Matt found the streets of the city bustling, filled with men in suits, noisy clerks, and obnoxious children. But there was something about the music and lights that felt comforting to Matt which made him decide to explore Hong Kong even more. His feet soon began their journey in finding a store Matt had seen an advertisement from, but the directions he received brought him nearby a neighborhood park instead.
"Ishida-san!" Matt saw Miyako and Mimi waving at a distance and met them half way. He greeted them with a smile and bowed his head.
"A pleasant surprise," he said. Mimi was careful with keeping eye contact for too long. "I see I am not the only one exploring the city today!"
Miyako looked at Mimi, "What? Oh, no, we are actually going to Tachikawa's house to see her parents. "
Matt nodded slowly, "Oh, yes, you told me that last night…," he cast an apologetic look towards Mimi, who responded similarly. He paused for a moment, hoping she would say something. "Well, I shouldn't keep you, ladies…"
"I'm sorry!" Mimi repeated more softly. "I'm sorry," she smiled widely and stepped forward, casting glances from Miyako to Matt. "I know this is last minute, but would you like to join us? It's only a couple blocks away, and I promise you my parents won't do anything embarrassing!"
Matt chuckled and nodded, "Oh, well, how can I refuse such an offer?" A smile of relief appeared across Mimi's face when she saw he had excused the conversation they had during New Years.
The smell of mashed potatoes and fried vegetables was only the beginning of the welcoming Mimi, Miyako, and Matt received when they arrived at the Tachikawa household. Mimi's dad was a man gone soft at the sight of his daughter. Their father-daughter chemistry, their household of pictures and memorabilia were an appealing sight for Miyako and Matt.
Mr. Tachikawa stretched his hand towards the living room. "Mimi, why don't you three take a sit? Your mother's prepared some tea before lunch."
"Mr. Tachikawa, would it be alright if I use your bathroom?" Matt asked. Mr. Tachikawa gestured him to head down the hallway.
"Wonderful," Miyako remarked as she sat down. "Where is Mrs. Tachikawa?"
"Still in the kitchen, she's just finishing up the dessert," Mr. Tachikawa replied.
Mimi looked towards the direction Matt headed, "I hope she'll be right out. I was really wanting her and Matt Ishida to meet," Miyako passed her a confused look. But what Miyako didn't know was that Mimi wanted her mother to see Matt because, unlike Mr. Tachikawa, she had met Yamato Ishida before, and Mimi had high hopes that her mother would see the resemblance.
Mrs. Tachikawa hummed softly, jumping from one stirring pot to the next and trying to finish her cooking after she had heard the doorbell ring. She suddenly heard the kitchen door open.
"Mimi, is that you?—Oh, hello!" she was startled to find a young man standing and blushing at the doorway.
"Sumimasen, Mrs. Tachikawa," he bowed slightly, looking around. "My name is Ishida Matt; I am a friend and co-worker of your daughter. I'm sorry; I thought this was the way to the bathroom. I didn't mean to startle you like that."
Mrs. Tachikawa waved her hand, "Oh, don't you worry about that, Matt! Welcome, welcome!" she smiled comfortably. "Actually, I was more startled by your appearance—for a second there, I swear I was looking at a ghost." She laughed. Seeing the confused look on the young man's face, she continued. "Well, it is just that your face… it reminded me of this friend that would walk Mimi home from school sometimes. I can't quite remember his last name—"
"Oh! Well, if you would excuse me," he bowed his head and quickly found the bathroom door.
After leaving the Tachikawas, Matt still did not feel like going back to the inn and decided to walk off his full stomach. He passed by several stores, including a small karaoke club where a man standing in front called to him.
"What do you say, man? A couple hours of karaoke for a decent price?" he insisted. "We have a big compilation to choose from!"
Matt shook his head and continued to walk slowly, "No, thank you, I'm… not really a singer! Haven't been able to carry a single tune my whole life!"
The man persisted, "Oh now that cannot be true! Everyone can sing! You look like a young rock star, why don't you just give it a try! I'm sure you've sung songs before and carried a good tune."
"Well… a long time ago, maybe," Matt apologized and kept walking.
"Then maybe you just forgot all about it! Just give it a shot!" The man called after him. Matt stopped and looked back. Maybe I just forgot?
Meanwhile, both of Mimi's parents exchanged worried and confused glances after hearing Mimi and Miyako's stories about Shoji, Matt, and Michael. Mrs. Tachikawa put down her cup and took her husband's hands.
"Mimi, darling, don't you think this is too much of a coincidence to be some sort of conspiracy?" Mr. Tachikawa asked.
"And I believe that Michael is an honorable man, Mimi," her mother added in. "He has been there with you and you need to remain faithful. This, this whole thing with Shoji and Matt and Yamato is trivial—you are engaged now, Mimi!"
Mimi clenched her fists on her lap, "But I know these things to be true! Believe me, Shoji did something to trick him! Her parents must know, too!" The doorbell rang and Mrs. Tachikawa stood up.
Mr. Tachikawa shook his head, "You know as well as I that the Aikidos are good people. And we have lost contact a long time ago, Yamato and Matt Ishida can truly be two completely different people."
"Look who is here!" Mrs. Tachikawa quickly walked in and clapped her hands. "Mimi, it's Michael!"
Curiosity got the better of Matt after the statement the karaoke man said, although Matt was sure he really just wanted money out of him, there was a sense of truth that Matt got out of his words. Could I have… no, that is crazy thinking, Ishida. But is it possible for a person to just forget a piece of their past? Unconsciously or not?
As he walked, Matt would find his eyes resting on particular places that gave off a feeling of familiarity. There was that bakery, where he imagined his family stopped to eat breakfast every now and then… a karaoke bar, where he remembered a time when Shoji took him to one and praised him on how good he was… the images were so real to Matt that it was disturbing.
He stopped short when he reached his destination: Yokuda High School. It was the school Mimi had talked about and Matt figured it would not hurt to take a quick look to set his mind at ease after the man's thought-provoking statement. He strolled around the grounds where he saw students walking and eating at the tables. And then Matt spotted a familiar spot by a tree.
"That's the spot where I used to eat with," Matt caught himself. "Wait… what am I thinking?" he was interrupted when a group of schoolgirls turned to giggle at him. Matt quickly headed inside the building. I'm sure someone would be able to tell me about this Ishida Yamato, maybe even an old address.
"This is where we keep our old yearbooks," Matt watched as the school librarian flipped the light switch. The room reeked of dust and old pages, but nonetheless, Matt hoped he would find some answers in one of the many shelves around the room. The librarian walked him across to the fourth shelf by the door. "Some of the books might have been misplaced but they should mostly be in chronological order. Now, because you are not a family member or student, we cannot let you take or copy any of the books but you are free to glance through any of the books in the room."
Matt nodded, "Thank you, ma'am. I will be fast."
She took out a green book from the shelf and began flipping through, "Ishida Yamato, am I correct?"
"Wait—stop!" Matt caught the page she was about to turn and looked back to the familiar portrait. A chuckle left his lips as he looked down on a high school picture of one Tachikawa Mimi. And on the adjacent page he spotted Shoji's picture… and not too far was—It's him, Ishida! Incredible, Matt was surprised to see another blonde, blue-eyed boy's picture looking back at him.
"Hm, well, the resemblance is quite uncanny," the librarian remarked. "Is this what you were searching for, sir?"
Matt nodded, "Yes…do you happen to have, the address of where this student is now?"
What am I doing here? Matt asked himself once more as he checked his piece of paper to make sure he was turning into the right street. The other night he was telling Mimi to forget about this dead man and now he is finding himself going to this person's house! He is a grown man, understandably, and has a good life offered to him, there is no reason he should be finding himself going around the streets of Hong Kong on his vacation to look for an answer to a question he may not even want answered and—
"257, this is it," he stopped a small distance away from a closed gate to a house with a blue roof. Matt saw a family with two boys sitting outside. He took a deep breath and started to walk closer when an image rendered him to back away. The sight of the family caused him to have a flashback of his own, shared on that same yard…
Matt felt as if he were getting a headache and quickly walks away. "No. I refuse to believe Tachikawa's stories. My parents and Shoji, they are the only truth I know. Oh, but I am so confused."
He never stopped again and walked all the way back to the inn. Matt went back to his room and searched for medicine to relieve his headache.
"Matt? Are you in here?"
"Shoji, come in," Shoji found Matt reclined on the sofa and sat next to him, insisting for him to let her make tea. "Shoji, I went to your high school today."
The smile on Shoji's face broke in half and she slowly stood up, "Why would you decide to go there? Did Mimi tell you?"
Shaking his head, Matt denied her inquiries. He sat up and paused for a while. "I am… not sure how to say what I have been asking myself, because I saw him, Shoji. I saw Yamato's picture. And now, I have to wonder… maybe I am somehow related to Yamato? Or a twin brother or—I truly could be him? Yamato?"
"It's not possible," Shoji shook her head vigorously.
"Shoji, you cannot be sure—"
"But I am! I love you, Matt," Shoji cried. She climbed into his arms and wept. "No, no, no! I want you here with me! Why are you letting all these lies and nonsense ruin the life you already had? You just want Mimi, she has twisted everything but you are Matt Ishida! Not a dead person no one can let go of!"
Matt took her by the shoulders and spoke softly, "Aikido-san, are you not telling me something? Where did we meet, because as much as I love you-one afternoon here has brought me to a place where... where..." he met her eyes. "It's dawning on me that I cannot remember much and there is a reason why. I was too content to think about my past but now I have to wonder, there are a lot of gaps that need to be filled in?"
Shoji let out a grunt, "Can't you see what the witch has done? She's poisoned you! Mimi Tachikawa has done this her whole life, leading people to her side, just because she wanted everything for herself. All because she wanted to have him all to herself."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Matt repeated and hugged Shoji. "But there is something I cannot shake off. I feel as if something is missing and if you know, and refuse to tell me…"
Miyako let out a small yawn as she entered the meeting room. Mimi was standing by the window, examining a large poster with an intimidating pile of papers on the table in front of her.
Mimi glanced at Miyako, "Did you remember to call the fabric samples for Wednesday?" she looked confused when Miyako threw her arms and sat down.
"I actually thought during our vacation that you were normal," she said. "A small window of Mimi Tachikawa not thinking and breathing work and today, it is like you never took a break."
Smiling, Mimi shrugged, "Well, I kind of didn't… you see, I would wake up early to sneak out some paper work from my luggage and sneak it in during dinner. What can I say? I love work? A lot."
"I can see," Miyako arched a brow sarcastically. "I guess we should get started then." The door swung open and Matt walked in, comfortably at first but after seeing Mimi he looked like somebody stole his pants right off of him. "Are you alright, Ishida?"
"Wonderful," he continued and sat across from Mimi. "How are you? I have the orders you needed right here."
Mimi smiled and simply stared, "Oh, perfect. Thank you."
Miyako watched the awkward pause the two shared before they resumed their work. She sighed, and here we go again, back to work…
Michael thumbed the engagement ring that was loosely sitting on his finger, thinking of how Mimi asked him to reconsider getting married last night. His thoughts drifted back to the scene he had witness during New Years and the fight they had afterwards, and all the moments he's spent with Mimi but she was off somewhere else with somebody else.
Matt glanced behind him when he heard someone call his name. "Mr. Sugai, is there something I can do for you?"
"Ishida, actually there is," Michael walked to the side of Matt's desk and smiled, pausing for a brief moment. "Listen, you are only here temporarily so I won't waste any more of my time looking the other way. Mimi means everything to me, and I am telling you to watch what you do around my fiancée."
Matt's face grew stern, "What are you saying?"
"What I mean is that when Mimi looks at you, she is thinking about Yamato and you should think of it as immoral to use that to keep her."
"I'm not trying to keep her, I want to help her," Matt replied.
Leaning closer, Michael glared angrily, "Don't play with me, Ishida; I've seen the way you look at her. You are in love with her. And if you are, then you would do the right thing and step away so she can live her life peacefully."
Matt sat up defiantly, "That is Mimi's choice alone. She can decide what makes her happy, not you."
"She's not choosing you," Michael assured. "She's choosing Yamato, but I am what is right for Mimi now. She is not going to choose you because, to her, you are simply a reflection of a memory." Michael straightened his shirt and began to walk away. "We are getting married. She belongs with me, Ishida."
Matt clenched his fists and as he watched the man walk away. It wasn't just the feeling of anger that burned inside of Matt, but the feeling of jealousy he felt and unwillingness to accept Mimi ever belonging to Michael.