blush.
Before Davina's trip, the day 3-D spent homeroom telling ghost stories, right as Shin sent her a message Yankumi rang, desperate for a favor.
Chewing her fingernail, she explained the circumstances and why she was in such a pinch, with her family business and her unease…
Over the phone, Shin didn't agree or confirm. He showed up at the Oedo household in street clothes with his phone at hand.
"Yankumi, you have experiences working with children right?"
Yankumi shifted away, anticipating Sawada's inevitable wrath. "3-D is the youngest..."
The teacher shut her eyes when her student snorted. "But that's why I asked you to come along!" She added hastily. She didn't have time to check his file, but fingers crossed, Sawada had kid siblings. "Do you have any kid siblings?"
Shin shook his head and Yankumi grunted from her gamble. There were numerous students in 3-D who had kid siblings, like Kuma and Minami, but of course Sawada was the only one who knew Yankumi's secret…
"And I'm an only child…" What logic went into this plan...? Before she could beat herself up for their disadvantages, Yankumi filled her chest with air to recharge her gusto. Kids weren't difficult. They had a formula, like everyone else. "What time should he take a nap?"
"Isn't he a little old for that?"
Yankumi's resolve deflated like a popped balloon. "I think you're right, Sawada."
It's hopeless.
Shin dialed on his phone after waiting to speak with Yankumi.
"Eh? Sawada, what are you doing—"
"Are you close?" He asked in English.
English? But that would mean—"Dabina-chan is coming?" The tiny hairs on Yankumi's neck stood on end as her skin turned as white as a ghost. "Sawada!" She crossed her arms like an X for no way!
Sawada ignored the teacher, continuing the conversation as if she wasn't hopping around him, jerking her arms, failing to get his attention.
"See you." He shut off his phone and faced Yankumi who was panting from exertion.
Her fists curled at her side, wanting to sock her student. "Sawada what are you thinking?!"
Shin placed his phone in his pocket, irritating Yankumi who wished in her urgency that Sawada would be at least pretend to care about her concerns. "I told her I'd see her before she left."
Breathless, Yankumi bent over. "Why didn't you tell me you had plans? I would have changed the plan."
"You seemed hopeless. Coming here proved that."
"Sawada! Dabina-chan doesn't know my secret." He's a smart guy! He must have known that, Yankumi wanted to hit something.
"She won't figure it out."
Yankumi's hands balled into shaky fists, unnerved by Sawada's automatic dismissal of her worries. "If she sees my family and how they act, she'll suspect something, she's not stupid—"
"I didn't say she was. She'll notice something is strange but won't jump to any conclusions like a Japanese person. We'll just be careful around her, like Yuuta."
Yankumi calmed down, the urge to punch Sawada waning. Like Yuuta was an interesting observation. Davina was like Yuuta, perceptive but just unaware of the clues that an adult Japanese person would notice. "But won't it be like watching out for two children?"
"Davina is seventeen."
"I thought we were being figurative. Doesn't that increase the risk of her finding out?"
"No, because you'll have an extra hand with Yuuta who won't immediately realize your family's business."
Yankumi crossed her arms. Sawada's plan could either be clever or disastrous. However, if Davina did so happen to stumble upon the fact that her family was yakuza, she had shown…a knack for keeping secrets. Yankumi straightened her lopsided glasses and wondered if Sawada had also considered that knack when he invited her.
The last of Yankumi's resistance left her as she exhaled, signaling to Sawada she didn't have the energy to argue with him anymore. "I just hope Dabina-chan has experience with young children."
Shin texted her and said that plans had changed a little bit and that Yankumi had asked him for a favor. Davina wondered if it happened to be related to English since that was what 3-D and Yankumi usually relied on her for. She was meeting them at Yankumi's family home, which took the teenager by surprise. She thought of asking Shin for clarification while riding the train, but figured she'd find out soon enough.
She rode one of the trains towards Yokohoma; she didn't need to travel that far, but certainly out of central Tokyo. The train ventured underground and when it rose overland again, the skyscrapers were gone as was the sardine-can congestion. There was actual space between the short buildings. Zipping by the roads, no bumper-to-bumper traffic and flows of pedestrians resembled people rather than armies of ants.
Once out of the station, the atmosphere didn't seem like it was an exclave of a world-class metropolis, but rather that of a small town.
Davina ran into Shin by the train tracks; he had heeded her prior request of not sneaking up on her. He met eyes with her then scratched his head as if something was on his mind. He led her to a wooden gate with a family crest with cursive kanji Davina couldn't read.
Davina didn't know what she was imagining when she thought of Yankumi's home: maybe a single woman's studio apartment, or a normal small family home. However, when Shin opened the gate, she was sure that hadn't been what she pictured at all…
An immaculately arranged promenade garden leading to two detached Japanese-styled homes with a shrine. Davina couldn't specify all of the five types of trees, but she knew one at maple and another was a cherry blossom. All the branches were covered with leaves so stark in color Davina wondered if the soil was especially enriched.
Davina shut her gaping mouth when Shin spoke to her.
"Remember when I said something quieter?"
Davina nodded.
"Will you accept a change of plans?"
Davina blinked. "What do you mean…?"
A door slid open and Yankumi, also clad in street clothes, stepped out, followed by a small boy with a blue hat.
The boy tipped his head as he walked out but when he saw the teenager, his attention fixed on her like a magnet.
His big round eyes stared unabashedly at hers. The teenager peered back and forth between Shin and the child, searching for a connection, reason, justification, anything…
They didn't look related, but that still didn't complete rule that out as a possibility. He also didn't look like Yankumi, again still a possibility…
Wait…was this the change of plans Shin talked about? "I'm sorry—wait…what?"
"Why is Yankumi babysitting a kid anyway…" Davina muttered in English. Shin noticed how she hadn't switched back to Japanese yet as if the shock of the child had taken the Japanese out of her brain.
They sat in Yankumi's living room—you could call it that. The redhead rubbed her palm on the tatami floor as she heard Yankumi whispering to her family members, as Shin called them, in the hallway.
The boy hadn't stopped staring at Davina since he first saw her outside, nor had he uttered a word in front of her. He was only a kid and Davina tried to not pay attention but even as she glanced around the traditionally decorated room, she was unnerved by how the kid unblinkingly stared. Five minutes before she entered Yankumi's home, she had been starred at by no less than twenty people.
She shifted against Shin, turning her body away.
"Something wrong?"
Yes. "Is it just me or is it warm in here?"
The kid blinked. Davina hadn't even realized she responded in English yet somehow Japanese was irretrievable from her head.
Shin shrugged, pulling up his long sleeves.
"I think I need some air—"
"HEH!"
Davina's knee hit the table when she jumped from the loud huff that echoed from the hall that resembled a herd of bulls. She heard Yankumi sigh and readjusted the table.
Shin sipped his tea. "Are they alright?"
Davina didn't understand the context of the question but was grateful that Shin also noticed the strangeness in the house.
"Remember!" Yankumi affirmed, after peeking behind her shoulder to see if she was out of earshot from the teenagers. "Only Sawada knows about the family business so you cannot under any circumstance mention the family business in front of Yuuta or Dabina—even in Japanese. That means no behaving like mobsters, no slang, nothing."
"HEH!"
"Ne, Ojou," Tetsu murmured. "We're supposed to be having visitors from Kobe tonight."
Lines of worry creased Yankumi's forehead. "How could I have forgotten that was tonight?!"
The four men shifted, wishing they could ease Ojou's predicament.
"We'll survive, just make sure they stay on one side of the house and these guys stay on the other. Neither side can meet, understood?"
"HEH!"
"You were saying?" Shin asked.
Davina flicked her hair from her neck, warm again. "Yeah, just wanted to get some—"
Four large men filed into the room, their powerful stomps disrupting Davina's answer. Davina stood to introduce herself. There was a pause between them the four men unsure of if she could speak to them and Davina taking in their…unorthodox appearance.
If asked to picture a stereotypical Japanese man, she'd picture clean-cut indistinguishable salarymen she saw everyday at the station. These men had long mustaches, tied hair and either wore traditional yukatas or garish summer shirts. Despite their inquisitive expressions, the two she faced, had facial lines dug deep from sneering.
"Nice to meet you." She bowed.
Three of them waited for the man wearing a traditional blue yukata to react. The man glanced among his comrades then for reassurance at Shin. The teenager nudged his chin forward to say 'go ahead.'
With permission, they hunched forward, hands on knees like they were roughly assuming sumo positions.
"Wakamatsu."
"Sugawara."
"Tetsu."
"Minoru."
Davina had never seen such bizarre bowing in her life, even from the cultural adviser her family met before moving to Japan. He had taught her the proper way to bow and different ways to bow and she wondered if even he would have been shocked by the four men.
Her expression contort with confusion and disbelief and Shin shook his head, watching the awkward greeting unfold. He had heard Yankumi order the four of them to behave but realized that perhaps those four men either forgot the proper way or didn't quite conceive that Davina could notice their peculiar behavior, despite being a foreigner.
"Nice to meet ya."
"Watch your back."
Davina blinked, unable to decipher the jumble of gruff answers all at once. "Eh?"
Shin cleared his throat as an alert and Wakamatsu, Sugawara, Minoru and Tetsu straightened their postures though not understanding what Shin saw that was wrong in their conduct.
Davina backpedaled to the table, wondering if she were the victim of an odd joke. "What did they say?" She whispered to other teenager as they sat with Yuuta, ending the awkward exchange.
"They said 'hello, nice to meet you too'." Shin paraphrased generously, thankful for her lack of fluency.
"Really? Didn't sound like anything I've ever heard—"
Shin was relieved of the task of explaining when they were invited, with Yuuta, to join a mahjong game.
"Never played before."
"Well, it's good for kanji practice." Wakamatsu showed her the pieces before handing them to Yuuta to scramble with the other blocks.
"Are we betting live today or what? Or should the bets carry from last game?" Sugawara asked.
Before Sugawara's question could be answered, Yankumi squealed after returning. Davina wondered why the teacher's complexion was white like a sheet. Her lip waggled at Davina and Yuuta and then at Shin. The teenage boy shrugged to wash his hands of any responsibility in the game. "Do you gentlemen…really think that game is appropriate?" Yankumi suggested, delivering the word 'gentlemen' with a heavy dose of exaggeration.
"Actually! I was just saying to her that it would be great kanji practice!"
The statement did little to soothe Yankumi as her brows twitched from waning restrain. She pleaded Shin desperately for help.
"Um, maybe a game of cards?" He suggested.
"Hey! We've got something like that!" Tetsu spread red and black Hanafuda cards in his hand.
Wakamatsu, Minoru and Sugawara wholly embraced the idea. "Oh that's a fantastic alternative! Pretty similar huh?"
Davina, none the wiser, leaned forward, seeing pictures of cranes, geisha and sakura blossoms. Shin nudged her away before she could get a better look.
"What did he call them? Hanafu—"
"Hmm? Don't worry about it." Shin hushed her while ushering her between him and Yuuta.
Yankumi squirmed in horror, resisting the urge to dive in and slap the cards from Tetsu's hand. "That's not similar at all!"
Davina fanned her neck and moved her long hair to one shoulder. The air was humid and there was an undeniably strange tension in the room that she couldn't quite figure out. Was it solely from the heat? Or possibly that the most Japanese home Davina had ever visited was inhabited by probably the strangest Japanese people she had ever met?
"Maybe something outside?" Shin asked.
"Hmm?" The adults listened.
"Davina was saying earlier about needing some air."
Davina stopped fanning her neck, sensing the focus of the room rest on her shoulders. "Yes…but it's alright. We can stay inside—"
Yankumi snapped her fingers. "Wonderful idea Sawada! An outdoor activity would be perfect! Aka-chan is going to spend several hours inside a plane soon; you have been at school all day today and tomorrow. Kids and teenagers should not be cooped up inside all day anyway!"
Shin smacked his lips. Why did it feel like Yankumi just volunteered them both for something…?
Neither Davina nor Shin protested their compulsory outing with Yuuta, accepting that anything decided by Yankumi was irrefutable. The teacher had declared that the three minors get out of the house and venture off at the local playground while the sun was up and before dinner was ready. She'd call them the moment dinner was ready to serve she promised before shutting the gate in their faces.
I can't even remember the last time I visited a playground, Davina remembered being Yuuta's age and playing on the swings as a kid. She continued to fan her neck, somehow warmer than before in the open air. Even with the trees in Yankumi's garden there was very little cover against the sun and no breeze to soothe the humidity.
Yuuta and Davina waited for Shin and the boy again stared at her, without uttering a word. Davina felt compelled to say something—anything—but her mind drew a blank. What the hell did she have to say to a kid who was no older than ten? Also, come to think of it, the kid hadn't uttered anything to her yet either…
The little black haired boy only went up to her waist—it was strange to think that she had been that small once upon a time. And someday, he'd probably be taller than her, like Shin. The contrast in their height, her memories, along with the fact that she was almost eighteen was sobering like a cold splash of water.
…Is this what it felt like to feel old?
Yuuta saw Davina divert her eyes. He stared at the reserved teenager with large round eyes. Beside Yuuta, Shin noted the awkward interaction and could perceive that Davina was waiting for the bill of his blue hat to turn away. When Yuuta finally lost interest, Davina swept her hair away from her forehead.
Shin raised a brow at her causing her to shrug. What?
Interesting, Davina had been the only girl to not dote on Yuuta for being cute or saying something clever. Fujiyama, and the ladies in Yankumi's neighborhood, everyone at the Oedo house, and even Yankumi was cheery (when she wasn't shielding him from her family's antics) in Yuuta's presence. Then again, Shin thought, Davina was an only child and probably didn't have much experience with children.
He suddenly regretted his assumption that she would be better equipped at handling children than Yankumi and her family. Again, knowing she was an only child, he didn't expect expertise, but he was surprised at her conspicuous unease with Yuuta, like he was an alien to her.
"I should have asked you if you liked kids or not."
Though a statement, it felt like a question. "It's not that I…dislike kids…" She was never one of those girls who 'couldn't wait to have children someday' nor was she one of those girls who were really into babysitting.
"Shin?" Yuuta's high voice broke through the silence. "Is she called Aka-chan because of her hair?"
Aka-chan? Only Yankumi had called her that and Yankumi had only said it once…and Yuuta had remembered?
"Why don't you ask her?" Shin responded.
Yuuta turned again to Davina with unblinking eyes, his lips pouted as if too shy. Davina clasped her hands over her skirt, peering between Shin and Yuuta, wondering who was going to utter first: Yuuta with his question or her with the answer.
After a few painfully quiet seconds, she cleared her throat. "Well, Shin's friends' parents came up with it because of my red hair. Our friends decided they liked it so it stuck as a nickname."
Yuuta kept staring, not acknowledging her answer so much that Davina wondered if she had said something off in her Japanese. Yuuta ducked his head, almost hiding under his cap as he pressed his chin to his chest.
Davina was clueless. She mouthed to Shin, what did I say wrong? Davina had never felt so self conscious about speaking Japanese, surprised that a child could draw such a response from her.
Shin simply shrugged and smirked with amusement.
Davina hoped Yankumi would call them back soon but the likelihood of that was slim. She'd rather trade their current outing with a game of mahjong with those strange men.
They strolled along the road down a hill, with Davina and Shin checking on the pint-sized kid. So much for air, the one clear day of the week was sticky, muggy, hot and all of the concrete wasn't helping. She hoped the park at least had some tree cover.
"Why is Yankumi babysitting anyway?" Davina asked purposefully in English so the child wouldn't realize or at least understand that they were talking about him.
"His mother is doing an all-night training session. Yankumi volunteered apparently." Shin replied.
"Still seems like a random arrangement. I also wonder why Yankumi would ask Shin to help her babysit and not someone else with kid siblings."
She had no idea of the significance of her question. "A good question." Shin replied.
They reached a crosswalk that was half blocked by pavement work and tall concrete road barriers. Yuuta turned his head both ways, inching to the tops of his toes, and then nearly continued on when Davina yanked him back abruptly by his hand. A car sped, honking its horn.
Blood rushed to Davina's head as she heaved a deep breath. It all happened too fast.
"I saw the car, he didn't see me?"
"Just because you can see them, doesn't mean they can see you." Davina said. God, I sound just like my mother.
"When can I cross?" Yuuta's voice chirped.
"I'm tall so I can see the cars well." Davina opened her hand at her side, ready to gesture when it was safe to go.
Unexpectedly, instead, he freely took her hand and uttered the first words directed only to Davina. "Hai."
Davina's forearm broke out into goose bumps from the unexpected. "That isn't quite what I meant…" Davina nudge Yuuta's hand at Shin, thinking 'what am I supposed to do with this?'
"It's ok." He mouthed.
They walked by a fruit market and two middle-aged women who had just made purchases eyed the Shin, Davina holding Yuuta's hand. It took Davina a few seconds to notice their death glares and their rapid hushed whispers.
"Why are you those old women giving me such dirty glares?"
"They probably think you're a teen mom." Shin said for cruel amusement.
The blood drained from Davina's complexion. Her feet were frozen for a moment, but Yuuta dragged her along. "That's not funny."
"I wasn't being serious. I have no idea what they were thinking."
"Maybe I'm babysitting, maybe he's my cousin or…"
"Brother."
Davina blushed, flustered from the heat. "They were giving you bad looks too so they probably think you're involved."
"Why would they think that? I'm not holding his hand."
"Hmm, what are you guys saying? I don't understand English." Yuuta interrupted before Davina could retort.
"Good thing you don't." Davina muttered grimly. The boy peered up with a round innocent face that compelled some nurturing instinct that Davina wasn't personally familiar with… "I was asking Shin-chan—" Shin scoffed—"what sort of playful exercises would he recommend at the park?"
Yuuta turned over to Shin. "I said the jungle gym, twin bars and swing set."
"I also mentioned that I still have the baseball from our game a while ago."
"You do?" Shin interrupted.
Davina cleared her throat. "So if you would like to play catch with Shin-chan later you can."
"Freely volunteering me?" Shin said.
"Your arms are better at throwing than mine Pitcher-san."
"Excuses."
She smacked her lips. "Acting like you don't want to…"
"Are you really that uncomfortable with the idea of playing with a kid?"
Davina's cheeks reddened again.
"What are you guys saying?" Yuuta pouted. "You guys switched to English again…"
Upon arriving at the park, Davina saw some young kids around Yuuta's age and sighed. If Yuuta managed to play with the other children then maybe the awkward interaction between wouldn't seem so awkward in scope.
However, Shin first directed Yuuta to uneven bars, prompting Davina to follow behind them. Her flats sank in the rocks and she groaned. At least if Shin had given her ample warning, she would have worn pants and sneakers. Or she would have faked sick…
"School makes us twirl on bars." Yuuta said to Shin. He grasped the shortest bar with both hands, debating whether or not to try in front of the teenagers.
Shin did an arm lift on the middle bars. "I did it too in elementary school. Have you mastered it yet?"
"Not yet."
Yuuta kicked a leg up in a half attempt to twirl, but saw Davina and walked away from the bars. The redhead stopped in her tracks, giving another distressed face to Shin asking am I scaring him or something?
"Maybe he can smell fear." He said.
She resisted rolling her eye at him.
Behind the bars were one set of three swings and Yuuta sat in the middle one. Shin followed and sat in the far right swing, leaving the far left one open for Davina. Though the girl didn't rush over, half scared of making Yuuta move again.
She grasped the uneven bar with textured metal. The bar, touched by many hands and dusty from the rocks made her palms feel dry and rough. She wanted to wash her hands, her feet, change shoes, and drink a tall glass of ice water.
Yuuta kicked his feet up to swing while Shin swayed in his seat.
"You can join us, ya know." Shin chided.
Begrudgingly, she followed. I swear if the kid moves again I'm leaving the playground…
She smoothed her skirt and dusted the seat before sitting. She felt big in the swing made for children, her legs too long but that didn't matter as the motions of swinging came into memory, unforgettable like riding a bike. She playfully poked her fingers through the chains and began to swing. For the life of her, she could not remember the last time she played on swings, which was a shame because she loved the swings as a kid. Kicking her legs up and swinging back and forth sent of a jolt of excitement through her.
"Shin, don't you agree that knowing how to kick your legs will help with twirling?"
Yuuta stared at her again with a pouted lip.
"Aren't you going to swing with Yuuta and me, Shin?"
"Where did your excitement come from?" Shin murmured under his breath. He also noticed that she had finally referred to Yuuta with his name and not merely as 'that kid.'
Davina swung even higher until she leaped from her seat. She landed on both feet, ankle deep in the pebbles. Her once clean shoes were icky and brown but she started giggling. "I haven't done that in years."
"My mother tells me not to do that." Yuuta scrapped his feet on the rocks to slow to a halt.
"Mine did too." Davina shook the pebbles from her shoes.
Yuuta jumped out of his seat, though only a few feet from the ground.
Shin felt obliged to stand up.
"I am getting thirsty." Yuuta uttered to the teenagers.
Davina peered at Shin. Oh? Are we supposed to fix that?
"I remember seeing a convenience store that way. Would you like anything?" He asked her.
"Something cold, please." The redhead said as she sat on a bench.
"Will you be fine with Yuuta on your own?"
"I think I can handle five minutes."
"If you say so…"
Shin walked away. Davina turned her attention back to Yuuta who sood an inch from her face. He pointed his chin up, trying to get a good view of the top of her head.
She nearly recoiled. "Can…I…help you?"
He flattened his palm on her head as if to inspect her hair. "Mama's hair is similar to Aka-chan's."
Yes but hers is dyed. I can tell you that. "You think about your mother a lot."
"I live with my grandparents."
Ah, so that explains why he visited Kawashima at school. The realization hit Davina like a bag of bricks that he'd prefer to be spending time with his mother than with a teenager who was awkwardly trying to avoid him… She was not used to children but she might as well try and make the best of it. In the very least keep Yuuta entertained and happy.
"Ne, Yuuta, what would you like to do next? Or play next?"
The boy's eyes opened round and wide with delight. "Whatever I like?"
She glanced down at her skirt and dirty shoes, preparing. "Sure kid."
He tipped his head again. "I still haven't learned to twirl yet."
"I can help you practice."
"Hai!" He marched towards the uneven bars.
"Had he been waiting for me to say yes?" She followed him.
Yuuta grasped the bar and tried to kick his legs over to flip his body. He couldn't get the momentum to flip over the bar and instead just dropped to the ground with a disappointed look on his face.
"I'll never get it."
Davina patted him on the shoulder, unsure of what else to do. She was not about to have Yuuta cry the thought alone spurred even more panic. "Of course you'll get it. Just need practice. I don't think you're getting enough momentum to spin and that you're not kicking hard enough initially. You're also placing too much pressure on your arms."
Yuuta didn't peer up. Davina was not the best at cheering someone up. "Here, let me help you get over once to show how it should be done."
Yuuta stood up and braced to twirl. He kicked his legs up and Davina pushed his shoes over the bar. Yuuta's hat fell off when he spun upside down. When his feet landed on the other side, he grinned. Davina retrieved his hat and replaced it squarely on his hair.
"See what I mean?"
Yuuta slightly bowed. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Aka-chan."
Davina couldn't help but blush, unsure if from the formality or his sincerity. Come to think of it, he was pretty adorable... Yuuta saw her abruptly shake her head.
"What would you like to do now kid?"
He turned and pointed to the monkey bars which were already being played with by other kids.
"Let me check to see if Shin or Yankumi called my phone and then I'll join you, alright?"
"Hai!" Yuuta dashed off to the bars.
She sighed, geez that kid had a lot of energy. He was pretty sweet…for a kid.
Davina walked back to her bag sitting on a bench. Her phone showed a missed call from Shin. As she sat ready to dial, she turned back to see Yuuta waiting for his turn on the bars. She watched the boys go three times, ignoring Yuuta's turn. When he stood up for his turn, she saw an older kid dismiss him. When Yuuta demanded to play, the boy shoved him to the ground, face first.
Davina didn't remember how but she was on her feet, stomping towards them while her blood raced from overwhelming emotion. "What are you doing?!" She reprimanded in the harshest, most brutal Japanese that ever left her tongue.
The older boy turned around, resolve gone replaced with an innocent face as if he hadn't seen her sitting there.
"Yes you!" Davina pointed at the boy. She lifted Yuuta up to his feet. His lip quivered and his eyes were glossy with tears that he tried to hide. Something about that made Davina well up with anger; sending jitters like jolts of electricity through her arms, fingers and legs.
It was unjust, unfair, and so utterly mean. Her face flushed to the same shade as her hair and for all she knew, steaming was coming out of her ears.
"Hasn't anyone ever taught you to be polite? Take turns? Not bully others? It's common decency!" The words spewing out Davina recognized were Yankumi's, but she didn't care.
The boy's mouth waggled, leaning so far back away in shock from the teenager he nearly lost balance and fell on his bottom. Then he ran away with the shrillest cries.
Seeing the boy holler stopped the flow of Yuuta's tears as if seeing the bully exhibit the same vulnerability was sobering.
"Daijoubu, you alright, Yuuta?" Davina patted him on the back. He wiped his eyes and while doing so, Davina noticed scraps on his elbow. She examined his arm. "Does it hurt? I've got some stuff in my bag to clean it off."
This time, Davina took his hand and led Yuuta to the bench. Shin was already standing there, with a plastic bag, taking in the scene.
"I leave for a moment, Yuuta's injured and you make a kid cry?" Shin shook his head.
Davina narrowed her eyes at him.
"Onee-chan yelled at the bigger boy." Yuuta said, smiling as if bragging.
"Onee-chan? Did you just call me big-sister?" Davina almost dropped her sanitizer on the sidewalk.
"What did Onee-chan do exactly?" Shin asked, rubbing it in like harsh disinfectant to an open cut.
"He pushed Yuuta. I don't know what came over me. Wrong. I didn't yell…I scolded…firmly."
"So firmly that he ran away crying." Yuuta added and Davina cringed, feeling the last of her dignity die. Yuuta, while grateful for Davina's interference, was too young to realize that in some instances it was better not to state the whole truth… However sweet he was, Yuuta was not helping…
"Now, now that's enough Yuuta. Shin doesn't need to hear anymore." She padded his hat roughly, willing to the boy to be silent.
"But—"
"Here, sit down on the bench so I can disinfect your cut."
He jumped on the bench. If he was injured, it didn't seem like it one bit as he swung his legs freely like when he rode the swings. "Does Onee-chan always carry these things in her bag?"
Please don't call me Onee-chan... "Yes I always do. I dance so I get loads of cuts and scrapes—"
"Delinquent teens!" A loud bitter voice echoed from the other side of the park.
The three of them turned and saw a mother soothing her bawling son as they headed towards the exit.
"Delinquent? She's got some nerve." Davina grunted in disgust, only recognizing delinquent in Japanese because of Headteacher's constant repetition of the word. She gave the woman a fierce glare, channeling all of her frustration into one dirty look, again after spending so much time with 3-D that was easy to do.
The mother's resolve extinguished like a flame splashed with water, fearful that her 'delinquent' accusation could be true and could cost her. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. We'll go home and treat your wounds right away."
"Not so tough now…" Davina dabbed a cotton ball with disinfectant and pressed it onto Yuuta's elbow.
Shin remembered Davina using Yankumi's notorious angry yakuza lingo and the short time she had spent with 3-D and how quickly such quirks were becoming part of her. The girl was like a sponge.
The disinfectant stung Yuuta's abrasions, causing him to grit his teeth. "That boy has bothered me before. Doesn't ever let me play."
"Why didn't you say something? We could have gone to another side of the park if you were uncomfortable…"
Yuuta tipped his chin to his chest, avoiding her gaze as if he had done something wrong.
"It's ok." Davina reassured him. "He won't bother you now."
"Now the whole park is yours to play in. Davina scared away all the children." Shin quipped.
Davina uncurled a bandage over the cut, wishing Shin would stop joking.
"Hai!" Right as Davina set the bandage Yuuta scurried to the monkey bars, showing no sign of real injury. Davina sighed with relief.
As she stood a wave of fatigue she felt in her arms and legs caused her sigh. Emotionally she was tired from the leaps in intensity. Gosh, kids were tiring.
She sat on the bench next to Shin, falling with her weight as if her body ached. Two hours in ballet class didn't ache nearly as much as spending half an hour with a child…
"What the hell happened?"
Davina shook her head. "It happened fast. He wanted to climb the bars, the bigger boy pushed him, and I…scolded him—Yankumi-style."
"Yankumi-style?" Shin said in horror. "You didn't hit him did you?"
"No! Of course not! I meant…oh, never mind." She stopped mid-explanation, too frustrated to care.
"Remind me to never end up on your bad side."
Davina ignored him.
"Is 赤化 aka-bake or red monster a better suited nickname?"
Her mouth twitched. "Don't."
Shin's humor flattened. He hadn't meant to be insensitive. Normally she would have giggled by now. He patted her lightly on the head affectionately. "Don't take it too serious."
"Hmm."
"I heard everything you said. It wasn't bad."
"Hmm."
Shin peered over not expecting the sadness in her eyes.
"Something else is bothering you, isn't it?"
"Betsuni¸ it's nothing… Just embarrassed." Her voice faded.
Shin didn't believe her, but figured the best thing to do was to leave her alone for a while. He reached into her open bag and took out the baseball. Formerly white, the cowhide had dirtied to a dusty brown, the same color from the dirt from the other field. He tossed into the air a couple of times before leaving the bench.
At the field in the distance, Davina could hear Yuuta. "Is Onee-chan not joining?"
"She's a little tired. She'll join us later."
Yankumi called Davina and Shin to inform them dinner was nearly ready. Upon telling the boys it was time to leave, Yuuta took Davina's hand again in a manner that startled the girl again. How she hadn't managed to scare him off was beyond her…
"What story are we going to tell Yankumi about his scrapes?" Shin asked as they strolled towards a convenience store.
The redhead gulped. "Hopefully we can convince her that we forgot how it even happened, right? Or she might not notice at all…"
Yuuta yelped and pointed his finger at a waving ice cream flag at the convenience store. "Can I have some?"
"Sah…I don't know if Kawashima-sensei would like us getting her son sweets…"
"But ice cream might cheer me up enough to make me forget about this scrape."
Davina was dumbstruck as the words translated in her head. Was the pint-sized seven year-old actually bribing her?
Shin interrupted. "What was that?"
Davina simpered. "I said sure, I'll buy some." She messed Yuuta's hat and hair roughly. She dashed into the convenience store and returned with a gallon tub of ice cream—the biggest they had. Yuuta's eyes widened in disbelief as if he had never seen so much ice cream in his life. She took a sample cup and scooped a cup's worth just for Yuuta to eat on the way back to Oedo.
The boy licked the ice cream with a skip in his step, getting it all over his face.
Shin hiked a brow at the massive tub of ice cream, so heavy Davina struggled to balance while walking. "Isn't that a bit much?"
"Small price to pay. I'd buy ten tubs if I got reassurance."
"Reassurance?" Fifteen minutes spent inside Oedo and Davina was already fluent with their lingo…the lingo Yankumi forbade them from using…
"Isn't that was Tetsu-san called it? Reassurance for sealed lips…" Davina run two fingers across her lips to gesture a zipper.
Shin scratched the back of his head, wondering if he should outright inform her that most law-abiding Japanese did not use that word… He snatched the tub handle from her so she could stop wobbling. He was going to make sure when they arrived at Oedo that Davina would do all the explaining and he would just watch. "The extent of what you'll go through to avoid getting into trouble...you're really not that different from 3-D ya know."
Yuuta swung her arm, joyfully eating his ice cream, ignorant in his bliss.
Davina diverted her eyes to the pavement, reflecting on her actions that day. She bit her lip; not wanting to get into trouble wasn't a crime. With that thought, Davina knew she just proved Shin's words.
She looked down at Yuuta with his ice cream then at Shin's poker expression. "I think I agree with you."
Split chapter 26 in half, despite estimating that Yuuta would only be one chapter… I forgot to point out in chapter 25 that Eiji Wentz's mixed heritage was the inspiration for his connection to Schmidt. Last but not least, I offer my sincere thanks to Slytherin Studios, Gokusen Fan 2.0, MercuryM, Lady Syndra, unknown player, bbymojo and the Velvet Ash for their feedback since the last chapter!