The Belchers are in Japan! This is another LONG one, so please enjoy.
Quick side note; there may be a delay in getting the last two chapters out, as my ancient, Flinstone laptop is getting a much needed upgrade. I hope you can bear with me on this.
A Cry in the Park
Chapter 14
"Finally!" Bob flopped face-first onto the hotel bed, his eyes closed. "Never again," he moaned. "Never, ever again."
"Cool, that means we get to live here," came Louise's voice from somewhere to his right.
"No, Louise," he muttered, not having the strength to do anything else. Linda flopped down next to him.
"Nobody talk," she whined, "I need sleep."
"We all do," said Bob. "Kids, go to sleep." Gene and Tina, exhausted from the flight, gladly climbed into the other double bed, but Louise was standing by the window.
"I can see the Shibuya crossing!" she said, palms pressed against the glass. "It's so cool!"
"Louise. Sleep. Now," was all Bob said, his face still buried in the mattress.
"Dad, there's so much to do!"
"We are not leaving this room until we've all had a proper sleep," said Bob, in a tone that indicated there was to be no negotiation, and Louise gave up, and climbed into the bed with her brother and sister, positioning herself in the middle.
Bob and Linda were utterly exhausted; they'd all slept on the plane, but they'd gotten lost on the way to their hotel and now, jet lag was taking its toll. Bob didn't even know what time or day it was.
He was awakened the following day several hours earlier than he would have liked by Louise opening the curtains, and the early morning sunlight poured in.
"Come on, wake up!" she yelled. "We've only got four days; let's make the most of them!" She went over to the parents' bed, and began bouncing her arms on it. Bob sat up, rubbing his eyes. Louise was already dressed and ready to go. "Come on, come on, come on!" she clapped her hands, going over to shake her siblings awake.
"Alright, we're up," said Bob, standing up and stretching.
"Hurry up; we have stuff to do!" Louise called impatiently.
"Don't worry, we've got plenty of time," said Linda, noticing the clock; not even 8am. "We're gonna have breakfast first."
"We don't have time for breakfast!" Louise shrieked, dragging Tina out of bed and pushing her towards the bathroom.
"We are not walking around Tokyo on empty stomachs, Miss Missy."
"Okay, fine, whatever, but let's make it quick!"
When they were all dressed and ready to go, they made their way down to the hotel restaurant.
"So, Louise, where are we going today?" Bob asked.
"Harajuku," she replied; a place she'd always wanted to see. She had her Kuchi Kopi bag with her map, her list, their tickets, and her Japanese phrase book.
Linda and Gene found their jaws agape when they first saw the colourful district that was Harajuku.
"Oh, my God!" cried Gene, clutching his head, eyes wide. Even Louise was enjoying it. She had no interest in the fashion, but she just couldn't pass up the chance to go shopping in a real Japanese centre. Anime toys, DVDs', Kuchi Kopi merchandise; she was practically buzzing with excitement. Plus, Koji and Yuki liked it here.
"Where shall we go first?" asked Linda, who had already taken out the video camera Teddy had lent them, and was filming, pausing to admire two brightly dressed teen girls. "Ooh, such pretty clothes, I love them!"
"Just start walking," Louise marched ahead, disappearing into a little shop.
They spent the morning shopping, loving every second of it. Louise, Gene, and Tina were in a toy shop, the largest in the district. Louise had found a Kuchi Kopi section, which meant that no one could get her to leave for at least another hour, so Gene and Tina went to explore the rest of the place.
Gene became aware that Tina was no longer with him, and he turned to find her staring up at a life-size statue of an anime boy, her mouth hanging open.
"Tina?" he asked.
"Do – do you think this is for sale?" she asked, breathlessly, her eyes not leaving the statue's face.
"Uh, no," he said slowly, and Tina looked disappointed.
"Oh... But he's beautiful."
"I know, T," he placed his hand on her shoulder, understandingly. "But I don't think this will fit in our suitcase."
A few hours later, the five of them laden down with bags, they decided to stop for lunch.
"Great, follow me; we got reservations!" Louise led the way once again, holding her map.
They arrived outside a big building which read "Kawaii Monster Cafe," and Louise went inside, presenting to the hostess her reservation printout, and they headed inside.
The only way Louise could describe the place was an assault on the eyes. A ultra-kawaii, hyperactive assault on the eyes. But in a good way. The centre of the restaurant was taken up by a large carousel shaped like a giant cake, with large candies and animals decorating it. The ceiling was covered in silver tiles so it looked like a giant disco ball, and multi-coloured lights were flashing.
They were led over to the "Mushroom Disco" section and seated in a circular, squashy booth of vivid purple and green, with a psychedelic, brightly coloured mushroom towering over them, providing light.
"This is so cool!" Gene screamed, bouncing on his chair, hardly able to believe what he was seeing.
"It really is," said Linda, picking up the order tablet, encased in a cream-cake cover. "Ooh, Bobby, they have alcohol!"
"They only serve that at night," Louise told her.
"Oh, okay. Oh, never mind; I wanna try one of these experiment drinks!" Linda was excited again.
"Actually, I do, too," Bob was examining the menu; the non-alcoholic experiment drink was served with two test tubes of coloured liquid to be added. It looked kinda fun.
"We'll all get some, now let's eat!" Louise declared.
It was definitely the most fun restaurant they had ever been too; and the food was just as crazy as the atmosphere. Linda had the "Candy Salad," which was exactly what it said on the tin. Bob had te Makizushi sushi rolls, which were filled with rice and cucumber, and was delicious.
Louise and Tina had the "Rainbow Pasta," multi-coloured pasta served on an artists' palette, with several sides of various coloured sauces, and Gene had the Chocolate Chicken, a roasted chicken breast, with a generous ladling of chocolate sauce, accompanied by a bar of milk chocolate.
Louise also ordered a chocolate chicken for herself; there was no way she was going to leave without trying it. Her two favourite foods combined? She couldn't pass it up.
"Alright, everyone, smile!" called Linda, holding the digital camera (which Teddy had also lent them) up to take a selfie, and they all leaned in, grinning widely.
For dessert, they ordered the "Colourful Poison Parfait Extreme," a mixture of fruit, ice cream, frosting, cookies, and cream. It was so big that the five of them couldn't finish it, and so they opted to have the Experiment Drinks.
They had to quickly pour the two vials of liquid into the large test tube, where it quickly fizzed up, and they had to lean over and catch the drink.
It was honestly the best restaurant experience they'd ever had, and that was why Louise had allowed Linda to take photos of them in front of the cake carousel; she didn't want to forget this.
They continued to shop after lunch, and after a while, Louise sat down on one of the benches. "Wait, hang on; we're stopping!" called Linda, taking a seat next to her youngest.
"What's the matter?" said Bob, wiping his slightly sweaty brow. Needing the rest, he gratefully sat down.
"You're the only one with the problem," said Louise, "I'm just taking everything in."
"Do you want me to run back to the hotel and get your crutches?" asked Linda.
"What? What would I need crutches for?"
"Alright; we'll all have a little rest."
While they sat, they chatted happily, about what they loved so far, what they were looking forward to seeing and doing, and when Louise was ready, they resumed their shopping. "This is really amazing," said Linda, gazing around her. "It's beautiful; I see why you've always wanted to come here."
"It is," he agreed, as they slowly walked through the beautifully decorated streets, keeping one eye on their excited kids. "Honestly, I never thought I'd get to come here."
"I think we would have, at some time in the future," said Linda thoughtfully. "Oh, we should do this more often, if we can. Next time; Hawaii!"
"You wanna go to Hawaii?"
"Yeah! Leis, grass skirts, alcohol served in coconuts; it's perfect." Bob hummed in response, and Linda continued to film everything. "Ooh, Bobby, when we get back, we can get this put onto a DVD! That way, we can watch it whenever we want!"
"That's a good idea, Lin." He paused to take a photo of the street, littered with people, shops, stalls, and decor. He didn't consider himself a photographer, but he also wanted memories.
"Bobby, look!" Linda grabbed his arm, and Bob turned to see Louise at a little stall, surrounded by three Japanese ladies, who were wrapping a beautiful red kimono patterned with pink flowers around her. Louise was smiling, actually smiling, as she watched them weave around her. "Oh, that's adorable!" Linda aimed the video camera at them.
"I want one, I want one!" Gene screamed, leaping over to where they were. As if out of nowhere, three more Japanese ladies popped up, and held up a traditional male outfit, plain black, but Gene shook his head, and pointed to the white one, dotted with cherry red blossoms.
"Hey, I want in on that," Tina joined her siblings, and was soon being wrapped in her own kimono; a beautiful pale pink, with blue flowers.
"Aw, they look so cute. Hey, kids, smile!" Linda called, waving at them, and they looked over at her. They obediently smiled for the camera.
"Such beautiful eyes," one of the ladies stroked Gene's face. "Very Kireina!"
"Thank you," Gene beamed, batting his eyes.
"Yes, you all have such very beautiful eyes," said another lady, tying the sash at Louise's waist. "Like little pools of melting chocolate."
"Arigatōgozaimashita," said Louise, and the lady patted her on the head.
As they walked down the street proudly in their kimonos, they couldn't stop smiling. Loads of passersby, locals and tourists alike, would catch their eye and grin at them. Their shiny, black hair, big brown eyes, ad olive skin tone made quite an impression on a number of people. Although she was unaware of it, Louise was the recipient of most of the stares; due to her very thin frame, she could almost pass for an anime character, which was what most of the Japanese population loved.
"Whew!" Bob collapsed on the hotel bed yet again. "I'm exhausted!"
"I can't believe how much stuff we got," Linda eyed the bags littering the room.
"It's great!" Louise was sat cross-legged on the other bed, the contents of her bags scattered in front of her. She had almost completely cleaned out the Kuchi Kopi section of the toy shop; notepads, pens, books, clothing, and pretty much one of everything they had.
Tina and Gene, even with their limited knowledge of anime and Japanese culture, had managed to find things they liked. Tina had found a photobook of a Japanese boy band she did not know, but she liked it enough to buy it, and she'd also found a small figurine of an anime boy so adorable that she couldn't stop staring at him.
Gene, with his preferation of larger, buxom ladies, had a harder time choosing. He'd managed to find some amazing, brightly coloured shirts with crazy patterns. He also bought some Japanese candy; Pocky, Moko Moko toilet candy, and something called Crayon Shin-Chan Butt Pudding. He, of course, had to purchase a large, patterned hand fan, and some wooden Geta sandals.
"I hope we can fit all this into the suitcases," said Bob, who had kind of went a little bit crazy with his purchases. He was going to use that Hawk cosplay; of course he was. And the Japanese whisky. And the sakura scented candle.
"If we can't, we'll just have to live here," Louise heaved a great, sarcastic sigh.
"We're not living here, Louise."
"Why not? I have all the stuff I need with me."
"We can't live here; we have the restaurant, school; we don't even speak Japanese."
"All that can be easily fixed," Louise placed her new Kuchi Kopi stationery inside her new Kuchi Kopi pencil case.
"We just can't do it. Oh, God, I still can't believe how much we must have spent today," Bob let out a little whimper.
"It was our only shopping today; we had to make the most of it," said Louise simply.
The following day, they were exploring the beautiful Rikugien Garden, one of the major metropolitan parks in Tokyo. It was a beautiful place, with a lake, beautiful trees, and traditional bridges and walkways. It was peaceful, despite the tourists walking around.
Louise had chosen this particular one because a major part of "Hawk and Chick vs Basan" had been filmed there.
"This is it, Dad," Louise turned in the middle of the park and faced her father. "This is the exact spot where Hawk and Chick had their final showdown with Basan."
"Oh, my God, I can't believe we're here!" Bob cried, looking around him in wonderment.
Linda chuckled at their fangirling, and headed off to explore the rest of the park with Gene and Tina.
"Get that camera out," Louise ordered, and Bob did so.
"Excuse me, sir? Would you mind taking a picture of us?" he held out the camera to a tourist, who smiled and nodded.
Bob and Louise stepped back a little bit, before striking a classic Hawk and Chick pose, the both of them grinning widely.
While Bob and Louise were releasing their inner nerds, Linda, Gene and Tina wandered around the park. The size and greenery were something to be admired. Linda was again filming, aiming the camera at her kids walking around.
"Turn around and smile, babies!" she called, managing to zoom in.
"This place is really nice," said Tina.
"Say it to the camera; we're making memories!" Linda said, and Tina repeated herself, looking awkward on camera.
Gene took off toward the bridge, over which was a little sitting area and photo opportunity made up to look like a Japanese temple. Linda was close behind, and Tina made to follow when a hand tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to see a Japanese boy, about her age, looking at her shyly.
"Moe!" he said, looking in awe of her. "Moe!"
"Uuhhh..." Tina looked around for Louise, but Bob was helping her to climb on the rock formation next to the lake. The teen was very beautiful, with deep brown eyes, and soft brown hair flopping over his his head. He smiled shyly at her, and her heart almost stopped. It was the most dazzling smile she had ever seen; enough to put Jimmy Jr. to shame. She was sorely tempted to sneak a quick peek at his butt; to see if he had the full package. "Uhh, I don't speak Japanese," she said, and he looked confused.
"Moe. Anata wa moe! Kireina!" Tina had heard that last word before, but she still didn't know what he meant, and she shook her head again. The boy reached into his pocket, and pulled out his phone, quickly speaking into it. He pressed a button, and a robotic voice said; "you are very cute and beautiful." Tina stared up at him, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.
"You think I'm -?" but the boy gestured her to lean into and speak into the phone. "You think I'm beautiful?" she repeated. The boy nodded, his grin widening, before speaking into his phone.
"Yes, you are so very beautiful. You have beautiful eyes and smile."
"I do?" Tina's blush deepened. She smiled up at him, her heart fluttering. "My name is Tina. What's your name?"
"Kiyoshi."
"Kiyoshi," she repeated. "Kiyoshi; I like that," and they both smiled at each other.
"May I hold your hand?" came the phone voice, and Tina nodded. Kiyoshi tenderly took her hand, and they began to walk through the park.
Linda and Gene were taking selfies together, having the time of their lives.
"Wait, wait, wait; where's Tina?"
"I don't know; maybe she's with Dad and Louise?"
They began to walk back through the park, when they spotted Tina on one of the benches, holding hands with a Japanese boy. As they approached, they saw the boy say something into his phone, before Tina listened to it, and blushed.
"Tina, there you are!" Tina looked up at her mother, her cheeks still faintly red.
"Mom! Oh, this is Kiyoshi," they both stood up, and faced Linda, who was beaming.
"Aw, that's adorable! Aw, two lil' lovebirds!" Linda reached forward and hugged Kiyoshi, who looked very embarrassed. "Okay, we'll leave you two to your little date. Come on, Gene!"
They joined up for a light lunch a few hours later, Kiyoshi having gone on his way, but not before he gave his email and social media to Tina.
After lunch, they spent the evening in a traditional Japanese shrine, Sensō-ji. Louise had chosen this one because a very important, dramatic scene in "Hawk and Chick vs Ogama" had taken place there; the Ogama had struck Hawk, sending him flying across the room, and little Yuki had thought he was dead. She'd fallen to her knees, begging for her papa to wake up. That was the first time Louise had ever felt a twinge of sadness for someone else, and she remembered looking up at her own dad, picturing him in Hawk's place. The then five-year-old hoped that it would never happen to her daddy.
They had to remove their shoes before entering, and upon learning that, Bob and Linda had expected to turn away and do something else, but Louise was wearing socks. Of course, she had known about it, and had stocked up on socks ahead of time, and so they went inside.
"Just do what we do," Louise said to Linda, and her siblings, referring to herself and Bob; she would be so embarrassed if they did something wrong, and they all had to leave.
They walked up to the fountain and washed their hands, before going into the offering hall, where the Kami was located. The Kami, a statue of Ebisu, the God of fortune, stood in the centre of the hall.
Linda, Gene, and Tina watched, intrigued, as Bob and Louise each dropped a coin into the offering box, before bowing twice. They clapped their hands twice, bowed once again, and remained silent for a moment, before moving away. "Go on, then," Louise gestured to the shrine.
Once they had done so, they moved on to the rest of the sacred building.
They examined the Omikuji; fortune-telling strips of paper tied neatly onto wooden poles, and they checked out the Ema, which were prayer tablets, handcarved onto small pieces of wood. They didn't write any of their own, but they enjoyed reading the few that were written in English.
After that, they headed back to the city for an early dinner at Ninja Shinjuku, a more traditional restaurant. As soon as they entered, they were greeted with a small gift shop, filled with ninja themed goodies. They didn't have much time to browse, for the robot, dressed all in black, greeted them, making them jump, and a ninja appeared from behind the wall to take them to their seats.
They were led downstairs, to the underground ninja cave, where they were shown to their table.
"Wow, this place looks so cool!" Tina looked around in awe. The place had rocks all over the walls, and low lighting made it look mysterious.
The menu was a scroll, which had to be unrolled to see what was available.
"Oh, my God, I always knew I was born to be a King's messenger!" Gene kept furling and unfurling the scroll.
"Gene, let us order," said Bob, glancing at the menu.
"Make sure you order from the entertainment course," Louise demanded.
"What? How come?" asked Linda.
"You'll see," was all her daughter said.
"Oh, my God, I need to try this Omi beef!" Bob was practically drooling at the mouth; they didn't have Kobe beef, but Omi was the next best thing, and it was something he'd always wanted to taste.
"I'm gonna have the.. 'Super-hot chilli shrimp curry with burning fort'" read Louise, before looking up at her siblings. "What about you guys?"
"Uhhhh, I'm not feeling too adventurous right now," said Tina. "I'll just go for the.. 'fried chicken hiding in earth,'" she decided.
"Wait, in earth? Like, you have to dig for it? I want some of that!" Gene cried, and Louise sighed.
"Come on all the way to Tokyo to have fried chicken. Really, T?"
"Ooh, the paella looks nice," Linda saved Tina from having to answer.
Their food was served by staff dressed as ninjas, moving expertly in the dark room. With bandannas covering their mouths and noses, a waiter laid a tray down on the table.
"This is the chilli shrimp fort," he said. Louise reached forward to take it, but he raised his hand, gesturing for them to watch. He lit a match and placed it at the end of the tray, before stepping back. Within moments, the food had burst into flame, making them all jump, and Louise grinned in delight. When the fire had died down, he placed the tray in front of her, and then placed a potted plant each on Gene and Tina's plates.
"That's some funny looking chicken," Gene whispered loudly. The pots were full of soil, and had a small, green, leafy plant blooming from it.
"Turn it upside down," the waiter told them. They did so, and as if out of nowhere, fried chicken appeared. Gene and Tina were actually speechless.
Louise decided she liked this restaurant better than the Kawaii Monster Cafe; this place had fire. She even enjoyed the magic tricks.
For dessert, they split what was called a "Heirloom Bonsai of magical sweets," a mixture of ice cream 'soil,' pastry 'branches,' and a sponge cake base. It even came with bonsai scissors to clip the branches.
After dessert, they watched with amazement the magic show, before managing to heave themselves off their chairs and make their way back upstairs.
Before they did so, however, Louise insisted that they dress up in the ninja costumes provided.
"Come on! When will we ever get to do this again?" she cried. They could see her point, and so they dressed up, even Bob and Linda, and posed dramatically against the misty backdrop provided for them.
They had their photos taken, and then they left on a high.
They soon saw why Louise had made them come there so early; it was dark when they stepped outside. Bob checked his watch; they'd been in the restaurant for over three hours.
"Oh, my God, that was the best beef I've ever had," Bob rubbed his stomach appreciatively, back in the hotel room. "Seriously, nothing can compare to that, nothing."
"Dad, remind me again why we don't serve Japanese food," Louise was lying on her back on the bed, eyes closed.
"Because we're not a Japanese restaurant; we're a burger restaurant."
"Why? It'd be so much better if we did Japanese food; we could wear ninja costumes, and have Hawk and Chick movies playing 24/7."
"Louise, if you want to do all that, you gotta cough up the money."
"We don't need money; just buy Japanese food."
"I'll think about it," Bob moaned, needing sleep. That was good enough for Louise.
The following day had them all full of excitement, for that day was the premiere.
"Oh, I can't believe we're gonna go to real life movie premiere!" Linda was dancing about the hotel room.
"It's not until tonight; what are we going to do until then?" asked Tina.
"We're going to Tokyo Tower!" Louise informed them, carefully dropping to her knees to reach under the bed for her Kuchi Kopi bag. She'd chosen the Tower because that was where Koji and Yuki held a lot of interviews whenever they made a new movie, and because their famous 1973 photo shoot was done there.
"Ooh, goin' up in a tower; I love it!" Linda was hanging up the outfits they were going to wear that evening, singing loudly.
Gene was bouncing with excitement, stopping to catch himself in front of the mirror, and practising his wave.
"I cannot wait to be photographed; this is what I was meant to do in my life!"
"We'll all get photos on the red carpet," Bob assured them, "some just us, and if we can, some with Koji and Yuki, how does that sound, Louise? Louise?" Louise was still on her knees by the bed.
"Sounds good to me," she replied. Placing her hands on the floor, she put one foot on the ground, ignoring the sharp pain coursing through her lower back, and she slowly stood.
They had a very enjoyable morning at Tokyo Tower; the views were incredible. Louise had booked the tour, and they were currently on the observatory, listening to their guide while sipping their complimentary drinks. Louise, Gene, and Tina were looking out one of the many windows, before they headed to the top deck.
When they stepped into the room, it was quite literally breathtaking; the room appeared to be made out of diamonds, the ceiling was clear and jagged, and floor-to-ceiling windows lined the entire deck.
"This is incredible!" Bob gasped.
When the tour was over, they got to wander freely about the deck. Louise liked the glass floor. Tina didn't.
"Come on, everybody!" Linda got out the video camera, "everyone on the glass floor, and put your feet in!"
"Uhhhh..."
"Tina, it's not going to break," Bob assured her, taking her hand. They gathered together on the glass portion of the floor, arranging their feet in a circle.
"Yeah, 'cause no one has ever done this before," Louise said under her breath. But, she allowed her mother to film them, and also dutifully posed for a photo in front of one of the windows.
They lunched in the Tokyo Tower cafe, which was pretty uneventful, until Gene ate a large spoonful of wasabi thinking it was guacamole. His screams could be heard for miles.
As they still had a few hours to spare, they explored the local area.
They were walking past Shiba Park, when Gene stopped.
"Wait, I hear music!" he cried, running toward the sound.
"Gene!" Bob adjusted Louise on his back, and trudged after his son.
There was a group of people in the middle of the park, playing the drums, and a crowd had gathered to watch. Gene manoeuvred his way to the front, watching with glee. His family joined him, and they watched the talented drummers, stepping in time with the beat, bopping their heads. Louise didn't get down from her spot on her dad's back; why would she? She had the best view.
Linda beamed at Gene as he began to tap his feet, clap his hands. Before he knew it, he was dancing, twirling out in front of the crowd, hips swaying, arms waving.
Eyes closed, spinning around, Gene did not realise that the drummers were watching him, big smiles on their faces. Soon, Gene had attracted a little crowd of his own, and the onlookers were taking pictures and videos, chattering happily.
When the song ended, Gene took a deep bow, as audience and drummers alike applauded him. One of the drummers approached him, and spoke in Japanese. Gene only politely shook his head, indicating that he didn't speak the language. She handed him her sticks and pointed to her drum.
"Oh, okay," Gene didn't need any persuasion, and took his place behind the drum. Linda aimed the camera at him. "I've never played the drums before. I don't even know if I can." The drummers began their next song, he listened for a few beats, before joining in. Naturally, he picked it up almost immediately.
Bob and Linda were beaming with pride, watching their son proudly as he bopped on the spot, keeping in time.
"Aw, this is amazing!" Linda swept the camera around to the crowd of appreciative onlookers, "everyone cheering on my Genie Beanie!"
"I love this, I love this!" Gene screamed, raising his arms in the air, before beating out a flourish on his drums.
When the song was over, Gene raised his sticks once again, grinning, lapping up the applause.
"Oh, Gene, that was perfect!" Linda wrapped him up in a hug, kissing him on the cheek several times. "Oh, you're so talented!"
"Thank you, thank you," he stepped back, twirling his hands. The lady who had let him play approached him once again, and bowed to him, and he bowed back.
"Wonderful, wonderful!" she praised, patting his head.
They arrived back at the hotel in the early afternoon, planning on getting some rest before the premiere.
"Mr. Belcher? Mr. Belcher?" the receptionist beckoned them over. "You have a message, and your car is waiting," she said, handing Bob a sheet of paper.
"Our car?" Bob looked confused, as did the rest of his family.
"What does the note say?" said Linda.
"It's from Koji," he told his family.
"What does it say? Read it, read it!" Louise tugged on his arm.
"It says that he's arranged for us to have a complimentary spa afternoon, so we can get ready in style."
"Oh, my God!" Linda and Gene cried in unison. Tina gave a whispered 'yes!' but Louise didn't look too impressed.
"Do we.. all have to go?"
"Well, we're not leaving you here alone," said Bob. "You don't have to have any treatments," he told her, and Louise breathed a sigh of relief.
Half an hour later, they were at the spa resort, where they were basically allowed free reign over the place. It was a long, low building, with wooden beams, and soft lighting. Linda could see a hot tub and whirlpool in the courtyard. None of them had packed bathing suits, and she wondered if she could skinny dip. "Are you sure we can have anything we want?" Bob asked the receptionist.
"Oh, yes," she smiled. "It's all compliments of Mr. Kojima."
"Okay, thanks. Alright, everyone," he turned to his family. "Don't go crazy here; Koji's paying for this. He didn't have to, so let's not take advantage of him."
"Dad, Koji must be, like, a billionaire," Louise reasoned, looking at treatments offered in the leaflet. None of them seemed very appealing.
"Still, it's not polite to go mad," said Bob.
In the end, they all ended up having a pretty good time, even Louise. She opted for a shoulder massage; she remembered liking the one she had during her "independent study" time.
Linda and Gene, never ones to do anything by halves, were lying on their backs, slices of cucumber over their eyes, and their faces slathered in cream.
Tina was in the middle of a manicure, while Bob got a deep tissue massage, which left him feeling wonderfully limber and awake.
"This is the life we should be leading," Gene, fresh-faced and feeling silky smooth, settled into his chair for a mani-pedi. "I'm already used to this."
"Oh, me too; it's fabulous!" called Linda from the salon chair, where her hair was being thoroughly washed.
A few hours later, the five of them left the spa, all pampered and feeling like a million dollars, and returned to their hotel to get ready for the premiere. "I'm so excited!" Linda cried, as she sat down in front of the mirror to do her makeup. Her hair was curled and piled high on top of her head, with a few curls falling down and framing her face. "I can't wait to see it!"
"I can't wait to walk the red carpet!" Gene emerged from the bathroom, his hair fluffy and bouncy, tying the sash around his kimono.
Finishing up her mascara, Linda turned to her husband.
"Aw, you look so cute; Bobby; where'd you get the tux?"
"A thrift store," Bob self consciously smoothed down the jacket.
"Good find," Linda turned back to the mirror, applying her pink lipstick to match her new dress; a hot pink halterneck, with black heels. "Tina, sweetie, are you almost ready?" Tina, who had quickly run into the bathroom to get changed, emerged. She was wearing a bright purple sleeveless dress that fell to just above her knees. Her hair had been washed and styled, as well, and now hung in loose, wavy curls, which gave her already thick hair some volume.
"I'm almost done," she walked over to the bed, and began searching for her shoes, while Louise disappeared into the bathroom. "Kiyoshi told me he's going to be there; I hope I get to see him."
"Kiyoshi?" asked Bob.
"He's a boy Tina met yesterday," Linda told him, and Bob nodded. "How are you gonna keep in contact with him?" she asked, affixing her hair with some more hairspray.
"He gave me his email, and he's added me on social media," said Tina, pulling on her silver ballet flats.
"Dad, where are the sandals I bought the other day? I can't find them," Gene was rifling through one of the many bags.
"I don't know. Won't they be uncomfortable?"
"They're sandals; no sandal has ever been uncomfortable!" Gene declared. "Besides, if I don't wear them, then no one will see my pedicure," he waggled his bare toes, painted white, and decorated with minuscule red sakura blossoms.
"Alright, fair enough," Bob examined himself in the mirror behind Linda. His hair had been smoothed down and combed, and the facial he'd had made him look – dare he think it? - a little bit younger.
Finally, Louise came out from the bathroom, in the new dress Linda had bought for her. It was red satin, with short sleeves, a Peter Pan collar, and a knee-length skirt. She'd paired it with black tights and shoes, and the black leather jacket Tim and Charlie had given her. Her hair remained in their usual pigtails, along with her bunny ears. She'd allowed the salon lady to paint her nails red, but that was as far as she went.
"Aw, look at my beautiful family!" Linda cried, clasping her hands together as Gene twirled and posed.
"So, Louise, how are we getting there?" asked Bob.
"Uh, taxi? It's in Shinjuku."
"Great, let's get going!" Linda was practically ushering them to the door.
When they left the hotel, there was a white stretch limo parked out front, with the driver standing next to it.
"Are you the Belchers?" he asked, and they nodded. He opened the back door, and gestured for them to get in.
"Wow, a limo!" Linda cried. There was another note on the back seat.
"'Our special guests must arrive in style. Koji'," Bob read, quickly folding the note so no one would see him tearing up. "Wow; alright, everyone get in!"
"Yeah!" Gene dove headfirst into the car, with the others climbing in after him.
"I can't believe we're in a limo, and going to a movie premiere," said Tina, as the car started up.
"By the way, you're all welcome," came Louise's voice, sitting at the end, behind the driver. "If it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't be here. This is all down to me; you're welcome, you're welcome."
"I mean, Koji might still have invited us," Bob reasoned, leaning forward to examine the drinks on display in the mini bar opposite him.
"No, no; if it weren't for me, we'd never have met. I'm the one who recognised him. I enriched all our lives."
"Thank you, Louise," said Bob, as Gene dropped to his knees to fiddle with the radio, blasting out some pop music.
"Bobby, do they have any wine?"
"I don't see any. I'm sure they'll have some inside the theatre."
"It'll be nice to have a pre-drink." Bob leaned back, looking around the plush limo. This was nice; already, he could feel himself getting used to this lifestyle. He really needed to get that whole "celebrity chef" thing underway. Not for the travel and lifestyle, although that was a bonus, but to share his work with the world.
"We gotta remember to thank Koji and Yuki for doing this for us," he said.
"Yeah; this was real nice of 'em," Linda agreed, looking out the tinted window.
"Look! We're here!" Louise cried; they all looked out the windows to see a huge crowd of people, and the flashing of many cameras.
"Oh, my God, oh, my God! How does my hair look, Bobby? Did you take some breath mints?"
"Your hair looks fine, Lin, and, yes, I took a breath mint." Bob and Gene began scooting up on the seat as the door was opened. "Alright; here we go."
They stepped out into the floodlights, immediately facing the throng of excited Hawk and Chick fans, reporters, and celebrities. Directly in front of them was the red carpet, leading up to the cinema. The building, which resembled a miniature skyscraper, had a large statue of the head and shoulders of Godzilla resting on the roof, its yellow eyes surveying everyone.
The crowd were behind the velvet ropes, some holding cameras, others photos to be signed, and others holding flowers. Although they were applauding and waving, they were silent.
"Why is everything so quiet?" whispered Tina, feeling nervous with everyone's eyes on them.
"This is how they do it in Japan," said Louise.
"I can see Koji and Yuki," Bob nodded toward the stars, who were halfway up the red carpet, which was dotted with celebrities, talking to a reporter. "Do we.. just walk up to them?"
"We're taking our time here," Linda insisted, and she stepped forward, smiling at the crowd. They followed her, and slowly made their way up the red carpet.
Bob and Tina felt awkward waving, like it was wrong; nobody knew who they were, and they weren't the reason the crowd had showed up. Bob just smiled politely, while Tina scoured the onlookers for Kiyoshi.
On the other hand, Linda and Gene were in their element. Linda beamed and waved to everyone, while Gene posed in his kimono, looking left and right. He was right; the camera did love him, as photographers swarmed over.
Louise couldn't help but smile. She was in Japan, walking the red carpet, and about to see a brand new Hawk and Chick on the big screen, with the actors themselves; what more could she ask for?
A young female reporter approached Bob and Linda.
"Good evening; I'm Aya Saito for NHK World Japan. What is your name?"
"Uh, I'm Bob Belcher; this is my wife, Linda," Linda moved in close next to Bob, and began waving frantically at the camera. "And these are our kids; Tina, Gene, and Louise," he pointed them out.
"And you are from America?"
"Yes; New Jersey, a town called Seymour's Bay."
"And did you travel here for the premiere?"
"Yes, we did."
"We're special guests of Koji," said Louise, and the camera focused on her.
"How did you and Mr. Kojima meet?"
"He came to our town to see Yuki, and we met, and became friends."
"Ah, I see."
They moved on down the carpet, Linda and Gene smiling and waving all the way, before approaching Koji and Yuki. The two stars spotted the family and beamed widely.
"Ah, Belchers! Good to see you!" Koji swept Bob up in a hug, followed by Linda, then the kids. Louise did not hug back, but she didn't wriggle away. "So glad you came. How are you liking Tokyo?"
"It's amazing! We're going to live here now," Louise told him.
"Oh, really?" Koji smiled down at her, looking very sharp in his custom made tux with flecks of gold that made it appear to shine.
"No, we're not," Bob clarified.
"Well, we're glad you made it," said Yuki, looking exquisite in a floor length silver gown, with her hair in a neat bun. "Do you want to get some photos?"
"Of course we do!" Linda cried, a little louder than she expected. "Gosh, you look so pretty, Yuki! Where's the baby?"
"He's with the sitter, and thank you," Yuki smiled, her eyes glowing. "Come on, face the camera here." They got into formation, with Koji and Yuki flanking the Belchers', and grinned widely. They took a few more, switching up positions, before getting individual photos; first with both Koji and Yuki, and then one with each.
"Thanks so much for this," said Bob through his smile, as he posed with Koji.
"Ah, it is no problem, Bob. I am happy to do it."
"I mean, for Louise. You have no idea what this means to her," he glanced out of the corner of his eye, where Louise was posing with Yuki. "You've given her probably the happiest time of her life; so thank you."
"It is nothing, really. I know she has not had an easy time," Koji turned to face Bob. "You and Louise have given me the happiest moment of my life; reuniting with my precious Yuki, so it is I who must thank you." Koji pulled Bob into another hug, before beckoning Louise and Yuki over.
After they were done with the photos, Louise stepped away slightly, blinking away the bright lights, taking a moment to savour where she was. In Tokyo. On the red carpet. With Hawk and Chick. She honestly wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
She looked around her, observing the celebrities, recognising a fair few, when her jaw dropped. Because standing just a little bit further away from her was Kiriko Sparkle Sparkle, only the most famous and best pop star in Japan. For a moment, Louise couldn't stop staring; it was actually Kiriko, in the flesh!
Kiriko Sparkle Sparkle was Louise all-time favourite Japanese singer, but secretly. Not even her dad knew about this. Not that she was embarrassed, but none of them would get it, not even Bob. Kiriko specialised in the 'kawaii,' or 'cute' image; with big doe eyes, frills, lace, knee socks, and sweet poses. But she also dabbled in the weird and grotesque, with things like puking up CGI eyeballs, actors with gaping, teeth-laden mouths for heads, and her dancing on giant, flying fish, and that was why Louise liked her. That, and she genuinely made good music.
More than slightly star-struck, Louise walked over to Kiriko, who was chatting to a reporter. For a moment, she just stared up at this tiny young woman, who seemed so larger than life in her videos. She couldn't believe it was really her.
Kiriko, having finished speaking, caught Louise looking at her and smiled.
"Watashi wa.. dai... uh, fandesu!" Louise managed to stutter, almost breathless at seeing Kiriko up front, telling the star what a big fan she was. The singer was wearing a dress which consisted of a pale pink bodice with pastel blue vertical stripes, a stiff pink skirt decorated with brightly coloured pom poms of different sizes. The platform shoes made her look taller, and the oversized lilac bow sat neatly on top of her usual curly, blond wig.
"Arigatōgozaimashita," said Kiriko, bowing, and Louise's smile grew wider as she bowed back. She desperately wished she knew more Japanese, or that Kiriko could speak English.
"I love all your songs," she said, unable to help herself, and the lady next to Kiriko began whispering into her ear. "Crazy Party Night is my favourite, and I like Invader Invader."
Kiriko thanked her again, after the lady had translated for her.
"Would you like to take picture?" asked the translator, gesturing to the cameras.
"Would I?!" Louise stood next to Kiriko, grinning widely. Yep, this truly was the best moment of her life. "I didn't know you like 'Hawk and Chick.'" she said, after their photo had been taken. Kiriko answered her in Japanese, and the lady translated.
"Yes, I would see them as a girl, I became big fan. I like how creative they are; especially the way they kill the monsters."
"Me, too! Like when they killed Harionago! So good!" Louise remembered the way Hawk and Chick sliced each strand of her thorn-tipped hair off, before cutting her head off clean. "You should do that in your next video; killing Harionago, or something like that."
"That is a good idea," the translator said.
"Louise!" the girl turned to find that her family were now at the entrance to the theatre. "We're going inside now!" called Linda.
"Sayonara!" Louise waved at Kiriko, before heading back to her family.
"Who was that you were talking to?" asked Linda, as they went inside.
"Kiriko Sparkle Sparkle," said Louise casually. They looked confused, but Yuki smiled.
"Oh, I didn't know you were a fan of hers!"
"Yeah, little bit," she shrugged her shoulders, ignoring the questioning looks she was getting.
The lobby of the cinema was absolutely huge, with dozens of low-hanging lights, and a polished, patterned floor. The concession stand took up one entire wall, and posters for upcoming movies were displayed all around.
They went into the darkened room, and were led to the front row, where they made themselves comfortable. Louise positioned herself next to Koji, resting the large bucket of popcorn on her lap.
It was definitely the most comfortable cinema she had ever been in. Granted, she'd only been to one other theatre, but still, this was something she could get used to. The plush seats were enormous, with so much space that she and her siblings could fit into one, no problem, and with room to spare.
A smile slid over her face as the opening credits appeared on the screen.
"That was amazing!" Louise cried, as they stood in the lobby after the film. "Hawk and Chick vs Isonade" was probably the best one yet, and sure to go down in history as Louise's favourite. The main reason for that being, Isonade looked very much like a shark. And the way they killed it? Louise would remember that for the rest of her life.
"It was the best one ever!" Bob was more excited than Louise, dancing on the spot, his eyes sparkling. "I can't believe we got to do this!"
"Oh, it was beautiful! Thank you so much, Koji," said Linda.
"You are welcome, Linda."
"Well, I guess it's time for us to go home and get some sleep," said the mother, struggling to conceal a yawn.
"What?! No!" Louise looked scandalised. "There's still so much to do!"
"Like what?"
"Well, we need to catch up with Koji and Yuki!"
It was already quite late, but they stayed for more than half an hour after the film finished, chatting to the two film stars, before they had to head back to their hotel, exhausted.
As was customary in Japan, there was a merchandise table just before the lobby, which Louise had almost completely cleaned out, and now she was in bed, surrounded by the Hawk and Chick official novelisation of the film, a set of postcards, a poster, a T-shirt, Hawk and Chick figurines, a mug, among many other items. There was very little room for Gene and Tina.
"We need to do one of those at least once a week," sighed Gene, flopping onto the end of the bed.
"It would be nice," agreed Linda, removing her makeup. "We just need to know more celebrities."
"Or we could just stay here," Louise pulled the blanket up, her new stuff arranged around her. "I bet Koji and Yuki will make even more movies now."
"Ooh, Tina, did you find your little boyfriend?" Linda paused in the middle of removing her mascara and turned to face her eldest.
"Yeah, he was in the crowd, and we spoke."
"Are you gonna carry on speaking to him when we get home?"
"I think so; I mean, he gave me his details, so..." Tina trailed off.
"Aw, that's nice. Alright, now we all need to get some sleep."
The following day found them in Ueno Park, another Hawk and Chick filming location. It was an extremely large public park, with a lake, thousands of cherry blossom trees, multiple museums, and a zoo.
They were in the zoo, looking at the panda bears, which were lazing around in their pen.
"Can we take one of these home?" asked Louise, holding onto the bars.
"No, Louise," said Bob, aiming the camera at the bears.
"Why not? It can take me to school; I'll be ruling that dump in no time."
"Your room isn't big enough," said Linda, the video camera glued to her hand.
"Tina, switch rooms with me," Louise quickly turned to her sister.
"But, I won't be able to display all my horses if I did that."
"Ugh, never mind!" Louise resumed examining the bears.
"What are we doing after this?" asked Gene, his face pressed into the bars.
"Uh, there's lots of museums here. Maybe one of those?" Bob opened the leaflet. "There's the National Museum of Nature and Science, there's the Metropolitan Art Museum."
"Dad, we're on vacation," Louise told him. "Why would we wanna spoil our vacation, probably the only one we're ever gonna have, by going to a museum?"
"Well, it could be interesting; we could see some really cool stuff."
"I don't like museums, unless they have stuff I can touch."
"Do any of them have sand exhibits?" enquired Gene, placing a hand on his chin.
"Er, no," Bob shook his head.
"No museums; we've got a whole zoo to explore," said Louise. If she had known that the Nature Museum was hands-on, that would have changed her mind. But Bob did not see it mentioned in the leaflet, and so they remained at the zoo.
"How much time do we have?" asked Tina.
"About two hours," Bob told her. "We have to finish packing, and our flight's at 1 o'clock, so we wanna get to the airport in good time." A little chuckle from Louise made him look over at her. "What?"
"The fact that you actually think we're leaving; we're staying here."
"Louise, we can't stay here," he sighed.
"How come we got a one o'clock flight?" asked Linda. "We're not gonna get back until 5 in the morning!"
"It was either that, or 6am this morning," shrugged Bob. He was hoping it wouldn't be as bad as the first flight; they would probably sleep better. He was now realising that they would have to lug three sleeping children, along with three suitcases, through an airport in the very early hours of the morning, not to mention driving home. He was beginning to think that he'd made a mistake. Still, there was nothing he could do about it now.
They wandered around the zoo, gazing at all the animals, taking photos and videos, chattering happily.
"No, no, no!" Louise cried, clinging onto the metal railing for dear life.
"Louise, let go!" Linda grunted, her hands clasped tightly around her daughter's waist, but Louise refused to loosen her grip.
"Never!" Louise held on even tighter to the iron-wrought gate of their hotel.
"Louise, we're gonna miss our flight!" cried Bob exasperatedly. He, Gene, and Tina were standing a bit further away, watching the scene unfold. The kids looked amused, but Bob was beginning to panic. First, when they'd woken up that morning, they'd discovered she'd hidden their plane tickets. Then, she'd hidden from them, and now this. He could not afford to pay for a last minute flight.
"Good! I wanna stay here!" Linda placed her foot on the gate and heaved, but Louise still didn't budge.
"Did you glue yourself here or something?" Linda groaned, panting with the effort. Louise's arms were threaded through the bars, her elbows locked. "Little help here?" Linda looked at her family, and they moved forward, not looking the least bit happy to be doing this. Eventually, they managed to prise her from the railings.
"You can't make me leave!" Louise wailed, making for the bars again, but was held back. "I belong here!"
"I know how you feel," Bob told her, "but we've got to go."
"No!" Louise dug her heels into the ground, as Bob took her hand. He didn't want to drag her, potentially causing her pain, so he picked her up. "Put me down!" Louise ordered, reaching back over his shoulder, trying to grab hold of anything in sight. "I'm staying here! I'm gonna live here! I'll write, we can Skype; just let me stay!"
"How are you gonna live here on your own with no job and no money?" asked Tina, looking back as the suitcase she was pulling toppled off its wheels and rolled onto its side.
"I have money!" Louise tried to wriggle out of Bob's grip, but he held tight. As soon as they were in the taxi, then it would be easier. Then he just had to get her into the airport. And onto the plane.
"That's for your future, Louise," came Linda's voice from her right, where Louise couldn't see her.
"My future is here!" Louise insisted. "Dad, put me down!"
"You're coming back to America, Louise," said Bob, and Louise slumped against him, sulking.
"Why can't we live here?"
"Because we already have a home."
"Let's ditch that crap shack and move here!"
"No, Louise." She slumped even further.
"Can we at least come back?"
"Maybe one day."
~ X ~
Done! Yes, I totally lived out my otaku dreams through Louise.
I've never been to Japan (though I would love to), and so I tried to be as respectful and truthful as I could. If there are any Japanese readers, or anyone who's been lucky enough to travel there, I hope you can forgive any errors I have made.
Of course, there are certain things which must be experienced in order to write about them properly; I'm sure going to Tokyo is one of them. The only option is for me to go there. I'm willing to do this, for you, my readers. (Kidding!)
If you were interested, Kiriko Sparkle Sparkle is based on J-pop star, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.
I feel like Louise would secretly be a fan of hers. If you've seen her videos, you'll understand why.