Chapter 183
Yon was cremated and her remains were kept in porcelain and laid to rest right beside Tae Woon's ashes in a family grave plot in the village. Their ashes rested alongside their dearly departed daughter all in the same family altar and Eun Mi was at the front of the large group with JJ and their children at her side to say goodbye to Yon. Villagers offered their condolences and the family used the weekend to mourn. At the start of the new week, they needed to start handling things legally. JJ returned to Washington with everyone except Eun Mi and Jae Sun. Eun Mi promised she'd return home as soon as everything was finalized. As for Jae Sun, he wasn't sure when he'd come back to Washington even for a visit.
For the next two weeks, Eun Mi and Jae Sun were in and out of the lawyer's office trying to map out a rental agreement that would be implemented on any potential tenants that would run the farm on Jae Sun's and Eun Mi's behalf. They had to have someone come out to the farm to measure out what land was there, what the value would be, what kind of financial agreement there would be and a whole myriad of tedious details. Jae Sun was so relieved when they were finally able to officially put the farm up for rent. Jae Sun insisted Eun Mi return to Washington once the farm went on the market saying she'd been away from JJ long enough and if she didn't get home soon the man might starve to death without his wife at home to cook for him.
Until he could find a tenant, Jae Sun stayed on the farm and kept everything operating as he normally did. He called Akihiko to let him know Yon had passed away, that he was currently working on having the farm rented out and he was planning to move to Japan permanently. Akihiko assured he would have a place for Jae Sun and he could stay with them as long as he needed to. Jae Sun thanked Akihiko swearing he'd be out of his place as quickly as he possibly could be and Akihiko assured he'd give Jae Sun some business cards of realtors to help him find his own place. Though he stressed again Jae Sun could take as long as he needed.
Jae Sun notified his publisher in Japan that he would be moving to Japan permanently soon and Mr. Yukimura was thrilled with the news. He insisted Jae Sun notify him the moment he was moved and settled so they could do the signing they'd been telling him they wanted to set up. Jae Sun agreed although his spirits were still really low so he was lacking in enthusiasm over the prospect. He explained his grandmother passed away and Mr. Yukimura was sympathetic and promised they could hold off more if it was necessary but encouraged Jae Sun not to push it back for too long.
The next three months felt like they dragged on forever. There weren't exactly droves of people wanting to rent a farm. The pickings were slimmer than what Jae Sun was hoping for but he refused to hand the farm over to just anyone. He wanted someone that actually knew how to run a farm and wouldn't let it turn to shit in his absence. Then Jae Sun finally found a tenant he liked. The man was from Inchon originally. He was married with three sons and two daughters all of whom were experienced with farming and fishing but they didn't want to live in Inchon anymore. Jae Sun gave him a tour of the grounds including the house they would be staying in. His parents' house would stay in Jae Sun's name so he'd have a place to stay whenever he came to Korea and he intended to return every month or at least once every few months to make sure everything was holding up. Once everything was ironed out, Jae Sun and his new tenants signed all the paperwork and Jae Sun invited them to his parents' house to have dinner together.
Jae Sun stayed until the new tenants were moved in and could take over completely. They worked together for about a week and only when Jae Sun was confident everything would be fine did he start getting ready to leave. He packed up all his clothes and personal items as well as Poki's things and went into the city to get his plane tickets to Japan. He called Akihiko to let him know he'd be in Japan by Monday and Akihiko promised there'd be a bed ready for him. On Jae Sun's last night in Korea, he couldn't sleep.
In the morning, his new tenants insisted he come over for breakfast but he had to keep his visit brief so he could make it to the airport. As he was getting his things in the truck, he was lagging behind. He was going to miss this place. While moving to Korea had been scary, Jae Sun had been accepted into the village readily and with open arms making the transition from the big city to the farm so much easier. He'd grown to love living in Korea even if working a farm hadn't been what he really wanted with his life. Now, he would be starting his life all over again moving to yet another foreign country. When he'd moved to Korea, at least he had links there. His mother is Korean. He knew how things worked on Korea, he knew the cultural norms even when he'd been raised in the US. In Japan that wasn't the case. He would well and truly be a foreigner and it was really scary. Once everything was in the truck, he stood by staring at the house for a few minutes as memories both from his recent time and his childhood ran through his head. The guy who was taking him into the city told him they needed to get going and Jae Sun finally got into the truck. Poki was in his carrier at first in Jae Sun's lap but Poki was meowing incessantly so he took Poki out to hold him so he'd finally calm down.
"Thanks for the ride, Jo Woo," Jae Sun said once they'd made it to the airport.
"It's no trouble," Jo Woo said. "You'll come back to visit right?"
"Yeah," Jae Sun promised, "in the meantime, make sure Mr. Sho and his family feel welcome, okay?"
"We will," Jo Woo answered. They got everything out of the truck onto a dolly and once everything was ready, Jae Sun couldn't resist giving Jo Woo a hug. "Good luck, Jae Sun. We're all wishing you the best."
"Thank you," Jae Sun said.
Jo Woo stayed outside while Jae Sun walked into the airport and they waved goodbye to one another one last time before Jo Woo got into his truck and drove away while Jae Sun made a point to make his plane. The plane ride was blissfully short compared to when he'd moved to Korea from Washington but the brevity of the flight didn't make Poki meow any less. By the end of the two and a half hour flight, Jae Sun was relieved to be back on the ground. He was confident just about everyone on that plane was ready to strangle him and Poki. Once he was off the plane and had gathered all his luggage, Jae Sun walked to the train station and made the trip to Shibuya. Poki was much quieter now that they were no longer on a plane but travel was still really tricky.
Through most of the train ride, he couldn't help notice other people on the train were trying very hard not to stand too close to him and he was being stared at. Of course if Jae Sun looked back, anybody who was staring quickly averted their eyes. He'd gotten used to this on all his other trips to Japan. He was this monstrous 6'8" figure with broad shoulders and he barely fit in the train while standing. It was the same in Korea but Westerners were more common in Seoul compared to Tokyo. Once Jae Sun made it to Shibuya, he carried all his luggage and Poki off the train through the station. While he was carrying everything, a woman passed by with her toddler and the child started staring at Jae Sun.
"ママ、どうしてあの男はこんなに大きいの?"( Mama, dōshite ano otoko wa kon'nani ōkī no? / Mommy, why is that man so big?)
"わからない、すざる。 見つめないでください！"( Wakaranai, Suzaru. Mitsumenaide kudasai!/ I don't know, Suzaru. Don't stare!) the mother scolded the little boy and continued to guide him through the station.
Jae Sun ignored the staring and finally got outside so he could hail a taxi but even that took forever given all the luggage he had. A large taxi car finally pulled over for him and he got everything in the back but he kept Poki in his carrier with him in the car. He gave the driver the address of the apartment building and traffic getting there was horrible. What should have taken no more than 20 minutes tops wound up taking nearly an hour but once he made it, the driver helped him get everything out of the car and made sure Jae Sun got a hold of Yue before driving away. Yue let Jae Sun into the building and came downstairs to help Jae Sun with his luggage in spite of his protests. Once they were in the apartment without people staring at Jae Sun, Yue gave Jae Sun a tight hug.
"I'm so sorry about Yon," Yue said and Jae Sun hugged her back.
"It's gotten easier," Jae Sun said, "but I still miss her."
"Oh, I know dear; I know," Yue said and released Jae Sun so she could look at him. "I'm sorry this is how it's happened, but I'm so happy to have you here. Are you hungry? I'm making some grilled fish and rice – I know it's not much but-"
"That sounds delicious, Aunt Yue; thank you," Jae Sun said and bowed to her. She bowed back and rushed back to the kitchen to check on the rice.
"I tell you, Jae Sun, I've been so miserable since our rice cooker broke," Yue said and put the lid back on the pot. "It's far easier to wash the rice and turn on the machine."
"When did it break?"
"This past Saturday night," Yue said, "Worst of all, it stopped working right when I was making dinner. I was so mad. Akihiko came back from work tired and hungry and dinner wasn't even on the table."
"That's hardly your fault, Aunt Yue," Jae Sun said. "Why haven't you gotten a new one?"
"I just haven't gotten around to it," Yue said. "I was going to get one while I went grocery shopping but the brand I wanted wasn't available."
"I can go get one for you," Jae Sun said. "Just tell me what brand you want and I'll find it."
"Oh, Jae Sun-Chan, that's so sweet of you but I can't make you do that," Yue said. "I know you're absolutely exhausted."
"Nonsense, Aunt Yue, it was barely a three hour flight," Jae Sun assured and put down the cat carrier. "Would it be alright if I released Poki?"
"Yes, go right ahead, but please make sure to watch him," Yue said.
"I will, don't worry," Jae Sun answered and bent down to open Poki's carrier. Poki stayed in his carrier for several moments before he finally poked his head out to begin investigating. To help Poki feel more comfortable, Jae Sun got out Poki's food bowls and filled one with water and the other he filled with a raw egg, a portion of his piece of fish Yue had made for him and some of the fish roe Yue had in the fridge. It wasn't quite what Poki would normally eat but he certainly didn't turn his nose up at it.
"I'm relieved he's still eating," Yue said.
"I never worry about that," Jae Sun said, "although I may have to start feeding him differently. He's been eating raw meat and organs."
"I'm sure you still can," Yue assured.
"Do you suppose we could go grocery shopping after lunch so I can get some things for Poki? We can continue the search for a new rice cooker while we're out," Jae Sun suggested and Yue smiled.
"Yes, of course," Yue said and they enjoyed their lunch together.
Jae Sun took a moment to set up his room Yue and Akihiko were letting him use with a litter box ensuring there were plenty of newspapers put down to protect the floor and made sure Poki knew where the box was. For Yue's peace of mind, Jae Sun confined Poki in the room before they left the apartment together to go shopping. They stopped by a currency exchange first so he could convert all his cash to Yen and bought everything he'd need for Poki's food and insisted on purchasing a new rice cooker for Yue when they finally found the brand she had been looking for. By the time Akihiko finally returned home from work, it was nearly 8 and he was exhausted but Yue had dinner on the table minutes before he walked through the door.
"Jae Sun," Akihiko smiled when he saw Jae Sun and the two of them quickly embraced, "It's so good to see you. How have you been? Did everything work out with renting out the farm?"
"I'm alright," Jae Sun said. "I still miss grandma but it's getting easier. I found a family to rent the farm out to and they know what they're doing. Mr. Sho and his family had a really small farm in Inchon where they're from but I guess there were some issues that made them have to leave. They know what they're doing in any case so I'm sure they'll manage everything fine. I'll return to Korea whenever I can to check up on the farm."
"The farm is in your name right? Or is it in Eun Mi's name?"
"It's in my name," Jae Sun said, "And I promise, I'll find my own place as fast as I can."
"Don't worry about it, Jae Sun; you're welcome here for as long as you need," Akihiko assured. "I consulted with some realtors hoping to give you a head start but I'm afraid finding your own apartment will be harder than expected."
"Why's that?" Jae Sun asked as they all sat down at the table for dinner.
"It's been brought to my attention apartment complexes can opt to not allow foreigners to rent on their property," Akihiko said. "Foreigners are considered to be a potential flight risk so buildings have the option to opt out of renting to them."
"Ah," Jae Sun said and sighed heavily.
"Don't be discouraged, Jae Sun-Chan," Yue said, "You'll find a place to live."
"And you're welcome to stay with us for as long as you need," Akihiko promised, "So don't agree to the first apartment you see. Take your time and find somewhere that works for you."
"I just don't want to put you out anymore than I already am," Jae Sun said.
"You're not putting us out, Jae Sun," Yue said adamantly but then she glanced at Poki who was staring at the garbage can. "I don't know if I can say the same thing about you," Yue directed at Poki. Jae Sun looked at Poki and when he saw the butt wiggle, Jae Sun stood from the table and rushed to him.
"Poki, no!" Jae Sun said and picked up Poki before he could jump into the garbage can. Once Poki was placed somewhere far away from the garbage can, Jae Sun moved it under the sink so Poki wouldn't get to it. For good measure, Jae Sun brought Poki to the bedroom he was using and closed the door so they could all enjoy dinner in peace.
"Thank you, Jae Sun-Chan," Yue said once Jae Sun was back at the table.
Jae Sun took one more day to get settled before he had to see Mr. Yukimura. They discussed a new submission schedule and when Jae Sun could do a signing tour. Because of everything that was going on, Jae Sun was behind schedule so Mr. Yukimura was hopeful the return from hiatus would bring a huge jump in sales. As Jae Sun was leaving the office building, he felt that strange pull again. He tried not to let it bother him but the sinking feeling got worse with each floor the elevator passed. He didn't have time to dwell on it, though. He needed to get back to work on the newest issue of his comic all while looking for his own apartment. The latter turned out to be one of the most miserable experiences of his life second only to when he and Eun Mi had to sit down with a lawyer and Yon to go over Yon's will. Only that experience had been worse.
The discouragement began when Jae Sun sat down with one of the realtors Akihiko had recommended. The meeting started with the realtor, Mr. Kujikawa, staring at Jae Sun for several seconds baffled by his height. Jae Sun walked up to Mr. Kujikawa's desk and while it took him a moment he stood from his chair to welcome Jae Sun formally.
"Good morning, Mr. Dauer," Mr. Kujikawa said as he bowed.
Jae Sun bowed and replied, "Good morning, Mr. Kujikawa. Thank you for taking the time to see me."
Mr. Kujikawa nodded his head awkwardly then said, "Please have a seat." The two of them were seated and Mr. Kujikawa took out a folder filled with buildings in the region that would rent out to foreigners and would also allow pets. That list was, sadly, woefully short. "I have some apartments for you to see that meet your needs although I'm afraid there aren't many places to show. I know you said you wanted 1 bedroom but I'm afraid there are no units of that nature available. I do have a few studios I can show you that you will be able to live in comfortably and that will allow you to keep a cat."
"A studio?" Jae Sun questioned but he knew arguing wasn't going to solve anything so he said, "what's the largest studio I can get?"
"The largest one is 11.8 meters but it's extremely expensive," Mr. Kujikawa said.
After a brief hesitation, Jae Sun asked, "How expensive?"
"¥44,000/month," Mr. Kujikawa answered and Jae Sun groaned with frustration. There was no way he could make that work. Not unless he planned to live off instant ramen and never travel back home or even to Korea.
"What are my other options? Besides a micro-apartment," he clarified. Akihiko and Yue had told him about the micro-apartments that were starting to pop up to accommodate the growing population. Sadly, by the sound of it, they were about the size of a closet in an average US household. Jae sun would barely be able to get his foot in much less live and sleep there with a cat. "There's just no way that'll work."
"There is a building I can show you in Shinjuku City," Mr. Kujikawa said. "The rent would be ¥30,000/month. I know that's more than you were hoping to spend but if you want to live in an apartment that's not so restrictive space wise, I'm afraid that's more money per month." That was still a lot to ask Jae Sun thought to himself.
"There aren't any apartments in Tokyo with a reasonable amount of space for less expensive?"
"Not for a foreigner with a cat, no," Mr. Kujikawa replied. Jae Sun took a deep breath. The idea of returning to Korea to live in Seoul crossed his mind or even returning to the farm, but given he wanted to devote more time to his art and writing, he needed to see the publishers monthly and there was no way he could afford to fly back and forth from Japan to Korea once or twice a month. He didn't want to continue to inconvenience Akihiko and Yue either.
"I'll take a look at some smaller places," Jae Sun finally said. "If there's no way to make the smaller apartments work, I'll see what's available at the building in Shinjuku."
Having agreed to see the smaller apartments, Mr. Kujikawa set up a day they could see a few places that were available for rent and with it came even more discouragement. With the first apartment he was shown, Jae Sun was ready to scream. It was extremely narrow (he couldn't even spread out his arms all the way) and he could barely fit in the space holding this pathetic, tiny fridge with a single burner on the counter. The bathroom was a toilet with a sink right on top of it and a shower nozzle right above that. The window at the end of the unit had absolutely no business being there. When he opened the blind to look outside, he was met with a brick wall. The area of the apartment that would typically keep a futon was too short even if it was against one of the side walls. It was just under six feet meaning Jae Sun wouldn't be able to lie down without his feet having to he propped up against the wall and the wall with the window was barely three feet wide which was most certainly out of the question.
"Mr. Kujikawa," Jae Sun began after being in the tiny apartment less than 5 minutes, "with all due respect, I said I can't do a micro apartment. I literally can't fit in this place!"
"I apologize, Mr. Dauer, but this is not a micro-apartment. All units that are deemed 'micro' do not have kitchens," Mr. Kujikawa explained. All Jae Sun could do was gawk at the man with disbelief for a moment.
"Mr. Kujikawa, if you're telling me this isn't a micro apartment then I'm Bruce Lee," Jae Sun muttered sarcastically after a moment.
"In that case, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Lee," the realtor answered back.
Mr. Kujikawa showed Jae Sun three more units that day two of which were in the same building as the first apartment but the same problem came up again and again: it was too small. Even the unit he saw that allowed him to spread out his arms was too small. They scheduled another day to see more apartments but on the second appointment for viewings, Jae Sun saw the first one and it was exactly the same so he told Mr. Kujikawa he didn't want to see the other apartments in that building if they were all going to be this size. Not ready to admit defeat yet, Jae Sun asked for less expensive apartments that were larger than what he was being shown so far and Mr. Kujikawa said he'd see what he could do. Then for a month, the only thing he heard from Mr. Kujikawa were periodic updates that he was still searching but nothing had come up yet.
"I know it's frustrating," Yue said to Jae Sun while they were all having breakfast together. He'd gotten yet another notice the night before from Mr. Kujikawa telling him the same thing: haven't found anything yet – still searching – will keep you posted. "Just be patient with Mr. Kujikawa. He's trying his best to find an apartment that'll work for you."
"I know. I'm not mad at him," Jae Sun said, "I'm just mad at the process."
"For what it's worth, it took Yue and I three months to finally get this place," Akihiko said, "Just remember you can stay with us for as long as you need."
"I appreciate it," Jae Sun said but he felt awful.
He had a meeting with Mr. Yukimura that day to submit his latest manuscript. It would take another month and a half to get it edited, printed and distributed so he wouldn't see any large scale profits for a while. He did receive the first installment from Mr. Sho for rent so he was at least getting some money in. He took the train feeling eyes on him the whole time but trying to ignore it. Once he made it to the office building, he let himself in walking up to the elevators and pressed the button. While he waited, a man in a suit walked up to him, saw the floor Jae Sun had selected and stood beside him waiting for the elevator to make it to them. Jae Sun looked at him and felt such a strange relief. He was pale with brown hair and was clearly a foreigner. Jae Sun never thought he'd be so relieved to see a white guy in his whole life.
"Excuse me," Jae Sun said and the man looked at him appearing surprised to be spoken to in English then even more surprised when he really looked at Jae Sun and realized how tall he is, "I'm sorry to bother you but are you an American?"
"I'm English," the man answered and indeed he had an English accent. Then he offered Jae Sun a hand – a gesture he'd not received in a while. "Maxwell Pembroke – I work for Ichigo Publishing up on the 8th floor."
"Jae Sun Dauer," Jae Sun answered and shook the man's hand and awareness lit up Maxwell's face.
"You're the chap who writes the cat manga for Ichigo aren't you?" Maxwell said when Jae Sun gave his name.
"Yes, that's me," Jae Sun smiled. "I don't think I've ever seen you before."
"Maybe not," Maxwell said, "I'm usually in foreign distribution. I'd thought you lived in Korea."
"I did," Jae Sun answered. "I moved here permanently about a month and a half ago after my grandma passed away."
"I'm terribly sorry to hear about your grandma," Maxwell said and then the elevator dinged before the doors opened. The two of them stepped in along with several other people.
"How long have you been working in Japan?" Jae Sun asked.
"Three years," Maxwell said. "Ichigo has an office in London and I was transferred here to lead the foreign branch."
"Well, it's nice to meet a kindred spirit," Jae Sun said. "I admit I've been having a bit of a rough time since moving here."
"Trouble finding a place to live?" Maxwell asked knowingly, "Yes, I've been through that song and dance."
"Right now my aunt and uncle are letting me stay with them. They keep saying I'm welcome there as long as I need but I think they're too nice to say my cat and I are wearing on their patience."
"You have a cat?" Maxwell asked and when Jae Sun nodded, the man chuckled, "Good luck to you."
"Luck isn't on my side so far," Jae Sun said. "I think I need a miracle. Everything I've seen so far is too small."
"I can imagine," Maxwell said and looked Jae Sun up and down. "How tall are you?"
"I'm 204 cm tall," Jae Sun answered.
"Jesus Christ," Maxwell said. "No wonder you can't find a place."
"Everything I've seen so far doesn't have enough space for me to lie down," Jae Sun said. "My realtor mentioned two places to me that I could fit in but they're too expensive."
"That's the way the cookie crumbles, my friend," Maxwell said. "There are some larger places you can rent as a foreigner but they're going to bleed you dry just in case you run off without paying your last month's rent."
"God damn it," Jae Sun grumbled, "I guess all I can do is keeping looking."
"That's all anyone can do," Maxwell said. "Japan's economy is booming – population's increasing, business is coming here, people are moving into the city for work, Tokyo's expanding at a staggering rate – post-war Japan is a magical place. Shame South Korea isn't the same."
"It's getting better," Jae Sun defended. "Slowly but surely it's getting better. Frankly, if North Korea's in any better a state, it's only because they're fondling the balls of China and the USSR." Maxwell chuckled a little and Jae Sun cleared his throat. "Sorry."
"Don't be," Maxwell said. "I assume your parents are American and Korean?"
"Yeah," Jae Sun said. The elevator stopped and they stepped out once the doors opened to their floor. As the two of them continued to walk down the hall together, Jae Sun said, "My mom's originally from North Korea believe it or not."
"You don't say?" Maxwell said.
"Yeah," Jae Sun said, "my mom used to belong to the People's Army of North Korea. My dad and a few of his comrades were taken hostage by North Korea and mom eventually helped my dad and his comrades escape."
"Quite a story," Maxwell said. "My father didn't serve, but my grandfather did. He served during World War 2."
"My grandpa did too," Jae Sun said. "My dad was 13 at the time I think. My grandpa died in Paris and my dad struggled with it for a really long time."
"I can imagine," Maxwell said. Finally, they made it to the office and Maxwell opened the door stepping aside so Jae Sun could step in while he thanked him. "In case you're interested," Maxwell said once they were inside, "My office is over that way," he pointed to a doorway leading to a small collection of cubicles where there were already people sitting, "so if you're ever hurting for a drinking buddy, we can do something after work."
"I'd like that," Jae Sun smiled and shook his hand again. "Have a good day, Maxwell."
"You can call me Max," he said. "Have a good rest of your day. I can't today but how about Saturday you join me and a few friends for drinks? We can't solve the apartment issue for you but at least we can help you feel more welcome."
"Absolutely," Jae Sun smiled.
"Come by my desk before you leave and we'll decide where we'll all meet up," Max said and they finally parted ways.
After his meeting with Mr. Yukimura, Jae Sun went to Max's office and they talked for a few more minutes and decided they would meet at a ramen shop in Shinjuku where they could eat and have drinks. Despite that ever-present sinking feeling he had every time he was leaving that office, Jae Sun was really excited for Saturday night. He was eager to potentially have a new group of friends to help make Japan home for him. When Saturday night came, Jae Sun took the train into Shinjuku going to the ramen shop Max told him about. When he arrived, there was a guy waiting outside. He was Japanese, but he wasn't in a suit or anything like that. He was in jeans and a Lupin the Third t-shirt wearing a sleeveless leather vest over that. The man looked up at Jae Sun and went wide eyed. Jae Sun smiled in response.
"私はあなたのシャツが好き," (Watashi wa anata no shatsu ga suki / I like your shirt) Jae Sun said. The man glanced down at his shirt and then chuckled gently feeling a little stupid for staring.
"私の好きなアニメです," (Watashi no sukina animedesu / It's my favorite anime) he smiled and then bowed lightly, "渡邉博仁と申します." (Watanabe Hirohito to mōshimasu / My name is Hirohito Watanabe)
"Dauer Jae Sun," Jae Sun replied and that made Hirohito smile more.
"だからあなたはジェスンです," (Dakara anata wa jesundesu / So you're Jae Sun) Hirohito said. "マックスはあなたのことをすべて教えてくれました。 彼はあなたが背が高いと言ったが、私はあなたがこれほど背が高いことに気づかなかった." (Makkusu wa anata no koto o subete oshiete kuremashita. Kare wa anata ga segatakai to ittaga, watashi wa anata ga kore hodo se ga takai koto ni kidzukanakatta. / Max told us all about you. He said you were tall but I didn't realize you were THIS tall.)
"ええ、私はそれをたくさん得ます," (E e, watashi wa sore o takusan emasu / Yeah, I get that a lot) Jae Sun said.
"どうしてそんなに背が高くなったの？ 遺伝学？" (Dōshite son'nani se ga takaku natta no? Iden-gaku? / How did you get so tall? Genetics?)
"私はパンを作るために小さな男の子の骨をすりつぶしました," (Watashi wa pan o tsukuru tame ni chīsana otokonoko no hone o suritsubushimashita / I ground up the bones of little boys to make my bread) Jae Sun joked and Hirohito started laughing. "Thanks for laughing at that," Jae Sun said in English. "Every time I've told people that, it seems to fall short."
"I can't imagine anything 'falls short' with you," Hirohito replied. "You know what, since you're here, how about we go inside and get ourselves a table and a head start on drinks? Max, Louis and Eric should be here in a few more minutes."
"Sounds great," Jae Sun said and the two of them walked into the shop. They grabbed a table near the bar and as always, Jae Sun could feel people staring at him. He ignored them, though, and the moment they were seated, Hirohito continued the conversation.
"You're Japanese is fantastic, by the way," Hirohito said.
"I appreciate it," Jae Sun said. "I started learning when I was a kid and fell in love with Kimba the Lion manga."
"Those manga taught me how to read," Hirohito smiled. "So are you half Japanese?"
"I'm half Korean," Jae Sun said.
"Ah yes, that's right," Hirohito said as he recalled what Max told him. "And you're THE Jae Sun Dauer? Author and artist of The Misadventures of Popo the Cat?"
"Yup, that's me," Jae Sun smiled.
"Well then," Hirohito said and reached into his satchel pulling out the last book that had been published four months ago and showed it to Jae Sun, "might I be a big pest and ask for your autograph?"
Jae Sun chuckled a little and accepted it, "Do you have a-" Hirohito presented a pen before Jae Sun could finish. Jae Sun signed the manga and then handed that and the pen back over.
"Thank you," Hirohito said and put everything back in his satchel.
"Star struck I see," Max said and they both looked up at Max as he walked to the table with two men following after him. "Guys, this is Jae Sun Dauer. He's the guy I was telling you about."
"How tall are you, dude?" one of the men, a blonde guy, asked Jae Sun.
"I'm 204 centimeters," Jae Sun answered.
"Can you put that in feet?"
Jae Sun laughed a little, "I'm 6'8"."
"Jesus Christ," he answered.
"That's what I said," Max laughed. "Jae Sun, this is Eric Grey. He's an English teacher for Fuchu Nishi High School. This," Max pointed at another man with brown hair, "is Louis Bishop. He works for the Metropolitan Steel company about four floors above Ichigo Publishing. I see you've already met Hirohito Watanabe. By day he works for the Tsukiji Fish Market but by night he's a guitarist for a local rock band."
"No kidding," Jae Sun said and smiled at Hirohito, "you play the guitar?"
"Yes, sir, I do," Hirohito said and then looked at Max and the others. "What are you all doing standing there? Sit down! Join us!" Max, Eric and Louis took a seat at the table. A waiter came over a moment later and they placed their drink orders then got back to talking once the waiter walked away with their orders.
"So how long have you been in Japan, Jae Sun?" Eric asked.
"I've been writing for Ichigo Publishing for a few years but I moved here a month and a half ago. I'm still trying to find my own place. I'm staying with my aunt and uncle for the time being," Jae Sun said. "What about you guys? Where are you from?"
"I moved here from Kalamazoo seven years ago," Eric spoke up. "I joined the army and was told if I studied Japanese, my schooling would be paid for. After I finished my service, I started teaching English at Fuchu Nishi."
"That's cool," Jae Sun said and then looked at Louis, "What about you?"
"I went to high school in Tokyo after my dad was stationed here. He'd thought he would be here for a year but that turned into six so mom and I moved here to be with him. After I graduated high school, I went to college here and by the time I graduated, I'd gotten used to living in Japan and decided to find work here in Tokyo. I got a job with Metropolitan Steel and the rest is history."
"How'd all of you meet?" Jae Sun asked.
"Louis and I met at work," Max said. "Eric and Louis knew each other before that."
"We're neighbors," Louis said. "Eric moved in a few units down from me about 2 years ago. Hirohito and I know each other from school. What about you? How'd you come to work for Ichigo?"
"My uncle introduced me to the Lead Publisher," Jae Sun answered. "My Uncle Akihiko taught me a passion for drawing and as a kid I wrote little comics and stories about my cat Popo. After my grandpa Tae Won died, I moved to Korea to help my grandma run the farm. As a side gig, I made comic strips for a newspaper in Seoul and I made sure to send those to Uncle Akihiko. As it turns out, Mr. Yukimura is married to Uncle Akihiko's niece and my uncle threw my work his way. Mr. Yukimura liked my work and signed me on. After my grandma passed away, I decided to rent out the farm and move here so I could put more focus on my manga."
"I take it apartment hunting's been a downer?" Eric asked.
"It's been a joke; that's what it's been," Jae Sun said and everyone at the table laughed.
"Welcome to the club, dude," Louis laughed.
The waiter returned with their drinks and they all ordered their ramen bowls. Jae Sun stayed out with the group well into the night not returning to Akihiko's and Yue's apartment until around 2 in the morning. After having dinner, they went to a karaoke bar and they had a blast singing the whole soundtrack from Rocky Horror Picture Show becoming increasingly more intoxicated as the night wore on. It was the most fun he'd had since his move to Japan and it became a weekly occurrence to spend Saturday night with Max, Louis, Eric and Hirohito. It was a welcome reprieve to the ongoing nightmare that was finding his own apartment. Another month went by with more of the same: I haven't found anything yet – I'm still looking – I'm sorry for the inconvenience. He knew Mr. Kujikawa was trying but the lack of any options coming up was disheartening.
"You may just have to spring for the more expensive places, Jae Sun," Eric said after Jae Sun had unloaded on them about the latest bit of frustration.
"It won't be so bad as you're thinking," Max said and leaned a little closer with his beer in his hand, "In order for manga to be shipped to English for sale, it needs to meet certain numbers. Popo is damn close to meeting those requirements and if sales go really well for this latest edition like Yukimura is hoping for, Popo could start selling in London."
"Really?" Jae Sun asked after a brief silence.
"Yeah, really," Max smiled, "So you're looking at revenue not just from the manga itself but from merchandise on top of that. Pen cases, pens, notebooks with Popo and friends on the cover, maybe even a TV show later down the line. And all that animation experience you have from back home? All that'll be put to good use - but I'm not supposed to say anything yet. So you didn't hear it from me."
"Got it," Jae Sun said. "When do you think we'll know for sure if my manga can start selling in England?"
"I'm confident you'll meet those numbers by the end of the year," Max said, "And if your manga can be sold outside Japan, that means higher commission for you."
"That doesn't really help him right now," Louis said.
"You may have to sleep with your feet up for a few months," Hirohito said as he patted Jae Sun's shoulder.
"When you finally do find a place," Eric said and lifted his bottle of beer, "we'll all go out together and it'll be our treat."
"I appreciate that," Jae Sun smiled.
"Let's drink to Jae Sun finding a place to live," Max offered as he lifted his bottle.
"To Jae Sun finding a new place," Louis, Eric and Hirohito repeated and the five of them tapped their beer bottles together.
In the meantime, Jae Sun's latest manuscript was edited then printed for distribution. By his third month of living in Tokyo, The Misadventures of Popo the Cat had its latest installment published and it brought back faithful readers eagerly awaiting the latest update as well as new readers who purchased the first few books only to come back to buy the rest. Keiko Iwamoto was especially excited when the latest book of Popo's Misadventures was published. She'd not seen Jae Sun since Akihiko's wedding. She still thought about him and wondered how he was doing. So when she saw a manga about a cat named Popo, she checked the name of the artist and author fearing maybe it was a coincidence, but it wasn't. Jae Sun Dauer was written on the spine of the manga along with the story's name and she'd bought it on the spot. Since then, she'd bought every copy. Jae Sun being the author aside, it was a precious story and she loved reading about Popo getting into trouble on the farm or in the woods with Blu the Bird and Bayok the crow there to save the day.
She knew the publisher was in the same building as where she worked and she always hoped maybe she'd bump into Jae Sun but she never did. When the first book was published, her curiosity got the better of her and she'd gone to the offices of Ichigo to ask about him only to be told Jae Sun Dauer was rarely there and sent his work to the publishing house from his farm in Korea. When the latest installment wasn't published within the usual schedule and no indicator the story was done, Keiko became extremely worried. When five months had gone by with no update, she'd gone to the publishing house hoping the receptionist knew something. She informed Keiko that Jae Sun was experiencing family issues and that's what was causing the delay. All Keiko could do was hope he was alright.
After work on Monday, she left the office building and was walking to the train station stopping into a convenience store along the way. She was there to buy pens when she noticed the newest installment of The Misadventures of Popo the Cat. With a bright and eager smile she'd snatched it along with her pens then read it on the train ride home. The first few panels were showing the house in the woods. Keiko always wondered if this was truly what Jae Sun's family home looked like. Then a few panels depicted Mr. Dauer leaving the house.
Popo was on the porch of the house as Mr. Dauer was leaving and Popo was woken up by Blu telling him there was trouble in town. From there, Popo, Blu and Bayok rushed into the little town of Forks where Mr. Dauer's General Store was. Inside the store was Mr. Dauer with Jae Sun. Keiko recognized him even in cartoon form. The scene continued with an ominous man walking into the store and trying to rob them at gunpoint. Popo and Blu had an animated reaction to the occurrence while Bayok's reaction was much more reserved. Bayok and Blu were sent to get the police while Popo rushed into the store to rescue his humans. Popo the cat grabbed the bad man by his pant leg and Mr. Dauer grabbed the gun while the man was distracted. The police made it and the day was saved, but there were more crimes that happened throughout the book that Popo and gang had to solve. Popo, Blu and Bayok found out the entity responsible for all the crime and bad men coming to Forks was a monster in the mountains but Popo lamented not knowing what he could do about it. The final panel was of Bayok introducing Popo and Blu to a Sprit Wolf and the story ended on a cliffhanger. Keiko finished the manga on the edge of her seat wanting to know what happens next.
"次の停車駅: 西荻窪駅," (Tsugi no teishaeki: Nishiogi Kubo-eki / Next stop: Nishi-Ogikubo Station) a woman's voice came up on the intercom. "次の停車駅: 西荻窪駅," (Tsugi no teishaeki: Nishiogi Kubo-eki / Next stop: Nishi-Ogikubo Station) it repeated.
Keiko tucked the book into her purse for safe keeping and got up from her seat so she could stand near the door. A few minutes later, they stopped at the station and Keiko stepped off the train to make her way home. Her family home was a long walk away from the train station but she didn't mind. Keiko loved the fresh air after a long day of work. Walking at a leisurely pace, it took her an hour to make it home and when she returned, she announced herself as she opened the door and took off her shoes. Both her parents were sitting outside looking out on the garden when she stepped inside.
"Welcome home, Keiko-chan," her mother Hanako said as she stood. Her father Sojiro also stood and the two of them came to the door to welcome her. "How was work today?"
"Hectic," Keiko said. "We finally got all the permits to start construction on some new housing units and constructions starts in November."
"That's exciting," Hanako said took Keiko's purse while she was taking off her shoes. "Your father and I are going hunting tonight. Did you want to join us?"
"Not tonight," Keiko said and did her best not to yawn. "Truthfully, I just want to go to bed."
"We'll stop by a hospital and get some donated blood before we come home," Hanako said. "Oh! So guess who called earlier?"
"Who?"
"Mr. Chen!" Hanako replied with a smile. "He's come to Japan for a visit."
"Has he really?" Keiko smiled, "That's exciting. When did he arrive?"
"He arrived in Japan a few hours ago," Sojiro said. "We're going hunting with him tonight and he'll be staying with us for a few weeks."
"We'll all be going to Osaka next week," Hanako added. "Do you think you could get the time off to come with us?"
"Hanako, she can't get that time off in such short notice," Sojiro spoke up and Hanako's shoulders slumped.
"But we haven't gone anywhere as a family in such a long time," Hanako lamented.
"That's not true," Keiko said, "We all went to Yokohama together for Golden Week."
"Let's leave Keiko be so she can go to bed, Hanako," Sojiro said gently to Hanako then said to Keiko, "We'll see you in the morning, Keiko-chan. We'll bring you some blood to have in the morning."
"Thank you, daddy," Keiko said and gave both her parents a hug before retreating to her room for the night.
Once in her room, she took out the manga and placed it on the bookshelf with all the other installments. They were kept in numerical order with books 1-25 lined up together. To keep them upright, she pressed a Maneki Neko bookend against them and then took a step back to admire the collection. She changed into her pajamas to go to bed and in the morning, her parents had blood ready for her to have for breakfast. Her father's friend Chen Zihao was there too and he smiled pleasantly at her as she came out to the kitchen already dressed for work.
"Good morning, Keiko," Zihao said to her. His Chinese accent had softened over the years when speaking Japanese but it was definitely still there.
"Good morning, Mr. Chen," Keiko said and bowed. Then she walked over and gave him a quick hug. "How have you been? How is Hong Kong?"
"I've been alright – Hong Kong's the same as always," Zihao answered with a smile. "Are you still working for the City Planner?"
"Yes – we just got all the permits secured to start a new construction out in Edogawa. Construction starts in November," Keiko said. "How long will you be staying in Japan?"
"Until September," Zihao replied. "Most of that time will be spent in Osaka."
"You will love Osaka, Mr. Chen," Hanako smiled. "My family and I used to go every spring for the Cherry Blossom Festival when I was a girl."
"I regret not coming sooner to see them," Zihao said.
While they talked, Sojiro grabbed the pint of blood obtained from the hospital and handed it to Keiko. She got that down then looked at the time and told them she needed to leave in order to make her train. She promised to see everyone when she returned home from work and she made the walk to the train station. Once she arrived at the office building, she waited at the elevator until the doors opened and stepped in with several other people. One person selected the 10th floor so she stood back and waited. She stared at the light above the door reading off what floor they were coming to. It would stop from time to time and people would step out. When they reached the 8th floor, she sighed a little when she saw the plaque on the wall directing where each office was located with Ichigo Publishing listed among the offices with an arrow pointing left.
Once she made it to her floor, she exited the elevator and walked to her office going straight to her desk. It was an open plan office and she sat in the middle with two people to her left and another two to her right. There was another group who sat across from them and there was already a collection of blueprints on her desk she needed to go over. Their boss came onto the floor to give his daily pep-talk to the team and as usual, once he was done everyone spread out just enough so they all had room to bow and said, "頑張ってくれてありがとう!" (Ganbatte kurete arigatō! / Thank you for your hard work!).
After Jae Sun published his latest addition to Popo's Misadventures, he received his first commission check and there finally seemed to be some light at the end of the tunnel. He'd still not heard from Mr. Kujikawa, though. So Jae Sun called him up to ask if he'd found anything fully expecting Mr. Kujikawa to tell him there was still nothing but he'd keep him posted. Instead, Mr. Kujikawa told him he was waiting to hear back from a particular complex and was going to get back to him this afternoon. Then, just as he'd promised, Mr. Kujikawa called Jae Sun to let him know a unit had become available that fit Jae Sun's needs more readily. It was still more than he'd been hoping to pay – about ¥25,000 – but it was still better than what he'd been presented before. Jae Sun took the train to Shinjuku and met Mr. Kujikawa right inside the building. They took the elevator up to the 4th floor of the complex and Jae Sun followed Mr. Kujikawa to a unit several doors down. They walked up to unit 412 and Mr. Kujikawa unlocked the door pushing it open so Jae Sun could step in first ducking his head as he walked through the door.
It was a tiny room, but it was a separate entryway. It was quite literally the size of a hall closet but there was another door right in front of him. There was a step as well as a tall closet intended for shoes and slippers on the step leading up to the second door. Jae Sun took off his shoes and slipped his feet into the slippers that were too small for him to a comical degree and stepped up. Mr. Kujikawa followed suit and then unlocked the second door leading into the apartment. Just from the first glance, it was already drastically better. He walked into the apartment with a tiny washer to his right but there was no dryer. There was, however, a retractable clothes line tucked against the wall that Mr. Kujikawa demonstrated for him. Across from that was the door to the bathroom. It had the toilet and shower in one room so not ideal but there was actually a tub which made it better. However there was no way he would fit in this tub and he could barely stand upright in the bathroom. He was willing to work around it, though.
Then there was the kitchen. It was extremely small: a tiny sink to Jae Sun's left with two tiny sections on either side to act as counter space and above that were three cabinet doors that Jae Sun opened to look inside. On the right were two burners with more counter space, two more cabinets and a tiny vent right above the burners. Then they went to the last portion of the apartment that acted as the living space. He could actually spread out his arms in this room but the biggest test would be whether or not he could lie down. So he went to one side of the room that didn't have the closet and laid down on the ground. His feet and head were touching each wall, but he could lie down flat and that was good enough for him.
"You said this unit is ¥25,000 a month?" Jae Sun asked.
"Correct," Mr. Kujikawa answered. Jae Sun took one last look around the tiny space. It was still a shoebox, but it was a shoebox he could actually fit in even if just barely.
"Thank you for all your hard work, Mr. Kujikawa. I would like to rent this place," Jae Sun said and bowed. He could see how relieved Mr. Kujikawa was and he bowed back.
"Thank you sincerely for all your patience," Mr. Kujikawa replied and from there, they started the rental process. When Jae Sun returned to Akihiko's and Yue's apartment, Yue was there and shared in the excitement by running to the store for everything she'd need to make something special. When Akihiko returned home, Yue was still making dinner.
"Uncle Akihiko, I finally found my own apartment!" Jae Sun announced when Akihiko came in.
"You did?" he asked and smiled, "That's fantastic!"
"I'm making us all curry to celebrate," Yue said from the kitchen and they heard her squeeze out some ketchup then drop in the curry block. "Once the block dissolves, dinner will be ready."
"We got some beer while we were out," Jae Sun offered and led Akihiko to the kitchen grabbing three beers out of the fridge. He pulled off the caps using his hands and the three of them sipped their beer together.
"Cheers to your new home," Akihiko said. Jae Sun and Yue repeated the sentiment then they sipped their drinks.
"Let me take you guys somewhere nice," Jae Sun said, "to thank you for letting me stay with you."
"Jae Sun, you don't have to do that. It was our pleasure to have you," Yue said.
"No, please, I insist," Jae Sun said. "Let me do something nice for you. We'll take a long weekend and go to an inn near Mt. Fuji, we'll enjoy the hot springs and a night in a really nice hotel."
"Jae Sun, you don't have to do that," Akihiko said.
"I won't take no for an answer," Jae Sun smiled and tapped his beer against Akihiko's then Yue's. "Let me do something nice for you to show my appreciation." Akihiko and Yue looked at one another.
"A trip to the hot springs does sound nice," Yue relented as she smiled at Akihiko.
"It does," Akihiko agreed and smiled at Jae Sun. "Alright; once everything's finalized and you're able to move in, we'll all go to the hot springs together."
That Saturday night, Jae Sun met up with Max, Eric, Louis and Hirohito and told them the good news about finally finding his own place. Just like they'd promised, they paid for Jae Sun's dinner and drinks and afterwards they went to a karaoke bar to drink more and enjoy some terrible singing on all their parts. By the end of the night, they were so drunk they couldn't make it home and went down the block to a tiny Love Hotel where they got a cheap room for the night and slept where they dropped throughout the romantically themed room.
It took about 2 weeks for everything to be finalized but once it was, Jae Sun moved all his things and Poki into the apartment with him. Poki didn't seem to like the space at first but once Jae Sun had all his things put away and organized and his futon laid out, Poki seemed to adjust much better. While Akihiko wasn't able to get a Saturday off, Jae Sun still booked them all a room for Saturday and Sunday night. They'd take the train to Mt. Fuji, stay the two nights and Monday morning, they would all take the train back into the city early. Jae Sun asked Hirohito to look after Poki for the weekend and when it was the weekend of their trip, Jae Sun met Akihiko and Yue at the train station later that night making it to the hot springs by 9. Once they were checked in, they had dinner together in their room sharing warmed sake and got to bed but the next day, they were in and out of the hot spring relaxing. Monday morning, Akihiko and Yue left early to make sure they'd catch the train so Akihiko could make it into work while Jae Sun got them all checked out in time to make his train so he could meet with Mr. Yukimura at 8.
Sojiro, Hanako and Zihao had left for Okinawa earlier that week leaving Keiko with the house all to herself. Despite their absence, day to day was business as usual. Keiko got up early so she could make her train, went to work, stayed until at least five minutes after their boss left no matter how late it was, then she would go home and the cycle would repeat. On Friday their boss, Toshiro Saito, decided they needed to have an outing together and selected a group of employees he would invite. Keiko was among the ones invited and despite any lack of desire to go on her part, she did not refuse. To do so would be deeply offensive unless she had a good reason. They all went to a restaurant near the office and Keiko sat near some female coworkers but Mr. Saito instructed all the women in the group to spread out so the sake could be poured.
"Miss Iwamoto," Mr. Saito said, "Come sit here." He pointed to a spot at the table he wanted her to sit and she did as directed. She was sitting across from a man she vaguely recognized as working in accounting but she'd never spoken to him. "Miss Iwamoto, this is Kenji Ito – he's been working for our company's accounting department for the past six months and he's shown an excellent work ethic thus far." Just like that, Keiko knew exactly what this was about and her cheeks started to grow pink but it wasn't from feminine bashfulness. She was embarrassed. She hated being set up like this and it had happened more times than she cared to remember but Mr. Saito seemed dead set on seeing her married. He demonstrated more concern for the matter than her own parents. "Serve him sake, Miss Iwamoto – get to know him."
Keiko glanced at the man sitting across from her then poured him some sake like Mr. Saito said to but she barely spoke to him. Mr. Saito had to intervene from time to time making Keiko engage with Kenji but she simply wasn't interested. They all left the restaurant late and instead of walking back to her house from the train station, she ran. Saturday morning, she got up and left for work like usual but when she came in to start her day, the receptionist told Keiko Mr. Saito wanted to speak with her and directed her to go to his office. Keiko went straight to her boss's office and he told her to close the door once she came in.
"Good morning, Mr. Saito," Keiko said and bowed to him.
"Good morning, Miss Iwamoto," Mr. Saito reciprocated and bowed back to her though he didn't go as low as she had. "I wanted to talk to you about last night. Mr. Ito thought very highly of you and was very excited to make your acquaintance but you were very cold to him."
"I apologize, Mr. Saito," Keiko said and bowed slightly, "But I was embarrassed. I was unprepared and because of that I was not as polite as I should have been."
Mr. Saito sighed a little, "Miss Iwamoto, you've told me the same thing every time I've introduced you to a suitable young man." Keiko stayed quiet as she stared at the ground. "You've been a loyal employee for seven years, Miss Iwamoto. The least I can do as your boss is help you find a good husband but you avert every opportunity to meet someone. Now I've spoken with Mr. Ito many times and he's a very nice young man. I think if you two got to know one another you would like him very much."
"Mr. Saito, I'm not ready to get married. I don't want to leave my job and be a house wife – I want to work." Mr. Saito's shoulders slumped a little as he sighed.
"Miss Iwamoto, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with being a wife and mother," Mr. Saito said. "My wife and I have been married 23 years now and we've made each other very happy." Keiko didn't say anything as she stood near the door of Mr. Saito's office. "I know you're shy Miss Iwamoto and I'm very sorry if surprising you like that is what caused last night to be so awkward. I would only suggest being more open to the idea of settling down. How old are you, Miss Iwamoto?"
Keiko was quiet a moment longer before she relented and said, "26, Mr. Saito."
"That's a very good age for young people to marry I say," Mr. Saito asserted. "Just give it some thought? I want to take another outing next week and I plan to invite Mr. Ito."
Keiko took a deep breath and said, "Yes, sir."
"Wonderful," Mr. Saito smiled then sat back down at his office chair. "You may return to your desk, Miss Iwamoto. I will be out to speak with the team in a bit."
"Thank you, sir," Keiko said as she bowed then finally walked out of his office.
She went to her desk and once Mr. Saito had given his pep-talk to the team, she got to work and stayed lazer focused. Mr. Saito was extremely busy that day and didn't leave the office until 8:30, so neither did anyone else. Even if it meant they had to take a nap at their desk, everyone stayed until after Mr. Saito had left. By the time Keiko finally made it home, she was exhausted and went straight to bed. She used that Sunday to stay home and relax. She watered the plants in her mother's garden, she turned on the tiny TV in her room to watch her favorite shows and read. While she was reading, it started to rain but it was nothing to worry about. By the time it was late, it had started thundering but it didn't sound like anything unusual or concerning. Keiko took her nightly bath, got dried and dressed into her pajamas and went to bed.
The next morning, Keiko felt the sun on her cheek as she started to wake. She felt so well rested and stretched out in her bed pleased that she'd woken up before her alarm. When she finally opened her eyes and glanced up at the window, she realized it was much sunnier than usual. Then she glanced at her clock and her eyes went wide with horror. It was flashing 12:00 over and over indicating it had shut off then turned back on. Keiko leaped out of bed running through the house until she found the old grandfather clock. It was 6:45 – she was running an hour behind and if she didn't rush, she wouldn't make her train.
Jae Sun made it to the train just in time to catch it and stood near the door rather than sit. The train was packed for rush hour and as usual, people were trying not to stand too close to him. The train stopped periodically so more people could get on and off the train. Jae Sun had taken to glancing at his watch and chuckled lightly under his breath at the train's impeccable punctuality. If there was one thing he could give Japan over Korea, their train system ran with near flawless timing.
"次の停車駅: 西荻窪駅," (Tsugi no teishaeki: Nishiogi Kubo-eki / Next stop: Nishi-Ogikubo Station) a woman's voice came up on the intercom. "次の停車駅: 西荻窪駅," (Tsugi no teishaeki: Nishiogi Kubo-eki / Next stop: Nishi-Ogikubo Station) it repeated.
Once the train stopped, the doors opened and Jae Sun stood aside so people could walk in and out of the train. Something felt strange about this stop, though, but he couldn't figure out what it was. People had a brief window to enter or exit the train and once that time was up, the doors began to close. As they did so, Jae Sun thought he heard someone charging for the train and then saw a young woman make it up to the platform in a hurry.
"ドアを持って！ ドアを持ってください!" (Doa o motte! Doa o motte kudasai! / Hold the door! Please hold the door!) the young woman screamed and Jae Sun brought his hand between the doors and forced them to stay open. The young woman made it into the train and slammed into him but he grabbed onto the rail to keep himself steady so they wouldn't fall.
For several seconds, Keiko didn't realize the compromising position she was in with a stranger. She was breathing heavily having just run from her house to the train station without stopping and at top speed. The doors of the train had closed and now they were on the move but Keiko was still against this stranger's chest as she did her best to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding out of her chest and Jae Sun could hear it too. Jae Sun also felt this intense pull from her. He felt drawn to her and he wanted to look into her eyes more than anything in the world.
"だいじょうぶですか？" (Daijōbudesu ka? / Are you alright?) she heard the man say and when he did, she finally realized how close she was and jumped away.
"ごめんなさい。 私を許してください," (Gomen'nasai. Watashi o yurushitekudasai / I'm very sorry; please forgive me) Keiko rushed to say and looked up only to be met with a broad chest wearing a dress shirt and no suit jacket. Then her gaze started to wonder higher as her eyes widened with each inch upward she had to go. She finally looked up at his face and when their eyes met, Jae Sun could feel his whole world shift as he realized he'd just met his imprint. He thought she looked familiar and then he realized who it was that had bumped into him. It made the revelation of who this was that much more shocking.
"Keiko?" Jae Sun asked. For a moment, Keiko was surprised this person knew her name and was being so familiar with her but then she looked at him a moment longer and she realized who he was.
"Jae Sun?" she responded in shock. Jae Sun smiled at her when she said his name and her heart skipped a beat. "Is that really you?"
"Yeah," he replied, "It's so good to see you. It's been so long."
Keiko nodded nervously as she blushed, "Last we saw each other, you'd invited me to your uncle's wedding."
"I remember," Jae Sun said. He did the math in his head and said, "I can't believe it's been 17 years. How have you been? You were going to school for engineering if I remember correctly."
"Yes, I was," Keiko said, "but I graduated in '65."
The intercom came on again announcing the next stop. When the doors opened, out of sheer instinct, Jae Sun stepped closer to Keiko, wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close while he got as far away from the door as possible so people could come and go from the train without bumping into them. Keiko was extremely surprised by the contact and her eyes were wide while her face was pressed against Jae Sun's chest. Once the doors closed, Jae Sun released her again so they could look at one another.
"Sorry," Jae Sun said when he saw the look of surprise still on Keiko's face.
"It's alright," she said as her cheeks continued to go red. "So….I've been reading all your manga." Keiko continued with a gentle smile. "I just finished the latest copy."
"I'm glad you like it," Jae Sun smiled back.
"I was so worried when you'd gone five months without publishing," she said and then her smile faded as she recalled what the receptionist at Ichigo had told her. "I work in the same building as Ichigo publishing so I went to the office asking about it and the receptionist told me you were on hiatus because your grandmother passed away."
"Yeah," Jae Sun nodded his head gently as his chipper smile diminished, but he did his best to keep smiling at Keiko. "After grandma passed away, we had a lot of things we needed to sort out and that took up nearly all of my time."
"I can imagine," Keiko said. "You live in Korea, right?"
"Not anymore," Jae Sun said, "after grandma died, my mom and I rented out the farm and I moved here permanently so I could focus on writing my manga. I moved here beginning of June and finally got my own place just two weeks ago."
"I've heard apartment hunting is a nightmare when you're a foreigner," Keiko said as she gently nodded her head.
"Where do you live now?"
"I'm still in Suginami with my mother and father," Keiko answered. "What about you?"
"I live in Shinjuku," Jae Sun said.
"Well," Keiko smiled, "For how long it took to find your own apartment, you certainly got lucky with a location."
"Yeah, I couldn't have picked a better spot myself," Jae Sun chuckled lightly. "You said you work in the same building as Ichigo Publishing? What floor?"
"I'm on the 10th floor," Keiko said, "I work for the City Planner. I've been there for about 7 years now."
"Sounds like a good job to have with Tokyo expanding its city limits the way it is," Jae Sun said.
"Most definitely," Keiko nodded. "Before that I worked for an auto-parts manufacturer but when this job opened up I went for it. The pay was much better and it's a little closer to home than my last job was."
"That's great," Jae Sun smiled.
"What about you? What did you study while you were in school? I assume you went to college in Washington right?"
"I didn't go to college actually," Jae Sun said a little embarrassed she might be disappointed with that answer. "I put my portfolio together and I attempted to apply to work for Disney but my artwork didn't match their style so I was turned away. I started working for an animation studio in Seattle and on the side I applied tattoos to people on….I guess you could say a quote basis."
"You were a tattoo artist?" Keiko asked.
"For a time, yeah," Jae Sun nodded. "I did that on the side until my grandpa died and my grandma needed someone to help her run the farm. I volunteered to help and I was living with her until she passed away this year. I was able to draw for a newspaper in Seoul and I sent all that to my Uncle Akihiko who's niece just so happens to be married to Mr. Yukimura. I got a meeting with him and I've been publishing Popo's Misadventures ever since."
"I couldn't believe it when I saw your manga at the bookstore," Keiko smiled. "I saw 'Popo' and I thought for sure it must just be a coincidence, but then I saw your name so I bought it. This last book had me on the edge of my seat. Who is that wolf Bayok introduced Popo to? Will that monster in the mountains be defeated or become a recurring villain?"
"Well, geez Keiko, I don't want to ruin it for you," Jae Sun teased but Keiko started blushing. When he realized he'd embarrassed her, Jae Sun leaned forward a little. "Sorry; I was only teasing."
"No, no, it's alright," Keiko said. "It was rude to make you tell me what happens before you've published it. I promise: I shall wait patiently just like everyone else."
Jae Sun chuckled a little and said, "I'll tell you what: once I finish my next manuscript, I'll let you be the first to read it." Keiko's gentle smile faded just a little with surprise.
"No, Jae Sun, I can't ask you to do that," she finally said.
"You didn't ask; I offered," Jae Sun replied playfully. The intercom went off again announcing the next stop. Jae Sun refrained from taking a hold of her this time and instead motioned for her to follow him further into the train so they were away from the door. "I'm actually going into the office to talk to Mr. Yukimura about a signing tour. By the sound of it, I'll be going to book stores throughout Tokyo and a small handful in Yokohama and one in Okinawa. I've got time before we do that. He's been wanting to send me on a signing tour for a while, but with the farm I never really could."
"A signing tour sounds exciting," Keiko encouraged. "Let me know what store and I'll be there."
"Really?" Jae Sun asked eagerly.
"Yes, of course," Keiko said. "Does Popo still live with your parents back home?"
"Popo passed away my last year of high school," Jae Sun said and Keiko's heart sank. Especially for how sad it clearly made Jae Sun to say, even now. "He was an amazing cat. We were all crushed when he died. But then spring came and this cat had kittens right under our porch and one of the kittens was black and white just like Popo. He was so much like Popo: mischievous, obsessed with food, playful and affectionate – I fell in love with the little guy and I begged dad to let me keep him. I named him Poki after our cat Popo and he's been with me ever since. That cat's followed me to Seattle, then to Korea and now to Japan. He hates traveling but he's always better once he gets settled."
"I'm glad Popo sent him to you," Keiko smiled.
Jae Sun smiled back at her and her cheeks started to grow pink again as she gingerly averted her eyes. She was just as he remembered her: shoulder length jet black hair only she no longer had bangs and she had a section of it pinned back, almond shaped eyes that were dark brown and a cute slender face. She was so much shorter than he remembered, but last he'd seen her he was nine or ten. He'd never really thought much about Keiko except that he just liked her a lot. He'd liked being around her the few times he got to see her and he remembered having a great time with her at Akihiko's wedding. Now when he looked at her, he saw this beautiful woman that had captured his heart and he wanted to get to know her better.
"So," he began, trying to think of something else to talk about, "did something happen this morning? You were in quite a rush to get on the train."
"The power went out in our house so my alarm didn't go off," Keiko lamented. "I overslept so by the time I woke up, I'd lost an hour of my morning and needed to rush to get ready. Thank you for stopping the train for me. You really are a life saver."
"It's no trouble," Jae Sun smiled. "Did your parents not notice it?" he asked. He knew her parents were vampires, so it's not like they'd have slept through the blackout.
"My parents are visiting Okinawa with a friend," Keiko said, "otherwise father would have fixed it."
"I see," Jae Sun said, "That explains it. You won't be late for work, will you?"
"I'll be on time," Keiko sighed, "So I'm going to get to work later than I would like. It'll be alright – so long as this remains an isolated incident."
"Yeah," Jae Sun replied. "So does your parents' friend live in Okinawa?"
"No, Mr. Chen lives in Hong Kong," Keiko said, "But he's come to Japan for a visit. My mother loves visiting Okinawa. She used to have family there. We would go for the Cherry Blossom Festival every year when I was a girl."
"Is Mr. Chen also a….." Jae Sun trailed off hoping she'd understand what he meant. Thankfully, she did.
"Yes, he is," Keiko answered. "He's the one who changed my father in fact."
"No kidding," Jae Sun replied. He was curious about that story but he knew this wasn't the place to ask about it. So instead, he asked, "Has Mr. Chen always lived in Hong Kong?"
"No, no, he's from Northern China: from the Heilongjiang province," Keiko said. "After the war, he and my father traveled together for a while until Mr. Chen settled in Hong Kong and my father returned to Japan." There was yet another stop and the intercom came on to announce the next location. "I guess our stop will be next."
"Can we walk to the office together?" Jae Sun requested and with a gentle smile, Keiko nodded her head.
"I'd like that," she said. Once they made it to their stop, Jae Sun and Keiko walked out together and walked to the office building continuing to talk and catch up. Once they made it to the elevators, Jae Sun pressed the button and they waited for the elevator to come down. Once it got there, they stepped into the elevator with several other people and one person selected the 10th floor but Jae Sun didn't select the 8th floor. "Don't you need to go to the 8th floor?"
"I will," Jae Sun smiled, "I just wanted to talk a little longer." There was a brief moment of silence between them as Keiko giggled gently under her breath as she smiled. "Are you free Saturday night?" he finally asked.
"Oh," she began and looked away bashfully for a moment then looked at him again, "I should be available."
"Great!" Jae Sun said with an excited smile, "Do you like Karaoke? There's this Karaoke bar some friends and I go to all the time and it's really nice."
"Sure," Keiko replied. "How many friends are you bringing? I can ask a few coworkers to come." Jae sun was stunned at first by her question until it occurred to him, "She's not going to go out alone with me; not this early. It's a group date."
"Four," he finally answered. He'd make Max, Louis, Eric and Hirohito join him if it was the last thing he did. "Since we're inviting friends, we'll all have dinner together before we go out to Karaoke."
"That would be best," Keiko agreed. Then they made it to the tenth floor and Keiko stepped out along with Jae Sun and he walked her to the entrance of her office. "Well, this is my office," she said a little awkwardly once they'd arrived. She realized she didn't want their meeting to end. She wanted to keep talking to him rather than go into work. "Have a good day, okay?"
"You too," Jae Sun smiled. "Can…..I don't suppose I could have your number could I?"
"Sure," Keiko answered as her cheeks went completely red. She took out a pen and Jae Sun pulled out a piece of paper from his satchel for her to write on. Once he had her number, he wrote down his own and handed it over to her.
"I work from home so…..feel free to call me anytime okay?"
"Sure," Keiko answered bashfully. "It was great seeing you again, Jae Sun. You have a good day."
"You too," Jae Sun smiled back and Keiko walked into the office. Jae Sun waited a moment before returning to the elevator to take it down to the 8th floor for his meeting with Mr. Yukimura. Jae Sun glanced at Keiko's number and he smiled eagerly.
"You're in a good mood," Mr. Yukimura said with a smirk when Jae Sun came into his office for their meeting. "Excited for the book signing tour?"
"I'm definitely excited," Jae Sun answered honestly, though he was talking about something else entirely.