Mutsumi knows - Part 9. Making a difference.
Note: Horizontal rules within the story generally mark a change of scene or passage of time.
Finally, things are starting to look up. I haven't collapsed in more than a week, and I'm feeling better than I have in ages. The doctor says he still has his doubts, but if I want to go now he won't stop me. Searching the net I've found an apartment which is so close to Hinata-sou that only the tea shop is closer, and it's amazingly cheap too. I'm told there are drawbacks, but the only drawback that matters to me is the fact that it isn't actually Hinata-sou. Of course I couldn't apply to go to Hinata-sou without Kei-kun guessing my motivation straight away, and I'm pretty sure that he would feel obliged to turn me down, because of Na-chan. Maybe next year. Anyway, the deal has been agreed, and the rent has been paid in advance, so apartment it is. I hope that I am ready for the journey. Ready or not, I believe that I have to go now.
Now, how to get there? My family, understandably, don't want me to take a ferry, and airlines are wary of taking me because of my condition. They don't want to get their planes redirected in mid-flight, or to have passengers panicking because there's a supposed "corpse" on board.
Fortunately my uncle has come to the rescue, with his trawler. I suspect I'm taking him out of his way, but he insists that he had plans to try his luck near the Japanese mainland anyway.
He and his crew are very helpful; they keep a very close eye on me whenever I'm on deck, making sure I don't get too close to the side, and are always ready to catch me if I collapse. I spend as much time as I can below deck, though, because I don't want to be a nuisance to them. It's a little embarassing to be tied to my hammock while sleeping, because it reminds me of my "invalid" status, but I suppose it is necessary to keep me from sleepwalking off the boat. And it's done using a thin strand of wool, which can easily be broken in an emergency.
So, finally, we arrive at Hinata beach. My uncle helps me wade through the surf until I am on dry land, and then, after a brief goodbye, he heads back to his boat. The consensus is that I should be able to manage the last part of the journey on my own, but if I get lost or encounter any problems then I can return to him. He'll be there just offshore for several hours, because the boat is grounded and can't move again until the tide has turned; but in the gathering darkness his boat is hard to spot, and it's easy to imagine that I am on my own.
I imagine that I am the princess Otohime in the fairy story, leaving her undersea kingdom in search of her lost love, the hero Taro Urashima. Will I find him? I hope so. But in the story, Taro had left the undersea kingdom because he desperately wanted to be with his own kind. Will he have found his own kind? Will he want to be with them forever? Will he have forgotten all about the princess and her magical kingdom?
"Myuh!"
A familiar weight settles on my shoulder.
"Oh my!" I say. "Long time no see! Have you been good?"
It's so good to see Tama-chan again. But then I become aware of the others.
I don't understand .. what ... this isn't supposed to happen! I'm supposed to get to my apartment, and some time later meet princess Amalla and her cousin prince Lamba Lu, and only then should I be meeting kei-kun. I stand there, in shock, not knowing what to say or do.
"Mutsumi?" - Na-chan looks as shocked as I am.
"K.." Ara, I nearly said Kei-kun. I mustn't call him that, and I mustn't say Na-chan either. But what are their full names? My mind has gone blank. All I can say is "oh my", over and over; and then, "who are you again?".
"Myuh".
Thank you, Tama-chan, for coming to my rescue!
"Oh I remember now, Ms. Narusegawa and Mr. Urashima!"
"Mutsumi!" Na-chan yells.
"So good to see the two of you!" I reply.
"It's been a long time Mutsumi!" - that's Kei-kun.
Such a joyful moment, and I've waited for it for so long; but as I race towards Kei-kun's outstretched arms, my clumsiness kicks in, and I trip over the watermelon in my string bag, and go crashing down onto the beach. I try to get up, but I'm dazed and winded by the fall, and in my confusion I trip again.
"You really need to take more care, Mu-chan".
"Protectress! It's good to see you again! But does that mean I'm in one of my death-like trances? Will I have to go back to Okinawa?"
"You are in a trance, yes, but it's only a brief one. What you do next is up to you, but I suspect you'll choose to stay here, even if I advise you for the good of your health to return to Okinawa and rest there."
"Yes, I certainly want to stay here for as long as I can. I know my health matters, but being here matters too. But, why did I have to trip just at that moment? It's enough to make me dislike watermelons!"
"I know you can't be serious about that - nothing could make you dislike watermelons. But as for why: you were about to embrace Keitaro enthusiastically, and shower him with passionate kisses, weren't you?"
"Yes, I suppose so."
"Trust me, he isn't ready for it. He would feel embarrassed, and he would say 'Mutsumi, what are you doing', and Naru would get very angry. What could have been a very promising evening would end early, and on a sour note. Besides, there's your promise to Naru."
"Then I suppose it was you responsible for my tripping up? You have a strange way of protectng me sometimes."
"I do my best. But you know that there are some things I can't protect you from. In the end, I won't be able to protect you from what you desire. Not that you would want me to, of course."
I don't quite understand what she means by that. In fact there are a few things I still don't understand. So I say:
"How is any of this happening anyway? I thought I wouldn't meet Na-chan and Kei-kun until I was settled into my new apartment. What about princess Amalla and prince Lamba?"
"They aren't here yet. Because of your determination and sense of urgency you are here early, risking your health in the hope of a better outcome than the one in the anime. Because of that, some things will happen differently. In fact, because of the changes that you have initiated, the likelihood is that Amalla and Lamba won't come to Hinata at all. I have a manga you could read, which might help you to understand the changed situation".
"Is it like the anime?"
"Yes, it has a lot in common with the anime, but in some ways it is even better."
"Thanks, but no thanks. I already feel that I know too much, that I've intruded too much on the privacy of everyone at Hinata-sou. I appreciate your assistance, protectress, but I want to find my own way through."
"Just one thing more, then, Mu-chan. Tonight you will face an important decision. I pray that your choice will be the right one. Believe in yourself, and believe in your friends. See you"
After a brief chat with the other Hinata-sou residents (who I feel I know so well, even though I've met some of them only once, and others not at all) they leave me with kei-kun and Na-chan, to get reacquainted.
We
have found a good pub, and I'm having a really pleasant evening, just
drinking and chatting with my two old friends. We seem to be getting
along really well. The drink hasn't affected Naru adversely, like it
did once. I could be happy, if life was filled with moments like this.
But
there are subjects that I need to broach, and I can't bring myself to
do it just yet. I'm hoping the drinks will give me the courage I need.
I will have to confront Kei-kun about his promise, and before I can do
that I will have to confront Na-chan about my promise to her, even if
that will mar the mood of the evening.
"What's it been? Six months?" asks Naru.
"Nearly" I reply. Five months and twenty days since our meeting in Kyoto, by my reckoning. I hope I am right!
"You two were so helpful to me on that trip, I can't thank you enough" I add.
And then comes the first crunch moment, the moment I've been dreading.
"By the way, what are you doing in Hinata?" asks Na-chan.
"Um. Erm..." .. what should I say? What should I say?
"Myuh."
Tama-chan, you help me so much. I don't know how I could ever have parted with you.
"Oh,yes. I'm here to take the entrance exam! I've already found a place to stay, too."
"Wow, you're gonna be local!" says Kei-kun. "Let's celebrate! Drink up!"
And it was as easy as that, the moment that I'd been dreading. I thought somebody would ask why I had chosen to stay at a place so far away from the test centre, or why I was so early for the test, or any of a host of other questions, but nobody said anything. Could the other crunch moments pass just as easily? Maybe I've been getting myself worked up over nothing!
Still, I feel nervous. I eagerly accept the invitation to drink up, and I think I astonish Na-chan and Kei-kun with my capacity for alcohol. Actually, I astonish myself, even. And, whether it is from the drinks, or from being so happy with my friends, I do feel more and more as if I am ready for anything. I have a warm comfortable feeling inside. OK, here goes ...
"Hehehe. Oh yes, Urashima. How about this year? Tokyo U?"
"Yes" replies Kei-kun, "Naru and I will be trying to get in together".
And we have a chat, about our grades, and our chances of getting in. I make an unfortunate remark about Kei-kun's brain, intended to be a joke but I'm not very good at jokes. Still, everything seems to be going well so far, better than I had hoped. I put my hands together and say a silent prayer. Then I say out loud:
"So the three of us could be study buddies."
"Yeah" says kei-kun.
"That'd be great" adds Na-chan.
Yes! Yes! Such a perfect day so far, it feels like nothing could spoil it! But then I see Kei-kun's photo sticker album, it being the top item in the contents of his bag. I know it's private, but I just have to know - am I really in time? While Na-chan and Kei-kun are distracted by a conversation about whether we should be called the "great ronin trio", I say another silent prayer, then I sneak a look at the special page, the one that held only one photo the last time I looked.
Thank Kami-sama! I don't know what I would have done if there had been two photos. I suspect I might have put a brave face on it, but inside I would have been destroyed. It would have meant that they had already been on their very special first date. But my calculations were right, as I knew they had to be. Wait, though! The photo is dated more than ten months ago, instead of nearly six months ago. And it was taken in Hinata, not in Kyoto. Does that mean I'm here in time through sheer luck, and not because of any calculation? Whatever, I'm just too relieved to think straight now. There are other questions I need to ask, even more important than the ones I've asked already, but my mind is a blank. Not the blank I feel just before I meet my protectress, but an alcoholic blank. Best to go now, perhaps, while I still have some thought processes left. The other questions can wait.
"Well, I'll be leaving now. Bye bye!"
"You're leaving already Mutsumi?"
"Yes it's getting late, and I have to find my lodge."
"We'll take you" says Kei-kun.
"Yes, we'll worry if you go by yourself" adds Na-chan.
Ara, it's so good of them to help. I should have guessed they would. But now, what a dilemma! I don't think it would be a good idea to let them know that I know this area, and that I know where I'm heading for. I'll have to pretend I have a map. Actually, I do have a map, the map of Japan that I used to show my uncle where to drop me. It doesn't actually show Hinata, so I had to mark the spot using a biro, but they don't need to know that.
I start leading the way. Unfortunately the alcohol has taken its toll on my navigational skills. I'm not sure which way I'm going, but I doubt that it's the right way. The dead end alleys are a dead giveaway.
"Um, Mutsumi, is that map accurate? Let me see it."
Another crunch moment. Kei-kun looks at my map of Japan in disbelief. I need a distraction, quickly. Fortunately I see one.
"I know my apartment has a statue of a bird on the top. Oh look, there it is!"
"That's a bowling alley!"
"Oh my, bowling how wonderful! I've never bowled before. Can we go in? It says open 24 hours"
And we do go in, and I have a marvellous time, but getting an intense feeling of deja-vu in the process.
Final score: Nar: 211 Ura: 209 Oto: 300.
I know my protectress must have had a hand in that result, but she refuses to appear no matter which meditation I use.
Time to go, I suppose. But then I trip once again, over a bowling ball. I don't want to crash heavily into the floor again, so I reach out for something to grab hold of, anything to stop myself from falling. Unfortunately the thing I grab happens to be Naru's waistband. In an instant her trousers are down by her ankles, and she is fallen over, landing heavily on her back. I am dazed for a couple of seconds even though my fall was broken, and Na-chan is dazed too. She sits up, rubbing the back of her head.
Ara, it's times like this when I'm glad I'm a girl. I know if I'd been Kei-kun doing that then I'd have been knocked into the stratosphere! I hope that as things are Na-chan will see the funny side, and realize that it wasn't deliberate. But ... Na-chan really does have shapely legs, better than mine, I think. If I was a boy I could get aroused by looking at them .. or even if I wasn't. It really was an accident, though, I swear! I think that for all the getting knocked about that Kei-kun has to endure he deserves an occasional glimpse of legs and panties, but I hope he isn't getting too turned on by what he's seeing now. My fear is that he has enough lust for Na-chan already, and eventually he will mistake it for love, or it will turn into love.
My thoughts are interrupted by the loud thwack of a fist connecting with a chin.
"Keitaro you pervert!" - That's Naru, of course.
"Why me?" wails Keitaro, disappearing into the distance.
And something snaps inside me. Just for a short while I'm someone else, not like Mutsumi Otohime at all. I turn to Naru and shout:
"What was that for? I'm the one who pulled your pants down, and it was an accident. Urashima didn't do anything! Maybe you don't want to hit me because I'm a girl or because I'm weak, but why should he have to suffer?"
Then I go to Kei-kun, leaving Naru staring wide-eyed, and after checking that he isn't badly hurt I grab his arm and pull him along.
"I'm taking you away from this place, and away from her! She's hurt you enough for one night. Come with me!"
I'm never this forward. It has to be the drink talking. But I really can't stand seeing Kei-kun hurt. It isn't right!
I pull him outside into the street, and set off boldly, to where I know I have to go. Kei tries to struggle, but even though health-wise I am weak I have a very strong grip.
"There's something I want you to do for me. Something that you promised."
"W-where are you taking me?" he whimpers.
"Somewhere we have to go. I want you to keep your promise, tonight!"
As I continue to drag him along a neon-lit street of cheap hotels his eyes fill with what looks like panic. I almost relent, but he did promise, and he should have kept that promise.
"Mutsumi, no! I'm not ready!" he cries, but we're at the destination now. I pull him through the curtain.
And finally I have my photo-booth stickers of me and Kei-kun. I split the sheet in half, and give half to Kei-kun. I don't know what he'll do with his half, but I can hope and dream that one of them will go in his album. As for my stickers, I will treasure them always. One will go in my album, and it will always be the last sticker in the album, unless we have more pictures taken together.
Naru has caught up with us, and I feel guilty about the way I have treated her.
"I'm sorry, Naru. I don't know what came over me then. I hope you can accept my apology."
"No, I'm the one who should be apologising to you! You were right, I mean about Keitaro not having done anything. We were having such a good night, and I spoiled it! I think it was the defeat at bowling, it made me angry with myself, so I wasn't thinking straight."
"Oh, but the night isn't spoiled at all. I can't think of any time that I've enjoyed more! And now, to cap it nicely, I have the photo-stickers that Keitaro promised me. As for the bowling, if it's any consolation, I think I cheated. It would take a long time to explain how, so I hope we can leave the explanation for some other time, and I'm not absolutely sure that I did cheat. But if I did, please accept my apologies for that too."
Naru looks puzzled, but she accepts my apologies, and Kei-kun accepts my apologies for dragging him through the street without telling him where we were going, and in a minute we are all friends again.
Well, it has certainly been a momentous night. But there must be more to come, even though night is starting to turn into morning and I'm more than ready for bed. My protectress said "tonight you will face an important decision. I pray that your choice will be the right one. Believe in yourself, and believe in your friends." What was that about? Surely she couldn't have been talking about a spur-of-the moment drink-fuelled decision to have a photograph taken? What did that have to do with believing in my friends?
And then I realize that my meanderings have taken me almost in a full circle. The beach is just at the end of the road, and on it, in the pale pre-dawn light, I can see a shape that can only be my Uncle's trawler, still there but surely ready to go by now. This is my last chance to decide. I can stay in Hinata, as planned. That is certainly an attractive option. What happened in the bowling alley was a lot like the anime I saw, making me think it might be possible to "cherry pick" the best moments from the anime. That would be fun, especially the boating lake episode, but would it ultimately get me anywhere? I don't know. Alternatively, I can go home to recuperate some more, and only return to Hinata when my health is good. No, that isn't really an option, not as long as I am able to stand unaided. Or ..
"Naru, Keitaro, I owe you so much, for all the help you gave me getting home to Okinawa. I want to offer you something in return. I did come here for the exam, but really I'm much too early, and anyway it's only a mock exam, not the real thing. So, if you like, I can offer you an all-expenses-paid holiday on a beautiful Okinawan island. It's a bit late in the season, but the weather there should still be fine and sunny. And we can study there as well, so you don't need to worry about falling behind in your work - I've got lots of textbooks there. The only snag is you have to decide right now whether you want to go or not. I should be most honoured and grateful if you would accept"
Only one review for the last chapter. I hope that means that everyone else is really satisfied with the way the story is going. If you're not satisfied, please speak out - otherwise, how will I know?
To forestall one criticism: Yes, I know Mutsumi's burst in the bowling alley is out of character. Blame alcoholic drink (hers or mine, take your pick). I know that in the manga she has been drinking and she doesn't react in that way, but that is because the Mutsumi in the manga has just a short while earlier had the devastating blow of seeing two pictures on the special page in Keitaro's album, and having the significance of this confirmed by Tama-chan. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Trent Easton: Thanks for the positive comments. I will try to explore Mutsumi's sexuality further in the forthcoming chapters, though exploring sexuality maybe isn't my strongest suit.