A/n:Here's chapter 3, the longest one so far. The scenes hadn't seemed so long when I imagined them in my head but here we are. I must warn you that I have only proofread this once, I was working on it for so long that I just want to put it out there now, I will try to come back and fix any errors if I find them later.
This chapter also introduces two new characters, which aren't technically Ocs but you can treat them as such. They are my other otp from a different anime series, I just thought that since I have a certain dynamic for them in my head with Yamato and Mimi, it would be easier for me to use them then create new characters.
Thank you to eri, Lixie, and Fin for your reviews, on the previous chapter!
Bento – A lunch box or pack.
Onsen – Hot springs.
Irrashaimase – Phrase used when someone (mostly a customer) enters an establishment.
Okami san – is the female owner, usually the owner's wife, responsible for the overall management in operating the inn. [Side Note: It's one of the most oldest tradition of a woman being in the manager's position, it's a fun topic to read up on!]
Shoji - door, window or room divider used in traditional Japanese architecture, consisting of translucent sheets.
Arare/Senbei – Japanese rice based snacks.
Kotatsu - a low, wooden table frame covered by a futon, or heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits. Underneath is a heat source, formerly a charcoal brazier.
Byobu - Japanese folding screens made from several joined panels, bearing decorative painting and calligraphy.
Chapter 3: A Cold Welcome
x
Mimi was disappointed by how fast the scenery changed beyond the windows of the train, she wanted to admire it fully, and carefully etch the memory into her brain for who knows when next she might have the chance to take a journey this beautiful. But the train would not allow her to do so, as it rightly did its job and proceeded at full speed towards their destination in the chilly, northern prefecture of Hokkaido. Yamato on the other hand, she noticed, was not interested in looking out of the window at all, he seemed nervous and fidgety throughout the journey, as if he was not ready to go back home just yet. She tried to put herself in his shoes and imagine what he must be feeling in the moment, having been away from his hometown for over a year or probably more with minimal contact with his family and friends, and when finally the chance to go back arrived, the grim reason behind it loomed over him like a dark shadow.
What made Mimi truly anxious, however, was how every once in a while Yamato would reach his hand towards the side of his hakama, let out a relieved sigh and then go back to frowning at nothing in particular. Her father had paid for a first class compartment so they didn't need to worry about anyone else being suspicious, but the way Yamato was behaving definitely raised Mimi's eyebrows and she wondered if he was aware of it. She knew what he was doing of course, making sure that the gun her father had gifted him was intact, and that's what made the whole situation feel very real to her.
She wasn't just going to Hokkaido, she was going there to help Yamato catch a murderer.
Every time this thought appeared in Mimi's mind she didn't feel so bubbly about looking out of the window or sampling the snacks being sold on the train, she felt nervous and fidgety, exactly like her boss. But the best thing about a train, Mimi discovered, was that the slow, rocking motion made it easier to fall asleep. All she had to do was lie down in her berth the minute the idea of arriving into a town miles away from her home just so she could tail a cold blooded killer popped into her head and the train would take care of the rest, by putting her into a deep slumber until it arrived at one of its scheduled stops and made a screeching halt that stirred her.
The journey until Hakodate from Tokyo was about twelve hours long, Yamato was the one to wake her when the train arrived at its final stop which was also their destination. Mimi had been sleeping too soundly to even be woken by the noise of the train coming to a stop and she was a bit embarrassed when she found Yamato lightly shaking her shoulder and scowling down at her the minute she opened her eyes. Before they alighted the train, he told her, in his usual bossy tone which assigned some normalcy to the situation, that she should cover up with all the warm clothes they had packed and she obediently followed his instructions.
From Hakodate the two of them were supposed to get on a local train which would take them to Noboribetsu station, from where the actual town was still a twenty minute walk, as per Yamato's explanation. The minute she stepped foot onto the Hakodate station, Mimi knew that she was in a place where she knew nothing about anything, and that she had no choice but to follow Yamato blindly, as he led her through the complicated maze that was the station and its various platforms. She was grateful for his warning about the cold before they got off, because despite the three to four layers she had donned, she could still feel the cold air seep into her bones and make her teeth chatter.
"Keep moving."
She heard Yamato speak but was confused, she was walking as fast as she could and was just about keeping up with his pace, he glanced at her when she didn't respond, catching on to the unsure look on her face he let out a chuckle.
"I meant, keep moving like rubbing your hands together or rubbing your arms, it'll help you stay warm."
Mimi nodded in understanding, not worried about her cheeks turning pink because her nose was already red with cold, but she did find her lack of awareness embarrassing.
The local train that they boarded was fairly empty, apart from a few elderly men and women scattered across the seats, and Mimi gladly welcomed the warmth it provided. She almost couldn't believe that she used to complain about the winter season in Tokyo because she currently felt a hundred times colder than she had ever felt. Still their ride on the local train was much more comfortable than she had expected, possibly on account of it being practically empty which gave the two a chance to relax. And it moved slowly too, so Mimi could admire the snow capped scenery of Hokkaido as it passed them by.
Her father and mother had both given her a large sum of money to support herself in the best manner possible respectively, and just like her boss had been anxious about the gun he had received, she had been slightly worried about the big bunch of bills tucked away between her clothes during their journey. She hadn't been able to find the time to tell Yamato that apart from the first class tickets, her parents had even attempted to take care of their stay, since she didn't know if it was safe to talk about money in a train where anyone could be listening. Even now, she thought about informing the blond but then held herself back, unsure if the old people surrounding them were truly worth trusting.
Watching the wooden roofs of houses decked in white reminded her that Yamato hadn't yet shared where they would be staying once they arrived in Noboribetsu. All Yamato had told her was that Takeru would meet them at the station and take them to their lodgings. Mimi had been so excited and curious over meeting a member of his family, that she had forgotten to ask just where exactly their lodgings would be. Looking at the houses that the train passed by, her mind went on to wonder whether she would actually get to see the childhood home of her boss. It was only fair, considering that he had visited her house a few days ago, and even stayed over in the guest annexe at her father's insistence.
When the scenery switched from rows and rows of houses to small patches of hot springs on every side with steam rising from them despite the cold weather, Mimi figured that they must have entered Noboribetsu. Her mother had mentioned something about a Hell Valley, that this town was supposedly known for, and she couldn't help but hope that when their work was over, Yamato would allow her the chance to go and visit the tourist spot. She wouldn't mind getting a chance to visit a hot spring either, they really did look inviting even through the train window. It seemed like a nice proposition to look forward to, Mimi nodded to herself, keeping these goals in her mind might even help her in staying motivated through whatever tough situations they would face in the near future, she told herself.
"We need to get off at the next station." Yamato muttered, stretching his arms above his head and stifling a yawn. He looked tired, with some signs of dark bags visible under his eyes, he really must have not slept a wink since their journey began at Tokyo.
Knowing her boss, chances of him wanting to dive right into the case the minute they'd arrive into town were high, but Mimi noted to herself that she would first convince him to get some rest, and hoped that his brother would help her with the same.
As the train pulled into their station, Mimi was surprised to see how small it was in comparison to the one in Hakodate. When Yamato stood up and walked towards the door, she tailed behind him swiftly, throwing away her earlier concern of how they would find Yamato's brother at the station. She was sure that she had caught sight of a man with similar golden hair like her boss, as the rest of the platform had looked close to being deserted.
The train came to a bumpy halt and the doors opened with a loud hiss, Yamato did not hesitate to step down but she did hear him take a deep breath before he did so. Mimi herself felt her feet go heavy as they hit the asphalt, the vague state of disbelief over the fact that she had really managed to tag along with her boss to another region for a case finally ceased to exist as she took her place next to Yamato on the platform and the train's door shut with a thud behind her, a loud whistling noise indicating it's exit from the station.
There was no going back now, a voice at the back of her head reminded her, but Mimi pushed it away, she hadn't come this far to let herself be dictated by her own fears. She had come here because as Yamato had said, she was good at her job and he needed her, and that's all that mattered to her now.
Her eyes hadn't deceived her when she'd noticed a blond from the train, because soon enough heading towards them was a tall and lanky boy, waving his hands excitedly in greeting. His hair was bit more dustier than Yamato's but his eyes were the same shade of blue, though they were filled with more hope and brightness than she had ever seen reflected in her boss's. And although he had seemed considerably tall from afar, as he reached them, Mimi noticed that he was even taller than his brother, and it once again made her doubt Yamato's position as the eldest son of his family. However, his face had not managed to grow out of it's boyish features and he looked very young, making it impossible for Mimi to guess his age, could he possibly be the same age as her or even older? She was mad at herself for not asking Yamato earlier as now she didn't know which honorifics to address him by.
The boy surprised her as he kept running towards them, without coming to a halt even after he was right in front of them and instantly crashed into Yamato, tackling him into a tight hug.
"Nii san! I'm so happy to finally see you!"
Mimi took a step back, unable to stop a smile from covering her face while looking at the sight in front of her. Yamato's ears were red as his brother continued to cling to him, being the shorter one, the Detective found it difficult to slither out of the hug and eventually after a few minutes of struggling, he gave in and returned the gesture, which elicited a satisfied laugh from his brother and he finally let go.
"And you must be Mimi san. Nice to meet you, I'm Takeru, as you may already know." Takeru stretched out a gloved hand and Mimi shook it, bowing her head in a polite greeting.
"It's good to see you too." Yamato finally responded to his brother, fixing his jackets that had been slightly ruffled by Takeru's sudden ambush.
"Uh oh, was that too bright a greeting in public?" Takeru grinned to himself as he darted his eyes around the platform, which had looked mostly empty.
But when Mimi followed his gaze, she saw the station master peeking at them from his office window, another old man sitting behind the ticket counter also had his gaze fixed upon them and a middle-aged lady who had just finished purchasing a ticket and entered the platform, passed them by with her nose stuck high up in the air.
"The townspeople have been deeply affected by the-" Takeru began explaining to her and then looked around again before continuing in a quieter tone, "- you know what. They've been in collective mourning. Izumis do own more than half the town after all."
Mimi did not respond to his remark, but waited for Yamato to take the lead. The fact that the two brothers had reunited after so long, should not have been overshadowed by whatever the town was going through, that's how Mimi felt at least, and she did not enjoy the sullen looks that were sent their way just because Takeru had decided to hug his brother to express his happiness over meeting him.
"We should not talk about this here." Yamato said, his face blank as a slate, making it impossible to guess what was going through his mind.
"Right, let us head to the inn."
"Inn?" Mimi asked, surprised by how her own voice managed to sound so full of life considering the drab surroundings.
"Yes, I booked a comfortable stay for the two of you." Takeru answered her with a smile. Unlike his brother, it seemed like his face was used to such softer expressions.
"What about your house?" Mimi looked enquiringly at Yamato, as the three made their exit from the station. She was a little bummed that half of the ticket sub had been kept by the station master, as she had been planning to save it as a piece of memorabilia.
Yamato's face fell at her words and he avoided her gaze, which made her wonder whether she had asked something that was out of bounds. She turned to look at Takeru, hoping to get a hint from him but he too was looking at his brother with a curious yet solemn look, but then he caught her eye and the jovial smile returned to his face.
"Our house is...well to put it simply, it is not habitable at the moment." Takeru replied on behalf of his brother, who just nodded along with the statement, still avoiding looking at Mimi.
What she really wanted to do next was ask the two brothers where their parents were staying currently but seeing how gloomy her first question had made them, she decided to drop the subject for now.
She had been trailing behind Yamato ever since they left Tokyo, so it was not difficult for her to walk behind the two brothers despite their pace, but she did find it odd that the two barely spoke to each other as they passed through town. The inn that Takeru had booked for them was on the opposite end of town and getting there turned out to be a much more longer walk than Mimi had expected, but it also answered her question about why the two brothers were walking ahead of her with their eyes fixed to the front and mouths shut.
The minute they entered into the more crowded part of the town, at first Mimi eerily felt that all eyes were on her. She felt the discomfort of being stared at right down to her bone and it reminded her of a very unpleasant memory from a few years ago. When her father had made his first return from the West, he had gifted her a beautiful western dress, which Mimi had decided to don for her 18th birthday celebrations. Her parents had showered her with compliments when she had first put on the pink and golden frock, but once the party began and the guests arrived Mimi had slowly begun to lose confidence about her appearance. She could hear all her friends whispering behind her back and laughing at her, but every time she would look at them, they'd smile and tell her how pretty she looked.
That's how she felt right now, when she walked with her eyes fixed on Yamato's back, the murmuring and unwelcoming stares would poke at her relentlessly, but the minute she'd turn to make eye contact with anyone from the crowd, she was met with a steely smile devoid of any emotion whatsoever. She wondered whether this was happening because it was obvious that she was an outsider, who had chosen to step foot into their town at the worst possible moment. But when she trained her ears to carefully listen to what was being said, and skilfully managed to check from the corner of her eye just who was staring at her, she realised that she was not the target of the town's gossip.
"He is back? What for?"
"He used to be friends with Yagami, if I remember correctly. This is their plan?"
"I thought he was gone for good."
"Those Ishidas, nothing good came out of their presence in this town. Now he is back to make bad times worse."
The target was quite obviously Yamato.
Mimi's mind was a turmoil of emotions as she walked behind Yamato and Takeru, unable to even take in the sights of the hot spring town as hawkish eyes from both side of the road made her keep her own gaze fixed on Yamato's tightly arched back. She wanted to scream at the townspeople to shut up, she wanted to grab Yamato's shoulder and demand he tell her the truth about himself, she wanted to do whatever it would take to keep herself away from this scrutiny that they were being subjected to. The disappointing feeling that she had worked under Yamato for months and still hadn't uncovered a single truth about his life, returned in her heart and tugged at her resolve of following the Detective unquestioningly into whatever awaited them at the crux of this case.
Thankfully, as the sun slowly began to set, the people around town started to return home and the streets gradually became quieter. As the street lamps slowly came to life, she saw that Yamato looked much more relaxed now, and had even begun to make small talk with Takeru about their journey from Tokyo. Takeru's excitement over seeing his brother was not easily contained, and even as Yamato was telling him about the terrible bento that had been served to the first class passengers on the train, his younger brother's face was filled with warm adoration as he nodded along to everything Yamato was saying.
This brought comfort to Mimi's heart too, and the uneasiness she had been feeling since they had stepped into town settled down eventually. Whatever the people of this town thought about Yamato, and whatever had happened here in the past, should not influence what Mimi had seen of him in the past few months. After all, apart from her father, Yamato was the only one who believed in her potential to be more than just an ojou sama, and for that alone he deserved her benefit of doubt and the space to come clean about his past whenever he was ready to.
Once she felt calmer inside, she realised that all the conflicting feelings had kept her from noticing how tired she was from walking, she wanted to ask Takeru if the inn was much farther but that's when he took a turn and guided them along an off beaten path from the main town, both sides of which were lined with trees that had a greyish bark. Mimi had packed one of her favourite books, an encyclopedia of plants, and she decided that before she headed off to sleep tonight, she would look for the name of these beautiful set of trees in her book. As they went a little further down the path, Mimi turned around and saw that the town had pretty much disappeared from view, and wondered about the state of the inn they were heading to. While it would be ideal for them to stay out of the town's sight and ears, being so removed from the main part and so far away from the station couldn't be good for the inn's business, she thought.
Soon enough at the end of the path a large wooden, traditional style structure came into view. Mimi had not been to many inns outside of Tokyo, but she had seen paintings and photographs, and two storey building standing tall in front of her looked exactly like it had come alive out of those images. The trees that surrounded it were not the same as what had lined up the path, in fact they were typical Japanese oak trees, although they were barren of any leaves and the branches only supported the snow that must've fallen recently. What made her gasp out loud with delight was the steam that rose up into the air from behind the inn's building, indicating that there was a hot spring within the premises. However, Takeru misunderstood her reaction and tried to clarify his choice hurriedly.
"It looks lavish, but it is not expensive. The owners are our childhood friends so we will receive a favourable discount on the bill."
"Oh no, Takeru san, I was just simply admiring the beauty of it." Mimi said, remembering that she hadn't yet mentioned the money given to her by her parents to Yamato yet, she added, "Besides, please don't worry about the amount. My parents have provided me with enough funds to cover a comfortable stay."
"They gave you even more money?" Yamato looked at her in surprise, this was the first time he had addressed her directly since they'd entered the town and somehow it washed away most of the tiredness she was feeling.
At first when she had shown up with the money to purchase the first class tickets in his office, he had been very much against the idea of taking any more help from her father, but then her mother telephoned the office and made the blond swear an oath about travelling in first class to ensure Mimi's safety first before lecturing him for about an hour over all the things he would need to do to ensure Mimi's travels were comfortable. After the lecturing, Yamato had very tiredly and dejectedly accepted defeat against the militaristic state of Satoe Tachikawa.
"Yes. I'm sorry I didn't inform you earlier. I couldn't find the right moment and frankly, I thought you would get annoyed again." She answered him, looking away as she noticed the first hint of a frown on his face.
"Complaining about having more money...you really haven't changed Nii san." Takeru laughed at his brother.
"And you couldn't make arrangements anywhere else except here?" Yamato glared at his brother, shooting a look of distaste towards the inn as they came to a stop in front of its entrance.
Mimi was taken aback by his reaction, since Takeru had mentioned that the place was owned by their friends she assumed that Yamato would be happy about staying here and reuniting with them, but clearly her boss didn't seem to have a single happy tie associated with his hometown, except for his brother. She looked at the large, rectangular sign that hung above the entrance, the characters 'Dragon's Den' along with the silhouette of a dragon swirling around the characters was painted beautifully across it in charcoal black ink. An interesting name for an onsen in a town that was famous for attracting tourists, Mimi thought to herself, since most people would be afraid of entering any dens that had dragons residing in it.
"Oh, don't make a fuss Nii san, you know as well as I do that this is the safest place for you to stay right now in all of Noboribetsu." Takeru said, narrowing his eyes sharply at his brother he added, "And it's about time you swallowed your pride. It's only going to get in the way of your investigation."
With that he turned on his heels and slid open the doors of the inn, ducking his head in order to avoid hitting the low beam, Takeru entered the inn, leaving behind Mimi and Yamato in an awkward silence.
Mimi was stunned at how swiftly Takeru had put her boss in his place, if it was up to her she would've stood there and applauded his attitude maybe even shaken his hand as she congratulated him for saying things she could never say to Yamato's face because of their professional relationship. Yamato was not surprised by his brother's brazenness, but rather looked disappointed about the fact that he had not been able to get the last word in. He let out a tired sigh and shook his head before he met Mimi's gaze with a slightly solemn face.
"You must have so many questions."
Had they been standing in their office in Tokyo, she would have promptly answered with a yes and then listed all her questions one by one until he gave a satisfactory answer to all of them. But they were not in their office, they were in a town filled with painful memories for him with an even darker task at hand waiting to be tackled. And now that Mimi finally had a chance to look at Yamato properly, from the light that was pouring onto him through the inn's open door, she could tell how absolutely worn out he was by just being back here so it just didn't seem fair for her to add onto his exhaustion.
"Yes, but those can wait. We have a job to do here, don't we?" Mimi smiled brightly at him, hoping to restore some of the passion and motivation he had shown to her back in Tokyo after she had read the letter.
"We do," He replied softly, while the effects of the long journey they had taken couldn't be undone with a smile, when he squared his shoulders and looked at the entrance door of the inn, his face gained some of its usual determination back and his voice was much more confident when he added, "thank you for reminding me."
He took a deep breath and following Takeru, lowered his head so he could pass through the doors with Mimi right behind him.
"Irrashaimase!"
They were greeted by a chirpy female voice, which again sounded out of place to Mimi considering the dull atmosphere of the town but it did seem to match the brightly lit setting of the inn's entrance hall. Yamato was already taking off his sandals and Mimi did the same, graciously accepting the set of slippers he handed to her. The inn's interior was very different from what she had expected after seeing how the town seemed to lack life and colour, because the hall looked like it was overflowing with it. The teak floors shone spotlessly, and with the strong, off white-lamps lighting up the room, one could almost see their reflection on it. The white fusama walls were all painted with scenic views of what Mimi assumed was the popular Hell's Valley, and the hall was decked with vases overflowing with colourful carnations in every corner.
If she put it simply, it seemed like the opposite of what a dragon's den should look like.
Takeru had already seated himself on one of the chairs arranged for the guests on one end of the hall and she decided to do the same but before she could move, a woman, the one who had greeted them as they entered, came bounding towards them with open arms.
"Yamato! It is so good to see you again!"
Her boss instantly put up his palms in front of him in a defensive stance and backed up a few steps, almost hitting his head against the beam as he did so.
The woman's steps faltered but she did not lower her arms immediately.
She was dressed in an elegant peach coloured kimono devoid of any pattern which made the gold and silver checkered obi stand out, making Mimi envious of the taste that it's owner possessed. Her dark brown hair were neatly tied back into a braided bun while her fringe was pinned to one side, giving a clear view of her round face. She was not beautiful in a way that she would have made heads turn when she walked down the street, but there was something particularly alluring about her face that made it difficult for Mimi to look away, especially her eyes which were a striking shade of red like two garnet stones plucked out of a crown. The grace with which she carried herself despite of the excitement in her voice, Mimi concluded that she was the okami san of the inn, even though she did not look much older than Yamato.
"Hiromi, it is good to see you too." Yamato said, although the discomfort visible on his face and the way he maintained his distance from her with his arms stiffly held up did not convey the meaning behind his words well.
Finally sensing that Yamato would not allow her to close in, the okami san, or Hiromi, as Yamato had called her, lowered her arms back to her side with a pout that changed into a welcoming smile as she looked at Mimi, bowing deeply in greeting.
Mimi returned the gesture, thoroughly intrigued by the brunette and curious to know how Yamato had managed to become friends with her, she hoped that her interest was not too visible on her face.
Hiromi stepped aside and allowed the two of them to move from the genkan to the waiting area and take their seats around Takeru. Mimi couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh as her feet were finally allowed to rest, she noticed from the corner of her eye that Hiromi disappeared behind one of the shoji doors behind the tall desk on which the characters 'reception' were carved out. She had ended up sitting between the two brothers, and next to her Yamato leaned back in his chair, despite the tiredness taking over him he still seemed to be on alert as if on the lookout of something. Mimi wondered just what he was so conscious about but just as she was about to ask him the question, Hiromi returned, carrying a tray with a teapot and many teacups.
The okami san set the tray down on the table around which their seats were located, placing one teacup in front of each of them and then pouring the hot, green tea into it one by one. Now that the tray was within her sight, she saw that there were snacks like arare and senbei arranged on a plate as well. Mimi reached out for her cup as soon as it was filled to the brim, murmuring a small thanks before she took a sip of the tea and felt the warmth spread throughout her body, washing away the chill that had settled all the way into her bones. After she finished serving them, Hiromi took a seat across from them.
"I was so happy when Takeru chan came to me a few days, requesting a room for you." Hiromi stated, absolutely beaming at Yamato, who kept his eyes on the teacup in his hand, but that did not seem to bother her at all as she went on, "So of course I made sure to prepare the best room for you and your wife-"
It almost felt comical, how both her and Yamato choked on and half spit out their tea in sync. Mimi continued to cough and wheeze as she felt her whole face turn as red as some of the carnations scattered around the room at the thought of being mistaken as Yamato's wife. While next to her, she heard Yamato loudly clear his throat and after another loud cough, he asserted very loudly, surprising both Hiromi and Takeru with the volume of his voice.
"She is not my wife!"
Hiromi first looked at Yamato and then at Mimi, eyebrows raised in curiosity, "Oh, I apologize for the misunderstanding. Then who is…?" She didn't finish the question, probably not wanting to come off as too prying but she still eyed Mimi with a renewed interest.
"She's my-" Yamato quickly began to answer but then stopped, turning his head to meet Mimi's eyes.
For a brief moment, it was as if the only habitants of the room were the two of them.
Yamato swallowed a gulp as he stared at her, and under his gaze Mimi felt lighter, like she would float out of her seat and into the ceiling any minute now. His face was slightly red too, whether it was because of choking on the tea or because he too felt affected by the thought of her being referred to as his wife was something Mimi couldn't decipher.
What bothered her more was that when they went out on cases together in Tokyo, he would always introduce her as his assistant without hesitation, so why did he suddenly look like he was at a loss for the right word to describe his and her relationship? When he had made the case to her parents, he had described her in a manner befitting someone who didn't work under him, but rather alongside him.
What had changed between the two of them since the meeting with her parents that he found it difficult to attach the right term to Mimi's role in his life?
And why did she suddenly start to feel so desperately hopeful about what he would say next, why would she even assume that it would be anything other than the plain truth?
"-assistant." He said through gritted teeth finally, bringing Mimi's feet down to earth with just a few syllables.
"Assistant?" Hiromi asked, clearly confused by the reveal as that might not have been what she was expecting to hear.
"Let me introduce myself," Mimi cut in before Yamato could respond, "I'm Tachikawa Mimi, I've been working for Yamato san in Tokyo for the past six months. I'll be in your care, Hiromi san."
"We are more than happy to host you." Hiromi nodded at her, though she did still seem a bit lost over the situation and did not hesitate to make that known to them, "Takeru chan did not mention the reason behind your visit."
Neither Yamato nor Takeru seemed too keen to elaborate, and Mimi wondered if she should take the burden off of them and explain their purpose of visit to Hiromi, after all she couldn't imagine this being an easy topic of conversation for any of them and as an outsider she had the benefit of being able to speak objectively about the whole incident. But before she could begin the explanation, the door behind the reception desk opened and another figure stepped out. She felt Yamato draw in a sharp breath next to her, while Hiromi's face lit up with a charming softness that made even Mimi blush.
The man that had stepped out was wearing a deep red yukata and a black jacket on top of it, from where Mimi was seated it looked as if he was just as tall as Takeru, if not a few centimetres more. His skin was tanned and his shoulders broad, all signs of someone who must perform a lot of physical labour as her father had once pointed out to her. His midnight blue hair went below his shoulders and were tied up in a lose ponytail, with a few spiky bangs covering his forehead. He passed a wide grin in Hiromi's direction but his face completely fell when his brown eyes landed on Yamato.
"What is he doing here?" He bellowed pointing straight at Yamato, his face settling into a deep scowl in no time.
Yamato only huffed in response and folded his arms across his chest, without even bothering to glance at the newcomer. To Mimi it seemed as if this is what Yamato had been anticipating from the beginning, and that's why he had been on edge ever since they entered the inn.
"Come on, Takao, be nice. They're our guests." Hiromi remarked, rolling her eyes at the man's outburst. The lack of any honorifics between them made Mimi wonder about how the two were related to each other.
"Guests? He's staying here? When was this decided?" Takao asked again, outraged by even the thought of it.
"Obviously when you were not around." Hiromi said with another roll of her eyes, then she faced Takao sternly, "And keep your voice down, didn't you just put Toshiro to sleep?"
Yamato's ears perked up at the mention of this new name and he leaned forward in his seat, relaxing his posture just slightly, he looked at Hiromi, "You had a son?"
That's when it clicked to Mimi, that Takao was Hiromi's husband, and probably ran the inn together with her, and it wasn't easy to digest that fact because the two of them looked like they had nothing in common with each other.
Hiromi's face absolutely lit up at Yamato's question however, and she nodded excitedly, "Yes, he was born shortly after you left. He's almost two years old now-"
"Thanks for asking after him." Takao interrupted her sarcastically, directing a glare at Yamato.
At first it looked like her boss would not take the bait, and Mimi definitely knew him to be smarter than that but then suddenly he turned and locked eyes with his old friend and hissed in an annoyed tone, "I didn't know."
"Of course, you didn't. You haven't really bothered to keep in touch, have you?" Takao shot back furiously, not allowing Yamato a chance to defend himself he continued, "And not for a lack of trying on my behalf at least. I asked Takeru to give me your address so I could write to you, but he told me you had specifically asked him not to disclose your location to anyone in the town."
"That's what cutting ties with a place means, Takao. You don't ever look back." Yamato cried out, unable to hide the pain in his voice as it cracked slightly, but nothing he said seemed to be a good enough excuse for Takao.
"Then why are you here now?"
"I asked him, no, I begged him to come!" Takeru surprised everyone by springing to his feet, fists curled tightly at his sides as he looked at Takao with eyes that were brimming with tears threatening to fall any second, "Takao nii, I was the one who forced him to come back, for Taichi nii's sake."
The room was silent as Takeru's words settled over them. Mimi wished that she could stand up and hold Takeru's hand until he felt calmer, he had the kind of naive face that made anyone naturally want to look after him. But the tension in the room was so thick, that she was afraid to tinker with it in any manner. She glanced at Takao, his face had softened after Takeru's outburst and there was a hint of guilt behind his brown eyes as he nodded apologetically at the younger blond. So he could be persuaded with after all, Mimi thought, just not by Yamato.
"You're going to help with the investigation?" Hiromi asked, after a few minutes had passed, her face full of hope as she stared at Yamato.
"Yes, I'm not going to let them drag Taichi away for something he didn't do." Yamato replied, curling his hands into a tight fist above his knee, the blond stayed silent for a while as he stared at the table in front of him. The frown on his face made it seem like he was debating with himself over something, when finally his face softened and his whole body relaxed, he sighed deeply before getting up his seat and walked up to Takao.
"Which is why I want us to put our differences aside for now, I can't move forward without your help." Yamato's voice was filled with unwavering conviction as he stretched out a hopeful hand in front of his friend.
Takao's eyes dropped to Yamato's hand, and the emotional struggle on his face as he battled with deciding whether he would take it or not, was visible to all. Mimi was almost convinced that their host would not yield, from what she had seen so far he seemed even more stubborn than her boss, if that was even possible. After a few minutes passed, Mimi had given up hope but then Hiromi too left her seat and went to Takao's side, resting a hand on his chest and apparently that was all what her husband had needed to take action, because he immediately raised his head and met Yamato's eyes with the same level of determination before he took the blond's hand and shook it tightly.
"Of course I'll help you." Takao said, as he let go of Yamato's hand he added in a rigid tone, "For Taichi's sake."
She didn't need to be facing Yamato to know that her boss may have rolled his eyes at that response, but when he turned, he still looked much more relieved and at ease than he had ever since they left Tokyo, and that was enough to make Mimi break into a smile.
"Now, I'm sure you've had a long journey and you definitely have long days ahead of you, so why don't the two of you get some much needed rest?" Hiromi announced, next to her Takao didn't look like he had made peace with the idea of them staying at his inn but he still nodded in agreement.
Mimi too left her seat, feeling the pain from all the walking return to her feet as soon as she stood, and walked forward to stand next to Yamato with Takeru following behind her. She looked up at her boss before the two of them turned and graciously accepted Hiromi's offer in unison. The brunette was pleased by their reaction but before she divulged any more details about their stay, she took a step back, making it seem like she was taking cover behind the broad shoulders of her husband.
"Only, there is a slight problem." Hiromi started in an apologetic tone, putting both Yamato and Mimi on alert again,"Takeru chan never mentioned who the guest accompanying you would be," she paused and faced Yamato sheepishly and then spoke very quickly, "and I just assumed you were coming here with your wife, so the two of you will need to share one room."
"What?"
Yamato's voice was louder than hers, but the red tint visible on their cheeks was exactly the same. Mimi felt as if the two had left behind any luck that they had carried so far in life back in Tokyo with the way things had been going for them ever since they arrived in Noboribetsu, which wasn't exactly a happy thought considering that they were here to catch a murderer. Her mother had strictly told her that Mimi should not, under any circumstance, share a room with anyone during her travels, and yet somehow she'd ended up in a situation that put her promise to her mother to the test on her very first night.
"There is no other vacant room?" Yamato had recovered from the shock of this news faster than her, and was now obviously working towards solving the problem to the best of his abilities. The disbelief over Hiromi's statement was quiet visible in his tone, and Mimi had to agree because how was it possible that an inn this big could have just a single room available for them to use?
"Since you will be staying here for a while, I can't assign the usual rooms to you because they need to be vacant for our regulars." Hiromi explained quickly and before Yamato could raise another query she added, "And the second storey is currently out of bounds."
"Out of bounds, what for?" Yamato persisted, narrowing his eyes in suspicion as he looked at Hiromi and then at Takao,"I don't really care about the state of the room, we have the money to afford two-"
"I'm sorry Yamato, I really am, but the second floor is just not available for use right now." Hiromi repeated, this time in a much assertive tone, even if she was pretty much using Takao as a shield now.
Mimi was grateful that Yamato had offered to take any room and would let her have the room that was prepared for them but she couldn't express it as she noticed a peculiar look pass between the couple, which she was sure her boss didn't miss either, and wondered why they had cordoned off one floor of their establishment completely. Looking at it from her father's perspective, she felt that the inn owners were not exactly business oriented and must struggle with their finances often, even if Hiromi's kimono looked exquisite enough to belong from an expensive shop on the streets of Ginza.
And although in the moment all Mimi could think about was what her mother would say if she found out this was happening, she still felt tired to her bone and was ready to drop dead on a comfortable futon, thoughts of skimming through her plant encyclopaedia long forgotten. The fact that she would have to do it with her boss in the room didn't seem like it mattered in comparison to the comfort that being able to rest under a cozy blanket would provide to her.
"Looks like there's no other choice…" Mimi said, surprising everyone with her quick acceptance of the situation. Yamato looked curiously at her and she just shrugged under his inquisitive stare. She wanted to tell him that there was no ulterior motive to uncover here, that she was just tired and wanted this day to end as soon as possible. But seeing as the two would be spending a lot more time together than they had imagined, she thought she would save her explanation for later.
"The room is very large so we can put up a screen, if you wish." Hiromi looked relieved that Mimi had been the one to accept the arrangement, had it been Yamato to do so it would have felt like they were forcing a young girl to stay with a stranger and nobody would want that kind of responsibility on their heads.
"That would be very helpful." Mimi nodded, and while her boss still looked like he had a lot to say on this matter, the exhaustion got the better of him and he silently agreed with the decision.
"And I would appreciate it, if you none of you ever mentioned this to my mother."
Mimi had hoped to lighten the tense mood surrounding them with her words and it worked, mostly. The married couple laughed heartily at her statement and Takao pretended to swear a fake oath, even Takeru's face seemed to have regained most of it's brightness from earlier. But she knew better than anyone that if something was gnawing at Yamato, he wouldn't rest until he got to the bottom of it, and it was obvious that right now his mind was occupied by why Takao and Hiromi had closed off one whole floor of the inn.
When Takeru announced that he would be on his way home now, as it was already too dark outside, Takao offered to accompany him through the path in the woods. Mimi thought it was generous because it was obvious that while Yamato wanted to do the same, he was too tired to manage it. Maybe the navy haired inn owner still had a soft spot somewhere deep inside in his heart for his old friend, even if he refused to put that into words.
What truly irked Mimi, however, was the fact that earlier in the day the Ishida brothers had told her that their house was not habitable, and yet Takeru was not planning to stay at the inn with them. They were obviously hiding something and the confusion must have been visible on her face because just as Takeru was leaving he apologetically explained to her that he lived in a rented room, which was just about big enough to fit him, and that's why he couldn't manage to host his brother or her during their stay. Again, Mimi wanted to go one step further and ask about their parents but there was a knot in her throat that held her back, she just knew, somehow, that this was not the right time to bring this up.
After Takao and Takeru left, Hiromi guided the two of them to their rooms, which was at the far end of the first storey, and rightly so because Mimi was shocked by the size of it.
The furnishings and ambience were similar to what she had imagined, simple and traditional. There was a kotatsu in the middle of the room, the sight of which delighted Mimi and she couldn't wait to sink her legs inside it so the coal could return all the warmth she had lost since she left Tokyo. On another corner lay two futons rolled neatly along with a pile of blankets next to them, and it took a lot of effort for her to not immediately lay it out and snuggle into the bedding. The rest of the furnishings were scarce, two lanterns on the far end corners, some spare seat cushions and a tea set with a few oranges arranged in the centre of the kotatsu. One end of the room was lined with another set of fusama doors, which Hiromi informed her was a private entrance to the back gardens, but advised not to venture out alone in the night as the gardens were connected to the surrounding forest.
Once Hiromi had explained all the details about the room, her and Yamato went to fetch the dividing screen while Mimi arranged their luggage in the shelves and then laid out the futons in two opposite corners, dividing the blankets between them equally. When the other two returned carrying a byobu, there was a discussion on where to place the screen and finally the length between the doors to the garden until the kotatsu was decided as the ideal placement. Yamato worked on unfolding and setting up the screen as Mimi and Hiromi took a seat under the kotatsu. When Mimi's eyes fell on the beautiful scene which had been painted on the light golden paper of the screen, she couldn't help but stare at it in complete awe.
It was a depiction of a blue dragon gliding through white and silver clouds, towards a cliff that overlooked a ravine. The only colours used in the entire painting were blue, silver and white and yet every detail emerged so vividly that Mimi could almost feel the wind in her air as if the dragon had just flown past her. Her father would have liked to see something like this, she thought, and wondered if she would be able to find someone to photograph it so she could show it to him when she returned home or maybe Hiromi already had one?
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Hiromi asked, reading her mind.
"Yes. My father is an avid art collector, and yet I have never seen anything like this in the works he owns." Mimi replied, finally taking her eyes off the screen.
"Well, that is quite the compliment. I will convey it to the artist."
"You know the artist?" Mimi raised her eyebrows, she assumed that this was just a piece of furniture that was a part of the history of the inn, the thought that the artist was still around hadn't crossed her mind.
"Of course!" Hiromi laughed, shaking her head, "This is all Takao's work. The paintings in the entrance hall too. He always wanted to be a painter, but you know how it is, family responsibilities..." There was a bitterness in her voice as she added the last part.
Mimi wanted to tell her that she did know what it was like, after all the whole reason she had ended up in this town was because her father had insisted she learn some real life skills before he passed on the family business to her. But she didn't, because she knew that even if she had gone against her father's wishes, she hadn't had a single goal or aim in life six months ago, she would have probably wasted her time away while still managing to live a comfortable life which she knew was a luxury most people could not afford in this town.
"He could have just sold this place." Yamato spoke up after ensuring that the screen was stable, and Hiromi immediately turned to frown at him.
"Not everyone is capable of cutting their ties with a place they call home so easily." Hiromi's tone was surprisingly cold, she hadn't yet shown that kind of unfriendliness towards Yamato since they arrived so Mimi was a bit taken aback by it.
"It was not an easy choice for me either."
Yamato had stepped behind the screen so Mimi couldn't get a good look at him, but his voice was low and sounded more defeated than tired.
It was becoming difficult for her to gauge who was in the right and who was wrong with every argument. Everyone here, including her boss, had lead a life completely different to hers, a life completely unknown to her, making it impossible for her to even guess about what had happened here that made Yamato's house inhabitable, that made it impossible for Takao and Hiromi to follow their dreams, that made Takeru stay back even after his brother left, that actually made Yamato leave.
Until these questions were answered concretely all Mimi could do in tense moments like these was dart her eyes around from one face to the other.
"I know. I'm sorry I said that." Hiromi sighed after a few minutes of silence, "Just please, promise me Yamato, that you won't bring up this talk about selling the inn in front of Takao while you're here. One thing I did not miss while you were gone, were the arguments you two had about the state of this place."
It must have been Hiromi's gently pleading tone that made her boss appear from behind the screen. He leaned against it's frame as he nodded at the brunette's words, "It is doing much better than the last time I saw it."
"We worked hard to make that happen. So Takao will definitely fly off the handle if you mock those efforts in any way, and we don't really need another murder on our hands now, do we?" Hiromi sent a playful wink in Mimi's direction, this was the first time that someone had made light of the incident so she wasn't sure how she should react, but the implication that her prideful boss could not stand to win in a fight against Takao did make the edge of her lips itch to curve upwards into a smile.
Yamato was not impressed by her claim and opened his mouth to argue, but Hiromi cut him off as she stood up, "The bath opens up at 5AM every morning, I think it's best if the two of you rest for now and use it in the morning. I will come wake you up around 8AM-"
"8? Don't be ridiculous, Hiromi. We need an early start, there is so much to do-"
"And how will you do anything when the sun is not out? A few years in Tokyo and he has already forgotten how things work here." Hiromi rolled her eyes as she walked towards the room door, not bothering to pay attention to whatever rebuttal Yamato had in store for her. She doused both the lanterns on her way out, indirectly telling the blond that it was time for him to settle down and rest well. Before she slid the door shut behind her, however, she turned to face them with a final okami san smile for the night, "Sleep well, you two."
Once the door was shut, it dawned on Mimi that it would be just her and Yamato in the room until the morning.
Suddenly she was conscious about her every move, her every breath even, because while the two spent a lot of time together holed up in their Kabukicho office, that and this was a very different situation, even someone as naive as Mimi knew that. But she couldn't complain either, since she had been the first to agree to this arrangement. So she quietly crept into her own futon and had just begun to pull the blankets over her head when Yamato appeared from behind the screen with a few more in his hand, dropping them on top of her without much care.
"You should take these, I'm used to the cold." He muttered, but with just the two of them in the room it was hard for her to miss anything he said.
"Thank you." Mimi replied, she had been worried about whether she would be able to make do with the blankets provided but didn't want to trouble Hiromi too much either, so she was glad that he had managed to read her mind just as he always did.
The bulb hanging above the kotatsu was still lighting up the room faintly but Yamato pulled at the string to switch it off, pulling them into complete darkness. It was not that Mimi was afraid of the dark, but since this wasn't exactly an ideal situation either she thought that even the faintest of light would bring her some comfort but Yamato clearly was not of the same opinion. When he too lay down, Mimi could clearly hear every rustle of the blanket as he settled in, and once they were both still the silence that took over the room weighed heavily upon her.
She had been so tired out by the journey, the thought of lying down in a warm and comfortable futon so she could sleep off her exhaustion was what had kept her going through the day, but now that Mimi was actually doing that she found it very hard to fall asleep and her eyes stayed wide open, her mind curious about whether Yamato too was struggling with something similar.
"Mimi…" He affirmed her suspicions by calling out to her cautiously, probably trying to ascertain whether she was still awake.
"Yes?"
"Don't give out your full name while we're here."
Mimi was not sure what she had been expecting him to say but that was definitely far from what her dreamy mind had come up with and she voiced out her confusion, "I don't understand."
"Look, Takao and Hiromi, well they can be trusted to a certain extent. Takeru too, but-" She heard him turn in his futon and assumed that he was facing her side, since the dark made it impossible for her to figure out what was happening beyond the screen, "the Tachikawa name is much more known than you would know, so it's best if you don't mention it while we are in town."
"We're so up north though, I don't think my father has business on this side of the country." Mimi wondered out aloud, turning to face his side too, though all she could make out was the bright silver paint on the screen.
"There aren't any Tachikawa factories, but the products are still sold here." Yamato informed her, adding hastily, "If people know you're a Tachikawa, they'll think you're carrying a lot of money. Which you are, and they might try to steal it, putting your safety at risk."
"I see. I didn't think of that."
"In case anyone asks for your name, don't mention your surname until asked to. Even then try and come up with a fake one, if you can." He advised.
"Understood." Mimi nodded, then realised that he probably couldn't see her doing so.
They were silent again but she hadn't heard him turn away so she wondered if it was her turn to talk, maybe ask him one of the billion questions she had for him or just talk about the day in general. They used to discuss the details of a case as soon as they finished interviewing their clients or the people involved, and Yamato would always patiently listen to her opinion on the matter, maybe that's what he was waiting for right now too?
"Yamato san…"
"Yes?"
She smiled at how quickly his response came, proving her theory right.
However, the problem arose now, because she wasn't sure what she wanted to ask him. There were so many things to talk about, from his parents to his house, or his relationship with his friends and on how bad a note had things ended for him here. It was as if every minute they spent here, her questions about his past grew tenfold and while she had told him that the answers could wait earlier this evening, she didn't want to get stuck feeling clueless if Takao picked a vague argument with him again, she wanted to support him to the best of her capabilities. But at the same time, she knew that now was not the best time to get the answers to these pressing questions, she would rather do it facing him and looking into his eyes so she knew he was telling the truth.
Which is why, Mimi picked a straightforward question, the answer to which might help her understand why Yamato had taken up this case knowing very well that this was the kind of welcome he'd receive when he returned home.
"Did you say goodbye to Taichi san, before you left?"
Absolute silence followed her question and she wondered if Yamato was still breathing or not because she couldn't hear a single sound from his side of the room. Had she played her cards wrong, she thought, she hadn't wanted to upset him or make him mad at her but just understand that whether the relationship between Yamato and Taichi was in any way similar to the one between him and Takao. She wanted to know that if they found Taichi during the next few days, would he actually be willing to take Yamato's help? Was there any point in them coming this far, possibly risking their lives for someone who wouldn't even want to see Yamato?
Finally, after a few long minutes she heard a rustling of blankets from his side and figured that Yamato had turned away from her. When he spoke, his voice was louder and harsher and even though he didn't actually answer her question, Mimi still felt like she got the response she had been seeking.
"Go to sleep, Mimi. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
x
A/n: So many questions to answer, where are Ishida papa and mama, what happened to the Ishida residence, why does everyone hate Yamato and what the hell are Takao and Hiromi hiding on the second floor of the inn?
It will be a while before each question is resolved, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Two of my favourite tropes, aka 'mistaken for a couple' and 'there is only one bed' was adapted here and I had so much fun writing both the scenes! Trust me, Hiromi will ensure Yamato and Mimi are a couple before they leave Noboribetsu, she is matchmaker supreme xD
The next update will be sometime during December. Please leave a review if you can, it would mean so much to me!
