Ueno Hajime was very muscular for a man his age. Along with the slicked back hair, sunglasses, and raspy voice, he could easily pass for some sort of sectarian elder except for the fact that he didn’t bear a single mark.
“Ah…” he said in a deep voice as YF entered, looking up from his monitor. “Yasu-kun...omae ha kita...na.”
“Ojyamashimashita,” said YF, bowing deeply.
Ueno burst out laughing. “You’re not coming for a visit anymore, son. You should say ‘tadaima’.”
“Tadaima,” YF repeated obediently.
“Okaeri,” Ueno replied.
YF took a seat near the front entrance while his father in law continued to read the news. He could take out his receiver and read something himself, but he felt like things would pass more smoothly if he just stared at the wall clock. About five minutes later, Erika came to the tea room from the kitchen holding a large teapot, setting it down on the low table where Hajime was seated. “Oh, you made it,” she acknowledged YF with a smile. She then turned to her father. “Tea’s ready.”
“Thanks,” said Ueno, watching Erika pour the tea into a cup before taking it and sipping it carefully.
He shook a finger at YF. “Now that you’re here I can put in a word for you at the base. I know the rikugun-chujo for the 16th. He’ll take care of you.”
YF nodded while glancing off to the side awkwardly. He knew his father-in-law did not think much of his Sentinel career. For old school men like Hajime, enlisting was still seen as a badge of honor, a sure path to a respectable social standing no matter what a man was before. The problem was that YF was reaching an age where they probably wouldn’t take him even if he wanted to go. He briefly considered it many years ago, but the stories Eiji recounted after one tour fighting the northern rebels laid to rest any boyhood fantasies of the military YF still held.
YF assumed that the culture during Ueno Hajime’s time in was even more stifling and oppressive, but his father-in-law did not seem to share any of the negative feelings Eiji did. It was odd, then, that a man such as Erika’s father had married a leftist guerilla fighter. YF heard that his mother-in-law’s group had surrendered in a relatively bloodless fashion. The rumor was that Ueno Hajime was a low ranking officer at the prison of war camp, where he met his future wife.
Just then, a short haired, older woman holding a large radish and wearing farming overalls caked in mud appeared at the front door. “Oh my! It’s Yasu-kun.”
Kawamata Naomi looked just like any other auntie in the village. It was hard to imagine her leading the life of a notorious rebel leader — until her vibrant, friendly personality converted yet another passerby into an acquaintance, and an acquaintance into a friend. It was said that she was a tactical genius, inspiring fierce loyalty and devotion; after a decade of trying, the provincial magistrate gave up on quashing her movement. His government and her group had come to a deal whereby she would lay down her arms and convince the rural populace to cooperate if her followers were given positions in the administration. Kawamata herself retired from political activities. What followed was a moderate level of wealth and success for the province as a whole, where Erika’s father benefited from owning and managing several trucks for delivering goods.
YF’s father and mother-in-law could not have been more stark opposites. Erika told YF that she had never seen her mother with long hair nor wearing a kimono. “Not good for movement. And in life, you need to move quickly at a moment’s notice,” her mother had told her. Though Erika didn’t follow in her mother’s footsteps on the hair, YF couldn’t recall ever seeing his wife wear traditional garb. All of her clothes had some sort of function to them; Erika never chose things for the way they looked.
Naomi looked from YF to her husband. “Let me guess, he told you to enlist.”
“Honey…” Ueno started, looking defensive.
Naomi waved the radish in the air, dumping mud onto the tatami.
“Mom!” Erika exclaimed.
“I’ll wipe it later,” said Naomi.
She took off her shoes, her socks tracking damp patches over the floor as she crossed to the kitchen. “Don’t listen to him. The army didn't do much for him. He's just looking back on it through his sun visor."
Ueno looked miffed. "The army did a lot of things for me— "
Naomi looked over her shoulder, which was enough to silence him.
"Can't hurt to talk to the rikugun-chujo," Ueno muttered quickly in YFs direction. Naomi pretended not to hear it, and Erika smiled politely, pouring more tea.
"I will have to go back to the main island soon, father," said YF.
"What for?"
"I am the best man for a wedding. Will need to work that out before I come here.”
“Come here?” Ueno’s eyes perked up.
“Yes, I plan to live here permanently,” said YF.”
"No!" YF could hear from the kitchen, as Naomi stormed into the tea room. "I told Erika she shouldn’t come back here."
"Don't you want your daughter by your side?" Ueno protested. “I thought that’s what you—”
"What I don't want,” Naomi interrupted. “Is my daughter becoming narrow minded like everyone else here."
Ueno looked offended. Erika looked at the ground.
"This is a place to retire, not to live," Naomi added.
YF noticed that Erika was wearing long, fitted shorts-leggings and a thin sweater up to her elbows, covering up the mark. He wondered if his in-laws had seen it; something told him they hadn't. But when he saw the quick glance between Naomi and Erika, he realized what this was all about. Naomi had wanted Erika back when Viper Sect was in Itsugo. Now that Viper Sect was here, she wanted to send Erika away. It was obvious that YFs father in law wasn't told any of this.
"What do you mean narrow minded? You seem fine living here!" Ueno exclaimed.
"I'm old. She isn't," said Naomi.
"I thought you wanted her back…"
"I changed my mind."
"I will be here a bit longer," said Erika firmly. Her parents stopped talking. "I want to spend some time with Yasu before he goes though. So if you'll excuse me…"
"Good good," said Naomi clapping her hands once. "Go up to the Inamura onsen. Hachiya-san told me it'll clear out tonight. Go, go."
Erika stood up quickly and ran up to her mother, kissing her on the cheek. "Thanks ka-chan."
Naomi smiled. Ueno still looked upset. Erika grabbed YF and pulled him out of the house and toward the light truck.
***
"Eiji marrying Kaede?" asked Erika.
YF braced himself for whatever she was about to say, inhaling deeply. "Yes."
"Kaede sounds like a stripper name." She had made comments like that about most of Eiji’s girlfriends.
"Erika…" YF started.
"What are you all doing?" she asked in a dangerous tone.
"Reina suggested going up to the mountains. I'm leaning more towards that."
"You talked to Hana about it?"
"Yes."
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Erika nodded slowly. "She probably knows what to do for these sorts of things." She stared whimsically out toward their private onsen, the steam rising up into the night sky.
"Be honest,” said YF.
“Hmmm?”
“Do you wish you had that sort of life?"
“What sort of life?”
“The socialite type of life, whatever it is Reina does in her free time.”
"Sometimes," Erika admitted. "But I suppose being born a celebrity has its problems too. I don't think Hana ever had much breathing space. I see how it messes with her head."
"Weren’t you a celebrity?"
Erika raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Weren't you pretty popular in school?"
"I was," Erika admitted. "But that's hardly anything compared to what Hana deals with. In any case, that’s the past. Not important now."
YF still wanted Erika to go with him to the wedding, not just to see her wear a dress but also so that he could spend some more time with her. He thought about what could make her want to go. "Eiji says Kaede wants to meet you."
"We've met."
“I mean again."
"I don't have much to say to her."
YF sighed. “So I take it you aren't coming?"
“You want me to go?” she looked up at him and cracked a smile, the smile she always used before following up with “That’s cute.”
“It’d be nice.”
Erika turned back to watching the steam. “I’ll think about it. When did you say the wedding was? New Year?”
“Right.”
“Oh!” Erika’s eyes perked up. “I don’t think Hana will take that long to prepare. You should just stay until then.”
YF felt ready to do just that, but the thought of leaving Uraga to settle things with Hiroyuki by himself didn’t sit right with him. “I didn’t want to go around talking about this, but I also need to consult with Uraga about something.”
“Uraga?” asked Erika. “What do you need to talk to Uraga about?”
“I didn’t act alone,” he said softly.
“You’re saying Uraga went with you?”
“Him and another guy.”
“Who?”
YF gazed into Erika’s eyes, inquiring with his expression if he could trust her. Her eyes seemed to answer back in the affirmative.
“You know Higashi Ryoji?” he asked.
“Him…? Higashi?”
“What about him?”
“He struck me as a lot of talk and no action.”
“That’s essentially what he was to the operation. Started it with good intentions but seemed unable to carry through.”
Erika bit her lip. “I don’t know if I would say he has good intentions.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“Hana thinks Naka was playing with him but from my perspective Naka never liked him. He’s pushy, a bit creepy, full of himself, and terrible at listening, especially to women.”
“I see.”
Erika turned to him. “But Uraga and Ryoji...what happened…?”
“We’ve dealt with live heat before in Itsugo but it was usually from small pistols and the like. You know the punks out there can’t afford anything else.”
“Hata’s retainers were protecting the building, then? Machine guns?”
YF found her lack of knowledge hard to believe. “You didn’t see it on the news?”
“It wasn’t on the news,” said Erika.
YF shuddered at the thought of the leverage Hiroyuki must have to pull something like that. “All the more reason I really do need to leave.”
“Yasu…” Erika looked uneasy. “I don’t like where this is going. I think you should stay here. This needs to be thought out more.”
YF shook his head. “I’ve heard a few of you talk about the dangers of ‘half-measures’. Aren’t you all against retreating when you can fight?”
“The extreme path is not a road you can walk away from. The moment you step on it, it will mark everything that you do.”
“You seem to be walking it just fine.”
“Some people take the path so others won’t need to.”
“Isn’t that a rather arrogant way of putting it?” asked YF.
Erika shook her head. “I sometimes wish I never did.”
YF glanced at the black fan feather patterns visible through the collar of her shirt. Even now, memories of what had happened at the Double Phoenix compound sent a shiver down his spine. Erika had obviously done many more things she would never tell him, though he wondered how much worse it could get. The extreme path. What a frightening moniker.
“I will get him,” said YF.
“I don’t think we’re going to get another shot at this,” Erika cautioned. “We should go by Hana’s plan, make sure it’s done right once.”
“Reina hasn’t told me her plan,” said YF.
“Me neither.”
YF wrapped one arm around her, letting her grasp his hand and hold it to her chest.
“You don’t have to tell me Fujii is dead, I’m sure she is,” said Erika.
YF nodded.
“Let me tell you that whatever you saw, Hiroyuki is capable of much worse. I almost think he gets off on keeping all his enemies around to watch him rise to the top,” said Erika.
“Could be a twisted way of getting revenge for when we were younger.”
“I don’t want to hear any sympathy for that...thing,” Erika hissed.
“He’s my brother.”
Erika brushed YF’s arm off. “Your brother died when he left Itsugo the first time. I don’t even know what came back in his place.”
“He’s more similar to what he was than you think.”
Erika was breathing heavily by now. She lifted a finger. “When the time comes we will end him. If you’re standing the closest, it’ll have to be you.”
“You don’t trust me to do what needs to be done?” asked YF.
“Frankly, no.”
“Why am I here then?”
“Hana thinks you are the key to all this.”
YF shoved his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Hana this, Hana that. What do you think?” he demanded.
Erika lowered her finger, still breathing heavily.
“You know what?” YF squared his shoulders, his own breathing growing heavy. “I shoved a knife this deep into his gut.” He held both index fingers apart to indicate the length of the weapon. “I think that’s more than what you and your little club of tattooed radicals accomplished combined.”
Erika waved her hand in the air, walking toward the bathroom. “Fuck it then, hot shot. Go deal with him how you see fit. You use the onsen. I’m showering and going to sleep.”
YF grunted, sliding the glass door aside and stepping onto the stone steps.
***
The drive to the ferry terminal the next morning was silent. Erika wore her construction suit and opted to drive while the sun was still up so she could make it to site before the evening shift began. YF gazed out the tinted windows at the passing scenery. Though he was still in a sour mood, the idea of leaving Erika and going back to Itsugo did not make him feel happy. There would be several painful tasks to get through, paramount of which was to meet with Uraga. YF was sure when that happened he would have to first sit through an ass-chewing for skipping town.
When they arrived at the terminal, Erika turned to him with a tired expression. “Put your visor on.”
Both of them turned on their sun visors and stepped out of the truck.
The line to get on the ferry had already started to shuffle along, everyone’s head wrapped in the full faced helmet-like visor such that it looked like a row of ants marching. YF could feel the regret of leaving Erika hit him like a punch in the stomach. He turned to her, noting that she was fidgeting like she wanted to leave.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Sorry about what?”
“Yesterday.”
“Do you know why I’m mad?” asked Erika.
“I chose him over you. But you’re more important.”
Erika tsked. “If you knew the whole time why didn’t you just admit it earlier?”
“I...my ego I guess.”
Erika walked up to him and gave him an emotionally distant, one armed over-the-shoulder hug. “Well now you know. Come back soon.”
YF reached in and hugged her tightly, which she somewhat reciprocated.
“Okay okay. I have to go. Call me,” said Erika.
“I will.”
When Erika relaxed her body, YF slowly let go of her. She stood there a few extra seconds. “I love you,” she said.
“Me too.”
YF stared as Erika walked back to the truck and started it up. It wasn’t until the speakers on the ferry deck bellowed out the last boarding call that YF turned and sprinted toward the loading ramp.