Counting the Differences

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Silent Treatment


At the Hardy Barracks, cafeteria tables were cramped beyond capacity with recruits. Davina's father had mentioned after returning home late one night with tired red eyes that most would be moving on to Okinawa or South Korea. At the moment, Terry was surrounded by so many Americans he may as well have visited the states.

"Does your dad hate me?" Terry abruptly asked in the midst of Davina explaining their plans with 3-D for the evening.

Davina nearly dropped her phone while typing a message to Noda. Her cousin's mouth was full of chicken katsu so it was hard to judge if his question was in jest.

"What are you talking about?"

Terry had to chew for a while before answering. "I've only seen him and Auntie Esmée once so far this trip. Thought maybe the sudden arrangement annoyed him."

Davina sighed. Much of Terry's impression of her father had to do with the smack his mother's side always gossiped about. He had been too young to remember when they all lived in France together.

"No Terry, he likes you and asks about you when maman calls France. They're just extremely busy. More than usual with new recruits and other stuff they won't share."

Several recruits filed into the cafeteria at that precise moment, their loud voices carrying all the way to their corner.

"Anyway, if they're ignoring you because they hate you, they must hate me too."

"So long as the hate is spread evenly."

Returning to Japan was smooth with Terry in tow. Davina spoke to Cerise and within an hour Terry got the ok to pack and Terry had never been so full of excitement. Dancing around the house, practicing his Japanese in the mirror (Davina caught him twice), packing his coolest clothes, fine-tuning his chopstick technique... anything he could think of. Meanwhile, her mother had spent much of the rest of their vacation married to the phone with Japan.

"Is it alright if we sit here?" A stocky recruit with two others behind approached with trays.

Davina moved her purse while Terry waved them over politely, his mouth full of fluffy rice.

"You're both civilians?" The stocky recruit with jet black hair asked as he sat next to Davina.

"Yes but he's just visiting." Davina answered for Terry, who was not used to speaking English.

"Your names?" The eldest looking one, in terms of maturity with a square face, shaved head and muscular physique asked, smoothing a napkin on his lap.

"He's Terry, and I'm Davina Summons."

"Moses Padilla." The one with jet black hair answered.

"Colin Gaffney." The eldest one said.

"Drew Johnson." The third one, medium height, rugged facial features with dark brown hair introduced as he sat in the edge seat.

As they started eating, Gaffney pointed his fork at Davina, his face munching up thoughtfully. Her name rang a bell. "Wait...related to Sergeant Major Summons right?"

Davina cleared her throat. "He's my dad."

Padilla lowly whistled and while the other two choked on their food before they could stop themselves.

"He's pretty tough isn't he?" Padilla snickered.

Davina smiled. If she had a nickel each time a recruit or military member said that to her…

"Tough but fair in my opinion." Johnson added straight away and the other two eyed him dubiously.

"You're just saying that because his daughter is here right now." Gaffney nudged him.

"Do they think you're a spy or something?" Terry muttered and Davina threw him a look.

"Anyway—" Johnson redirected. "You've always been in army life right? I'm not sure what to expect—really expect—since I'm the first in my family to join."

Terry leaned in with interest, piling more rice into his mouth while Davina shared an impersonal summary of her experience.

"Older brats tell me it used to be much worse in terms of moving but due to the specialization of my parents' jobs we still moved a lot. I've been told they're trying to make things more stable for families but single guys like you will still get shifted around like unwanted furniture."

The three recruits chuckled. "All the more reason to settle down, eh Johnson?" Gaffney said.

"No one has ever put it so bluntly." Johnson muttered.

"How are you liking deployment?" Terry finally piped up.

"Japan...is...interesting." Padilla answered with a strained smile. "I came from Arizona so it's completely different."

"Definitely will need some getting used to, especially the food." Gaffney swirled his stringy beans, probably unaware that it was natto. "We're not bad though. We've gone exploring. Right Johnson? Unlike some people who never leave the base."

Davina snorted a laugh. "Yep, everywhere there are people who like to stay in their own bubble."

Terry rolled his eyes at Davina, thinking of his own family back home who fit that description.

"But not you though?" Johnson asked and Davina shrugged.

She switched languages suddenly. "Oh Terry, you're done?" Davina lifted her cousin's empty tray while he yawned, about to dive into his empty soup bowl and make it a pillow. "Do you need to go back to your room?"

He stretched to will some energy back into his limbs. "No, I'm determined to go out tonight."

The recruits murmured among themselves as Terry and Davina spoke privately.

"I have ballet practice in the evening anyway so I can pick you up for the second half of Noda's party if you want to sleep more."

His eyelids drooped and his complexion unevenly pale.

"I don't want to miss any of it. I'm not even tired." Terry struggled to repress a timely yawn. He played it off as a cough but Davina wasn't fooled.

Davina turned to the recruits as she stood with Terry's tray. "He needs to get more rest before I take him gallivanting around Tokyo. It was nice to meet you all."

"Likewise." Johnson softly smiled.

"Likewise." Terry repeated in an exaggerated accent.

"What's your deal?"

"Oh nothing cousin. Just nothing. Put on some coffee when we get back to the apartment. I am going out tonight."


A pot of coffee and a train ride later, they arrived at the station closest to the café.

"I'll give you that, cousin. He is cute."

Shin saw Davina blush after a taller teenager murmured to her. He was impressed when Terry initiated the greetings solely in Japanese—standard textbook, stiff, accented but ultimately correct. He bowed awkwardly and Davina smirked, not spoiling her cousin's fun in explaining that a formal bow wasn't necessary.

"My name is Terry Borde. I am 16 years old. Nice to meet you."

Shin kindly reciprocated the bow for Terry's sake, though Davina spotted his strained smile . "Sawada, Shin, nice to meet you."

Terry grinned from ear to ear, lightly clapping his hands, unable to contain his glee at the beginning of his first real Japanese conversation (after studying for so long) during his first real outing.

When Shin conversed with Terry, he spoke clearly sans slang, putting the younger teenager at ease. Terry managed to stand between them, not noticing that he was dominating the interaction, but they didn't mind.

They arrived at the youth café where a handful of 3-D students took up a long table perfectly matched with the same number of female teenagers. Davina did a double-take at 3-D's transformation from Shirokon delinquents to prep school boys with panel sweaters and dressy shoes. Thankfully their disguises were better thought out than Yankumi's synthetic wig disaster…

Her introduction of Terry was heavily nuanced with a threat covered by a deceptive smile on her face. "He just wants to practice his Japanese so be nice."

Minami, Uchi, Kuma and Noda waved their hands sheepishly. For some odd reason, when Davina mentioned a younger cousin, they pictured someone in junior high, not almost their age. To them, he was as handsome as Davina was pretty, genes and all that nonsense.

Though a little nervous, Terry due to his lack of fluency was too oblivious to notice 3-D's rough disposition and be scared of them. In the company of the girls they wished to woo, 3-D was already on their best behavior.

Uchi sat Terry in the center between the four of them to explain the ropes in rapid Japanese that flew over Terry's head. Before she joined them, Davina wandered to where Shin was hiding. He had already retrieved his own drink and sipped it silently while observing the social occasion unfold from a safe distance.

Standing together alone for a moment, Shin looked at her graceful form appreciatively.

She imagined he was recovering from her cousin's onslaught of rudimentary Japanese. "Thank you for being patient with him and Japanese."

Shin shrugged like it was no big deal. "His is better than yours was in the beginning."

Davina's blinked rapidly. "R-really? That bad?" The lack of qualification in his statement crushed her pride to smithereens.

"It means you've improved." He attempted to console when he saw her blanch.

"…I didn't think…I spent six months studying before I arrived." Davina continued, Shin's encouragement going through one ear and out the other.

He nudged her with his elbow with a sly smirk, aware she was self-conscious about her language ability. Maybe he was at least slightly joking with her.

Begrudgingly she peered up and met his dark eyes fixed on her. She then immediately glanced away to hide her smile while her heart began to beat rapidly.

"Shin."

The pair turned to a feminine voice and Davina faced a very pretty girl, likely the one the others gushed so much about. It had to be her: the shiny black her, soft complexion, big honey eyes, the baseball angel from their fantasies.

Sharing a tender moment with someone she adored, in the pleasant café with friends and her sweet cousin visiting from abroad for summer vacation, the one thought crossed Davina's mind: this girl, who the heck is she to be on first name basis with Shin?

"I hope I'm not interrupting." She smiled that humble smile 3-D had told Davina so much about. Yet, Davina sensed a territorial vibe in the way she acknowledged her. "I've brought along an old friend." She said specifically to Shin.

"Sawada."

From the hall a medium statured teenager emerged. Shin's lips parted as his memory caught up: broad cheek bones and prominent smile lines and even after two years the same damn haircut with the side-swiped fringe.

"Ryo." Shin breathed.

Thick tension sparked as Ryo deliberately stalled, uneasy about standing near Yoshida and Sawada. Yoshida's humble smile wavered, hesitating on whether to draw Ryo closer or to wait.

At the safe distance Iha preferred, he ignored Yoshida and grinned at Shin. "It's been a while."

Davina panned between them, wishing to understand the significance behind his glazed eyes. One fact was clear however, her exit was necessary. "I'm going to sit with Terry."


Yoshida also quietly slipped away while the two boys wandered outside, away from the music, to the patio.

Though Ryo smiled, it was his most natural resting expression. Internally, he fraught over what to say. They sat in chairs and allowed the situation to marinate before speaking.

Shin broke the silence with nonchalant stretch, "Ayu is crafty."

Ryo laughed loudly, flashing his teeth, grateful for the nostalgic moment when they always chilled that way.

Ayumu had warned Ryo that Shin was rougher and reticent. Ryo hadn't replied that as his best friend he knew Shin had always been like that. Seeing him now, Shin merely acted less poised about hiding it.

He was still recognizable from his boyish good looks but all else had changed. He had grown out his hair, even dyed it chunks blond, slouched comfortably, and his eyes narrowed on Ryo to mark a distance between them. I know where I stand, Ryo confirmed in his head.

"I'll confess that it's been more than a year since I've exchanged words with her, even though we're still in the same class." Ryo began, mentally replaying the abrupt interaction.

Show or you're a coward, Ayu accosted him after class that day. Ryo had restrained a laugh in the empty homeroom, something notoriously hard for him. She should have already known he was a coward.

Ryo knew he was a coward. Shin knew he was a coward. Showing up that night, even as a redemption bargain from Ayumu, still didn't change that fact.

So Ryo told his former friend. Ryo Iha didn't come from the same privileged social class like Sawada and Yoshida. He had studied hard and believed entrance to one of the best high schools in the country would pave his way to a high status university where he could network away from his former life. Hongou-sensei brown-nosed kids with powerful parents like Sawada or Yoshida.

Years later, the most infuriating aspect still conjured waves of anger coursing through Ryo's veins: Sawada had only been technically expelled.

Ryo's smile twisted as he ruffled his hair. "I'll admit. Part of me hated you for refusing to stay at Chuo. You hit a teacher smack-dab in the face and they were prepared to completely overlook it just because of your father. Me?" Ryo snorted at the scenario. "I would have been expelled so fast my head would have spun. Not Sawada, Shin." His hands curled and he clenched his jaw, resentment he had forgotten bubbling to the surface as fresh as the day of Shin's expulsion.

He still smiled after exhaling intensely to regain composure. "Yet you left."

Shin sighed, compelled to respond yet he speculated that Ryo would ask for a reason if he wanted one. He continued running his thumb along his fingernails under the table.

Ryo shut his eyes at the embarrassment and guilt shredding him apart inside. "Would you have stayed if I had done something?"

Truth be told, Shin had been disillusioned with Chuo and the lifestyle perpetuated by his father's social orbit for a very long time, so much it suffocated him every day. Yet, had his friends tried…he might have seen it worthwhile to stay. He eventually shrugged, much to Ryo's dissatisfaction. "No idea."

That makes me hate you more. Ryo snorted, his anger getting the best of him, "Be honest Sawada."

"I said—" Shin narrowed his incensed glare—"I have no idea."

Ryo tried to match Shin's stare but his natural instinct to smile overwhelmed his irritation. He broke out into laughter while Shin begrudgingly smirked.

"You're still too considerate. Even if I had failed in changing your mind years ago, I know it would have made a difference." He peered over to read Sawada, desperate to find any sign or gesture of the truth.

If Shin believed Ryo's words, he bared no indication in his poker expression. "Is that so?" He dully uttered.

Ryo stretched back with a crushed sigh. "Ayu will be disappointed."

Shin glanced up at that.

"She wanted us all to be friends again. Not as close, that would be impossible, but on good terms. Not sure why after all this time." He hid his dread about facing her inevitable questioning later. "Maybe since her time in high school is nearing the end, she wants to graduate without regrets."


"I regret telling Dabina-chan that she could bring him." Noda scowled with gritted teeth. The three others huffed gruffly, eyes viciously narrowed on Terry. Seated at the brightest table with four girls following his every word… Slow, basic Japanese than a smattering of French which made the girls swoon in unison, "So adorable!"

"So cute!" Two of the girls laughed and squealed.

The boys stared daggers at the younger teenager who to their upmost resentment (and bitter respect) had far more game than all of them combined.

Minami flagged Davina over.

The redhead nearly recoiled at their venomous glares. "What's this about?"

"Aka-chan. You didn't tell us he spoke Japanese." Kuma murmured.

Davina crouched down when they gestured for her to whisper with them. Davina rolled her eyes, clearly recalling when she had told them earlier. "I told you he spoke a little."

Uchi gestured to four girls surrounding Terry, giggling about his baby Japanese, as if Davina was personally responsible for his sabotage. "None of that sounds like 'a little.'"

Davina panned between them, unsure of how they seceded so quickly from a group of five with girls to just Terry with girls and the four of them in a corner. "Whenever I walk by he's speaking French."

"You didn't coach him did you?" Minami raised a brow at her, adjusting his fake glasses.

"Why in the world would I do that?" Davina left them scratching their chins pondering.

Davina nearly bumped into someone and as she promptly apologized she recognized the shiny-haired beauty from before.

While Davina had expected to proceed, the other teenager appeared very keen to make acquaintance. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Yoshida, Ayumu. I remember seeing you on the field when we all met."

The redhead smiled softly. Embarrassed, Davina didn't remember her or any of the girls in particular, though the ones she had conversed with thus far were very nice. "The guys mentioned you're trying to go pro. Your family and friends must be proud."

Her smile tensed. "I hope, but we'll see if my folks will let me go abroad for a training session this summer."

Davina nodded to show sympathy. "Let me guess: your family is pure hard school."

Yoshida's eyebrow rose. "Old business on one side and Japanese tradition on the other. Yours?"

"Military and international diplomacy."

Normally people would react in awe or surprise yet Yoshida didn't miss a beat.

"I assume you do a sport too."

"Not a sport. I dance and hopefully for a living someday." Davina wouldn't normally share that information, so why share it with Yoshida as if they were competing?

"I still consider you an athlete."

Both girls summarized their stories. Davina in her parents' mild support of ballet but hopes that she'll choose a secure route like them. Ayumu and her traditional family not being thrilled about the prospect of her going abroad, forever eventually. As a child, she was teased senselessly for not acting girly enough by playing sports.

Gazing up and down Ayumu, she radiated femininity in her delicate style and graceful demeanor—enough for Davina at first glance to disbelieve she had ever been teased for it. "I'd never peg you for a tomboy."

"I'd never peg you as a girl who hangs out with Shirokin boys."

Once again, their reputation precedes them.

"They're wonderful guys though." Even if they were slightly dimwitted, rough around the edges and haughty on the best of days.

"I've heard them call you Aka-chan. That's so adorable."

Davina suppressed a cringe. Aka-chan sounded okay when they said it. What would the guys give to hear their crush call them adorable?

Davina approached her next question casually to not visibly pry though one inquiry gnawed ravenously at her composure. "Did you or any of the girls know anyone from 3-D before the game? It all seemed to align so perfectly I thought mutual friends were involved."

Yoshida shook her head. "No, believe it or not, the first time we all met was out on the field."

The answer only enraged Davina's curiosity more, Yoshida calling Shin by his first name undeniably significant. Davina could hardly take it anymore, swearing Yoshida was trying to get her to ask—

"However…I knew Shin and Ryo from before." Yoshida added as an after note, either unintentionally or purposefully teasing Davina.

"Oh? How? From baseball?" Davina fought to keep her tone even. Each time Yoshida uttered Shin's name with warm glints of familiarity, irritation twitched in her stomach.

"Half right actually. We all went to school together—" Yoshida saw the flash in Davina's eyes, the gears in her head spinning fast. "We were friends at Chuo. I dated Shin for a while—"

Whatever Yoshida said afterwards was total mumble to Davina, who was unprepared for the information she just received. She blinked quickly and scratched a flash of heat on her neck.

Davina cleared her throat. "Were friends?"

"This is difficult to talk about but since the tension has eased I feel like it's ok. I'm glad we cleared things up at his apartment."

If before her mind ground to a steaming halt from shock, she willed through and concentrated on Yoshida's careless words with every ounce of her resolve. She forced her composure though her sour expression was reaching the surface.

"Wait, could you repeat that? I didn't catch that…" Davina asked, relying on the fact that her Japanese wasn't fluent to not raise suspicion.

Yoshida obliged, slowly and clearly, each word like a dagger in Davina's chest. "I visited his apartment and we talked for a while so I'm glad we can all be close again."

Hearing Shin had a sister was like pulling teeth. Being patient was never an issue but… spite burned inside for Yoshida merrily chatting about something Davina had longed to hear from Shin.

"Neh? Dabina-chan?"

Her mind cleared quickly. "Hmmm?"

"I asked how you knew 3-D."

Her neck was on fire. It was like her first days in Japan again when she had an idea in her head but none of the words to express it. "Tutoring…English…for a midterm. Um…"

"Heh? Wakaranai."

Davina checked her watch urgently. "I'm sorry. I nearly lost track of time. I have practice tonight and if I don't leave now I won't get Terry back in time."

Yoshida nodded sympathetically yet with glints of disappointment. "I understand."

"Terry it's time to go." Davina cut into his conversation without acknowledging the girls.

Terry stood abruptly, checking his own watch in disbelief. "But…isn't it still early?"

"If we leave now it's good because I don't have to rush."

Terry narrowed his eyes skeptically. "If you say so—"

Uchi, Minami, Noda and Kuma rushed over, nearly losing their aesthetic glasses in the process. "Something come up?"

She bit her lip, evading a longer explanation. "I just don't wanna be late for ballet."

The boys noticed the time was earlier than normal but they knew better than to question her judgment about anything related to dance. The boys thought it was she strange that she left without saying goodbye to Shin.

Shin and Ryo emerged from their private conversation. Davina, unable to help herself, watched as Yoshida lightly touched his arm with a soft smile then flipped her shiny hair. Ryo stepped into her line of sight and she decided she had seen enough if she intended to remain calm.

Keep your stupid hands off him. Go away.

Ex-girlfriend. Davina gulped like a large pill, embarrassed by the distress charging through her veins. She eyed Yoshida from head to toe as if really seeing her for the first time—beautiful shiny onyx hair, clear bright skin, v-shaped jaw, thin neck, thick eyelashes, willowy body that Davina as ballerina could kill for. So that was Shin's taste—Davina shook her head, crossing her arms as she stepped outside the noisy and tense atmosphere with Terry.

Time spent with Davina was limited due to the distance in childhood but Terry understood her like a sibling raised in the same household. If he had blinked at the wrong moment, he would have missed Yoshida's flirty demeanor with Shin but it perfectly explained Davina's sudden bout of urgency and sadness.

"You okay?" He asked once they were near the base.

Davina strained a smile, her composure well rehearsed even when shaky. "Huh? Oh yeah, just trying to keep a perfect record with dance. They're so peculiar about punctuality."

Going to deny it are we? Terry sighed. A tick that affected their side his mother had said numerous times.

"Sorry about having to drag you away…" Davina's tone dipped, perhaps the most sincere thing she was going to express to Terry at the moment.

"Don't worry. I understand." He patted her shoulder affectionately. "Jetlag is starting to kick in anyway." He stretched his arms with a sheepish yawn, his body winding down to rest.


Ballet, a lifestyle she had enjoyed yet suffered much for, proved to be the only constant in her life. Schools changed, friends came and went and boys would do the same. She had tricked herself into believing that being near Shin was good enough for her without the obvious implication that others could do the same.

He wasn't her possession. Possession sounded creepy, something she locked away in a safe but possessive was the only urge she experienced when Yoshida's hand graced his arm.

In the middle of Madame's instruction, Davina's mind drifted to the night she and Shin snuck into 3-D. The colorful thank-yous decorated on the chalkboard and how her heart melted. High on appreciation, she had settled her position with Shin that they would stay in each other's lives as friends.

That had been her grave error. She accepted that things would remain the same between them but not for some other girl to enter the picture.

No, Shin wasn't her possession, but in how she fretted, she must have unconsciously assumed his affections would be hers. Shin had a dating history and his settlement on their friendship was crystal clear: he didn't want her that way.

And that was okay...

In the grand scheme of things in life that was unfair, unjust and untimely, it was okay. For her heart shattering to pieces, it was agony.

In the locker room, her classmates kept their safe distance, even Ami who was on friendliest terms with her. Geez, they all thought when they saw the wrathful burn in her eyes, stay out of her way.

After changing, not even undoing her bun, she brusquely rammed the backdoor open so hard the hinges rattled.

"Oi! Aka-chan, you're going to kill someone with that!" Noda cried, jumping out of the door way.

Uchi soothed a nearly pulled a muscle in his neck when the door flew open and caused the four of them to crash together. "Geez, bad practice?"

She sighed, sorry for her carelessness but a twinge annoyed to see them. Misery may love company but Davina only wanted to be alone. Shin stood in her sight but she refused direct acknowledgement of his presence, resorting to apologize to the boys and trail behind Kuma's girth.

"Sorry guys, didn't mean to startle you. Yeah practice was rough this time." She lied technically. She honestly couldn't recall much of practice even so soon after. She casually glanced away each time she felt Shin's attention on her.

Minami patted her on the shoulder. "Don't sweat it. Bad days are to be had."

Davina wished she could appreciate the support but her sour mood wasn't having it.

"What happened to the rest of the party?" She asked breezily, hopefully it didn't sound suspicious.

"Shin decided to call it a night." Noda replied, already making new arrangements on his phone.

"We had nothing else better to do so we tagged along." Kuma said over his shoulder to Davina.

"You missed it, after you and Terry left, dreamy Yoshida and the others really warmed up to us." Minami squeezed her shoulder with excitement.

She dug her nails into her bag strap. "I promise I won't bring Terry next time—"

"No! He's crucial now." Uchi howled. If Davina hadn't been accustomed to their dramatic behavior she would have jumped yet the loud outbursts didn't even faze her.

"Get this." Minami and Uchi circled around Davina, providing a convenient barrier from Shin. "They mentioned that they wanted bring more of their girlfriends next time just to meet him." Minami explained.

"He must show. Yoroshiku." Uchi winked.

Their demands guaranteed her mutual attendance of the next party. Davina suppressed a groan.

Even as the four boys continued their conversation without heed, Davina maneuvering herself on the opposite end of Shin was an obvious red flag not even missed by the four's usual density. Those two always walked side by side, no question. Whenever Shin inched closer, she'd preemptively circle around one of the others. On the train she sat next to a stranger and not next to Shin. A strange sight indeed.

If she had a bad practice, it was no reason to take it out on any of them, they all thought. Still their opportune moment of awareness wasn't quite acute enough to accurately pinpoint Davina's irritation.

Davina yanked her hair-ties, shaking out her ballet bun. A hot bath would be her next course of action, then wearing pajamas and then she wouldn't leave her room. A rare early night. No extra practice.

"I think I'll pass on the next party boys."

Even as the words left her mouth, she knew it was wishful thinking. No way in a cold day in hell's chance would she leave her younger cousin Terry alone with the special five of 3-D. She already felt guilty for dragging Terry away early and preventing him from going to more parties would compound that guilt.

Before she could retract her statement, they formed an orbit around her.

"Ehhh? Why not join us Aka-chan?"

"You were talking with Yoshida-chan for a while."

Shin glanced up at that piece of information.

"Yoshida-chan really liked you she mentioned. Even asked for your number. Didn't you like her?" Noda asked, his thumbs still typing on his phone.

You gave her my number?! With miraculous composure, Davina with clenched teeth withheld the spiteful urge to clock Noda. "She's nice. We talked about baseball, how she's going pro—" Davina unconsciously increased the volume of her voice—"how she knew Ryo and Shin and even how she and Shin dated—"

In instant still-shock, the entire group froze in their position. Their expressions contorted as if they had been clubbed in the head and waiting for an amusing punch-line.

"Dated?" Minami squeaked to confirm his ears weren't playing tricks.

The redhead missed Shin's expression directed towards her when the four boys turned on their heels away from her and practically pounced their leader to shake him with accusations.

"Shin, you dirty bum—"

"—always acting like you were never interested in girls—"

"—ALL THIS TIME you've known Yoshida!"

"You could have told us—"

With that, Davina slipped away from the commotion, a massive headache coming on. She flashed her ID to security and was waved through before the boys noticed she was gone.


Davina ignored Shin's calls and messages for a several days, a mix of being unsure of how to face him and sightseeing with Terry. She spent more of her free time on the base with Terry either in the cafeteria talking with Johnson, Padilla and Gaffney or relaxing on the grounds with Sam.

Particularly early for ballet one evening, Davina heard her phone vibrate to indicate a missed phone call. She sighed heavily and threw her phone into her bag. The longer she ignored him the less she could shrug it off as nothing. All because Shin dated someone else before and that she undeniably close and touching him—was that what she was supposed to say? Even honest it sounded just stupid. But she had to think of something, the silent treatment couldn't go on forever. Even if that meant reconciling her feelings about him.

She opened the backroom door, her footsteps echoing in the locker room. Out of habit, she walked over to her designated locker, taking off her shoulder bag—

Her bag hit brusquely the floor with a thud.

Shin sat casually, running his thumb over his nails on one of the benches, remarkably the one adjacent to her personal locker. Probably purely coincidental but with the way Shin merely knew things, she'd never know.

"Shin—" Her voice wavered. "What are you doing in here?!" She flushed, frantically checking the door behind.

According to her watch the others could be strolling in any time and she could be expelled for having a boy in the locker room. "This is not happening…"

He withheld his suggestion that her panicked pacing would only call more attention, however he was sympathetic. "Figured this would be easiest to find you." He responded dully, baring none of his sympathy.

"This is crazy stalkerish you know." She accused despite knowing she was to blame for unfairly ignoring him.

He knew that. But she lived in a walled, guarded complex that made it impossible to just stroll up to her house and knock on the door. Whether or not she took keen advantage of that security was for Shin to figure out later.

She stopped pacing with a deflated sigh. If he wanted to talk they could easily move outside… "If they see you in here—"

Shin abruptly hopped to his feet. "I'll make this quick then."

Next to him, she could smell his musk and gulped. Even annoyed with him he still made her heart flutter.

"I don't know what Yoshida told you but I can clear everything up."

She had avoided his gaze at first, except precisely after he uttered Yoshida. She bit her lip, knowing her reaction had cost her. Davina crossed her arms defensively from the intensity that seemed to radiate from him.

Shin broke their gaze to scratch the back of his head. At his reluctance, Davina's heart started pounding rapidly.

"I owe you a secret anyway." Thanks to Yoshida's untimely meddling, he refrained from saying. He had owed her anyway but Yoshida's interference painted the situation as if he were withholding information from her.

"Oh…" She stood straighter with intrigue. She finally uncrossed her arms, relenting in her unofficial campaign of ignoring him.

They agreed to meet the following day and he would message her the details.

Finally he left the locker room yet his intense gaze seemed to linger and continue to daunt Davina. The backdoor opened and as he left, two classmates entered. Though startled to see a teenage boy striding out, they giggled among themselves, impressed by their classmate's nerve.


When Shin informed her that he would be taking her to where he lived her heart skipped a beat. 一人暮らし he had uttered but none the wiser, Davina didn't understand. "Hmm? What does that mean in Japanese?"

Shin speculated before saying, "You'll know what I mean soon."

The rest of route towards Shin's was excruciatingly quiet between them though Davina stomach rotated nervously. He led her to a different part of town, near Shirokin but a residential district on a minor connector train line. The streets had fewer large businesses, several independent food stands, less traffic—perfectly tucked away inside greater Tokyo. They reached a high-rise building, indistinguishable from the others in the surrounding neighborhoods.

They used a tiny elevator to reach Shin's floor. While a harsh florescent light flickered, Davina, even in the summer heat, shivered from the dreary grey hall.

The air was too thick to breathe when Shin opened a door. Expecting to hear voices or noise from a television, she stepped forward uneasily. Normally Japanese homes built a genkan at the entryway for guests to remove shoes so Davina twitched self-consciously for entering the home wearing shoes.

"Sorry—" She stammered but soon realized her words reached no one else.

The black-walled flat was eerily quiet and empty, tiny even for Tokyo. With a short glance she took in all corners of the apartment. The window curtains were open yet little light entered the studio. Kitchen, bed, bathroom; Davina's own room could swallow it.

She turned to Shin, her mouth open. She didn't wish to ask the obvious question, yet part of her wanted to indulge the possibility that even the obvious was still wrong.

"This is where I live." Shin swung the door shut, confining the space.

"Alone?" She whispered, her voice still stretching all the way to the far corners because the apartment was just that small. Only suitable for one person—Shin probably couldn't even fit a goldfish bowl in even if he wanted...

Shin switched on the kettle, leaving Davina to mentally digest. She sat on the couch bed stiffly, smoothing her skirt over her knees.

Shin brought over a tea-cup for her so she moved to the table. He retrieved a pillow for her.

Before her mind could run wild with ideas she began with the obvious, "Why?" Her knuckles white in her lap.

To distract himself from her longing gaze, he sipped his steaming tea and burned his tongue in the process. "Remember that I got expelled?"

He shared the story of Ryo Iha and Hongou-sensei and the false accusation of smoking in the boys' bathroom, the bullying, and how terrorized his then-best friend had been every day. Then-bestfriend he had emphasized darkly. Davina held her breath when Shin confessed that he struck the teacher who bullied Ryo, the friend that had accompanied Yoshida at the party.

Though Shin retained his impenetrable poker face and glossed over the details, Davina could read like a banner on his forehead that he had been stabbed in the back. When Davina gasped, Shin at first thought she expressed disgust from his violence towards Hongou-sensei but her words surprised him.

"How could your friends do that to you? That guy we saw the other night…" Her knuckles ached from pressure. The stupid smile on his face…

Shin thought back. Ryo called himself a coward, while true, he was a coward with a future at stake. His family banked on him to pull them out of the lower class. Shin couldn't blame him for buckling under pressure but it taught Shin harshly that no one really could be trusted. 3-D, Davina, and even Yankumi had their limits.

Davina noticed how he looked at her at that moment then away. He shook his head with a smile, but it wasn't genuine, laced with scorn and cynicism.

She inched closer, about to reach out. "Shin—"

"Social exile." He interrupted, shaking his head again, finally giving an answer. "They had nothing to gain and everything to lose." He turned away from her and she backed away, pressing her back to the couch bed to give him space.

Her tea had finally cooled enough to drink. It tasted slightly bitter but that was suitable for the situation.

Davina shuddered at the image of Yoshida mentioning her wishes to go pro. That among many other things had been her price. He wore the same sarcastic expression from when adults accused them or Sawatari called them trash.

She wanted to shake Shin-anything to get that nonsense out of his head.

"But still…how could they do that to you?"

That strange borderline possessiveness coursed through her veins, urged to protect Shin and even pummel anyone who harmed him. Davina wasn't seriously about to dash off picking fights, but she could understand 3-D's hotheaded disposition for a moment.

Shin appreciated her anger. The younger him would have relished her passion but time had mellowed him out. "Don't be so confident about speculating what you would do under similar pressure."

True, she couldn't speculate. "But still," Davina insisted, her hands squeezing around her cup. "This is a friend's betrayal we're talking about. Not just your friends, everything from the teacher, the school. It's all wrong."

"Your sense of justice is admirable." Shin murmured, bitterly remembering his last days at Chuo when Ryo had uttered those precise words to him. Also remarkable that not too long ago, the roles were reversed. Shin had been the one demanding for her to seek justice while she dismissed his concerns.

"What was that?" Davina leaned in, his words too muffled for translation.

Shin faced her again. "I was saying when I was kicked out of school…well, this apartment was the result."

The pieces finally made a picture. Davina shook her head. "Wait…" She began, hoping another answer would come to her, another, less ridiculous answer. "Your family…" She glanced at the corner of the studio, "…just like that?"

"My father just like that." Shin emphasized.

"Your father the government worker."

So…not just his friends but his family also betrayed him. He suffered expulsion and was thrown out of the house to save face.

Davina's vision glazed over as fury overwhelmed her senses, emotionally detached from her own body.

Several vivid memories of carelessly speaking about her family returned lucidly. When she had complained about her parents, life at home she naively presumed that deep down Shin experienced the same and owned the same privilege returning home every night. Even after picking her up from the police station, her parents had only pulled her closer. They'd never toss her out.

"I can't wait until I'm out on my own." She had ignorantly complained once to Shin.

Facing the reality of Shin's studio, conscious of her thoughtless words, Davina was humbled by a cold slap of embarrassment.

Speechless, she heard distant pedestrian commotion outside while her head painstakingly processed the information and accepted the ugly fact that she had been wrong. Her first secret to Shin had been grave and his didn't disappoint.

Another thought crossed her mind. "Wait...3-D, Yankumi..."

"They don't know."

"Wow—" Davina sank in her pillow like lead. Shin, expecting her surprise, was taken aback when she apologized. "Shin, I'm so sorry that I assumed." She pressed against what felt like a knot in her chest and didn't acknowledge Shin as he sat down next to her. "I'm sorry you had to face that by yourself."

Shin was possibly the worst at exploiting Davina's lack of perception however, she had moments of awareness that blind sighted him. Even moved, he shook his head complacently and patted her hair with affection.

Davina finally released the tension in her hands, her strained joints thanking her.

"I don't care that you assumed about my living situation—" Shin paused so she could meet his gaze evenly—"as much as your assumptions fed by Yoshida."

Bingo, Shin confirmed from the flash of unheeded emotion in her eyes. After hearing she had spoken privately with Ayuma from Noda, he guessed something was wrong. Her passive-aggressive hint of conveniently sharing with the others how he had dated Yoshida years earlier had also illuminated the obvious. He hadn't planned on keeping the former relationship from her or the others, it just hadn't been that important to bring up in the first place.

That slap of embarrassment again, Davina couldn't restrain turning away, biting her lip. Had she allowed him to explain from the get-go, she wouldn't have spent several days ticked at him with a broken heart. She leaned on the glass table top, watching fog accumulate on the glass from her hot mug.

"So don't worry about anything she says." Shin added for good measure. "You could have told me."

She traced fog circles on glass. "I know I can. I don't know what came over me. I suppose I reacted that way because I was jealous."

"Jealous?" Shin smirked.

Davina's perfect circle suddenly marred with a line straight across. Oops. In her apology that had been he fixed his attention on? While attempting to find a better Japanese word than jealousy, it had slipped with epic Freudian proportions. When had Shin moved closer?

She grabbed her cup to busy herself with sipping her tea, the large cup convenient for hiding her face.

His arm snaked around her waist to pull her closer while he set her mug to the counter to remove any distractions. His touch sparked a nerve-racking thought: they were alone in a locked, private flat. Completely alone. Never had that fact bothered her before now her stomach flipped nervously.

Alone at last.

She gulped to relax, so the sudden redness in her cheeks would subside, but she could hardly breathe. She thought he would lean forward but his face hovered over hers, gazing down deeply. So close she could see his true eye color, a robust brown so dark they appeared black.

She ran her hand through his soft hair before trailing her fingers along his cheek. He wouldn't lean any closer unless she initiated and knowing that made her heart race in panic. "Shin." She breathed a hair breadth away from his lips.

Knock knock knock!

She released her grip on his shirt with a deep, sorry exhale. She sat straighter with intrigue when she saw the squinted look of surprise on Shin's face as he stared at the door. Davina adjusted her skirt and blouse, suddenly self-conscious.

They both stood. Shin uttered to the door and a woman-sounding voice replied. Shin looked to Davina in contemplation then opened the door slowly.

Davina came face to face with a middle-aged woman with reddish bobbed hair and Shin's facial structure and lips, clutching a heavy brown bag with both arms. The woman's attention gravitated to Davina, shock washing over her features as she froze at the door. Her lips tightened as she panned between them right, sobering to the fact that there was a girl in Shin's apartment.

Though undeniably awkward, the woman pleasantly smiled then bowed her head. "I'm Shin's mother." She spoke in crisp Japanese.

Davina covered her mouth before she could help it. "Very nice to meet you." Davina introduced herself enthusiastically with a low bow. To imagine what was going through her mind to find some strange girl in her son's living/bedroom/kitchen. She painfully recalled how Shin had unfortunately met her parents in her bedroom. They had come full circle...

"Pardon the sudden visit, I brought extra groceries—" Shin's mother displayed the notorious "oh-shit, she's Caucasian, must not understand Japanese" before she conversed more, facing her son meaningfully. She removed her shoes and set the overflowing bag to Shin's kitchen counter top, suspiciously full for some measly extras…

Normally his mother would knock then leave the grocery bag at the door. Shin wondered what whim inspired her to come in that day. However, though it was a guess, Shin figured a perfect catalyst.

The redhead was desperate to demonstrate language ability yet the situation caught her intellectually off guard. She was still mentally recovering from what she and Shin had nearly done…

Shin's mother wondered why the girl suddenly blushed at that moment.

"Davina is a dance student here with her family." Shin stated while helping with the bag, much to Davina's undying gratitude.

She took in Davina, up and down. Certainly not from his school's social circles. "Your family…their occupation?"

"We're with the US army." Davina answered minimally, limited in Japanese military terms. The situation didn't warrant that much divulging anyway, nor was she really allowed to get into specifics.

Shin's mother's mouth open in surprise and she couldn't help but remember her cultural advisor warning her that plenty of Japanese did not have a favorable perception of US military on Japanese soil. Her stomach twisted brutally at the thought. Why Davina opportunely picked that particular memory to remember in front of Shin's mother…she didn't wish to dwell on.

"Is that so?" She uttered with a tilt of her head, fluffing her hair.

Shin's small apartment with three people was too cramped.

"I should go—"

Both Shin and his mother interjected, politely insisting that she stay.

"Don't mind me. I'm not staying long." His mother waved her hand dismissively.

"If you wait I can take you back." Shin offered, remembering her ballet lesson in the evening.

"No it's alright." She lightly touched his arm without thinking but immediately realized the gesture was not missed by his mother. "It's about time I head home anyway. Terry might go hungry."


Shin's mother…was clearly a standard housewife but a stunning woman. Apparently the Sawadas had impressive genes. What did Shin's sister look like? A super model?

Davina crossed her arms in thought, replaying the day piece by piece. Shin's apartment, Shin's mother. The double whammy of information that while Davina was thankful to know, she needed ample time to process.

She only realized she had wandered back to the base when the guard asked for her ID.

"Hey Davina."

She spun around and recognized rugged featured Johnson.

She smiled at him, baring none of her internal musing. She tucked her ID away in her bag. "Hi Johnson, getting the hang of things?"

"Oh you can call me Drew." He said then scratched the back of his neck, his skin around his collar reddening. "Yeah training's fine, difficult but as I expected. I'm really enjoying the community."

Her father had told her many times about the bonds and companionship from their military section.

Johnson looked up at her again. "I wanted to ask you actually… I was wondering if we could have lunch this Saturday?"

"Lunch at the base?" Davina rummaged through her bag, thinking she should call Terry to see if he had any ideas for dinner. "Terry already had a place in mind that he really wanted to try—"

"That's not—" Johnson waved his hand in negation, laughing nervously. "Not at the base...I meant us two…alone."

Her brows rose and she stopped in her tracks, forgetting about her bag. "Um, um well." She peered to the ground to divert from Johnson's keen expression. "Actually...I can't..." Davina struggled to reject him kindly.

"You're busy with Terry you said on Saturday? So another time?"

She used half a second to gather her words to be plain and not send mixed messages. "No, what I meant was…is that I don't think it's a good idea."

"Oh..." His voice wavered. "Why not?"

"Well..." Davina was put off by the question, unprepared for it and not sure if she should have been prepared. Wasn't the dynamic of why an adult recruit shouldn't be dating a teenaged civilian blatant? "I'm only seventeen."

Johnson paused as the fact of age sank in, shaking him up a bit. "I figured nineteen or something. I only just turned twenty so it's only a few years—when do you turn eighteen?"

Davina didn't answer immediately but he nodded.

"I get it." Johnson said with relief. "You're also worried about your dad right?"

"Yeah my dad wouldn't be happy with it." Nor would he be too thrilled about this conversation taking place in the first place…. Davina didn't pretend to know every rule about military life by heart but trying to pick up a military officer's underage daughter was certainly forbidden.

Johnson leaned tentatively to whisper. "If that's the problem, I can take you out outside the base if you want to keep things on the down-low?"

Davina was dumbstruck, a mix of not being used to being courted and believing she had more or else said it wasn't going to happen.

"So what do you say?"

"Um..." Davina backpedaled. She didn't want to come off as mean so she tried courtesy. " Davina diverted her eyes. "You seem nice but I really don't think it's a good idea."

Johnson shrugged his hands into his jean pockets. "I see...I get it. I'll leave you to it then."

"See you around." Davina continued to the main lobby, replacing her phone in her bag. She replayed the conversation in her head, feeling sympathetic.


Kyoko Sawada left her son's apartment still recovering from surprise.

"A friend?" She had asked ambiguous in her intentions and Shin shrugged.

"Something like that."

"She seems lovely." She tried to get Shin to share more but gregarious he was not.

Kyoko returned home before Natsumi and her husband. She served dinner and during her husband's evening tea, she approached him.

"I spoke briefly with Yoshida, Ayumu the other day. You remember her." Mrs. Sawada told her husband what the girl had asked.

"She's still quite young." More or else declaring the teenager was naïve before turning the page of his newspaper without missing a beat.

"As for today...maybe because of seeing Yoshida, I wanted to speak with Shin like how any mother would. He is seeing someone from one of the military bases. Bringing a girl to his apartment—" Mrs. Sawada mumbled uneasily.

Her husband's eyes diverted off the news page for a split second then he returned indifferently. "What do her parents do exactly?"

"Sah, she was vague."

His newspaper creased from the force of his hands. He wanted that crucial piece of information. By some inconceivable chance were her parents among the ones sending inquiries to his political party?

"At his apartment?" Sawada's mouth twitched. His useless son had a penchant for perfect timing. He folded his newspaper. "I'll take care of it."

It was his wife's turn to pause, the biscuit plate and sugar cup cluttered in her hands while she delivered them to the kitchen.

In the foyer at the top of the stairs Natsumi stood frozen, posed to take another step to fetch a glass of water. She had stopped once she understood the conversation. Quietly she retreated to her room. She flipped open her phone but changed her mind. Some news was best delivered in person.


Yankumi lumbered after her first day of parent-teacher conferences. The task's difficulty was astonishing yet in hindsight it made sense that her thorny students would have equally thorny parents. She blew hair away from her nose and glanced to her side.

"Hey! You guys." She uttered to her students. "Why didn't you go home with your parents?"

Kuma snorted. "Why in the hell would we do that?"

Noda exclaimed, pointing to the gate, "Look it's her!"

Upon sighting Shin, the girl beams and rushed over. "Finally! I nearly gave up."

Surprised to see her, Shin missed the mutual five gawks beside him.

"What's going on here?"

"Sawada's...woman?" Yankumi's voice creaked like she had a frog in her throat. As if whatever for a bit of confirmation of their thoughts, they rushed Shin to accost him.

"Unreal...I never pegged Shin as a guy to keep others on the side—" Kuma was the first to place his words.

Minami shook him viciously by the arm. "You dirty scum! Aka-chan leaves the country for like five minutes and you turn around and pull a stunt like this?!"

"First you hide Yoshida…. How long were you planning on keeping this a secret?" Noda smacked him on the other arm.

"Such a pretty girl, how many more do you have up your sleeve?! We watch you like a hawk and we still have no idea!" Uchi slapped his arm and pointed a finger at Shin's nose.

Hold on a second, what Shin could utter aloud if only he intellectually recovered from his dimwit friends.

Meanwhile Yankumi welled up in tears, crouching to her knees. "How could have something like this have happened? Breaking the honor code—"

The teenage girl could only understand bits of their fussing on her brother, unaware of the full context. Perceiving a vast misunderstanding, realizing that her brother's friends had no idea she existed, she bravely faced them and bowed. "Sawada, Natsumi."

She shifted uneasily when their confused gawks didn't lessen.

"...Sawada?"

They inched closer until they nearly stumbled forward. "...but that would mean?"

Shin moved along Natsumi, the facial similarities in the shape of their eyes and cheeks immediately visible. "Sorry to disappoint you...but she's my little sister."

Natsumi nodded her head and 3-D classmates hanging by the gate dropped like bowling pins.

"LITTLE SISTER?!"


Finally, the moment many of you have waited for...Natsumi's story arc. Thank you for your patience and don't hesitate to let me know what you thought of this chapter. Cheers!