The Shifting Age Chapter 1
'Project: Little Boy' Part 2
Two days prior to Little Boy Operation; August 4, 1945 (Tsuzuki)
Hey, how are you feeling today?
Good? Well, that's nice to hear… As for me, I've been feeling quite nauseous ever since yesterday's meeting.
Tatsumi walked me home last night. Although, I'm still kind of annoyed that he didn't just ask me to stay the night over in his Meifu quarters—it was a few blocks nearer here than my apartment, after all. But no, instead, he had to walk me home when I was this close to sleeping on the floor already.
And to think that The Big Day was getting nearer. Brrrrrr!
Between you and me, I didn't get much sleep when I got home, either. Just don't tell Tatsumi, or anyone else for that matter, because they're gonna be all worried about silly old me. Not that I need them to think about anything else, especially not my sleeping schedule, at this particular point in history.
Hey, by the way, this morning, I got a quick sermon of sorts. It wasn't much, just Hanagawa-Kacho checking up on how I felt about the whole thing. I guess my seniors were right when they said we should be professional and all.
Don't you agree? After all, we can't do anything about it now, ne? We're just dead people, really. It probably wouldn't hurt to have a few more dead guys hanging around in the world of the dead. For all we know, the next generation of Shinigami might be among the to-be bomb victims. (Er… nasty image I had in my mind just then, about bombed Shinigami working here. Aghh…)
Hey, what are you making that face for? Don't get me wrong—it's not like we don't mind that an innocent part of our native land was going to be blown away on August-oh-six. We're nice people here in Meifu, really.
But you know, after all that feel-good talk, I still can't brag that I'm okay with everything.
After all, I just learned that my country's gonna be attacked by a few White Men, you know. And all the women, the children, the happy people there in Hiroshima… they're gonna die. I'm sorry if I keep rubbing it in your face. I mean, you must have taken this way better than I did—everyone else did a better job at remaining calm during the meeting. Hmf.
Well, how did you feel when you first heard that from Kacho? At that time, I personally couldn't stand it… I wanted to hit him then, square in the face. How could he be so calm about it::sigh: Even though he's actually a very nice and jolly man, he's often overshadowed by his boring duties as our Chief.
Kind of reminds you of Tatsumi, doesn't it?
Bah. It pains my head if I think about things too much like that.
Agh, how I hate this!
Tatsumi says I should really take it easy. He says it's not my fault. But I don't understand… How can letting them just die not be my fault? If we could help it, why let it happen at all?
Tatsumi could be so thick sometimes. No matter what he did, he simply can't understand how I feel. It's not as if my feelings were that complicated or anything.
Oh, yeah! You don't know my friends yet. Well, well, let me, Mr. Superior-IQ, introduce them to you. Dum-dee-dum-dum! This is gonna be fun!
Okay, let's start with… me!
Ehem, ehem.
Tsuzuki Asato, Tokyo native, born in the Meiji year, 1900, died at 26. 19 years a member of the Summons Division. Commander of the twelve most powerful Shikigami.
Beware of my wrath! Bwahahaha! Pretty impressive-sounding, yeah? But it's nothing big, really. I love my Shiki and they love me too. Happy, happy, we are.
Moving on, we have Bachelor number-two!
Tatsumi Seiichiro, Tokyo native, born 1913; died at 29 in the winter of 1942. Three years working for Meifu as the infamous Tsuzuki Asato's partner-Shinigami, controlling Enma-Cho in Tokyo. Currently mastering Kagetsukai.
He doesn't want to admit it, but he's very good with those shadow stuff. Creeepy. He's been the longest-termed partner I've had in my stay here. Yet, of all the partners I've had, he's the one I can't manage to get too close to. He's scary at times. Always work before play. And money, money, money…
Hmf, before I get too depressed over my relationship with him (and there's nothing romantic here, hey!), let's move on. Let me see… Who else…?
Hanagawa-Kacho? Well, I don't know much about him, really, except that he's been here a little longer than I have. I don't have his files in my mind-database, sorry. Oh! But his partner is none other than good-man Konoe. I say he's a good man because he likes sweet stuff too.
Hmm. How about I tell you about the two most wonderful people in Meifu?
Presenting… my best-est friends!
Iwada Kinichiro, 24, came to Meifu a year before his partner. The only one of four Masters of Elemental Magic still in service to Meifu (all the other 3 had retired one by one several decades back). The most powerful in the whole of Meifu, being in control of one of the basic elements; not needing the help of a Shiki or any other magic. Was not made Head of The Summons Division, however, because of strong attachments to his partner. Can but will never work alone or without Kasano.
Ne, ne, I call him Kicchan! He says I'm the only one in the universe who can call him that! Waiiii he's very nice to me. We bake cakes during Sundays in my house. Sometimes, though, we just buy from Uncle Tony's. Good stuff.
Okay, now, his partner:
Kasano Yuumei, appointed Moon Guardian before his death at 22 years old. Cause of death: Self-sacrifice to the moon god, and reportedly due to a cult prophecy of having to follow the Water Master in the next life. Part of a moon-worshipping cult as a living man. Master of the Shadow art, Kagetsukai, and plays mentor to Tatsumi Seiichiro.
He's even more serious than Tatsumi at most times, but he's pretty funny too. I asked him once, that since I could call Kinichiro "Kicchan", can I call him, Kasano, "Kaachan"? He got reeeaaaal angry. But it's okay, 'cause he really looks cute like that. Besides, my body was 26 years old, I looked much more intimidating.
Kasano-senpai and Kicchan are 78 and 79 years ahead of my time of employment respectively. They're really old, but they don't look like it at all.
Okay. We're done and set now. And anyway, I gotta bounce; Tatsumi's probably looking for my time-stamp reports on last week's case. Well, see ya!
---
Hiroshima mayday; August 6, 1945 (Tatsumi)
5:00 AM
"Tsuzuki-san, wake up."
Most of us had decided to spend the night here in the office. Some, however, had gone home late last night, owing to the fact that as much as we needed to be near one another for the Big Day that was to come, we needed to rest too.
My partner and I decided to stay here, however uncanny that seems.
There had been a weird party-of-sorts last night. And although no one had stated it, I'm pretty sure it felt like a huge farewell party to most of us who were there, toasting our coffee mugs together like drunken maniacs who couldn't tell much difference between red and blue.
The atmosphere was almost a desperate happiness. Like, somehow, we needed to pretend that we were all okay until tomorrow came, or for as long as Tsuzuki dared to sing the national anthem in a capella, which, surprisingly enough, not many had complained about. But nonetheless, the place was filled with cheery people, and if it were not for occasional forced smiles piercing the awkward laughter, one could think we were just having a mini-after-work-get-together.
It was all silly, really. Personally, I still couldn't bring myself to believe that I had slept on the floor in my carefully-ironed suit, side-by-side with other men who had been quite busybodies in sleep, kicking and thrashing at me while I tried my hand on the deadly epidemic called 'sleep'.
Now, it was 5 in the morning, and I had just officially been crowned for my membership to the Early Birds Organization when Chief Hanagawa and a couple of other EB-Org senior members greeted me my first "Good morning" for the day.
Squinting in the dim light, I immediately turned to my partner without tearing my back from the floor where my partner was sprawled on the floor beside me, to wake him up from his heavenly sleep. I don't know why I even bothered—it just felt like the normal thing to do first thing on the day your country was going to be bombed.
"Hi no maru" Tsuzuki mumbled a semblance of the national anthem sleepily, seemingly not aware that he was being pulled from Dreamland. At least that brought me back to my senses. I didn't try to wake him up after that.
I looked around me for the first time today. I realized that outside, the sun was still dozing off, and that the only light in the room was coming from the hallway that led to the comfort rooms. I stood up to walk in that direction, thinking that relieving my body of excess caffeinated liquids from last night's antics would do me some good.
When I stood up, I stayed there, taking time to observe the people around me. First, I saw the sleeping form of my partner in its entirety. Then I regarded the other bodies lying beside him. There was Masahiro, the jolly 15-year-old kid who (not surprisingly) got along well with Tsuzuki, curling into a tight ball beside him. A foot from where I was once sleeping, Nagano, the feisty secretary, was dozing off peacefully, his head propped under both upturned palms and his left leg crossed over the other like he was just taking a nap under the Sakura tree outside. Then on the long couch, four people were squeezing together in what must have been an uncomfortable sitting-sleep. The very far left had Kasano who was staring at me as I regarded the place, his partner apparently still asleep on the pillow it had made out of his body. Konoe was also there next to them, head tilted back on the wall and mouth hanging open in his snore-filled slumber. There was an empty space beside him, and that's where, I think, Hanagawa-Kacho had been earlier. The two side-couches were occupied by the ladies, Miyuki and Nanase, the latter making good use of Konoe's rather abnormally large handkerchief as a makeshift blanket over her shivering torso.
I found that even if I strained my eyes, I couldn't make out the other bodies lying on the makeshift beds we made on the floor (which was really nothing more than towels, spare blankets, tablecloths and the like), but I'm certain there was more dead men sleeping than those I'd described. And there, all I could see was a mass of human silhouettes squeezed together in the small common room we had dared call 'home' after the mini-celebration we had not too long ago.
There was something rather eerie about the picture it was painting, although, I choose to believe that it was actually beautiful. I didn't find that hard to believe. It was beautiful. But with a sinking feeling settling in my chest, I knew, just then, that even if I wished hard for this peaceful little family (my first real family) to stay like this forever—not exquisitely happy but not unhappy either—I knew… it wouldn't be long before I had to say goodbye to this. I wouldn't even be able to stop it if we started falling apart…
And, just like my disapproving relatives used to tell me when I was all flesh, I realized…
I am a useless man, after all.
"Want some more coffee, Tatsumi-kun?" although Hangawa-Kacho's voice was painfully obviously on the humorous side, it took me a while to realize that he was joking. It was either because the last train of thought in my head was rather depressing, or that I was not a man of humor at all.
I managed a smile. "I was just going to the comfort room to rid myself of it." And with that, I walked towards our only source of light.
When I got there, Rin, a Japanese-grown Chinese member of our division, greeted me a cheery good morning.
I bent over the sink to wash my face with the cool water. "So… ready for later, big guy?" he asked me.
I found that I was unsure of how I should answer. "I suppose so. I mean, what good does crying over spilled milk do? If Kacho says there's no way we can help the situation, I guess I'm okay that at least I could help clear the place up instead," I answered.
He gave me a quick-lived smile, and he sighed. "Youthful optimism, that is." Normally, I would have been annoyed that he had even said that, he having died at only 20, while I outlived him by nine years. Then I remembered that he had been here way before I was, and quickly dismissed the thought of retorting something about that.
Well, I left it at that and decided to get some breakfast instead. I gathered the Early Birds and invited them with me to get something to eat at the office cafeteria, and was surprised to see Tsuzuki waking up the instant I mentioned 'food'. By now, a little less than half of us had awakened and were now off to the cafeteria. On the way there, we found that some others who had the revered sanity to go home last night had come to work early to check up on us. We were supposed to teleport to Hiroshima at around 6 AM anyway, so it wasn't at all that absurd to be here an hour earlier.
Hiroshima mayday; August 6, 1945 (Tsuzuki)
5:20 AM
"Oh, wow, you're up already!"
I looked up at the source of the feminine voice, although not really needing to do that if my aim was to find out who it was. There weren't many female members in the house. "Oh, good morning, Miyuki-chan!" I greeted back.
We all took our seats in our normal lunch-break position, though we were a little crammed up today, seeing as that we've never actually eaten all at once. Some guys, like Chief and Nagano and Rin, traditionally preferred to have lunch a little later than most of us.
But, I must admit, this is actually exciting, like this. That we were all squeezed up in this tiny room. Like we were little kids going to a school trip or something, or maybe students staying at a dorm, and waking up to the sound of a mom-less, bratty-sister-less morning and instead finding beloved friends to share said morning with.
It was just such a lovely morning!
"Tsuzuki-san, you can have my cake, if you want," that was Tatsumi, gesturing towards his oh-so-untouched cake.
"But… Tatsumi, you have to eat. You know, gotta be full of energy later on," even to my own ears, I kinda sounded like I was begging to be disproved. Which was kind of true, although Tatsumi really did need to eat something…
Tatsumi gave me this cute little smile that said I should just take it anyway, even if it was unreasonable. It was cute, yeah, but it was scary too. He shoved the cake down my plate anyway. "I'm not really feeling hungry. Besides, you need your strength too," he said. I had a feeling he was not referring to physical strength.
At times like this, there was only one way to deal with Tatsumi – cuddle with him.
"Aww, geez, Tatsumiiii, you're so nice!" I flung my arms around his neck and he visibly stiffens – he wasn't used to this at all and neither was I, but I found it addicting when I had my first cuddle a decade ago. If I wanted to leave a legacy in Meifu, I wanted it to be that Shinigami could freely cuddle with each other. Shinigami were reeeally lonely people, you see.
Nanase and her partner Masahiro made fun of us by making smooching sounds and repeatedly hinting, "Kiss-y, kiss-y, Tatsumi and Tsuzuki!" But it was all good-natured. I think.
I smiled at them and rubbed my cheek against Tatsumi's smooth face, and reveled at the rare moment when my partner lost his composure over what I did.
"Tsuzuki," a deep voice called. I let go of Tatsumi's neck and turned to face the ever-serious face of my best friend's partner, Kasano-niisan.
I flashed him an innocent smile and wondered for a second what was going on in his mind. "Do you have a minute?" he asked. I nodded and followed him out of the dining room.
"It might be hard to believe but…" he began slowly, walking side by side with me until we left the room.
"Hanagawa-Kacho told me just now. He says the number of names appearing in the Kiseki still hasn't stopped increasing. By now, the count is a 5-digit number.," he began softly, so that I had to strain my ears to catch his words. The Shinigami were making way too much noise in the cafeteria.
"Five-digit number?" I paused to think of a figure. Around ten-twenty-thirty-forty thousand? No way! "That's… that's a lot…" Oh, gods, stop writing names on the Kiseki, dammit!
"Tsuzuki," he called me again. There was a hint of worry in his voice. "Many of us here have worked for JuuOhCho for many decades now… I'm not sure if you understand me very much, but this project means a lot to most of the older Shinigami."
"Why?" I couldn't help the bitterness in my tone. "It means a lot to me too! I mean, I know… even if I stay here and work for another hundred years, I will never forget it. After all, how can you forget something like… like this? So… Why is it special only to you?" I was feeling worse, actually, than what I had voiced just now.
He sighed, sweeping long, ebony black bangs away from his almost silver face. "You know that most of our much older friends… the ones who have already moved on, were from the age of the samurai, don't you?"
I nodded, remembering my first-ever partner with fondness. He was an uptight but secretly sweet samurai with a stubby nose. It made him look kinder than how he spoke to others, really. "Yes. Yes, I remember, some of our Senpai were samurai. Heiirakawa-san was a ninja, though. What about them?" I asked.
Kasano-nii led me to the common room and we settled by the spot beside the head-to-toe-sized window that gave us a good view of the sunrise. He looked at me with those physically young, but deep, old, and knowing black eyes, and I couldn't help but stare back at them, mainly because they looked like blackberries.
"Well, they never told you why only some of them were left, did they? When you got here—1926, wasn't it?—a great number of the older Shinigami had already decided to move on... during the year of Meiji, in 1900."
Tsuzuki felt an unwelcome shiver run down his spine. "That's when I was born…"
Kasano chuckled. "No, they didn't crossover because they didn't want to have to work with you, don't worry. This office was just filled with so much superstition back then… They said that when the Meiji year arrived, the son of the devil himself will come and it will be the end of the world. So… largely, the cowards asked to move on."
"Okaaaay… But what does it have to do with this one? 1945… is this a special year? …Sorry, I don't know anything at all," I apologized embarrassedly.
"Well… This is one of those… perfect excuses for some Shinigami to move on. Back then, the 1990 being the year of the devil was just a secret way to get away from here… to die peacefully."
My eyebrows were furrowing in confusion. Wait… Perfect excuse, this? I think I lost him there… "I still don't understand…"
"Well, it's like this. If I were to go to you one day to tell you I'd decided to cross over, what will you do?"
I wasn't sure what he was getting at, so I just said what came to my mind first, "I'll stop you, of course! I don't want you to go! Besides, what about Kicchan?"
"See that?" he grinned. "It's hard to accept it as easily, than if I just said 'I want to move on because the devil's son is coming', or 'the remainder of my family bloodline in Hiroshima is gonna die anyway', isn't it? You understand now, don't you?"
"…" I couldn't help but frown. "That's… that's a pretty stupid reason."
He almost laughed at that, but I couldn't see what was so funny. Really, it was a stupid excuse to move on. Shinigami aren't Shinigami if we're scared of admitting that, are we?
Kasano-nii brought his hand to my hair and stroked it gently, almost like how a mother would. It was heavily contradicting with how I felt, but I found myself giving him a lopsided grin. Something good friends gave each other. He then said, "Keep smiling, Tsuzuki. This age will pass, too, and a new one will come. Although, I hope you will never forget this one. They were really good memories to keep, no?"
Oh, so that was it.
I think that's what he tried to tell me—be strong, because this age will come to pass too, like so many years have come and gone.
I think I can try my best and work hard later.
/to be continued
Not much for this chapter. Filler-thingie, this one. I just wanted to establish some things, so that the following chapters will go on smoothly. I'll try my best, and while I'm at it, please support me. Give me some food and review, please. :-) Even just for acknowledgement that you've read my work. (I slaved so hard to do research on this. --)
Next chapter: May Day!
-Deep Color