Chapter 8: Transfers
Tokyo, August 2006
Noll let out a sigh. There was no point in hiding it.
"She found us."
Gene blinked at his outright admission.
"Huh?"
Noll took this moment to walk past him. He kneeled down in front of his backpack and went through all of his shirts until he found the offending device.
"What are you doing?"
"She found us." Noll held up a small metallic item. "With this."
"What?" Gene took it out of his hand. "I don't get it, When did this happen?"
He stood up again.
"You were right. Someone did follow us around in Yokohama and Kyoto, and it was Haruka."
This answer appeared to give Gene a sense of gratification. His eyes glittered.
"So I wasn't imagining it!"
"Indeed."
He smiled.
"How did she look like? Was she... pretty?"
Noll frowned at his questions. "Idiot. That's of no importance. Haruka disguised herself."
"Why would she disguise herself?"
He sighed. "Put yourself in her position. With an ability like hers, she may even attract top criminals all over the world."
Gene's smile dropped.
"Criminals?"
He shrugged.
"People might want to use her to win lotteries and the like. It's easy to think they would want to use her for financial gains."
"No way... That's just sad."
"Haruka put herself... and us at risk."
Gene scowled.
"If it was that much of a danger, then why didn't you call out to me?"
"I can't put both of us in danger."
"But-"
Noll shook his head.
"If something had happened to me, I could at least reach out to you for help."
Gene was not satisfied.
"Noll, you can't leave me out of this." Noll took the device out of Gene's hand. "Wait, what are you-"
Noll crushed it inside his palm.
"Ah." Gene's mouth fell open.
"She won't need this anymore." Noll put it in the bin, then happen to notice something on the table. A lighter? "Why is this here?"
He reached out, but Gene grabbed it before he could touch it.
"Nothing. I found this on the balcony. I'm going to hand this to the receptionist tomorrow morning." Gene put it on the night table next to his bed.
"I see..." Noll frowned.
Suspicious.
"So, uh, let me confirm something. What about Haruka's height? That's not something she could easily fake."
His behavior was strange, but Noll decided against asking further.
He pointed a finger at his shoulder. "At least a head shorter than us."
"She was definitely that girl at the temple..."
Gene sat down on the bed.
"Why did she wait to meet with you until now?
Noll sat down as well and weaved his fingers together.
"To confirm the future we are now facing," he said. "She wanted to see if it was right..."
Gene grabbed his shoulder without warning.
"Wait, hold on. She had another vision? About you?"
He frowned at the hand and pulled it off. "Yes."
"What did she see?"
"Crows."
Gene tilted his head.
"Crows?"
"Apparently, that was the only word that came to her mind."
"Literally or figuratively?"
"What do you think?"
Gene crossed his legs on the bed and pondered.
"...In the most literal sense of the word, the birds? The big ones or small ones?"
"What?"
His brother almost shouted.
"Did you see the crows in Shibuya? They were huge. They're nothing like the crows back home!"
Noll winced at his loud voice. He remembered very well.
Though they had seen the crows in the trees of Shinjuku's park, they only saw the birds up close for the first time in an alleyway of Shibuya. The crows were picking at a plastic bag with food scraps until they were chased away by an irritated shopkeeper.
"Yes, but I don't think she was speaking of literal crows. She seemed... confused."
Gene folded his arms.
"Then what about crows as a metaphor. It would explain her confusion."
"I see. So you arrive at the same point. The words of William James."
"Who else?" Gene smirked. "After all, there's no greater treasure than a 'white crow'."
Noll sighed.
The old men in the Society for Psychical Research continually harped on about their psychic abilities. The twins were considered to be the 'White Crows' of SPR. The term was coined by a man named William James, who once said; "To upset the conclusion that all crows are black, there is no need to seek demonstration that no crow is black; it is sufficient to produce one white crow; a single one is sufficient."
Even if the two of them were 'white crows', neither Noll or Gene had the intention of getting caught in a neverending cycle of experiments. Noll saw enough of it after a year since he was discovered to be a 'white crow'. Those experiments served no purpose other than gratifying the whims of the old guard.
"If the vision concerns myself, then it would be easy to use that metaphor."
"But what did she see? If Haruka did not understand, then we might."
They looked down at the envelope in Noll's hand.
"Oh, I see. You brought it to her on purpose."
Noll smirked at him.
"I don't know if it works."
I don't know if I want to see it.
However, Gene looked optimistic.
"We could try."
Noll furrowed his eyebrows.
"What do you mean 'we'?"
"You could show me. Transfer the vision to me."
Gene stared into his eyes.
"Please Noll. If it's about you, then I need to know about it."
"Gene..."
His brother leaned forward.
"I have to see it. What if we see different things?"
Noll shook his head.
"It won't happen. She used it on me."
"Come on, Noll. I have to know what happens to you."
"It's not definite."
"I know that, I just-"
"You're scared."
Gene widened his eyes, then looked down at his hands.
"...Yes."
"...Fine then," he said with some reluctance.
Noll sat himself on his bed and opened the envelope in his hand. Gene positioned himself in front of him. He grabbed Noll's shoulders and pulled him closer until they could hear each other's breaths. Noll hovered his fingertips over the paper.
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
He closed his eyes.
There was a very strong pull on the letter. It sucked him in. The feeling was different, fresh, and faraway.
A notebook. A pair of weary gloves. A battered door. Boxes everywhere. Gathered by crows. Each from one crow. No knives. I'm done for today. Just stay away.
Noll stared up at the ceiling with Gene lying still on top of him. He was caught in a tight embrace. Someone breathed hard into his ear. Then a sob.
...I don't understand.
I don't want this.
Stay here with me.
I'm scared.
He wasn't sure whether it was Gene or himself who thought that. His mind was muddled with various thoughts. Foreign emotions had slipped in. He remembered every detail of that vision, and yet he did not understand. He did not want to understand. He did not want to explore the possibility of that happening in the future.
It was the fear of not knowing what was to come.
His hands moved on their own accord to Gene's back. The pillow was wet with tears.
I shouldn't have shown him.
His eyelids closed and he entered a deep sleep.
I should never show him again...
Hours later, Noll awoke in the early morning light. There was a faint smell of burning paper. The light came from the balcony where a boy stood.
Gene...
Gene looked down at the lighter in his hand.
Noll widened his eyes.
Did he just...?
The envelope was already nowhere to be seen.
Gene held up the letter in his other hand. Soon after, the letter smoldered away and scattered in the wind.
Too late.
Noll closed his eyes again.
No, he should not depend on her any longer.
He could only hope for a change outside of Haruka's scope.
Tokyo, October 2006
Christopher descended the stairs from his home to the shop on the first floor. His younger sister Yumi followed closely after him, humming to the melody of a pop song.
"Good morning," they said to the middle-aged man behind the counter. He looked up and pointed at the boxes in front of him.
"Lunch."
"Thanks dad."
Christopher took his lunch box and put it in his shoulder bag.
"Dad. Who dropped by just now?" Yumi asked, taking her own lunch box.
They had heard the chime ringing downstairs while eating breakfast in the morning. It was the only unusual event on an otherwise ordinary school day.
"Kawamoto-san," their father said.
Kawamoto and their father Taichi belonged to the neighbour association.
Christopher and Yumi exchanged looks with each other. Why was that guy still coming over here?
"Is it about the rumor?" Yumi asked.
Taichi nodded.
"Some people did move into the empty flat over the weekend."
"Seriously?" Christopher blanched. "This soon? It's only been a year."
His sister cringed. "Ewww. I wouldn't want to live there."
Taichi frowned at her.
"Yumi!"
She backed off with a grin.
"Sorry. I'm going. Hurry, Junya. You'll be late!"
Yumi dashed through the door and took the bike stalled outside the shop. They watched her ride away. Father sighed and muttered something incomprehensible. Christopher took this as a cue to leave as well, but his father continued to speak.
"They probably don't know," he said, and leaned over the counter. "I heard they're foreigners."
Christopher turned to look over his shoulder.
"A foreign family? That's not unusual though. Some of Yumi's classmates live in that flat building too."
Father shook his head.
"It's not a family. They're three young men."
Christopher raised an eyebrow.
Now that is unusual.
"...Did Kawamoto-san see them?"
He shrugged. "I don't think so."
"Hmm. Must be the cheap rent..." Christopher muttered to himself. He pulled the door open.
Ten minutes later he arrived in the classroom. He had a window seat in the back, right behind his friends. After seating himself, Christopher yawned out loud.
The boy in front of him grinned over his shoulder.
"Stayed up all night, eh?"
"Shut up, Owen."
The short girl next to Owen turned as well.
"World of Warcraft?"
"My cousin in Glasgow wanted to play."
His cousin had come over to Japan this summer and got him into playing World of Warcraft.
Owen grimaced. "Again? Doesn't he have any friends over there?"
Devi chuckled.
"I think it's the other way around."
"Yes, very funny." Christopher rolled his eyes. He glanced to the front of the classroom. "Anyway, what's taking so long to start -"
Devi gave him a look. "Transfer student, remember?"
"Oh, shit. I forgot."
"You forgot? You're finally getting a neighbour," she said, "I was starting to feel bad for you!"
Christopher stared down at the empty table next to him. Truthfully, he was wary about dealing with a new neighbour. What if he turned out to be a twat?
"I'd rather not."
Devi scoffed. "Christopher. Do yourself a favor and get a new friend."
He groaned.
"Stick your damn nose elsewhere."
Owen put a hand on her shoulder.
"That's not nice, Devi... He can hang out with us anytime."
She shrugged and turned around without a word. Owen made an apologetic smile.
Christopher sighed and stared at the door.
Ever since Owen and Devi started dating at the end of the previous school year, their time spent together as a group of friends had decreased, as expected. He simply had to get used to the new situation, but still... it didn't mean he'd have to make new friends just because of them. It was only a pain because he wasn't close to anyone else at school apart from them and his childhood friend Takeo. Takeo went to the same school, but he was in Upper Sixth. On top of that they barely shared any hobbies.
"So. What do we know about this guy?" Christopher said. "Other than what they told us."
Few things were known about the transfer student.
Firstly, he was male and had lived in England. Secondly, the boy would transfer in at the beginning of October. As a result, the seat next to Christopher had remained empty since the start of the school year last month.
"I heard his GCSE marks were off the charts," Owen said.
"Seriously?"
"I overheard Mrs Cuningham raving about him last week. He must be a bookworm."
It was unusual for someone to transfer in one month into Lower Sixth. It would have to take a person with very good reputation and grades to get accepted this easily - at least, that's what they had heard.
"Hey." Devi turned around again. "Take your chance. He's new, so he's in need of friends too. So you can nerd it out together!"
"Shut up."
The door opened. His classmates went silent. Mrs Cuningham had arrived.
"Good morning, class. As I announced to you last month, you will have a new classmate joining you today." She turned her head. "Well, come in. Don't be shy."
Everyone in class held their breaths.
Their new classmate passed through the doorway. A mop of silky black hair partially covered his pale-skinned profile. Though he appeared to be Asian, he seemed rather tall for his age.
The boy stopped next to Mrs Cuningham and turned on his heel.
The girls gasped. The boys stared. No one could take their eyes off him.
They had expected a nerd with average looks, but not this.
His face was extraordinarily beautiful. His eyes were dark and his long eyelashes contrasted sharply against the whiteness of his skin. He was still rather boyish, but even Christopher could tell that he would grow up to be a very handsome man.
"Wow," Devi whispered. "He's gorgeous."
Christopher didn't look half bad himself, but that that kind of face made him abandon any aspiration of becoming a model. It was nearly unreal how good-looking he was.
"Dear students, this is Eugene Davis."
Christopher blinked.
The name doesn't match his looks...
That in itself wasn't unusual at this school, but it always peaked his curiosity.
"Eugene had outstanding GSCE marks at his previous school in Cambridge. Ranked second in his last year-"
While Mrs Cuningham rattled on about the new boy, everyone in class started whispering.
"He's hot."
"Is he a model?"
"He looks like he could be an idol."
The teacher coughed to get the class's attention. "Now, please introduce yourself."
Eugene appeared to be taken aback by Mrs Cuningham's unnecessary introduction, but quickly recovered himself. With a soft voice he started to speak. Everyone went silent.
"Uh, good morning. My name is Eugene Davis, but you can call me Gene if you like. I'm from Cambridge and I came here with my family who will be working here in Tokyo. I hope to get along with you all."
Then he flashed a drop-dead gorgeous smile, which earned more whispers and giggles from the girls in the classroom. It was a brief introduction, but he made a good impression.
No one in his classroom stood out in terms of looks and intelligence, so when someone walked in who had these properties in spades the dams broke through easily. If Christopher had been a level 25 magician, Eugene Davis would be a level 99 knight.
"Good. Any empty seats here?" The teacher called out, looking over the classroom.
"Here." Christopher held up a hand.
"Ah, next to Christopher. The girl in front of him is Devi. She's the Vice Chair of the Student Union. Feel free to ask her for information about the school if anything's unclear."
Eugene nodded.
"I will."
He walked to the back of the backroom. The class became noisy. Multiple girls in the aisle blushed and gawked. He pulled the chair out of the table next to Christopher, and sat himself.
Christopher stuck out a hand. "I'm Christopher Arakawa. Nice to meet you."
Eugene took his hand and gave it a firm and brief shake. "Eugene. It's pleasure."
Devi turned around.
"I'm Devi. If you have any questions, please ask right away!"
"Thanks, I appreciate it!"
"And this is Owen. My boyfriend."
He turned and gave Eugene a short handshake.
"Owen Hayward." Owen briefly glanced at Christopher. "By the way, Christopher is in charge of guiding male students around this place."
Christopher frowned.
"Since when?"
"Just now," Owen said. "As of this year we're in a new building. Help him locate all mens' toilets."
Christopher groaned.
The British School in Tokyo had moved to a newly renovated accommodation on the campus of the Showa Women's University in August. So they all had to get used to the new building.
Eugene laughed. "Oh yeah, I noticed that!"
"We used to be in Shibuya, but the place got too crowded to accommodate all students." Devi explained. "The school now has two campuses."
"Christopher got lucky because he lives nearby," Owen said. "I have to travel further to the campus now. It sucks."
Eugene turned his head to Christopher and was about to say something, but at that moment the teacher clapped.
"Class is starting. Pay attention!"
In class, Eugene never hesitated to speak up or ask questions. Every time he did or said something, he had the class's attention. He seemed friendly and charismatic. In other words, it looked like he would fit right in. Unlike Devi's prediction, Eugene would have no trouble making friends. He didn't seem like a bookworm or nerd at all.
The lessons passed uneventfully.
However, lunch break was a different story.
Before Christopher could even speak to him, half of the class surrounded their table at once. Girls and boys started bombarding him with questions. Their new classmate responded in kind and basked in their attention for at least five whole minutes. Owen and Devi joined in, but Christopher couldn't do much else than listen. He tried to think of questions of his own, but others claimed them before him. It got annoying after a while, so he gave up on asking anything.
This is what he garnered from the conversations: Eugene was born in the United States and lived in Cambridge in the UK since he was eight years old. Though he looked fully Asian, Eugene was quarter Irish and three-quarters Japanese. That would explain his full Western name. His mother worked as a dental assistant and his father taught law at Cambridge University. When asked if he had siblings, he replied that he had a brother who recently started to work as a researcher in Japan. That seemed rather unusual; most students came to Japan with their parents. Eugene had laughed, saying he took the opportunity to come here with his brother, because he liked Japan so much. Then the boys asked what sports Eugene did, which was football and skateboarding. They excitedly asked him to join their team.
Christopher had no interest in the subject. Normally, he would try to tune out the conversation, but it was too noisy.
So he rose from his chair, towering over the other classmates. It caught their attention at once. Everyone looked up to him. Eugene's eyes went wide, perhaps noticing for the first time how tall his neighbour was.
"Sorry guys. Nature is calling."
Their classmates made some space. Christopher escaped the crowd and made his way to the door.
"Wait, Christopher!"
He turned around.
It was Eugene. His new classmate had somehow managed to disperse the crowd and had left his own seat without much trouble. Their classmates scattered into their own corners of the class or began to leave the room as well.
"...Could you show me around a little?"
"Alright." Christopher said. "I thought you were going to stay here."
Eugene laughed a little.
"Haha, as much as I'd like to keep answering their questions, I think that would take up all of my break. And... I need to go too."
Christopher turned.
"Okay. I'll show you to the toilets."
After taking Eugene to the toilets, which wasn't far or hidden - Owen was exaggerating, Christopher showed him around the school.
Walking around with Eugene turned out to be an experience in itself. Heads turned on every corner. It almost felt like he was walking an unicorn in the hallways of the school.
After going outside for an view of the school grounds, Eugene started a conversation.
"So you live nearby..."
Christopher nodded.
"Yeah, I do. Somewhere in Sangenjaya. It's not far from here."
Eugene's eyes gleamed.
"Me too. We could be neighbours!"
"Really? Where's your place?"
He expressed a sheepish smile. "I can't remember the exact address, but there's a Seven Eleven opposite our flat."
Christopher paused. It did sound like a place he knew.
Could it be...?
"Hmm, then do you know Arakawa donuts?"
"No? It doesn't ring a bell."
It wasn't...?
"That's my father's shop. My family and I live on the second floor."
Eugene grinned.
"Oh. I'll make sure to pay it a visit!"
"Cool. Want to come over after school?"
"Sure!"
After school ended, Christopher and Eugene headed to Sangenjaya neighbourhood by foot. As it turned out, Eugene was a perfectly normal person and easy to get along with. Thankfully, he wasn't a twat as Christopher had feared.
"Hey Christopher, do you know of any part-time jobs I could do? Preferably somewhere close to home."
"Part-time jobs?" Christopher said. "How about modelling?"
It was the first thing that came to mind, but Eugene seemed uncertain.
"Modelling?"
"Yeah, I think it would make a lot of money. And there are tons of agencies in Shibuya."
"...I don't think it's possible for me."
"Huh? Why not?"
Eugene gave him a half-smile.
"...My family wouldn't allow it," he said. "Besides, I don't want to depend on my face too much."
"I see..."
That was a reasonable explanation, so he dropped the subject. Christopher himself was never approached by a modelling scout, but his younger sister had been. Yumi was flattered, but she had turned down the offer for the same reason. Not to mention she was too young.
Eventually Eugene and Christopher stopped in front of the cafe.
The name plate on the window said: Arakawa Donuts.
"Oh! It's smaller than I thought it would be."
Christopher grinned.
"The selection is great though."
He opened the door.
His father stood behind the counter. As usual, Christopher resumed to speaking in Japanese.
"I'm back." Christopher announced. He gazed at the back of the cafe. No one was there.
Eugene followed after him.
"Good afternoon!"
Taichi nodded at him.
"Your friend?"
"My name is Eugene Davis. I'm Christopher's classmate."
"He sits next to me," Christopher added.
"Oh, where are you from?"
"From Cambridge. I just moved here in the weekend."
His father's eyes widened. Christopher could already see his grey mass working.
Not now.
"Dad. He's looking for work."
Father looked from his son to Eugene.
"Work?"
"Perhaps here?"
"Hmm..." Father scratched beneath his chin. "How's your Japanese?"
"My Japanese? I'm fluent, I guess."
"How about reading?" Christopher asked. "You said you're doing Japanese A levels, right?"
Eugene grinned.
"Well, I'm... working on it. I've mastered the kana and I can read about fifty kanji."
He seemed proud of himself, but Christopher gaped.
"Only fifty? Will you be okay?"
Eugene laughed a little.
"My memory is good, so I'm not worried about it?"
At that moment, the door opened.
"I'm home~!"
The boys turned. It was Yumi. She stopped as soon as she saw Eugene.
"Oh, that's my daughter Yumi," Taichi said. "Yumi. This is Junya's classmate."
She stood stock-still in the door. Eugene smiled warmly at her.
"Hello! I'm Eugene Davis."
"I'm... Yumi!" she squeaked, and looked down at the floor. "N-nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too."
Christopher sighed. She always got shy around new people.
Father seemed amused.
"Well?" Taichi said. "Why don't you work here? You speak Japanese and can read a bit, why don't you start as soon as possible?"
"Really?" Eugene exclaimed. "Is this okay?"
"He's... going to work here?" Yumi said with a tiny voice.
Father nodded. "The other part-timer left a while ago, and Christopher took over from her."
"I prefer to work in the kitchen though," Christopher said. "It would be a load off my back if you could take care of the front. How about it?"
"O-of course! I'll do it," Eugene said.
"Yeah," Christopher said. "Come with me."
He took Eugene to the back.
"You will work behind the counter with my dad and do waiting at these tables. The place isn't big, but it can get busy during the weekends and afternoons."
He took a menu off the table.
"Yumi."
"Yes?"
"Can you copy these for Eugene? He'll need to memorize these before he can start working."
"Sure..." She took the menu and shuffled onto the stairs.
In the meanwhile, Eugene and Taichi talked about the details.
Christopher took over at the counter. As usual, it was rather quiet.
Ever since that incident, regulars to the cafe and even the amount of visitors had dwindled in this part of the neighbourhood. How rumors could spread...
After an half hour, they stood outside. Eugene had a copied menu and a box of donuts in his hand. He smiled brightly.
"Christopher, how could I ever thank you? I was really worried about looking for a part-time job."
"It's no problem."
If anything, they were lucky. Eugene was the type of person who could attract people to the cafe.
"So, your name is Junya?"
"Ah. That's my other name. They call me that at home. Everywhere except for school and the other side of the family, I guess."
They walked into the direction of the Seven Eleven.
"I should take Noll to the cafe sometime..."
"Noll?"
"Oh, that's Oliver. My brother's nickname."
"That's a strange nickname... You don't call him Ollie?"
Eugene laughed.
"He would strangle me if I called him Ollie!" he said.
"Where does Noll come from?
"Apparently, Noll is derived from 'Mine Oliver.' One of the delivery nurses gave him that nickname," Eugene explained.
They stopped in front of the Seven Eleven. Eugene looked opposite the street. A tall dark grey flat and a shorter light-green flat.
"Wow, we're practically neighbours."
"Really? Which one is your flat?"
"The grey one."
"...Ah."
Foreigners moved into that flat. Three young men. This weekend.
"Huh, something wrong?"
Christopher forced a smile.
I need some coffee.
"No, you're right. It's really close," he said. "Anyway, I'm going to buy a drink."
"Alright. See you tomorrow in class!"
"Bye."
Eugene turned around and crossed the street.
Christopher sighed and entered the Seven Eleven. The convenience store was empty save for the woman at the counter. He bought a can of coffee and exited the store.
Staring out in front of him, he opened the can and drank from it. The right kind of bitterness for this moment.
"Wait, isn't that..."
He squinted. His eyes had caught a glimpse of Eugene in front of the grey flat building.
He appeared to be talking to someone near the entrance of the flat building. But Christopher couldn't see anyone due to the cars parked in front.
"Is he on the phone...?"
There was a kind smile on Eugene's face.
Christopher frowned.
Eugene seemed unusually expressive for someone who was on the phone. His head was inclined downward. Ah. It looked more like he was talking down to someone. A child? The conversation ended. Eugene turned around and entered the building.
That's right. Today is Monday. It should be around this time...
Christopher stepped away from the Seven Eleven to get a better view of the child. An elementary school girl stood there.
He caught a glimpse of her dull eyes.
Suddenly she blinked, in confusion. The girl looked to the left and right, then frowned and shrugged. She ran off and disappeared in one of the other streets.
Christopher frowned.
"What the hell was that?"
Gene closed the door behind him and took his shoes off.
After arriving in Tokyo, they had spent the whole weekend buying furniture as the flat came empty. Otherwise, the flat itself was relatively cheap. Gene had hoped it would be haunted, but so far he didn't notice anything strange about it. Neither did Noll.
"I'm home~" Gene said.
He entered the living room, but Lin and Noll didn't even look up from their laptops.
"Hey, isn't anybody going to say 'okaeri' or 'okaerinasai' like in real Japanese homes?"
Lin didn't bother replying. His entire focus was on the laptop.
Gene twitched an eyebrow and looked at his brother.
"...Noll, as my only brother... You can provide me the full Japanese family experience!"
"Stupid," Noll said. "I'm busy."
"Please?"
Noll sent a sharp glare into his direction.
"I'm not going to greet you differently just because we're in a different country now."
Gene winced. He had a point.
"Ugh. So cold... And isn't anyone going to ask me how my first day at school was...?"
Neither made an attempt, so Gene sighed and headed to the kitchen.
"Suit yourselves! I won't share these delicious donuts with you guys."
He put the box with four donuts on top of the counter.
After pulling out a can of grape juice from the fridge, Gene returned to other two. They were seated at the dinner table.
"So how's the search for office space going? Found anything worthwhile?"
"Reasonably," Lin said and sighed. "We simply need to narrow it down. Noll?"
"Shinjuku or Shibuya?" Noll said.
"Shinjuku," Lin said.
"Shibuya."
Lin frowned.
"Why?"
"Yeah, why those places?" Gene chimed in.
Noll looked up at his brother.
"The 'S' in SPR should stand for something. I suggested the name of the location."
Gene sat down in the other chair and opened the can.
Noll wanted to keep the connection to the Society for Psychical Research in London hidden. After all, both the Pratt Laboratory and the office in London were bombarded with request letters addressed to Noll every day. None of them were keen on dealing with the same in Tokyo. To keep it to a minimum, they would have to use a different name for the office. Also, since Noll would head the office, he would have to start using an alias of sorts.
If it were up to Gene, he would use a cool Japanese name fitting for a paranormal researcher.
"Oh, I also vote Shibuya."
"Your reasons?" Lin asked.
"It's a nice shopping location. Lots of places to sit down and eat."
The man sighed, not pleased by his answer, and turned to Noll.
"Noll?"
Gene frowned.
What? Those are perfectly good reasons!
"Since I have to use a pseudonym as well, 'Shibuya' seems more fitting."
Not bad, Gene thought, drinking from the can, but wasn't that a little too obvious?
Wait.
He leaned forward.
"Oh, and Shibuya Psychic Research rolls better off the tongue. Try repeating 'Shinjuku Psychic Research' ten times."
Lin took a moment to process this.
"Fine. We'll go with Shibuya."
He looked down at his laptop.
"And why were you against Shibuya?"
"...Shinjuku seemed more suitable for an office. ...and I like it better there."
Gene couldn't help but grin. Shibuya definitely didn't seem like a place where Lin would fit in.
"But Shibuya does give off a more relaxed feel. If we are going to take any cases, people will feel more at ease if it's around ordinary cafes and shops."
"Gene has a point," Noll said.
"See?"
"Not that it matters a lot."
Gene frowned.
"It does matter."
Lin pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Gene, how is your job search coming along?"
He perked up at this question.
Finally!
"Oh, it's coming along great! In fact," Gene said. "My classmate's father offered me a job!"
Noll looked up.
"Where?"
He grinned.
"I was hoping you'd ask.. ...It's in a donut cafe." Lin and Noll gave him blank stares, so Gene retrieved the box of donuts from the kitchen, and handed his brother a green-colored donut. "I picked this for you. A matcha donut. The owner said it's not too sweet."
Noll frowned and took it with some reluctance.
Lin stared at Gene with a questioning face.
"Why a donut cafe?"
"It's close to home. Opposite this street, actually, and it pays quite well too. What's not to like about it?"
Lin turned to look at Noll.
"Noll, is this okay?"
Gene frowned. "Why wouldn't this be okay?"
He looked at Noll who was eating the donut.
"How is it?"
"...Not bad."
"I can get a box of free donuts every week if I work there."
Noll looked down at the half-eaten donut.
"I don't mind it. Do whatever you want."
Lin groaned.
Noll glared at him.
"He needs to bring in money, Lin."
The man stopped protesting and went back to staring at the laptop's screen.
Gene went to sit down on the couch in front of the television. He had picked it up in a second-hand shop. It was an old television, but it worked decently.
He flipped through the channels. He stopped pushing the button when he saw a pretty girl on the television. She was doing a seance on television. That caught his interest too. Gene watched the programme for a while. The cameras obviously did not pick up on the presence of spirits, so he too had a limited viewing. The girl in the kimono seemed to be possessed. Something about the girl seemed familiar, but he couldn't exactly pin down where he'd seen her before.
"Who's the girl on the telly?"
"Hara Masako," Lin said. "It seems she's quite famous in Japan. A genuine medium, they say."
Gene turned around. Both Lin and Noll stared at the television.
He looked back again. This time her eyes seemed lively. Apparently, he had tuned in at the end of the programme because the ending credits started to roll.
I wonder if I'll ever meet her.
He turned the television off.
"Alright, going to do my homework. Call me when dinner's done."
Gene walked into the bedroom.
Since they couldn't afford a flat with three bedrooms, he and Noll had to share. The room had a walk-in drawer, along with two beds. Noll had claimed the bed against the wall. Gene sat down on the bed next to the window. He had wanted to add a desk and a chair, but for now he had to do his homework on his bed or the table in the living room.
After finishing his homework and catching up on a portion of last month's school work, Gene began to study the donut cafe's menu. It didn't seem that difficult. Most of the words were in katakana.
Gene lowered himself down at the bed and stared at the ceiling. He smiled.
Today was a good day.
Tokyo, November 2006
The days passed quickly.
Lin and Noll went on various trips around the town to speak with realtors. Their eyes set on various places in Shibuya, but it took long for them to find something suitable within their budget. In the meanwhile, Noll spent his days working on a paper and reading whatever books he had on hand.
Although Gene had fallen behind nearly a month, he caught up to the other students with relative ease to the surprise of many teachers. His Japanese language skills, particularly in reading, had improved a lot. He was able to read short articles after a stint into kanji memorization. His school life in general was great; he had no trouble fitting in and got along well with his classmates. Most of the time he hung out with Owen, Devi and Christopher during lunch. As for other classmates, ... Gene particularly liked a girl named Susanna. She was for a lack of better words hot. Susanna was the athletic type. He didn't know her very well, so he was eager to know her better - he even caught her staring at him sometimes.
Perhaps he was in luck?
In any case, he was ready to move on from that whatshername disaster!
After school, Gene headed to the donut cafe with Christopher. Christopher was a quiet and unassuming guy, who liked to play video games and not much else. His younger sister Yumi was a few years younger than them. She seemed shy at first, but the more they interacted, the more she came out of her shell. Though their father Taichi was a man of not many words, Gene worked well together with him in the donut shop.
At first, he worked at the cafe for three days in the week, but soon enough Taichi asked him to work for five days in the week. The reason? An increase of customers. Gene had invited all of his classmates to come over, and the word quickly spread among the youth. The donut cafe was starting to become a trendy place. Though Gene wondered why the place was so quiet in the first place. There wasn't anything wrong with the donuts. In fact, they were delicious. Perhaps it was the location? After all, it wasn't located in one of the main shopping streets...
Strangely enough, there were barely any regulars from the neighbourhood. Taichi rarely interacted with the locals, apart from Kawamoto-san, a good friend of Taichi. Sometimes he would stare out of the window with a sad expression, but it wasn't out of loneliness or something like that. Whenever Gene tried to ask the siblings about it, they said it was nothing strange and changed the topic. It seemed to be a touchy subject, so Gene decided to leave it alone.
The neighbourhood itself was a mix of lively and quiet. For a busy city there were not too many spirits, though he encountered will-o'-the-wisps about nearly every day during his commute. However, most of the time those spirits ascended on their own.
Gene didn't mind talking to spirits with a human appearance. These spirits were often old people who had recently. They were easy to purify, so it was better to take care of them before they caused potential harm. However, it was a pain tot talk to them with other living people in sight. After what happened back home, Gene preferred to keep his abilities as hidden as possible.
Tokyo, mid-November 2006
On a Monday afternoon, Gene walked home early from school. He had a few hours to spare before starting his shift at the donut cafe. After arriving at the entrance, he found a short girl standing there alone.
Gene frowned.
Didn't this happen before?
"Hello there."
The girl turned her head and cocked her head in confusion.
"Hello."
"Have we met before?" Gene said.
The girl nodded,
"Oh, I remember now. It was about a month ago... shortly after I moved here."
She nodded again.
"Waiting for mum again?"
"Yes."
"When she's supposed to come home?"
"Soon."
"Soon, huh?" Gene reached into his bag and held out a wrapped item. "Want a donut?"
The girl widened her eyes.
"Arakawa donut!"
"You know that place?"
Gene took the donut out of the paper wrap and gave it to her.
Her eyes twinkled.
"Yeah!"
She took several bites from the donut, obviously enjoying the sweet taste.
Gene couldn't help but smile.
"I work there! Why not come over with your mother sometime?"
Sadness clouded the girl's features all of sudden. She looked down.
"What's wrong?"
She pursed her lips.
"Dad isn't coming home."
"...Eh?"
"And mommy is sad."
Gene crouched down to meet her face-to-face. Her eyes looked dull.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It sounds tough."
"Nobody knows how it feels. Only this child understood. But this child's dad came back home." She glared down at pavement, still not meeting his eyes. "It makes me mad."
Gene couldn't follow her train of thought. Why did she start speaking like that?
"Um... I do know how it feels."
She faced him with a look of surprise.
"You know how it feels?"
"Yeah, you're not alone," he said. " So if you need to talk to someone, I'm here for you."
Gene smiled kindly at her, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Suddenly, a cold feeling rushed into his body.
In the next moment, the girl widened her eyes. She dropped the half-eaten donut from her hands.
"W-who are you?" she said.
What?
Gene wanted to retort with another question, but his mouth did not move.
His eyes closed involuntarily, and soon he blacked out.
You're not my daughter! Stop calling me your father.
Someone shook his shoulder.
"Eugene!"
Christopher?
He opened his eyes, completely disoriented. His head was on the pavement.
What happened?
Christopher's worried face came into his view.
"Are you okay? Should I call someone for you?"
His voice was loud.
Gene sat up and tried to focus. They were close to the flat.
"No, I'm ... fine. Why, why are you here?"
Christopher looked nervous.
"Well, I saw you standing here-"
"But where's the little girl?
Gene's eyes searched for the girl, but there was no trace of her.
"Eugene, don't move-"
His head ached.
"Ah, shit."
"Let's go inside." Christopher grabbed ahold of him. "Shit, you're cold."
Cold? What. But the girl.
They moved to the bench inside the flat building.
"But there was a girl here. About seven years old."
He frowned. "She ran off before I got here..."
"Huh?"
"Please worry about yourself first." Christopher started to search his bag. "Do you need something to drink?"
"No, it's fine. I'm just... confused," Gene said. "What happened?"
"You," Christopher took his hands out of the bag. "You fainted."
"I fainted?"
"Maybe you got... overwhelmed?"
"What?"
Christopher scratched his head.
"I mean, you're dealing with so many things at once. Catching up with school, part-time job, football - How about taking a rest for a moment? Take a breather."
That didn't make any sense. He wasn't following Christopher's train of thought.
"But I don't -"
"I can't tell you how to take care of yourself," Christopher said, looking nervous again. "I'm just saying that it happens. It happened to my mum, at least, that's what my parents told me. She had a culture shock and got homesick after a month."
Gene wasn't able to say anything. He didn't freak out or anything like that.
He replayed the events in his head.
He went home early from school to work. Work?
"Ah, I have to work."
Gene rose up, but his Christopher held his shoulder down.
"No, I'll take over from you today."
"But-"
"Like I said, take a rest." Christopher sighed. "You seem fine now, but you looked really upset."
"Huh? About what?"
The other frowned.
"...About your father?"
"My... father?"
"Because he... " Christopher hesitated. "... didn't come home."
That...
"But I don't understand. Isn't your father in England?"
Suddenly, a chill ran through his spine.
So cold. So cold. So cold.
He heard Christopher sigh.
"Sorry. It's fine if you don't want to answer. I'll help you to your flat, okay?
Gene nodded.
Please, leave me alone. Don't get inside of me anymore.
Christopher grabbed his shoulder.
They walked into the lift.
Gene was about to tell him the floor he lived on, but for some reason he couldn't recall it. However, for some reason Christopher knew which button to push without asking.
Please get out! I can't help you right now. He pleaded again. I do have a dad. His name is Martin and he never stopped caring for me!
At that moment, the cold left him.
A vague shape of a girl in a school uniform left through the door opening.
The elevator closed, then moved up to the seventh floor.
Christopher helped him out. They continued to walk without saying anything.
Gene stopped in front of his home.
"How did you know which floor I lived on?"
Christopher seemed taken aback.
"...I read it in your job form."
Liar. You wouldn't have remembered something like that.
Christopher's face had turned pale. He was no longer looking at the door.
His mouth opened as if to say something, but Gene spoke up.
"Thanks for helping me. I'll be fine from here."
Christopher closed his mouth. He nodded and turned around.
Gene sighed and turned the key in the door slot.
"Eugene?"
"Yes?"
"Take care... and be careful."
Author's note
I know, I know. This chapter is full of time skips, but the quicker we get to Mai's next appearance, the better right?