5 ONCE UPON A TIME IN TOKYO

“What do you guys think, should we all just stay inside now or are we fucked?” Hina asked as Himari, Akari and me walked down to school.”

“If it’s not, we’re goners.” Himari replied.

“I’m not too into wearing masks ya know? But I would wear a mask from Naruto.”

“Himari, doesn’t the new guy that you’re seeing like Boruto?” Akari asked.

“Yeah, yeah he does.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know Akari. Why do you like Fruit Baskets?”

“Because Fruit Baskets is a work of art and you know it.”

“Society is well passed looking down upon the Otaku, wouldn’t you say Sara?”

I guess I heard my name. But it feels almost more like those times where I would think that someone was calling my name, but it was all just in my head. I guess I am just here with my friends. But really, I’m caught up thinking about just what the hell is going on with everyone. Even when we try to talk about other things, the Elephant in the room persists.

“Sara?” Himari called out. “Hey, Sara!”

“Present!”

“Yo…”Himari said.

“Uh…”Hina started. “Sara-chan, what’s going on?”

“What?” I asked like everyone was tripping. “Nothing.”

“It was like you were in another dimension.” Akari commented.

“You don’t know that I wasn’t. Maybe I have been perfecting my astral projection skills?”

“But don’t you have to be asleep to astral project?”

“Akari, why can’t you ever rift?”

“I wasn’t allowed to watch American comedies growing up. Mom thought that they would poison my mind.”

“Wait, have you never seen Mean Girls.”

“Sounds like a great movie.”

“Wow, I almost want to skip school to watch it.”

“I’d be totally down to skip school to watch even if it was shit.” Hina commented.

“If you three want to be degenerates and skip to watch an old movie then go ahead.” Himari stated. I’ve got a date with History class.”

“More like a lunch make out session with your new boy toy.” Akari commented.

“Jealously loves to seep out in cynical remarks.” Hamri fired back.

“What’s his name again?” Hina asked.

“Makoto.”

“Makoto? Isn’t that a fake name?”

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah! Like, don’t people who don’t have a name that they like use that?”

“I think you’re thinking of how Shinkai-San’s uses Makoto instead of his real name.”

“Oh. Yeah, maybe that’s it.”

Arriving to Sensei Watanabe’s classroom, the shift’s more become noticeable. It appears like four of our classmates are gone. Glancing across the room, everyone’s eyes didn’t have that same sense of freedom that was there last week.

“Well, I’ve been reading Norwegian Wood.” Hina randomly spouted off. She was not one for awkward moments."

“That book is old.” Akari said.

“And so?”

“It’s a great book.” I chimed in. “Though I really have always liked 1Q84.”

“Men without women.” Akari replied. I don’t know what it was about her, but she had a talent for being into the most on the fringe works of art. She once went to a museum of roadkill art.

“Why would you read that one?” Himari asked.

“Why would I not want to read a book about the opposition’s stance?”

“Opposition’s stance?””

“Men and women are natural born enemies. It’s natural law.”

“Who said that?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Alight everyone!” Sensei Watanabe said, forcing us to stop the fake intellectual dribble and start the day. “How’s everyone feeling?”

“Feels…paranoid.” Hina suggested.

“Not a bad read Hina.” Sensei Watanabe confirmed. “That is why I am going to switch things up a bit. I want to know, what does everyone think is appropriate to focus on?”

Sensei’s question seems as though it has vanished into the atoms that reside within the air of the classroom. No one and I mean literally no one has anything to respond with. I don’t what it that’s all about. Personally, I simply have nothing that I wanted to focus on. I have never really liked school. But if I ever slacked, my mother had my ass. Taught me how to become an excellent faker.

“Settle down, settle down.”

“Will school be cancelled?” George, a boy from American whose father worked for Sony asked.

“Fair question George. One that is unfortunately not up to me. For that, all I can give is my opinion. And I believe for as long as society keeps their heads on straight, school will remain in secession.”

“Oh. That sucks.”

“Apologies that I couldn’t give you the answer that you desired.”

Have to give it to Sensei. In the middle of all the madness that the world is going through, he’s still up at the front of the class, challenging us to better ourselves. The only problem is that under normal circumstances most of us were forcing ourselves to be here. Now, the energy that fueled any kind of slight motivation for that is seeping away.

“Ah yes, Sara!” Sensei said, calling on me. He must be desperate. I didn’t even mean to raise my hand. Just stretching.

“Yeah… can we talk about how the media is perpetuating fear?”

“That is a rather loaded one.”

“I know, but it’s the truth! Okay, so there is this giant hole. Hina and I saw it. Sure, it is freaky. Sure, none of us have experienced anything like it before. But, is it really a cause for all of the craziness that is going on?”

“What do you expect?” Francesca, a girl from Spain who’s mom worked for Coca Cola asked me.

“I didn’t say that I had the solutions…”

“Then why speak?” Steve, an American boy who’s father worked for Toyota racing development asked me.

“I was simply offering up my opinion…”

“That nobody asked for.”

“That’s quite enough.” Sensei interjected. Hear Sara out. I for one believe it is always a good thing to question what is going on behind the scenes with our elected officials. In fact, one could argue that a healthy skepticism is needed to be able to function in today’s society. The great leaders of yesterday did not get there due to parallel thinking.”

“Can you come with me to my apartment real quick?” Hina asked, walking with me after school, eager to get away from the abnormal madness that filled the halls.

“Sure, I guess. You just need to get something?”

“I’m tired of carrying this backpack around so I’m just going to put it in my room.”

“Lazy ass.”

“I’ll have you know that my ass is not lazy!” Hina shot down, turning her ass to me. Fit.

“Yeah, you’re right. All those squats. I’m sure your glutes are in great shape.”

“I would say so!”

“I’ll go with you.”

“It’s not like you have anything better to do! Am I right?”

Arriving at Hina’s apartment, as she opened the door, it’s swung open ,knocking us back a bit. On the other side is this man. A tall man. A tall Japanese man with brooding good looks. The type that your mother warned you about growing up. This man is Kyomi-san, Hina’s older brought. He must have just come back. Kyomi-san is studying zoology at Oxford University in England and is in his fourth year. At this point he is so worldly that Europe was no big deal to him.

“Who goes there?” Kyomi asked with a fake deep voice masking the normal calm, easy going tones of his vocal cords.

“Kyomi!” Hina yelled as she rammed into the door. “Open up!”

“Open up? Are you a police officer? Are you allowed to say that?”

“Would you…”

Beginning to yell at Kyomi, he got out of her way, allowing her to literally fall into the apartment. Laying on the ground, Hina looks up at us as though she had

just played a mean game of softball. Part of me envies the relationship that she and Kyomi had. When he’s here, she’s never bored. Angry. Yet always entertained.

“Hina!” Kyomi let out, acting as though he was concern. “Are you okay?”

“Shut up!”

“Oh great! If you were hurt, I guess would have to feel bad and stuff.”

“Drink bleach asshole.”

“Hina.” I interrupted. “I can’t wait too much longer. I don’t want my mom goingoff about the spit particles of the demons that reside inside the atmosphere burning my skin.”

“Sorry, sorry, that’s right! Dammit Kyomi!!!”

“I didn’t stop you. You’re lack of self-discipline got in the way. Mom said that she has been trying to work with you on that. Dad says it is no use, that you are a loss cause.”

“And I say that you’re a bigger bitch than a bitch!”

“You heard that song too? Guess hip-hop is out here after all.”

With that said, Hina went to her room. Kyomi and I are left inside of the living room, alone. In a lot of ways, I do want this. Maybe I attracted it, Kyomi represents the type of guy that’s not available to me. No nervousness. No fake modesty. He’s…cool.

“Sara.” Kyomi said, causing a stir in my soul. “How’s growing up treating you?”

“No different than Hina I suppose.”

“Nah, you’re handling life a lot better than Hina. That or you’re an excellent

faker. Either way, you’re ahead of Hina.”

“Hina’s done well for herself.”

“Sure, inside the social matrix she has done alright. Then you consider what really matters, your day to day happiness. She fails. It’s not even close.”

I never did think of it that way. Day to day happiness. Where do I rank? You might say that I’m happy enough. I woke up in the morning and did not hate myself, so there’s that benefit. Most of the time I do not feel depressed. My energy’s at a good level. Not too bad if I say so myself.

“Why are you talking about Hina like this?”

“I figured that since you’re her friend, maybe you could drop some hints to her. Maybe I’m being too convoluted.”

Hina walks out of her room, inspecting Kyomi and I. She stares at Kyomi as though she has no trust of any of the intentions that he may hold. Kyomi, standing there, ever so nonchalantly turns his head away. In a lot of ways, Kyomi took all the relaxation in the family and left Hina with the spazzy gene.

“Ugh!” Hina let out. “Let’s go!”

“Not going to stick around for teatime little sis?”

“Maybe if we were in London! But in Tokyo? I don’t think so.”

“Suit yourself. Sara and I will just have to enjoy ourselves.”

“Fuck that!”

Grabbing my hand, Hina left her apartment, dragging me along with her. Looking back, Kyomi sent over a smile and a wink. I wonder if Hina’s genuinely annoyed by Kyomi, or if at this point it was all shtick and it’s like sliding into an old pair of slippers.

After hanging out with Hina downtown, I decide that it’s time to head back home and deal with mother. Lately I have been putting that off. Well, more than the usual amount. It’s just that, every time I saw her and her get up it reminds me of how far humanity has fallen. Though to be fair, humanity has fallen well before her or my time.

Crossing the street, the driver in the Toyota Camry looks familiar to me. Sure enough kismet is on my side. Sensei’s driving down the street and has stopped as I am using the crosswalk. Our eyes, engaged. Unless I’m sorely mistaken, there’ a current that runs between the two of us in this moment in time. Like two magnets coming into union.

“Sara?” Sensei asked.

“Hey Sensei!”

“You need a ride?”

“My mom told me not to get into the car with strange men.”

“Please, stop playing around and get in.”

Sensei has a 2017 Camry. It’s not bad. The blue paint job and the black exterior worked. Sensei keeps his car simple. A basic air freshener thing that hangs on the rearview mirror. I do notice an Old boy bumper sticker. Those hipper looking ones where they are essentially peeking out, staring at the car

behind them.

“You were with Hina?” Sensei confirmed. “I assume just finishing up any homework that you had left.”

“Yeah, we talked about that.”

“Hey, I’m off the clock. If this were a movie, I would light a cigarette right in front of you.”

“Why does it have to be inside of a movie?”

“Because, that’s where consequences don’t matter.”

“Do you wish that you were an actor or something?”

“Psh. I would only be seen for my looks. My intelligence would be wasted on those rom coms.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“What’s fun is being able to gain insight. What’s the last book that you’ve read?”

“I read Violet Evergraden.”

“A light novel?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“Those are for fourteen-year olds.”

“I consider them to be the young adult books of the east.”

“Have you read anything from Yusuke Kishi?”

“Who?”

“Shin Sekai Yori.”

“Oh! I loved that anime!”

“It was an actual novel too.”

“What does that mean?”

“No anime like drawings.”

“Is there a manga version of it?

“How about this? I’ll let you read it and you can decide if you need illustrations or not?”

Sensei takes me to his apartment. Cannot believe that the quickest way into his apartment is reading. Sensei’s apartment is more, how do I put it, stylish. He has this Zen Buddhism thing going on. There’s a gong in his living room, the yin and yang symbol, a small coy pond that had a few real fish. There’s even a kimono hanging off the coat rack.

“Sensei, are you secretly a monk?”

“I wish. I would make a lot more money.”

“How?”

“Monks can accept donations.”

Sensei goes over to his bookshelf to grab Shin Sekai Yori. Standing inside his apartment, I feel like I am experiencing DeJa’Vu having been inside Hina and Kyomi’s apartment, alone with an older man. Though, this apartment has a much more deliberate sense about it if you will.

“Here it is.” Sensei Watanabe walked out with the book in hand, handing it over to me.”

“Horror fantasy? Got to love it.”

“Definitely makes for a unique combination of genres.”

“Sensei, I like your apartment. It’s very…”

“Off beat?”

“No. Feng shui.”

“Thanks, I have made efforts to make the place have “chill” sort of energy. It can be hard with the daily grind. Well, look who I’m telling.”

“I’m sure being a teacher is challenging.”

“Yes. However, I could not imagine being a young lady in this day and age. Especially with how these young men are developing. Or rather, the lack of development.”

“Guys my age are terrible.”

“I suppose it’s just a part of this tech age that we’re in.”

Speaking more to sensei, I cannot deny it any longer. My feelings for him are true. I am in love. He’s everything that I want to a man that I could not have. He speaks in ways that I can only dream of a guy speaking to me. The way that he carries himself makes it effortless for me to swoon over him.”

“Sensei, are you single?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious ya know? Never have heard you speak about your private life.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely been by design.”

“You can trust me!”

“That’s what they all say.”

“All?”

“I’m just messing. I have a girlfriend.”

“Oh.”

“You say that like you’re disappointed.”

“Am I that obvious?”

“Maybe this isn’t my first go around.”

“Sensei! Is this what you do?!? Bring innocent unsuspecting high school girls back to your apartment?”

“No. But it does sound like something that I could pull off. Thanks for the idea.”

“That wasn’t what I was trying to do Sensei!”

“Oh? I thought that you had orchestrated all this to get into my apartment and therefore, into my pants.”

“Wha…you can’t say all that! We do live in a me-too society you know?”

“True. Mostly in the West, but true. You won’t snitch on me, will you?”

“If you behave yourself.”

“I will do my best to not be a creep.”

“That’s all we ask.”

Seeing me out, I leaveto go home with Shin Sekai Yori in hand. Truth be told, I am not really in the mood for reading anything. It’s just that Sensei Watanabe had a way of getting me to do things that he wanted. That was probably why I always get As in his class. I cannot handle disappointing him in any capacity. Even if it means reading a book that I was not planning on.

Walking down the sidewalk, it’s a busy time of day in Tokyo. Everyone’s rushing to get home. That includes a city bus driver. I notice his as I am walking by. He has a kindness to him. Noticing me, he turns and smiles. It’s a nice moment that I would not expect during this time of day.

“AHHHH!”

His bus comes to screeching halt. But not before you could hear a body being slammed into his bus. Running up, blood was gushing out of this body. Other nearby pedestrians rush up as the bus driver gets out. What’s strange is the physical make up of this creature. He or she did not seem human. As one it’s hands unraveled it became clear just what it is.

No need to spell it out.

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