Chapter 4: Forest vs. Trees
On their way back, Minako insisted on making various pit stops to delay their inevitable parting. Since it was Iku's birthday, Minako bought her a dress and a large sun hat at a local boutique and to Iku's chagrin, forced her to wear it. They stopped at a pastry shop to buy small dango and parked by Lake Kawaguchi to eat them. Among their many stops was a small farm that Minako frequented for their selection of macha green tea. Incidentally, the farmer also grew chamomile, and Iku bought a batch of tea for herself. When they were done with their touristy activity, they finally headed back in the direction of the Kanto Library to drop Iku off.
"This was great, wasn't it?" asked Minako lazily from the backseat as she checked some of the pictures she took on her camera's digital screen.
"I don't think we've spent this much time together since high school," smiled Seiji.
Iku contentedly watching the greenery go by. "I don't think I've had this much fun in a long time."
"Yeah," laughed Minako. "I knew all those karaoke sessions in high school were worth the money. Too bad it was only two passes back to the onsen. But you can take you-know-who back with you, right Iku?"
"Hey!" protested Seiji. "Since I paid for all three of us, I should get some sort of recoup on my investment. Leave the passes with me so I can take someone next time."
"Like you have anyone to go with," said Minako rolling her eyes.
"I'd like you to know that I have plenty of women at my beck and call," he insisted.
"Are you serious about any of them?" insisted Minako.
"Of course not," retorted Seiji.
"Then they're wasted on you," said Minako. Seiji winced at her double meaning.
"You don't hold back, do you?"
"When did she ever?" smiled Iku. "What about you, Mina? Why don't you keep the passes?"
"Nah," smiled Minako. "I'm married to my job. When do I have time to find someone?" Iku glanced over at Seiji, who remained expressionless. Iku was not so dense to not realize Mina's karaoke love ballad that won over most of the crowd last night was sung in his direction. But, perhaps it was not time to wake him up to that fact yet if Mina was not willing to come forward.
The rest of their trip was spent chatting and singing along to songs on the radio they knew by heart. They dropped Mina off at the station first, and after many hugs and promises to write, Iku watched Mina's train leave the platform with a little sadness. Sensing her melancholy, Seiji slung his arm around her neck and led her back to the car.
"Don't start that again," he chided. "We were supposed to cheer you up and recharge you for the work week." Iku wiped her damp eyes as they drove away.
"You're still such a crybaby," he laughed and turned up the radio to give her some space. Perhaps feeling a little energized by the catchy beat of Joe Inoue's "Closer," Iku opened up again and they talked about the old days in high school all the way back to the base.
They made it just in time before the campus closed. Seiji's car turned not a few heads as he drove Iku back to the women's dormitory. But Iku's white dress made people just plain stop and stare as Seiji handed her out of the car like a true gentleman. Their comparable height and fashionable clothing made it seem like they were shooting a commercial. Many in the female dormitory would later inquire with Iku if she was dating him, and if she wasn't then if they could have his number.
"Don't let it bog you down, Iku. Blow through it like you always do, with a smile on your face. If it doesn't work out," he smiled and touched her cheek. "You know you can come to me."
"Thank you, Seiji," she smiled gratefully. "But I think you'd be wasted on a simple country girl like me." Seiji shrugged nonchalantly and Iku couldn't tell if he was hurt by her response. She hoped he wasn't.
Iku watched him drive away as faithfully as she had seen Minako off. She loved them both equally and silently made a small wish that they would find their own happiness.
-0-0-0-
A few months had passed since she last saw her friends. She took their advice and reinvested herself into her work with new vigor but minimum recklessness. Even Doujo was a little surprised by her compliance with most tasks, no matter how mundane, and life went on as usual.
One autumn morning, before she was fully awake, she received a text from Doujo. Bleary eyed, she flipped open the screen and blinked at the bright letters. Genda was calling a meeting at 6 a.m. Iku looked at the time. She still had two hours.
"What the hell is he doing awake at this hour?" she grumbled. Looking at the date again she paused and smiled. Before Shibasaki was even up to complete her usual beautification regimen, Iku packed her work clothes in a duffel and hastily grabbed the bag of chamomile tea from her desk. Then, she took off in her jumper and running shoes for the open track behind the dorms.
Running to Seamo's "My Answer" on her portable mp4 player, she raced along the chalk white lines as other people began their morning exercises. She had made a promise to herself that the time between her birthday and today she would gather up her courage and ask him out. She was nowhere near ready for a confession, but Iku was ready to try a step forward. Her friends had helped her finally realize that she was herself when she was chasing after something she wanted, and what she wanted, was all of him. Not her prince, but Atsushi Doujo. The thought had occurred to her that she might be shot down, but even so, she wanted to try.
Her heart was full of confidence as she ran keeping up with the beat, until she saw the man himself, already dressed in his business attire, walking towards her. Then, all the confidence drained out of her and her stomach tightened. Her breathing constricted and her feet stumbled. The inevitable occurred and Iku fell flat on her face. Completely mortified, Iku just lay there and hoped he would pretend not to see and go away. Of course, he didn't. She could hear his footsteps approach her and Iku sat up with a grimace on her face. She looked up and saw that he was offering his hand.
"What's wrong with you lately?" he asked with suspicion. "You've been strangely compliant with all my requests and you seem to be avoiding me at the same time. Every morning you run as if your life depended on it. What's with you? Is it your leg, still?"
He noticed all of that? Perhaps, he was worried about me? the girly voice in her head squealed in delight. She forced those thoughts down as if swallowing a bitter pill.
"N-no, it's nothing," she stammered. He still looked unconvinced as he helped her up.
"Well, it's still early," he commented. "Get yourself cleaned up and I'll meet you in the office." She nodded in response, unable to meet his eyes. As he walked away, she berated herself. This is a horrible start. I don't know if I can do this...
-0-0-0-
Just as her other squad mates were coming into the office, Iku walked briskly to her desk in her pants suit. She had quickly showered and made sure every inch of her smelled like soap before reporting to work. When Iku's eyes met Doujo's she thought her heart was almost going to stop. But she couldn't say a thing, to her dismay. To keep her hands from shaking she got up without a word and brewed herself some chamomile tea to calm her nerves. Noticing the fragrance from her glass cup, Doujo looked over in her direction.
"What is that?" he asked.
"Chamomile tea, Sir," she responded rather stiffly. After a brief pause, she added, "Would you like some?"
"I would, thank you," he smiled gently at her. Again, her heart skipped a beat. Iku got up and brewed the tea with a strainer. Since she knew Doujo drank his coffee without sugar, she only added a hint of honey to the cup. She brought it out to him and glanced nervously at Komaki, who was eyeing her every move. He winked and give her a discreet thumbs up sign. Even Iku had to smile at that.
"This is quite good," commented Doujo. He noticed she was still standing next to him and looked up at her quizzically.
"H-happy birthday, Instructor Doujo," she said with a nervous smile. He raised an eyebrow and then shot a glance at Komaki, who suddenly found an intense interest in observing the holes in the ceiling.
"Um," she continued as she did her best to look at him without blushing, "if you like the tea, I know this shop that serves chamomile on its menu. If you have some free time, I was wondering if-"
"Kasahara," called out a Defense Force colleague as he approached her. Neither of them noticed the sudden scowl on Doujo's face. Komaki stifled his laughter and looked away.
"Ota-san," Iku said, taken aback by the sudden interruption. He handed her a letter and a thin package.
"These were placed in my mailbox the other day by mistake. I was meaning to give them to you earlier but I didn't have the chance. But you know, if you're free later, I was wondering if we could-" he started, but before he could finish, Komaki had a sudden fit of coughing. Iku couldn't tell if it was because he was choking on his laughter or his coffee. When Ota saw the look on Doujo's face, he backed away and gave a slight bow.
"Sorry for interrupting, Sir," he said hastily and turned to Iku. "I'll catch you later." Then he was gone. Iku tilted her head and frowned at his odd behavior. She looked down at the letter in her hand.
"Oh, it's from Seiji," she said as she opened it, quite forgetting that she was still in mid-conversation with Doujo. Komaki put his head in his hands and Doujo was about to say something like "Look here, Kasahara, when you start a conversation with someone, for heaven's sake finish it before moving on to something else," but he stopped short when she continued thinking aloud.
"I wonder if he's still upset by my refusing his proposal?"
Even Tezuka had to stop what he was doing and stare at her.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeh?" she cried as she pulled a photo out of the envelope. It was a close-up picture Iku front and on center stage during the karaoke contest clutching a microphone with one hand and gleefully pointing into the audience with the other. "When the hell was this taken?" On the back was the message:
Iku, hope this letter finds you well. If you haven't asked your prince out yet, I want you to go out with me at least once before you completely dismiss me. Go out with me once or else I'll post this on the Internet, Bakemono. Ku, ku, ku...
-Seiji
Iku froze, completely speechless and let the photograph flutter down to her desk. Before Tezuka could see what it was, Komaki snatched it up and started cracking up all over again as he read the message behind the photo. He passed it onto Doujo, who visibly colored.
"You sure have interesting friends, Kasahara," said Komaki, wiping away the tears in his eyes.
"Please, Instructor Doujo," said Iku, reaching for the photograph again. "It really needs to be burned."
He hesitated before speaking, but felt compelled to ask, "Isn't this blackmail?" What he really wanted to ask was "Are you going to go? but he was reluctant to cross that line with other people present. Iku shoved the letter into her duffel and looked at him with a sober expression.
"He's one of my best friends, Instructor, and I've known him since middle school. He knows I'd go even without this picture - which I know he'd never post." The words stung him a little bit when he realized the depth of her feeling and understanding of this other man. Stepping back, it occurred to him that the Iku he saw on a daily basis wasn't all there was to her. Underneath that reckless, clumsy, so-full-of-attitude exterior, he was beginning to see she had many other sides that were also "Iku." Among them was a quiet, thoughtful side that exuded feminine strength and grace. Before Doujo could find any words to respond, Genda interrupted them to start the meeting.
"Morning, people," Genda started off in his usual brusque manner. "I've called this meeting because I've received word that the MBC has targeted a list of material to be released to the public this morning. The list is an eclectic one, and there's no rhyme or reason to it. Some of them are novels, some of them consist of poetry, but the publisher has admitted that a majority of the publications include 'inappropriate' wording that the Committee would find objectionable. In fact, that is the official reason the MBC listed on their Cease and Desist warning sent to the publisher yesterday. A copy of the list has been provided to you."
"I've read reviews for some of these books," interjected Komaki. "Some of them are not so subtle barbs at the Media Betterment Act itself."
"So the MBC is trying to quell materials that render it in a bad light. That's not surprising," surmised Doujo, his chin resting on his clasped hands thoughtfully.
"Yes, but what the MBC doesn't realize is that it's only making things worse," continued Genda. "This is the same publisher that puts out New World Weekly and you can be sure they won't be quiet about it."
"Could it be that the publisher planned the release of all this questionable material at the same time in order to get the most impact?" asked Tezuka.
"Exactly," said Genda. "If you look at the authors of these materials you can tell what the agenda really is."
"These are all famous people," noted Komaki. "Top notch and cutting edge journalists, artists, photographers. Even popular directors, actors and comedians."
"People with the most impact to influence public opinion against the MBA," commented Doujo. "They're starting a revolution."
The concept was profound.
"This all started with the barber versus stylist controversy with Kosaka Daichi-san, didn't it?" said Iku rhetorically as she held the list in her hand. "They really keep missing the forest for the trees. If it wasn't for their petty little censorship rules over a simple word like 'barber,' Kosaka-san would not have come into the picture. Now other famous people are getting involved. So by nitpicking about words, they've inadvertently caused a whole movement against them."
Everyone looked at her in silence. Iku looked up and noticed their stares. "Geez it's not like I'm always dense! I may be characteristically absent-minded but it's not like I can't pay attention," she snapped.
Genda smiled, and continued. "It's exactly as Kasahara said. Those idiots have bit off more than they can chew, and by trying to stop this, they are drawing more attention to themselves." As Genda went through the squad divisions to organize a "pick-up" at the publisher's office in less than an hour, Iku only noted that she was under Doujo's command, which was all she needed to know. She put aside the list on her desk and opened the package that was mistakenly placed in Ota's mailbox.
Inside, was an impressive, glossy cover of a photography book entitled, "Emotion." Why did that sound so familiar? Iku glanced over at the list again and gaped at Number 14. "Emotion: A Collection, by Minako Fujiwara."
Oh my God, Minako's book is on the list too? Why? Curious, she opened the front cover and her eyes rested on the dedication page.
"To my parents who love me and never stopped encouraging me; and to my best friend Iku, who partly inspired the concept of this collection."
Iku read and re-read the dedication in disbelief. The words touched her, and she bit her lip to stop her eyes from watering. Iku flipped to the first photograph and her eyes widened in disbelief. The caption was "Robbed" and it depicted the sorrowful face of a child as she reluctantly relinquished a book from her small hands. The taker was anonymous but you could clearly see a gloved hand and an insignia patch on his black, long sleeved shirt depicting the emblem of the MBC. It had a profound and powerful impact on Iku especially, who had witnesses that sort of heart-breaking thing twice in her life. The first time, it happened to her directly and the second, she saved a little girl's book-with the help of her three superior officers, of course.
So that's what she meant in her dedication.
Iku's hand inadvertently went to her mouth to stifle her gasp as she sat in awe of her friend's gutsiness. Once an author or publisher or even a photographer in her friend's case was placed on the MBC's list of 'undesirables' they ran the risk of being blacklisted. Other publishers would avoid sticky situations like this, and defer any actions that would decrease their profit margin, including publishing future works of those already listed.
"Mina, you idiot. Of course they'd want to confiscate this." But Iku knew Mina was prepared for that, as were the other authors on the list. Most likely these works were limited edition prints that the publisher anticipated would be censored and thus the point was not profit.
Iku wanted to protect this book. A book that represented her friend's wishes. A book that silently spoke the words, I'm fighting with you.
There was another sticky note at the bottom of the page. "Skip to the end." Iku did as she was told and flipped through pages of photographs of anonymous people taken by her friend around the world until she got to the very last page and she could feel the color rising from her feet all the way to the roots of her hair.
There she was, in full, dazzling matte color, dressed in the flowing birthday present and hat that Mina had bought her, lit up by the sunshine in a field of chamomile. The white silk scarf that Mina insisted she wear was flowing out behind her like a pair of wings. In her arms was a bushel of chamomile she had picked from the field with the farmer's permission to be made into a potpourri satchel that Mina had purchased. Several buds were floating in mid air in the camera's direction as if they had been painted there. Mina had caught just the right moment when the elements collided and made the perfect photograph. Even Iku had to admit that she looked ethereal. The caption: "Kaze no Miko."
Iku conceded her friend's talent and confirmed that she wanted to save this book - except for the last page.
The image was taken partially at an angle from behind, and Iku's face was just turning towards the lens so that only a quarter of her features were seen, but those who knew her would definitely recognize her.
On the opposite blank page was the last sticky note with the cryptic message, "Save me."
Was she referring to the book? Or was it a direct order to save the photograph knowing how Iku felt about being publicly displayed like this? Knowing Mina, it had another meaning as well. Was it a message to the 'prince' from the girl in the photo? Minako was quite familiar with all of Iku's accounts of Doujo rescuing her, so that was a possibility. They had been talking about how they could get her prince to turn around and notice her, and certainly if this picture didn't catch his attention, nothing would.
Or perhaps it was Mina who needed saving with her feelings towards Seiji? Iku had been so caught up in her own problems that she didn't even consider the possibility.
"Idiot, how am I supposed to save you?" she muttered under her breath.
By making a choice to proceed with Doujo, or choose Seiji, so that everyone can move on. The realization dawned on her that her inertia didn't only affect herself.
I'm the idiot. I'm so sorry, Mina, she silently apologized.
At this point, the meeting had ended and everyone was shuffling around to leave the office except Iku. Tezuka noticed the bizarre expression on her face and paused.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked. His question caught Doujo and Komaki's attention and they turned around to see Iku still frozen in place, staring at something on her desk.
"Wait, what-" he began as he peered over her shoulder and saw the photograph. "Holy-" he said, about to curse out loud but then, catching himself in time. "That's you, isn't it?" His exclamation brought around others who were nearby, including Doujo and Komaki, to see what was the matter.
Several Task Force members whistled. Komaki broke out in playful laughter, which was typical.
"You're so-" commented Tezuka in astonishment, but caught himself again before finishing the sentence.
Beautiful.
It was the only word that Doujo had for it. His friend stopped laughing and put an understanding hand on his shoulder with a smile to match.
How had he not realized it before? This was the Iku that Doujo had caught glimpses of but had essentially eluded him. This was the girl he wanted to know better.
This was the true Iku, the girl he was in love with.
Author's note:
Dango: small cakes, usually made out of rice paste and traditionally filled with sweet red, green, yellow beans of various textures.
Lake Kawaguchi: The most popular of the "five lakes" attraction at the base of Fuji-san.
"Closer" is another opening theme to Naruto Shippuden. The lyrics relate that the closer you get to something, the tougher it is to see it, which is relevant to the chapter's title and theme. By far this is my favorite chapter. The phrase "missing the forest for the trees" applies not only to the MBC, but to Iku and Doujo as well.
Also, I wanted the reader to get a feel for the friendship Iku has with Mina and Seiji. They represent her past and they define both who she was and who she is now. It's like that saying, "You know a person by knowing who their friends are," or something like that. This chapter depicts Iku's maturity, and ability to finally step back and see the bigger picture in more ways than one.
For those of you following the fan translation of the novels, you'll understand what the Daichi Kosaka incident in the third novel, Toshokan Kiki, is all about. For the purposes of this short story, all you need to know is Kosaka is a pop idol who inadvertently became a poster child for ridiculing and fighting the rules of the MBA.
All fans of TS know the meaning behind chamomile is "strength amid adversity" and the alternative name I considered giving the photograph was "In Her Element."
-Kero (6/23/11)