《Blue Se7en》 Chapter 00 ~ illustration included
The story you are about to hear is one of love born from trauma. A rainbow after a storm. It all started one damp day back in 1984. Fate intertwined the paths of a three-year-old American girl, a five-year-old Japanese boy, and a child trafficker at an airport.
Chapter 00 DARK STORM CLOUDS CROSSED OVER the airport, seeming to laugh at the people who blamed their delayed flights on airport staff instead of the weather. As the weather improved, the airport was thrown into confusion as numerous flights announced their new boarding times. In the chaos of the airport stood a little blonde-haired girl clinging to her mother¡¯s hand. The little girl¡¯s green eyes looked around at the vast variety of people pushing by her hurriedly, not even noticing she was alive. It was like for one place in time, money and race had no social meaning. Poorer people with their children hurried along to catch their economy flights. Rich people hurried the same way across the airport, dashing to their first-class seats on the same flight. The noise of their footsteps and their voices melted together into a harmony that was relaxing for the little girl. She smiled at them, holding her mother¡¯s hand in one hand, and holding tightly to her favorite gray, white-nosed, stuffed bunny in the other. The stuffed animal was almost half as big as she was, with big floppy ears and a pink ribbon wrapped around its neck. On its right bottom paw, a child¡¯s hand had written unsteadily the number seven. ¡°Seven! The lady asked you a question.¡± The piercing sound of her mother¡¯s voice broke into Seven¡¯s world. For a second, just one second, in her mind, she was alone in the airport. She glanced up at her mother, but her attention was quickly drawn to the black, purple, flower-printed, flowing skirt her mother wore. She looked towards the lady who was behind the counter, but all she could see was her short black hair. ¡°How old are you today?¡± the lady asked again. Her mother picked her up so she could see the lady. Seven stared at the lady, looking her completely over, deciding that she didn¡¯t like her. She wasn¡¯t really sure what it was about the lady, but it scared her to answer her question. Knowing that things would get worse if she didn¡¯t answer, she held up three fingers for her to see. ¡°Three years old! How about that? She¡¯s so cute! I hope I have one just like her,¡± the lady said. The lady¡¯s loud and high-pitched reaction to the very simple answer she gave her sent a shiver through Seven. She jerked, dropping her bunny on the floor. ¡°She¡¯s a handful sometimes. The delay isn¡¯t helping,¡± her mother¡¯s voice changed slowly into the voice used when she was angry at her. As she talked to the lady behind the counter, not noticing that Seven¡¯s bunny, her only friend in the world, was on the floor being stepped on and taken away. She watched as her bunny was slowly being kicked further and further away from her. She struggled in her mother¡¯s arms to get down and save her bunny from the thousands of feet that swiped across the airport floor. Her mother, who was having a hard time talking while holding a kicking three-year-old, finally placed her down on the ground so she could continue her request for a manager. Her heart raced as she rushed to her bunny and cradled it in her arms, showering her best friend with a warm welcome-home hug. However, her joy was interrupted when a strong, sweet smell caught her by surprise. A hand swiftly covered her face, smothering her mouth with a cloth. Shocked, she involuntarily inhaled, feeling a wave of weakness and fatigue wash over her. She closed her eyes and became limp in the person¡¯s arms. She fought desperately to cling onto her bunny as she was lifted up, but the world around her faded and her grip weakened until, unable to hold on any longer, she dropped her best friend to the ground as her consciousness slipped away. * * * A little Japanese boy stood in front of the fallen gray, white-nosed bunny. He had been watching the little girl play with it for the last twenty minutes. He picked it up, looking around to see if anyone else had seen what had just happened. Everyone was too worried about catching their plane to notice the little girl. His eyes then came across the little girl¡¯s mother, who still hadn¡¯t noticed that she was gone. He spun around, not wanting to lose sight of the little girl. He hurried after them, knowing he was her only hope. His five-year-old legs couldn¡¯t compete with the tall man carrying her, and she got further away with every breath. Panicking, he shouted the only English words his mother insisted he knew before their trip to America: ¡°HELP! POLICE! KIDNAPPER!¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The little boy¡¯s scream echoed over the noise of crying babies and people yelling that their luggage was missing. Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked around for the kidnapper. The man carrying the little girl dropped her to the ground and ran for the exit. ¡°Natsuo! Where have you been?¡± his mother yelled in Japanese. The worry in her voice caused a shudder to go through him. As his mother took his arm, he looked away from the little girl. His mother¡¯s eyes said everything he needed to know; she was angry he had sneaked away from her. ¡°What were you thinking? This isn¡¯t a place to wander off!¡± she continued to yell at him, pulling him away from where he was standing. The grip on his still bruised arm wasn¡¯t exceptionally tight, but it hurt just the same. He tugged slightly to free his arm, but he wasn¡¯t strong enough to fight the force in his mother¡¯s protective grip. ¡°But mom-¡± he pleaded, looking back at the little girl who laid on the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear a word!¡± his mother interrupted. ¡°Our flight is boarding. We have to go now.¡± Before he walked out of sight, he took one more look at the little girl. He was relieved to see people were gathering around her. Her mother, having finally noticed her daughter¡¯s absence, ran to her and picked her up in her arms. His mother pulled him to their gate and down the boarding¡¡bridge to the plane. He didn¡¯t realize until he sat in his seat that he still held the bunny in a tight grasp. * * * ¡°Seven! Seven!¡± Susan hurried over to her daughter laying on the ground. She picked her up, cradling her in her arms. ¡°Wake up, baby,¡± she called out, her voice filled with worry and affection, hoping for a response from her unconscious child. The world around her blurred as a group of people ran after the would-be kidnapper and pinned him to the ground, and airport police ran up to take him into custody. Now everyone seemed to forget they had flights to get to as they crowded around to see what was going on. Airport paramedics run up to Susan and her daughter. With a practiced motion, they gently took hold of the child, delicately cradling her small frame as they laid her down on the cool ground. Susan, her face streaked with tears, leaned over her unconscious daughter, her voice trembling with worry. ¡°Why won¡¯t she wake up?¡± she managed to utter, her words barely audible amidst the chaotic scene unfolding around them. The paramedics examined her young daughter. ¡°She¡¯s unconscious, but she¡¯s okay. There¡¯s a minor cut on her head.¡± ¡°A cut?¡± Susan¡¯s eyes darted down towards her clothes, now tainted with crimson stains. Her trembling hands reached out to touch the damp fabric, confirming the presence of her daughter''s blood. Her vision blurred as dizziness flooded her and she collapsed to the unforgiving airport floor. ¡°We need compression on this gash, and it¡¯ll need stitches. Bring another stretcher. The mother fainted. We need to take her back to the clinic.¡± * * * Susan opened her eyes and found herself in a hospital room. Dizziness still attacked her as she tried to remember why she was there. She had been in the airport, talking to a lady behind the check-in counter. Seven had wandered off and¡­ ¡°My daughter! Where is she!?¡± she called out as she sat up, remembering what had happened. A nurse heard her and hurried into the room. ¡°Your daughter is still asleep. She¡¯s fine. You¡¯re at Lakeside Medical Center.¡± ¡°Can I see her?¡± Susan asked, lying back in the bed as her head pounded. ¡°Let me go get a doctor,¡± the nurse answered as she scurried out of the room. It didn¡¯t take long for a doctor to walk into the room. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked before the doctor could close the door behind him. ¡°You were brought here after you fainted at the airport. That was a couple of hours ago. We gave you some fluids, but you¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°What about my daughter?¡± she asked, not worried about herself. ¡°They¡¯re still gathering evidence, but your daughter is fine. If you feel up to it, the police would like to have a word with you. They¡¯ll fill you in on what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Please send them in.¡± She took a deep breath. A man dressed in a plain suit walked into the room. His face was unshaven and his shirt had coffee and catsup stains on it. Adding to the stereotype, he wore a trench coat and carried a cup of coffee in one hand with a notepad and pen in the other. ¡°I¡¯m Detective Locke with the Los Angeles Police Department. How are you feeling?¡± Anxiety tinged her voice as she responded, ¡°I¡¯m okay. I don¡¯t want to be rude, but could you please explain what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Detective Locke replied, understanding her concern. ¡°But before we delve into that, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions.¡± Susan nodded. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked, flipping open his notebook. ¡°Susan White,¡± she answered. ¡°Why was your daughter away from you?¡± Detective Locke¡¯s voice was calm, but probing as he wrote her answer down. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I turned around for a moment, and when I looked back, she was gone,¡± she replied, her voice shaking with guilt. The detective continued, ¡°Did you see anything? Any suspicious behavior or individuals?¡± Susan¡¯s eyes shifted, her mind replaying the events. ¡°No,¡± she replied, ¡°I was talking, and it happened so suddenly. I didn¡¯t notice anything strange.¡± ¡°You were flying to New York, correct? Why were you headed to New York?¡± he asked. ¡°To bring my husband home,¡± she replied. His pen scratched against the notepad as he asked another question. ¡°Did you teach your daughter about strangers and how to stay safe?¡± She nodded, looking down at her hands in her lap. ¡°Yes, I did. We¡¯ve talked about strangers and staying alert. I thought she understood.¡± ¡°Is there anyone that might have a reason to harm your daughter?¡± ¡°Not that I know of.¡± She grew tired of the questions. ¡°You are really lucky to have your daughter.¡± The detective placed his notebook and pencil into a pocket inside his coat. ¡°The man who took her had two airplane tickets, one for him and one for a child. He¡¯s been kidnapping young children from airports around the US and selling them overseas. I¡¯ve been trying to catch him for over three years, but for some reason, there were never any witnesses.¡± She looked at the detective in shock. ¡°How can there be no witnesses in a crowded airport?¡± ¡°Well, we know why now.¡± The detective sat in a chair next to the bed. ¡°He waits for a child to get away from their parents, swoops in behind them and chloroforms them before they can scream. After that, everyone thinks that he¡¯s a father carrying a sleeping child.¡± ¡°What happened? What saved her?¡± She shook her head in disbelief. The detective took a sip of his coffee. ¡°That¡¯s the unbelievable part. Witnesses say that they heard a little boy¡¯s voice scream that there was a kidnapper, but we have yet to locate the boy.¡± Her body shook at the thought of how close she came to losing her daughter. So soon after the loss of her husband. If that little boy hadn¡¯t been there. A tear trickled down her cheek. ¡°Everything is going to be okay now, Susan.¡± The detective placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. Chapter 01 ~ illustration included Chapter 01 THE PINK CHERRY TREE-FRAMED train platform glowed in the sunlight. An eighteen-year-old blonde-haired girl sat on a bench on the deserted platform. Glancing up at the blank departure board, she let out a sigh. A cool gust of wind swept by, causing petals from the cherry trees to scatter. Before they fell to the platform, they transformed into purple butterflies that floated past her. She closed her eyes, taking in the breeze against her skin. Announcing an arrival, the station played a melody that sounded a lot like F¨¹r Elise. Approaching footsteps echoed as a figure walked up to her, casting a shadow over her. ¡°You¡¯re finally here,¡± she said, opening her eyes. Her breath caught, looking up at the man, who blocked the sun, giving him an angelic halo. ¡°Did you wait long?¡± he asked, his light brown eyes lighting up as they met hers. ¡°I stopped counting nights ago,¡± she replied, pouting. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been busy. I guess you already left before I got here.¡± Sadness filled his eyes. ¡°We can¡¯t get the timing right, can we?¡± He helped her to her feet, pulling her up with too much force, her momentum sending her into him. Another breeze brushed past them. She looked up at him, blushing when his eyes met hers. He ran his fingers softly through her long blonde hair, returning the hair the wind had moved. The longer he stared into her eyes, the hotter her cheeks got. ¡°I love your green eyes,¡± he said. She looked away shyly, but he gently turned her face back towards him. ¡°Eyes are the windows to the soul, the person within. I see the eyes of an angel. When I look into your eyes, I see my past and future in them.¡± ¡°You have me at a disadvantage. I can¡¯t paint with words like you can,¡± she said, wrapping her arms around him. She laid her head against his chest, closing her eyes, and feeling his body heat through his shirt. Her body relaxed as he wrapped his arms around her. Being in his arms made her feel a safety she couldn¡¯t remember feeling outside of them. ¡°Are you okay? Did something happen?¡± he asked. ¡°Three-day weekend. You¡¯re here, though. I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, taking in his scent that wrapped around her. The station now played a different melody as the chirping of the birds outside the station grew louder. The rumbling of a train in the distance grew stronger. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back there. I want to stay with you,¡± she whispered as she tightened her hold on him. She hoped that if she held tight enough, she wouldn¡¯t leave. She¡¯d turn into his shadow if it meant she could stay with him. Cold tears slipped from her eyes, trickling down her warm cheeks. He pulled her back and wiped a tear from her cheek. ¡°Not yet. Don¡¯t worry, someday we¡¯ll...¡± * * * In a bed surrounded by stuffed rabbits, each displaying a number seven on a paw, the eighteen-year-old blonde girl slept. The smile on her face faded into a frown. On the nightstand next to the bed, the red glowing numbers on the alarm clock clicked over to six o¡¯clock. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go¡­¡± she murmured as she pulled the comforter over her head. The birds outside grew louder, acting as an alarm. She opened her green eyes and stared at the light rimmed shade that covered the window. She hugged her black comforter, then stretched out her arms and legs. She could hear someone in the kitchen below as the smell of vanilla, butter, and a hint of cinnamon seeped under her door. ¡°French toast?¡± She sat up quickly, sniffing the air. There was a savory smell as well. ¡°Sausage?¡± Having overslept, she quickly dressed and brushed her hair into a ponytail. After a quick brush of her teeth, she opened her bedroom door, ready for the day. Locking it behind her, she stuffed the key into her backpack. She tiptoed through the house to the kitchen. Seeing her mother alone cooking, she dropped the textbook-filled backpack on the floor. ¡°Seven!¡± her mother, Susan, exclaimed, surprised by the sudden thud. ¡°I thought you left already. I didn¡¯t cook anything for you. I¡¯m making French toast, want some? Or are you going to get breakfast at school?¡± Seven opened the fridge, pulling out a can of soda. She stared at the kitchen table. The smell this time was tempting. It had been so long since she had her mother¡¯s French toast. ¡°Is HE gone?¡± she asked. Her mother stopped stirring the eggs and let out a sigh. ¡°No, he¡¯s in the bedroom dressing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get breakfast at school. I¡¯m running late anyways.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a member of this family. You really should consider forgiving Derek,¡± her mother said. Seven froze as she stuffed the can of soda into her backpack. ¡®He makes mom happy. He stopped drinking. You have to let people change,¡¯ one voice in Seven¡¯s head told her. ¡®He tricked her into marrying him,¡¯ another voice in her head countered. ¡®She wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind. She was broken after losing dad and then almost losing me.¡¯ Susan placed two slices of French toast on a plate. ¡°You¡¯re eighteen now, an adult. You¡¯re about to graduate. I¡¯m scared what¡¯s going to happen to this family.¡± Seven lifted her backpack onto her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll always be family-¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear,¡± detective Derek Locke said as he walked into the kitchen, fixing his tie. ¡°You know, I bet she only thinks I¡¯m with you because of that airport case.¡± Susan returned the frying pan to the burner with a loud clunk. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it!¡± she exclaimed, shooting him a look. He flinched like a dog who wandered too far on its leash, the choke chain tightening around its neck. He quietly sat at the table across from Seven. Seven chuckled to herself. Before and after their yearly Valentine¡¯s Day trip, Derek was softer and easier to be around. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me. Trust me, it¡¯s not you, it¡¯s me,¡± she said. Her mother smiled gratefully as she placed Derek¡¯s food on the table. Seven glanced at the melting butter and her stomach growled, demanding the same. ¡°I¡¯m going to school,¡± Seven mumbled as she hurried out of the kitchen. She hurried out the front door and then broke into a run. She ran down the block, not looking back at the place she had to call home. She stopped at the corner as a bus drove by, honking its horn, not sure if she was going to stop. ¡°Why do I feel out of place? Why can¡¯t I wait to get out of here? Why do I hate it here?¡± She grabbed her head as fog wrapped around her. ¡®It¡¯s all your fault¡­¡¯ a voice whispered in her head. As panic engulfed her, she fell to her knees. She took deep breaths to calm herself and stop the shaking. ¡°Stop it, Seven!¡± she cried out. Seeing the crosswalk light had changed, she stood up and pulled her backpack to her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay once I get to school,¡± she said to herself as she hurried across the street. She turned down a street lined with cherry trees in full bloom. A gentle breeze, still carrying the chill of the night, brushed past her and through the trees, causing the blossoms to scatter in the wind. She stopped, extending her hand as a petal floated down into it. She stared at the pink petal in her hand. Cherry blossom time, as she called it, was her favorite time of the year. The blossoms were so delicate that a strong wind could bring their time to an end at any moment. She wondered if that was what happiness was¡ªfleeting. After fighting so hard to attain it, once achieved, it burned bright and fast. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine what it¡¯d be like far away in another country. In the distance, she heard strange chimes that sounded like school bells. She opened her eyes, frantically glancing at her watch, and saw it was only six-fifty. ¡°School doesn¡¯t start for another couple of hours. I thought for once in my life I was late.¡± She laughed, starting to briskly walk to school again. The warmth of the sunlight shrouding her increased in warmth. She smiled at her favorite moment of the day, when the morning sun was strong enough to fight against the chill of the night. She looked ahead at the large iron gate and tall fence that wrapped around her school. Even though her school looked more like a place to house prisoners than students, she looked forward to entering the gates and sitting on the benches in the back corner to wait for her friends. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! She pulled a book to read out of her backpack and placed the bag on the metal picnic table. She lay on top of the table, using the backpack as a pillow. She couldn¡¯t wait to get back into the world of the book. The main character had the power to see far-off places when looking into stilled water that was glistening in sunlight. Seven always wanted to see the world. For her, it was more about the leaving, than the destination. She quickly read a few chapters before putting her bookmark back into the book. She looked at her watch, seeing it was now seven-thirty. ¡°Another half hour till my friends get here. Every morning, I sit, read a book, and wait for hours,¡± she said to her watch. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m strange?¡± ¡°For a girl asking a watch that question, do you even have to wait for an answer?¡± Her friend David Davis, a tall, dusty-blonde-haired, muscular eighteen-year-old boy, leaned over her. His bottomless blue eyes drew her in, and though she lost herself for a moment, she quickly snapped out of it. ¡°For a second, I thought you were a little too happy to see me.¡± His eyes lit up as he let out a laugh. ¡°David!¡± She sat up, hanging her legs off the edge of the table. ¡°It surprised me you¡¯re here this early, that¡¯s all!¡± ¡°Oh, is that all? I hoped this morning you¡¯d finally see my charm and fall for me.¡± He smirked back at her with an unmistakably flirtatious look. ¡°Get over yourself, David.¡± The buildup of anxiety in her bubbled up, striking out at him. She jumped off the table, with a glare that sliced through his ego. ¡°In the real world, girls don¡¯t give a crap if you make a touchdown. They want someone to talk to and listen to them. You¡¯re way too busy looking at yourself in the mirror for that. What are you doing here early anyway?¡± ¡°I wanted to beat you here for once. Every morning since freshman year, you¡¯ve arrived before me. I woke up early today, so I decided to see if it was early enough to beat you. It wasn¡¯t.¡± His shoulders slouched over as he let out a sigh, sitting on the bench with his back to her. ¡°Thanks for the ego buster this morning. I was only kidding anyway.¡± She placed her hand on his shoulder. She wasn¡¯t having the best of mornings and was taking it out on him. She¡¯d said too much and hurt him. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself. You¡¯re one of the most popular guys in school. You could date whatever girl you wanted. I even think you could date any guy you wanted, too.¡± She let out a nervous laugh. ¡°That really doesn¡¯t do me any good if I can¡¯t get the one girl I want, does it?¡± He looked back at her. Her hand slipped off his shoulder, and she sat on the bench with her back to him. She¡¯d been over this a thousand times with him. She didn¡¯t want to date, and she definitely didn¡¯t want a boyfriend. She just wanted to be left alone. ¡°You¡¯re one of the most popular guys in school, and yet you¡¯re friends with me. Why? I¡¯m not pretty or popular. I¡¯m invisible here.¡± ¡°I see you. I see the person you are inside and it¡¯s the most beautiful person I¡¯ve seen. I don¡¯t give a crap about the outside, but you don¡¯t give yourself enough credit, you¡¯re gorgeous too. I don¡¯t know why I love you...¡± His voice faded as he stood up, turning to her. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you can¡¯t love-¡± ¡°I love!¡± She barked at him; cutting him off as she stood. ¡°Who?¡± he asked, looking into her eyes. ¡°You never talk about yourself, or your feelings. You don¡¯t love your family, so you run from your house every morning. When we¡¯re all together, you sit quietly unless spoken to. You don¡¯t wear makeup or do anything with your hair besides a ponytail. It¡¯s the same sweatshirt and jeans every day. You know, I don¡¯t even think you even love yourself.¡± She glared at him, her body shaking. Her mouth hung open to reply, but nothing came out. She realized that he was over fifty percent correct. She never talked to him or Aya about herself. She always listened to their problems and helped them. They rarely noticed it was one sided. She didn¡¯t like being at home, so she left early and locked herself in her room at night. Her legs gave out, and she fell into a sit on the ground. As she stared at the ground, she took a deep breath to calm herself. ¡°Sev¡­¡± The guilt was instant as he watched her deflate before him. ¡°I-¡± ¡°David,¡± she said, cutting him off again. ¡°Answer something for me.¡± ¡°Anything, Sev,¡± he replied. ¡°What about me do you like?¡± she asked. He blinked at her. ¡°Where the hell did that come from?¡± ¡°Just answer my question!¡± She looked up at him. ¡°I love your eyes,¡± he answered without hesitation. Her face filled with shock as a part of the dream came flashing back. She heard the man¡¯s voice clearly in her ears, ¡®I love your green eyes...¡¯ Her eyes watered with the rush of emotions from the memory. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I said too much.¡± David¡¯s voice softened, seeing her reaction. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you. I haven¡¯t stopped thinking about you since I first saw you that day-¡± ¡°David, don¡¯t. I care about you a lot, but not the way you want. I can¡¯t¡­¡± Her voice faded. ¡°Why?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m messed up.¡± She looked down at the ground. ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t love.¡± ¡°Sev, you can love,¡± he said, walking over to her. ¡°You give so much of yourself for other people. You can love. Just not yet. Someday.¡± ¡®¡­not yet¡­ someday¡­¡¯ The voice of the man in her dream floated through her mind. Her heart fluttered, hearing it. She placed a hand on her chest as her breath was taken away. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about me pouring my heart out to you. We have a test first period, don¡¯t we? Mind helping me review until Aya gets here?¡± David held out his hand to help her stand. ¡°Only if you buy us coffee.¡± Her hand shook as she reached out for his. * * * On a black leather couch in a small dressing room, a Japanese man slept with a thick robe covering his head to block the light in the room. The room was sparsely furnished, with only the couch, a desk with a mirror framed with lights, and a chair. A gray stuffed rabbit with a white nose sat in front of the mirror. A faded pink ribbon tied around its neck. ¡°Kagihara-san! Break¡¯s over. Next shot¡¯s ready,¡± A voice called through the door, following a knock. The next shot was the last of the long shooting day for the music video of their next single. Thanks to the nap he took during the set change, he¡¯d be able to pull through the dance sequence. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Natsuo replied, sitting up and stretching. He tossed the thick robe over the sofa as he jumped up. He felt the cold air wrap around his bare arms. The sleeveless costume, meant to show off his muscular arms, did little to keep him warm. Looking in the mirror at his ebony hair with strips of blonde highlights, he frowned. He ran his fingers through his hair. He stared at the dark bags under his light brown eyes for a moment before his gaze lowered to the rabbit sitting before him. ¡°I¡¯ll do this for you,¡± he said, taking one last look in the mirror before he opened the dressing room door. As he headed towards the stage, he was handed a microphone as a woman pulled at him, straightening his costume. She then swiftly ran a comb through his hair. He let out another sigh as he saw the slight blush on her face as she brushed powder under his eyes to hide the bags. Done being primped, he stepped out into the hot stage lights. Kenji Imai, holding a microphone, walked out on the other side of the stage. Another woman followed him, finishing up feathering out the layers of his dark-brown hair. He was dressed in the same sleeveless costume, but with red trimming instead of blue. As the woman ran offstage, he yawned. ¡°I want this shoot over. It¡¯s almost midnight!¡± Kenji complained. Natsuo laughed. ¡°I thought idols weren¡¯t supposed to complain, Kenji.¡± It was Kenji¡¯s turn to laugh. ¡°I just want this music video shoot to end. I want my clothes back. Why are we shooting a summer video at the end of winter? Can¡¯t they edit faster?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do this in one take then,¡± Natsuo said, smiling at the man he was paired with when he joined the company. He could briefly see the man that had been his best friend as Kenji smiled back, giving him a thumbs up. ¡°Que music!¡± someone shouted from behind the wall of bright stage lights. ¡°Marks!¡± His best friend disappeared again as Kenji¡¯s face hardened as he looked down to stand on the red tape on the ground. Natsuo reminded himself that even if there were glimpses of him sometimes, his friend was gone. He shook his head, looking down at the blue tape to check his mark. A voice counted down, and the music started. They sang along with the playback, running through the rehearsed steps effortlessly. Things might¡¯ve changed, but on stage, they still synced perfectly. With three cameras on them, two for close ups and one for the master shot, they could get this done in one take. Natsuo¡¯s mind wandered as images of green eyes framed by blonde hair flashed through his mind. He fought against it, wanting to finish today¡¯s shoot with this take. Even with the distraction, his body kept hitting each beat it needed to. The green eyes were so clear, but the rest of her was shrouded in fog. The memory of his dream girl always faded after he woke, except those green eyes. He focused on those eyes, almost feeling her there in front of him. He let himself get lost in the image of her reaching for him. ¡°I¡¯ll keep searching,¡± both men sang the last line of the song as they hit the last pose. ¡°For you,¡± Natsuo sang, reaching out as the music faded. ¡°Cut!¡± the director shouted. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Kenji asked. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± Natsuo said, catching his breath. ¡°I hope that doesn¡¯t mess up the take!¡± Kenji glared. ¡°As expected, perfect!¡± the director said. ¡°That¡¯s a wrap for Natsuo! Kenji, can we get one more run through for a close up when Natsuo says for you?¡± Kenji nodded and shot Natsuo a look. Ignoring it, Natsuo walked offstage to his dressing room. He changed back into his clothes quickly, hoping he¡¯d get away in time. When he heard the turn of the doorknob, he knew he failed. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Kenji barged in, still in costume. ¡°Are you trying to show me up?¡± ¡°Leave me alone, Kenji.¡± Natsuo picked up his bag and the stuffed rabbit from the desk. ¡°Answer my question!¡± Kenji demanded. ¡°Are you really that insecure about your own talent?¡± Natsuo snapped back. ¡°At least I¡¯m not the one holding a stuffed rabbit,¡± Kenji coldly stated. ¡°Did you leave yours at home?¡± Natsuo struck with the power of swords. Both of them started laughing. ¡°I¡¯m going to Roppongi. Want to come?¡± Kenji asked. ¡°I¡¯m going home. My dog is lonely,¡± Natsuo replied. Kenji let out a laugh. ¡°Oh, sure, your dog is lonely. Do you have a girl waiting for you at home?¡± Natsuo walked out of the dressing room, with Kenji following behind him. ¡°Yeah, and I haven¡¯t seen her all day.¡± ¡°Come on Natsuo! Come to the club with me! It¡¯s your birthday,¡± Kenji said, not giving up. ¡°It¡¯s past midnight?¡± he asked as Kenji stepped in front of him, blocking the door. ¡°I really should get home. Just go party for me, okay? Have twice the drinks. Have twice as many girls for all I care, but just leave me alone,¡± he said, pushing past him. Natsuo zipped up his jacket as he walked out of the staff entrance. The snow crunched under his feet as he walked down the poorly lit street. ¡°Kenji just doesn¡¯t understand! He just wants the girls! That¡¯s not why I¡¯m doing this. I don¡¯t need to show him up,¡± he mumbled to himself. His thoughts floated from Kenji to his birthday. He was twenty, and still alone, waiting for her. His thoughts shifted back to the dream he had. Feeling his emotions swelling inside of him, he ran towards his apartment. Running by the train station, he slipped on some ice he didn¡¯t see and fell, hitting his face on the pavement. He stood, holding his cheek in pain. ¡®What are you doing, idiot!? An idol¡¯s face is priceless!¡¯ he heard Kenji scream at him in his head. He stood looking at the statue of a koi fish jumping out of water outside the station as he rubbed his cheek. As he faintly heard a train in the distance, he closed his eyes. A little more of the dream came back to him. ¡°Someday we¡¯ll...¡± he whispered. He opened his eyes, picking up the stuffed rabbit and bag. He entered his apartment, dropping his bag on the floor near the door as he slipped off his shoes. He tossed the rabbit towards his futon. He turned on the light, illuminating the apartment in full; the futon, a couch, and a TV. The kitchen in the corner was cluttered with fast food containers. On the couch, a small sandy brown ball of fur jumped onto his lap as he sat down. He hugged the dog and kissed the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you too, Pooky! Have you been a good girl? I have so much to tell you!¡± She laid next to him on the couch, looking at him, waiting for the story. ¡°I had another dream about her. What¡¯s it about her green eyes? Why are they the only thing I usually remember? Do you think she¡¯s really out there?¡± He looked at the dog for an answer, but she had closed her eyes. Deciding to get some sleep himself, he first showered to get all the products used for the shoot off of him before climbing into bed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be lucky enough to dream about you twice in the same day, would I?¡± he asked, staring up at the ceiling. With his question floating in the air above him, he closed his eyes and fell asleep with the gray rabbit next to him. Chapter 02 Chapter 02 WHEN THE LAST BELL OF THE DAY RANG, Seven hurried out to the iron gates in front of the school. She wanted to get home and lock herself in her room with a book. With Derek and David this morning, the day had drained her more than usual, and she was exhausted. She froze mid-step, seeing David waiting for her outside the iron gates. ¡®Why? Why is he there?¡¯ She wondered, grabbing her head as she started feeling weak again. She took a deep breath and walked quietly towards him. ¡°Waiting for me?¡± she asked, poking him in the side. ¡°Sev!¡± David started. ¡°Don¡¯t sneak up on me like that!¡± ¡°Sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to. It was my power of invisibility,¡± she joked. His eyes narrow sadly at her. She often joked that her ability to be overlooked by everyone was super power. David didn¡¯t like it when she talked about herself like that. She quickly continued, ¡°Were you waiting for me?¡± ¡°I-I was.¡± His voice wavered as he looked away from her. ¡°This morning¡­what I said¡­ it replayed in my mind all day. I wanted to say again that I¡¯m sorry... I got a little crazy...¡± I don¡¯t know why you can¡¯t love¡­ She looked down at the ground as what David said played in mind again. Why couldn¡¯t she return his feelings? Someday¡­ Hearing the other voice whisper in her mind, she looked up at her friend. He shifted nervously as he waited for her to say something. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to look at her. Maybe all she needed was to push herself a little to love. To let herself be open to it. Maybe she¡¯d ask him on a date tonight, but not tell him it was a date. That way, she could let herself try with no pressure. ¡°David, you¡¯re one of my best friends. You¡¯re right. I know everything about you guys, but you know very little about me. I don¡¯t want to go home, so... uh... do you want to go somewhere?¡± she asked, hesitantly. He looked at her, smiling when their eyes met. ¡°W-what?¡± His smile and the weight of his stare caused her to stutter. ¡°That¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve talked about your feelings. I value our friendship too¡­ a lot. I¡¯d hate to be the one that messed it up,¡± he said. He took a nervous breath. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to go home, why don¡¯t we go see the new Brendan Fraser movie? We can grab a burger for dinner after.¡± ¡°The one where he grows up in a fallout shelter? I want to go!¡± Aya Sato, a Japanese girl with long black hair tightly pulled back into a braid said as she walked up behind them. ¡°Or is this a date?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a date!¡± He quickly replied, not giving Seven a chance to retort. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you come, Aya. Sev?¡± Seven realized the date idea was stupid anyway. Her face flushed as she shrugged her shoulders in reply. ¡°She doesn¡¯t mind. Let¡¯s go!¡± Aya grabbed onto his arm, pulling him towards his car. ¡°You¡¯re my knight in shining armor for driving me home! My mom grounded me from my car today...¡± Seven let out a sigh. She barely started shrugging before Aya grabbed onto him. She walked behind them, slipping into her quiet mode, already feeling like the third wheel. Seven sat quietly through the movie as everyone else laughed. Walking out from the theater, David and Aya debated how realistic it was for Brendan Fraser¡¯s character to fall in love with Alicia Silverstone¡¯s character in a matter of weeks. Seven wondered if the two people with her noticed she hadn¡¯t said more than one word since they left school. She sat in the front seat of David¡¯s car, staring out the window as Aya talked from the back seat. As they decided where they¡¯re going to eat, she closed her eyes. The sound of a train startled her awake. Stopped in front of a crossing gate, a train passed in front of the car. She stared at the train as she tried to remember something. ¡°What¡¯s up, Sev?¡± David asked, seeing the way she was looking at the train. Being brought out of her thoughts, she looked at David. ¡°Uh, nothing.¡± He gave her a skeptical look, but the crossing gate lifted before he could say anything. He realized she was quiet again as she looked longingly out the window. She was opening up to him a little, and now she shut down again. He regretted agreeing to Aya coming. Maybe she¡¯ll talk more at dinner. The three friends were now sitting in a booth at a diner, waiting for their orders to come. Seven sat alone on one side and Aya sat next to David across from her. Their drinks sat on the table in front of them. ¡°What do you guys think of going out of the country this summer?¡± Aya asked, looking eagerly at them. ¡°That sounds like a great idea. What do you think, Sev?¡± David asked, trying to get her to talk. ¡°Just the three of us? In another country? Can we do that?¡± Seven took a sip of her soft drink, realizing how silly her question was. She was always the pessimist of the group, raining on everyone¡¯s parade. She didn¡¯t mean to be, but her mind just came up with ways for everything to go wrong. A defense mechanism, she guessed. This trip would take money she didn¡¯t have. David and Aya would go off together, leaving her behind. Aya would rub her nose in it when they got back. Seven let out a sigh, not wanting to get her hopes up. ¡°There¡¯s no laws against it if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± Aya replied. David chuckled. ¡°I-it sounds like fun but-¡± ¡°That settles it! Before we break off to different colleges, we ARE going international!¡± Aya lifted her hand in the air to sound a battle charge. When they didn¡¯t join in, Aya slowly lowered her hand with a frown. Seven stared down at the table, frowning. Once high school was over, they wouldn¡¯t be together anymore. David was hoping for a sports scholarship, Aya had applied to school in Hawaii, and Seven just wanted a school with dorms so she could move out. Life was going to change, and going on a trip before it did was a great idea. She looked up at her friends across the table. ¡°Where do we go?¡± Seven asked. ¡°What about England or Ireland?¡± Aya let out a sigh in thought. ¡°Oh! We should go to Spain!¡± ¡°Anyone of us speak Spanish?¡± David asked. They looked away from him. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to Hong Kong or something?¡± Seven said in jest. None of those places interested her. ¡°That¡¯s it! Hong Kong!¡± Aya exclaimed. ¡°Aya, I was kidding.¡± Seven picked up her drink to take another sip. ¡°Not Hong Kong! Why not Tokyo?¡± she suggested. ¡°Japan?¡± The glass slipped out of Seven¡¯s hand, spilling the soda onto the table. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± She grabbed some napkins and started wiping up the mess. David quickly grabbed napkins to help stop a flow of soda from heading towards Aya. They tried as hard as they could, but a rogue stream spilled off the table to the floor. ¡°Japan? What¡¯s so great about Japan?¡± he asked, pulling a couple more napkins. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Well, I know Japanese, so I can be your personal translator and tour guide. We can use my dad¡¯s apartment in Tokyo, so we won¡¯t have to pay for a hotel. We¡¯ll have so much fun going to karaoke!¡± Aya said with a plea in her voice as she ignored the cleaning going on in front of her. The waitress brought their orders and took over the cleanup of the spill. ¡°What do you think?¡± David looked at Seven. ¡°Japan?¡± Something inside Seven felt like it was being tugged at with the mere mention of the country. ¡°It sounds-¡± ¡°It¡¯s settled!¡± Aya exclaimed, cutting Seven off again. ¡°Japan it is! We should go right after graduation.¡± David and Seven smiled at each other, acknowledging this was all premeditated. Aya had planned this. She presented it as a new idea, so it didn¡¯t look like she was giving orders to them. Seven sat quietly, listening as Aya and David worked out more details of the trip. She knew she wouldn¡¯t have the money, but she had to go somehow. * * * Natsuo stared up at the ceiling, not wanting to get out of bed. He could try to go back to sleep, there was no point. On cue, the radio turned on as the announcer talked over a song fading out. ¡°That was Utada Hikaru with ¡®First Love.¡¯ Coming up, we have a new one from the Sacred Boys called, ¡®Don¡¯t stop being an angel.¡¯ Ladies, today is Natsuo¡¯s birthday. If you¡¯re in the Tokyo area, stop by the studio and leave presents for him. Now here¡¯s ¡®Don¡¯t stop being an angel¡¯ from the Sacred Boys.¡± ¡°Great! Now every girl in the area is going to come to the studio now.¡± He turned the radio off in a huff and sat up in bed, yawning. His hair was a mess, standing up on end from tossing and turning all night. He ran his fingers through his hair to tame it back into place. Once he dressed, he put food and water in a bowl for Pooky. Still curled up on the couch, she watched him, waiting for him to leave so she could go back to sleep until the doorman came for her walk. Natsuo slipped his phone in his pocket and picked up his keys. His eyes fell to an envelope sitting in the mail box connected to his door. He never got mail here, it all went to the company. Once a year, a letter appeared in the mailbox. They used to come more often, but now only around his birthday. He took out the simple envelope from Kasamatsu Prison. He let out a sigh, debating if he should open it this year. When was the last time he went to Gifu to visit? In his pocket, his cellphone rang. He put the letter on the counter, pulling his phone out as he headed out the door. ¡°Yeah?¡± he answered. ¡°The girls are here already! You¡¯re a lucky one, they¡¯re all cute!¡± Something in Kenji¡¯s voice chilled him. ¡°Are they in the front?¡± Natsuo asked, trying to sound uninterested. ¡°Yeah, the presents piling up in the lobby are looking like a memorial.¡± Kenji laughed on the other end. ¡°You¡¯re going to have a great birthday.¡± Through the phone, he could hear the clattering of the girls near Kenji. ¡°I¡¯m going to sneak in the back, okay? I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± He hung up, putting his phone back in his pocket. He knew Kenji would tell the girls that he¡¯d be coming in the back, and that¡¯d clear the front for him. Peeking his head around a corner when he was close to the studio, he saw the front was clear. As planned, there were only a couple of girls that stood behind just in case. ¡°Na-Natsuo-sama!¡± a middle school aged girl stuttered, seeing him walk up. He took their gifts and signed autographs for them. He thanked them as he walked into the building. He stood waiting at the elevators when he could hear the other girls outside learn they¡¯ve missed their chance to see him. ¡°You did it again! I fell right into your trap,¡± Kenji complained, walking into the elevator with him. ¡°Thanks for keeping my secret. All that was left were middle school girls, and they only wanted my autograph,¡± Natsuo said, walking out of the elevator towards the boardroom. Kenji followed with a smirk on his face. * * * Seven laid on her bed, looking up at the moon outside her window. She grasped a blue stuffed rabbit tightly in her hand as she thought about the summer trip they were planning. Why did she want to go? She never wants to go on trips like this... and Japan of all places. She wouldn¡¯t be able to go. The plane ticket alone would be more than she had. She wiped her face, confused by the tear that trickled down her cheek. Why was she sad she couldn¡¯t go? A few heavy raindrops hit her window, tearing her from her thoughts. She stood to look out her window, not being able to see the moon now. She hadn¡¯t noticed the rain clouds rolled in. As the rain increased, she glanced down at the walkway below. David, soaked from the rain, stood looking up at her in the window. He waved at her as their eyes met. She ran out of her room to the front door. ¡°What are you doing? Standing outside my house like a stalker?¡± she teased him as she let him in. ¡°S-stalker? I was¡­ uh¡­ rang the doorbell, but got no answer, so I turned to leave, and I saw you in the window.¡± He took off his wet jacket, handing it to her. She hung the jacket on a coat rack in the hall. She grabbed a towel from the closet, offering it to him. ¡°What are you doing here? It¡¯s almost nine.¡± ¡°I wanted to talk to you about something,¡± David replied. ¡°It¡¯s about-¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± She cut him off as a car pulled into the driveway. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my room before he comes in.¡± ¡°Your room?¡± he replied as she pushed him quickly up the stairs. His body tensed as heard the click of the lock on the bedroom door after she closed it. Her room was simple: dresser with only a single rabbit figure on it, a bed with a black bedspread, and a desk with a chair in the corner next to the door. He stood at attention like a soldier waiting for orders. He¡¯d never been inside her house, let alone her bedroom. He blinked in surprise at all the stuffed rabbits on the floor next to her bed. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked as he stared at her bed. ¡°You have a lot of stuffed rabbits,¡± he commented. ¡°I get a new one every year on my birthday¡­it¡¯s kind of a tradition.¡± She picked up a couple of pieces of clothing, throwing it in a basket just inside the private bathroom. ¡°You can sit in the chair.¡± ¡°There are only seventeen,¡± he noted as he sat as instructed, drying his hair with the towel. ¡°What?¡± Seven called out from the bathroom. ¡°You¡¯re eighteen, and there are only seventeen rabbits,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡­uh lost one when I was three¡­¡± she mumbled, walking back into the room, sitting down on her bed. When she sat down, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. He hadn¡¯t noticed that her hair was down. She rarely had her hair down. She looked so much more beautiful when she did. It was wavy, with slight curls framing her face. ¡°W-what did you want to talk about?¡± she asked as her cheeks pinkened with the way he was looking at her. ¡°Sorry!¡± He shook his head to clear the thoughts he was having seeing her sitting on the bed. ¡°It¡¯s about-¡± a knock on the door interrupted him. ¡°Seven, whose car is parked outside?¡± Derek called through the door. ¡°A friend¡¯s! We¡¯re studying for a test,¡± she replied. Her answer was quick and forceful, hoping to put an end to any more questions. ¡°You have until ten,¡± Derek said, taking the hint. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What did you want to talk about?¡± Her hands shook as she scooped up the blue rabbit from the ground to hold in her arms for comfort. ¡°It¡¯s about Japan. I wanted to talk to you alone about it. Do you want to go?¡± he asked her. ¡°I want to go, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have the money.¡± Her eyes saddened as she turned her attention to the rain striking the window. ¡°Y-you want to go?¡± He was not expecting that. ¡°Yeah, I do. What¡¯s strange about that?¡± She looked at him, wondering why he was surprised. ¡°Nothing, but why do you want to go?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just have this feeling.¡± She shook her head, erasing the thought. ¡°It sounds like fun, and this is our last chance before college.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back to this feeling thing. What do you mean?¡± He stared at her, confused. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± she replied uneasily. ¡°You can talk to me about it,¡± he coaxed. ¡°You¡¯re going to think I¡¯m strange,¡± she said. ¡°You can tell me, Sev,¡± he gently said. ¡°I have this feeling that I¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°That I need to go on this trip. I don¡¯t know why, but it¡¯s almost like I¡¯ve already been on this trip...¡± She stopped, seeing the look on his face. She sighed and looked at the floor. ¡°I knew you¡¯d think I was strange...¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not it! I have the same feeling. Like we all have to go on this trip. That¡¯s why I came over here to talk to you.¡± His eyes brightened. ¡°Really?¡± She felt her hopes rising, but she couldn¡¯t let them. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I won¡¯t be able to go. You and Aya will go and then tell me all about it over a sushi dinner.¡± She laid back on her bed, looking at the ceiling. ¡°Can¡¯t you ask your parents for the money? As a loan or something? If you really want to go on this trip, there has to be a way.¡± ¡°Not every family is rich like yours, David,¡± she said, sighing. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just there is no way I¡¯d get the money from the other people in this house. I could go sell myself on a street corner to get the money, but with my bad luck, I¡¯d end up murdered. That is my destiny, I guess.¡± It hurt him to hear her talk that way about herself. The times she did, he felt there was a much deeper meaning to it and it worried him. It reminded him of the day he met her. He wanted to help, but she always pulled away. ¡°Do you really want to go that badly?¡± he asked. ¡°I was kidding!¡± She sat up and smiled at him. ¡°I want to go through. In fact, before it started raining and there was a stalker outside my window, I was thinking about how I could get the money, but I didn¡¯t get too far in thinking. What are you planning on doing?¡± ¡°I got some money that I was saving for a car, but since my brother gave me his car, I don¡¯t really need it now, so I¡¯ll use some of that,¡± he replied. ¡°Oh, right. So, you¡¯re planning on actually going to Japan?¡± There was awe and longing in her voice. ¡°The trip is for the three of us, and it just doesn¡¯t feel right without you.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be fun? Riding the trains, checking out Tokyo, and karaoke!¡± Her face lit up with excitement. ¡°I can¡¯t picture you doing karaoke¡­¡± he said, laughing. She pouted and stuck her tongue out at him, knowing he was right. ¡°I¡¯d be nice to have the option to try it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! You¡¯ll get to go somehow!¡± He looked at the window, seeing the rain had stopped. ¡°I should go home¡­ it¡¯s late.¡± She looked out her door and saw the rest of the house was dark except the master bedroom. Since Derek was in the room, most likely in the shower, she walked David out to his car. With a short goodbye, she returned to her room as quickly as she could, locking the door behind her again. She glanced out the window to see if David was gone and, to her surprise, he was looking up at her window. Opening the window, she called down to him. ¡°Forget something?¡± He looked at her with a smirk on his face. ¡°I know what to get you for a birthday present!¡± ¡°What?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯ll see¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t-¡± He got in his car and started it, not listening to her. ¡°¡­have to get me anything,¡± she finished, closing the window and waving as he drove away. Derek knocked on her door again, calling through it asking who that was. She didn¡¯t answer as she quickly shut off the light and crawled into bed; a pit quickly growing in her stomach. Chapter 03 Chapter 03 NATSUO RAN THROUGH THE DAY on autopilot; recording, and taping sessions went by fast. Soon, he found himself walking home like every night, looking up at the stars he could see through Tokyo¡¯s lights. Lately, he took the long way home by the train station. Every night, he hoped to find someone there waiting for him. Despite it being well lit and crowded, the station felt dark and empty. He walked by the station, not giving it a second glance. About a block away from the station, he noticed three guys following him. When they turned the same corner as him for the third time, he stopped. ¡°Are you following me?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡¯re one of the Sacred Boys, right?¡± The one who spoke reeked of alcohol. The other two flanked Natsuo. ¡°Want an autograph?¡± Natsuo asked. He knew what they had planned for him. A bunch of stupid drunk men jealous of what he had. What made it worse, he had nothing for them to be jealous of. In fact, he wanted their normal lives. ¡°What do we have here? A stuffed animal?¡± One man grabbed the stuffed rabbit hanging partly out of Natsuo¡¯s bag. ¡°Give it back,¡± he ordered. ¡°Does the baby want its toy back?¡± The man held the animal above Natsuo¡¯s head as a taller bully would hold something he took from a smaller child. ¡°Does your girlfriend have a poster of me on her wall?¡± Natsuo asked. Having touched a nerve, the man flinched. Natsuo reached up for the rabbit. One of the other guys behind him pulled back his fist to strike. Natsuo quickly dodged the attack and the one that quickly followed form the other guy. ¡°I trained to be a boxer for a drama,¡± Natsuo said, turning to the man holding the rabbit. ¡°Didn¡¯t watch that one? I¡¯m sure your girlfriend did.¡± A police officer on a bike pulled up ringing the bike¡¯s bell. Natsuo was only distracted for a moment but it was enough of the man holding the rabbit to land a punch into his cheek. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± the police officer shouted, dismounting his bike. Natsuo let out a sigh of relief, seeing the stuffed rabbit on the ground as the three men dashed off. He fell to his knees as the pain hit him. ¡°Hey! What happened?¡± The police officer approached him cautiously. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± Natsuo stood up, wiping the blood from his lips. ¡°Those guys attacked me.¡± The police officer stepped closer and Natsuo could see a deep scar on the officer¡¯s cheek. The offer¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Y-you¡¯re¡­¡± Natsuo picked up his bag and rabbit from the ground. ¡°Then you know it¡¯ll be best for everyone to keep this quiet.¡± The police officer opened his mouth to protest, but nodded. Natsuo bowed his thanks and continued home. When Natsuo entered his apartment, he tossed his things to the ground. He headed for the mirror to assess his wounds. His eye was already swelling and his fat lip wasn¡¯t helping the look. He sighed. He lay on the futon as Pooky came up, concerned, sensing he was hurt. He petted her to reassure her, looking at the stuffed rabbit next to him. As his thoughts wandered to his dreams, the doorbell shook the memories from his mind. His head throbbed as he jumped up to open the door. A girl, a few years younger than him, stood at the door. She had tanned skin that matched her long, light-brown dyed hair, which was pulled back into an oversized black newsboy cap. Shock filled her brown eyes. ¡°Natsunii! What happened!?¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Come in, SaSayuri,¡± he said, stepping aside. An idol in the same company as his, he took her in as a little sister when she joined. The nickname she had for him showed that she felt he was like an older brother. ¡°When did you get back?¡± he asked. ¡°Yesterday. I was busy today, but I wanted to at least stop by and wish you a happy birthday.¡± She frowned. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Some guys attacked me on the way home,¡± he replied, as if it was a normal occurrence. ¡°Want me to call my mother?¡± she asked. ¡°No! It looks worse than it is. I don¡¯t need a doctor.¡± ¡°Have you at least put ice on that eye yet?¡± She frowned. ¡°No. I just got home.¡± ¡°You¡¯re helpless!¡± She walked to the fridge, pulling out ice and placing it in a bag. She handed it to him to put on his eye. ¡°Keep it on for twenty minutes.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± He laid down on his futon again. ¡°How was your trip?¡± ¡°You know how Hong Kong is.¡± She sat down on the couch next to Pooky. ¡°Why did those guys attack you?¡± ¡°They¡¯re jealous.¡± He smiled at her. ¡°Thanks for coming over. I needed to see a friendly face after that.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯m sorry that happened on your birthday.¡± Her eyes fell on the gray rabbit sitting next to him. ¡°Hey, Natsunii. What do you have planned for tomorrow?¡± He stared up at her, thinking. ¡°Nothing now. With this face I¡¯ll go into work, get yelled at and then sent home to heal. Why?¡± ¡°I have some time off. Do you want to do something tomorrow? You know, for your birthday.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really like the whole birthday thing, so you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I just want to spend some time with you,¡± she said, pouting at him. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, something fun. I¡¯ve been cooped up for the last month and need to get out! I want to see the world again.¡± She smiled at him, knowing he knew exactly how she felt. ¡°Meet me at the studio tomorrow and after I get sent home, we¡¯ll leave, okay? There¡¯s a chance they might make me record, but with this lip, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°If that happens, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± She looked at her watch. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it was this late. I¡¯m sorry, but if I go now, I¡¯ll make the last train.¡± She gave Pooky one last pet and stood up. He stood, the pain in his face and sides causing groans. Sayuri watched him, worried. ¡°I¡¯m a fast healer. I¡¯ll be fine tomorrow,¡± he assured her. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself, Natsunii,¡± she frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yup, tomorrow!¡± He opened the door. ¡°Take care of him, Pooky,¡± she said, causing the dog to let out a quiet bark. ¡°Goodnight, Natsunii.¡± ¡°Goodnight.¡± He closed the door and locked it. He laid back down with the ice on his eye. He let out a sigh and looked up at the ceiling again. ¡°Tomorrow¡­¡± * * * Seven laid awake, listening to the rain pound against her window. The rain wasn¡¯t what was keeping her awake, her thoughts were. She was trying to figure out why she wanted to go to Japan. There was nothing special about Japan in her mind. She never really thought about it before. Aya was into Japanese music and she went back every summer. Besides that, Japan was just another place to Seven. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I love your green eyes¡­ The man¡¯s voice from her dreams ran through her mind again. As long as she could remember, she had these strange dreams. They started off at an airport and changed to a train station as she got older. The setting and the boy¡¯s voice were all she usually remembered from the dreams. Something about that boy¡¯s voice made her feel safe. She closed her eyes to sleep, but there were too many thoughts going through her head. She turned over to look at the glowing red numbers on the alarm clock. It was two in the morning and she was still awake. She picked up her CD Walkman from the nightstand, placing the earbuds in her ears. When she had trouble sleeping, she listened to her father¡¯s favorite album, Paul Simon¡¯s Graceland. Listening to the album always comforted her by having some part of him with her. As the lyrics kept her mind from wandering off to places it shouldn¡¯t and she drifted asleep. The next day, Aya talked Seven into going to the mall after school. Seven hurried through the student parking lot. Thanks to some troublemakers, her last class was let out late. ¡°Surprise!¡± David jumped out in front of her from behind a car. Her foot snagged on a large crack in the asphalt, causing her to fall into him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her up. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Nice catch Davis!¡± someone shouted. ¡°Seven points to Davis!¡± another roared with laughter. A car horn sounded as Aya pulled up next to them in her car. Her eyes narrowed at David with his arms around Seven. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late, there was traffic.¡± Seven¡¯s face reddened. A surge of fear shot through her body. For a moment, when she pushed back against him to let her go, his arms around her tightened in protest. The fear faded as he let go of her. She took a calming breath, pulling her shirt, which had ridden up slightly, back into place. ¡°Aya invited me along. I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± David said, his cheeks flushing. ¡°Of course, she doesn¡¯t mind. Get in. We need to get going.¡± Aya shouted from the car. Seating in the cars was always the same. In David¡¯s car, Seven sat upfront with David. In Aya¡¯s car, Seven was in the back and David sat upfront. Seven couldn¡¯t figure out why David didn¡¯t see that Aya liked him, or why he¡¯d pick her over Aya. ¡°So, what are we doing?¡± Seven asked, wondering why David was tugging along on a girl¡¯s shopping day. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise.¡± Aya made eye contact with her in the rearview mirror and smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± David added, teasingly. ¡°You can¡¯t just spring something on me. Can¡¯t you just give a hint or something?¡± Seven pleaded. ¡°No, you¡¯re way too psychic for that! Just sit back and enjoy the drive.¡± He chuckled. When they parked in front of a large office building, Seven stepped out of the car, wondering what was going on. Aya and David stood in front of her with huge grins. ¡°The three of us are all set to spend two weeks in Japan this June!¡± he blurted, not being able to keep it in. ¡°All set? W-what do you mean?¡± Seven was confused. She hadn¡¯t even come up with a plan to get the money. ¡°I don¡¯t have the money or a passport.¡± ¡°Maybe you aren¡¯t as psychic as I thought. When I said I knew what to get you for your birthday¡­¡± He smiled proudly at himself, feeling like a prince who just saved the princess. ¡°All you have to do is sign some papers and take a passport picture.¡± ¡°You have an appointment to get your passport. Which is why I cut last period to get your birth certificate and social security card from your mom.¡± Aya held up a large envelope. ¡°Wait, two weeks?¡± What was being said to her was sinking in. Guilt filled her. ¡°That¡¯s way too much!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m pitching in too. Well, my dad technically, I¡¯m using my miles to help with the cost. And it¡¯s not as much as you think. We¡¯ll be staying at my dad¡¯s apartment in Tokyo for free.¡± Aya forced a smile. Seven was aware that Aya''s father was a touchy subject. When Aya was three, her parents separated. In exchange for not filing for divorce, Aya¡¯s mother could start over with Aya in America. Her father thought it important for Aya to stay in contact with his family, so he paid for her to visit every year. However, now he was almost never there when she did. The fact her friends wanted to do this for Seven overwhelmed her. She quickly wiped a tear away. ¡°When do we go?¡± she asked. ¡°Monday after graduation, June seventh,¡± Aya replied. Seven hugged them. ¡°You don¡¯t know how much this means to me! Thank you!¡± They walked into the passport office. Seven filled out the paperwork, and took a passport photo. She sat in a daze of shock as they drove to the travel agency next. It was official, they were going to Japan. * * * Natsuo opened his eyes. His face still hurt a little. Pooky slept next to him to protect him through the night. He smiled and rubbed Pooky¡¯s head, waking her up. ¡°Thank you Pooky.¡± He glanced at the clock and shot up, seeing he¡¯d overslept. He threw on clothes, slipped on his shoes, and ran out the door. He was going to be yelled at for being in a fight, and he didn¡¯t want to add being late to it. Last night, he just couldn¡¯t get to sleep. Everything kept him awake¡ªthe pain in his face, Pooky¡¯s snoring, even the ice in the bag on his eye melting. His cellphone rang. He didn¡¯t slow as he pulled it out of his back pocket. ¡°Yeah?¡± he answered, sounding slightly winded. ¡°Natsunii!¡± Sayuri broke into laughter. ¡°I¡¯d thought you¡¯d be on your way. And from the sound of it, you¡¯re running at full steam.¡± ¡°Oh, shut up!¡± he replied. ¡°What do you want? As you can hear, I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°I wanted to warn you the bosses are waiting to talk to you. You better get here soon.¡± There was concern in Sayuri¡¯s voice. ¡°Natsunii?¡± ¡°What?¡± he asked. ¡°Will you take me to a theme park today? I want to go on some rides, like a normal person.¡± He didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Hello? Natsunii? Hello?¡± He walked into the building through a side door. He saw Sayuri turned towards the wall in the lobby with her phone to her ear. He quietly snuck behind her to the elevator. He walked into the elevator before shouting at her, ¡°Sounds like fun! Wait for me here!¡± She wiped around to see him grinning and waving as the elevator doors closed. ¡°NATSUO! You jerk!¡± she said into the phone before he hung it up. As soon as he walked off the elevator, his manager was waiting and walked him to the boardroom where the most important people in the company were waiting. After the meeting, Natsuo stood in the elevator for a couple minutes before pushing the button for the lobby. He was so angry he couldn¡¯t think straight. When the elevator finally made it to the lobby, he saw Sayuri sitting with Kenji. Not wanting to deal with Kenji right now, he ducked down a side corridor to wait for him to leave. Their voices carried to him. ¡°The bosses needed to talk to Natsuo. You don¡¯t have any idea what it¡¯s about?¡± Kenji asked. ¡°He got into another fight last night,¡± she replied. ¡°Really?¡± The worry in Kenji¡¯s voice surprised Natsuo. It was gone in what he said next. ¡°Since I got the day open, want to go somewhere?¡± ¡°I made plans already,¡± she replied. ¡°Too bad. I¡¯ll have to find another girl.¡± Natsuo heard a few footsteps before they stopped. ¡°Remind Natsuo what he does affects me too.¡± Sayuri let out a sigh as Natsuo heard the main door to the building close. He peeked around the corner, seeing he was right, Kenji had left. ¡°Sayuri?¡± he said, into the lobby. ¡°Ready to go?¡± She picked up her bag with a smile that went away as she looked at him. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be driven to and from work every day. I¡¯m to be back in my apartment by sundown if not at work. As for today¡­¡± He looked away from her, not wanting to see the disappointment on her face. ¡°The car is already waiting to take me home.¡± ¡°What?¡± The disappointment was clear in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. They¡¯re not taking any chances with their number one group,¡± he mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Can I go with you to your apartment and talk?¡± she asked. He nodded, leading the way to the car. It was a silent ride to his apartment. He was so fixated on how much more confining his life was going to be, he just stared out the window. He didn¡¯t realize it until he walked into his apartment and Pooky jumping up on him to greet him pulled him from his thoughts. ¡°Want a drink?¡± he asked, opening the refrigerator. ¡°Thanks, anything is fine,¡± Sayuri replied, sitting on the couch. Pooky jumped up, sitting on her lap. He handed her a glass of chilled green tea, taking a seat next to her on the couch. ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡± he asked, the silence feeling awkward. ¡°I¡¯ll just say it.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s about today. I suggested to them you should be driven to work¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, seeing the change in his expression. ¡°How could you!? You¡¯re the one person I¡¯d expect to understand that I wanted to hold onto something that felt like a normal life!¡± After all the times they¡¯ve talked to each other about how hard it was to be an idol. He couldn¡¯t stay seated. He paced around the apartment before grabbing a beer from the fridge. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! It was a huge mistake! I never thought they¡¯d take it that far. If I could take it back, I would!¡± Her voice shook as she fought back tears. She got on her knees and lowered her head to her hands on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± ¡°Stand up¡­¡± he said, pulling her up to stand. ¡°I know you¡¯re just looking out for me. I forgive you.¡± ¡°Natsunii¡­¡± He sat down, defeated, on the couch. ¡°Walking to and from work was the only time I felt human. It was only a matter of time before it went away.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡± She slowly sat down next to him. ¡°No. I¡¯m mad at my life.¡± He took a long sip of beer. ¡°What¡¯s so bad about it? Aren¡¯t you happy that you¡¯re successful? Isn¡¯t it what you wanted?¡± she asked. ¡°No. When I was six, my mother went away, and I had to stay with relatives. They didn¡¯t like that they had to take care of me, so they signed me up for the talent company to make extra money for them. It wasn¡¯t my choice. A few years later the company took me from them, bringing me here to the dorm. I¡¯ve lived here alone since.¡± Pooky let out a bark. ¡°Alone until Pooky found me,¡± he corrected. He never told another soul that much about his past. He¡¯d never tell anyone the whole truth about it. The company wanted to keep it hidden. Having someone know, even that much about it, made him feel lighter. He had known Sayuri for almost eight years and this is the most she¡¯d learned about him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you quit?¡± she asked softly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that to Kenji. If I go, he goes.¡± He took another drink from his beer. ¡°Life¡¯s what you make of it, right? Well, if I made a life, it wouldn¡¯t be this. I¡¯d be going to Tokyo University working on becoming a lawyer or something. I¡¯d have a girlfriend or maybe even a wife to come home to. Maybe I¡¯d be going to school in America.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with you and America? You talk about it a lot and you put a lot of English lyrics into your songs. You took those classes to improve your English, too.¡± ¡°I went there when I was little and¡­.¡± He tried to find the right words, staring at the rabbit lying on his futon. ¡°It left an impression on me.¡± Her eyes followed his stare. She picked up the rabbit from the ground, looking it over. ¡°You take this everywhere you go. You¡¯ve had it as long as I¡¯ve known you. I always wanted to know, what does the seven mean?¡± He took another sip of his beer before taking the rabbit from her. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? Where¡¯d you get it?¡± she asked. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll tell you someday,¡± he said, smiling as he placed it on top of the TV. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Chapter 04 Chapter 04 THE WEEKS PASSED QUICKLY as the end of high school approached. After the school shooting in Colorado in April, Seven noticed a cloud hanging over the school. It differed from the normal cloud of sadness that came with the senior class saying goodbye to friends and childhood. To her, it felt like something changed after Colorado. They didn¡¯t feel safe at school the day after, and over a month later, that hadn¡¯t changed. With Y2K months away, maybe it¡¯s a good thing she was graduating. Everything was going to change. Aya had gotten her wish to break away from her protective mother and got into the University of Hawaii. Her father had no hesitation about paying for the out-of-state tuition if it meant getting her away from her mother. David got a football scholarship to the University of California. Even though it was only an hour away, he¡¯d be living on campus, but he promised to come home on the weekends to see Seven and do laundry. Seven would attend a local California State University. Her hard work paid off in grants and scholarships, allowing her to leave home. She marked her own move-in date for the dorm in big bold letters on the calendar in her room. Also marked on the calendar, in bold purple text with pink cherry blossoms doodled around it, was what she was looking forward to the most¡ªthe trip to Japan. The next thing Seven knew, it was the end of May and the weekend before the trip. She was standing in the fitting room trying on a dress Aya picked out for her. She let out a sigh as she pulled at the dark purple fabric, feeling uncomfortable. Aya picked something just on the outside of her comfort zone. The dress was a simple sleeveless strap dress with small white stars. The neckline was too low, and the skirt was too short. It hugged her chest and waist, but draped off her hips. She turned around a few times with the skirt of the dress flowing out. She smiled as she sunk her hand into the pockets. Her smile faded as she saw it on her in the mirror. ¡°Seven, look at this when you¡¯re dressed, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Seven opened the fitting room door. Aya was looking in a trifold mirror, dressed in a baggy black dress that barely covered her butt. ¡°It won¡¯t cover you if you have to pick something up.¡± Seven commented. ¡°That¡¯s the point!¡± She turned to look at Seven. ¡°That looks great on you! How does it feel being girly?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯d like it better in bla-¡± ¡°No black!¡± Aya silenced her. ¡°Let¡¯s see it!¡± Seven turned twice and looked in the mirror on the wall, tugging at the skirt. ¡°I like it, but it¡¯s a little-¡± ¡°Look, I told you already. They dress very nice in Japan. You¡¯ll need a few things to wear when we go out with my friends.¡± Seven held her arm across her chest. ¡°Yeah but-¡± ¡°You look great!¡± Aya pulled her arm down, looking her over. ¡°We can get a short-sleeve cardigan.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be great.¡± Seven covered her chest again. ¡°First, answer my question. Does this make my butt look big?¡± Aya turned. Once home, Seven put all the bags on the bed and pulled her suitcase out. Shopping before the trip made light work for packing. The clothes were folded, so she just had to cut the tags and put them in the suitcase. The toiletries were thrown into plastic bags and tossed into the suitcase. She laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling that she knew every crack and bump in. She looked forward to sleeping under new ceilings. There was a knock on her bedroom door. ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked in a good mood. ¡°It¡¯s me, Derek.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± The good mood was gone. ¡°Can you open the door? I want to talk face to face.¡± She got off her bed in a huff, unlocking the door, and stepping into the hall. Derek took a couple of steps back as she closed the door behind her. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. ¡°I wanted to give you this.¡± He held up an envelope. She took it from him, looking inside. She stared blankly at the cash inside, roughly a thousand dollars. ¡°W-what¡¯s this for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a graduation gift. I¡¯m going to be away, so I won¡¯t see you before you leave. I wanted you to enjoy this last-¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, cutting him off as she hugged him. Despite a part of her deep inside wanting to let go, this was the first time he felt like any kind of father to her. ¡°This means a lot to me.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s all,¡± he said, clearing his throat as she let go of him. He walked down the stairs. She entered her room smiling as she put the money in her carry-on. She fell back onto the bed. She couldn¡¯t wait to get on the plane. * * * Natsuo had slipped into a repetitive routine; each day blurred into the next. He mechanically woke up, got dressed, his manager called to say he¡¯d be there in ten minutes, the car came, and he went to work. He worked till the later hours of the day, then his manager took him home. Day after week after month. He didn¡¯t mind it as much as he thought he would. It gave him a chance to focus on work. He didn¡¯t have a social life anyways. He didn¡¯t interact with people outside the company, and he liked it that way, so did the boss. Kenji and Natsuo had finished shooting a fall drama they were starring in. They moved right into recording their next album. Writing their own songs filled days with writing and recording sessions. They even brought Sayuri in for a song on the album. During breaks, the three of them always talked. They didn¡¯t talk about anything serious since, for the right money, the other two might sell their secret to the media. Natsuo didn¡¯t think the others would, but the fear never fully goes away. His doorbell and the knocks that followed tore him from the dream of waiting for someone at a train station. He sat up in bed, his hair standing up. His shorts and T-shirt were twisted around him. He straightened his clothes and answered the door. Sayuri stood outside, her hair was a mess, and her smeared eye-makeup showed she¡¯d been crying. ¡°What happened?¡± His body tensed. ¡°Sorry for waking you.¡± She took a breath to calm herself so she could talk. ¡°Can I come in? Mom¡¯s at work, and I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± he stepped aside. She stepped in the door, slipping off her shoes. When the door clicked closed, she grabbed his shirt and sobbed into his chest. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked, lightly wrapping an arm around her. ¡°I¡¯m sick of the way he treats me¡­¡± she muttered between sobs. ¡°What did he do now?¡± he asked through gritted teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do! I¡¯m scared.¡± She stepped back, wiping her eyes, getting make up on her hands. ¡°He¡¯s getting worse.¡± ¡°What Did He Do?¡± He said each word clearly, trying to control his anger. Sayuri¡¯s manager was a dirty pig of a pervert, and Natsuo hated his kind. Her manager patted her on the butt, talked to her as if he owned her, like she was some whore that only did what he said. Every time someone took their eyes off him, he¡¯d try something. ¡°He ¡®tripped¡¯ and grabbed my chest. He did it on purpose!¡± Her hands shook with frustration. ¡°No one did anything! They believed him!¡± He guided her to the couch. ¡°Sit down. I¡¯ll get you something to drink.¡± ¡°My throat hurts. Can I have some water?¡± she asked, wiping her face again. He stood in the kitchen, staring at the glasses in the cabinet for a moment. Once he calmed down, he said, ¡°Sayuri, it¡¯s late. You should stay here. We¡¯ll go to work tomorrow and talk to the boss about this. He won¡¯t be able to ignore me and Kenji.¡± Not getting a reply, he glanced at the couch, seeing she was asleep. He yawned, wanting to get back to his dream before it was too late. ¡°All you need to do right now is get a good night¡¯s sleep,¡± he whispered, covering her with a blanket. He turned off the light and returned to his futon. * * * Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The plane left LAX around nine am on its eleven-hour journey to Japan. The plan was to stay awake the night before, so they¡¯d sleep on the plane. They hoped when they got to Tokyo in the afternoon, they¡¯d be ready to explore. They got three seats together; Seven sat at the window, David in the middle, and Aya got the aisle seat. ¡°I¡¯m coming¡­¡± she mumbled. ¡°She¡¯s talking in her sleep.¡± She opened her eyes, hearing David whisper to himself. Next to him Aya had fallen asleep with her head against his shoulder. ¡°Hey sleepy head. We¡¯ll be landing in a few hours,¡± David whispered. ¡°Really? Great, I can¡¯t wait.¡± She smiled as she stretched. ¡°You¡¯re in a good mood. Good dream?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t remember...¡± She looked over at Aya. ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°I dreamed I was sitting with you somewhere. You were waiting for someone or something and I was keeping you company¡­¡± The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as David talked about his dream. She didn¡¯t know why she had been with him¡­in a train station¡­ while she waited for¡­someone. ¡°You okay?¡± he asked, waving his hand in front of her eyes. She flinched, registering his hand waving in front of her. ¡°I need something to drink.¡± ¡°Help is on the way, my lady.¡± He pushed the button to call someone. ¡°My knight in shining armor.¡± She laughed. Aya¡¯s head shifted against his shoulder. ¡°Are we there yet?¡± she asked. ¡°Few more hours,¡± he answered. A flight attendant walked up to them. ¡°What can I help you with?¡± ¡°Can I get a Coke?¡± Seven ordered. ¡°Oh! I want one too,¡± Aya added. ¡°Two cokes. Anything for you, sir?¡± the flight attendant asked David. He shook his head and the flight attendant left to get their drinks. After landing at Narita Airport, David and Seven followed Aya closely, not wanting to lose their guide. They had trouble keeping up with her as she maneuvered through the large amounts of people who stood on the airport train platform. After what seemed like endless landscapes of breathtaking green hills and rice patties mixed in with the darkness of tunnels, Japan resembled the cities Seven imagined. No trip to LA or San Francisco could prepare her for what she was going to encounter stepping out into Tokyo Station. Aya only informed them they¡¯d be transferring to the ¡®green line¡¯ as they headed up escalator after escalator. Out on the main floors of the station, the sense of humanity was overwhelming. Tokyo Station was huge, every speck filled with people moving through to their connecting trains on one of the sixteen lines that ran through it. There were shops selling food packaged so beautifully that it¡¯d be worth the money if the wrapping hadn¡¯t contained their delicious treats. Luckily, David was taller than everyone else around them, making it easy to follow him as he clung to Aya¡¯s heels. They hurried across the station to only queue for another escalator. As they stepped onto the escalator, music played over the platform above. Some people started walking up the escalator past those that stood to the left. ¡°Damn it! We missed it!¡± Aya cursed as she let out a sigh, standing on the escalator with her suitcase behind her. ¡°Now we have to wait three minutes!¡± David looked behind him at Seven. The look she gave back told him they were thinking the same thing: in California, if they missed a train, it¡¯d easily be an hour wait till the next. The humidity of Japan in June was something Seven wasn¡¯t ready for. It was amazing how all the underground stations and trains were air-conditioned. Yet there were great numbers of what Aya called salarymen that had small towels to wipe the sweat from their brows in the early summer heat. Only when you came to a rest on the train did you really start sweating. They disembarked at the station closest to the apartment and rolled their bags through the station. There were still many people, but it felt empty compared to Tokyo Station. On the street, they finally got to see the city. The first thing that caught Seven¡¯s attention was the bumpy yellow lines down the sidewalks. ¡°That yellow bumpy line was in the train station too,¡± David noted before asking, ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡± Seven was wondering the same thing, but couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask. Aya was too focused on leading them. ¡°It¡¯s for blind people,¡± Aya answered. On the main street from the station to the apartment, there were shops of every kind. Seven never imagined seeing a Pizza Hut or 7-Eleven would be so comforting in the sea of the unknown. One thing that fascinated Seven the most along the walk from the station was the abundance of vending machines. They were literally at every corner, all offering different things. They rolled their bags into the lobby of a tall apartment building. It appeared to be renovated from an old hotel, complete with a name, White Mountain Vines. Aya walked over to a man working behind the counter and after a brief conversation she received a key, bowed and led the way to apartment 707. The apartment was very nice, having three bedrooms and a kitchen. The sliding glass door that opened to the balcony had a spectacular view of Tokyo Tower, being only two stations away on the local train line. Aya quickly picked the nicest room as Seven waited for David to pick his. Seven closed the door to her room behind her and almost locked it out of habit. She placed her suitcase on the bed and slid the curtains open, seeing the same view from the balcony out her own bedroom window. She opened the window to let in the smells and sounds from the city below. As she turned her attention back to her suitcase, someone knocked on her door. Like most Japanese doors, it opened out into the hall instead of into the room. David stood outside the room with a smile on his face. ¡°Wow! Look at the view you have! You can see Tokyo Tower!¡± He walked across the room to the window, looking out at the city. ¡°On the other side of the apartment, all I can see from my window is the staircase of the apartment next to us. It¡¯s ten feet away.¡± ¡°Do you want to change rooms?¡± she offered, feeling bad she¡¯d have the better room. ¡°Not at all!¡± he replied, glancing at her with a worried look before he gazed back out the window. ¡°I¡¯m happy you got the better room.¡± ¡°So, you guys want to head out or¡­¡± Aya stood at the door watching David at the window. ¡°I want food.¡± David stretched his back. ¡°I could eat,¡± Seven added, happy that he wanted to eat. She was starving. ¡°There¡¯s a family restaurant nearby. It¡¯ll be nice to walk around a bit after that flight.¡± Chapter 05 Chapter 05 NATSUO SAT ALONE IN A PARK, feeling the breeze brush by him. Since he woke up this morning, there was something that felt different and he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. The day was normal enough, with meetings and recording sessions. When he got home after work, he waited until his manager was gone and headed out to the park behind his apartment building to relax. The park was simple with a slide, swings, and benches around it. This place, so close to his home, was a sanctuary for him. He closed his eyes, listening to the wind rustle through the trees. Usually once the sun went down, he¡¯d be alone in the park, but there was a mother and son playing with sparklers. He heard the boy¡¯s laughter as he swung the sparkler around in the air. His eyes opened as the boy called out for his mother to watch. When the sparklers finally died out, his mother told him it was time to go home. A pang of jealousy hit him as he thought how innocent the little boy was. He watched the boy run after his mother and hoped the little boy wouldn¡¯t lose that innocence. With the park empty, he sat down on the swing and started to swing. He hummed to himself, working on a melody for a song. He put his legs out to bring the swing to a stop, reaching into his pocket to answer his ringing cellphone. ¡°Natsuo!¡± He could hear Kenji¡¯s voice from the phone before it even got to his ear. ¡°That¡¯s who you called,¡± he replied, hearing loud music and girls in the background. ¡°Natsuo!¡± The slurring of his name made it apparent that Kenji was drunk again. ¡°Come here! It¡¯s been toooo long. I want to see you. There¡¯s this girl, right? She has a friend. Her friend is your fan. I promised I¡¯d introduce you-¡± Natsuo let out a sigh, hanging up on him. When his phone rang again, he turned it to silent, letting it ring. He started to swing again as he felt the phone vibrating in his pocket. He stopped counting every time the vibrating stopped then started again, when he reached double digits. Natsuo slowed the swing to a stop when the phone stopped vibrating. Guilt filled him. He should head to whatever bar Kenji was at and take him home. He was falling, and he needed someone to reach out to catch him. He let out a sigh as he remembered the last time he followed his gut and reached out to pull Kenji up. He had pulled him over with him. Natsuo didn¡¯t trust himself that it wouldn¡¯t happen again. ¡°It was his fault¡­¡± he mumbled to remind himself. ¡°It was his fault. This is who he really is¡­¡± The clock in the park caught his eye, and realizing how late it was, he headed back home to sleep. * * * Natsuo stood on the train station platform again. Something felt different this time. He knew she was there, but he didn¡¯t see her. He headed out to the front of the train station. She was standing outside the north exit of the station. The blonde guy from before was with her. He felt his blood bubbling inside as the guy brushed her hair behind her ear. She swatted his hand away. Her head jerked up as she felt his presence. Happiness lit up her face as she turned to him. ¡°He¡¯s here. You can go,¡± she said to the blonde guy. He looked at Natsuo with a confused look on his face as he faded away. ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± ¡°Who was that?¡± the jealousy in him asked. ¡°No one. I got bored,¡± she said, looking up at him with sadness in her eyes. ¡°Wait for me,¡± he said, wrapping his arms around her. ¡°I¡¯ll find you. Wait for me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stay...¡± She pulled away from him. ¡°I just got here!¡± he protested. ¡°We¡¯ll be together.¡± She placed a finger to his lips and smiled. ¡°Someday.¡± ¡°Itsuka?¡± he breathed in irritation. ¡°Itsuka issho ni?¡± ¡°Itsuka?¡± She tilted her head, not understanding him. ¡°It means someday,¡± he explained. ¡°And issho ni means together.¡± ¡°Someday together¡­¡± she whispered, reaching for him. He turned from her, trying to keep the frustration in him from pouring out of him. It leaked into his voice, coming out as anger. ¡°When¡¯s someday? Are you really out there? Who was that guy? Are you even waiting for me anymore? Is waiting for you pointless?¡± ¡°Itsuka issho ni,¡± she whispered. He turned back to her and the hurt in her eyes wounded him. Her hand shook as she reached for him. Leaning forward, she pulled him in for a kiss. As he felt the faint touch of her lips on his, she faded away. * * * Seven took a gasp of air as her eyes shot open. The room was already filled with light. She squinted to read the time on the alarm clock on the nightstand next to the bed. Seeing it was five in the morning, she let out a sigh and laid back. At least it was five instead of four. Not being able to get back to sleep, she got out of bed feeling weak. She guessed the last few days of running around Tokyo had taken its toll on her. She looked at the purple dress hanging on a hook on the wall. Aya had ordered her to wear it today. She let out a sigh. She showered, dressed, and, being the first one awake, started the coffeemaker. As she finished pouring herself a cup of coffee, she heard a door in the apartment open. ¡°Is that coffee I smell?¡± David walked into the kitchen with a yawn. He was still in baggy shorts, a shirt, and his hair was ruffled from sleep. ¡°It just finished brewing.¡± She smiled. He stood there at the door, not moving further into the room, staring at her. ¡°W-what is it?¡± She let out a nervous laugh. ¡°Damn Sev, that dress looks great on you.¡± He held his stare on her. ¡°T-thanks,¡± she stammered, looking away from him. The heaviness of his stare caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. The sound of another door opening broke his stare. Aya stepped out of her room, still in her pajamas. ¡°Crazy, isn¡¯t it? Waking up this early. We didn¡¯t come here to sleep, though.¡± Aya brushed against David as she walked into the kitchen and to the coffee pot. She pulled out two cups from the cabinet. ¡°Want coffee David?¡± ¡°Uh, sure. Let me help,¡± he offered, walking over to Aya. Seven nervously took a sip of her coffee, burning her mouth a bit. She took the opportunity of David being focused on Aya and escaped into the living room. She took a seat on the couch and blew on her coffee to cool it. ¡°You¡¯re wearing the dress!¡± Aya chirped happily, walking into the room. ¡°Told you it¡¯d look good! Doesn¡¯t it look good on her, David?¡± ¡°Yeah, it does¡­¡± He took a sip of his coffee and walked over to the window to look out at the city. ¡°What are we doing today?¡± Seven took a sip. ¡°We¡¯re going to have lunch in Yokoyama with some of my friends. They¡¯re going to bring some guys with them...¡± Her voice trailed off in a mumble as she took a sip of her coffee. ¡°Guys?¡± David turned quickly from the window. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, us girls will be there too,¡± Aya assured him with a wink. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Seven also let out a sigh, understanding why she was in the dress today. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long day¡­¡± * * * The day was filled with sightseeing in Yokohama. They went to Landmark Tower, walked around Chinatown, and had lunch with Aya¡¯s friends. It was decided that they would meet up with them again this evening, this time for karaoke. The three of them settled down at a little cafe near a train station a few train-stops away from the apartment. Seven stared at her drink, thinking about the trip ending the day after tomorrow. She didn¡¯t want to leave. Something changed in her when she landed in Japan. Going home now would be like a caged bird being set free for a little while, then being put back in its cage. Seven looked over at David. He was watching her and he smiled when her eyes met his. His blue eyes pulled her in again. He was nice to look at and he had an amazing body. ¡®Could I make myself love him?¡¯ she asked herself, feeling heat rise in her face. Are you even waiting for me anymore? The voice of the man in her dreams replayed in her mind. She her body shake as guilt and regret surged through her. She pulled her gaze from David¡¯s, looking down at the table again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she replied quickly. ¡°No really, what¡¯s wrong? You can talk to me,¡± he coaxed softly. ¡°It¡¯s just-¡± ¡°What are you going to sing at karaoke tonight?¡± Aya asked, interrupting Seven. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many English songs they¡¯ll have. Maybe some Disney songs.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll be passing on karaoke,¡± Seven said quietly. At lunch, David and she had been swarmed by Aya¡¯s friends who wanted to practice their English. Seven drained quickly as they asked millions of questions about California. She didn¡¯t think she could handle a night of that with loud background music. She had reached her daily humanity quota and wanted to relax alone. She still had books she hadn¡¯t read in her suitcase. Maybe she¡¯d even have a long, quiet bath. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to go back to the apartment. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not feeling a hundred percent. I think I¡¯ll just head back to the apartment now and maybe get some sleep.¡± Seven grabbed her bag and stood up. ¡°Wait, we¡¯ll go back with you.¡± David took a last sip of his melon soda and grabbed the check from the table. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Aya said, handing Seven one of the spare keys to the apartment. ¡°Sev¡­¡± Worry filled David¡¯s face. ¡°I know how to get back,¡± she assured him. ¡°You guys have fun. I¡¯m just going to go to sleep when I get back.¡± David stood to follow her, but Aya grabbed his wrist. Walking into the apartment, Seven felt relieved to be out of the sea of humanity on the streets of Tokyo. She forgot which station was hers and ended up getting off at a few unfamiliar stops. Thinking she was at the right one, she walked out of the station but there was a statue of a fish jumping out of water outside she didn¡¯t recognize. She gave up and gathered her courage to ask a police officer with a scar on his cheek near the station for help. Thanks to Aya insisting that they always carried the address for the apartment with them, their communication went smoothly. She filled a glass of water and walked into her room, throwing her sweater on the bed. She put down the water on the nightstand as she looked through her luggage for medication. The view outside the window stole her attention. She walked over to the window and looked out at the city nightscape. Tokyo Tower was lit up, it stood strong against the other city lights. ¡°What a beautiful sight,¡± David said, standing in the bedroom doorway staring at her standing at the window. ¡°W-what are you doing back?¡± she stammered. Why hadn¡¯t she heard him come back? ¡°I was worried about you,¡± he said. ¡°Worried about me? W-why?¡± she replied. The idea of someone worrying about her didn¡¯t compute. ¡°At dinner, it looked like something was bothering you. What was it?¡± He sat down on the bed. ¡°You haven¡¯t been the same this whole trip.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you. You should be enjoying the trip,¡± she said, guilt filling her. He shouldn¡¯t be ruining his trip because of her. ¡°I was feeling like a third wheel with Aya and her friends, anyway. They were singing song after song by some Japanese group called Scared Boys.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Scared boys?¡± She furrowed her brow and chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting name for a group.¡± She looked back out the window. ¡°So, what¡¯s up?¡± he asked, not giving up. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to talk about it if that¡¯s okay,¡± she replied. ¡°Sev¡­¡± he coaxed, crossing the room to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and a chill surged through her body. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± she exclaimed. Her breath quickened as she pulled away from his touch, taking a couple of steps to the side to put space between them. ¡°Don¡¯t pull away from me now.¡± There was hurt in his voice. ¡°You were going to tell me what was wrong at dinner, but Aya interrupted you.¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer not to talk about it now.¡± She sat on the other side of the bed, putting more distance and the bed between them. ¡°I¡¯d like to be alone if that¡¯s alright,¡± she said, trying to make her tone sound forceful. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving till you talk. Aya won¡¯t be back till the first train, so we¡¯ve got all night.¡± David sat down on the bed. She turned to him, seeing the seriousness in his face. She let out a sigh. Her problems were not worth his or anyone else¡¯s time. Maybe she should tell him. He was worried about her and... He¡¯s worrying about her¡­ She smiled, feeling a light in the gloom that wrapped around her. Just knowing that someone cared about her was enough. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it, okay?¡± She grabbed the pillow next to her and hit him hard on the head. She laughed and stuck her tongue out as he grabbed his head. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s game time!¡± He grabbed the other pillow on the bed and threw it at her with all his strength. She fell off the bed to the floor. ¡°Ow! David! I was only playing! That hurt! I think I¡¯m bleeding...¡± she said, pretending he had really hurt her. ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± He rushed over to her. She grabbed the glass of water from the nightstand and poured it over his head. ¡°Got you!¡± She ran across the room as she laughed. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay!¡± he shouted, playfully chasing after her. He chased her from one side of the room and back. With one quick leap over the bed, he caught up with her. He grabbed her, pulling her back on the bed, pinning her down by her arms. ¡°Got you where I want you!¡± he said as water dripped on her from his hair. He looked down at her. Her normally dull eyes were filled with light as she laughed. He had never seen her this happy before, this beautiful, and it took his breath away. ¡°Get off me! You¡¯re dripping water on my dress!¡± She laughed. David looked down at her dress. He hadn¡¯t meant to look, but it was too late. The way he had her pinned and the angle he had gave a perfect view of her breasts. Raising and shaking as she struggled to breathe while she laughed. The sight of the skin of that sweet valley between them and the silk lavender bra she wore, mixing with her scent and the sound of her laugh caused the leash on him to snap. He felt the need to kiss her boiling up in him and there was no stopping it. He climbed on the bed, placing himself on top of her and pinning her down more. As he leaned in, he tightened his grip on her. ¡°Sev¡­¡± he whispered. He pressed his lips against hers as her eyes filled with terror. Her body squirmed in opposition underneath him. He tightened his hold on her wrists even more as a new sensation surged through him. He and the bulge screaming for release from his pants wanted more. He continued kissing her, trying to make her allow access to his tongue. As she gasped for a breath, it found its way in for a moment, but was quickly evicted. He settled for just having the feel of her lips against his. The kisses silenced her as he maneuvered her arms together and aligned his waist with hers. Her body was moving less in protest now, and he wondered if was acceptance of what was happening or his weight being fully on her. Either way, he pushed on. His right hand firmly held down both of her arms, while his left moved south, pulling up the skirt of her dress. He held her arms tight as he moved his free hand up her thighs. She jerked, causing his nails to dig into her thigh. The sound she made was too much. His free hand undid the button of his pants and pulled them back to set his erection free. He returned his hand quickly up her thigh and pulled at her underwear. It was the only thing keeping him from the goal that drove him. Her body jumped up underneath him violently, and his free hand darted to her breast, slamming her back down into the bed. The lust driving him tricked him into believing her whimper of pain was one of pleasure. He pulled at the neckline of her dress, slipping it down past her breast. Pulling at her exposed bra, he continued kissing her. He worked his hand into it, cupping her breast. He let out a moan, feeling her peaked nipple against his finger. Suddenly, he felt warmth against his lips and the metallic taste of blood greeted him when he licked them. ¡°DAVID! STOP IT!¡± Seven pulled her mouth away enough to shout as he faltered. ¡°Oh god¡­¡± he murmured. His grip lightened around her wrists as he realized what he was doing. With the lightened grip, she freed her hands, pushing him off her to the ground. ¡°GET OUT!¡± she screamed at him, shooting off the bed to the other side of the room against the window. She pulled up the top of her dress and brushed her skirt down. ¡°Sev¡­ I¡­¡± He walked towards her, trying to find an explanation for something that had none. ¡°STAY AWAY FROM ME!¡± she shouted. She lunged for the door, but he reached for her, grabbing the strap of her dress. It tore as he forcefully pulled her back towards him. She grabbed the glass from the nightstand next to her and smashed it against his head. While he fell back on the bed, grabbing his head, she ran. She ran out of the room, continuing right out of the apartment, and kept running when she made it out on the street. People stared at her in her ripped dress that she tried to hold up to cover her bra. She ran towards the brightly lit train station ahead of her. She stood outside the station, tears streaming down her face as she tried to catch her breath. Her arms shook as she wrapped them around her for both cover and comfort. She spotted David running down the street in her direction. Thanking God her dress had pockets, she reached into the pocket of her dress, pulling out the prepaid train fare card from it. She ran for the ticket gate, slipping it into the ticket gate. Collecting it from the other side, she ran up the stairs to the platform, where she heard the music announcing the arrival of a train. She just made it onto the train as the doors closed. Even on the train, she couldn¡¯t make herself stop. She hurried through the train, needing to get away from the stares of the other passengers. She couldn¡¯t turn off her need to run. When the train pulled into the next station, she ran off the train to the ticket gate. She slipped the card through the gate again. This time it took longer to spit out the other side as it printed the station and fare information on the back of the card and punched a hole into the card to show the new card balance. She slipped it back into her pocket and ran out of the station¡¯s north exit. She ran out onto the street in front of the station, not wanting to stop, but her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees in the middle of the street. ¡°OI!¡± a man behind her called, making her look up to see a motorcycle racing at her. She struggled to stand as someone wrapped their arms around her. Suddenly, she was spun and flung out of the way, hurtling toward the ground. Her head slammed into the pavement, bouncing a couple of times before everything went black. Chapter 06 Chapter 06 Natsuo gently laid the girl down on his futon. With the strap torn, the bodice of her dress hung down, leaving her bra exposed. He glanced away as he pulled the fabric back up. His eyes narrowed at the wound on her lip that looked as if someone had bitten her. Did someone attack her? Would she think he was the one that did it when she woke up? He opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the balcony. Adrenaline was pumping through his body and his heart raced. He paced on the balcony, looking over at the girl every minute. Finally, the knock on the door he had been waiting for came. He hurried across the apartment to the door. ¡°Ishii-sensei! I¡¯m so sorry to call you this late. Thank you for coming,¡± Natsuo greeted the middle-aged Japanese woman with the honorific term sensei, reserved for teachers and doctors. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I was just finishing my shift at the hospital. Where is she?¡± she asked, slipping off her shoes and stepping into his apartment. In the small space, she spotted the girl on the futon immediately. She sat down next to her, picking up her wrist to check her vitals. A small gasp escaped as she noticed the bruises. ¡°Tell me again what happened.¡± As she bandaged the wound on her head, he told her everything he knew. He got a lecture for moving her from the street, as she could¡¯ve had a serious injury. Then, he told her his thoughts on what happened to her before she ran out of the station. ¡°I was thinking the same thing. I¡¯m hoping we find out we¡¯re wrong when she wakes up, though.¡± She looked at him with a frown on her face. ¡°Why don¡¯t you step outside and I can check if¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Natsuo protested. ¡°She should have a choice in being checked¡­there.¡± She chuckled a little, seeing the blush that appeared on his face. ¡°If you were anyone else, I wouldn¡¯t leave this poor girl here. If you treat her with even a small percent of the kindness and respect that you treat my Sayuri with, then she is in wonderful hands. I haven¡¯t thanked you for helping with that problem with her manager.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Anyone would¡¯ve done it,¡± he replied. ¡°Not everyone. There were plenty of people in the room who did nothing when he demonstrated how it was an accident and he grabbed her chest a second time.¡± ¡°He did it again? In front of everyone?¡± Natsuo felt the disgust in him growing. ¡°That disgust in your voice is how I know this girl will be okay in your care.¡± She smiled. ¡°Now, I don¡¯t see any serious signs of worry except the obvious, but that can be dealt with once she wakes up and can tell her story. Do you have a large shirt or something I could put her in? She can¡¯t wear this dress anymore.¡± He hurried over to the dresser, thumbing through the shirts in the top drawer. Pulling out a large black shirt from their concert tour last winter. Unfolding the shirt revealed on the back, a pair of large white angel wings designed to resemble those of the wearer. The front of the shirt had the words ''Sacred Boys'' written in gold, along with the image of the back of a blonde-haired angel, nestled between the words. Holding up the shirt to himself, he turned to show her. ¡°That¡¯s perfect. It¡¯s only a little shorter than the dress she has on now,¡± she said. Handing the shirt to her, he walked out onto the balcony. He looked out at the city, his heart still racing. He replayed what had happened again in his mind. What would¡¯ve happened if he hadn¡¯t been standing outside the station? ¡°You can come back in,¡± she called to him. He walked back into the room, seeing that the girl was now covered in a blanket. Ishii-sensei had folded up the purple starlight dress and placed it next to the futon. She stood frowning at the sleeping girl. ¡°When she wakes, try to keep her calm. Call me if anything changes, or if she doesn¡¯t wake up by lunch tomorrow,¡± she instructed, as she headed for the door. ¡°Thank you again for coming,¡± he said, following her. ¡°For now, I won¡¯t tell anyone in the company. Quite a scandal, popular idol injures foreigner. I don¡¯t think that poor girl needs that added to her troubles.¡± ¡°I will. Thank you,¡± Natsuo said, bowing as she walked out the door. He stared at the door after he locked it. It didn¡¯t occur to him there could be negative consequences on her because of who he was. Maybe he should¡¯ve just taken her to the hospital and left her in Ishii-sensei¡¯s care. She would have kept everything confidential. What was he thinking? What was he going to do when she woke up? He looked over at the girl. Pooky had curled up next to her. It felt like she was protecting her, just in case he got any ideas. That was why she was there. He wanted to protect her, make sure she was safe. He didn¡¯t know if the person she might¡¯ve been running from would find her in the hospital. At least when she woke up, she could decide for herself. He picked up his Walkman and earphones from the floor, slipping the earphones in his ears. Pressing play, he sat down on the couch. He always listened to his burned disk of American songs when he was feeling down or needed to capture the feeling of love for a role or song. He looked down at the girl in his bed. Even before Ishii-sensei said anything, he worried it might¡¯ve been a suicide attempt. The ripped dress hinted that something bad enough just might¡¯ve happened to her. Seven¡¯s head hurt. She moved her hand up from under the blanket to touch her forehead and felt a bandage. Her eyes shot open. Through the slowly growing light, she stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above her. As the fog in her vision cleared she turned her head to the side and he gaze fell on an unknown man sleeping on the couch next to her. She sat up in shock, grabbing her head as the quick motion made her head throb. Seeing her dress folded on the floor next to her, she jerked her head down to see what she was wearing. A T-Shirt she had never seen before. She could only assume that the man who was asleep put it on her. One of her hands pressed against her shoulder while the other against her hip. She sighed in relief, feeling the bumps of her bra and underwear. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. She stood up quietly, trying not to wake him. She looked around, seeing that there was no one else in the small apartment except the dog that was sitting at her feet, staring up at her. Making her way to the door, she saw her shoes placed neatly next to the man¡¯s shoes. She picked up the shoes and as she tried to open the door as quietly as she could. The dog barked loudly at her. She turned towards the dog, holding her finger to her mouth to hush it, but her eyes fell on a gray, white-nosed stuffed rabbit sitting on top of the television. A memory flashed in her mind: being carried and a stuffed rabbit slipping out of her hands. The memory made her head spin, and she fell towards the ground. ¡°Daijoubu?¡± The man caught her before she hit the ground. Seeing she didn¡¯t understand Japanese, he switched to English. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Seven opened her eyes, looking at the unfamiliar ceiling again. A second later, remembering she was in a strange place with a strange man, she sat up. The little brown dog jumped up on her lap, stretching to lick Seven¡¯s face. ¡°Be careful or you¡¯ll fall again.¡± The man¡¯s voice caused her breath to catch and fear washed over her. Her eyes shot to him as he stepped cautiously out of the kitchen towards her. He held his hands up, seeing he was scaring her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t hurt you. That¡¯s Pooky,¡± he said, motioning for the dog to get down. ¡°A-and who are you?¡± she asked, raising a hand to her aching head as Pooky jumped up onto the couch. ¡°My name¡¯s Natsuo. You hit your head last night, so I took you home.¡± He sat down on the couch. ¡°Home?¡± she repeated, her fingers exploring the bandage on her forehead again. ¡°After you hit your head, a friend who is a doctor came to check you. She put the bandage on and told me to watch you.¡± He noticed her glance down at his shirt that she was wearing, then at the dress folded next to her. ¡°She also put you in one of my shirts¡­ your dress was ripped...¡± ¡°Ripped?¡± A sudden memory of pressure around her wrist caused her to look down at them. The phantom sensation passed as her eyes focused on the bruises. Her other hand quickly grabbed her wrist to cover it, but there were bruises around her other wrist as well. She took a deep breath as her hands shook. ¡°W-what was your name again?¡± ¡°Natsuo. What hap-¡± He stopped himself as the pit in his stomach grew deeper, watching the memories return to her. He wanted to know, but this wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s-¡± A phone rang, cutting her off. He picked up his phone from the couch, seeing it was Sayuri. He answered, knowing if he didn¡¯t, she¡¯d come over. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked sternly in Japanese, as he jumped over the couch to talk by the front door. He hoped if she thought he was in a bad mood, she¡¯d keep the call short. As he talked on the phone in Japanese, Seven looked around the apartment, trying to get her bearings. The little dog was staring demandingly at her from the couch, wanting to be petted. ¡°Pooky was it? Am I okay here?¡± she asked the dog as she pet her. She noticed the gray white nosed rabbit sitting on the television near her. Standing, she took the rabbit in her hands, but dropped it as dizziness washed over her. She made her way to the couch, grabbing her head again as it throbbed. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Natsuo asked, hanging up his phone. ¡°Yeah, just a little dizzy,¡± she answered, pulling at the shirt to cover more of her thighs. ¡°I just want to make sure you know you¡¯re safe here,¡± he said, slowly sitting on the couch next to Pooky. ¡°I feel that.¡± She smiled as she petted Pooky between them. ¡°Can you tell me how I hit my head?¡± ¡°I was outside the train station when I saw you run out into the street. A motorcycle was heading right for you. I ran out and pushed you out of the way. You hit your head when you hit the ground.¡± She looked down at her hand, still pulling at the shirt. Seeing the blood from scratches on her thigh, more flashes of what happened with David rushed back to her. Her body shook, and she felt tears welling up. She never wanted to cry in front of anyone, so she took another breath to push the memory away. His heart broke watching her shake, and the worry inside him built up again. He had to know what happened. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but can you tell me what you were doing in the middle of the street?¡± he asked as gently as he could. ¡°I had a fight with a friend of mine,¡± she said, looking at the futon at their feet. ¡°When I¡­ tried to get away, they tried to stop me¡­ my dress ripped. I felt scared¡­ I ran. My legs stopped working...¡± She let that much of the truth in, not wanting to believe that her childhood friend did what he had. He felt that was only part of the truth, but pushing her didn¡¯t seem the best thing to do. ¡°Is that what happened? I thought you were trying suicide!¡± He feigned relief in his voice, closely watching her reaction. ¡°What? No! My legs just gave out,¡± she assured him. Her reaction seemed genuine, so she hadn¡¯t tried to hurt herself. He needed to know more. ¡°Your friend didn¡¯t hurt you, did he?¡± He noted the flicker of her eyes when he said ¡®he¡¯ before she looked at him with a baffled expression. ¡°Why do you care?¡± she asked, suspicious. Her reply caught him off guard, and his thoughts froze. He couldn¡¯t tell her he¡¯d been dreaming about her all his life. ¡°Well, since fate threw you in my path, I just wondered who you were, and what happened that made our paths cross.¡± ¡°Who I am?¡± she repeated. Her face filled with dread. ¡°I need to get back!¡± She stood up quickly, but sat back down, overwhelmed with dizziness. ¡°Relax! Just sit back a little longer. Where do you need to go?¡± he asked. ¡°The apartment we¡¯re staying at. I¡¯m on a trip with my friends and we have to go back home. My friends¡­ Aya must be so worried about me.¡± Her head pounded again. ¡°Where are you going back to?¡± he asked. ¡°California,¡± she replied. ¡°Okay, first, when are you leaving?¡± His heart sank. He just met the girl of his dreams, literally, and she was going back to another country. ¡°If it¡¯s Friday now, then the plane is tomorrow night.¡± ¡°You have time, so sit back and relax with me, okay? You need to rest.¡± He smiled, trying to reassure her. She let out a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°Good. Now, where are you from?¡± he asked. ¡°Um a little town in California.¡± She nervously scooped her hair behind her ear. Her long blonde hair laid across her shoulders, framing her face bringing out her green eyes. She looked so cute in his T-shirt that had to be two sizes too big on her petite frame. ¡°Hello?¡± she said, waving her hand in front of his face. ¡°Sorry¡­ what did you ask?¡± He blushed a little. ¡°Can I use your bathroom?¡± She looked at him suspiciously again. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the door over there,¡± he answered, pointing. ¡°Thanks.¡± She stood, unsteady at first, as she crossed the apartment to the bathroom. He watched her, nervous that she was going to fall over again. His eyes drifted down and he noticed that with each step, the shirt was scrunching up on her hips. He stared at her thighs for a heartbeat before realizing that he¡¯d soon have a great view of her underwear. ¡°Wait!¡± he called after her. ¡°What is it?¡± She looked back at him from the opened door to the bathroom. He quickly grabbed a pair of black sweatpants from his dresser, scolding himself for looking at her as long as he had. He told her she was safe, but he was no better than the person who left those marks on her wrists. ¡°Wear these...¡± His voice faded as he looked away from her, holding the sweats out for her to take. ¡°Thank you.¡± Her hand shook a little as she took them. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± He looked at her, realizing he hadn¡¯t gotten an answer yet. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Seven,¡± she answered. ¡°Seven? What a great name.¡± He smiled. She smiled back and walked into the bathroom. His phone rang again. He looked at his phone, seeing it was Sayuri again. ¡°What?¡± The smile on his face was in his voice as well. ¡°Natsunii! What¡¯s going on? You hung up on me before!¡± She sounded mad. ¡°I¡¯m busy!¡± His smile only widened. He walked over to the couch, picking up the rabbit. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, bunny?¡± ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on,¡± she pleaded. ¡°Well, the truth is...¡± His eyes fell on the rabbit¡¯s right bottom paw. His mouth dropped open. ¡°Natsunii?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call you later Sayuri¡­¡± He hung up the phone and dropped it on the futon. He stared at the rabbit¡¯s right bottom paw. ¡°Seven¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± she said, closing the bathroom door. ¡°Nothing.¡± He quickly put the rabbit back on the sofa. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling better. I think I should get back to my friends soon.¡± She picked up her dress from the ground. ¡°Please stay a little longer,¡± he pleaded as his phone rang again. ¡°What?!¡± he answered, exasperated, and turning his back to Seven. ¡°I-I¡¯ve bothered you enough¡­¡± Seven quietly said, walking to the door and putting her shoes on. He talked to Sayuri quickly in Japanese, telling her he¡¯d tell her everything someday, but now wasn¡¯t the time. Seven opened the door to leave, catching the word itsuka from what he was saying. ¡°Itsuka isshoni¡­¡± she whispered as her face filled with shock. That voice¡­it couldn¡¯t be. Panicked, she walked out into the hall, shutting the door behind her. She stopped only when she got outside the apartment, having no idea where she was. Natsuo hung up on Sayuri again and hurried after Seven. He caught up with her staring at the ground in front of the apartment. Her face was pale, and she clenched the shirt she wore with both hands. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I am,¡± she replied. She turned to him and smiled sheepishly. ¡°I can take-¡± His stomach growled. ¡°I¡¯ll take you where you need to go, but can you do me a favor? I haven¡¯t eaten anything since lunch yesterday, and I¡¯m starving. Will you have breakfast with me?¡± He coaxed, not waiting to let this moment slip out of his fingers. He had to confirm if he was right about who she was. ¡°I really need to go¡­¡± ¡°Please! Payment for saving your life¡­ have breakfast with me,¡± he pleaded.