Chapter 6. More than one type of bug
Standard disclaimers apply
"Kaoru-chan," Sae-san flung her hands out at the sight of me, "Okaerinasai!"
"Sae-san," I bowed. "Sorry I have been gone for so long. I'm back now."
She hurried over to my side. "I hope everything was smooth."
I nodded and unwrapped my scarf.
The door behind me opened again and Soujirou stepped in, sneezing as he did. "Tadaima!" He announced cheerfully. I glanced at him. Soujirou was strangely quiet in the train between Hachinohe and Hakodate, but it seemed like he was back to his old self now.
"Okaerinasai," Sae smiled at him, "I have prepared food for you two after such a long day of traveling."
"Thank you, but I'm too tired." Soujirou sneezed again.
"You haven't caught a cold, have you?" A frown appeared on Sae's face.
"No. Just tired…good night." He bowed and made his way up the stairs.
Sae's eyes followed him to his room before turning back to me. "I hope he's not sick."
"I'm sure he's just tired after the trip." I reassured her, hiding my own concern about Soujirou.
"Well, go and put down your things. I will make some tea for you." Sae-san scurried off to the kitchen.
I walked up the wooden stairs and opened the door to my room. Sae-san had helped me clean up the room while I was gone and there was a small bouquet of flowers in a glass vase on the writing desk.
I carefully placed the urn next to the flowers and wondered if there was any way to tell my mom that I found the hotel that I was born in.
And I was not leaving this island without locating the people who destroyed my family.
After a delicious dinner, I stood with Sae-san by the front desk, chatting about the city. We talked about the changes that took place and how different it was from Tokyo.
"People here are so much more friendly," Sae-san sighed. "I visited Tokyo a few summers back and the sheer number of people on those trains."
"Oh I know," I took a sip of my tea, "One feels like they're just a number walking around Tokyo."
Sae-san nodded. "Exactly. Not like here…the population isn't exactly tiny either, but I feel like I know a lot of the locals."
"But isn't that scary sometimes too?" I commented, "Like whatever you do, your neighbors will know about it."
"Then they shouldn't do anything bad." Sae-san said firmly.
I pretended to study my teacup. "Has anything like that happened? Hakodate seems so safe."
"Kaoru-chan you're so naïve about how ugly people can be," Sae-san sighed. "The owners of the supermarket at the corner…"
I let her tell me about the recent gossip in town before asking, trying to stay nonchalant, "You know, I just remembered…my dad handled a domestic violence case back around here in the early 1990s?"
"The early 1990s…" Sae-san thought for a moment and shook her head. "I was gone during that time."
I did my best to hide my disappointment. "It's just that…I remember very little about my dad since he passed away when I was eight. I wish there was some way I could learn more about him. I heard the domestic violence was the last one he handled." My voice shook.
Sae-san blinked. "Kaoru-chan, I had no idea…you poor thing! I will ask around for you." She squeezed my hand.
"Thank you. It is very generous of you." I murmured. A part of me felt terrible for using her sympathy to my own benefits, but I didn't know how else to start looking.
"Of course." Sae-san smiled.
I looked around, noticing the lobby seemed a lot more deserted than when I first arrived. "Where is everyone?"
"The fall leaves season ended and the tourists left already."
"Ah."
We fell in silence, the only noise the occasional creak of the small two-story building's wooden beams.
"Well, I should be —" My sentence was cut off by a thud upstairs. We both looked up.
"What was that?" I asked.
Sae-san sat down her cup of tea on the table. "You and Soujirou-kun are the only ones staying upstairs."
Soujirou?
We made our way upstairs and stopped in front of his room.
"Soujirou-kun?" Sae-san knocked on the door. Silence.
Sse tried again. "Soujirou-kun? I'm coming in, okay? Sorry."
The hallway light spilled into the room as we stepped inside—and there, crumpled on the floor beside the bed, was Soujirou.
"Soujirou!" I rushed to his side, grabbing his arm to help him up. He flinched at the touch and he made a feeble attempt to free his arm, but I held on. His skin was strangely hot.
"Are you okay, Soujirou-kun?" Sae-san quickly moved to help me ease him back onto the bed.
"I… slipped," he mumbled.
I reached out, pressing my fingers to his forehead, noticing the way his body stiffened at the touch.
I sucked in a breath. "You're burning up!"
Soujirou sneezed again. I tucked in the corners of his blanket around him tighter.
"I'll get the thermometer." Sae-san hurried out.
I ran to my room, grabbed a clean towel, dampened it with water from the sink, and rinsed it dry. I rushed back to Soujirou's room and pressed the cold towel on his forehead.
"Thank you." He murmured, his complexion pale beneath the dim hallway llight.
I stood over him, unexplainably upset.
Was he already unwell on the shinkansen this morning? Was that why he was so quiet on the last leg of the train ride?
Why hadn't I noticed sooner?
"Here." Sae-san returned, carrying a thermometer and a small bundle of supplies.
38.4C.
"I have some meds for him."
I took the packet from her and gently patted Soujirou's form. "Hey, you need to take these."
"Hmmm." He managed. For a moment, I worried Sae-san and I would have to pry his mouth open and force the medication down, but slowly, he sat up. The blanket slipped from his shoulders, and he shivered.
I handed him the pills, watching as he swallowed them with effort.
"Now you can rest." I smiled.
He returned a faint, exhausted smile before sinking back into the mattress, his eyes fluttering shut.
Sae-san pulled me aside. "I'd stay with him, but I have to go to the early market tomorrow. The winter festival season will be here soon, and I need to start preparations."
"It's okay." I whispered. "I'll sit with him."
Sae-san nodded and slipped out of the room.
I settled beside the bed, hugging my knees to my chest. The moonlight outside spilled into the room. I mindlessly noted the contrast of Soujirou's black hair against the white pillow and the way his lips parted slightly with each labored breath.
I wish he told me that he wasn't feeling well. Why didn't he? Was it because he did not trust me?
Soujirou shifted slightly in his sleep. I reached out, tightening the blanket around his shoulder, noting his skin was not as burning as before.
A sigh of relief escape and I closed my eyes for just a moment.
Jus a moment…
I blinked, confused by the golden sunlight streaming through the window. The room, previously half hidden in shadow, now glowed in the morning light.
What happened to the moonlight?
Realization struck me.
I fell asleep.
Soujirou!
I looked over to the bed, and locked eyes with Soujirou. A jolt ran through me, my breath catching at the sight of those familiar pools of glimmering blue.
"You—you're awake." I whispered.
A smirk tugged the corner of his lips. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."
"You're so funny." I scowled.
"You looked so peaceful." His grin widened. "I was almost jealous, but then I noticed the drools…"
The drools? My hand flew to my mouth. I drooled?!
"I'm kidding." He snickered.
"Soujirou!"
He broke out laughing, but it was replaced by a series of coughing.
"Serves you right," I handed him a cup of water. "How's the fever? Do you feel better? Are you hungry? I can go buy some stuff for you or maybe Sae-san can cook something for you."
"Kaoru," His voice was soft, yet it sent a shiver down my spine.
"Yes?"
"Thank you." Soujirou smiled, the previous teasing tone gone.
The room suddenly felt unbearably warm.
"You should get changed. I'll get some food and stuff for you." I spun toward the door, shutting it behind me as my heartbeat thundered in my ears.
Kaoru stop this nonsense. I chided myself.
As luck would have it, I ended up sick just as Soujirou recovered.
"Considering how much stress you were under," Sae-san checked the thermometer, "38C."
"Sorry about all the trouble." I bowed my head.
With the winter festival approaching, Sae-san barely had time to rest between preparing for the event and taking care of both Soujirou and me.
"It's okay." She smiled, eyes warm with affection. "Soujirou's fully recovered, so I'm passing the caregiving duties to him."
As if on cue, a bright voice called from the door. "Lunch service! May I come in?"
I turned to see Soujirou standing there, a tray in hand, dressed in a cream-colored hoodie and dark blue sweatpants.
"Come in."
"Get better soon." Sae-san winked at me conspiratorially and left. I had come to realize she was more than just a savvy businesswoman. In her heart lived a matchmaker who got it in her head that Soujirou and I were made for each other.
She's wrong.
Soujirou placed the tray on the nightstand. "I made karaage."
I blinked.
Last night, after yet another dinner of okayu, I had groaned to him, "What I wouldn't do for some karaage." I had pouted, making him laugh.
Did he remember?
I took a bite of the dish cautiously half-expecting a rush of grief, the kind that came with food tied to memories of my mother.
But as I chewed, the taste was just that—karaage. No memories. No pain. Just warmth…and chicken.
"How is it?" He watched closely.
I started to tease him but paused, noticing the tiny oil splatters on his hoodie.
"It's good," I said instead, smiling.
He ran a hand through his hair, grinning. "Good, because I sacrificed my hoodie for it."
I rolled my eyes.
How very modest.
When December came , I finally felt strong enough to resume working. I had to call everyone to explain my prolonged absence—but there was one call I dreaded making.
"You can do this." I muttered to myself, forcing myself to dial the numbers.
The line rang four times before she answered.
"Hello?"
"Hi," I swallowed hard, "This is Kamiya Kaoru."
"Ah, you finally remembered?" Her voice was sharp. "How could you be so irresponsible?"
"I'm sorry." My fingers curled around my sweater sleeves. I wasn't about to explain my private life to her.
"Yahiko has been practicing so diligently too. Such a stupid kid, like his father."
"Please give me another chance. I apologize for being gone so long."
A long silence stretched between us before she finally said, "Fine."
"Thank you very much." I bowed slightly, even though she couldn't see it.
She hung up without another word.
I let out a long breath, staring at the phone.
The world was cruel when you needed money. I thought mournfully.
To my surprise, Yahiko had actually improved since the last time I saw him. Whatever happened in the past few weeks, it had been good for him.
"You're doing amazing!" I beamed at him.
"Don't distract me." He muttered, his eyebrows knitted in concentration as he tried to sight-read Aria in A minor.
Whatever. I looked down to check his foot placement on the pedal, and caught sight of an ugly bruise on his lower leg.
"Yahiko?" I asked carefully, "What happened to your leg?"
"Huh?" Yahiko followed my gaze down. "Oh, this?" He quickly pulled down his pant leg to cover it. "It's nothing."
I frowned.
"Why is he still playing the notes wrong?" The stepmom appeared out of nowhere, interrupting my train of thoughts.
"This is a big step up from what he's been practicing." I explained, as if she could understand.
"Hm. Let's hear it from the beginning." She settled onto the sofa behind us.
Her presence did nothing to help Yahiko, if anything, it made him more nervous. The notes came out jumbled and jarring, crashing into one another until it was just a mess of sounds.
I winced.
The stepmom did not say anything until the lesson ended.
"You don't need to come anymore." She told me curtly.
"What?" Yahiko and I stared at the older woman.
"You are an incompetent teacher. I can't believe you were even hired."
I bit my lip, swallowing back the obvious retort—You're the one who hired me.
"I was fooled by your Berklee degree. Guess American music colleges are no better than Japan's, huh?"
I never said they were? I fought the urge to snap.
"Your poor parents. Their money wasted."
I stilled.
Then I turned.
"You don't know anything about music, or me, or my family," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "Stop talking like you do."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Yahiko is a great kid, and he's improved a lot since last time. You, on the other hand, are just as demanding, impatient, and ignorant as ever." I took a step forward, faintly aware of the front door opening behind me. "I've had what—two? Three lessons with him? What did you expect? A flawless execution of Rach 3?"
"Of course not." A male's voice came from behind. I whipped around to find a man in his forties standing in the doorway.
The stepmother's posture shifted instantly. "Honey!" She brushed past me, throwing herself at him.
"Dad!" Yahiko gasped, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree.
I bowed. "Myojin-san, it's nice to meet you."
He returned the bow. "It seems there's some disagreement about Yahiko's music education."
"No, none at all." The stepmom said quickly.
I raised my eyebrow. Did the man look like he could be easily fooled?
"I don't expect him to play Rach 3, but it would be nice if he can play something."
"He's working on Aria in A minor right now." I said.
"A great piece" Myojin-san's eyes softened. "You should keep helping him…that's what his mom wants."
"His mom?"
Myojin-san sighed. "Yahiko's mother and I separated. She moved to Germany with our other son, Yutaro."
"Oh."
"They're coming back to visit in a few weeks, and I'd love for Yahiko to play Aria in A minor when they're here."
The stepmother shot me a glare, as if this was somehow my fault.
Yahiko looked at me with something hopeful in his eyes.
"I'd love to help." I bowed.
"Thank you." Myojin-san bowed in return.
A/N: Another day, another chapter. I hate to say this, but outlines work wonder lol. Darn it!
Updated 3/21/2025 10:11pm EST