Warning: This is a story about coping with loss, and at points can be very sad and/or depressing, so you may wish to take breaks.
The sun was shining brightly overhead in a cloudless blue sky, and Hiroshi hated it. Outwardly, he was stoic and attentive as he waited with a small group of mourners outside, near a canopy that had been set up to shade a small area from the sun overhead. A tray of ashes was laid before them, on a table under the canopy. He and Ryusei, his father-in-law, were presented with large metal chopsticks with which to perform the kotsuage ritual. Slowly and methodically, they picked through the ashes of his beloved for the bones, starting at the feet, and placed them into the urn. One by one they placed them inside, until only the hyoid remained. It was a tedious process, but one that would ensure she remained upright in the urn. Once the hyoid bone was placed inside, the urn was sealed.
His beloved’s remains were handed to him, and as his hands closed around the urn, a baby began to cry. Hiroshi hung his head, and exerted what willpower he could muster to not cry then and there, and tightened his hold on the urn. He knew he should go to his daughter; try to comfort her in this trying time. But he could barely comfort himself. How could he comfort his little girl? Asami had only known her mother six months, while he had known her for a blissful three years.
His sorrow was too great to bring himself to comfort his baby. The loss of his wife was much to bear, and his daughter was a strong reminder of the woman he would never again see in this life. So, he left the comfort of his daughter to his mother for now. Things were going to be difficult in the coming days, he knew, but he couldn’t focus on that right now.
When it was time to leave, he mechanically made his way toward the parking lot, though he was stopped by his father-in-law before he could get to his car. “The least you could do is to let my wife and I have time with our granddaughter. After all, you’ve already taken our daughter from us.” It was polite hostility, but a tempting offer nonetheless. He was not up to the task of tending to his daughter, though he had leave from the force for bereavement purposes. Neither though, could he ask his parents, as they still had jobs to perform and could not spare the extra time off. Ryusei and Hanami, on the other hand, were a well-to-do family and would be able to take care of Asami for a few days.
With a nod in his mother’s direction to acquiesce, Hanami collected Asami’s things from his car, and then Asami herself from his mother. Asami babbled, crying and reaching for her father. Even looking at her he could see Kaori’s face, and he could not bear that right now. Hanami soothed Asami as her husband got into the car and they drove off. Once gone, he began to get into his own car before he was stopped again, this time by his own father.
“Was that a wise decision?” Daisuke asked his son.
“I don’t know, but it was the right one for Asami.” Hiroshi replied before thanking his parents for their efforts and support. He climbed into the car, and made his way home. Home was not a place he wished to be. It was an apartment, with room enough for his small family. Everywhere he looked, however, he could only see Kaori. Carefully, he set the urn down and headed for the bedroom, where he slowly began to change out of his suit.
There were things he needed to do before his leave was over, but just then he couldn’t muster the will to do any of it. Instead he sank down to sit on the edge of his bed, and picked up a framed photo that lay nearby. It was his favorite photo of Kaori – a headshot of her smiling against a backdrop of the sakura trees that bloomed in a park they liked to frequent. He ran his fingers over her face before saying her name, his voice coming out choked and full of emotion. He froze for a moment as he remembered the kaimyo. The kaimyo was a new name that had been given to her, one that was meant to prevent the return of the deceased.
He wanted her back so much, and would give nearly anything for that. The dead could not return, however, and he didn’t want to damn her to a hellish or painful afterlife. To prevent this mistake from happening again, he repeated her kaimyo over and over in his head, until he started associating the name with the face in the picture. Sayuri. Sayuri. Eventually, the picture fell from his hand, falling to the floor and hitting at such an angle that the glass protecting it cracked. Swearing slightly, he reached down to pick it up, getting pricked with a stray shard for his trouble.
Setting the picture down, he watched as blood beaded up from the small wound, and, for a wild, crazy instant, he considered suicide in an effort to be with her again. Time seemed to slow as he planned it all out in his head. Looking over at his wife’s picture snapped him out of it, however. Kaori wouldn’t have wanted that. She would have wanted him to be there for their daughter. He took a few deep, steadying breaths to shake the darkness from his mind before he laid down and pulled the covers over him. Sleep for now. Sleep, and then he would get to work around the house. As he slept, he dreamt of Kaori.
He had just been a street officer back then, manning a police box near the intersection her car accident had taken place. He’d been the one to call for help, and went above and beyond to make sure she was alright. It had been a nasty hit and run, and she’d needed to go to the hospital. By the time emergency personnel arrived, he was off-duty, and he offered to go with her for company until family could be reached.
He couldn’t remember what it was – probably a bad joke – but he had said something that made her smile through the pain. It was that smile that had captivated him so. As promised, he stayed with her until her parents arrived to see to her care, then checked with a nurse to see if there was anything further was needed, and left. The nurse he spoke with happened to be the wife of a co-worker, and with her help he learned she would be there a few days for observation.
His co-worker, Keiji, was a man he considered a good friend. He and his wife were a young couple, and it was a gentle joke that Hioshi needed to find someone. Hiroshi had never paid much attention to his age or to finding anyone, but every so often he would be reminded that his twenties were over, and he should look to settling down. Keiji’s jibes were good humored, as were his wife Yuna’s comments about single women she knew. His mother’s reminders, on the other hand…
Yuna had noted his interest, and by the end of her shift she had information for him that she handed over when she and her husband met with Hiroshi for their weekly friend’s night out. Hiroshi could vividly recall taking the folded piece of paper from her, scanning over the neatly written information contained within. It had been a big risk to give him the information, he knew, and he never forgot the favor. Standing out above all the other information was the name of the woman he’d helped – Kaori Miamoto.
In later meetups, Yuna and Keiji would slyly poke fun at him, recalling how he seemed to be in a different world after seeing the information. Still, they were as helpful as they could be. Yuna made the effort to let Hiroshi know when the parents had been given clearance to visit, so that he could arrange a time to visit around that in order to have alone time with her. She would also, on occasion, waylay the parents if they showed early in order to give him time to slip away.
Kaori ended up being there for a week in total, as her family had insisted that the doctors be thorough when making sure she had not sustained irreparable harm in her accident. He’d made every effort to visit her as often as possible, if only to see her smile. The day she was to be discharged, he was worried he wouldn’t make it in time, though he did – just barely. Her father was there to pick her up, so they didn’t really have an opportunity to talk.
“I’d like to thank you for ensuring that my daughter was taken care of.” her father stated when he arrived, politely bowing. Hiroshi returned the gesture. “It was my honor to do so, sir.”
“What is your name, officer, so that I may inform your superior of your dedication to go above and beyond?” he asked. Hiroshi took note of the expensive suit the older man wore, and made a mental note to research her family so as not to make any missteps in his future plans. “Tachibana Hiroshi.” he replied.
“Arigato, Tachibana-san.” he said, then turned his attention to his daughter. “It’s time to head home, Kaori.” he said, gesturing for his daughter to follow. “Yes father.” she replied meekly. The older man was headed out of the room, when she quickly pressed something into Hiroshi’s hand, smiled, and joined her father. He waited until he’d stepped out of the now empty room to look at what she had handed him. It was a simple enough message – a phone number, with ‘call me’ written below it.
He was grinning after reading it, and looked so elated that Yuna came over to check on him out of concern. He pocketed the slip of paper before heading back to work. Looking back, he was certain the rest of his work that day was not up to par, as he kept wishing for the day to be over so he could get home and call her.
Throwing his usual routine aside when he got home, he shuffled his shoes off, hung up his hat and removed his phone and the slip of paper from his pocket before he dialed. With each unanswered ring, he panicked slightly, wondering if maybe he was calling too soon, or wondering if she had given him the correct number. After the fourth ring, however, she answered.
“Moshi moshi.”
“Miyamoto-san?” he said, nearly stumbling over his words.
“Hai?”
“It..it’s Hiroshi. From the hospital?” he added, hoping she would remember.
“Oh yes!” she said, sounding delighted. “You sound so different over the phone, I wasn’t sure it was you. Thank you for calling me.”
“Of course. I’ve been wanting to get to know you better. It seemed inappropriate to do so while you were recovering though.”
“Tachibana-chan,” she began, and his heart did a flip “it would have been fine.”
“Gomen.” he apologized. “Um…Miyamoto-san?”
“You can call me Kaori.” she said, a hint of laughter in her voice.
“Kaori-san,” he stated, “would you like to have dinner sometime?”
“I was wondering how long it would take you to ask me.” she teased. For his part, he blushed, and was thankful she couldn’t see.
“Where..” he stammered, and cleared his throat. “Where would you like to go?”
“I don’t care.” she said. “I just want to spend time with you.”
They chatted for a little while longer, and set a date for an evening he had off. Since it was several days out, he took time to try and learn about her family. It wasn’t terribly difficult, and he didn’t dig terribly deep – just enough to learn that Kaori’s father was a successful corporate man, and was deeply rooted in tradition, as was Kaori’s mother. He worried that he wouldn’t be able to treat her the way she was used to, but Keiji and Yuna convinced him not to worry about that. He should just be himself, they had said. She’ll like you for who you are. They weren’t wrong.
For their first date, he kept it relatively simple, and took her to Rikugi-en, an old and beautiful metropark located in the city. They walked and talked for what seemed like ages, and when the sun began to set, he took her to an izakaya for a casual dinner, followed by some fun at a bowling alley. It was a night that stayed etched in both their memories, and one that ended with a kiss before he took her home.
He awoke to his alarm blaring. Mechanically he reached over to turn it off, before rolling over to give his wife a kiss before they started the day. Recent events hit him all at once when he found her side of the bed empty. Taking time to recover from the wave of despair that washed over him, he then began his day with a simple breakfast, and then attended to the task of packing Kaori’s things.
Around lunch, his mother called him to check on him, and he made a sudden decision, requesting her to discuss with his father the possibility of he and Asami moving into their house. He could not, he explained, bear to be in the home he had shared with his wife. Noriko promised to talk with Daisuke that evening, and Hiroshi went back to work, changing his strategy from packing only Kaori’s things to packing the entirety of the apartment. His father had gotten back to him some time later, and he welcomed Hiroshi and his daughter to move back home.
With Keiji’s help, the small apartment was moved to his parents’ house, except for the majority of Kaori’s things, which were donated or gifted to those he felt she would have wanted to have them. On his last day of leave, he made arrangements for his parents to collect Asami from his in-laws while he was at work.
He had been told things would get easier after a couple months, but things only seemed to get worse. His heart ached, and he could hardly muster the energy to be the father his daughter needed him to be. The empty hours were the worst, when he had nothing to occupy himself. In an effort to deal with the hollowness, he picked up extra shifts at work, and took on more workload.
Six months after the funeral, around Asami’s first birthday, he got wind of a job at work that was purposefully kept from him. When he confronted his superiors about it, he had been told that they didn’t consider him, not because of his performance or work ethic, but because he had a family, and it was a delicate, long term undercover operation. He countered, ultimately managing to convince them that he was the best choice for the job. Assignment given, he approached his parents about Asami’s care when he arrived home.
“Hiroshi, I don’t like the idea of you doing this.” Noriko said after dinner, once Asami had been put to bed. Daisuke folded his arms over his chest, but declined to speak just yet.
“I’m the best officer for the job – no one else at the station has my eye for detail or my dedication to seeing things through.”
“But it’s the yakuza.” she said. Kaori had been a beloved daughter-in-law, but this had so much potential danger she was afraid to lose her only child. “What if something happens to you?”
“I’ll be careful.”
“Mistakes still happen.” she said, still pleading her case for reconsideration.
“Mom, I’ll be fine. I always am.”
“But what if, Hiroshi? What about Asami?” she said, hoping the mention of his daughter would deter him.
“I’m the best for the job.” he repeated. “I’m trying to make the city a better place for her.”
“But –” Daisuke raised a hand, and Noriko quieted.
“If our son has made his decision on the matter. However, there is something I don’t think has been considered yet.”
“What would that be?”
“Who is going to take care of Asami? I am assuming that while you are undercover for however long it happens to be, you cannot have contact with us. Your mother and I still have to work, which would mean placing her in a child care facility, which is something we just cannot spare the yen for. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not that we don’t want to.” Noriko continued. “We love Asami very much, but we have to work.”
Hiroshi was quiet. It was, admittedly, an aspect he hadn’t thought of. Under normal circumstances, he would have asked her godparents, Keiji and Yuna, however they had moves the prior year as Yuna had a better job opportunity in another province, and they were too far and too busy as well. After some thought, he sighed heavily. “I’ll contact the Miyamoto’s and ask them.”
“Is that wise?” his father asked.
“Do I have a choice?”
“You could always tell your boss you changed your mind.” his mother suggested. Hiroshi shook his head.
“No – I’ll call them tonight. If they agree, I’ll have them pick up Asami in the morning.” With that, he left the room to place the call. He was not looking forward to calling Ryusei, however, he was left with little choice.
“Moshi moshi?”
“Miyamoto-sempai.” he began.
“Oh…it’s you. What do you want?”
“I need to ask a favor of you.”
“I owe you nothing, Tachibana.”
“You owe it to K-…to Sayuri.” he said, catching himself before he spoke her true name.
“What does my daughter have to do with your favor?” he asked, his voice carefully controlled emotion.
“I’ve been assigned a long term undercover job, and I need someone to take care of Asami, as my parents are unable to.”
“How long?”
“However long the job takes.”
Ryusei mused it over. “We will happily take care of our granddaughter. When may we pick her up?”
“Tomorrow morning is fine.” Hiroshi said, giving his parents address before hanging up. He informed his parents of the decision, and helped them prepare Asami’s things for pickup in the morning. Before he called it a night, however, he stopped in to check on his daughter. Although he was quiet, she woke up when he entered the room, and reached for him, wanting to be picked up. He scooped her up, and held her against him as she calmed herself back to sleepiness. As he paced the room with her, he kissed the top of her head. “I do this for you.” he murmured, walking the floor until she fell back asleep and he placed her to bed.
In the morning, he went to work, and began the process of going undercover. He started out in the yakuza in the lowest ranks. He applied the same hard work and dedication to his undercover work as he had to his police work, and rose a little in the ranks, becoming trusted. Not everyone trusted him, however, so to appease their suspicions, he opted for a tattoo, done in the traditional irezumi style. He worked with a fellow yakuza member on the design and went over it with the artist, then spent many, many hours under the needle, with other members present as witness to his dedication.
While he laid still under the steady hand of the tattooist, he would think of Kaori. He would still keep conversation with whomever was there to witness, but this was a time where, he felt, he could let his mind wander a little bit, and when it did he liked to remember those times that were most special – those times she was more than he felt he deserved. On the last day of it’s progress, he thought about the time he’d screwed up.
It had taken a long time for him to win the approval of his in-laws, but on his wedding day neither he nor his bride could be any happier. They had a lovely life together, and he’d often said she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
He had only recently made higher rank at his precinct, and so was in a newer area of the building. Ever since he started in his new role, there had been a woman – Misaki – who went out of her way to flirt with him. It was subtle, at first. She was relentless in her pursuit, however, no matter how polite he was about rejecting her, citing that he was perfectly happy in his marriage.
It had been going on for months, when there was one late night. One night where he just couldn’t be strong anymore. He’d never lied when he said he was happy with his wife, because he was. Misaki however was a beautiful woman, and hard to resist. The sort of woman who, once she had her sights set on something, wouldn’t relent until she got what she wanted. In this case, she wanted Hiroshi.
On this particular night, she was laying it on thick, and since the office was largely empty, was very hands-on as well. He gave in after trying so very hard to hold out. The experience itself was fantastic – the sex was incredible, and the story itself was the stuff of fantasy. When all was said and done and it was time to go home, however, he dreaded it. He was very slow about making his way home, and once he arrived and saw his wife, he fell to his knees and confessed his weakness.
She was resting on her knees on the floor, sitting back on her heels, and he’d rested his head in her lap like he sometimes did when something was troubling him when he confessed. He had been terrified of what she would do or what she might say, but all she did was run a hand over his head in a soothing motion, her finders sliding through his hair on occasion, only one simple phrase falling from her lips – “I forgive you.”
When he’d asked why she could forgive the awful thing he’d done, she told him. “I love you, that’s why. I understand that man is only mortal. No one is perfect, and everyone is prone to mistakes of every kind. The important thing is you came home to me. You came home, and it’s something we can work through together. I love you, and I could forgive you anything.”
Overall, he was with the yakuza for three years, working his way to the target of his investigation. An investigation which ultimately led to success, and the death of Himura Takashi, his undercover identity. When it was deemed safe for him to return home, his mother was relieved that he was still alive and relatively unharmed (though there had been times he’d been injured, he’d sustained nothing serious). His homecoming at work was a good one as well, with everyone in awe of his success. The problem came in when it came time to bring Asami home.
The day he came home, there was recent mail awaiting him in the form of a large manila envelope. Inside were legal papers from the Miyamoto’s, seeking custody of Asami. They were claiming recklessness and neglect on his part, and were content to fight the matter in court if need be. Any attempts to contact them was met with nothing, and he had to resort to speaking to their lawyer if he needed to relay a message. With recommendations from co-workers, he secured a lawyer of his own, and the battle to get his daughter back began.
It wasn’t until Asami was five and ready to begin primary school that he finally won, largely thanks to dozens of character witness accounts in addition to his attorney’s quick thinking. When Asami was allowed to come home with him, he held her tight, though she was aloof. It took time, and a lot of effort, to win her trust again, as she didn’t have much memory of him. Fortunately, however, his in-laws had not spoke of him much, so he did not have to counter any poison words they might have said about him.
The time and effort were well worth it, and he began to finally appreciate his daughter, though he regretted missing out on her early milestones. Still, there were times when being around her was painful because she did remind him so much of his beloved. So…he still worked hard, and often, as a way to cope. He couldn’t afford to do less, as he’d incurred a massive amount of debt from the legal fees. Therefore, when he was home, he tried. He taught her one of his passions – jujitsu – and when he was not around, his own father stood in as teacher.
They settled into a happy, if not wholly fulfilling familial relationship. He doted on her when he could manage to spare the time or the money, and never let her know what kind of problems he faced personally, feeling she didn’t need to know that. For the first few years of primary school, she asked often about her mother, but he couldn’t bear to tell her. Eventually, she stopped asking, and he never asked why she stopped.
Things got harder for him after his mother’s cancer diagnosis. She was unable to work any longer, and his father couldn’t take on any more hours than he was already doing due to his own health, so Hiroshi took up the slack, trying to fill in the burden that was put in place because of the cancer. When Noriko began chemotherapy, she was no longer able to look after Asami when she was home from school.
It was a hard decision, but he let Asami look after herself when she didn’t have school or school related things to do. There were concerns, but she was a good kid that didn’t cause trouble. As time went on, however, the debt began to mount, and he didn’t know what to do, as there were no current promotion opportunities at work. His only option then, he thought, was to find another job. He didn’t relish the idea, but what else could he do?
It didn’t take long for a company to get back to him. Magadon Pharmaceuticals was looking for help with security, and they were offering better pay than his job at the precinct. Once he was hired, he submitted his resignation to the police force, and began working. Initially, he was just another guy on the team. But like all jobs, he quickly proved his worth, and they noted his value by offering him a job training new security personnel after less than a year.
He was able to do better by his family, and wasn’t quite there and doing comfortably yet, when the offer to relocate rang to the phone in his office.
“Moshi moshi?”
“Mr. Tachibana, I have Mr. Dragons-Wrath on the line for you.” a female voice sounded in English. Hiroshi was taken aback. What would a member of the board of directors want with him.
“Please connect me.” he responded back, using English. After a few moments, a male voice came across the line.
“Mr. Tachibana?”
“Yes sir.”
“Your work progress and ethic has come to my attention. I must say, I’m impressed.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“I would like to offer you a position. It requires a transfer. Expenses would be covered, of course, and a pay raise is involved.”
“I thank you for your trust in me sir. My apologies, but where would the transfer be to?”
“Overseas, to the United States.”
“I’m sorry sir – I don’t know if I can make that kind of change.”
“I see. What if I give you until tomorrow to answer me? We need a new security head as soon as possible.”
“I..”
“May I remind you, the pay increase would be significant. Enough to pay off your debt and then some.”
“How do you know of my debt?”
“It’s a simple matter of public record, Mr. Tachibana. Would you like to reconsider?”
Hiroshi thought about it. If he could get out of debt quickly, as Dragons-Wrath seemed to be promising, he could do better for his family. “Alright.” he said.
“Alright to which, if you please?”
“I’ll take the job.”
“Wonderful. I can have the travel paperwork and visa sent to you post haste – you take the time off you need to arrange for your move. Don’t worry about anything unnecessary.”
“Yes sir.”
“Let human resources know by tomorrow what kind of paperwork or preparations you’ll need so we can prepare it for you as soon as possible.”
“Yes sir”
“Fantastic. The company will be in touch.” he said, hanging up finally.
Hiroshi stared at the phone after the call ended. What had he just agreed to? He sighed, and decided to think on it later that evening. When he got home, he discussed the proposal with his parents, who, while happy for him, were concerned how it would affect Asami. She was doing well, and even a simple move was enough to throw a child off. But an overseas move? They encouraged him to think about how things might affect Asami, but promised they would be supportive no matter the decision. He mused over the problem as he readied for bed, and fell asleep thinking it over. For the first time in a while, he dreamt again of his beloved Kaori.
He had been beyond elated when he learned they were going to be parents several months before, but now that Kaori was in labor, he was nervous. While she had been doing well, the labor had been long, and the both of them were tired. Finally, in the twilight hours, their baby girl was born. An exhausted but elated Kaori held the baby in her arms, and cooed over the precious bundle. As the daylight began to filter in through the window blinds, she looked at Hiroshi.
“What do you think of Asami for a name?”
“I think it’s perfect.” he said, reaching over to hold his daughter’s hand with a finger. “Our little morning beauty.”
The dream shifted then, calling up another, more unpleasant memory.
It had been Hiroshi’s day off, and their little family decided to go for a walk through the park that Kaori loved to frequent. Little Asami was cooing at all the sights, and delighting in simple things. She had recently learned to sit up without being supported, and now kept trying to do it all the time as they walked with her in the stroller so she could see everything.
After the park, they had planned on doing some nearby shopping. Hiroshi was still inside a store, completing a purchase, when Kaori had let go of the stroller, just long enough to dig through a diaper bag for a snack for Asami, when a random stranger walking by suddenly leaned in, and grabbed the baby.
Kaori was no slouch. She reacted quickly, lunging for the would be kidnapper. With a swift motion she pulled Asami out of the offender’s arms while shoving them away. With a grunt, the offender moved on – or so she thought. Kaori hugged her daughter to he before placing her back in the stroller and securing her, snapping the belt into place as Hiroshi walked out.
“What’s wrong?” he’d asked.
“Someone tried to steal the baby.” she said, and explained what had happened. He had been standing there in disbelief while she spoke. When she had finished, he began to move toward her to comfort her distraught state. Unfortunately, he never made it.
Heading back toward her was the culprit, angry at having been denied what he’d hoped would be easy money by selling the kid to some desperate childless couple that would pay a bundle. He walked into her, his shoulder slamming into hers. It turned her body just enough for him to grab her, and shove her into oncoming traffic.
Hiroshi wasn’t fast enough to react. He’d seen the oncoming car, and knew the culprit had as well. Kaori had not. She was trying to get to her feet when it came bearing down on her, hitting her because the driver could not see. There was a world of commotion as some people screamed, and others cried for help. All he could hear for hours afterward was the screeching of tires, the breaking of glass, and the cries of his daughter. For hours afterward his memory replayed the image of his wife’s body being flung through the air as she was hit.
Initially, there was hope. An ambulance arrived, and while there was bruising and broken bones, they thought she would be okay. Hiroshi followed along, Asami with him. He spoke with her briefly, before she was taken to emergency surgery. “Take care of our little morning beauty.” she told him, gripping his hand tightly as tears streamed down her face. “Don’t let her slip away.”
“I promise.” he stated. He had to let go of her then, and that was the last he ever saw of his beloved.
He woke up, Kaori’s words ringing in his ears – “Take care of our little morning beauty”. With that memory echoing in his head, he solemnly told his parents his decision.
“I’m taking Asami with me.” he said over their quiet little breakfast. Asami wasn’t due to wake for a bit yet.
“Are you sure? We could keep her here. You know she wouldn’t be lacking for care.” Noriko said.
“I know, mom. You’ve been as strong as ever since the cancer went into remission. I know the two of you would be as kind and loving to her as you have always been – that doesn’t factor into my decision.”
“Then what does?” Daisuke asked.
“I promised K-…I promised Sayuri. The last time I saw her, she begged me to take care of Asami, to not let her go.” his parents looked at each other, and hugged their son, promising to help however they could.
Upon arrival at work, he informed human resources that he would need accommodations for himself and his daughter, then provided them with the information he needed. He would be given some time off in order to get his affairs in order, then he was to contact them and they would send him his flight itinerary.
Asami was less pleased when she found out they were moving. She didn’t want to leave her friends behind; didn’t want to go to school in another country and start all over. It hurt him that she was hurt by his decision, but he never let on that it bothered him. She sulked a lot, but reluctantly gathered together things to be shipped to their new home. She didn’t speak to him a whole lot, not saying much until a few days after she started her new school.
He was impressed by the provisions the company had put into place for them, and resolved to prove that he was worth that effort. Gradually, his relationship with Asami went back to normal, and life moved on, remaining relatively the same but for minor differences for two years.
A year and a half after moving to Salem, something came across his desk. A job, of sorts – one he was going to play along with for the sake of the company. Machiko Kitagawa, a thief by secret trade, but a trust fund kid on paper, was trying to get cozy with him. He learned, through company resources, that she was one of those things of the night, and she was getting close to him, not out of interest, but because she needed to steal something.
He’d never brought it up to her, but when he started to suspect something was strange about this new woman that had an interest in him, he discreetly bugged her phone via the sim card. It was through this method that he learned about her dealings with the yakuza, and what they were after. What he had not expected was to fall for her. He didn’t learn until some months later that she had started to fall for him as well. They’d been going strongly since.
When he heard about Asami’s motorcycle accident, he was terrified that he might have lost her, though even to this day he didn’t know how to express that to her. He was grateful every day that she had been wearing a good, sturdy helmet and was okay.
There were times he felt helpless. He knew, based on talking to her, that there were times she felt as though her life was spiralling out of control. The best he could ever do was listen, and try to offer her advice. He wasn’t sure what else was possible, though it got easier when she became aware of the things in the night that he’d been aware of for the past few years.
His daughter was struggling now, yes…but he hadn’t broken his promise to Kaori. He was still taking care of her. But…was he doing enough? He didn’t think so, and there had been more than one occasion where this concern was brought up to Machiko, though he wasn’t sure she fully grasped how he felt about the situation.
In a way, he was proud of his daughter for stepping up to work for the company. She had gone into it with the altruistic idea of bringing him home and keeping him safe. She was aware that things with the company weren’t as they seemed – one step ahead of him when he had started. She was trying to do what she believed was right, and why shouldn’t he commend and respect that conviction? He did have reservations about the danger she could face, but he knew she could handle herself to an extent. After all, he had taught her how to defend herself, she was getting more training through the company, and more than that, she was one of the Awakened.
Machiko wanted Asami, her own daughter, and the rest of that group of kids to get out and stay safe. He often countered, asking how that was possible when just by virtue of being what they were, it drew attention. It was one of the few things they occasionally fought about.
It was odd, in a way. His life was less complicated than it had been for a while, and yet in some ways, felt more tangled. More tangled due to having worry more over his daughter, yet less complicated due to the lack of a job. Maybe I should try applying to the local police…I doubt I could get my old job – or some semblance of it – back. He sighed…it hadn’t occurred to him until recently to idly think about trying to work for the company. Specifically, he’d only really thought of it after Asami had been over recently, and commented about how she sometimes wonder what it would be like to work with him.
Certainly, he wouldn’t have the same clearance. He scoffed, dismissing the idea. They were unlikely to have anything to do with him unless Asami got out of hand or needed guidance. Local police or security elsewhere it was then, he guessed.
He was alone at his own home that night, talking briefly over the phone with Machiko before calling it a night. He was nearly asleep when he heard the whispers in his mind…
“Take care of our little morning beauty. Don’t let her slip away. Protect her.”
The phrase repeated itself, and he couldn’t seem to escape it. He went downstairs to the basement after he decided the thoughts wouldn’t stop. His little exercise area was down here, and that’s what he did to try and clear his mind – basic calisthenics, kendo, jujitsu – anything that would help. By the time his body tired, the thoughts had stopped. I have to do better. He thought. I will do better.
Filled with purpose again, he made his way back upstairs to cleanse himself of the sweat that had built up while he worked out. He would approach the company again, contacting Dragons-Wrath himself if need be. He would do whatever it took to fulfill his promise. He would not fail Kaori. Not again.