Nathan Pedde - Tokyo Tempest

Anthony opened a cupboard and found bags chips and other snacks. All of the bags were in Japanese.

“The Japanese have some weird flavors.” Darren said, “Like avocado, and plum and beef.”

“A chip is a chip, and at least the bags are small.” Anthony said, “That way if it’s earwax flavor, I don’t have a big bag that’s wasted.”

“Earwax flavor?” Yuki said, “We would never have an ear wax flavor.”

Darren turned and looked at Yuki. She was visibly frustrated.

Darren put a hand on her arm, and she turned to look at him. Darren saw fire in her eyes.

“Yuki.” Darren said in Japanese, “It’s a reference from a stupid children’s book about wizards.”

Yuki’s face lit up.

“Oh…” Yuki said in English, “I am a huff…”

“Don’t start that.” Darren said, “I was forced to sit through the movies. I don’t want to hear about it.”

Darren and Yuki left the apartment. Darren walked down the road with Yuki beside him.

The street was a very narrow two-lane road that was barely wide enough for cars to pass by each other. A line of cars lined one side of the already narrow road making it even more cramped.

“Where did you want to go?” Darren said, “We ditched the younger brother. We have no studying to do at the moment. Where did you want to go?”

“Let’s go downtown.” Yuki said, “Let’s go shopping.”

Darren and Yuki walked for twenty minutes, and she led him into the subway. The subway entrance was housed around a large building that was sandwiched between two lanes of a road. The building was constructed in a white wood siding. Around the building was a series small shops and stores such as coffee shops, corner stores, and other small stores.

Off to one side was the entrance to the Subway. A white sign was hung by the opening with a red circle and a number on it. Darren knew that the sign designated the route number of the train that ran under his own feet.

Darren followed Yuki into the large entrance and through a set of chrome metal turnstiles. Darren used his transit pass to get on the subway. The escalator down to the subway station was steep and long. White tiles were on the walls, with a gray stone tile on the floor. Music played on speakers along the subway tunnel. Darren wasn’t sure who was currently playing, but he knew that it was a J-Pop group.

The subway was packed with people coming and going up and down the escalator. Groups of elementary aged school girls passed Darren going up the escalator. Their chatter was fast and high pitched. Like school-aged girls the world over. A few of them sang along to the songs playing on the speakers.

Darren followed Yuki off of the escalator and down the tunnel. They stepped onto the train, and it left the station behind. Darren and Yuki traveled in silence. Yuki leaned against Darren as they traveled. They both stared at their phones. News articles about Yellowstone flashed on the screens.

“This is our stop,” Yuki said.

Darren and Yuki made their way through the crowd to the doors. The train lurched to a stop, and they got out. Darren and Yuki exited the train.

He hadn’t had time to look at anything or read any of the signs. The crowd was so thick that it took most of Darren’s concentration to keep up with Yuki.

Yuki seemed to weave effortlessly through the crowd. She managed to find and exploit the space between two people and was through and past them before Darren knew it. Darren, however, was the complete opposite. He blundered along behind, using a mixture of waiting impatiently to get through the crowd, and accidentally elbowing his way through the crowd.

When he got to the entrance of the subway, Yuki was waiting by the door. Her blue skirt blew in the wind.

“I thought I had lost you,” Yuki said to Darren as he approached her.

“Almost.” Darren said in Japanese, “I thought I had seen crowds in Vancouver, but this is insane every time I experience it.”

“Just imagine when its a festival,” Yuki said.

“I missed the last one.” Darren said, “You’ll have to take me.”

“Maybe.” Yuki said, “It depends if you behave yourself.”

Darren looked around. Tall skyscrapers crowded out the sky. Bright lights and other signs littered the skyline. The lights and signs were off, but Darren knew that they would be breathtaking at night fully lit.

“Where to now?” Darren said.

Suddenly, a female voice pierced their private conversation.

“Yuki!” The voice said.

Darren turned, and a Japanese girl ran up to Yuki. She wrapped her arms around Yuki and hugged her.

“Sakiko.” Yuki said, “Careful. You almost knocked me over.”

Sakiko released Yuki.

“I know.” Sakiko said, “I was trying.”

Sakiko Hina was a few inches shorter than Yuki. She was dressed in blue jeans and a sweater. Her hair was bright pink. They all went to the same school.

“Hi Darren,” Sakiko said and turned to Yuki, “What are you two doing down here?”

“Exploring the city before exams start,” Yuki said,

“And you are ‘guiding’ him around Tokyo are you?” Sakiko said, “Lucky girl. You get him all to your self.”

“I guess I’ll tell the Katana Club you’re busy this evening?” Sakiko asked Yuki.

“Yeh. I have dinner at eight.”

“Well, the boys wanted to meet at nine-thirty at the dojo.” Sakiko said, “But if you’re busy with your Gaijin, then…”

“Care to have a visitor for your meeting?” Darren asked,

Sakiko looked at Darren and then at Yuki.

“Do you sword fight?” Sakiko asked Darren.

“I’ve done four years of Judo in the past, little rusty on it, but I’ve also dabbled in European sword fighting.”

“European?” Sakiko said, “LARPer?”

“No. Not a LARPer?” Darren said, “I was going to go into matches, but it was too expensive to get the full kit.”

“Just like your dad,” Yuki said.

Sakiko looked at Yuki.

“His dad practices Kendo.” Yuki said, “He is of the three-dan rank.”

“Did you want him to come?” Sakiko asked Yuki.

“Will you let Seiji know that I’ll be there with a guest,” Yuki said.

“Of course.” Sakiko said, then she checked her watch, “Oops. I gotta run. Later.”

Sakiko waved goodbye and disappeared into the crowd.

“Katana Club?” Darren asked, “What do you do? Kendo?”

“No.” Yuki said, “Closer to LARPing. We do skits and just have fun. Some of us try and train Kendo.”

Yuki wrapped her arms around Darren’s and squeezed him tight.

Darren felt the softness of Yuki’s breasts through her shirt. Confused emotions muddled his thoughts.

“As I was saying before your friend found us, where to now?” Darren asked in Japanese.

“Shopping. This way.” Yuki said.

Darren and Yuki wandered around Downtown Tokyo for hours. They visited many stores looking at things. Yuki only bought a few items, while Darren bought nothing. He had no desire to do so.

Darren looked at his watch. It was close to seven pm.

“When were we meeting up with our dad’s?” Darren asked.

“At eight,” Yuki said.

“Where did the time go?”

“That means that we will have to head back now to make it on time,” Yuki said.

“So then let’s go,” Darren said.

“But there was a manga store that I wanted to show you,” Yuki said.

Yuki grumbled to herself.

“I have an idea.” Yuki said, “Let me text my dad. We’ll just go to the restaurant.”

“My brother?” Darren asked, “How is he going to get there?”

“No idea.” Yuki said, “My dad can figure it out.”

Yuki pulled out her phone from her bra and started to type on it rapidly. After a few moments, she put it back in her bra.