Wolves of the Pacific

by greenpeach20

In 1902, Renesmee Cullen grew tired of the tedious life of moving around with her family and decided to make the journey west as a mail order bride. Yet a chance encounter with a reddish brown wolf would change her life forever.

185. Chapter 185

Chapter 185

After Keiko retreated to her room, Sojiro stepped outside to the garden to get some fresh air. He was alone for a few minutes until Zihao finally came outside and sat on the small porch right beside Sojiro, although they didn't say anything to each other for a while. Sojiro appeared to be lost in thought as he stared at the flowers in bloom. The garden was filled with flowers Hanako tended to religiously from Hydrangeas to red roses, Morning Glories and Orange Osmanthus flowers. Her pride and joy were her cherry blossom trees, but those only bloomed in spring.

After several minutes of silence, Zihao said to Sojiro, "You know that young man?" in Mandarin.

"I've met the boy once before – he was much younger then," Sojiro answered, also speaking in Mandarin. "Many years ago, Keiko made the boy's acquaintance when they were at the park together. Years later, he invited her to join him for his uncle's wedding when they asked to stay the night with us. They'd flown into Tokyo far too late to go straight to their intended location and Hanako convinced me to let them stay with us for the evening. To my knowledge, the two of them haven't spoken or seen one another since."

Zihao smiled gently, "No wonder."

"What do you mean?" Sojiro asked.

"I never did tell you this – perhaps I should have, but ever since Keiko was little, the red string around her ankle has been bright and prominent," Zihao explained and that grabbed Sojiro's full attention. "Since she'd clearly met this person, I left it alone thinking everything would work itself out. I'm pleased to see I was correct."

"You must have the strings mixed up," Sojiro insisted and looked forward again while Zihao was taken aback by the accusation.

"Have I ever been wrong before, Sojiro-哥哥 (gē-gē / Big Brother)?" Zihao asked.

"There's a first for everything, Zihao-弟弟 (Didi / Little Brother)," Sojiro replied. "No daughter of mine will be saddled with a starving artist. When it is convenient for her to do so, she will marry a man with a good job who makes good money and can take care of her to my standards." Zihao couldn't help laughing gently under his breath.

"Forgive me, 哥哥 (gē-gē) – my power does not take into account one's yearly income," Zihao joked lightheartedly. "How do you know he's an artist?"

"Jae Sun Dauer is the name of the author and artist for that cat manga Keiko likes," Sojiro answered.

"I see," Zihao said, "But I'm afraid there's no mistake: their connected by fate same as me and Daiyu or you and Hanako." Sojiro looked at Zihao critically but Zihao was still smiling pleasantly which never failed to give Sojiro ease.

"When Hanako and I met, I was in college studying medicine," Sojiro reasoned and looked at the flowers again as he thought back to those times. There were things he didn't remember very well from when he was human but meeting Hanako, getting to know her, falling in love with her – those memories were crystal clear. "If I hadn't come from a good family, wasn't well educated and didn't have a bright future, Mr. Tachibana would have never given his blessing."

"As I recall," Zihao said soothingly, "Your father accused Mr. Tachibana of having ulterior motives for encouraging a relationship and only agreed to a marriage because you enlisted in the Army and he wanted a grandson to carry on the family name before you were shipped off to China."

"Please don't bring that up," Sojiro muttered and stood from the porch to walk out to the garden so he was standing beside the hydrangeas.

"I only bring it up because I don't want you doing to Keiko what your in-laws and your parents did to Hanako," Zihao said and the memory of everything made Sojiro flinch just a little. Zihao stood from the porch and approached Sojiro gently placing a hand on his shoulder as he stood beside him. "I'm only saying it's worth Keiko's happiness to give the young man a chance."

Sojiro didn't say anything. Instead, he returned inside going straight to the room he shared with Hanako. He went to the large box hidden away in their closet that held all their letters. They were meticulously organized; lined up in a row by date standing upright so they were carefully secured in the box. Each letter was secured within its envelope. They were long and slender and the notes inside varied in the number of pages. Hanako excused herself from her discussion she'd been having with Daiyu and followed Sojiro to their bedroom closing the door when she saw him staring into their large box of letters. Hanako went to sit on the floor beside Sojiro as he pulled out the first letter he'd sent her after he'd arrived in China. The calligraphy was not as nice as his handwriting was now and this particular letter had been extremely brief.

大切な花子,

ついに韓国北部の本土に到着しました。 正確な場所はわかりませんが、中国に送られます。 知っていても言えませんが、心の中にいることを知ってください。 目的地に到着次第、ご連絡いたします。

私たちはほんの数日しか離れていませんが、すでにあなたがいなくて寂しいです。 私はあなたに戻ることを誓います。

愛してます

愛する宗次郎から

((Taisetsuna Hanako,)

(Tsuini Kankoku hokubu no hondo ni tōchaku shimashita. Seikakuna basho wa wakarimasenga, Chūgoku ni okura remasu. Shitte ite mo iemasenga, kokoronouchi ni iru koto o shitte kudasai. Mokutekichi ni tōchaku shidai, go renraku itashimasu.

Watashitachi wa hon'no sū-nichi shika hanarete imasenga, sudeni anata ga inakute sabishīdesu. Watashi wa anata ni modoru koto o chikaimasu.

Aishitemasu

Aisuru Sōjirō kara)

(Cherished Hanako,

We have finally arrived on the mainland in northern Korea. I am being sent to China though I don't know exactly where. Even when I know, I will not be able to tell you but please know you are in my heart. I will write to you as soon as we've arrived at our destination.

We have been apart only a few days yet already I miss you dearly. I swear I shall return to you.

I love you.

From your beloved Sojiro.))

"What did you and Zihao talk about?" Hanako asked as she gently rested her head against Sojiro's shoulder.

"About Keiko," Sojiro answered honestly. He folded up the letter putting it back in its envelope and then tucked it back into its spot inside the box.

"Please do not be so upset with her for returning home so late," Hanako requested.

"It's not her late arrival that has me ill at ease," Sojiro said. "That young man that brought her home; he's Jae Sun Dauer. You recall the family we allowed to stay the night in our home all those years ago?"

"Ah, yes," Hanako said, "I thought he looked familiar. He's certainly grown very tall. I did not know a human being could grow so big." Sojiro remained quiet so Hanako asked, "What about him?"

"Zihao says the red string around Keiko's ankle is connected to him," Sojiro replied. "I told him he must be mistaken but he insists there's no mistake. He's saying I should give the boy a chance."

"Keiko never told me there was anything going on with this young man," Hanako said. "I'd thought they hadn't seen each other since that boy and his family came to Japan for a wedding."

"That may be true but regardless of when the two of them became reacquainted, Zihao says they're connected by that string he can see."

"Should we ask Keiko about it?" Hanako suggested.

"Perhaps," was all Sojiro said. "Zihao is warning me to avoid doing to Keiko what my family did to you."

Hanako looked up at Sojiro for a moment as he was lost in thought. So much of what happened he'd only learned about after he'd finally returned home. Hanako had suffered in silence for all those years only telling him she loved him, she missed him and she longed for him to return home. Hanako turned her attention to the large box of letters and reached over to remove the next letter in the lineup. She took it out of the envelope and read it to herself as her heart sank as this letter's comparative light heartedness stood out in her mind as she compared them to his later letters.

"I can't believe I didn't realize it," she said.

"What do you mean?" Sojiro asked.

"When you were away, I was always so happy to receive a letter from you," Hanako said. "They were the only thing that brought me any joy so I didn't see how depressed and distant you were becoming in your letters."

Hanako remembered when the letters had stopped altogether. Everything happened so fast: the Russians were closing in on them in the west and Americans were closing in from the east, Hiroshima was hit with a nuclear bomb and then, just days after, Nagasaki was hit as well – before the end of August 1945 Japan had surrendered. She remembered the press encouraging the people to die gloriously – die for the emperor – do not give in or surrender. Yet the Americans invading the island had not driven her to attempt suicide; it had been when her parents attempted to force her to remarry. Her in-laws had disowned her as a daughter-in-law convinced Sojiro had died. In their eyes, she'd committed the most heinous act of betrayal against the family: she'd failed to give her husband a son or any child whatsoever. It was a failure that had caused her immeasurable pain through all the years her beloved husband was away. Sojiro's letters always insisted he loved her but he wasn't there to defend her against his family's wrath. No matter what Sojiro wrote to her, the senior Mr. and Mrs. Iwamoto always gave her grief over her failure to produce an heir. When it became clear, at least to them, that their son was almost certainly dead and was never coming home, they'd disavowed Hanako shaming her and forcing her to return to her family in Osaka.

"I tried to insist you were alive," Hanako said after she'd been lost in thought for a few seconds. "No one believed me but I could never accept the likelihood I'd lost you."

"I should have returned home sooner," Sojiro said to her and kissed the top of her head.

Sojiro wanted to blame Zihao and the others for keeping him in China but he knew that wasn't entirely true. Yes, he'd committed horrendous crimes against them for which he needed to make amends and while he felt shame for it, the greater source of shame was knowing he'd become something he didn't want Hanako to see. He'd feared he was no longer the man Hanako had fallen in love with and he couldn't bear to face her. He glanced at Hanako's hand seeing it against her neck gently rubbing the button of his uniform between her fingers. She'd attached it to a thin ribbon that she kept around her neck having worn it every moment of every day since he'd given it to her.

"Do you remember the day we met?" Hanako asked in a gentle voice.

"Like it was yesterday," Sojiro answered and reached down to lace his fingers through hers to hold her hand. "I was enchanted with you in an instant," Sojiro said. "I'd never felt that way about anyone. I wondered if there was something wrong with me."

They'd met during the Cherry Blossom Festival spring of 1941. Sojiro was in his final year of medical school and he'd gone to Osaka for the festival. Sojiro saw Hanako with a small group of friends waiting for their share of red bean mochi. Hanako had been wearing a pink kimono covered in embroidered koi fish and Sakura blossoms and in that moment, time had stood still. He'd made the group of friends he was with join him in introducing themselves and while Sojiro had politely conversed with the other women learning their names and telling them his, he'd quickly turned his attention to Hanako. The group had enjoyed the festival together and Sojiro and Hanako talked for hours. He'd never enjoyed anyone's company like he'd enjoyed Hanako's and when it was getting late and Hanako said she needed to get home, Sojiro insisted on walking her home. What had followed were a few months of letters going back and forth and meeting each other once a month in Nagoya for a date with her friends present until Sojiro took the long trip to Osaka to ask Mr. Tachibana for his consent to marry Hanako.

Sojiro remembered how Mr. Tachibana eagerly approved of the union while Sojiro's father had not initially approved. While Mr. Tachibana's and Mr. Iwamoto's fathers had been good friends, their sons were decidedly less agreeable with one another and when Sojiro realized their parents knew one another, he feared their union would be doomed to never happen; but when Sojiro joined the army with the intent to be a medic, Mr. Iwamoto feared his son might never return and finally agreed to the marriage with the expectation of a grandson to shortly follow. Sojiro had not been nearly so concerned with having a child. He wanted children of course, but to him that would come with time. He'd merely wanted to enjoy his wedding night with his new wife.

His eyes darted around in their closet until he found another box that he reached out to grab a hold of. He lifted the lid to reveal hundreds of origami frogs and turtles. Hanako had worked on them tirelessly since he told her he'd enlisted in the army. The frogs represented a safe journey home and the turtles were for longevity and protection. There were also two butterflies secured together by white string for marital happiness. She'd given all the origami pieces to him on their wedding night and hoped he would take them with him to the mainland. On the day he left, he'd given Hanako the second button of his uniform: the one closest to his heart.

"Let's give this young man a chance," Hanako finally broke the silence. After a brief silence, Sojiro said, "I suppose we can," and left it at that.

Jae Sun made the trip back to his apartment feeling as though he were on cloud 9. Tonight had not gone quite as planned but it didn't matter – it was amazing. When he returned to his apartment, he heard loud meowing from outside in the hallway and he sighed heavily. Jae Sun let himself into his apartment and just as he suspected, Poki's cries for help were coming from the garbage can that had closed behind him after he'd let himself in.

"God damn it, Poki," Jae Sun muttered and went to the garbage can opening the little door so Poki could climb out. The bag inside was torn to shreds with food waste covering the inside of the can and Poki stank to high heaven even from where Jae Sun stood. "Okay, come here you stinky cat," Jae Sun said as he reached down to grab Poki and brought him into the bathroom to give him a bath.

The rest of the week, Jae Sun worked to have his latest manuscript finished and draw out a copy that he would give to Keiko for her to keep. He notified his boss he'd be turning it in on Friday and was hoping to see Keiko while he was there. Come Saturday, Jae Sun got up bright and early making it to the office around 7:30 and waited about ten minutes before he saw Keiko enter the building.

"Iwamoto-san," Jae Sun said to get her attention. He didn't want to be too informal with her since they were in the office and when she looked up and realized Jae Sun had called to her, she smiled.

"Good morning, Mr. Dauer," Keiko responded in English, just as formal. "What brings you into the office?"

"I needed to drop off my manuscript," Jae Sun answered. "Speaking of which," he continued and reached into his tote bag to pull out the copy he'd made special for Keiko. Holding it with both hands, he offered it to her and bowed, "the next edition of Popo's Misadventures just for you."

"But," Keiko began, flabbergasted. "Don't you need to turn this in?"

"I have a copy to turn in," Jae Sun said with a smile, "this copy's for you."

"Really?" Keiko asked with a sweet smile and opened the folder to see it. The first thing she saw was cover art but it didn't look like any of the others. Right beside the title it said, "非常に特別な人のために" (Hijō ni tokubetsuna hito no tame ni / For someone very special) and the cover had Popo the cat offering a bouquet of flowers to a female cat. It was all in color and the female cat had a little heart collar and she had a calico fur pattern. "This is precious, Jae Sun; thank you," Keiko answered and closed the folder holding it against her chest. "Are you staying or did you need to go back home after dropping off your manuscript?"

"Honestly, I'm free as a bird," Jae Sun said. "Did you want to get some coffee or something? When's your lunch break?"

"I take my lunch at 12:00," Keiko said. "I can meet you down here."

"Perfect," Jae Sun smiled, "I'll meet you down here. In the meantime, can I walk you up to your office?"

"I would like that," Keiko answered and followed Jae Sun to the elevators.

The two of them talked as they made their way up to Keiko's office and Jae Sun lingered with her in front of the entrance for a moment telling her to have a good day and that he'd see her at noon. Keiko made sure to keep the folder discreet and claimed it was some important, private records in case anyone asked. She was extremely busy yet the time still seemed to drag like molasses as she waited for it to finally be her lunch hour. It was the only thing about her hours that was ever consistent. When it was finally her lunch break, she left her desk taking the folder with the manuscript with her just to make sure no one saw it and went downstairs to the lobby. When she made it to the front doors, Jae Sun was already there waiting to meet her.

"You weren't waiting long, were you?" Keiko asked once she'd approached him.

"Since this morning," Jae Sun said with a playful smile, "But I've kept myself occupied while I waited." Jae Sun lifted a bag with a local art company's logo on it. "I went to replenish my supplies."

"Oh," Keiko started and laughed nervously under her breath. For a moment she'd thought he'd literally been waiting at the door for her so knowing he'd gone out gave her some relief. "There's a café not far from here."

"I think I know which one you're talking about," Jae Sun said. "Let's get going – I suspect there'll be a rush soon."

Jae Sun and Keiko walked down the block together but they passed the café Keiko was originally thinking of. Then they went another block down until they came across an office building with a list of businesses one of which was a cat café. They walked in and Jae Sun took a moment to order himself some coffee and a slice of strawberry shortcake and once he'd placed his order, they started looking for a table. A few people were playing with the cats and there were some people working at a table glancing at the cats periodically. One person had a book they were reading with a cup of coffee and a cat lying on the table while that person pet the cat.

"I've never been to a cat café," Keiko said once they were seated.

"I found this place by accident and wanted to check it out," Jae Sun said. "I probably should have asked you this before instead of trying to be all spontaneous but you're not allergic to cats are you?"

"Not at all," Keiko said and then noticed something move in her peripheral vision. She turned and saw a white cat jumping from perch to perch lower and lower until they reached the ground. That cat then started wandering through the room to another area with a big cat door leading to another room. "However, I'm not familiar with cats or how to handle them."

"With cats, best thing to do is to leave them be and they'll come to you when they want to," Jae Sun said. "Except Poki. Poki's really friendly. He's also a hoodlum."

Keiko smiled, "What did the little rascal do?"

"When I came home from dropping you off, I heard Poki meowing so loudly I could hear it from outside my unit. I'm shocked my neighbors didn't complete. When I got in, I found him stuck in the garbage can. Fucking cat never learns I swear," Jae Sun chuckled.

"Poor Poki," Keiko said. "How long do you think he was in there?"

"Considering none of my neighbors complained, it must not have been very long," Jae Sun said. "So how's work been?"

"Work's been good. We've got a new client who wants to start this massive housing project but that's all still in the planning stage," Keiko said. "I don't think construction will start until next year."

"That's exciting," Jae Sun replied. Then he heard a chirp and turned his head to see a brown tabby cat sitting on the window sill staring between Jae Sun and the rest of the room. "Hey, little guy," he said and offered his hand to the cat for him to sniff. "Never pet an unfamiliar cat without permission first," he added as the cat was sniffing Jae Sun's hand. "Cats are all about consent. They're not like dogs who will generally welcome petting and affection. Cats are a lot more discerning." After he'd sniffed enough, the cat rubbed his cheek against Jae Sun's hand and Jae Sun gently started petting the cat however when his hand made it down to the cat's tail, he turned and went to nip Jae Sun but it was a warning. "Sorry, little guy," he said.

"What happened?"

"I guess he doesn't like being petted there," Jae Sun explained. He offered his hand again, the cat sniffed and rubbed his cheek against him and this time, Jae Sun only petted the cat's head and he seemed far more pleased with that. "That's better," Jae Sun smiled. "Did you ever have any pets growing up?"

"No, never," Keiko said. "I never wanted a pet honestly."

"Really? How come?"

"I was always so busy the desire never crossed my mind," Keiko said. "Even now, I'm always working."

"Well that's no good," Jae Sun said. "Honestly, Poki's a really 'User Friendly' cat. He's never nipped or hissed at me and he's really cuddly and affectionate. Cats tend to be more aloof than that." As if to accentuate Jae Sun's point, the tabby he'd been petting stood, stretched then jumped from the window sill to wander off somewhere else. "I rest my case," Jae Sun said with a gentle laugh.

"I confess I've always thought cats weren't very friendly," Keiko said.

"Every cat's different," Jae Sun said. "So about Sunday: will that still be okay with you? What would you like to do?" A waiter came by with Jae Sun's coffee and cake but he never took his eyes off Keiko. He saw the gentle blush form on her pale cheeks and the site made him smile.

"Yeah, I'm free Sunday," Keiko said. "As for what to do….maybe we can go for a walk through the park?"

"I think we can do better than that," Jae Sun said with a humored smirk. "What about an amusement park?"

"This late in the season? I don't think the parks are even open," Keiko said then offered, "Maybe we can go to the museum? My father donated our family armor to an exhibit the museum is having."

"That sounds great! I'd love to see it," Jae Sun said. "Will they be giving the armor back?"

"Oh yes," Keiko said, "father would never have parted with it if they weren't going to give it back. It's my great, great grandfather's armor he wore during the Boshin War."

"And you said your great, great grandpa was a Samurai?"

"Yes, he was a commander within the Shogunate," Keiko said. "I told you my father is trained as a Samurai didn't I?"

"Yes, and you said he trained you as a Samurai as I recall," Jae Sun nodded then rested his chin on his hand listening to Keiko intently with an affectionate smile. "So if I ever go to war, I know who to reach out to."

"I'm afraid the way of the Samurai is terribly out of date," Keiko replied as her blush deepened. "No matter your skills as a Samurai, the sword is no match for guns and cannons. At least not in open combat. It's more affective for stealth and assassinations. What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah," Keiko smiled, "does your family have a long line of military service?"

"Not as long as yours, but I definitely have a lot of veterans in my family. They're all from the last 70 years though," Jae Sun said. "Of course, if we count my great grandpa and the rest of the tribe, all of us perform a military service to some extent, but it's as wolves."

"Ah yes, I remember you saying you could do that," Keiko said. "How long has your family been able to do that?"

"Centuries," Jae Sun said and then proceeded to tell her the story of Chief Taha Aki being betrayed by Utlapa then, once he'd reclaimed a physical body, executing Utlapa and banishing his wives and children to the south. "Since then, all decedents of Chief Taha Aki can turn into wolves. The family tree's gotten pretty expansive as I'm sure you can imagine."

"I bet," Keiko said. "So can you choose not to turn into a wolf?"

"Of course," Jae Sun said. "If you want to 'release' your wolf as we say, you just stop shifting and eventually the power will be relinquished. Honestly, that used to be really common but most of us don't do it anymore."

"Why's that?"

"Too many pack mates imprinting on half breeds," Jae Sun answered.

"Imprinting?"

"Yeah," Jae Sun said, "It's when our wolf has found their perfect match."

"So it's love at first sight?"

"In the most basic terms yes," Jae Sun said. After Jae Sun said that, Keiko realized the way he was staring at her. His gentle smile, the affectionate look in his eyes, his eagerness – it all made her start to wonder.

"Have you imprinted on anyone?"

"Yeah, I have," Jae Sun admitted readily and his gentle smile broadened. "I'm sorry if I'm being too forward. I just wanted to lay it all out on the table. I'd rather be honest with you from the start." Keiko didn't answer right away. Instead she glanced at Jae Sun's coffee and cake that he'd left untouched and thought about what little time they'd had together thus far.

"So," she began bashfully while keeping her eyes averted, "are you asking me to be your girlfriend? Truly I mean?"

"Yeah, I am," Jae Sun admitted.

"I wish I could speak as bluntly as you do," Keiko answered timidly. Her cheeks were crimson and she was staring at his slice of cake. Jae Sun's smile faded as he realized he'd embarrassed her.

"I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable," Jae Sun said calmly. "I don't want to lie to you or give you a false impression of how I feel about you. I guess I just got a little ahead of myself."

"It's okay, you didn't make me uncomfortable," Keiko finally answered but she kept staring at Jae Sun's cake. "I don't think anyone's been so direct with me. Well," Keiko smiled gently, "except Mr. Saito. He's very direct with me."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think he was your dad," Jae Sun said, eager to lighten the mood and when Keiko giggled, he smiled.

"He certainly takes a greater interest in my love life than my own father does," Keiko said.

"Your parents weren't mad about you coming home so late, were they?" Jae Sun asked.

"Father was a little annoyed but that was it," Keiko said. "No one said anything about it the next morning and they haven't brought it up since, so I'm sure it's fine."

"Okay, good," Jae Sun sighed in relief. "So," Jae Sun hesitated a moment worrying he was about to be too forward again, but he finally continued, "Could I still take you out tomorrow?"

"Yes, I would like that," Keiko smiled. "Would you mind terribly if my parents joined us?"

"Not at all," Jae Sun said. "I'll invite my aunt and uncle too."

"Perfect," Keiko replied.

She had to keep track of the time, but they enjoyed what time they had at the shop together immensely. Jae Sun barely touched his cake and coffee focusing entirely on Keiko the whole time. When she needed to get back to the office, Jae Sun walked her back going up the elevator with her and taking her to the door. They agreed again to meet at the museum and Keiko told him she'd meet him there at 10. The rest of the day seemed to drag on for an eternity. Mercifully, Mr. Saito finished all his work around 7:30 so everyone in the office could leave early. While Keiko was on the train, she finally opened the manuscript keeping it in the folder so no one could see and started reading.

The story picked up where it had left off. The wolf was revealed to be missing a tooth and called himself Taha Aki and helped Popo, Blu and Bayaq find the evil monster in the mountains. When she reached the end of this installment, there was another story right after it that was a spinoff. At first, she thought it was Popo but this cat had a slightly different pattern and was a little smaller. The title at the top of the page was Dinnertime with Poki and what followed were several panels worth of a large framed man trying to make dinner with the cat in the way. Keiko smiled as her eyes darted through the images showing Jae Sun washing the rice. The vegetables were out, there was a large ongi labeled 김치 although she didn't know what the label said and there was a small basket with a large fish sitting in it.

Right beside Jae Sun, a little 'ニャー'(Nya / meow) popped up and she saw an itty bitty outline of a paw poke up above the counter with the aim of grabbing the fish. Jae Sun told the cat to step and gently swatted Poki's paw away. Poki hopped onto the counter but Jae Sun dropped the pot in the sink and grabbed Poki before he could get to the fish. Jae Sun brought Poki to a cat tree on the other side of the tiny apartment placing him down and telling the cat 'no'. Jae Sun returned to the kitchen, washed his hands and returned to washing the rice. By the time Jae Sun put the pot into the rice cooker and got it set to cook, another tiny 'ニャー'(Nya / meow) popped up right beside Jae Sun. Jae Sun shooed Poki's paw away telling him again to stop then moved over so he could start chopping his vegetables. Once they were chopped, Jae Sun put all the veggies in a bowl so he could bring them to the sink to wash. While he was distracted, the tiny paw poked up above the counter then hopped up again. Before Jae Sun could stop Poki this time, Poki grabbed onto the fish with his mouth and rushed away to the cat tree.

Jae Sun yelled at Poki for taking the fish but ultimately gave up when it was clear all hope was lost. The final panels were a picture of Jae Sun holding a bowl of rice and vegetables dissatisfied while Poki was on the cat tree napping with fish bones right beside him followed by a picture of Jae Sun staring meanly at Poki calling him a 'stink butt'. Keiko smiled and finally closed the folder tucking it into her purse waiting for the train to reach her stop. By the time she returned home, it was nearly 9 in the evening and Hanako rushed to the door the moment Keiko came inside and announced she was entering the home.

"How was work today?" Hanako asked as she took Keiko's purse and coat.

"It was a good day," Keiko responded. She stepped over the threshold once her shoes were off. "Jae Sun came into the office today to drop off his manuscript. He invited me to have coffee during my lunch break."

"Yes, we know," Sojiro said from the dining table never taking his eyes off the newspaper, "he called the house to apologize that his aunt and uncle won't be able to join the two of you to the museum tomorrow."

"You spoke with him?"

"Briefly," Sojiro answered.

"I told him I would invite you and mom," Keiko said.

"Yes, he said we were invited. I told him we'd meet him at 10 and to have a good evening," Sojiro said. Keiko wandered over slowly until she reached the table and sat down beside him.

"You're not angry, are you daddy?" Keiko asked.

"No," Sojiro sighed a little and finally folded the newspaper placing it on the table, "Only a little annoyed."

"We've just never seen you express interest in a young man, Keiko-chan," Hanako stepped in, "But I promise you, we will treat him fairly." Hanako rubbed Keiko's shoulders reassuringly and they both looked at Sojiro who looked thoughtful for a moment. 'Give the boy a chance,' Zihao had insisted. With that thought in mind, Sojiro took a deep breath for the sake of calming himself down before finally saying anything.

"I will talk with him," was all Sojiro said and left the table to go outside to the garden.

"Go ahead and get to bed," Hanako finally said. "If we're meeting him at 10:00 then we need to be up early to catch the train."

"Okay," Keiko said and Hanako pressed a kiss to Keiko's head before she left the table going to her room.

The next morning, Jae Sun was a nervous wreck. With Keiko's parents joining them, he'd really hoped to have Akihiko and Yue with him to act as a sort of buffer but he'd be on his own. Wanting to make a good impression, Jae Sun was sure to dress nicely in a suit and left his apartment early making his way to a flower shop to buy some roses. He bought red for Keiko in an act of boldness and yellow for Keiko's mother. He arrived at the museum well ahead of Keiko and their parents, so he went to buy tickets for all four of them then waited for them to arrive. When they finally did, Hanako wore a kimono holding an umbrella above hers and Sojiro's heads, Keiko wore a pale yellow dress with a white cardigan and white shoes and Sojiro was in a suit. Jae Sun bowed to them making sure he went low out of respect.

"Good morning, Mr. Iwamoto; Mrs. Iwamoto," Jae Sun said and waited a moment for Hanako, Sojiro and Keiko to bow.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Dauer," Hanako spoke up first. "You've grown so much since the last time we saw you."

"I did have quite a growth spurt," Jae Sun answered nervously then finally offered the flowers. He didn't use both hands as was customary but, thankfully, Hanako and Keiko didn't seem to mind. "I got you both roses. I hope you like them."

"Oh, I adore yellow roses," Hanako praised. "I planted a batch and they're doing great but they haven't bloomed yet."

"My mother tends to her garden with such reverence," Keiko added with an appreciative smile. Then she looked around seeing several families walking into the museum and said, "We'd better get inside while we still can."

"I bought our tickets, so we can go in whenever you're ready," Jae Sun said and presented the tickets.

"Let's go inside then," Sojiro said and went right up to Jae Sun saying, "walk with me, please," as they finally went inside. Sojiro had the two of them walking far ahead of Hanako and Keiko so they could speak as privately as possible. Jae Sun looked over his shoulder at Keiko briefly but returned his attention back to Sojiro the instant he started speaking. "What is it you do, Mr. Dauer?" Sojiro asked, keeping his eyes forward.

"I'm a manga author," Jae Sun said. "I also own a farm in Korea."

"Do you? I assume you have people running it for you seeing as you're living in Tokyo?"

"Yes, sir, I have the farm rented out to a family that runs it for me. I give them a discount on rent, they harvest and sell everything and we split the profits."

"Do you return to Korea often?"

"As often as I can," Jae Sun said. "Have you ever been to Korea, Mr. Iwamoto?"

"Briefly, yes," Sojiro said. "I landed in Northern Korea but I was on a train within the hour on my way to Heilongjiang."

"Keiko said you were a doctor for Unit 731," Jae Sun said.

"Yes, I was," Sojiro nodded. "After I earned my medical degree I joined the Imperial Army. I planned to be a doctor but my skills were determined to be of greater use in the North. Your father served in the Army did he not?"

"Both my parents did," Jae Sun said. "My parents both fought in the Korean War. My mom served the People's Army of North Korea."

"Your mother is North Korean?" Sojiro asked with interest as he finally looked at Jae Sun while speaking with him.

"Yeah," Jae Sun answered. "She was born around Munchon although she's not 100% certain. She was orphaned and started traveling across Korea until she made it to Hwajin-Ni where she met So Chin Mae. She adopted my mom and my mom stayed by her side until she died. Grandma Chin Mae fell extremely ill and the People's Army promised they would cure my grandma if she served them."

"What was wrong with your grandma?"

"I don't know for sure," Jae Sun said. "Mom said grandma had started hearing and seeing things, at one point she started going blind – after her father died, she had no choice but to work in a comfort house and one of my uncles is of the opinion she contracted Syphilis."

"I suspect he's right," Sojiro said. "Why did the People's Army want your mother in their ranks badly enough to promise her a cure to your grandma's sickness?"

"My mom has a unique power," Jae Sun said. "She has several 'extensions' as we call them. They're extra hands and she can reach really far with them. She has five extensions on each side so including her hands we can all see she has six right hands and six left hands. You can imagine that made rounding us kids up much easier."

"Indeed it would have," Sojiro said and returned to looking forward. "I assume her commanding officers were unable to uphold their promise and that's why your mother switched sides?"

"No," Jae Sun said, "a doctor pulled my mom aside and told her there was nothing he could do for my grandma. Mom thinks that man almost certainly suffered greatly for telling her but my mom agreed she would continue to serve them loyally so long as they allowed her to stay by my grandma's side until her final moments. They agreed and mom continued to serve them loyally until she met my dad. My dad was a POW and somehow, he and my mom had a connection and she helped him escape. Mom wasn't planning to escape but she was shot and my dad put her on his back and carried her back to the DMZ and through to South Korea."

"I suspect that was quite a shock for her," Sojiro said.

"Mom was really upset at first," Jae Sun said. "She came around, though."

"Does she ever wish she'd stayed?"

"No," Jae Sun said. "I think she did at first but after she and my father fell in love and got married, I don't think she ever regretted escaping North Korea. I hear rumors that people can visit North Korea but there are some really strict rules involved."

"I would imagine so," Sojiro said. "You have several siblings do you not? I recall four boys and 2 girls when you all came to Tokyo for the wedding."

"Yes, I have three brothers and two sisters who are twins," Jae Sun said. "I'm the oldest, then my little brother Mae Sun, Eun So, then Hae Li is the youngest of my brothers then it's my sisters Eun Mae and Mae Yon. Do you have siblings? Or did you used to have siblings?"

"I was an only child," Sojiro said. "Hanako had one brother, but he died overseas."

"I'm so sorry," Jae Sun said. "Was he in the army?"

"Yes," Sojiro answered. "He enlisted a year before I did. I'm afraid I never actually met Hanako's brother."

"How did you and Mrs. Iwamoto meet?"

"We met spring of 1941 during a Cherry Blossom Festival in Osaka," Sojiro answered bluntly. "More importantly," Sojiro said, "How did you and Keiko become reacquainted?"

"We bumped into each other on the train," Jae Sun said. "We recognized one another and started talking."

"I see," Sojiro said. "Forgive me for being blunt, but what are your intentions?"

Knowing what he was getting at, Jae Sun said in a formal tone, "I care very much for Keiko and I wish to court her."

"And how long have you and Keiko been reacquainted?"

"About three weeks," Jae Sun said.

"I see," Sojiro said, "And how long do you plan to stay in Japan?"

"Indefinitely, sir," Jae Sun answered honestly. "With the exception of the farm, I've formed my career in Japan so it only makes sense to stay. I may return to the states one day; I don't want to completely negate that option since my family is still there, but Japan is where my work is."

"Are you a citizen?"

"No, sir, I'm still a US citizen," Jae Sun said, "and I don't want to relinquish my US citizenship."

"Understandable," Sojiro said, "although you understand why that might be concerning? All too often foreigners to Japan are a transient bunch. "

"In some instances, absolutely," Jae Sun agreed, "but if they have something worth staying in Japan for, then they will stay."

"Perhaps," Sojiro said and he eventually led them to a collection of armor that was on display. Keiko recognized her grandparents' armor immediately. The one belonging to her maternal great grandfather still had bloodstains on it but they were hard to see.

Jae Sun read the plaque in front of both pieces then said, "So these belonged to yours and Mrs. Iwamoto's grandparents?"

"Yes, they did," Sojiro said. "Our grandfathers were good friends but our fathers were not. It's a long story I'm afraid."

"Keiko told me a little about it," Jae Sun said. "I'm happy things worked out in the end for you and Mrs. Iwamoto."

"As am I," Sojiro said. "You are aware of what was being done at Unit 731 are you not?"

"Yes, sir, I'm aware," Jae Sun said. "Keiko defended you and if I'm being truthful, my mother was in a very similar position. Sometimes, there's only so much you can do when you're at the mercy of your superiors."

"Indeed," Sojiro said. "Regardless, I wasn't proud of what I'd done." He looked at Jae Sun briefly then looked back at the armor. "Have you ever served in the military?"

"No sir," Jae Sun answered. "I wanted to enlist but I was rejected."

"Why?"

"Too tall," Jae Sun answered and Sojiro released a brief laugh.

"At least you tried," Sojiro said. "What of your brothers?"

"They haven't tried enlisting," Jae Sun said. "They're all shorter than me so they could join the army if they wanted but none of them have any interest."

"That's a shame," Sojiro said. "Did you like living in Korea?"

"I liked living in the country," Jae Sun said, "but I wasn't a huge fan of Seoul. It's going through a lot of growing pains and having North Korea at our backs doesn't really help."

"As I hear it, North and South Korea have tried reunifying but with no success," Sojiro said.

"It's all down to ideology," Jae Sun said. "North Korea is communist and under the rule of Kim Il Sung and would expect South Korea to conform and accept Kim Il Sung as their leader and it's not going to happen. South Korea's allied with the US so communist rule is out of the question. They've been in a stalemate since the end of the war and it doesn't look like it'll end any time soon."

"I don't imagine so," Sojiro agreed. He started walking away from the display of his and Hanako's family armor taking in more pieces of history while Keiko and Hanako kept a ten pace distance. Keiko was listening closely and was anxious the whole time. "What work did you do when you were living in Washington?"

"I worked for an animation company for a few years before I had to move to Korea suddenly," Jae Sun said. "I also used to do tattoos on occasion."

"You're a tattoo artist as well?" Sojiro asked.

"It's been a really long time so I don't think I'd want to put a tattoo on anyone's skin before I had a chance to practice on pig skin, but yeah – I used to do tattoos by request. I've still got my portfolio at home. I've got the work I did on pig skin and the work I've done on human skin. Do you have any tattoos?"

"Oh no," Sojiro said as he gently shook his head. "My great grandfather had tattoos but when Samurai had such things done, it was to apply symbols of protection and the symbol of their clan."

"Did you know your great grandfather?"

"Regretfully, no," Sojiro said. "He died when I was a year old if I remember correctly."

"Have you ever wanted to get a tattoo?"

"No, it never interested me," Sojiro said. "I take it you have tattoos then?"

"No, sir, I don't have any personally," Jae Sun said. "My dad has a few but my Uncle Salem is painted up and down. He really wants to get neck tattoos but grandma keeps nagging him out of it."

"What is it he's wanting tattooed on his neck?"

"I don't know – he just wants a tattoo on his neck," Jae Sun said. "I know he'd want something meaningful. All his tattoos have meaning one way or another. He has a tattoo that's an orange and orange blossom for Florida where he was stationed and loved it, he has memorial tattoos, he has a pin-up, he has a large back tattoo with the Naval insignia in the center with tattoos he's gotten from everywhere he's been around the world and he has an alligator tattoo. That's what I can remember. He probably has more I'm sure."

"It's a miracle he still has room left," Sojiro said.

"He's got room and he's eager to fill it," Jae Sun chuckled. "He draws the line at face and head tattoos though. His wife has a tattoo on her ribcage that I did for her."

"What was the image?"

"Lots of flowers with Polaroid pictures," Jae Sun said. "Those were the hardest part of the tattoo. I can't believe I got that done in a day. I can't believe she sat through that. The ribs are a really tough place to tattoo. Yvonne's a trooper. Since then I think she's gotten two more tattoos. One on her foot and the other on her ankle."

"What were those images?"

"The tattoo on her foot is a succulent plant as I recall. The one on her ankle is a rattle snake and it wraps around her ankle. Now that I think about it, the rattle is on her foot then the snake wraps around her ankle and reaches her calf and the head of the snake is there with its teeth and tongue out. It's American Traditional style too, so it looks really, really cool."

While Jae Sun and Sojiro continued to talk, Keiko and her mother remained several paces back and Keiko was paying close attention. Everything seemed to be going fine but she was still anxious. Hanako would try to stop to look at something on display and would need to make Keiko stop and stay at her side. Keiko would lose chunks of the conversation and it would leave her anxious.

"Do you think father likes him?" Keiko asked Hanako after she'd stopped them at a display of large map of Feudal Japan complete with 3D mountains, names of towns and replicas of temples and palaces.

"Your father is hesitant but he's not displeased so far," Hanako answered honestly.

"Everything's happening so fast," Keiko said. "I just hope father doesn't scare him away."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Hanako promised. "Mr. Chen informed us the strings of fate tie you both together."

"He did?" Keiko asked, stunned.

"Yes, indeed he did," Hanako said. "Otherwise, your father would've never agreed to meet Mr. Dauer. Mr. Chen warned your father against doing to you what your grandparents did to me and that convinced your father to give the young man a chance."

An awkward silence fell between them as Keiko shifted her attention to the display. Even growing up, she'd known her grandparents' were on extremely bad terms with her parents. Keiko looked around until she could see Sojiro and Jae Sun again and they were still conversing pleasantly although she couldn't hear what they were talking about. Jae Sun and Sojiro, meanwhile, talked about Jae Sun's family more than anything. Jae Sun talked about the tribe, the traditions, customs, superstitions and about his grandparents. They were at the museum for hours and it felt to Jae Sun like he was on a date with Sojiro rather than Keiko. He'd have vastly preferred to be on a date with the latter but he spoke pleasantly with Sojiro wanted desperately for this man to like him. Out of sheer intrigue, Jae Sun tried to ask a little about Sojiro's time in China, but the man was extremely tight lipped about it so Jae Sun, instead, asked more general questions.

"Was there anything you liked about China while you were there?" Jae Sun asked.

"The countryside is breathtaking," Sojiro answered. "I'm afraid the view was the only pleasantry. The winters were brutal. Sometimes we'd end up huddling together at night just to keep warm."

"I assume your commanders had much nicer accommodations?" Jae Sun asked with humor, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yes, they certainly did," Sojiro said but he didn't add anything further.

"Forgive me, I didn't ask: how was Osaka?"

When the museum was scheduled to close, Jae Sun and the others finally left and he offered to walk them home although Sojiro declined. Jae Sun wasn't certain if his 'date' with Sojiro went well or not. The man was so stoic and his features betrayed nothing. Sojiro and Hanako remained close so Jae Sun could only bow to Keiko saying it was good to see her and he looked forward to speaking with her again soon. They parted ways at the train station and Keiko took the train back home with Sojiro and Hanako. She waited until they were off the train and walking home before she spoke up.

"How did things go with Jae Sun?" Keiko asked.

"He was polite and respectable," Sojiro answered. "By the sound of it, he comes from a very good family. His profession leaves a lot to be desired though I admire his work ethic and pursuing a career that keeps him fulfilled."

"I know the work he does isn't necessarily conventional but he's very good at what he does and I've heard he's near the threshold to have his manga turned to a kid's show," Keiko said.

"Oh! That's wonderful," Hanako praised eagerly. "That's certainly good news, Sojiro."

"It's a step in the right direction to be sure," Sojiro answered with a lack of enthusiasm.

"Do you like him?" Keiko asked, desperate for her father to give her a blunt answer.

"Yes, Keiko, I like him just fine," Sojiro said.

Back home, Lee went to the concert with Maggie as planned. They all went to New York with her parents, the two of them went to the concert on their own and were out well into the night. Lee had a great time at the concert but he kept wishing he could've brought Tristan and Lilliana. Lilianna especially. He wasn't sure what had come over him in the last few months but something about her was different and it kept demanding his attention. When he returned to Washington, he had to return to business as usual meaning balancing school, Hockey practice and a part time job. He felt like he didn't have time for anything and it really weighed on him. Hockey practice was the only time he could really just enjoy himself so that's where most of his energy went to. He'd reached out to the college he wanted to go to and found out there would be a scout coming towards the end of the season next year. The news made him more determined than ever.

"Hey stranger," Tristan said, startling Lee as he came out of the locker room after practice.

"Jesus, you startled me," Lee said. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought we'd go get some dinner together," Tristan said. "We haven't hung out in weeks and I figured you needed a breather. Dinner's on me."

Lee smiled and said, "Sure. I'd like that. We can't be out too late, though. I have to work tomorrow and I'm doing the brunch shift."

"Don't worry, I hear you," Tristan said. "I've got to work tomorrow too. The nursing home's having a big family breakfast event so all cooks and dishwashers must be on deck."

"Sounds like a blast," Lee chuckled as they stepped outside. "So….how's Lilli doing?"

"She's fine," Tristan said. "She's going into work earlier than me tomorrow."

"She's not in the kitchen like you are, right?"

"No, she's at the front desk," Tristan said. "Dish washing's a little too much to ask for her Lilli White Hands."

Lee smiled, "Hey, nothing wrong with reception work. I'm sure they love that she speaks more than one language."

"So do I, but German's not a high demand language in the nursing home," Tristan said. "There's one woman in the building who speaks German but she's Austrian and her accent's really hard to follow sometimes."

"I'm sure she appreciates it when you try at least," Lee said. "So where are we going? I'll meet you there." Once they agreed on a restaurant, they got in their respective cars and met up at the entrance once they were both there.

"Have you heard anything from U of M?" Tristan asked once they were seated.

"Yeah, they're sending a scout next year end of the season," Lee said. "The person I spoke to said I should send my application as far in advance as possible with my coach's letter of recommendation. I guess a bunch of guys have contacted the school and want to go there."

"How many spots would there be?"

"I don't know," Lee said, "depends on how many students are graduating and what positions need filling."

"You'll get it; I'd count on it," Tristan said.

"Maybe you should apply to the University of Michigan," Lee suggested with a smile.

"I don't want to go to college, dude," Tristan groaned. "But dad won't fucking listen to me. It's always 'No! You're going to college' every time I tell him I don't want to go."

"What are you wanting to do instead of that?"

"I don't know," Tristan said.

"That's probably why your dad's being such a stickler about it," Lee said. "If you had a backup plan, he might be a little less annoyed about it."

"Don't worry, I'll figure something out," Tristan shrugged. "

"What about Lilli?" Lee asked.

"She said she's undecided," Tristan said, "Of course, she says she's 'undecided' and dad tells her, 'Don't worry, Lilli. Just remember to have a couple options,' and stuff." Tristan sighed. "What's it like having a dad that treats you and your sister equally?"

"You mean yells at us and nags about when he was our age?" Lee joked.

"Yeah, exactly," Tristan laughed.

"Honestly, sometimes I wish dad would take a few notes from Mr. Black," Lee said with a half-smile. "I swear, dad's impossible to impress."

"He was raised differently – what can you do?" Tristan shrugged. "Doesn't your dad say your grandpa would beat him bloody sometimes? At least he doesn't do that."

"I don't know which is worse: that grandpa used to do that to dad or the fact dad thinks that's normal," Lee mumbled then shrugged. "I guess I should be grateful I get away with a scolding and an occasional shoe to the head."

"Given the alternative, I'd say so," Tristan laughed. "Oh, before I forget: did you want me to get you tickets for our school's homecoming? This year's dance is at the Museum of History and Industry and I hear there's going to be a chocolate fountain."

"How much are the tickets? Am I even allowed to do?"

"Sure you can go," Tristan said. "So long as the ticket's paid for, you're welcome. Besides, you'd be my guest. You can even bring Maggie if you wanted to."

"Maybe," Lee said but he seemed to lack enthusiasm.

"Everything okay?"

"I don't really know," Lee said. "Nothing's changed, Maggie's the same as always, I just…..I don't like her that way anymore. I don't really know how to explain it."

"And…..have you told her that or no?"

"No, I haven't told her," Lee said. "I've barely seen her since we got back from New York. I've just been so damn busy. And now her parents are getting on her case about getting a job so she'll get even busier. I almost wonder if it's better to just break up."

"I mean, if the two of you can barely see each other and you don't really like her that way anymore anyway I'd say you might as well," Tristan said. "Just don't be an asshole and do it over phone. Best thing to do is to ask her out somewhere, you guys can talk, let her know what's been up and maybe you two can stay friends or something."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Lee said. Lee's mind started drifting to Lilliana again after he'd said that but he pushed it out of his mind. Tristan had already made his feelings on that very clear and even if he hadn't, Lee felt bad for thinking about another girl just as he said he wanted to break up with another. He scolded himself internally for thinking of Lilliana like that. "Now I just need to find a time to get around to that."

Tristan laughed, "Hey, think of it this way: maybe she's thinking the same thing and will beat you to the punch."

"Is it awful of me to say I'd almost rather she did?"

Tristan and Lee laughed and moved on to another subject before the waiter came over and took their order. They had to leave as soon as they were done but promised they'd see each other again sometime soon and wished each other luck for the next morning. Once Lee made it back, he went right upstairs after saying hello to everyone, showered and then went straight to bed. He had his alarm set but he didn't end up needing it. He woke up when her heard something be put down on his desk and when he opened his eyes, Illyana was putting a plate with toast and a wedge of holodetz, a hardboiled egg and some mustard with a cup of tea on the side.

"Mom?"

"Доброе утро," (Dobroye utro / good morning) she answered and came over to the bed to kiss his head. "You have the early shift today, yes?"

"Yeah," Lee said and looked at his clock. It wasn't set to go off for another hour.

"I already turned off the alarm," Illyana said. "Take some time to eat your breakfast before you have to leave."

"Can I at least have compote instead of tea?" Lee asked with a groggy smile.

"Compote doesn't fill you up," Illyana said. "Make sure to write your father a check for the insurance. That's due tomorrow."

"Seriously? I swear I just paid that," Lee groaned.

"Yes, last month dear," Illyana smiled. "It's a monthly fee."

"Yes, mom," Lee answered and finally sat up in bed. "Thank you for breakfast, mom."

"I packed a lunch for you too," Illyana said. "I'll hand that to you before you go."

Illyana finally left the room so Lee could eat and get ready. No matter what anyone said, holodetz was always the best start to the day whenever Illyana made it. The Cullens insisted when she make it she do so outside from the smell but that never bothered her. Whenever he'd bring it to school, his friends would look at it with disgust until they actually tried it and those who weren't too proud to admit they liked it he always made sure to bring some for everyone. Tristan was among those friends who wasn't too proud to admit he really liked holodetz. Unless Amber was around – then he never touched pork in his whole like and he'd be sticking to that story. Lilliana was always there to scold Tristan about it and the memory of the many times Lilianna chastised Tristan for eating pork came to mind.

When Tristan arrived home the night before, Lilliana was already in bed but they were both up bright and early the next morning for work. They had the same shift that day so they drove to the nursing home together and Tristan dropped her off up front before getting the car parked near the entrance to the kitchen. The front desk manager was already up front waiting for Lilliana to come in for her shift and when she spotted Lilliana, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good, you're here. I can give you a quick heads up," her manager said. "Mrs. Heinsburg's family is coming and a bunch of them only speak German so I'll need you to play Front Desk and waitress translator today."

"None of the family members speak English?" Lilliana asked.

"Some do but as I understand it, the majority don't."

"Okay, I'll do my best," Lilliana said.

"I thought you spoke fluent German," her manager said.

"I do, but my mom's family is from Bavaria. Bavarian German and Austrian German have a lot of differences."

"You learn something new every day," her manager said with a heavy sigh. "Well, do your best and once they've had breakfast and left, you can return to the Front Desk. Their reservation's for 9:30, so you've got some time."

"Okay," Lilliana said. "Would it be more helpful if my brother waited their table? He speaks German too."

"I'd rather have you do it," her manager said. "The kitchen is going to be overrun so I don't think they'll want to spare anyone."

Lilliana took over the front desk and her manager left for a meeting promising to be back around 9:30 to take over until the other girl that would take over the afternoon shift arrived. When Mrs. Heinsburg's family made it, Lilliana rang Mrs. Heinsburg's room alerting her and one of the granddaughters went up to her floor to get her. Then Lilliana showed them to a large table and stayed on hand for them ready to take their orders and make sure it was all relayed to the waitress who's section they were in. Once they'd left, she returned to the front desk to complete her shift but Tristan was held up in the kitchen long after she was already off. She ended up staying at the front desk for another hour and a half waiting for Tristan to be done and once he was, he drove his car up front to pick her up.

"Rough day in the kitchen?" Lilliana asked him once she was in the car.

"Yeah – we didn't stop until everything was cleaned, dried and put away," Tristan said. "I hear we're all going to be required to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve."

"I don't doubt it," Lilliana said.

"Yeah, that's going to suck," Tristan grumbled. "You think mom and dad will stay behind so we can still go to Forks for Christmas?"

"I'm sure they would," Lilliana said. "So how's Lee doing? You and he were out yesterday right?"

"Lee's doing good," Tristan said. "He's going to put in his application for the University of Michigan and I guess there's a scout being sent out towards the end of the season. I told him he'll get that scholarship no problem."

"I know he will," Lilliana said.

"For sure," Tristan said, "Oh, and I invited him to go with us all to Homecoming. And you want to know something else? He doesn't plan on bringing Maggie."

"That's a relief," Lilliana sighed. "Does she have a tournament that day or something?"

"Not that I know of," Tristan said. "Lee's saying he doesn't think he wants to be with her anymore."

That grabbed Lilliana's attention although she did her best to remain subdued. "Did he?"

"Yeah, they hardly get to see each other anymore and he says he just doesn't feel that way about her anymore. Don't get too eager, though. He hasn't actually broken up with her for starters and for another thing the last thing you want is to be some rebound."

"I wasn't thinking I'd jump him the moment he's single or anything," Lilianna mumbled defensively.

"Just figured I'd put it out there," Tristan said.

Out east, Evalynn was preparing for her last year of law school. Dmitri and Heidi could always be relied on to stay close but they'd moved out of the apartment a few months ago. The decision came when Shyann told her out of the blue she wanted to move east and be with her and practically showed up at her door with her luggage ready to move in. Had anyone else done something like that, Evalynn might have burst a vein but when Shyann had done it, she was so happy to see her that she helped her unpack and broke the news to her grandparents. It did mean she had to find part time work. She couldn't in good conscience make her dad continue to pay for the apartment when Dmitri and Heidi moved out and her girlfriend was moved in.

"You already have a test scheduled?" Shyann asked when she was looking at Evalynn's class schedule. "What kind of horseshit is that?"

"The sooner I know, the more time I have to prepare," Evalynn said. She was making dinner at the moment while Shyann was rummaging through all Evalynn's schedules and latest textbooks. "What time do you need to be at work tomorrow?"

"By 9," Shyann said. "This first week I'm 'training'. I'll be honest; they really just need to give me a tour of the club, let me know where to punch in and any standard procedures I need to be aware of and frankly that can't possibly take more than an evening."

"Every club's different I guess," Evalynn said. "You've got me listed as an emergency contact?"

"I do. They think you're my roommate just FYI," Shyann replied.

"I figured," Evalynn said.

"Do any of your college friends know you're a lesbian or do we have to keep up the guise of roommates when we have company?" Shyann asked.

"No, they don't know," Evalynn said. "I just tell them I don't have time for a boyfriend and leave it at that."

Shyann shrugged, "It's not a lie. Hell, I can't believe you have time for me sometimes."

"Of course I have time for you," Evalynn said.

"Ah," Shyann smiled and left the table walking up to Evalynn and wrapping her arms around her waist. "Aren't you sweet?"

"That better not be sarcasm I sense," Evalynn smiled.

"Not at all," Shyann said. "You've liked living with me right?"

"Yes, I've liked living with you," Evalynn answered and kissed the top of Shyann's head. "I wish we'd done this sooner."

"Yeah, me too," Shyann replied. "Now, when are we getting a dog?"

"Pardon?"

"A dog," Shyann repeated. "I was thinking a Chihuahua or a Pomeranian. You know: something tiny and cute."

"Shyann, we're not getting a dog," Evalynn said.

"No, we're getting a dog," Shyann said playfully and released Evalynn. "Dogs are great for kids don't you think?"

"For what?" Evalynn asked, not sure she'd heard her right.

"For kids," Shyann repeated naturally. "I mean, it's way, way, WAY too soon right now, but maybe someday."

"You want to have kids?"

"Yeah; don't you?" Shyann asked.

"I…I mean, I do; I'd love to have kids. I just didn't realize you were thinking about it."

"Mom brought it up the other day. One of my cousins just got pregnant and it got me thinking; that's all. Question is how do we do this?"

Evalynn smiled holding back the laugh building in her throat, "We can worry about it later. Let me get my foot in the door and establish myself in my career then we can worry about kids."

"So forever from now; got it," Shyann joked as she rolled her eyes and this time Evalynn laughed.

"Stop being so dramatic. It won't take that long," Evalynn said. "Besides, we might not be able to do it legally, but I'd like to marry you first before we entertain kids."

"Yeah, yeah, excuses, excuses," Shyann continued to joke and returned to the table to continue looking through Evalynn's school material.

Back in Japan, after Jae Sun's date with Sojiro Jae Sun hadn't been on a date with Keiko alone since. Jae Sun invited Keiko to go to the theme park with him hoping it would be suitably crowded enough that Sojiro and Hanako would give them some space but when he arrived, Keiko was there with her parents waiting at the entrance for Jae Sun to pay the entry fee. The same thing happened when Jae Sun invited Keiko to go to a bookstore with him then out for coffee the following Sunday. After several weeks of inviting Keiko out to a date and her parents inviting themselves, Jae Sun did something drastic. In a desperate attempt to ensure they could have some alone time, Jae Sun went to the office building around 11 with the intent of taking her out to lunch. He arrived 10 to noon and took the elevator up to her floor waiting for lunch to start. He looked through the glass into the office space hoping she would see him and when she did, he waved at her and while she didn't wave back, he did notice her blush and smile. Once it was noon, she came out to meet him.

"Hello," she said, "I didn't realize you were turning in a manuscript today."

"I wasn't," Jae Sun said, "I just wanted a chance to take you on a proper date. Just you and me."

Keiko blushed, "That would be nice. Where shall we go?"

"How about we go back to that cat café," Jae Sun suggested. Keiko agreed and they left the building going down the street to the café, Jae Sun bought himself coffee and a sandwich and the two of them found a table to sit. Once they had, a black cat hopped onto the table and Keiko jumped in her seat a little.

"I didn't even hear him come over," Keiko said.

"Cats are very stealthy," Jae Sun said and started petting the cat. "I have to make a point to keep an eye on Poki otherwise he eats anything I have out."

"I would love to meet Poki," Keiko said. "He sounds like a delight."

"Most of the time he is," Jae Sun smiled. "Forgive me for asking but does your dad dislike me?"

"It's not that," Keiko said. "He's just very old fashioned. I think my own parents only got to go on one date without my grandparents and that's when they met at the cherry blossom festival."

"That does sound like a romantic place to meet," Jae Sun said.

"Maybe I can convince father to let you come with us in spring! The trees are absolutely beautiful and there are games and food stands. It's the only chance I get to wear a yukata."

"I'd prefer to dress like I normally do although I'd never turn down seeing you wearing a yukata," Jae Sun replied. "Can I admit something to you?"

"What?"

"When I was learning how to tattoo, I had to train on pig skin before I'd get to put a tattoo on a human canvas. One of the challenges my tutor gave me was to 'make my own Betty Crocker'."

"I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"Sorry," he said, "You remember my Uncle Salem right?"

"He's the one you told me about with all the tattoos," Keiko nodded.

"Yes, him. Well one of his favorite tattoos is a pinup. It's a woman wearing nothing but an apron and she has a bowl of cake mix she whipped up and she's licking the batter off the whisk. He nicknamed that pinup 'Betty Crocker' and my tutor's the one who gave my Uncle Salem that tattoo. When I was training, he told me he wanted me to make my personal Betty Crocker and what I came up with was a woman in a kimono. It was a lot more risqué than I'm making it sound but when I finished that tattoo I might have fallen in love with her just for a second."

"She must have been very pretty," Keiko smiled. "What did you name her?"

"I didn't name her actually. I'm starting to wish I had," Jae Sun chuckled.

"Do you have any tattoos?"

"No," Jae Sun said. "I'm too chicken to do it."

"I've heard it hurts really bad," Keiko said.

"It depends where you get it," Jae Sun said. "The foot's one of the worst places because there's no fat to absorb the shock."

"Makes sense," Keiko replied. Then Jae Sun's sandwich and coffee was brought out so Jae Sun picked up the cat who meowed when Jae Sun lifted him and placed him on the floor so Jae Sun could eat.

"So when did you want to meet Poki? That cat's basically my child so you'll need to meet him," Jae Sun said and Keiko giggled.

"Why don't I meet him tonight? I can always tell my parents I needed to stop at the store before coming home," Keiko said. "I wouldn't be able to stay long but I can stay long enough to meet Poki."

Jae Sun smiled eagerly, "Sounds like a plan."

The two talked while Jae Sun finished his lunch then he walked her back to the office before she was due to be back. Jae Sun gave Keiko his address and Keiko promised she'd come to his place right after work. Once Keiko was dropped off, Jae Sun rushed home and started cleaning his tiny apartment. Poki was in his cat tree napping while Jae Sun cleaned and once everything was finally clean, he fussed over what he should wear. He couldn't wear pajamas like he normally did – that would be inappropriate and he didn't want to make her feel embarrassed. He settled for jeans and a t-shirt figuring that was appropriately casual for being at home. Once he was dressed, he started working on his latest manga until she finally arrived. When she did, he heard his buzzer go off and Jae Sun leaped off the ground going to the first door of his apartment. He opened that, closed the door behind him, shoved his feet into sandals as he stepped down to the entrance and opened the door. Keiko was at the other side smiling sweetly and holding a plastic bag.

"Hey," Jae Sun smiled and stepped aside. "I've got some slippers right here. Hopefully they fit – I got them for my mom when she visited last."

"Thank you," Keiko said as she took of her shoes then stepped into the slippers. Once they were both up the single step, she presented the bag, "I bought you dinner. It's not much – just instant ramen, some eggs and a few onigiri. I hope you like it."

"I can't wait; thank you," Jae Sun said and opened the door leading into the apartment. Poki was at the door meowing and when Keiko saw him, her smile brightened.

"Oh, he's so cute," Keiko said.

"Don't let that cute face fool you. He's a stink butt," Jae Sun teased and closed the door using his foot to gently encourage Poki to get away from the door. Keiko went further into the tiny apartment taking in the limited space while Jae Sun was taking out all the food.

"I can't believe you fit in here," Keiko mumbled in awe.

"Believe me, neither can I," Jae Sun chuckled and filled a kettle with water to get that going. "There was an apartment I was shown that was little better than a closet. I couldn't even spread my arms out. I told the realtor I specifically said I can't do micro apartments and he insisted it wasn't a micro apartment because there was a bathroom and kitchen. I told this guy if this isn't a micro apartment, then I'm Bruce Lee and he said to me, 'Then it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Lee.'"

Keiko giggled, "At least he had a good sense of humor."

"I wasn't laughing at the time, I can guarantee you that," Jae Sun said and turned on the heat for the kettle. He opened the top of the carton so he could take out the soup base and a vegetable pack and when he did, he heard Poki chirp and rush over to investigate. "Damn it, 고양이! 이건 내 저녁이야! 당신은 이미 당신의 것을 가지고 있었다!" (Goyang-i! igeon nae jeonyeog-iya! dangsin-eun imi dangsin-ui geos-eul gajigo iss-eossda! / Cat! This is my dinner! You already had yours!") Keiko started giggling as Poki continued to meow and reached up with his paws.

"Did you feed him yet?" Keiko asked.

"Yes, I fed him – he's just a bottomless pit. He's my little brother in cat form I swear," Jae Sun said. Poki chirped again then jumped onto the counter. "Poki!" Jae Sun said and Keiko rushed over to grab him. She'd never held a cat before so it was a little awkward but she eventually managed to get a hold of him and held Poki close. "Thank you," Jae Sun said.

"You're welcome," she said and looked down at Poki. "I see you're just as persistent as Jae Sun's manga claim."

"He and Popo were both stubborn as mules," Jae Sun said. Once the water was boiling, he poured it into the container with the freeze dried vegetables then placed his chopsticks over the lid to keep the steam in. Then he went into his tiny fridge to pull out a jar of kimchi and an egg. "Hard boiled eggs are always nice but with ramen, you've got to have a raw egg."

"I have heard that," Keiko smiled.

"There's this ramen shop the guys and I go to all the time. It's mostly my fault we go there all the time. There's a kimchi ramen on the menu that's absolutely amazing. It has ox bone broth like what my mom used to make for my birthday every year, kimchi, fried spam, a fried egg, seaweed or 'gim' as we call it and a slice of American cheese."

"That sounds a little odd," Keiko said.

"I know it sounds weird but it's the best," Jae Sun said. "During the Korean War, there was a dish the soldiers used to have called Budae Jjigae – or Army Base Stew – and it's everything but the kitchen sink. The US would send rations like spam, American cheese, baked beans, sausage just to name a few things. South Korean soldiers got those rations and thought 'How do I make this Korean?' The answer is Kimchi. The answer's always kimchi. But anyway, the dish has noodles, everything I just listed, mushrooms, water, gochukaru and everything gets stewed together and it's amazing."

"I assume the North Koreans didn't do things like that?"

"Dear God no," Jae Sun said. "Mom said they had kimchi of course and some rice, but that tended to be about it. Sometimes they'd get lucky and have some meat but it was rare. She said she remembered having to roast cat and dog for everyone but she never liked doing it. Sometimes when she'd catch a cat or a dog, she'd let it go and not let the others know."

"Just don't let her comrades know?"

"Definitely not," Jae Sun smiled. Keiko looked around while Jae Sun lifted the lid using his chopsticks to make sure the noodles were cooked. She saw several pages with pictures some having dialogue while others didn't have any yet. Beside his drawing table were three binders. One said Portfolio in English, the other said Portfolio in Japanese (ポートフォリオ / Pōtoforio) and the other read 포트폴리오 which she assumed was portfolio in Korean.

"Would you mind if I looked at your portfolios?"

"Sure, go right ahead," Jae Sun said.

Keiko put down Poki and went to grab the first portfolio labeled in English. The artwork reminded her of Popo's Misadventures but they weren't quite as cohesive and there were several other images of forests with bears, mountain lions and wolves. There was one in the portfolio that depicted a story about an ogress that kidnapped and ate children as well as several other short stories. She heard Jae Sun yell at Poki and Keiko looked over her shoulder as Jae Sun picked Poki up off the counter and plopped him back on the floor making her smile. Soon she grabbed the portfolio in Japanese and this time she recognized everything as Popo's Misadventures. Jae Sun sat down next to her with his ramen and the rest of his food after she'd grabbed his portfolio in Korean. She couldn't read anything but one story jumped out at her when she realized it was a scene from a camp.

"What's this about?" she asked as she pointed at the first collection of panels.

"That's how my parents met," Jae Sun said.

"Really?" Keiko asked and Jae Sun nodded.

Although she couldn't read it, she still looked through the panels deducing the story from the pictures. A man was in a big tiger cage when a women offered him a bowl of rice. He accepted it and shared it with the other men in the cage with him. Then he picked up a magnolia flower putting it in the bowl then offering it to the woman. She accepted it and when she noticed the flower, tears filled her eyes and the two shared an affectionate stare.

"Is this all what really happened?"

"It is," Jae Sun said. "My dad was captured by the North Koreans and held in a POW camp in a tiger cage. One of the guys that was captured was South Korean and the North Koreans didn't see the South Koreans as prisoners, they were seen as 'freed brothers'. He ended up convincing my mom to give my dad and the others food then convinced her to help them escape. My mom was shot during the escape and my dad carried her on his back over the DMZ narrowly escaping death."

"Wow," Keiko said and looked through all the panels again. "Did this ever get published?"

"No," Jae Sun said. "I showed it of course but I was told it was too controversial. Given North Korea's right next door and we're still technically at war, this wouldn't have gone over well."

"How would North Korea even know you published this? Do they get the same manga as in South Korea?"

"Oh no, not at all," Jae Sun said. "Honestly, I think only the Chinese and the Russians are allowed into North Korea and it's under really strict circumstances. Any South Korean media is prohibited and what media is available is controlled by the government."

"Is it possible to get out of North Korea?"

"I'm sure it's possible but it's a big fight," Jae Sun said. "You aren't getting out with the government's permission; let's put it that way."

"So in other words, you would have to sneak out of the country?"

"Exactly," Jae Sun said, "And while I'm sure some have, I haven't met any North Korean refuges."

"Do you think North and South Korea will ever reunite?"

"Honestly?" Jae Sun asked and Keiko nodded. "I think it'll be a cold day in hell before North and South Korea ever become a single country again. Not unless the Kim family is no longer in control and, honestly, even if they were ousted, someone would take their place. There have to be some people at the top that have a really nice deal being in North Korea and would jump at the opportunity for more power. I don't think fires will be shot either, honestly. No one wants to make the first move because it wouldn't benefit anyone."

"I agree it wouldn't," Keiko said. She started looking through more of the portfolio but the rest was more Popo. "I see Popo's always been a star."

"Yeah, he's the bread winner," Jae Sun answered and slurped up his noodles then used his chopsticks to get a hardboiled egg. "So," Jae Sun said, "Have you always wanted to be an engineer or did you have any childhood dreams?"

"I used to love acting in plays my school would host," Keiko said. "When I was in senior school, every year for Golden Week I would be in charge of putting together a stage play for my class. We've done plays for Princess Kaguya; we've done abridged Shakespeare plays, all sorts of things."

"Princess Kaguya's the moon lady right?"

Keiko giggled, "Yes, she's the princess who was taken to the moon. One year we did the story of how the Chinese Zodiac was formed. That was Mr. Chen's idea. He told me the story and I thought it was so sad."

"How does it go?"

"All the animals were invited to a feast by god but only 12 could attend and become part of the Zodiac. The mouse was cunning and he told the cat the meeting time was different then what god said. So the day of the banquet, the mouse hitched a ride on all the animals, jumped onto land first and that's how he became the first animal on the Zodiac. The cat found out he'd been deceived and ever since, Cat and Mouse have been mortal enemies."

"Well shit, I'd be pissed too," Jae Sun said. "There's actually a cartoon called Tom and Jerry and it's a cat and mouse that are always at odds with each other. Now, childhood is admiring Jerry the Mouse for his cleverness. Adulthood is realizing Jerry's a big asshole and Tom the Cat was just trying to live his life."

Keiko giggled, "That sounds about right. I never really watched cartoons when I was younger. Father has a TV for the news but that's all the more we'd ever watch on that thing."

"Yeah, we could only have the TV on Saturday mornings when the cartoons were on," Jae Sun smiled. "Although we'd watch sitcoms together like I Love Lucy. My dad loved M.A.S.H and Hogan's Heroes."

"My father doesn't watch TV except to watch the news. Otherwise the man only reads," Keiko said. "My mother's always in the garden."

"My mom's the same way. She has a big garden in the backyard and she grows her own cabbage, chilies, carrots, onions – you name it, she's grown it. One year she grew arugula but she swore off it after that first season because it got absolutely everywhere. For a solid year we had arugula with every meal and by the time we finally got rid of it all, we were sick to death of it. I still can't eat arugula to this day because of that."

"Does your mother grow flowers?"

"She'll grow some but she usually keeps edible plants in the garden. She's also got a chicken coup in the backyard."

"Ah yes, I remember there being a chicken coup in one of your comics," Keiko smiled. "How long has she kept chickens?"

"Since I was a little kid," Jae Sun said. "Dad was really against it at first but she convinced him to let her have chickens. Now she's got 20 chickens in the coup and one rooster. Dad hates that rooster with a passion."

"Oh no," Keiko giggled.

"Yeah, he tried throwing his boot at it out the window one time but the rooster was in the coup so dad's boot just bounced off the coup into the garden. You'd think he'd have learned his lesson after throwing his boot at a Japanese crow and getting harassed for it."

"Japanese crows are really smart," Keiko said. "You don't mess with them."

"Nope," Jae Sun said, "No you do not." Jae Sun glanced down about to get another hardboiled egg but Poki was sniffing it. "Damn it Poki!" Poki grabbed the egg with his teeth and rushed away to his cat tree and Jae Sun sighed heavily. "Fine, you can have an egg."

"At least it was only one," Keiko smiled although she could see Jae Sun was still really annoyed. He slurped up more of his noodles with a bit of kimchi and when he'd polished off the noodles, he drank the broth down then had the last of the kimchi he'd platted for himself.

"Thank you again for bringing me dinner."

"It's no trouble," Keiko smiled. "I should get going though. I'd only told my parents I was stopping at the convenience store. I need to go back and get something to bring home."

"Is there anything you need?"

"I can buy some shampoo," she said. The two of them stood and Jae Sun walked Keiko out. Once they were in the little corridor separating the hallway and the apartment, Keiko got on her shoes then turned to look at Jae Sun who'd stepped down to the floor with her. "It was a pleasure meeting Poki."

"The pleasure's all his," Jae Sun joked and Keiko giggled. "In all seriousness, though, it was nice to just spend time with you."

"I had a good time too," Keiko smiled bashfully and her cheeks went pink. "My parents will expect to join us when we meet on Sundays but….maybe we could keep having lunch together during the week." Her blush deepened with each word she tried to get out. Deciding to be bold, Jae Sun leaned down so he was closer to her.

"I'd love that," Jae Sun said. "How about I meet you outside the office tomorrow at noon and we'll go somewhere together for lunch."

"Yes, absolutely," Keiko smiled. "And I will let you know the next time I have a work dinner and you can join us."

"Absolutely," Jae Sun agreed. Keiko finally looked up and realized he'd come really close to her. "Keiko?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"Would you mind if I kissed you?" he asked. Keiko batted her lashes rapidly for a second before slowly shaking her head and closing her eyes as Jae Sun brought his face closer to hers.

When their lips finally met, her whole body trembled. She felt like a fire was lit within her and she lifted her hands up to his chest out of sheer instinct. She was barely aware she'd done it. She became aware when Jae Sun wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. She felt like a feather in his arms and gasped a little into their kiss when her feet left the ground. She took her lips away so she could look at him and when their eyes met again, he smiled lovingly at her.

"Sorry," he said, "it was a little awkward bending over like that."

"It's okay," Keiko answered meekly. "I'll see you for lunch tomorrow?"

"Most definitely," Jae Sun said and kissed her again before putting her back on her feet. "We'll decide what we want to do this weekend. Although may I request something free? I don't think I can afford to wine and dine you, your dad and your mom."

Keiko smiled, "We can go to the park."

"Sounds like a plan," he said and kissed her one more time before opening the door for her. "Good night, Keiko."

"Good night, Jae Sun," Keiko answered and waved goodbye to him then walked out of the apartment. Jae Sun closed the door and sighed blissfully. It'd only been about 45 minutes, but it was most enjoyable 45 minutes he'd had in a really long time.