Burning the Midnight Oil

Chapter 3

Closing Shop

~Nino~

The clock lied. That had to be it. She'd never woken up with the hour hand parallel to the floor. It must be broken, her wristwatch would tell her the truth. When it lied to her too, she suspected conspiracy. Who would benefit the most from throwing her off balance, and what would they have to gain from her losing track of her schedule? Ichika...

Wait, the sun was already shining through the blinds. So she really had overslept. She rubbed her eyes, what was she thinking. A conspiracy, really? Her brain needed to catch up with the sun and get up.

She put on her contacts and stepped into the living room, her sisters surrounding a lovely arrangement of toast, sausage and fresh spring oranges sliced into wedges. Ichika waved, "Rise and shine. About time you showed your face."

"Why didn't anyone wake me up?"

Itsuki said, "I tried. You glared at me and stole all the covers."

"I don't remember that."

"You were scary."

Nino grumbled and sat down, "So who made breakfast today?"

"I did!" Yotsuba said proudly.

Nino paled, "You...you made this?"

"Yeah! I thought you could use a break."

Oh, but there were four compelling reasons Nino was the only chef in the kitchen. By pure coincidence she also happened to have four sisters. The reason Miku never made their meals was because her food tasted of death. The reason she kept Yotsuba out of the kitchen wasn't because of a lack of skill, in fact her cooking, while simple, was quite tasty. No, her problem was quantity. Once again, the problem wasn't the food. Question! How many dishes would be needed to make this simple arrangement of toast, sausage and fruit? No more than three. Yotsuba used fourteen.

"I guess I went overboard again," Yotsuba said.

"I'll never understand how you do it."

Yotsuba said smugly, "Maximum effort."

Ichika smiled and turned to Nino, "Speaking of effort, what kept you up so late?"

"The usual, what else," she said before taking a bite.

"I noticed Futaro stayed over last night. That wouldn't have anything to do with it, right? Or..."

She eyed Ichika closely, those piercing eyes were searching for anything hinting at guilt. She gave her nothing and turned on the TV, "I had to put up with documentaries all night."

Itsuki sighed, "Does he ever stop?"

"That's what I said."

Miku chewed her toast and said, "I think it's admirable, he's found something he's passionate for."

Yotsuba pondered, "If only we could slice off a bit of that passion cloud and divide it among us, we'd pass for sure."

Miku said, "Don't be ridiculous."

"You're right, we suck at carving things five ways."

Nino asked, "So where'd he go anyways?"

Itsuki said, "Futaro? He left before breakfast."

Yotsuba sighed, "Our scores must be awful, he left looking like a passing car just threw a drink in his face."

Nino jerked, "Oh, did he now."

Itsuki said, "Maybe he'll tell you something at work today. Let us know, okay?"

Work? Right, work. Work involving six hours of close coordination with the person she'd drugged to sleep. The perfect capstone to her weekend.

She stood and said, "Fine, I'll do what I can." She gathered the dishes and headed to the sink.

Yotsuba announced, "Alright! Let's do this!"

Nino gloved up and said, "I've got it, it's nothing." That's all that had to be said. This was the order of movement in the Nakano home. When that hole appeared in their lives, Nino was the one to step up and fill it, and she's occupied it ever since without complaint. So it didn't bother her when none of her sisters insisted, that was just how they were.

The house was empty by the time she finished, she said her goodbyes to each of her sisters as they left for the day. Yotsuba high-tailed it to her part-time job with her usual enthusiasm, followed by Ichika who was slated for another minor supporting role across town. She casually dropped how she wouldn't be home for dinner, and when Nino asked if she wanted a dinner box, she refused and told her that most shoots catered for the entire crew. She had her top five favorite production companies to work with based on their catering quality. Today was number three, they catered French.

Itsuki and Miku were the last, saying they were heading to the library to review Futaro's corrections. They could have done it at home, but Itsuki was tired of spending days at a time cooped up in the same apartment with books for company. Miku wouldn't mind, she used to spend entire weekends in her room with her headphones on. Itsuki insisted on group study and left Miku little choice, so out she went. They offered to wait for Nino, but she refused. She had plans of her own, ones that didn't involve textbooks.

She set the dishes on the drying rack and glanced at the clock. Almost ten, no time for studying now. She'd pick up again after her shift. It wasn't that she was giving up on studies, she was as diligent as any of her sisters, and she wouldn't be the one to hold the others back. But any more time spent staring at books today and her eyes might flee her face in revolt.

She was in a hurry and rushed her makeup, everything was done with quick, practiced precision. She had to forget the little details, no time for perfection, she had to run. She snagged a dress and ran out the door. It was a short walk to the subway and an even shorter ride. The route may be new, but the destination was an old familiar.

"About time, Nino!" one of her friends said when she arrived.

"At least I made it."

"Where are your ribbons?"

She checked her hair and realized she forgot them today. She blushed, realizing how much her late start had thrown off her groove. She brushed it off, "Just thought I'd try something different today. Come on, let's go."

They nodded and the three of them stepped into the department store. These massive complexes of capitalistic spirit were a dime a dozen downtown, but this one was special to her. She knew this store like an old friend; she knew its layout, its inventory rotation, even its sales periods. She'd even known staff from her favorite stores by name, once. But that was in the past, back when she could still afford to shop here.

On the outside nothing had changed. They browsed their favorite brands and picked out promising outfits to try on. But that's where the fun ended, because as soon as she saw the price tags she marveled at all the zeroes she never noticed before.

Budgeting was a new verb in the Nakano household, and a painful lesson to learn. They'd never needed a spending limit in their early adulthood. Each quintuplet was an authorized user on their father's card. His only restriction was that they never use his card to buy something for anyone outside the family. This gave each of them a virtually bottomless wallet, and none of them took greater advantage of this than Nino.

She used to walk through the mall like a princess, the shop attendants bowing in deference to her patronage. And she loved the thrill of the hunt, scavenging fifty ugly outfits to find the perfect one, her diamond in the rough. Money had never been her hindrance, only her patience. But now her finances were stretched thin, too threadbare to afford anything in most of these stores. It made her feel small, and she wondered if the shop attendants saw her any differently when she left empty-handed.

In the end she splurged on a faux-pearl bracelet for twenty-five hundred yen and nothing else. She wore it out, not even needing a bag, unlike her two friends who toted one bag each. She wondered what they thought of this change, and how much longer she'd want to keep joining them when she had no spending power of her own.

They ate a quick lunch at a cafe at one and she said her goodbyes at two. She caught another train and headed back across town. She got off the train and maneuvered her way through the crowds of people like a snake slithering through a rocky field. It was a short walk from there to the cake shop.

She'd have loved to put off this confrontation for a while longer, but the sight of Futaro sitting outside the shop showed her that fate wasn't on her side today. He was eating a piece of ugly cake, she knew the manager let him have the mistake pieces if he arrived early enough. Saved room in the trash, he said. She secretly wondered if Futaro would have considered that too, the cheapskate.

Itsuki said he'd been angry, but there was no point in holding it off. She called out, "Hey, you're here."

He looked up and narrowed his eyes into daggers that pierced her confidence. Was he really this upset? Not that she could blame him, this time made three-for-three successful druggings. She wouldn't be surprised if he never trusted anything she gave him again.

He asked, "Which one are you?"

Ah, her guilt when up in righteous flames. It felt nice.

"You're not serious."

"You're not playing fair, there's no accessories."

"So I'm just my ribbons?"

He flared, "Nino! Hey, I've got somethi-"

"Save it," she said, too upset to care, "Even now you still can't figure it out. Pathetic."

"Cut that out, it could've been you or Miku, I-"

"Do I look dead in the eye? Did you even notice my hair is shorter? Honestly, you're a real jerk sometimes." She brushed past him and entered the shop, not caring whether he followed or not.

~Futaro~

This was not how he pictured their conversation going. He'd been waiting all day to tell her how GREAT he slept last night! How was he suddenly in the wrong? Were his now several druggings no longer worth commenting on just because he didn't recognize her on sight? Was it such a powerful insult that it was worth glossing over an actual crime?

It was to her, though. She, who once pined after a time when the five of them were ubiquitous and interchangeable, now couldn't stand not being distinguished from her sisters. What did she want in all this? He didn't know anymore. Nino the enigma.

They weren't on speaking terms for the first hours of their shift. She kept to the kitchen churning out cakes like an automaton while he waited tables. They were like two panthers keeping out of each others' territory, and the distance kept the peace. But then the clock struck seven and the after-dinner rush began, and it was all hands on deck for the hordes of hungry gremlins.

Keep smiling, even if it hurts, you can make it two more hours. Just press it out and you'll be able to head back to your cozy little desk and study until the cricket chorus sings. He could do it!

Then they came. His ears caught them first, bringing their outside voices into their humble shop. They were dressed in jeans and ironic t-shirts. One wore a baseball cap turned backwards, another had hair that looked like it needed way too much attention in the morning.

"Foreigners," Futaro said gloomily.

The manager nodded next to him, "Americans, by the look of it. Go get 'em"

"Not my section."

He gave Futaro a thumbs up,"They're all yours, mister perfect English score."

"...Huh?"

No, no this wasn't good. His English was fantastic ON PAPER! Vocabulary, writing, reading comprehension, these were very different skills from speaking. His manager was throwing him to the sharks covered in sashimi!

"I'll handle it." They turned to the voice, Nino looked to Futaro and nodded to the table filled with cackling Americans.

The manager asked, "How's your English?"

"It's my best subject."

That means nothing and you know it!

The manager nodded, "Take care of them, give it your best effort."

She nodded, caught Futaro's eye for the briefest instant, then headed over to the Americans. The Manager took off his hairnet and held it over his heart, "Your sacrifice will never be forgotten."

"You sound like she's never coming back."

"She might not."

"And you were so willing to sacrifice me."

"You I can afford to lose."

"You really know how to inspire your work force, boss."

Nino crossed the line of no return and greeted their guests. She spoke slowly, carefully assembling her words, "Hello, welcome to our shop." The guys cheered, Futaro guessed they were impressed. "My name is Nino and..." she paused to find the words, "I'll be taking care of you.

Futaro refilled water a table over and heard one of the guys say, "You hear that? She's gonna take care of us." His friend must be hard of hearing, Futaro concluded.

Nino took their orders, asking them to repeat their choices more than once, and went back to the cake stand to assemble their desserts. She brought them their cakes and all the guys leaned in. They asked her questions bordering on the personal and seemed very excited to keep her from her other customers. Nino smiled and answered as best she could before insisting she had other tables to service.

Futaro finished refilling the area's waters and heard one of them comment as he passed, "Can you believe it? Total hottie."

Futaro wondered if the temperature was too high for them. Maybe they were from Alaska.

"I'm gonna make a move."

"Give it up, man. Totally out of your league."

"Have faith, man, have faith."

"Did you only come here to pick up chicks?"

What was that about baby chickens? Japanese eggs were much higher quality than American ones, were they trying to smuggle some chicks back with them? Americans are weird.

"We're here for three more days. What do you think's gonna happen? Just drop it, man."

"Uh-uh. I'm getting her email before we leave."

That clicked it. Oh no, he had to warn Nino before it was too late.

He made his escape back to the kitchen only to find it empty. He checked the break room, but no luck there either. He realized he must have missed her and power-walked back to the dining area. He was too late, Nino was at the table, scribbling something on a piece of paper. Was she really giving them her email address? The thought of some cocky foreigner emailing Nino unsettled him like a plates shifting in the Earth's crust. He knew something like this would happen eventually, there was no way Nino would stay interested in him for long, they were leagues too different. He just didn't expect it to happen so fast, or with someone that different.

The Americans paid their bill and left. Futaro caught one of the guys check his wallet and pull out a piece of paper, the same one Nino had given him. He tucked it back in and left with a smile.

A while later the crowds were beginning to thin out and the manager gave him and Nino a break. They stepped into the break room and Nino took her seat, stretching in her chair and looking like she could melt into it.

Futaro tested the waters, he still wasn't sure if they were back on speaking terms, "You look worse than after a night of studying. That bad?"

She said, "No, not really. They just talk so fast, you know?"

"You volunteered."

"I did, and it was worth it."

What? Was she talking about the guy she gave her email to?

She caught his eye and grinned, "What're you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"Wanna know why?"

"Sure, tell me."

Her hand snatched something from her pocket and she fanned a series of bank notes, "Americans tip!"

So many zeroes! The glorious faces of the past dared to grace his presence with their universally accepted value! He mouthed, "So beautiful."

"Isn't it? To think people actually pay more to chat with a pretty girl."

"Ah, is that why you gave them your email?"

She flushed, "You saw that!?"

"What's with your reaction? It wasn't exactly secret."

"I thought you weren't there…"

"You checked for me?"

"Yeah, you weren't supposed to see that," she sighed.

They turned as someone opened the door. The manager peeked his head in and said, "Hey Futaro, I need you to close up for the night."

"Again? Why can't you?"

"Wanna sleep."

"That's not a good excuse!"

"I'll do it," they turned to Nino, "I just have to clean and lock up, right? I can manage that."

The manager eyed Nino for a moment, then looked to Futaro, "If she burns out, I blame you."

"Look in a mirror to find the culprit!"

The manager left and Futaro asked Nino, "You don't need to do this, I can handle it."

"I don't mind, how long can it take?"

"Cleaning the entire kitchen? Washing, mopping, storing?"

"Easy."

"Did you study today?"

"When I get home."

"And your other chores?"

"When I get home."

"Let's do it together then, it'll go faster that way."

"No," Nino said, looking determined, "I don't need your help. Weren't you going to go home and study?"

"That's what I'm asking you!"

"And I will. Once this is done. Goodnight Futaro."

Oh no, she was not getting out of it that easi-she's already leaving. She closed the door and left Futaro to his thoughts. That was a mistake if she wanted him to head home.

If this were any other employee, he could take it at face value as a kindness, or an unspoken promise to cover for them in return when they'd need relief. Nothing more than a favor for a favor. At its core, all logical human interaction was little more than that. That's how the clever ones manipulated other, more desperate people, by finding what they wanted and offering it on a moving string. He convinced himself that if he could figure out what Nino wanted, everything would fall into place. He thought he knew before, but he wasn't sure anymore.

Years ago, he, Raiha and their father had gone on a picnic. After a filling lunch of Raiha's early work, she and their Father sat on the grass and spent the afternoon cloud spotting. Their imaginations turned puffy white nimbus into animals, faces, even their mom. Futaro thought it was silly, all he saw was the coming rain. Yet he couldn't escape a doubt that he was missing something, like he was colorblind in a world of rainbows. He said nothing as his sister and father shaped the clouds into something he couldn't see.

Was that what was happening now? Was he missing that final dimension that would help him understand what anyone normal could see? Maybe he was looking at this the wrong way and wasting energy he could be using studying. Maybe that's all it was, if Nino wanted him to study, or she didn't want time to do it herself. Either way he had it now, might as well use it.

He changed out of his work uniform and packed his bag. He wondered if he should thank her before he left. As he stepped out into the dining area he found Nino checking the cabinets behind the counter. She closed it and eyed each cabinet with suspicion.

"What are you looking for?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said as she grabbed the broom and swept the floor, leaving the cleaning rag dry on the counter-top.

"Cleaning spray?"

"I can get it."

"No, you can't. He doesn't stock it behind the counter." He opened a door marked for employees only and walked inside. It was a small utility closet with all the chemicals and spare uniforms. The manager never showed her this room, given her talent for baking and decorating she'd never be assigned cleaning duty normally, "He keeps them separate from cooking spaces. Make sure you put it back when you're done."

He offered her the spray and she took it with small thanks. He watched her go back to work, alone. Closing was a lonely life, and she took it so he could study. He should respect her wishes, right? He decided he would.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he set his science textbook on the counter.

"Studying," he began, turning the pages to the periodic table. He said, "The noble gases are helium, neon, argon-"

"Why are you talking?"

"I'm studying."

"So loudly?"

"Don't question my methods. And if you happen to overhear me, maybe you'll even learn something." It worked before, didn't it?

Nino made a face mirroring Ichika's when she ate Miku's cooking, "I'm supposed to study and close at the same time? Have I finally reached the lowest level of hell?"

"You asked for both."

"Not at the same time!"

He shrugged, "Again, the noble gases are helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon."

Nino narrowed her eyes, but went back to cleaning. When she went back to the kitchen, Futaro raised his voice until he heard his own echo. He wasn't sure if his methods encouraged her to clean any faster, but she finished much quicker than he ever had.

She arrived changed with her bag in her hand. "Ready to lock up?" he asked.

She closed her eyes and folded her arms, saying, "Helium, neon, um, argon...radon..."

"Out of order."

"Give me a break."

"Again."

"Get out."

He packed his bag and walked out the door. Nino followed and locked the door before slipping the key through the mail slot. She opened her mouth to speak, but Futaro said quickly, "Helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon."

She said, "I thought these were basics. Aren't you supposed to be studying for yourself?"

"I am, it's review."

"So you don't know them?"

"Of course I do, but I'll never retain it unless I review. Sometimes I have to study something a hundred times before it sticks."

"Sounds like a waste of time."

"When we go shopping, you go through a hundred outfits before finding one you liked. Is that a waste of time?"

"They aren't the same."

He agreed, his was actually productive. He never understood why women, and men too for that matter, spent so much time complicating the simple act of dressing. He had a few good, cheap outfits and they all fit well. What more could he need until winter?

Nino checked her purse and grinned, "Do we get a lot of foreigners?"

"Why? Thinking about leaving the kitchen more often?"

"Maybe," she said, her eyes swimming with possibility.

"You should get a second email if you plan on doing that again."

"Huh?"

"Giving it to them, I mean."

"Oh, that? I didn't give them my email."

"You didn't?"

"No, I gave them Ichika's."

"What? Why would you do that?"

A spark of triumph filled her eyes like starlight, "Payback."

"I'm not following."

"It's a sister thing."

"Opening your sister up to unwanted American courtship is a sister thing?"

"Precisely. You wouldn't understand."

"Not even going to try."

"What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"The kind who gives personal contact information for tips."

"Just not my contact information."

Futaro chucked, he hadn't expected to but he did, it escaped like a convict rushing through the prison gates after waiting years for his chance. Nino asked, "What?"

"No, it's nothing."

"As if. Tell me."

"Just...picturing Ichika's face when they email her."

"I'm hoping to be there to see it. I'll take a picture for you if you ask nicely."

"Won't she know it's you?"

"I want her to know," she said smugly. And Futaro found he was surprised he thought she would do anything else.

This was Nino: when she felt something, she let it be known. She never put on a show disguising her feelings for anyone, and if asked she'd tell you exactly what she thought of you, no matter how flattering or seething. So why had she said something so mind-altering only when he was asleep?

If he asked about that night, she would tell him. And if she told him, maybe he could finally put this to rest. It might be admitting defeat, he would be telling himself he couldn't solve this on his own, or at least not as fast as he needed.

He was not like Nino, he screened every sentence through a sensitivity barrier. He kept his audience in mind and carefully kept his tact. But something in that unexpected laugh had lowered his defenses. On any other night, his common sense would have told him what he was about to ask was a bad idea. He would have found another way to phrase it. But the friendly atmosphere and his own misunderstanding of Nino herself convinced him this was okay to say.

He asked, "What did you mean that night?"

Nino paused, "What?"

"The other night, when you thought I was asleep. What did you mean?"

Futaro missed the early signs of his egregious misstep. She was surprised, but that was expected, he had overheard something he wasn't meant to actually hear, even if it was meant for him. Then, when her eyes hardened into daggers threatening to pin him to the wall, he realized he might have stepped on a landmine.

"You were awake," she said slowly, her sense returning as the pieces came together.

"Yeah, I-"

"That's why you've been acting strangely."

"Me? You're the one who changed-"

"What's left to understand? You heard me, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I-"

"And you just pretended to be asleep? Do you realize how weird, and, how creepy that is?"

"What are you getting at? What was I supposed to do, get up in the middle of your confession?"

"Yes! Yes, that would've been loads better than pretending! All of this could've been avoided if you just sat up and asked, you dumbass!"

"No it wouldn't! You didn't even want me hearing it! How is that supposed to help? I'd wake up and you treat me completely different, and I'm just supposed to go with it?"

"Why? What's wrong with that?"

"What isn't!? Or did you think I wouldn't notice? You fly from hate to love to indifference, I'm getting whiplash trying to keep up!"

She glared at him for a long moment, then she laughed without any mirth, "Oh, this is great. Just great. So this is on me for trying to help, right? Shows me for being considerate."

Futaro's teeth pressed together, "Is that what last night was supposed to be?"

"That was a favor, you needed it!"

"Oh, wonderful! I slept great, by the way! Not that I had any choice thanks to you!"

"I was trying to help you!"

"Well I don't need it!" he said, his words hotter than she deserved, but his frustration boiled away his self-control and out they went. He would have taken them back if he could, but they belonged to their history now. And as they hit her he saw their power in how they damaged her fire, a slap in the face for her effort. He stepped back, "I mean, it only complicates things. I don't need any more change."

She scoffed, "Yeah, whatever." She looked at him with something far away in her eyes, then turned away, "Futaro, I love you. But I really don't know why."

She left then, storming off into the night without so much as a backwards glance. Futaro watched her leave and searched his mind for something final to say, something that she wouldn't help but to chew on for the rest of the night. But his frustration strained at his creativity and the only things he could think to say were too mean, too cruel to be said, and he knew he'd regret saying them if he did. Just like what he said before. But it would feel good right now. It would feel right.

And there it was: feel. So much got out of hand because of feelings. He needed to squelch these emotions in utero before they had time to mature and topple whole neighborhoods into problems he couldn't solve. Useless things.

He tried solving this alone and it went nowhere. He tried confronting it, like Nino, and it blew up in his face. He was giving up, he was sick of this unwinnable game.

He left for home where things still made sense.

A/N

I should inform you that as I'm in the military, there may be times when I have to deploy and am away from an internet source for some time. If for whatever reason this story is not updating over a period of time, please check my profile, I will have my writing status there. If I can update, I will as early as I am able.

I received plenty of encouragement from readers this last time, I've responded to those I can, and to those I cannot I want to say thank you for your support. I'll continue this story for as long as I am able, to completion if I can. I hope you'll follow along until the end. Please leave feedback, comments, criticisms and thoughts so I can learn and make it that much better. So please review, and I will update soon.

Chapter published March 21st, 2019.