CHAPTER III: Ultimatums

The lake was still, smooth as glass. Snow laden trees lined the empty shores, where evidence of living things had seemed to vanish with the green of summer and gold of autumn. Out of the frozen world, the form of a man emerged, trudging slowly through the line of trees that spread their snowy canopies over him. Near the ice-crusted shore, he stopped and leaned against the solid trunk of a Maple tree and then began to crouch lower to the ground as he scanned the clearing. In his arms, he cradled a Winchester rifle.

Kobe City: December 26, 1968

Sanae was met with sound of streetcars and celebrations as she opened her eyes. Above her, the freshly painted ceiling of her hotel room materialized with textured divots of the plaster beginning to show in the morning light. She sat up, wiped the sleep from her eyes and began to climb out of bed, feeling the soft fibers of the rug beneath her feet.

Beside her bed stand was the small box where Ichigo had prepared some food for Sanae. Gratefully, Sanae had eaten everything that was thoughtfully arranged before finally going to sleep. However, the pangs of hunger were beginning to set in again now that the morning had come. She resolved to find a quick meal before visiting Teppei's acquaintances from the steel mill, hoping they would not take offense at her interrupting their holiday. Running her fingers through her unkempt hair, she rose to her feet and rummaged through her luggage for the day's attire.

The sun was beginning its descent in the sky when Sanae returned to the Kobe Central Hotel, crestfallen and exhausted. No one she had spoken to had any news of Teppei and she was beginning to feel a little foolish every time she tried to explain herself. She walked with slow steps towards the concrete stairs, raising a hand to her forehead, trying to block out the dizzying glare of the sun.

To her left, the roads bustled with cars, and several were lined up along the curb directly in front of the hotel. Sanae was about to turn right up the stairs when a driver exited one of the cars and motioned to her as he opened the backseat passenger door. Sanae paused in surprise, then approached cautiously and looked inside.

Sitting on the other passenger seat was a woman with bright red lipstick, impeccably dressed.

Aiko.

Circumventing any sort of formal greeting, Aiko gestured to the seat next to her and stated coolly,

"I have information that will help you, Sanae-san. Come sit down."

Sanae gripped her purse in her hands, hesitating. But both women knew that she had little choice. Sanae lowered her head as she entered the car.

Aiko motioned to the driver, who started the engine and began to navigate the crowded streets.

"Where are you taking me, Aiko-san?" Sanae asked.

"A place of revelation, Sanae-san. Please be patient."

The sounds of car horns and rumbling motors filled in the momentary silence, as the car seemed to be making its way away the city limits. They turned onto the main road leaving Kobe City, and distress began to build within Sanae as she feared the unknown intentions of the woman beside her. She looked frequently towards Aiko expectantly, as if hoping that the other woman would explain herself.

The seconds turned to minutes, and after nearly an hour, Sanae was irretrievably on edge.

"Stop the car, please." Sanae exclaimed.

"No, keep driving," Aiko ordered the driver.

"Why are you doing this, Aiko-san?" Sanae asked desperately, "Why are you toying in my family's affairs in this way? Have the decency to speak straightly with me, please."

"As you wish, let me be blunt," Aiko turned to face Sanae, her face steely and cold. The car continued to speed on its way, as views of the outer city limits turned to blurs in the car window.

"There are two kinds of people in this world, Sanae-san," Aiko said, "those who are strong and those who are weak. During our lives, we must choose which kind of person we are going to be. That choice will affect not just our futures, but prospects of those around us as well.

"You do not understand the true nature of the world, which is why you and Teppei cling to your naive notions of loyalty. My time in America taught me that things like justice and integrity are nothing more than cheap sayings people use for their own benefit. And they weren't wrong. We make our own justice, Sanae-san. When Daisuke rescued me from my past, he became my light, my justice. Everything I have done has been done to lift this family up for Daisuke's sake."

Aiko's eyes seemed to light with fervor as she spoke. Sanae endured it with her usual quiet grace and composure, but couldn't help the urge to ball her fists until her knuckles turned white. After Aiko finished, Sanae lowered her eyes deferentially but spoke candidly.

"I can't pretend to understand what you've been through, Aiko-san, but I will never be able to accept the way you live your life."

Aiko laughed harshly, the tone of her voice jaded and sardonic. Everything about her screamed condescension as she held up her perfectly painted fingertips to her chin, just below her perfect red lips.

"That's precisely what Teppei said to me. It seems you two truly are made for each other."

Outside the shadows were growing long and the daylight was waning.

"Sanae, are you willing to sacrifice for Teppei's sake?" Aiko asked.

"Yes." Sanae said.

"Good. Then I will show you how you can help Teppei."

Pulling an envelope from her purse, Aiko opened it and handed the contents to Sanae. In the ebbing light, Aiko made out the words printed on the documents in her hands.

"Divorce papers," Sanae murmured in disbelief.

Aiko pulled a pen from her purse, and extended it to Sanae, who only bowed her head in obstinate silence, clinging to the paper in her hands until it began to crease.

"Your behavior lately, as well as your carelessness regarding the Manpyo family's reputation could potentially ruin Daisuke's chance to finalize his merger. Did you not know what people would think if Teppei's disappearance was made known to the public? It could jeopardize everything."

"And what will the public think if something happens to Teppei after his family refused to report him missing?"

"You are acting like a fool. Teppei would be ashamed of his wife if he knew you were behaving this desperate for him while he enjoys some rare peace and quiet. Where is your confidence in your husband?"

"I'm willing to take that chance, Aiko-san. Teppei would understand that I act for more than my own sake."

"And what does Tarou think of his mother abandoning him?"

"I have not abandoned him and he knows that. He is a strong boy," Sanae said, her eyes glistening, "just like his father."

The conviction in Teppei's wife managed to soften Aiko's sharp tongue. For a moment she merely scowled and turned her head to look out the window. Aiko's impatient sigh melded into the din of the car's engine.

"Don't make this harder for yourself, Sanae-san."

"Isn't it a bit hypocritical," Sanae exclaimed, "for you to deny me the right to stand by the man I love, when you-?"

"Sanae," Aiko replied sternly, her eyes aflame with passion, "Believe it or not, I sympathize with you. I'm no stranger to your position. But if a woman is not strong enough to stand by the man she loves – if she cannot help him advance in this world – then she does not deserve him. The moment she becomes an impediment, she ought to cut him loose for his own sake."

"Teppei has never thought of me that way!" Sanae insisted.

Aiko sighed and rolled her eyes with contempt.

"He may not have told you as much, Sanae-san."

"What he has told me leads me to believe otherwise."

"Aiko-san," Sanae spoke, her voice rising in desperation, "It is cowardly of you to do this considering that Teppei is currently missing."

"If Teppei truly cared for you, then where is he now, Sanae-san? Don't blame me for any of this. Blame yourself for getting into this situation, or if you wish, blame Teppei for running away. But don't blame me. I am only doing what is necessary to help this family prosper."

"It is sad," Sanae said, "that you have no idea what the word 'family' even means. Your very presence here has cursed the Manpyo family, and I will never allow you to hurt mine!"

"Very well, Sanae-san. I too used to learn things the hard way. Driver, stop the car," Aiko ordered.

The car slowed to stop, it's engine still rumbling as Sanae looked around in alarm. Aiko raised her voice authoritatively as she spoke again.

"From now on Sanae-san, please consider carefully your actions and how they might affect the Manypo family. If the name of Manypo suffers, then the name of Ookawa shall suffer even more. Your selfishness will affect the lives of many others if you can't control yourself."

"Aiko-san!" Sanae cried breathlessly, "what are you doing?"

"What I must do for Daisuke, Sanae. Don't take it personally. Now please get out. I'm afraid you will have to walk on your own two feet if you insist on challenging me."

Sanae looked from Aiko to the driver of the car, who stared vacantly through the windshield before him. But at last, she found the will to move as she saw her chance to escape Aiko's presence. Throwing the door open, she pulled herself to her feet, even as the sobs were beginning to catch in her throat, causing her breaths to come raggedly and irregularly. She caught Aiko's cold gaze through the window as the car turned around slowly. Aiko then turned her head with disdain written on her face and looked at Sanae no more.

Sanae was left in a cloud of dust as Aiko's car sped off in the direction of Ashiya. The road stretched on for miles in both directions, with nothing but rolling hills and some small homes in the distance. Overwhelmed with the helplessness that seemed to even now choke the air from her lungs, Sanae fell to her knees on the abandoned road. Air returned in sharp, uneven gasps and she clutched her chest in with her fist. Aiko's threats resounded in her ears. Sanae's marriage, her family's reputation, and even Tarou were at risk of being ripped from her, and despite what she had said to Aiko, she knew she was powerless to stop it.

Now, for the first time in her marriage, Sanae had to stand alone against the Manpyo family.

A torrent of emotions flooded her senses, and she was unsure whether to cry or scream. The asphalt underneath her was rough and cold, sending a chill coursing through her veins. Small pebbles dug into her bare hands, leaving purple imprints in her palms as she lifted her hands off the road. For a moment she sat there, her hands folded in her lap, trying to calm her breathing and find the will to rise to her feet. It would have been easy to give in to the black despair that clouded her judgment and made her legs feel like useless weights. But it was an hour-long journey back to Kobe on foot, and the light was quickly fading.

Raising her head, Sanae glared defiantly towards the direction of the city. Her breathing slowed and she rose unsteadily to her feet.