Author's note: Sorry for the delay in updates, I hit a bit of a slump. Fortunately, I had the kind help of another Author, Simon James. Now, before we get too far into this tale of love, mistaken identities and serious faux pas, allow me to make a few points clear. First, this story is a work of complete fiction. Second, I do not own any aspect of Lovely Complex, the characters therein or anything of the sort. Third, while the places within are, for the most part real, I have taken my liberties with them to suit my purpose. Also be aware that this story makes gratuitous use of large, ostentatious and obscure words. In short, this whole tale is a miserable lie and contains nothing resembling the truth. With that in mind, please enjoy.
Seiko stepped off the plane at Tom Bradley Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport. Reluctantly, she had pulled her hair into a tight pony tail and wore no make-up. At her father's insistence, her clothing could, at best, be considered gender neutral.
"Welcome to the United States of America," the TSA gerbil intoned flatly from behind the bullet proof glass. "Have you anything to declare?"
Biting her tongue, Seiko summoned all her will power to resist the urge to declare American airport security laughable and over the top paranoid. Instead she shook her head solemnly and handed over her passport and student visa. The agent took the passport and casually compared the photo (not a very good one, either) to the young student on the other side of the glass.
"What is the purpose of your visit to the United States, Mr Kotobuki?"
Seiko winced at the use of the male title. You've got to be kidding me, she thought. I just handed you my student visa. "I am a Japanese student studying abroad in America."
The agent looked Seiko over again, compared the photo once more before stamping it with the requisite stamp.
"Please take your luggage to the search area and await the agent," The gerbil responded with a bored tone. Seiko summoned her will power once more and smiled before bowing slightly. The process was repeated twice more for the parents struggling under the weight of luggage.
Her parents in tow, Seiko took her suitcase in hand while papa slung a massive duffel uncomfortably over his shoulders.
"Criminy, Seishiro, what the hell have you got in here?"
"Sei-ko!" Seiko hissed at her father. "I am tired of having to remind you."
Mr Kotobuki rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You know, we could have shipped most of this stuff."
"Now, dear," Mrs. Kotobuki interjected. "Sei-chan is going to need most of this to get settled in right away. A girl needs her important things on hand right away."
A satisfied look crossed Seiko's face at the first instance of a parent using the correct gender references.
A second TSA agent met the Kotobuki family at the luggage check station. Each item was thoroughly inspected and eyebrows raised at the incongruousness of an androgynous youngster with suitcases full of girly things.
"Is something amiss, sir," Seiko, using her most girlish voice, asked in English.
Shaken slightly, the agent replied, "no, miss. Everything seems to be in order. Welcome to the United States."
"Thank you," Mr. Kotobuki thanked the agent. "Let's go everyone."
The Kotobuki family stood on the curb outside the terminal and watched the bustle of traffic as it flowed past. Mr. Kotobuki hailed a cab.
"Where to?" the cabbie asked in a thick Indian accent.
Struggling with both the map and his English, Mr. Kotobuki replied "OOn-ee-on Stay-shun"
Thinking a moment, the cabbie corrected, "Union Station?"
"Yes," Seiko said. "Union Station."
"Are you sure about this Sei-chan?" Mrs. Kotobuki asked in Japanese. "I always understood that Los Angeles had no metro transit."
"I looked it up," Seiko replied. "There is a train that goes from Union Station to Long Beach. We will have to make a couple of transfers –"
"With all this luggage, Seishiro –"
"Sei-ko!" Seiko practically yelled. The cabbie raised an eyebrow at the row in the back seat. "We make a couple of transfers and we're there."
"Or, I pay the man to take us to the university," Mr. Kotobuki offered. "I'm not exactly poor, y'know."
The family sat and contemplated the offer.
"Can you drive us to Long Beach?" Seiko asked the cabbie in English.
"I can drive you anywhere you wish to go," he replied with a smile. "You wish to see the Queen Mary?"
"No, thank you," Seiko waved off. "I start school at the university in Long Beach. Can you take us there?"
"Without a doubt," the cabbie offered. "Where on the campus do you need to go?"
Seiko consulted her schedule and told the driver where to go.
Anyone who has had the misfortune to crawl along Interstate 405 (known locally as the San Diego freeway) during rush hour traffic (known locally as anytime between 4am Monday morning and 10pm Friday night) will appreciate the uncomfortable feeling the Kotobuki family experienced on the drive from LAX to Long Beach. As miserable as the heat and smog were, the driver chose to avoid the slightly faster though much longer route along I-105 to I-710 and thus miss all the airport traffic headed east.
Seiko rolled the window down to try and get some fresh air. As she did, a low-rider filled with less than savory characters pulled alongside.
"Yo, homie. Check out the chica in the cab."
Both men turned to find Seiko staring at them with undisguised curiosity. She smiled at the two men who returned the kindness.
"Where you off to, cutie?" The driver asked. His passenger struggled for a better look at Seiko.
"I'm going to Long Beach," Seiko responded casually.
"Sei-chan," mom interrupted in Japanese. "It's not a good idea to tell strange men where you are going."
"Don't worry, mama," Seiko re-assured her mother. "I'm not telling them everything. I'm just trying to be polite."
In the low-rider, a small disagreement broke out among the two men.
"I'm not sure that's a woman, homes," the passenger remarked.
"Of course it is, ese." the driver maintained. "Lookit the face. That's a chica's face."
The passenger made no attempt to hide the fact that he stared at Seiko as she chatted with her mother.
"I dunno, brah. Seems kinda...flat, y'no?"
"Dood, these Asian chicks are all flat," The driver pointed out. "You watch too much of those Japanese cartoons, man."
"Anime," the passenger corrected.
"Whatever, man," the driver replied. "Point is, in real life, Asian girls aren't anywhere near as stacked as in your cartoons. So, I'm telling you, that's a chica in that cab."
Both men turned to find Seiko staring right back at them. "Where are you going?"
"To the beach, chica," the driver smiled. "I got some partners who own a house in El Segundo. Wanna come?"
"I don't know who you are," Seiko demurred. "I don't even know your names."
The driver smiled warmly as he pulled forward to keep pace with the cab. "My name is César and this is my homeboy Eduardo. He likes everyone to call him Ed."
Ed waved at Seiko who returned the gesture. "My name is Seiko."
"Sei-chan!"
Seiko turned to face her mother once again. "I will not have you talking to strange men driving such...vehicles."
"They seem nice, mama," Seiko protested. "Besides, they treat me like a girl."
"And how will that change once they find out your little secret?" mom responded sternly.
Chastened, Seiko fell quiet. The two men in the next vehicle tried vainly to gain her attention, but gave up shortly thereafter. Their exit ended the conversation.
The remainder of the long drive was spent in silence as Seiko stared glumly out the window at the parade of humanity along the freeway. Mom and dad spoke quietly among themselves while the cabbie amused himself with his iPod.
The sun sank low to the west when the family reached Long Beach State. The cabbie gladly helped with the luggage to the second floor of Seiko's dorm building. Seiko smiled at long last as she gazed out over the landscaping leading toward the Administration Building.
"Sei-chan," mom broke the reverie. "Papa and I are headed over to the hotel now. You wanna come along for dinner?"
Seiko thought for a moment before responding. "I think I will stay here tonight. Get used to the surroundings a bit. I can get something to eat later."
Mom smiled and hugged her little girl. "We'll be back first thing tomorrow morning. Take care of yourself."
"I will, mama. Good night, papa. Pleasant dreams."
Dad screwed his face slightly but softened his expression. "Good night Seish...Sei-ko."
Seiko wrapped her arms around her father and squeezed tightly.
"Thank you, papa," she whispered into his ear while choking back a tear. "I love you."
A/N: By now, you, dear reader, are wondering why I bothered with all this nonsense about routes and freeways and traffic. To give our non-native readers an idea of the environment into which our heroine finds herself, it is incumbent upon the Author to describe the nature of Southern California traffic.