Chapter Nine:
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It was a beautiful, warm, sunny July day - perfect for visiting Yoyogi Park. Unfortunately, Sora's father had to work, but her mother, Yume, and Leon were all enthusiastic about a leisurely day outdoors. The schools in Japan wouldn't be closed for summer break until the next week, so it was mostly families with young children and elderly couples enjoying the park.
Midori spread out a red and white plaid blanket on the grassy expanse, then settled on it with a novel to read. Leon amused Yume with a headstand while Sora opened her canvas tote bag to pull out a bottle of bubbles and a wand.
"Oh, she loves bubbles," Midori said.
Sora dipped the wand's tip into the bottle, drew it out, and blew gently. A steady stream of bubbles began to fill the air, shimmering like rainbows in the sunlight. Yume squealed with delight when one of the bubbles landed on the tip of Leon's nose and burst.
Leon twitched his nose and did a couple of pushups from his headstand position before he sat on the ground. "You're doing that wrong," he said, holding his hand out towards Sora.
"I'm doing it right." Sora frowned. She dipped the wand once against and blew five giant bubbles towards her sister. Yume started to chase after a particularly large bubble. She touched it and it popped in her face.
Leon shook his hand insistently.
"Fine," Sora sighed, handing over the bottle of bubbles. Leon dipped the wand inside the bottle and then began to blow at a slow, steady rate. Three times as many bubbles burst from the wand and Leon cocked his silvery eyebrow at Sora arrogantly.
Sora was tempted to make a crass comment about Leon practicing blow jobs, but thought better of it. Such a comment would be too embarrassing to say around her mother! She felt her cheeks grow warm at the direction of her thoughts.
Leon frowned worriedly at the spontaneous blush that seared her cheeks.
"Is the heat already getting to you?" Leon asked, rising smoothly to rummage in the blue cooler next to the gingham blanket. "Here." He tossed her a cold bottle of water. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to my precious partner."
Sora caught the bottle and eagerly drank from it, grateful when her hair fell forward to hide her face.
"When we were kids, Sophie used to love playing with bubbles," Leon explained.
After a while, Yume tired of the bubbles and moved on to play ball. After watching Leon chase after the ball for the umpteenth time, Yume sat exhausted next to her mother, lazily sipping her juice. She watched Leon with wide, dark eyes.
"I think she likes you," Sora whispered.
Leon tossed the ball and Sora caught it easily. "Did you bring the ipod?"
She threw the ball back towards Leon and reached into her shorts pocket. She pulled out her bright pink ipod and scanned through the music. Before they left the Beaucamps' place, they'd decided on a Lindy Hop dance routine for their competition. They chose Grabtown Grapple by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra, a song from 1945. It was nearly three minutes long and was both fun and upbeat. Sora plugged in her headphones adapter and then placed one of the wireless earbuds in her ear and handed the second one to Leon.
Leon set the ball on the blanket and then held out his hand. "Shall we dance?"
Sora pushed the play button, took his hand, and started their dance routine. Leon led and Sora followed. The best part about swing was that it thrived on improvisation. They hadn't settled on a final routine, but they'd found a way to incorporate several lifts and acrobatics.
Leon ended the song dipping Sora back, the tips of her hair brushed the grass. "We should watch some youtube videos of Frankie Manning later," he suggested.
"Sounds good," Sora said, smiling up at him.
"I think it's time for this one's nap," Midori said. "We'll head back to the house. I packed you both a bento box for lunch, so you two just enjoy yourselves."
"Okay, Mom," Sora said, hugging her mother. "We'll see you for dinner."
They danced their routine a few more times, Leon changing various elements each run through. After their fifteenth try, Sora's stomach growled loudly.
"Maybe now would be a good time for lunch," Leon said. "What else did you want to do today? Maybe we can find a gymnastics school to practice some trapeze. Japan always has a strong Olympic team."
"I don't want to bother them," Sora said. She set out the bento boxes. "We could go by the dojo though. Kei would be happy to let us borrow the mats for tumbles. He should be back from New York by now. It would be nice to see Master Shintaro again."
Leon chewed his rice ball slowly. "I wouldn't want to bother him. Perhaps, a gymnastics training facility would be more suitable. I am rather popular amongst Olympic hopefuls. A good portion of my income comes from endorsements on gymnastic sports and equipment."
Sora ate in silence, imagining what it would be like to visit a gymnastics facility full of teenagers gawking over Leon. It wasn't something she wanted to experience. "We can focus on the trapeze and silks once we get to France. I just want to focus on our dance routine and enjoying Japan while we're here."
"Whatever you want to do, is fine by me, Sora," Leon assured her. "We can visit your old dojo."
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The park had been a pleasant past-time and Leon was confident in their dance. There were still avenues to work out the kinks, but skyping with Jacques and Marie would help sort them out. He was reluctant to visit Sora's old dojo, but the building was quite beautiful. It was built during the Meiji era in the late 1870s according to Sora. It was a wooden structure tucked away into a forested area, connected by a dirt pathway a kilometer from the main road.
A couple of teenaged boys were in the front sweeping the wraparound porch.
"We must have been at the park longer than I realized," Sora murmured. "Those two look like middle school students."
Leon glanced down at his watch. "It's half after three."
"They are probably part of the Karate Club," Sora answered. "It's a short metro ride here from the school."
Sora led Leon into the dojo. The central section was covered with rubber practice mats, a glass partition separated the workout portion from the viewing area. There was an office near the entrance, its door opened wide, and an elderly man sat at a large wooden desk writing in a journal.
"Master Shintaru," Sora said, knocking gently on the doorframe to the office.
The elderly man looked up from his journal and smiled slowly. "Sora Naegino? Kei told me he saw you in New York."
"He mentioned that I should stop by the dojo." Sora gestured towards Leon. "This is my training partner, Leon Oswald."
Master Shintaru nodded in greeting towards Leon. "The circus performer."
"Trapeze artist," Leon corrected stiffly. He imitated Sora and bowed his head in respect. "It is an honor to meet you, Master Shintaru. Sora speaks highly of you."
"She calls me Master, you are not my student," Master Shintaru answered. He folded his hands together under his chin and stared hard at Sora. "Have you come to return to our school? It has been a few years, but it would take only a few weeks of tutorials before I will allow you to take the evaluation you missed."
A muscle in Leon's jaw twitched as he struggled to contain his temper at the Karate Master's dismissive attitude towards him.
"Thank you for your consideration, Master Shintaru." Sora bowed politely. "I am only in Japan until my younger sister's birthday next month."
"When you finish your circus hobby, you will be welcome back," Master Shintaru said. "If you wish to speak with Kei, he should be warming up in the backroom. You may go."
Sora bowed once more, grabbed Leon's wrist, and pulled him out of the office with her. "I'm sorry about that," she whispered. Her mouth set in a firm line. "I don't think it's a good idea to practice here."
"Did you want to speak with Kei?" Leon whispered.
Sora shook her head. "Let us just head home."
Leon noted the suspicious stares of the many students. He picked up the whispers in Japanese and one word kept repeating — 'Gaijin.' He glanced through the glass partition as Kei stepped inside and began instructing the students. "I'm half-starved," Leon lied, eager for an excuse to leave.
"Good, I'm sure Mom will be happy to feed you," Sora answered.
They had just reached the porch when the door opened behind them.
"Sora?" Kei called out. She turned towards him and Leon grit his teeth. He'd hoped to have escaped a run in with the martial artist. "Master Shintaru interrupted my class, said you wanted to speak with me."
Leon could strangle that old man.
"I didn't want to bother you, Kei," Sora answered. She flashed Kei a bright smile and it felt like a knife in the gut to Leon.
"It's not a bother. I asked you to come by. Did you want to stay for a while?" Kei asked. "Oh! Leon, how are you liking Japan? I'm sorry, I didn't notice you at first." He flashed an insincere smile. "I'm just so distracted around Sora, I rarely notice others around her."
"Japan is a lovely country," Leon answered.
"We can't stay," Sora said apologetically. "I promised Mom that we'd be home for dinner."
"Did you want to utilize the dojo for practicing your routine?" Kei asked. "You can come in the mornings. There is hardly anyone where aside from the university students and some of the retired members."
"I just want to focus on visiting with my family while I'm here," Sora answered. "We'll focus on our more acrobatic skills after our visit here is concluded."
"I see." Kei switched to speak Japanese. "Can I ask you to dinner tomorrow?" Kei asked, stepping close to Sora. "I would really like to visit with you." His gray eyes shifted towards Leon. "Preferably, just the two of us."
"I'm trying to spend dinner with my family each night," Sora said, speaking in English for Leon's benefit. "If you're not busy during the day, we could go to the aquarium!"
"I'll pick you up at nine tomorrow morning," Kei said, stubbornly continuing in Japanese. "The Shinagawa Aquarium opens at ten."
"It's a date," Sora said. She grabbed Leon's wrist again and dragged him down the dirt path towards the main road.
"What if I wanted to visit the aquarium?" Leon asked irritably, yanking his arm out of Sora's grasp. "And shouldn't we practice our routine?"
"I'll take you to the aquarium later if you want." Sora looked up towards him, her caramel gaze searching. "You're not upset that Kei asked me out on a date, are you?"
Leon kept his face carefully blank. "I just don't want you to be distracted. What do you really know of this boy anyway? You've not seen him in years. I'm not sure you should trust him so easily."
Sora laughed. "Not trust Kei? I've known him a lot longer than I've known you, Mr. Oswald." She poked him in the chest. "And he's hardly a boy. He's a world renown martial artist. I'll be perfectly safe in his company."
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Yume woke up early, which meant that Sora woke up early. While Leon continued to sleep in her old bedroom, Sora and Yume entertained themselves. Sora spread her bedding on the floor of Yume's room to soften the hardwood.
"And then you go like this," Sora explained, bracing her palms flat on the floor and flipping forward in a somersault.
Her sister's giggles lightened Sora's heart and mood. Yume imitated Sora's position for the somersault and Sora wrapped her hands around her Yume's small torso. "Iku. Iku," Yume repeated.
Sora smiled at the toddler's eagerness and helped her flip forward. Yume clapped her hands happily and took up the starting position again. After half a dozen flips, the door to the bedroom opened and Midori look in on them with joy shining in her dark eyes.
"You two seem to be having fun," Midori observed. "Breakfast is ready."
"Ohayo, okaasan! What did you cook?" Sora asked.
Midori laughed quietly. "Oh, not me. It was your father and Leon that worked together and made breakfast."
Sora's eyebrow rose in surprise. She should have known that Leon wasn't sleeping quietly in the next room. She glanced towards Yume, but her sister's tiny face was scrunched up into a grimace.
"Why don't you go on ahead, Sora? I'll wash up Yume and we'll join you all shortly." Midori picked up Yume and started to rummage through her dresser for fresh clothing and a new diaper.
Sora was happy to escape. She loved her sister, but she did not relish in being the one to change a dirty diaper. She practically skipped down the hallway where her nose was assaulted with the smell of french toast, miso soup, fermented soybeans, and bananas. "This is a surprise," Sora said, stepping into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Sora," Chikara greeted. "I recruited Leon. He explained that eggs weren't a good option for breakfast — too heavy, but I asked if he'd make some French Toast."
"And I couldn't turn down such a request from my kind host," Leon answered. "Even though, this egg saturated toast is much more appropriate for desert."
Sora set out the placemats, dishes, a fork and a porcelain spoon. She then sat at the table while Leon and her father brought out the food.
Leon settled into the chair beside her and picked up his fork. "No chopsticks?"
Sora shook her head. "We use forks and often just our hands."
"Leon tells me that you're going on a date today. Why didn't you mention it at dinner last night?" Chikara asked, sitting at the head of the table. Midori and Yume entered shortly after.
"It's just a trip to the aquarium," Sora hedged. She slanted her eyes towards Leon and he merely stared back at her. "It's just a few hours and I couldn't really say no."
"You didn't even try," Leon murmured.
"What was that, Leon?" Midori asked.
Leon smiled brilliantly at her. "I was just commenting on this miso soup. It's delicious."
Chidori grinned. "It's my grandmother's recipe. Sora's father used to drink down this miso soup like it was water when we were kids." He pointed his spoon towards Leon. "Why don't you join Sora at the aquarium?"
"That's a lovely idea, dear!" Midori turned towards Sora. "You don't mind, do you, Sora? You wanted to share Japan with Leon and I'm sure he'd love to see the aquarium. I'm sure Kei wouldn't mind."
Sora stared down at her bread and started to pick it apart, plopping a small bite into her mouth and chewing slowly. "Um, I'm not sure that's a good idea. I believe Kei meant it as a date between the two of us."
"Well, don't be rude!" Midori scolded.
"I'll ask him when he gets here," Sora conceded.
"I wouldn't want to get in the way of your romantic interests," Leon answered coolly.
"Romantic interests?" Chikara repeated with a chuckle. "Sora, didn't you turn him down flat before you left for America?"
"I was leaving for another country. I couldn't accept an invitation in good conscious," Sora explained. She reached for Leon's hand, touched her fingertips against the warmth of his flesh. "You don't really want to go, do you?"
"I want you to take your phone and text me regularly," Leon answered. He moved his hand out from her touch and picked up the glass jug of water to fill up his glass. "If you become uncomfortable, you let me know immediately. I'll come and get you."
Sora's mouth went dry at Leon's words. He was a conundrum to her. Was he attracted to her? Was he simply over-protective of his partner? The only thing that seemed certain was that he cared. "Okay. I'll do that."
"Why don't you come into town with me, Leon?" Chikara asked. "I need to pick up supplies to paint the porch and a few plants for the flowerbed. I can teach you more about the metro system. And you can help me practice my English and maybe teach me a few words of French."
"I would be happy to accompany you, Mister Naegino." Leon filled Sora's glass with water from the jug. He glanced towards Yume. "I bet Yume likes gardening."
Midori laughed. "She likes playing the dirt and chasing butterflies!"
Sora smiled at the easy conversation around the table. She began to regret agreeing to a date with Kei. It would have been nice to work in the garden. "I better get ready. Kei will be here soon."
She left the table, feeling oddly nervous. She hurried to the shower to wash and get dressed. She spent longer on her hair than usual, primping in the mirror, until she decided to simply leave it down about her shoulders like usual. There was a gentle knock on the door.
"Kei is here," Midori said. Sora opened the door to see her mother's worried expression. "Are you sure about this? Is this fair to Leon?"
"Leon doesn't see me that way," Sora answered. "I'm his partner, not his girlfriend. He's made it clear that I'm too immature."
"If you say so. By the waves of animosity rolling off him and Kei in the living room, I wouldn't be so sure about that." Midori wrapped her arms around Sora and hugged her close. "You look so pretty, Sora. Have a good day today, but be careful. And remember to text Leon like you promised." She held out Sora's purse. "Your phone's battery is fully charged."
"Thank you." Sora took a deep, steadying breath, and took her purse. She stepped past her mother and hurried to the front door. Her father had Yume in his arms and stood shoulder to shoulder next to Leon. Kei's arms were folded defensively over his chest, his gray eyes a carefully contained storm. "Sorry to keep you all waiting!"
Kei smiled and his arms fell to his sides. "You look lovely, Sora. Shall we be off?"
"Yes." Sora stepped past her partner and family. She tried to ignore the force of Leon's hard stare on her back. She really didn't understand him. At least with Kei, things were simple. He liked her and had so for years. She simply hadn't given him a chance before she left Japan the last time.
"Are you looking forward to any particular part of the aquarium?" Kei asked.
"I like the dolphins and sharks," Sora said. "They seem to dance elegantly under the water. And I like when the handlers have the dolphins do acrobatic tricks. What about you?"
"The dolphins," Kei answered. He reached for Sora's hand and she let him guide her. His hands were calloused and strong, but she couldn't help compare them to Leon's hands. Kei's fingers weren't as long, nor his palm as dry as Leon's would have been.
Sora pulled her hand out of Kei's grasp and covered the rejection by reaching for a tissue inside her purse. "Excuse me. My allergies seem to be acting up." She dabbed at her nose gently.
"The ragweed has come early this year," Kei said. "What is the Frenchman to you?"
"Leon is my friend and partner," Sora answered. The real question, was what she meant to Leon. And to that quandary, she didn't have an answer.
"I'm just not sure it's appropriate that he's staying at your home." Kei slipped the paper metrocard into the reader at the station and then Sora did the same. "He is not family."
"That decision is my father's, not yours, Kei," Sora answered. "Let's not discuss Leon further today. I thought you wanted to go on a date with me." She laid her hand over her heart and smiled. "Here I am, so let us enjoy this day."
"You're right." Kei flashed her a half-smile. "Those dolphins and sharks are waiting for us."
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Translation Japanese words:
Iku = go
Ohayo, Okaasan = Good morning, mother