We're back to our police officers! Here the mood is lighter to help ease the load, I know a lot of people don't like to read continuous angst (myself included).
Celestial Cat: thank you! I'm alternating between the different viewpoints to make you tense haha. Unfortunately, the bad things are just beginning for Kagome.
As always, the wonderful and inimitable Sassybratt betaed! Please read her fics too!
"You deserve to relax once in a while," Precinct Chief Shako announced with a smile. "So don't worry about it! The meal's on me."
To her horror, Sango's grandfather insisted on her team engaging in 'bonding exercises.' She knew that a close team meant an effective one, but she had no desire to participate in any kind of 'bonding exercise' with the likes of Miroku, Oda, or Awara. Kuwatani was barely within acceptable limits. And what kind of bonding was eating out with colleagues, anyways? Sango understood that company workers and salarymen were expected to go out drinking together after work, but she was a police officer, not some corporate desk jockey.
"Sir, with all due respect, I don't see how this will improve our performance," she said.
Her father, superintendent Ken Tachibana, was also there with them. Though he was temporarily away on a month-long training seminar in a different precinct (with his deputy Akio Shimura left in charge for the time being), he made sure to visit when he could. He looked up from his newspaper briefly. "A well-oiled machine—"
"—is a working machine. I know, father," Sango sighed tiredly. "I get what you're trying to say, but I'm not here to make friends; I'm here to do my job and help make the force the best it can be."
"What's wrong with making friends on the job? By all accounts, your team seems to have some rather nice people in it," Ken replied.
"'Nice' doesn't cut it when we're supposed to be striving for professionalism." And I can think of more than one unprofessional person…
Shako rolled his eyes and got up from behind his desk to approach her. "Sango, we've no doubts about your performance, but we think you're being a little too harsh on your teammates. We wouldn't have chosen them to even be a part of your team if we didn't think they were up to snuff. And besides!" He ruffled her hair playfully as though she was seven, and she fixed her ponytail with a scowl. "We think you could use some friends around here. You haven't let yourself have fun in ages!"
"I'll have to respectfully decline that offer," she deadpanned.
"Then I'll have to phrase it as an official order."
Sango turned to face her father pleadingly. "Dad—"
"Oh, would you look at the time!" Ken gasped in faux shock at his watch and gathered up his belongings. "I promised Kohaku that I'd meet him at the station. Have fun with your friends tonight, Sango!"
So, thanks to her traitorous family, Sango found herself waiting at the entrance of an izakaya not too far from the precinct with the rest of her team in tow after work, to her eternal chagrin.
"Wow, Tachibana-san! Your grandfather's so nice! Please tell him thanks on our part." Kuwatani beamed, her round face lit up by the red glow of the lanterns hanging by the doorframe. They had to stick together in a close-knit ball to avoid being jostled by passersby and other people lined up for a dining spot.
Oda was quick to add his own unnecessary thoughts. "Yeah! It's nice to eat out once in a while—anything beats the packaged stuff I usually have to live off of. Please tell him we owe him a ton for this."
"That's Precinct Chief Tachibana to you," Sango grumbled moodily.
Soon it was their turn to be seated, and a perky teenage waitress led them to a table wedged tightly between a column and another table. She grinned brightly at them as she flipped open her notepad and clicked a worn pen. "Would anyone like to start with something in particular? A drink or two?"
"I'll have a beer, please!" Kuwatani called over the din of other patrons and the kitchen.
Kuranosuke, Oda and Miroku also ordered beers, while Kai and Amamiya decided to split a bottle of sake. Awara, with the practiced recitation of a seasoned barfly, asked for shōchū on the rocks. Far be it for Sango to identify as a teetotaler, but she disapproved of drinking when there was work to be done the next day. Anyone who came to the bullpen hungover wasn't fit to be there in the first place.
"Just green tea is fine for me, thanks," she told the waitress tersely.
"I'll bring some edamame with your drinks, and then we can discuss the food." The girl's bubbly attitude was completely unfazed by Sango's crabbiness. She positively skipped to the back to deliver their orders to the cooks.
Amamiya sighed wistfully after her. "I wish I had that kind of energy after a day of work."
"Well, we're here to unwind, aren't we? So don't hold back! Drink up, drink up!" Kuwatani cheered as their drinks and a communal bowl of edamame arrived. The waitress also brought them some old, battered laminated menus to look through. They all agreed (with the exception of Sango) on sharing a seasonal sashimi boat and a plate of gunkan maki.
"Ooh! Ooh! I'd like the karaage and some fried rice next!" Kuwatani was practically drooling.
"I-I'll have that too, please," Oda immediately asked next. Whether his red face was due to his lightweightedness while drinking or because of his incredibly obvious crush on Kuwatani was anyone's guess, but his eagerness to copy her order wasn't doing him any favours. Miroku looked entirely too amused by that.
Amamiya hummed nervously under her breath, narrowing her eyes at the menu. "I don't know…everything looks so good…but if I eat too much at night then I wake up with the worst stomach aches."
"Don't worry," Kai said, always so motherly and concerned over everyone's health. "The trick is to eat smaller portions if you're in the mood for heavier foods, but I always recommend on having light foods to keep a settled tummy before sleep."
"Hmmm. I'll take your word for it." Amamiya then ordered a small bowl of miso soup and a salad. Tsuyu, in turn, requested the ohitashi and a block of hiyayakko tofu; Kuranosuke asked if they could share it and ordered yakitori for himself. To no one's surprise, Awara also wanted karaage, but ordered it alongside dishes such as tako wasa and ei-no-hire.
"Ewwww!" Kuwatani laughed at him. "That's so gross! You eat like an old man, Awara-san!"
Sango was astounded at her rudeness. Was that the alcohol talking?
Awara took it in stride and chuckled goodnaturedly. "Kid, when you get to my age, you'll learn to appreciate foods like that."
"What about you two?" Kuranosuke asked Sango and Miroku. "Feel like anything special tonight?"
"No thanks. I'll just grab some tofu from you guys," Sango mumbled.
Miroku had been temporarily distracted into surveying the izakaya and startled slightly when Kuranosuke addressed him. He considered the question with a hum. "I'm mostly in the mood for miso soup, but I hope you'll let me steal some food from the centre."
"Go ahead! We're all friends here!" Kuwatani grinned at them all from the rim of her glass.
Friends? Good grief, Sango thought.
The table fell into a contemplative quiet as the waitress left with the menus and their orders. Sango took it as an opportunity to silently judge everyone's wardrobe choices:
Awara was as ratty and stained as ever. Did he own more than one change of clothes? If not, then why be so uncaring towards something as basic as keeping them clean? Sango frowned as he unbuttoned his collar and untied his tie. His style was best summed up as apathetic and boorish.
Oda had jeans and another unbearably geeky shirt on, but at least it wasn't another pervy anime one. Had he even worn suits before?
Kuwatani, it seemed, always changed into leisurely clothes after work; this time it was a sky blue blouse unbuttoned to reveal a tank top patterned with little blue polka dots. Tight jeans completed the ensemble. Sango thought, irritated, that the look was better suited to a teenaged girl than it was a grown woman in her twenties.
It was their duty as representatives of the force to dress well and dress appropriately. Everyone else (including her) wore business casual when not in uniform. Miroku, to Sango's complete lack of surprise and exasperation, followed Awara's example, unbuttoning his shirt and untying his tie. He apparently thought himself quite the charmer and made eyes at the waitresses who scurried by with trays and notepads.
At least he hasn't tried to flirt with our waitress. Just what we need next—a policeman with a thing for teenagers. She sipped moodily at her tea.
On Miroku's side of things, Sango's transparent annoyance proved to be immensely entertaining. He hadn't expected her to approach them after work, red-faced and frowning, as she practically ordered them to share a meal together. It was an opportunity he would never pass up. He winked cheekily at her and smirked when she turned aside with a scowl. She just looked so cute like that.
"So," he said casually. "How has everyone's day been so far?"
The table laughed at the joke—they'd been together since 7 AM and now they were ending the day together, too.
Kuwatani exhaled exaggeratedly and leaned back in her chair dramatically. "I'm beat! But it feels nice to have time to relax and enjoy ourselves."
"I'll say," Awara agreed. "It's been ages since I've had time to go out for a drink."
"You always have time to go out for drinks, Hachi, you drunk," Miroku laughed.
"Miroku, there's a difference between needing a stiff one to help wash the day away, and wanting a stiff one 'cause you're out drinking with friends and having a good time."
"I take it that you two have known each other for a long time, then?" Kai asked, always the picture of polite interest.
"Oh yeah. We go way back. I was paired up with him as his mentor when he first started out in the force, and we transferred here together from Toyo's third. You should'a seen him back then, so tiny and baby-faced!"
Miroku rolled his eyes at the jab. "Yeah, and you were thinner and had more hair." Everyone laughed at their banter.
Well, everyone except Little Miss Goody-Two Shoes sitting directly across from him.
"Well, why don't we reintroduce ourselves?" Kuwatani cleared her throat and stuck her hand out to shake everyone else's, garnering more laughs. Miroku found her to be quite adorable and friendly. It helped that she looked good too. "Hi everyone, I'm Kuwatani Shima! I'm 25 years old and I'm a forensic scientist for the Tokyo Police Department."
"W-why'd you decide to go into forensics, K-Kuwatani-san?" Oda stammered nervously into his beer.
"Well, of all the heroes I read about in my manga collection and in the anime I saw as a kid, police stuff was the most interesting of the 'realistic' jobs, you know? Like Conan and Miyuki and Natsumi. But then I got into Ace Attorney, and investigating the bodies and the evidence was always my favourite part!"
Oh my God! Sango thought sourly. Can she be any more childish?
Kuwatani smiled brightly at Oda. He was so startled by her gesture that he sloshed some of his drink on the table. "Don't think I didn't notice your shirt! You went to Comiket last year?"
"Y-y-yeah…"
"Oh, I'm so jealous! I've been so busy that I haven't been able to go for the past three years!"
That sealed the deal for him; the table witnessed their hapless colleague fall completely head over heels in love. They thought it was terribly endearing. Miroku smirked to himself—the poor guy had no chance with her.
Sango just wanted their food to come as quickly as possible to help get her through the night.
Thankfully, their sushi and sashimi came shortly after, and they thanked the waitress and uttered a loud "itadakimasu!" as they started to eat.
"This is so delicious!" Kai murmured appreciatively as she delicately picked up a second gunkan maki. "I just love how the change in seasons means a change in food as well."
Takeda collected three pieces of nishin sashimi for himself. "Your husband always says that. We always did wonder why he didn't become a chef, but we're not complaining! We like it when he brings us food."
"Oh, you're married?" Miroku said, dismayed. Now it was Sango's turn to smirk.
"For six years now," Kai gushed. "We met at the academy and he proposed after the third date. And we have the most wonderful little girl. I feel guilty over not spending more time with her, but Hisayoshi has less hours than I do and is just so hands-on and patient. I'm very lucky to have him."
"So you got into the force together?" Awara asked around a mouthful of sushi.
"Yes. And we got married soon after. Precinct Chief Tachibana was so kind, he gave us two weeks off for our honeymoon."
The table expressed their congratulations and hopes that their marriage lasted long. Sango was still relishing Miroku's obvious displeasure at losing a target for his flirtations.
"Speaking of everyone else…" Awara turned to Amamiya. "Weren't you also at Toyo? Didn't you transfer here like a year before we did?"
"Yeah. Part of that was to get away from you two. You were such j-jerks to me back there," Koharu hiccupped, unhappily. She was evidently not very good at keeping her liquor down.
The table fell silent as they wondered what exactly was going on now that Amamiya was tipsy and put the spotlight on Miroku and Awara. What could they say? Or even do? They glanced around nervously at each other.
Sango's mood just fell further. She remembered Koharu telling her and Tsuyu about Miroku's harassment: how he groped her, hounded her, the three reports she filed against him, how Awara was a silent bystander. Did they really need someone like that in the force? With a history like that? And Shako expected Sango to babysit the guy and save his 'valuable talent'?
Sometimes I really think your common sense is going with your age, grandfather, she thought.
To her surprise, Miroku bowed towards Amamiya, bending his head apologetically. "I realise that I committed many mistakes and made you feel unsafe and unwell. Please, forgive me. I want us to start on the right foot and work together as equals who can count on one another." Unseen to the rest of the table, Miroku kicked Awara's shin. Startled, Awara bowed and offered his apologies as well.
Sango mentally shouted at them. Seriously? You think that's enough to make up for the harm you caused her?
Amamiya considered the pair, face flushed, eyes narrowed. The table held its collective breath. Everyone wanted to avoid conflict and hoped that they would come to a quick resolution; Sango hoped that she'd give Miroku hell and preferably dump her drink all over him.
Amamiya sighed in resignation. "Fine. I accept your apologies." The table exhaled, relieved. "But any more funny moves and I'll have to revoke it," she muttered under her breath.
Sango wanted to spit her tea out.
With peace restored, the team went back to eating, chit-chat, and enjoying the restaurant's atmosphere. Miroku was highly relieved, wanting to avoid confronting his past at all costs. Sango wasn't ignoring him this time, glaring daggers at his face with every single bite of tofu.
"So, Koharu-san…" Kai said in an attempt to keep the good mood going. "You've told me and Sango-san the story of how you entered the force, but I don't think Kuranosuke-san and the others know. Would you care to tell us?"
"Well, it's kind of a long story, so I'll try to condense it. My mother and grandmother were involved in the feminist movement—"
Oda snorted derisively and opened his mouth to say something, but Miroku silenced him with a well-timed smack to the back of his head. No need to ruin the atmosphere when they'd just come out of an extremely embarrassing episode, he thought.
Sango, in spite of herself, begrudgingly endorsed Miroku's actions.
Amamiya cleared her throat loudly and hiccupped. "As I was saying…they participated a lot in things like the anti-war protests in the 70s, campaigning to get the pill legalised, and I wanted to do something like that. Make a difference for women. So I chose police work, because there's still a ways to go in things like workplace harassment, trafficking…"
Miroku coughed, uncomfortable with her words. Talk about awkward…
Serves you right, Sango thought. The irony! Koharu-san mentioning workplace harassment and she got stuck with a creep like him.
"Those are very noble goals, Amamiya-san," Takeda praised. "We're lucky to have you with us. You'll make quite the difference at Shinjuku's Eighth."
"T-thank you," Amamiya responded with a wide smile. Her face flushed at his words along with the effects of her sake. Sango beamed right back at him, too. Leave it to Takeda to save a situation with his thoughtfulness.
Miroku, on the other hand, was not nearly so pleased. Why was Takeda like that? How was it possible for a guy like him to be so favoured with the ladies of the team? It really ticked him off, having to bear witness to Sango fawning over him and their teammates flocking to him as though the damn sun shone out his asshole. Miroku took a drawn-out gulp of beer sulkily.
"I got into the force to make a decent living, but I don't have much to show for it 'cept a bigger waistline and a smoking habit," Awara said.
Kai tsked tsked over Awara, briefly taking the time to reposition one of his chopsticks, which had rolled away slightly from his place. "Your years of experience are rather invaluable though, don't you think? You're the oldest of the team. We could all use your advice someday."
"Huh. I guess you're right."
The table fell into a placid quiet as they refocused on their food. Having finished the sushi, sashimi, and their drinks, they flagged the waitress down for more alcohol and to inquire over the next round of food. She came by soon after with her tray weighed down by steaming, deliciously scented dishes. The silence turned to sounds of munching, slurping, and crunching. Appreciative groans and pleasured murmurs added to the restaurant's noise. Sango and Miroku, despite not having asked for much, also liked their food.
"I just love fried chicken with beer," Kuwatani positively moaned as she tore into her food with uninhibited gusto. Oda's face was completely beet red and he was sweating buckets as he watched her.
"What about you guys? You haven't told us your side of the story yet," Awara spoke with his mouth full to Sango and Takeda.
Takeda smiled. "Well, I've always wanted to be a policeman since I was young. I dreamt about being a hero to the needy and the weak. Of course, I was a needy weakling myself back then—I got bullied a lot. The fact that I was this skinny beanpole with a constantly runny nose didn't really help matters. Sango was my protector back then."
"Oh, you don't have to talk about that," Sango blushed and giggled.
Miroku, previously feeling better after having some soup, felt his mood plummet again. They have a history together? They're childhood friends? Crap. He swallowed uncomfortably as his gaze bored holes into Takeda's stupid, handsome face and chiseled jawline.
"Yes I do! Everyone deserves to know about your heroics!" Takeda winked at Sango. "I met Sango-san through Tsuyu-san, since they were friends first, and Tsuyu and I are related. First cousins through our mothers' side. Our favourite games to play were bandits vs samurai, or pretending we were feudal lords. I loved bossing everyone around and dressing up in my parents' kimonos and using my mother's fans."
Sango smiled fondly at him and at the rush of memories the conversation brought up, remembering their tiny, five year old selves. How quickly time flew by! Now they were adults with paying jobs and responsibilities, but it was nice to see that they were still close even after all that time.
Miroku was not nearly so enthusiastic over their reminiscing, drinking some more.
Takeda continued. "I had a number of bullies that would try to corner me for really nasty things. On a good day, it was just insults, but on the bad days? They'd beat me with their kendō swords."
The women exclaimed sadly, while Oda and Awara, though more reserved, also expressed condolences.
"Sango wasn't afraid of them, though. She'd come down on them like some avenging angel—she had a practice sword, too, but she wasn't afraid to use her fists in a fight. Her parents always scolded her for fighting, but I'll never forget how she protected me all the way up to junior high."
Sango bumped his arm playfully. "That's not heroism. That's just looking out for a friend."
"That's pretty heroic if you ask me," he said, grasping her shoulder and squeezing briefly.
The sight made Miroku feel as though he ate a bad piece of sushi. What was with them being so openly chummy? Especially when Sango was such a prim and proper, tough-as-nails officer with him. He toyed with the idea of kicking Takeda under the table and claiming it as an accident.
"Sango always knew she was going to follow in her father's and grandfather's footsteps by joining the academy, and Tsuyu-san and I decided that, where she went, we would go." Takeda finished his tale with a long, thirsty gulp of his beer. "Haven't looked back since."
"That is so sweet," Kuwatani said, wiping tears away from the corners of her eyes.
Sango agreed. Having those memories to look back fondly on was a wonderful thing.
"What about you, Ishida-san? What's your story?" Kai asked.
To everyone's surprise, he and Awara hunched inward. The latter looked askance nervously. Miroku, as though in pain, pursed his lips, but then they twisted wryly as though he was trying to tell a joke. "I just felt like becoming a policeman," he said quietly.
He wasn't ready to tell them about his past. In fact, he didn't think he'd ever even hint about it at all.
He was never going to divulge those kinds of secrets.
In an attempt to avoid a repeat of Amamiya's situation, the table quickly turned the conversation to current events and pop culture; easy, banal things that didn't require too much probing. But Sango's interest had been piqued. Miroku had been so laid-back at the beginning of the night. His attitude bordered on cocky, even. Now he was like a ghost of that previous version of himself. It just seemed…wrong, somehow, to see him this quiet and withdrawn.
Sango and Miroku spent the rest of the night in contemplative silence as the rest of their team enjoyed the food and each other's company.
Some author's notes:
The practice referred to where salarymen and company employees go out to drink after work is called nomikai. They're basically get-togethers where colleagues eat and drink (but mostly drink) under the pretense of "building bonds," but this is mostly corporate speak for "you're still at work." Though they're supposed to be unofficial, Japanese company culture has an unspoken rule that nomikai counts as a work function that you have to be present for. If you leave work when your hours officially end and don't go out for drinks, it tells the company that you don't care about it, which is suicide when work culture dictates everlasting loyalty to the company in every single aspect of an employee's life. Nomikai contribute to the high rates of alcoholism in salarymen as well as the common sight of salarymen missing the last night train, sleeping the alcohol off in the streets or in capsule hotels, and generally not being home even when they have families. Nomikai tend to reinforce sexist practices such as expecting the women to serve the others and help clear the table, while men are expected to drink a great deal more. A good example of a nomikai is shown in Aggretsuko.
Japanese company culture is the reason why many pop culture characters don't seem to have fathers: not because they're dead or nonexistent, but because they're off working long and thankless hours at a company. Though change is slow in Japan, there's a growing sense of resentment against practices like nomikai.
(University versions of nomikai exist, called konpa, and they usually consist of drinking games)
Izakaya are small restaurants that are basically the equivalent of pubs or tapas bars. While izakaya are expected to have good food, the point is mostly for colleagues and friends to spend a long time conversing over their food and drinks. The cuisine they serve is traditional Japanese food and their interiors can range from anywhere between high and low tables or just even standing in front of the bar. Food is often meant to be shared. Some of the dishes mentioned in the chapter are:
Nishin sashimi: Pacific herring sashimi. Comes into season in September.
Gunkan maki: rice wrapped in nori and topped with soft ingredients, usually fish roe. The name is a funny term that means "warship roll."
Karaage: meats fried with flour or potato starch. Chicken is the most popular meat for karaage.
Ohitashi: boiled greens in fish broth, served cold. It's sometimes sprinkled with add-ons like bonito flakes or sesame seeds. Spinach is the most commonly used vegetable for ohitashi.
Hiyayakko tofu: a big block of chilled silken tofu usually topped with chopped green scallions, dried bonito flakes, ginger, and soy sauce.
Ei-no-hire: dried skate fin commonly eaten as a drinking snack.
Tako wasa: raw octopus marinated in wasabi. An "ojisan" dish stereotyped as something only old men like to eat.
Shōchū: an alcoholic beverage; many different regional variations and varieties exist, but the most common is distilled from rice. Its strength is described as stronger than sake but weaker than whiskey.
(If you have the time, I recommend watching Isekai Izakaya, a series about an entire izakaya restaurant, along with its staff, transported to a fantasy world)
Comiket (a contraction of Comic Market) is a dōjinshi fair held biannually in Tokyo. It is the largest fan convention in the world, a nonprofit event run entirely by volunteers where a variety of fanmade goods ranging from dōjinshi to cds to artwork to merch can be bought. Even some pro artists and companies have booths there. Comiket has been depicted in series such as Wotakoi and Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon. Oda and Kuwatani having been to Comiket means they're too geeky for the likes of Sango and a big chunk of working adults in Japan, as liking anime and manga when you're not a kid anymore is usually viewed as childish, especially with the kind of media that includes buying merch, dōjin, games, etc.
I'd like to talk more about Amamiya and feminism in Japan, but I'm afraid that'll take up too much space here, haha.
What Miroku did is definitely not excused and will come up in later chapters. I know I wouldn't really count that as an apology…
(many thanks to Wikipedia and articles such as "How to Izakaya" by and Yukari and Shiji Sakamoto's food blog, "Food Sake Tokyo")
Until next time!