Yui growled loudly, hurling the slim black leather folio in her hand to the countertop of the Phoenix main bar from more than a meter away. It landed with a loud clap that punctuated the clacking of her six-centimeter heels on the hardwood bar floor. “Fuck!”
Her partner cringed, walking around the bar to envelop Yui in her arms. “Went that well, huh?” She received a sad nod in reply, rubbing Yui’s back comfortingly through the black cotton blazer she wore. “I mean, at least you look good.”
“Please,” Yui snapped, rolling her eyes and lolling her neck hard enough to let her blonde hair droop into her face. “I look like a fucking lawyer. Stupid skirt. I can’t fucking move in this thing. I hate it!”
Sakura shook her head with a little tsk. “Hey, it’s my outfit, ya know! You don’t seem to mind seeing me in it!”
Yui managed a weak smile, only then returning Sakura’s hug. “Yeah, but… business girl has always been more your vibe. And besides, you look good in anything, even if it’s this whole sweat pants and tee shirt, just rolled out of bed, no fucks given thing you’ve got goin’ on today.” She motioned to Sakura’s body, dragging her hand in the air up and down her frame to indicate its totality.
“Yeah? Well, right back at ‘cha, babe,” Sakura said, offering the lithe blonde a kiss on the cheek and releasing her from her grip. “You wanna talk about what happened?”
Yui shrugged, tossing the blazer over the back of a bar stool and unbuttoning the top two buttons of the long-sleeved ivory satin blouse she wore under it. “Same thing as the last three. They’re all flush with applicants everywhere around here because the college kids will be back in two weeks, so they won’t hire anybody on without a letter of recommendation and stuff.”
Sakura turned her hand to the side, making a keep going gesture by rolling her wrist in the direction of Yui’s borrowed shirt. She hopped up onto the bar stool opposite Yui’s well on the customer side. “You don’t have to stop at two buttons, ya know.” She licked her lips suggestively, trying to lighten her lover’s mood somewhat. So far, it was not working. “I mean, if that’s the problem, any of us could give you a letter. None of us are officially related, or even have the same family names, so they can’t get you on the whole nepotism letters don’t count thing. I’ll write one up for you tonight, and tell everybody you’re an expert bartender, an experienced front-of-house manager, and a fan-friggin-tastic lay. What could possibly go wrong?”
The blonde managed a slight chuckle, eyeing the mostly-full bottle of Jack Daniels in her well a little longingly. “Yeah, maybe that would have worked, except for the minor detail that my superstar baby sister went and announced that everyone who works in this place is a family. On national television. Twice. It’s not like I’m Anonymous Bottle Girl Number Three at Steam, Sakura.”
The black-haired woman reached across the bar for Yui’s hand, taking it in her own and giving it a reassuring little bounce. Sakura’s dangly silver bracelet clacked against the polyurethane counter surface with each move. “Hey, come on, now. That’s not fair. Don’t do that. Don’t hold it against Ranko. She had no way to know this was coming, and she was just being proud of her family - as she should be. Speaking as someone who just married into it a few weeks ago, I have to say, it’s pretty flippin’ awesome.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have,” Yui grumbled dejectedly. “You gave up a great job, making good money, to come up here and get fucked over right alongside all of us.”
Sakura reached forward with both hands, using them to part Yui’s arms. She leaned down over the counter, smiling up at her between her lover’s wrists. “Nuh-uh. Don’t you ever think that, Miss Fukawa. Not for a freakin’ second, you hear me? I would rather get fucked over holding your hand than be a billionaire somewhere without you. I traded that good job for you once, and I’d do it a thousand times, no matter what happens next.”
Yui sighed heavily, taking her hand back. She slumped over the counter, propping herself up on her elbows and holding her head in her hands. “I know, Sake. And, I don’t hold anything against Ranko, either. I never would. Besides, I know she’d be killing herself to try to fix all of this, if Mama would just let us tell her what happened. Mama’s right that Ranko would just do something dumb and self-destructive and probably make things worse, but I know her heart would be in the right place and she’d do her best. It just sucks, is all. Everything about this does.”
The blonde closed her eyes, her muscles relaxing with a long, quiet exhalation as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her back from behind. While she’d not seen anyone approach through the slatted door to the back of the house, she’d have been able to pick out the familiar smell of that leather jacket in a typhoon full of fish markets. It smelled, in a way no other thing ever could, like home.
“Hey, Mama. Have you heard anything?’
Hana sighed quietly, squeezing her daughter gently. “Not yet, sweetheart. I left another three messages with the Tsuchiba people today. They own a lot of properties around here, and I'm guessing we aren't the only ones they did this to. They're either frantic on the phone with people they screwed, or they've metaphorically taken the phones off the hook.”
“What about Nabiki,” Sakura asked hopefully. “Did she find anything we can use yet?”
The family matriarch bit her lip, shaking her head softly. “She's been over the lease three times. She said the contract language is, and I quote, buttoned up tighter than Hitomi’s dresses. Don't look at me in that tone of voice, Sakura. They're her words, not mine.”
Yui slumped her head forward in despair. “I feel so fucking helpless! I’m supposed to be the one to look out for my family, and I can’t even take care of myself and my new wife!” She gesticulated across the bar to Sakura with her hand in exasperation as she ranted. “I was the one that was supposed to keep everything together, and I fucking blew it! Just… damn it!” She slammed her palms down hard on the countertop with a loud thwack that echoed through the empty bar room.
“Yui, baby, I want you to listen to me now,” Hana said softly, resting her chin on her daughter’s padded shoulder from behind as she held her. “It’s not your job to solve this for everybody, okay? If anybody should feel responsible for you girls, it’s me. I’m the owner, and more importantly, I’m your mother. But none of us could have seen this coming. We had no warning, and I left my crystal ball in my other pants.”
Hana sighed quietly, taking Yui by the shoulders with a firm grip and physically turning her daughter to face her. “We are going to get through this. Don’t ask me how, because I don’t know yet. But we are going to get through it. Together. At the very least, Aya and Izumi should be okay financially, between their husbands’ jobs and Izumi’s fashion design work. If push comes to shove, Mei can probably help Izzi with sewing work here and there and make at least a little something temporarily, too. Ranko and Akane have their scholarships, plus whatever comes in from Ranko’s music, however unreliable that’s been. Everybody will have to tighten their belts a little bit for a while until they find something, but they’ll all survive. That just leaves the three of us and Seiichi to worry about.”
Stolen novel; please report.
Sakura stood on the footrests of her stool and reached across the counter for the soda gun, filling a pilsner glass with dark liquid as she spoke. “I’ve got a call into Mr. Fukumara’s office about my old job - the one in town; the one I left down in Fukuoka’s already been filled - or to see if they have anything else around here for any of us. No bites yet, but his secretary said she’d let me know if she heard of anything.”
Yui rested her forehead on her mother’s chest through the lapel of her leather jacket. “Yeah, but… Mama, this is gonna be even worse on you. I know you don’t have any money put away or anything, between how lean it was around here for so long and you getting sick, so don’t try to tell me you do. Me, Sake, and Seiichi, we can make do just about anywhere, but… you’re supposed to be taking it easy, not hustling out there trying to survive.”
“I can always take the public pension. It’s not a lot, but it’ll keep my apartment and stuff paid for,” Hana said, though the tone of her voice left Yui wondering how confident she was in her own assertion. “But either way, it doesn’t matter. That’s not your concern. I’m not old enough yet that it’s time for you to worry about taking care of me. I’m still the mother around here, you got me?”
Yui nodded glumly. “Yes, ma’am.”
Hana smiled, stretching up slightly on her toes to kiss Yui on the forehead. “That's my girl. Now, go give your wife a big hug, and let's shake it off for tonight. We're down, but we’re not out yet, and if we’re only gonna get a few more weeks in this place, we’re gonna work our butts off and make every day count. Right?”
“That’s right, mom!” Sakura reached over the counter, extending her palm upward. Hana reached around Yui’s ribs, slapping her newest daughter's hand in a high five.
Yui smirked as Sakura enveloped her in her arms. “Well, I for one am not working anything off until I get out of this itchy-ass skirt!”
Her wife nodded. “Your clothes are upstairs on the bed, babe.”
The blonde purred in gratitude as she collected the blazer from the stool to Sakura’s left. “I do not deserve you, woman, but thank you. I'm gonna go get changed.” She managed a coy smile down at the black-haired vision on the bar stool. “You comin’?”
Sakura tittered softly. “Not if either of us want to get anything done before we open, I'm not. Go on. Shoo! I wanna watch that ass of yours walk away in those heels, girl!”
After Yui had disappeared up the stairs, Hana turned to her daughter's partner. “Okay. Are we having any luck?”
The younger woman reached to the side of the bar, retrieving her portable computer and flipping the lid open. It emitted a merry little bong chime as it began to power up. “Not especially. It's hard, because half the property in this part of town is being bought up by these Ishido assholes, and everybody being thrown out on their asses like us is in a bidding war for anything in the other half that's available.”
Sakura turned the computer to face the employee side of the bar, showing Hana a spreadsheet listing dozens of addresses. Next to each were floor sizes in square meters and monthly rent prices broken down at price per meter. “Even smaller venues than this place are being pushed out of our price range by the demand. We could expand the search out to Shibuya if you want.”
Hana nodded in acknowledgement of the grim tidings. “I hate to go out that far, since everyone lives so close to here, and it would be a lot of travel. Let's give it two, three more days, and if nothing breaks, I guess we’ll start checking Shibuya, Chuo, and Meguro.”
Sakura nodded. “And I suppose I'm still supposed to keep this quiet, right?”
Hana sighed gently. “For a little while longer, please, honey. I don't want your sisters to get their hopes up. I'm sure you'll tell Yui. I don't want you two keeping secrets from each other, especially right now. But let's compartmentalize this as best we can, just a little longer.”
With a shake of her head and a trio of fingers raked through her hair, Sakura closed the computer screen again. “You know, Mom… I know I'm new to your family and all, and it's probably not my place to say, but it seems to me like everybody wants to pitch in any way they can and help this place survive. I guess I don't understand why you're making it so hard for the girls to help you.”
The proprietress bit her lip, nodding slowly in contemplation. “First things first: you are every bit as much my daughter as Yui or any of your sisters. There's no waiting period on that. You're a hundred percent a part of this family, and your opinion is always welcome.”
Sakura smiled sincerely, a warm sensation crossing her cheeks. “Yes, Mama.”
“As for the rest of what you said…” Hana's shoulders drooped a bit. “You’re probably right. I just… most of my life, I've been there for these girls to protect them whenever anything bad happens in their life. Anything from a sprained ankle, to a failed exam…” She tipped the soda glass in her hand toward Sakura. “... to a devastating breakup with a cherished girlfriend.”
Sakura winced wordlessly as her mother continued.
“And now, it's like… something bad is happening to all of us, something that threatens the home we built together. The place where I promised them they'd always be safe. And… I guess I just feel like I don't want them to have to fight for this place because I gave them my word they would never have to fight for their places here. I… I know I'm getting older, Sakura. I know how close I came to kicking the bucket back in April. And I just…” Hana reached up, wiping her eyes with her wrinkled fingers. “I want to protect them from the big, scary monster one last time if I can. I don't want them to ask them to face this.”
Sakura hopped down from her stool, walking around the counter. “Maybe not. But you’ve spent your life showing them time and time again that standing shoulder-to-shoulder against the big, scary monster is what family does. So now, you can’t blame them when they don't want you to have to face it alone, either. They - we - want to fight for you the way you always fight for us. The way you taught them, and continue to teach us, every day. It's family, Hana. It's supposed to be reciprocal. We - and I dare say especially Yui - want to prove to you that we’re ready.” She reached out, pulling Hana into a tight hug behind the bar. “You've built a hell of a team, the seven of us girls. Let us have your back as much as you've got ours. Please.”
Hana stepped back out of the hug after returning it for a moment, clasping Sakura tightly about her forearms. “You know, Yui has often been the one I worried most about, if anything ever happened to me.” She leaned down, kissing Sakura gently on the forehead. “I'm so glad she ended up with someone as wise as you, honey.”
Sakura blushed softly as Hana's lips broke contact with her face just below her bangs.
“You're right, of course,” the elder woman said, “with one exception.”
“Ranko?” Sakura bit her lip, leaning on the counter.
Hana nodded sadly. “She’s the youngest. She's not ready for this stuff yet. She's… still healing inside. She was so utterly broken, honey. You don't even know what it was like in the beginning. She needs stability, even if it's just an illusion right now. And besides, there's nothing she can do to help from all the way out there but go crazy with worry, anyway.”
“I understand,” Sakura said with a resolute nod. “I don't necessarily agree with your decision, but I will respect it, because I respect you.”
“Thank y…”
Hana’s voice trailed off abruptly at the sound of an exclamation coming from the direction of the front door. She looked up to find a young woman, a mask of rage painted across her face, stalking furiously toward the bar room in a pair of black slacks and an orange polyester blouse.
“Fucking interviews! I swear, Mama! Can you fucking BELIEVE they said I couldn't keep my BLUE HAIR?!”