Monday evening, March 7th – Tokyo Station
"Minami-san!" a man's voice called out as Umeko was leaving her train. As a hostess on the Shinkansen's elite Green Car, she had stayed behind to make sure the cleanup was complete before leaving and was a bit surprised that someone was calling for her. She turned and saw a middle aged man walking toward her. She had only met him a few times before but recognized him as the Director of Green Car operations for the Japan Rail East company.
"Director?" Umeko politely bowed as he approached, "What can I do for you?"
"I understand you have asked for tomorrow off?" he asked.
"Yes. My sister is Minami Suzume, one of the models that works with Kawashima Ami. She will be making her red carpet debut in Australia tomorrow and performing with Aiko-chan later that evening and I don't want to miss it." she gushed. She suddenly realized she had just given over a lot more of her private life than what was really necessary to answer the question, and was a bit embarrassed about it.
"I can see that you are very proud of your sister… and very excited about her performance." the Director said.
"Yes." Umeko tried not to gush any more… especially to someone she only knew professionally.
"Well, I need to tell you now then." the Director said with a smile, "As of tomorrow, you will no longer be working as a hostess on the Green Car."
"What!" Umeko panicked. She wondered what she could have done that would have warranted her dismissal.
"Sorry, I said that wrong. Don't worry, this is a good thing." the older man was an excellent organizer, but had never been very good at public speaking… or communicating verbally with other people at all. Even now he was wishing he had done this by email instead of trying to personally talk to the attractive woman.
"A good thing?" Umeko repeated what he had said but couldn't see how this could be good.
"Please… let me try this another way. Do you know what important thing happens with the JR-East line in two days?" the Director asked.
"Um, the new E-5 trains start running on the Shin-Aomori route." Umeko answered. It was a huge event for the company and had been heavily advertised. The new E-5 trains could make the run at an unprecedented three hundred kilometers per hour.
"Very good. You could also say that it is going to be called the Hayabusa train, and that it will be introducing a new level of luxury that no other Shinkansen in JR-East has ever had." the Director said proudly.
"You mean, the Super-Green Car?" Umeko asked. She had heard of a new class of car that was above and beyond the Green Car service she had always worked in.
"It will be called the Super-Green car at first, so that people will make a connection to it as a step above the Green car. But it will eventually be called the Gran Class car. I had been asked to select the best of the Green Car hosts and hostesses to become the leaders who would work with the select crews on the new Gran Class car." he told her while looking at her meaningfully.
"Oh?" Umeko had heard of some of her peers getting interviewed to take some of those new positions, but she hadn't talked to anyone about it.
"That is why tomorrow will be your last day as a crew-member on the Green Car. On Wednesday, you will be the lead hostess on the new Super-Green car on it's inaugural run to Shin-Aomori." the Director told the stunned young woman.
"But… I didn't interview for that position!" Umeko stammered in surprise.
"There was no need. Only the junior positions required an interview. The senior positions were already selected." the Director told her.
"By you?" Umeko suddenly understood what all of this meant.
"Yes." the Director answered simply.
"Thank you very much for your consideration of me. I shall do my best to never cause you any regret." Umeko bowed low in respect and thanks for the incredible opportunity.
"I had hoped you would feel that way. Unfortunately, I had to cancel your day off." the Director told her as he handed her something that looked like a shopping bag.
"Huh?" A dazed Umeko received the bag but kept looking up at the Director.
"In the bag is a book describing the Super-Green Car. There is another book on management and leadership. They are not big books but you should go through them tomorrow." the Director paused and looked like he was forgetting something. Then he remembered and told Umeko, "There is also a new uniform. Make sure it fits you before you come in on Wednesday."
"Yes… yes Director." Umeko glanced down at the bag now and saw the plastic wrapped parts of the new uniform she would be wearing, and wondered if she could get all of this done in one day.
"I know I've given you a lot to work on, so you will be paid for tomorrow. But, no matter how hectic your day is, do take the time to watch your little sister's performances. That is important too." the Director said.
"Yes! Thank you, Director." Umeko bowed again. She was still stunned and could only watch him walk away until he rounded a corner of the hallways and was out of sight. Did that really just happen? Am I really going to be assigned to the new Super-Green Cars? But the bag pulled at her hand as a physical reminder that it had all been real.
Umeko knew then that the relaxing day off that she had been looking forward to, was now lost. But she wouldn't have been able to relax now anyway. Getting an assignment to the Super-Green Car was unbelievable. She hadn't even signed up to interview since there were so many more senior hostesses that were vying for those positions… Oh no! I just got promoted ahead of all my senpai's. What… what will they think of me? What if they don't believe I am worthy to lead them? Feeling her panic swelling, she remembered what the director had said when he handed her the bag. Desperately, she reached into the bag and fished out the books. Just as he said, there was a book on lower level management for her. Fortunately, it wasn't a vast tome of management principles and concepts from every place and time. It was a smaller book that seemed to be focused on the management roles in the host / steward industry. She was thankful for that. The book on getting to know the Super-Green Car was actually thicker. As she flipped through the rolling stock manual, she thought, Well, I was a jock in school and never learned how to be a speed reader. Looks like I'll be pretty busy tomorrow after all.
.
Tuesday afternoon, March 8th – Melbourne Australia
The Melbourne Fashion Week would soon kick off with much fanfare. Red Carpet arrivals by celebrities from all over the world would start the evening. Then there would be live performances and even fireworks. The organizers had gone all out to make this the biggest fashion event of the year. In the midst of all this calamitous activity, a young woman was wondering if it might be better if she played sick. The thought of getting involved in all these crowds was more than a little frightening. Sure she had been in crowded places before, but not so close to the center of attention as she would be today.
Deena Walker was a talented member of Australia's military. She was a fine linguist, an excellent technician, and a stalwart friend. But none of those professions or talents set her up for being able to… smile for the camera. But Ami, Ryuuji, and especially Aiko-chan expected her to be with them when they made their appearance. She had promised she would, when they had asked her… a few days ago. But it was almost showtime, and Deena was worried that she might freeze up and embarrass everyone. To top off all her other anxieties, she was walking into the hotel in her bare feet because the heel of the shoes she had planned to wear had just broken. What else could go wrong?
Ring-ring! The telephone in her purse cried out for her attention.
#Moshi moshi.# Deena answered.
#In English, Ms. Walker.# the voice was that of the intimidating little woman who had ruthlessly changed Deena's wardrobe the day of her arrival in Melbourne. This was the same woman that was responsible for Deena walking around in heels in the first place. For that crime alone, Deena would have liked to toss her into a crocodile infested swamp. But, since she was an agent of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deena was technically working for her.
#Sorry, can I help you?# Deena asked quickly. She was in a hurry to fix her shoe emergency and didn't need this interruption.
#Have you read your email?# the woman asked brusquely. It seemed that she was busy as well.
#Um… no.# Deena hadn't even thought about her email since her friends had arrived at the airport. After all, she was with anyone she wanted to get a message or an email from. So, why bother?
#Honestly, Ms. Walker! You are working for DFAT now and representing our country. Have you no pride in Australia at all?# the exasperated woman blasted Deena over the phone.
#What!# Deena was about to start yelling as well, but the fact was that she had not bothered to check her email… or check in with her DFAT connection… since her friends had arrived. #I'm… I'm sorry. What is it that you need me to do?#
Deena hoped it was something she could do quickly and be done with it.
It wasn't.
.
After catching up on her emails and instructions, Deena was mentally in a very uncomfortable place. She had to push past her military technician persona and become more. And, she had to do it quickly. Part of her wanted to scream about the unfairness of asking so much of someone. But the more rational part of her admitted that this was what she had signed up for, when she agreed to this assignment. So, with her broken heeled shoes still in her hand, she walked into the hotel lobby and greeted the guests she had been told to introduce to Ami and the others.
They were not more government officials. These women were the designers, representatives and employees of the fashion industry from across Australia. And, if Deena had bothered to check her email in the last several days, she would have known that they were here to dress the models up in their latest splendor.
When she and her party got to the floor where the models were staying, they found Ryuuji standing outside the door. He hadn't put on his mirror-shades and was looking positively psychotic as they approached.
"Ryuuji-sama, is something wrong?" Deena asked. At the same time, she tapped her cheekbone next to her eye as a signal to him.
"No. They are all getting ready inside." He blushed. In fact, no-one had asked him to leave the room. But having all those women changing clothes and wandering around in varying states of undress, was too much for him. Despite his embarrassment, he understood Deena's signal and fumbled for his mirror-shades. As he slid them over his eyes, he asked Deena, "So… who are these people who are trying to hide behind you?"
"Oh yeah… sorry. This is all my fault. I'm so sorry for springing this on you at the last minute!" Deena's fumbled apology confused Ryuuji more than it answered his question.
"Hey, it's okay. Just tell me what's going on." Ryuuji tried to calm down the tall blond Aussie.
"Um… well, my boss at DFAT sent me an email several days ago but I didn't read it until a few minutes ago. Anyway, these people represent different parts of the fashion industry in Australia and they are here to… dress everybody up for the event." Deena told him. She was ready for him to explode like her DFAT manager had. The woman had made it quite clear that waiting to the last minute was unacceptable, and she would understand if Ryuuji felt the same way. So Deena was quite surprised when he started laughing.
"Seriously?" Ryuuji moved out of the way of the door and gestured for them to enter, "The thing they are most worried about is what to wear. This might really help everyone calm down."
.
Unfortunately, Ryuuji had been overly optimistic. It wasn't that the style of the clothing that the designers brought was terribly outlandish or too revealing. If anything, Nanako thought it a bit conservative for a fashion show. The real problem was the last minute surprise element. Suzume was on the verge of hyperventilating and holding onto Umeki as if she were a scared child holding onto a security blanket. Hisako was livid at what appeared to be a last minute change in plans that looked like it would only end in disaster. If it hadn't been for Nanako's seemingly calm reaction to all this, Hisako would have already stomped out of the room and laid flat anyone that tried to stop her. Ami couldn't help but think that a professional manager would have known about this and, despite all his efforts to be a good manager for all of them, her husband's inexperience was definitely showing. Ryuuji could feel Ami's disappointment in her cold glare and was trying to calm everyone down, but it wasn't his voice that got them all to stop and listen.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! Please don't blame Ryuuji-sama. This is all my fault." Deena bowed deeply to everyone in the room.
"Deena-chan?" Hisako's voice registered her surprise.
"This is a job… and I treated it like a vacation. I have let everyone down and I'm sorry." Deena told them. "The people that offered me this position were relying on me and I let them down. And I came to you like friends when it is my job to get you to do… certain things. I don't want to abuse our friendship by making you do something you don't want to do, so…"
"STOP! Stop right there." Ami yelled and stomped over to stand in front of the bowing Deena. Then, she turned to Ryuuji and asked, "You know what she is about to do, don't you?"
"Yes." Ryuuji regretfully admitted.
"You should not have let it get this far." Ami took a step toward her husband but it wasn't for anything romantic. She demanded of him, "Fix this. Fix it now."
"Yes." Ryuuji said with a burning face. He knew this was his failure even if Deena had already insisted that it wasn't. But he was no stranger to failure, especially in a social setting. He wasn't shattered by it and he knew he had to shake off the feelings of embarrassment and despair – and quickly push on to a solution that everyone could live with… if not fully embrace. He looked around and, as expected, all eyes were on him. Both his little group of friends and the Australian's who had come in with Deena, were all waiting to see what his next move was. He thought about the schedule of events for the evening and what that would mean to their wardrobe. Finally, a solution came to him while he was looking at Nanako.
"Ryuuji?" Nanako asked. His face had lost it's blush of embarrassment and his eerie smile came out. If she hadn't known him as long as she had, the sinister look on his face would have scared her to bits. As it was, several of the Australians were backing toward the door – getting ready to flee.
"Deena-chan, stand up. I need you to translate for me." Ryuuji said to the tall blond who was still bowing to them. They both knew that his English was good enough to talk to them without the use of a translator, but he wanted to do this quickly… and he wanted her to feel useful.
"Yes!" Deena stood and waited to do as he had bid her.
"Ask the designers if they are aware that Ami, Hisako, and Suzume will be performing with Aiko-chan shortly after their arrival. Specifically, I want to know if they believe their designs are flexible enough to be worn in a performance." Ryuuji said.
"You're not suggesting that we actually wear those things?" Hisako challenged Ryuuji while Deena turned to her fellow Aussies.
"I am, but I think we are going to need Nanako for this to work." Ryuuji said.
"Nanako?" Hisako was ready to start arguing with Ryuuji until he suddenly involved her girlfriend. Now she really wanted to know what he had in mind.
"Nanako-chan, I'm betting their clothes won't work well with the performance movements. With what you have here, do you think you could modify their designs for flexibility, without changing the look too much?" Ryuuji asked the girl who had designed and made all their previous performance costumes. She traveled with her costume making supplies and even a small portable sewing machine, so Ryuuji thought it possible. But he would let her make that decision.
"Why don't we just have them change after the red carpet walk and before the stage performance?" Nanako asked since that was the original plan.
"We can still do that, but I want to see if these designers would be willing to work with you if they got a chance to showcase their fashions on the stage for the live performance." Ryuuji explained.
"Bait?" Nanako asked with raised eyebrows.
"Well… reward." Ryuuji thought the idea of calling it 'bait' made him seem a little shady, and he didn't care for that.
"I… I'll have to see how they fit. And have them move around a bit… to be sure. But, I think I can do it." Nanako said with an eager smile. She didn't know if Ryuuji was calculating enough to use her as a way of pacifying Hisako, but she would play along. In fact, she looked forward to getting her hands on some fresh new style prototypes from professional designers.
"Ryuuji-sama," Deena looked embarrassed yet again, "They didn't know about the immediate performance because I didn't tell them. Again, I…" Deena started to bow again, but Yasuko caught her by the arm and stopped her.
"I don't think we need to hear any more apologizing. None of us are mad at you, Deena-chan! You just need to do your best now with Ryuuji and everything will be just peachy!" Yasuko bubbled to the taller blond but then pulled her in close and softly told her, "You don't want to make Aiko-chan cry right before a performance, do you?"
"Ah!" Deena looked around in a panic and saw the concern already etched into the face of her young friend. Trying to sound as positive as she could, Deena told the little girl, "I will do just as Onee-chan says! Ryuuji and I will work together to make everything right!"
"All right then, introduce the designers to Nanako. Let them know that she is our official performance costumer. I want them to work together to make their clothes work for the performance as well as the red carpet walk. If they don't like it, then their design will not be worn on stage." Then he turned to Hisako. "I know you don't like last minute changes…"
Ryuuji was interrupted by angry shouting coming from one of the designers that Deena was talking to. He hadn't been paying attention so he wasn't certain what the woman found so objectionable, but he had an idea.
"Ryuuji-sama…" Deena looked embarrassed to have to tell him this, but it was part of her job to be the liaison between these representatives of the Australian fashion industry and her Japanese friends. "I'm sorry, but one of the designers refuses to allow any changes to any of her designs."
"The promise of additional exposure on the performance stage didn't sway her?" Ryuuji asked.
"She insists that her designs get the same exposure that the others get, but she will not consent to any alterations. I'm sorry, but she is adamant about that." Deena apologized.
"Hey, I… I want you to translate everything I say again. Okay?" Ryuuji gave his Australian friend a little smile and waited until she nodded and gave him a weak smile back. Then he took Nanako by the hand before walking over to the irate woman.
Even before he got in front of her, she started shouting again. She didn't know that Ryuuji and several of the others were actually quite proficient in English and let loose with a few derogatory comments. Ryuuji had heard enough and gave up on trying to placate or mediate with this woman. No, for her – it was time to play hard ball. He waited until they were face to face and then he… took off his glasses.
"I am Takasu Ryuuji, the manager for these performers, and this is Kashii Nanako. You may not have heard of her, but she is the official costumer for all of our performances. We do not go onstage without the performance attire getting her approval. One of the performers is my wife and two others are minors, so let me make this perfectly clear: THERE WILL BE NO WARDROBE MALFUNCTIONS." Ryuuji let the full effect of his sanpaku eyes bore into the woman's psyche. He kept glaring at her until Deena finished the translation.
#I… I didn't realize there were minors. Of course, you should be concerned about such a thing… and, that changes everything.# The designer wanted to avert her eyes from this incredibly scary man, but her inner fight-or-flight response was telling her that he would attack the moment she looked away. So, she was trapped – having to look back into those frightening eyes.
Ryuuji understood that she was backing down from her adamant position, but he waited until Deena had finished the translation before he put his mirror-shades back on and smiled. But, after seeing those eyes, his smile was terrifying too. "Well then, if we're done… I'll leave you to work things out with Kashii-san."
After Deena translated Ryuuji's words, the designer seemed quite eager to work with Nanako. Ryuuji stepped back and let Nanako do her thing. He wished everyone's ruffled feathers could be smoothed now, but he knew he had one more bird to appease. After a sigh, he moved back to continue the conversation that had been interrupted.
"Hisako, after this is over, you can slap me all you want. But…" Ryuuji didn't get to finish his apology once again. But this time it was Hisako herself that stopped him.
"No." Hisako was impressed with the way Ryuuji had stood up for Nanako, but more importantly, she saw the absolute glee on Nanako's face at being able to work directly with the designers in the room. For Hisako, one of the greatest things in life was to see Nanako happy. And Nanako was very happy right now. The thought crossed her mind that Ryuuji had used Nanako as a tool to placate her, but one glance at Ryuuji's confusion told her that it was unplanned. That made her feel better about her friendship, but she worried that Ryuuji might not be picking up on the skills to use people. And, if he was going to be a professional manager in the entertainment industry, he would need those skills. She put a hand on his shoulder and told him, "I'm not upset any more. How could I be, since you twisted all of this to make Nanako so happy. But that was your plan, wasn't it? You knew that if she was happy then there would be no fight from me. Well played, Ryuuji-sama."
"What? But I…" he wanted to explain that it had never been his intention to do something so devious. But a hand closed over his wrist even as Hisako withdrew to stand near her Nanako.
"Don't take the time to explain. You don't have the luxury." Ami still looked a little cross with him. But her fingers moved down from his wrist to hold his hand while she continued, "Don't stop thinking about what needs to be done next. You're not out of the woods yet. In fact, you should keep thinking that everything will fall apart, until the evening is done. Plans, contingencies, think, think, think! There will be no rest for you until it's all over and we're safely back in this room."
"Yes, Ami." Ryuuji saw the hardened performer, but he also saw the softer edge that others didn't see. He watched her walk toward the waiting designers and started thinking of the many angles. All three of the models were now amidst the Australian designers with Nanako and Deena now. He looked over the rest of the room and saw everyone else watching their friends being smothered with lively attention. Out of the crowd surrounding the three models, one of the Australian's was approaching Aiko-chan.
#Ms. Walker, could you ask them if this is the young girl that will be the lead singer this evening?# the woman called out to Deena. But Ryuuji intercepted the query and left Deena to deal with the group around the models.
#Yes, her name is Aiko-chan. Have you heard of her?# Ryuuji asked in English and saw that the Aussie woman was a bit surprised.
#Honestly, no. But I did read the bio for the people we would be meeting and there were a few pictures that had this young lady in it.# the woman noticed Aiko-chan's complete confusion at their conversation and asked, #I take it she doesn't speak any English?#
#Not yet, but she is still in grade school, so that is not so unusual.# Ryuuji explained.
Aiko-chan watched the lady speaking with Ryuuji-sama in English and had the distinct feeling they were talking about her. She started to feel nervous about that, but Onee-chan's arms wrapped around her from behind and pulled her back into the warmth of the older woman's body. It wasn't so surprising for Aiko-chan since her Onee-chan would often pull her in for a hug or down into her lap. Some times they played a game on Onee-chan's big bed where Aiko-chan called Yasuko the octopus. Onee-chan would lie in the middle of the bed and use her arms and legs to pull Aiko-chan in for a hug. Aiko-chan would struggle and try to get away, but Onee-chan would always seem to bring her back with a hand or her feet. Aiko-chan wasn't squirming to get away now. With all these strangers around, being in Onee-chan's embrace made her feel safe.
"You're not worried are you?" Onee-chan whispered into the young girl's ear.
"A… a little. Do you know what they're saying?" Aiko-chan held onto Onee-chan's arms for comfort.
"No, but I know everything is okay." Onee-chan said confidently.
"How do you know that?" Aiko-chan desperately wanted to know what made Onee-chan feel safe.
"Look at Ryu-chan. He's wearing his sunglasses again. If he takes them off, and there are still strangers here, that means that things aren't so good and he is getting mad." Yasuko explained.
"But… he takes them off when he is around me?" Aiko-chan felt a shiver run through her at the thought of making Ryuuji mad at her.
"You're not a stranger!" Yasuko giggled while pulling on Aiko-chan's nose.
"Hey!" Aiko-chan covered her nose with her hands but laughed when Yasuko took that opportunity to go after the young girl's ribs. She struggled to get away from the assault of wriggling fingers for a minute before she heard Ryuuji calling her name.
"Aiko-chan, Yasuko." Ryuuji waited until they were both looking up at him before asking, "Do you want to wear some of the designer's clothes too?"
"Really? YES!" Yasuko's face displayed such excitement and happiness that the designer stopped talking into her cell phone for a moment just to gaze at the expression of unbridled rapture.
"I can really wear the same thing as my senpai's? Aiko-chan sounded almost as excited as Yasuko.
"Well… everyone will be wearing something different." Ryuuji explained, "Ami, Hisako, and Suzume won't even be wearing outfits from the same designers. But you would be wearing something new… something no-one else has ever seen before, just like them."
"Yes! I want to do that too!" Aiko-chan couldn't help but get caught up in Onee-chan's excitement.
"Yasuko, it looks like they want to dress everyone up. Will you look after Aiko-chan while I tell the others?" Ryuuji asked.
"Leave it to me!" Yasuko cheered.
Ryuuji waved Yuri and Umeki over into a less noisy part of the suite, but they noticed that one of the Australian attendants came over as well.
"What's going on, Ryuuji?" Yuri asked. She had heard Yasuko's shout of pure glee a few minutes ago and didn't suspect it was anything bad.
"The designers want to dress everyone up, not just the three models. As long as you're okay with it." Ryuuji told them.
"What! In designer dresses?" Yuri gasped. She had subscribed to fashion magazines since she was a teenager and the thought of wearing a fashion prototype was like achieving a dream to her.
"Is it really okay?" Umeki asked in astonishment.
"Yes. In fact, the lady here will be taking your measurements, so you'll need to do whatever she wants, okay." He told them as he quickly backed toward the suite's entrance. He felt the need to get out of this room again since the assistants were starting to disrobe everybody they could get their hands on. Before he made it to the door, it opened and more attendants with racks of clothing invaded the already crowded suite. Ryuuji took that opportunity to make his escape, but didn't get very far.
#Where do you think you're going, mate?# the Australian version of English sounded incongruous coming from the Asian man wearing a black leather suit, and standing next to yet another rack of clothes.
#Oh, I'm the manager. The models are inside.# Ryuuji replied in English.
#Nah mate, I don need the sheila's.# The man reached over and pulled the mirror-shades from Ryuuji's face and looked directly into his sanpaku eyes. Unlike so many others, a feral smile spread across the man's face as he got the full effect of Ryuuji's sinister visage. The man put a hand on Ryuuji's shoulder and said, #You're the one I need.#
Ryuuji swallowed hard and wished he had Ami with him now. This was something new and unexpected and he couldn't help but wonder what kind of trouble he had gotten himself into now.
.
Tuesday afternoon, March 8th – Shin-Osaka Station
Takasu Ojiisan and Obāsan had their suitcases in tow and were making their way through the crowds of travelers to get from the JR Central platforms to the JR West platforms to get to their connecting train. It wasn't difficult for Obāsan to keep up with her husband though. His mood was sour and he was plodding through the terminal buildings with a scowl. This trip had been put upon him and agreed to by his wife without so much as a discussion before she promised that both she and her husband would participate.
And for what? The old man glowered, We're going to meet people we don't know, and staying at a house we've never been to. And when we get there, we'll be watching a great-grand-baby while their parents and grandmother are out gallivanting around in another country! They could at least have had the courtesy to bring the kid to our house, instead of making us – instead of dragging us half way across the country…
"Are you still grumpy?" his wife smirked as they lined up to get on their next train.
"I'm fine." he lied. He wanted to bluster to her about this ridiculous inconvenience that she had agreed to, but there was no point in having an argument with her in public… especially one that he probably wouldn't win.
"No, you're not fine." Obāsan said with a grin, "But I think you'll feel better once we get into our seats."
"Uh huh." Ojiisan grunted. He didn't think that sitting in another train would make him feel any better. He had been in the last bullet train for over two hours and would be in this one for one more hour. If anything, he could only imagine his mood deteriorating as this useless trip was drawn out. Everything about this trip was bothersome: It was too cold on the platform. The people ahead of him didn't board the train quickly enough. There wasn't enough room for all the luggage...
"I'll take the window seat this time." Obāsan said cheerily as she sat down.
Ojiisan stood for a moment in annoyance and disbelief. She knows I like the window seat! She also knows how much I don't like to sit next to strangers! As annoyed as he was, he held his tongue and grumpily sat down in the middle seat. Folding his arms, he thought about closing his eyes, but with the trip only an hour long, he would be waking up just when he got to some good sleep. Feeling someone sitting down in the seat next to him, he decided to shut his eyes anyway, so he could at least shut them out.
"Ah, Takasu-san! It's so good to see you again." a dream-like voice said from the next seat.
Ojiisan's eyes popped open and he turned to stare at the famous woman smiling back at him. Stunned, he was barely able to stammer out, "Ka Ka Kawashima A A Anna?"
"Oh! It's so nice to see that you remembered me." Anna said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.
"Of of of course I remember you!" Ojiisan said in awe of his favorite star. The blush spread across his cheeks as he remembered how many times he had seen her on the big screen, in magazines, and… in his dreams.
"It looks like you still have him as one of your truest fans." Obāsan said to the blue haired celebrity and the mother of her daughter-in-law.
"That's good to hear." Anna took Ojiisan's arm and leaned into him as she replied to the man's wife, "As a female entertainer, I constantly worry that all my fans will leave me, now that I'm not so young any more."
"Never!" Ojiisan squeaked defiantly.
"This one will always be your fan, I assure you." Obāsan said as she took her husband's other arm and leaned into him from the other side. Then, talking to the star from across Ojiisan's chest, she asked, "How long will you be able to stay?"
"I'd like to stay until the kids return from Australia, but I don't want to wear out my welcome with the Hisamitsu family." Anna replied.
"Stay?" Ojiisan blurted out his confusion.
"I'm going to be visiting my grandson. You're welcome to join me, if you like." Anna purred to the spellbound old man.
"Yes… that sounds wonderful." he sounded like his mind was almost completely switched off as his imagination pictured himself running through a field of flowers, hand-in-hand with his personal idol, Kawashima Anna.
"You old fool." His wife laughed at his starstruck antics, "Are you forgetting that her grandson and our great-grandson are the same child?"
"Huh?" he made the questioning sound, but it was obvious from the blissful yet vacant expression on his face that he hadn't understood a word of what she had said.
"We'll play it by ear too." Obāsan said to Anna, "The Major is looking after little Tatsuya now. We first met him at the wedding in Tokyo."
"That was the first time I saw him too." Anna smiled at the memory. She had cringed when she saw her daughter pass out at the beginning of the ceremony. But it was what happened next that had confirmed her daughter's selection of the man she wanted to marry, and in her choice of friends. Ryuuji had caught her when she fell, and quickly moved to protect her. Her friends did what they could to help. Hisako and the tall red haired Suzume joined little Aiko-chan to sing a love song so beautifully, Anna had wondered if the girls had rehearsed for just such a possibility. And it was The Major who had taken the stage and called upon everyone present to remain calm and to give Ami their support. Sure, he was a foreigner and he wasn't blood related family, but he had proven himself as far as Anna was concerned. And if he was the person her daughter had chosen to look after her son while she was away for work, that was okay as well.
.
Tuesday evening, March 8th – Melbourne Australia
Finally the makeup artists were done and the models were dressed. But it was more than just the models this time. To Deena's horror, even she was not to be excluded from the circus that this event had become for her. It was true that the clothes that the Australian designers provided were not to everyone's liking but, as Hisako pointed out, "It is not our job to like or dislike the clothes we are given to perform in. It is our responsibility to make the clothes look good, to the best of our ability." After her speech to everyone in the room, there was no more resistance.
All of the friends but Aiko-chan were old enough to remember the difficult times Hisako had gone through and wondered how many times she had to take jobs that she really didn't like, just to get by. They were all feeling regret at their behavior and there were many guilty glances between themselves and at Hisako. Remembering the difficult times when Hisako had to beg for work… any work, made them reflect on their own pride and attitudes. Their apologies had been given to the designers, but they also felt like they owed Hisako an apology somehow.
Ami could see the mood in the room had changed to something more somber now. That was good for getting things done, but part of modeling was the look that was created by the model's appearance – and a somber mood wasn't a good catalyst for getting the look right. She knew that Hisako, Suzume and herself could do it, but the others simply did not have the modeling experience to pull off the look when they were feeling differently inside. She looked around hopefully, but Ryuuji still wasn't in the room. She didn't blame him for leaving, since they were all undressing at the time. And, she knew that 'fixing a mood' was more than she should ask from him… but she wished he was around now anyway. It was time to leave now and she was sure he would be waiting in the hallway outside the suite, but she wondered what else was going on when she heard the gasps from those that left the room before her.
Ryuuji and the man that had given him a new look, were waiting in the elevator lobby for the others to emerge from their suite. Ryuuji felt extremely uncomfortable in the… things he was wearing. He was reluctant to even call them clothes. His shoulders and upper arms were covered in black fabric arches that were reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House. The arches stood out like reptilian scales when his arms were down but folded into themselves when he raised his arms. On his hands, he wore matching black fingerless gloves. The pants were made of a silky billowy fabric and held in place by a thick leather belt. His lower arms, lower back, and everything from his waist to his neck were uncovered and he felt extremely… exposed. And to complete the look, the designer forbid him to wear his mirror-shades.
"Ryu-chan! You look sooooo cool!" Yasuko cheered.
"Is that really you?" Suzume asked.
"That… that's Hellivin!" Nanako shrieked. She didn't often get this worked up so all eyes were on the excited purple haired teen who looked like she was seeing her favorite idol.
"It's what?" Ryuuji asked.
"Hellivin! It's an avant-garde designer from Australia. I've always been a fan and I get a lot of ideas for costumes and stuff from their designs. They're awesome!" Nanako gushed.
"And Onee-chan is right… it looks good on you." Hisako said approvingly.
"What, no way!" Ryuuji was about to deny, but he saw everyone nodding in agreement with Hisako and his mother's opinion. Instead, he turned to look at his reflection in the window and asked aloud, "Really? I thought I looked…"
"Hey, we're all acting like models today. Right?" his mother pointed out.
"Yes." he agreed.
"So, it doesn't matter if you think it looks good on you. You just need to make it look good. Right?" Yasuko paraphrased what Hisako had said earlier.
"You're right. I'm going to do my best." Ryuuji turned back to the group and, with a fist pump that made the black scales along his arms and shoulders close and open, encouraged everyone," Let's all do our best, okay?"
"YES!" the shout filled the lobby with the noise of their positive energy.
.
Tuesday evening, March 8th – Hisamitsu Estate
"Welcome to our home." Noto greeted the guests while several maids scurried to retrieve the luggage. "Ordinarily, Obāsama would be with me and we would spend more time with greetings, but we are getting the live broadcast from Melbourne and Ami and her friends will be walking down the red carpet soon, so…"
"Say no more." Kawashima Anna took Ojiisan's hand and started up the steps with the elder Takasu's in tow. "Just lead the way and we'll move as quickly as we can."
They entered a room that had been set up to be a home theater. Comfortable seating faced a small stage where there was currently a projection screen lowered from the ceiling. Several of the seats were already occupied, but there were four seats together at the front where Noto led the small party, but he moved a row back and sat next to his wife. The broadcast appeared to be an Australian channel, so it was in a language that most of the audience barely understood. But they were really here to see their friends, more than anything else. Since The Major was there, he was acting as a translator for the group and summarizing the announcer's comments for them.
"This group is made up of several members of the cast of a popular Australian television program." The Major told the room. He could hear the announcers also talking about some of the interesting events of the show's previous season and commenting on the clothes they were wearing on the red carpet, but he left those comments aside and glanced at his cell phone instead. He had been getting several texts from both his wife and from Deena. The latest ones said that they had boarded the limousine and had left the hotel. He wondered about that, They boarded? What… all of them? I would have thought that the support staff would have been take by another vehicle and dropped off at the backstage entrance. Just as he was about to look up at the screen, another text came in.
Deena: We have arrived at the venue, sir. There are a few cars ahead of us in line, sir. It may still be a few minutes, sir.
Yuri: WE'RE HERE! OMG, I'M SO NERVOUS! I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THIS.
Instead of responding to them immediately, he sent a text to Ryuuji, hoping that he was also carrying his phone.
MajorLocke: Ryuuji, I am getting texts from Deena and Yuri. Deena seems to be retreating to her military training and Yuri is close to panic. I'm not sure why they are under stress, but could you look in on them if you have a chance?
A few moments later he let out a sigh of relief when he saw the young man's reply.
Ryuuji: Yes. I'll think of something.
He'll think of something? Why are those two so nervous? The Major's mind was abuzz with questions. He didn't see why anybody but the models themselves should be nervous about the red carpet walk. Everyone else should be arriving backstage. At least, that was what he had heard from their previous performances. Whatever it was, he decided to send them his support as well.
MajorLocke: Deena, try to relax. You are with your friends now. Where else would you rather be?
MajorLocke: Yuri, I believe in my wife. You are one of the most dependable people I have ever known. Your devotion to your students and your friends is inspiring. Right now, you have school-age students you are responsible for. Now, feel that responsibility and use it to crush any nervousness or doubts. Can you do that?
Deena: Yes sir.
Yuri: I can do that. Thank you.
It was only text so he couldn't see their emotions, but he could imagine his wife blushing as she calmed down a little. Deena continued to responding in military fashion, so he was still a little concerned about her. I hope Ryuuji is able to do something to calm those two down. The major put his phone down and faced the people in the small theater with him, "I just got some interesting texts from my wife and from Corporal Walker… I mean, Deena. They say their car is at the venue and they are in line to hit the red carpet, but both of them are very nervous… for some reason."
"They're nervous?" Taiga asked, "Why should they be nervous?"
"I'm not sure…" The phone in his hand buzzed with more message arrivals before he could finish his reply to Taiga's question.
Deena: It is our turn now.
Yuri: WE'RE HERE!
"It seems that they are at the red carpet now." The Major said and turned to watch the big screen. He could see Kawashima Anna lean forward in her seat with the anticipation of watching her daughter make her foreign red carpet debut.
The Limo was huge and it seemed like the driver was going to keep driving when it finally came to a stop so that the door in back could be opened. It didn't look like the typical stretched black sedan at all, either. This thing was a long white truck that spoke of power more than elegance.
"A Mercedes truck limo?" Takasu Ojiisan said aloud. Being a car enthusiast, he had recognized the G-Wagon's distinctive front when the big limo pulled up to the curb.
"I imagine most of the limousines will be Mercedes. They are one of the principle sponsors of the event." The Major replied. He wasn't actually an expert on fashion shows, but it had been one of the trivial things the announcers had mentioned earlier in the broadcast.
Minori was about to ask what a G-Wagon was, when the attendants opened the door and reached their hand in to offer assistance. "Oh, here they come!"
"Huh?" several voices gaped when it was Hisako that emerged from the vehicle first instead of Ami. Everyone knew that Hisako was an important member of the trio of models, but it was generally accepted that Ami was the leader and the one they expected to see first. However, no-one could deny that Hisako made an impressive entrance in the way she moved, her incomparable looks, and the stunning outfit she was wearing. Hisako's short dress was bold red and cut with aggressive angles. But she didn't immediately head down the carpet like the others before her. She turned and helped out… Nanako.
"What!" almost everyone was stunned to see this. Nanako was only there to support the models. Not… this! And the dress she was wearing; gauzy and brilliant yellow like the noon sun on a warm summer day. The two joined hands and created a dazzling spectacle of red and yellow, sharpness and fluffiness. Nanako's smile was warm and sweet and contrasted severely with the fierce look that Hisako wore right next to her. As they started their walk away from the limo, Nanako seemed so confident and calm that the Takasu grandparents thought she was one of the models in Ami's group.
"What… what is Nanako-chan doing out there?" Maya wanted to know.
"I… I don't know." The Major was quickly scrolling back through his text messages to see if he had missed something. It seemed the announcers didn't know what to make of this either. They had initially identified the two as Ami and Suzume, but those names disappeared from the screen and they were ad-libbing their announcements.
#Well mates, we're not sure what the Japanese group is doing. The tall one there is Hisako Kurosawa, but we're not sure about the little lady she's with. But, it looks like she's wearing…#
"Did Ryuuji-kun turn Nanako-chan into a model too?" Minori asked in surprise. But the surprises weren't over yet.
Suzume got out of the limo next and, like Hisako did, she turned to help out… Umeki. The shorter girl didn't look quite terrified, but she clung to Suzume's arm while her taller friend did most of the smiling and waving.
#Maybe it's bring your little sister to work day in Japan.# the Australian broadcaster joked, #Once again, the tall one is the model we know of. Suzume Minami and her little sister look like they're both wearing designs by…#
The Major got a sinking feeling all of the sudden. He had an idea now why his wife's text had seemed to terrified. Oh no… what was the advice I gave her? Oh lord, I hope I didn't screw up!
Next out of the limo was Deena-chan and Aiko-chan. For once, it was the shorter girl who seemed more comfortable with the attention. She blew kisses and waved with her free hand while smiling at the people lining the red carpet walk. All the while, her other hand was clutched fiercely by the tall blond Aussie wearing a smile that looked like it had been applied with plaster. The announcer had no idea what to make of this. There was no way the tall blond girl was Japanese and they had no ID card for the shorter girl that seemed to be the one that was comfortable in front of the large and noisy audience.
Yasuko got out next and, reaching back into the vehicle, pulled out a reluctant Yuri. Both of them looked radiantly beautiful in pareos. While Yasuko wore a pink and yellow pareo that covered her from the waist down with a flower patterned bikini top, Yuri wore another one in the style of a short dress but with a wide open back. Her cringing and blushing next to Yasuko's unabashed exuberance almost seemed like a comedy skit and had the audience and announcers laughing. At one point some photographers called out and Yasuko stopped to smile and wave at them. Almost immediately, Yuri hid behind Yasuko and seemed to be begging her to keep moving. The camera couldn't pick up what was being said, but Yasuko said something to Yuri – then spun around and had the embarrassed school teacher out in front.
"AH!" the microphones picked up her scream of panic, but Yasuko moved again to hang on to the terrified teacher and started walking down the carpet once more.
"Yeah… that's Yasuko all right." Taiga chimed in. She remembered how easily Ryuuji's mother could say or do just about anything, and get away with it with a giggle or a laugh. Taiga couldn't see the front row from where she was, but her comment had made Ryuuji's Obāsan smile, while making his Ojiisan frown in embarrassment.
"Major… I do hope our daughter hasn't traumatized your wife." Ojiisan said sincerely.
"Yeah, uh… thank you, Takasu-san." The Major replied. He didn't want to say it since the elder Takasu had already made the apology, but he was hoping the same thing.
Finally, Ami emerged from the vehicle in an emerald green evening dress that shimmered with every move she made. It clung to her body as if it had been painted on, and moved as if the surface were made of liquid. Unlike the others, she did not reach back inside to help out the next person, but stood patiently as a black gloved hand reached out of the vehicle and grabbed the top of the open door. Ryuuji lurched out of the vehicle and stood next to Ami. There was an audible hush for a moment when he stood next to Ami in his avant-garde outfit with his sinister face. His sanpaku eyes glared out at the audience for a moment, then his arm made a rough and quick motion like a martial arts move… but he was just putting his arm out for Ami to take. The microphone was close enough and the audience was quiet enough to hear the two words Ami said to Ryuuji as she took his arm.
"Smile, Ryuuji." Ami smiled too, but it was the enormous gulf of difference in their smiles that got every photographer there to take notice. While Ami was beaming with her sweet and warm smile, Ryuuji looked like a maniac that was about to kill everyone there.
The announcers joked that they would definitely get the 'Beauty and the Beast' award… if there was one. A moment later, the broadcast flashed up "Beauty and the Beast" on the screen where they would normally display the name of the celebrity and what designer they were wearing. The stunt had done it's job well, but there were repercussions.
"Oh Ryuuji." his grandmother said sadly, "You're actually such a good boy. But now…"
"Ryuuji will be fine." Anna said with complete confidence.
"But?" Obāsan just pointed at the extremely dangerous looking figure that looked like a character from a post-apocalypse movie. Next to Ami's smooth walk, he seemed to be skulking his way down the red carpet.
"He's doing fine." Anna assured Ryuuji's grandparents, "Anyone that knows the fashion world, knows that you want a model with a 'certain look' for that kind of style. Ryuuji is perfect for it. If anything, he might become a model himself after this."
In the next row back, Maya listened to the banter and watched the screen where her friends were all doing something exciting and rewarding. She knew she should be happy for them. And, she knew she should be happy for herself too. She was doing well in school. Hisako had become a good and trusted friend and she had been able to get even closer to Nanako over the last year. And Noto's first project seemed to be off to a promising start. But happiness somehow eluded her. Try as she might, over the last few days, she still could not form a connection with her infant daughters.
She didn't want to hate them or dislike them, and she didn't. But there was no love either. Despite wanting to - more than anything, there was just… nothing. Self-doubt led to a feeling of unworthiness. Unworthy as a mother. Unworthy as a wife. Unworthy as a woman. She started to dread each time she had to interact with them. To change their diapers. To bathe them. But the worst… was feeding them. The singular act that was supposed to be the most perfect bond between mother and child – an almost sacred time that would build the bridges of love that would last the rest of their lives… and there was nothing. Emptiness. A shell.
She didn't sob. She made no noise at all. And in the darkness of the theater room, no-one could see the rain of tears running down her cheeks. Nor could they see the tremble of her hand as she sat there in silent anguish. Why? I want to love them so much. So very very much! Why? What is wrong with me?
"Maya?" Shinako called her name.
"Huh?" Maya realized that she had not been paying attention to her guests… again.
"Didn't you think that Nanako's dress was lovely on her?" Shinako asked.
"Oh yes, it was exactly that. It was lovely." Maya said.
"And Ryuuji's mother. The blue dress looked amazing on her too, right?" Shinako said with a smile.
"Yes but she can look good in just about anything, can't she?" Maya released Noto's hand and stood, "If you'll excuse me, I need to go pick some flowers."
"Of course." Noto watched her go while Shinako and Obāsan kept their eyes on the screen. They waited until the door to the room had closed before they turned their attention on Noto, but it was Taiga that spoke first.
"What was that about? Yasuko wasn't wearing any blue!" Taiga huffed.
"Neither was it a dress." Noto remembered the pareo bottom and bikini top that Ryuuji's forever-young mother was wearing.
"I believe that there may be some postpartum depression issues still going on. " Noto said gravely.
"How has she been in bed?" the usually prudish matriarch asked.
"OBĀSAMA!" Noto shouted in shock at what he had just heard from his grandmother.
"HEY!" this shout came from the row in front of him and he soon saw Kawashima Anna stand and look at him accusingly. Then she told him, "It's a perfectly valid question if you're talking about PPD."
"Oh, well… it's…" fine. He was going to say it was fine, but it wasn't fine. It was nonexistent. And this wasn't the right time to lie. Not when Maya's health and happiness were on the line. So, he admitted to them, "Honestly, there hasn't been any."
"All right, so we need to establish a baseline. How old are your babies now?" Anna asked.
"About three months." Noto replied.
"How old is yours, Major?" Anna asked.
"About five months." The Major answered.
"So, how was your sex life two months ago… if you can remember it." Anna asked.
"Oh, I remember it well. It was the anniversary of our honeymoon in Hawaii. It was… good." The Major's smile got bigger and he got a faraway look as he finished talking.
"How, exactly, does this help?" Noto asked after he worked his way out of the cringe from thinking about his teacher having sex.
"Oh, I'm not sure that it does. But we just saw The Major's wife on the screen a few minutes ago. She may have been terrified and traumatized, but she did not look depressed. Therefore, we can conclude that Maya is, in fact, depressed." Anna channeled one of the female detective characters she had played in a movie once.
"Kawashima-san, we already knew that Maya is depressed." Noto said with his face in his hands.
"I think I'm starting to understand Ami a little better." Taiga told Minori, who agreed with a vigorous nod.
"In any event, it appears that the Palm-Top-Tiger-of-Happiness gambit did not solve all of the problems." Obāsama said.
"The WHAT?" Taiga gaped as she leaped to her feet.
"Please do not be offended, Aisaka-san." Shinako told the shocked girl, "Before you came to this house, I listened to every story that Noto-sama had of you. They were all interesting and some were quite fascinating. I am not a superstitious person, but after seeing how well Maya-chan responded to you during the horseback riding, I did have some hope that there might be something to that story."
"I'll admit to being a little superstitious." Obāsama chuckled, "Given the difficulties I have in just keeping the Hisamitsu family businesses afloat, I have wondered if patting your head might help me out, if just a little. But, Maya's problems are real and I worry for her constantly. We need to do everything we can to help her, and it would be irresponsible and unfair of us to simply rely on you to be a good luck charm that saves us."
"Agreed, Obāsama." Shinako then stood and bowed to Taiga and said, "My apologies for counting on you without your permission."
"No… uh, it's okay." Taiga's ire was washed away by the sincerity of the apology. Now she was embarrassed that they had placed their hopes on her so much. "I don't know about being a good luck charm, but if there is anything that I can do to help, I'll try."
"You can count me in too!" Minori stood up next to Taiga and raised her fist into the air as if she were rallying a team to victory.
"Noto-kun, you have some very remarkable friends. I am feeling more hopeful already." Obāsama told her grandson.
"Thank you, Obāsama." Noto replied, but his heart was sinking. His tablet had pinged to make him aware of some important messages and he was looking at them now. The great plan that he had put together with The Major and presented to his grandmother… looked like it was in trouble. Poor weather in the Aomori area meant that the construction unit there would be delayed getting to the staging area at the Natori waterfront just south of Sendai. Also, the unit already in Sendai was still in the staging area. Mechanical problems with some of their large equipment movers meant that they had not yet left for Tokushima. The only good news was that the Osaka unit was making good time toward Sendai and should be arriving there late on the eleventh. He had really wanted to impress Yamada-san and his grandmother, but he also knew that dealing with unexpected events that could cause delays was also part of proving himself.
.
Tuesday evening, March 8th – Tokyo
From the moment Minami Umeko had awoken early that same morning, her activities had been non-stop. She had only been a fair student back in school – since her focus had really been athletics, so she attacked the books that the Director had given her with her full energy. She had notebooks and made notes as if she were getting ready for an exam. In a way though, she was. The newest train go join the Shinkansen fleet would be making its maiden run the very next morning, and Umeko would be a crew-member in the most luxurious car on the train. Actually, the most luxurious car in the whole JR-East fleet of trains. From everything she had read in the manual that the Director had given her, the new Super-Green, or Gran Class car was every bit as wonderful as she had imagined.
And, she wouldn't be just any hostess on that run. She would be the leader, and she was determined to set a good example. Fortunately, her uniform fit her well. It had needed to be ironed, but at least it didn't need any alterations. So, she had been able to concentrate most of the day into her studying.
But that had ended an hour ago when the Melbourne Fashion Week's opening ceremony started. She had paid a little extra to her cable company and was picking up the Australian channel that was broadcasting the event live. That was when she suddenly felt very alone.
All the studying had kept her too busy to notice, but now that she was sitting in front of her television – she felt the loneliness creep in. For years, her little sister Suzume had lived with her. She had moved out to be closer to her school at the beginning of the year, but some new good friends were living with her now. She had met Kushieda Minori first… so long ago, it now seemed. The pink haired jock turned out to be a fellow athlete and shared her interests in baseball and softball. Then she had met Minori's best friend, Aisaka Taiga. She didn't share the enthusiasm with baseball, but she did turn out to be quite an athlete herself. Her recent Kendo match had gone well and the three of them had celebrated her victory together.
But Minori and Taiga weren't here now and there absence was felt. They were making use of their Spring Break by visiting friends in Tokushima now. From the pictures they had sent back, mostly of babies and of Taiga riding a horse, it looked like they were having a lot of fun. But Umeko had declined to join them since holiday periods were always times when the trains were packed. Besides, she really didn't know the people that had invited them all that well. So, the loneliness was her own making. But still, she had wished she could have at least one person here to cheer with her when her little sister performed.
However, she was too stunned to cheer during the red carpet walk. She wondered if Ryuuji had lost his mind and forgot that only three of them were supposed to be models. Sure, they all looked good in their designer apparel, but it was easy to see that not all of them were model material.
Nanako had handled it pretty well, but that purple haired girl struck Umeko as the kind of person that wouldn't flinch even if a dragon suddenly appeared in front of her. Poor little Umeki looked scared, Deena's face had frozen into such a painful looking smile that she wondered if the tall blond might need medical attention later. Yuri's near panic had been a show-stealer. If it wasn't for the fact that Umeko knew the excitable teacher, she might have thought that Yuri and Yasuko had been trying to perform a slapstick comedy routine.
And then… there was Ryuuji. Ye gods, what was that thing he was wearing? Did they even qualify as clothes? To the work-uniform wearing elite hostess that Umeko was, his ghastly appearance could only be more proof that he was loosing his mind.
"I told you. Didn't I tell you?" Umeko said to Ryuuji's image on the television as she sipped a glass of plum wine, "You should never have left Japan. Scary things happen when you go to foreign places. Look at you now… you've obviously lost your mind. See… you should have stayed here in Japan where it's safe."
.
Tuesday late evening, March 8th – Hisamitsu Estate
In the bathroom that adjoined the bedroom she and Noto were using, Maya was standing in front of the mirror and looking at her swollen breasts. She held them with both hands and felt their weight. They were heavy with milk now and it would soon be time to feed her daughters again.
Time to look at them and feel nothing again.
Time to utterly fail as a mother… again.
She closed her eyes and hoped, yet again, that this time would be different. That this time, she would feel that magical connection and all would be right with the world. It was the same thing she had hoped every time. And she dreaded another failure… again. Each time, there was less hope and more dread. Even now, she wished she could just leave the feeding to someone else and just go back to sleep.
Sleep.
A brief escape from the ever-present dread.
Maya's hand moved on it's own to the medicine cabinet and retrieved the old bottle of sleeping pills she had found when they had put their things away in this guest room. Her eyes glanced at the prescription label. It had evidently been left behind by some visiting Hisamitsu family member – she didn't recognize the name on the label. It wasn't that long ago though; the label indicated that the pills had only recently hit their expiration date. It also carried a stern warning not to take more than one in a twenty-four hour period. It was a month supply and it looked like only a few of them had been taken, so the bottle was quite full. Because of her pregnancy, and now her breastfeeding, she couldn't be issued anything like that, but the promise of a nice long sleep was quite appealing. Although she had no experience with prescription sleep aids herself, an internet search told her that this brand seemed to work quite well. That too was appealing.
The previous night, she had wanted to take one with the calming tea Noto had made for her, but her responsible nature kicked in and she decided not to take anything that might make it into her breast milk and end up in the children. The tea had worked well though and she had slept peacefully for most of the night. It had been a good sleep without any nightmares or disquieting thoughts. The only problem had been waking up in the morning and feeling the heaviness in her breasts and knowing that she had to face another… failure.
If only I could just sleep, and not have to wake up. Maya wistfully looked at the bottle of pills for another moment. She knew that the proper thing to do with expired medication was to dispose of it… but she just couldn't bring herself to do that. They are only recently expired and they may come in handy. It seems a waste to just throw them away. Her mind justified her action as her arm extended to put them back in the cabinet. Then she made a comforting promise to herself. Tonight, Noto will make me some of that tea and I will sleep well again. I just have to make it through this day, then I can forget about all my troubles and sleep again.
.
WSP Families
Hisamitsu – Kihara
Obāsama – the matriarch of the Hisamitsu family. She is the grandmother (Obāsama) of both Noto and Shinako. She is the great-grandmother of Noto and Maya's twin daughters (Ayame and Kiku).
Shinako – second cousin and older than Noto, she is past her college years and has been involved with running the family, as Obāsama's problem solver, for many years. For this reason, she is disliked or even feared by many members of the Hisamitsu family.
Noto – his parents were killed in an accident when he was an infant and he was raised by relatives. He is the acknowledged heir-apparent to the Hisamitsu family.
Maya (Kihara) – raised by her aunt (Obasan) who is referenced but has not made an appearance.
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Takasu – Kawashima
Obāsan – grandmother of Ryuuji, mother (Okāsan) of Yasuko, and great-grandmother of Ryuuji & Ami's son, Tatsuya. She is the more lenient and accepting of Yasuko's parents.
Ojiisan – grandfather of Ryuuji, father (Otōsan) of Yasuko, and great-grandfather of Ryuuji & Ami's son, Tatsuya. The more strict of Yasuko's parents, his great weakness is his fawning admiration of the star, Kawashima Anna, who he has had a crush on since he was a young man.
Yasuko – Also Known As: Onee-chan (by everyone but Ryuuji). Ryuuji's mother and grandmother of Tatsuya, although she is almost never referred to as Okāsan or Obāsan.
Ryuuji – Also Known As: Ryu-chan (by his mother). Father (Otōsan) of Tatsuya.
Kawashima Anna – mother (Okāsan) of Ami and grandmother (Obāsan) of Takasu Tatsuya.
Ami (Kawashima) – mother (Okāsan) of Tatsuya.
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Locke – Koigakubo
The Major – Also Known As: Major Locke or Major Charming (by Hisako). Married to Yuri and the father (Otōsan) of their son, Ryan.
Yuri (Koigakubo) – Also Known As: sensei or Yuri-sensei (by current and former students), and Yuri-chan (by anyone who wasn't her student). Wife of The Major, mother (Okāsan) or their son, Ryan.
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Glossary
Aomori – The northernmost city on the main island of Honshu where the bullet train stops, before it dives into the undersea tunnel to connect to the next island (Hokkaido).
Obāsama - "grandmother" said very respectfully. In the story, this title is specifically used for Hisamitsu Noto's grandmother.
Obasan - "aunt" but it can also be used to refer to an older woman.
Obāsan - "grandmother" said normally. In the story, this title is specifically used for Ryuuji's grandmother.
Ojiisan - "grandfather" said normally. In the story, this title is specifically used for Ryuuji's grandfather.
Osaka – A city west of Tokyo on a bay that connects to the Pacific Ocean. It is also close to the smaller island of Shikoku, which is where the prefecture of Tokushima can be found.
Sendai – A city north of Tokyo along the Pacific coast and about halfway to the northern tip of the main island of Hohshu.
Sheila – Australian for 'girl'