From the phone, Chishiki cleared her throat and said. “Mika may have a slender body but she leans on the slightly malnourished side.” Akemi glanced at Mika’s arm which was holding onto a pair of chopsticks that had a piece of shrimp tempura pinched between the tips. Mika felt her stare as she tried to block her arm using her hand, she gulped down a mouthful of food and said. “What?” Akemi shook her head sideways, she said. “I’m just worried about your health, that’s all.” Mika placed the large half-eaten shrimp tempura back on top of her bento.
She said. “I’ll let you two know that I’m not the only one who lives off convenience store food.” Mika used her chopsticks to pick up some rice while Chishiki’s voice came from the phone. Chishiki said. “Fine… Akemi, where’s the location of the next meeting? Negotiations with the last one fell through on the account the COO kept getting close to me to feel my ass.” Mika was in the middle of chewing as she took a sip of her green tea, she said. “Still searching for a supplier for the glass vials?” Akemi nodded her head and said. “That and the list of things Reiki gave us.”
Mika’s brows slightly furrowed, she said. “Speaking of Reiki, with your connections. Do either of you know who the higher-ups… He claims to be a… Messenger for?” Akemi moved her gaze onto the phone and said. “I’ll text you two locations after I hang up and make sure to remember to pick me up on the first one.” She glanced at Mika who was waiting for her answer, Akemi continued. “We’ve… Met the higher-ups over lunch before.” Mika’s eyes slightly lit up with hope, she said. “Who are they?” From the phone, Chishiki’s voice came out.
She said. “We can’t say.” The hope in Mika’s eyes was replaced with anger as she placed her chopsticks on top of her bento and said. “Why? You two forced me to call you my sisters and drank me under the table. At the very least you could tell me who's calling the shots.” Akemi gave Mika’s shoulder a couple of pats. Akemi said. “If we're lucky, maybe you’ll get to meet her in a week or two. At that point, Chishiki and I have a bet to see how you'd react. One of us bet on shock and the other put money that you might crack under pressure.”
Mika had doubt written all over her face, she said. “I’ve worked in a black company. Nothing can surprise me anymore.” From the phone Chishiki said. “It was because of my experience in working for one I decided to take my chances in starting my own.” Akemi let out a soft sigh and said. “Don’t forget the worst part.” Mika picked up her chopsticks as she, Chishiki, and Akemi spoke in unison. They said. “Promotions.” Mika shook her head sideways while Akemi had a hint of disdain in her eyes.
Chishiki’s voice came from the phone on the table, she said. “Mika, you have experience in a handful of part-time jobs. What’s the worst case of a promotion being given to a guy instead.” Mika used her chopsticks to pick up a lotus root tempura, she thought for a few seconds and said. “The secretary for the black company I worked at was sleeping with her boss long before I joined. Despite having the title secretary she did everything and I mean everything, a couple of weeks later there was a position open that would give her a big pay raise and lower work hours.”
She turned her head to look at Akemi and continued. “The job was given to a guy who couldn’t even recite the multiplication table for six. Fast forward a week later everything was in chaos because no one knew how to do anything, the company went under before the end of the month.” Mika ate the tempura lotus root while Akem nodded her head and said. “Mine isn’t as extreme compared to both of you… The boss disguised moving to an entirely different branch as a promotion but the pay it was offering was double.”
She watched Mika eat her bento as she offered her a tempura lotus root that had a bite taken out of it. Akemi raised her hand and waved it sideways to refuse, she said. “To his surprise, not everyone was fighting to move halfway across the country leaving their family and life behind. The only two who wanted it were a newly hired guy who didn’t know how to use a fax machine and a woman who’s been working there for three years. It was given to the newly hired.” Akemi moved her gaze back onto the phone on the table.
While Mika continued eating her bento, Chishiki’s voice rang out from the phone. She said. “Unlike you two who had a front-row seat of someone’s misfortune. I was the unlucky individual that got pushed to the side.” Mika’s eyes had a hint of surprise in them, she reached for her bottle of green tea and took a sip from it. Mika said. “Really?” Akemi spoke in a whisper and said. “You can’t see her but she’s nodding.” Mika let out a chuckle as Chishiki spoke with a hint of anger in her tone.
Chishiki said. “I heard that, do that again and you’ll need to take a cab to where the next meeting is.” Akemi’s lips curled into a slight smirk, she placed a hand on her hip and said. “That’s fine, I know where the meeting is being held at. Unlike a certain someone who can’t for the life of her type it down in her phone.” Akemi stared at the smartphone in victory while Mika ate her lunch in peace. Chishiki’s voice came from the phone, she said. “Mika, steal her phone and send me my schedule for the entire day.”
Mika almost spat out the food in her mouth, she reached for her bottle of green tea and took a sip of it. She said. “You make it sound like I have a chance of winning against her.” The smirk on Akemi’s lips grew bigger while Chishiki spoke through the phone. Chishikis said. “You don’t need to win against her, just get the phone and send me the details.” Mika had a hint of confusion on her face, she said. “Wait, aren’t you driving? Why aren’t you being stopped?” Akemi thought for a few seconds as her eyes slightly widened in realization.
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Tea Drinking Shop
Chishiki was wearing her usual kimono as she sat on a chair by the glass wall, on the table near her was her phone along with a plate of what was left of an apple pie. On top of the pie was a third of a scoop of vanilla ice cream that was half melted, Chishiki said. “That’s because I’m not driving, I am currently at a kissaten snacking on an apple and some ice cream.” She reached for a cup of tea and took a sip of it as Akemi’s voice came from the phone.
Akemi said. “When you’re going to buy a cup of coffee to go, can you buy my regular order?” Chishiki used a fork to cut a bite-size portion of the apple pie that had some melted ice cream on top, she said. “I’ll buy it if you give me the address for the meeting.” She used the fork to stab the bite-size apple pie and ate it while Akemi’s voice came from the phone. Akemi said. “I’ll tell you where to pick me up and then we’ll go to the meeting.” Chishiki swallowed and said. “Deal.”
Mika’s voice came from the phone, she said. “You never told us your story of getting denied a promotion.” Chishiki picked up the teacup by the handle as she took a small whiff of it, she said. “I guess it’s only fair that I share something… I was ambitious in that company, I accepted all the deals no one else would. Everyone knew that my self-proclaimed rival kept stealing my contracts when everything was finalized.” She took a sip of her earl gray and placed it back on the coaster, Chishiki said. “But, I didn’t care. I thought when the time came, my effort would get recognized.”
She used the fork to cut the last bit of the apple pie into two pieces, Chishiki continued. “It didn’t, the higher-ups congratulated him for everything he did for the company and not a single one spoke up on my behalf.” She ate a piece of apple pie while Mika’s voice came from the phone, she said. “What was the company's name?” Chishiki gulped the food in her mouth and said. “Traditional Tonic.” She ate the last bit of apple pie and ice cream on her plate while Mika’s voice came from the phone.
Mika said. “Oh, traditional tonic…” She let out an audible gasp and continued. “You worked at the number one potion brewery?!” Chishiki didn’t answer as she reached for her cup of tea and took a sip of it. Akemi spoke with a hint of mocking in her tone, she said. “They’re number one in Japan, but compared to other countries it's at the bottom of the barrel.” Chishiki heard a soft thud from the phone while Mika interrupted Akemi. Mika said. “That’s not important, at the start of the year tonic had a steady rise and all… Of a sudden stagnated…”
Chishiki drank the last bit of tea in her cup, she placed it back on the coaster and said. “Akemi, I’m hanging up. Our coffee should be done in ten to fifteen minutes.” She raised her hand as a waitress made her way to her table while Akemi’s voice came from the phone, she said. “Alright, I’ll leave our potion master in the making alone so she can practice in peace.” Chishiki hung up on the phone call as the waitress was near her table. The waitress gave her a polite smile and said. “Is there anything I can do for you, miss?”
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Chishiki gestured at the empty plate and cup on her table and said. “I would like to add two cups of coffee to my current bill, both of them are to go and I’ll order them at the counter.” The waitress said. “Yes, that should be no problem.” She picked up the coaster below the cup of tea and placed it on the plate, the waitress took the empty plate and made her way to the kitchen. Chishiki stared out the glass wall and thought. I wonder… Was I recruited because of my debt or… Did they know I was responsible for traditional tonic…
Chishiki’s lips turned into a wry smile as she shook her head sideways and continued her train of thought. … I doubt the elves have an informant… Plus he made sure to cover up everything… She stood up from her seat and made her way to the counter, Chishiki thought. No use in overthinking things, as long as I get to see his face when that company is in ruins.
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Ketsueki’s House
Reiki made his way to the front of the door, placed his hand on the doorknob, and tried to turn it. He thought. Locked… Reiki felt a cold sweat drip down his neck when he heard the sound of the lock getting undone from the inside. The door opened revealing Namida with a smug smile on her face, she said. “Admit it, I scared you for a second.” Reiki kept a straight face and said. “Oh, it’s just you Namida.” Namida let out a sigh as she made way for him to enter, she said. “You and your sister are no fun. Cottontail is the only one I can tease.”
Reiki made his way inside while Namida continued. “Well… I can tease your older sister on rare occasions.” Reiki squatted down to untie his sports shoes while Namida closed the door and locked it. Reiki said. “What brings you to my sister’s humble abode?” Namida had a serious look on her face, she said. “I’m here to steal everything of value in this house.” Reiki took out his sports shoes, slid open the shoe compartment, and placed them inside. He said. “That would be me.” He took out a pair of white indoor slippers and put them on.
Reiki did a half-turn and noticed that Namida was also wearing indoor slippers. Namida placed a hand on her hip and said. “In that case, how about I kidnap you and demand a ransom from her?” Reiki’s mouth curled into a smirk, he said. “Sure.” A hint of surprise appeared on Namida’s face while Reiki continued. “I don’t mind watching my older sister own you in a fight.” Namida’s expression slightly fell as her lips turned into a small frown, she said. “You are no fun.” Reiki started making his way into the house as Namida walked beside him. He said. “Why are you really here?”
Namida placed a hand in her pocket and said. “Oh, Ketsueki told me to fetch some m-...” She stopped herself as the two of them reached the living room as Reiki picked up the remote on the coffee table and passed it to her. Namida faked a cough and continued. “... Medical supplies…” She took the remote from his hands and sat down on the couch while ignoring the odd look Reiki was giving her. Reiki had a hint of doubt all over his face, he said. “Medical supplies?” While switching through the channels Namida nodded, she said. “... The supplies are in a… Cardboard box….”
Reiki placed his hand on the armrest of the couch and leaned on it, he said. “Alright, supplies aside. Can I get you anything?” Namida placed an arm around Reiki’s shoulder and pulled him closer as the two heads were a few inches apart. Namida glanced at him from the corner of her eye and said. “Reiki, out of all the kids I know. You and cottontail are my favorite.” Reiki kept a straight face, he said. “Thanks, now what do you want?” Namida moved her hand away from Reiki’s shoulders as he stood up straight. Namida said. “Make me a snack that goes well with beer… And use a large platter.”
Namida took the pair of white indoor slippers off as she placed both her feet on the coffee table, from the corner of her eye Reiki was still standing by the couch. Namida turned her head to face him, she said. “Reiki?” Reiki had a pondering look on his face, he said. “What kind of beer are you going to drink?” Namida felt her heart sink as she quickly spoke in a nervous tone and said. “R-Reiki…” She forced herself to let out a laugh, Namida continued. “Drinking isn’t that-.”
Reiki interrupted her and said. “I’m just asking so that I can make something that compliments the drink.” Namida’s eyes slightly lit up as the nervousness in her voice instantly disappeared, she said. “I’m in the mood for a lager. It’s smooth, mellow, and has a light, crisp taste.” Reiki pretended to think, he thought. I would kill for a cold one from the UK. He nodded and said. “In that case… Onion rings with a generous pinch of salt should be a good accompaniment.” Namida leaned on the backrest of the couch, she said. “I’ll be honest with you Reiki, I’ve never been a fan of onion rings.”
She reached for one of the cushions on the couch and placed it behind her neck, Namida continued. “But since you're the one making it, I have expectations.” Reiki made his way to the kitchen and said. “Just don’t forget what my older sister asked you to get.” Namida waved her hand at him in dismissal, she thought. It’s pretty hard to forget that she has cardboard boxes in her closet filled with marked bills. She glanced in the direction of the kitchen and put on the pair of slippers she took off that were on the floor. Namida’s shadow turned darker as she slowly sunk it in while she kept her gaze on the TV.
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Kitchen
Reiki skillfully removed the onion peel with the knife, on the counter were a dozen large white onions along with two bowls where he placed all the peel. He placed the onion on a wooden chopping board, cut off the tunic and the root of it, and placed the onion in the empty bowl. Ender’s voice rang in his head, he said. [You forgot one small thing.] Reiki quickly peeled through two onions as he placed them in the bowl beside the one with all the peel. He thought. What? Reiki reached for another onion and started peeling it.
Ender said. [That kid was supposed to be one of the vessels you were going to offload the blessings to.] Reiki finished peeling two-thirds of the onions as he placed another one in the bowl with the others, he thought. … Oh yeah… There’s still his two older brothers, won’t they do? He reached for another onion and started peeling it, Ender said. [It’ll work, just be prepared for the amount of pain when I remove their blessings.]
Reiki finished peeling all the onions, he placed the knife on the counter, pulled the cabinet at the edge revealing a trash can, and picked up the bowl filled with onion peel. He said. “It can’t be that bad, you’ve seen my memories. I’ve been captured and tortured three times in my old life.” He emptied the bowl of onion peel into the trash, closed it using his foot, and placed the bowl into the sink. Reiki thought. … Tartar sauce… Might as well make a large batch so I can have some for fish and chips.
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Ketsueki’s Room
Namida was slowly rising from the shadow near the door, she turned the light on by using the switch near the door, looked around the room, and said. “Since I have a few minutes to spare…” Her ankles were still submerged in the silhouette as Namida raised her left foot and placed it on the ground. She said. “Time to snoop around to see if she’s hiding anything.” She moved her right leg away from the shadow as it returned to its normal shade of black. Namida made her way to the closet and opened it revealing Ketsueki’s boyish choice of clothes.
Namida shook her head sideways and thought. She needs an entirely new wardrobe. She reached for the large cardboard box that was resting on top of another one and opened it revealing it was filled with brown envelopes. Namida picked up one envelope and opened it revealing a stack of ten thousand yen bills inside, she said. “It makes me wonder how the company gets their hands on so many marked bills…” She moved her gaze back onto the brown envelopes and thought. She never told me how many I should bring with me…
Namida placed the envelope she opened into her pocket, she continued her train of thought. Then, I might as well take a lot so she can’t complain about me not getting enough. She started grabbing the brown envelopes by twos and shoving them into her pocket. Namida neatly closed the top of the cardboard box, shut the closet, and looked around her friend's room. She thought. Now… Where should I start?... She made her way to the nightstand beside the bed and opened the drawer revealing black panties. Namida picked one up as she had a hint of surprise on her face.
She said. “Are these still the same ones she wore when we went to the onsen?.” Namida unfolded the black pair of panties and positioned it against the light in the center of the ceiling, she thought. Oh? It’s slightly see-through, that’s unexpected. Namida neatly folded them, placed the panties back in the drawer, and was about to close it when she heard Reiki’s voice from the first floor. Reiki said. “Namida! The first batch is done, I need you to come over here and tell me what you think.” Namida’s eyes had a hint of panic as she closed the drawer and quickly made her way to the door.
She turned the light off while her shadow turned darker as Namida instantly sank into her silhouette.
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Living Room
Namida instantly rose from the shadows as she quickly sat back down on the couch and took out a can of beer from her pocket. Reiki made his way to the living room and saw that Namida was about to open a can of beer as she gave him a wry smile. Namida let out a laugh and said. “Reiki… We can keep this as our little secret, right?” Reiki stared at the can she was holding, he said. “This makes my job easier, follow me into the kitchen.”