Kazutaka sighed because he had always thought such an outlandish story only ever happened in movies or novels.
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Fuwa brought a blanket. “Do you want to rest a little, Kazutaka-san? I’ll put a blanket on you. Ren, let me know when you succeed in unlocking the third one.”
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Ren stopped chatting and got back to work.
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Kazutaka suddenly felt extremely tired once Fuwa put a blanket on him. Ren was gazing intently into the monitor, not even blinking. Ren’s face began to blur as Kuzutaka looked at him.
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“When can you unlock the third one, Ren?”
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“I have no way of knowing that yet. Get some sleep if you want.”
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“You're not sleeping, Ren?”
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“That wouldn’t be good for you. If I take a break now, the case won’t be opened before evening. You'd still be in this R.V. as it heads for Kyushu on the ferry.”
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“I don’t want to be on the boat. I get seasick.”
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Kazutaka wanted the attaché case opened before the ferry sailed.
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For some reason, Ren looked more relaxed than half a day ago.
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“Would you like me to sing you a lullaby?”
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Kazutaka couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He thought Ren was a workaholic, who didn’t mind getting his hand in Kazutaka’s pants if it helped Fuwa. That same Ren now sounded very sweet.
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“What kind of lullaby?”
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Ren started singing. Kazutaka thought he shouldn’t complain but he thought it was a sad song and didn’t sound much like a lullaby.
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“What kind of song is that, Ren?”
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“A Russian folk song called Stars of Labor.”
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“What does the song mean?”
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“The iron is hot inside the kiln. Swinging picks sound along the railroad. The wagons move on icy earth. Things like that.”
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“You like that kind of song, huh?”
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“I do.”
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Songs are good, Kazutaka agreed. Ren smiled and continued singing. The flashing light from the monitor shone on Ren’s face and eyes. Kazutaka felt confusion over the intimate moment they were sharing. After all, Kazutaka was the victim of a kidnapping while Ren was a member of a crime ring. Kazutaka still didn’t approve of theft and kidnapping, but he didn’t feel any hostility towards them. Instead, he was relaxed enough to feel sleepy. Ren was actually quite handsome. His song choice left much to be desired, but Ren was singing for Kazutaka who decided to fall asleep to Ren’s “lullaby.”
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Kazutaka closed his eyes, still listening to Ren’s song. Kazutaka imagined a faraway land. He imagined laborers swinging picks to set the railroad tracks. Ren’s face fused with that of a Russian laborer. Kazutaka curled his lips into a soft smile as he lay with his eyes closed.
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I’m going back to work tomorrow, both for the children waiting for me and for myself. I’ll work hard and get to see children smile. I’ll let hope grow no matter how small or slim, for hope is what keeps spirits high.
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“The iron is hot inside the kiln. Swinging picks sound along the railroad. The wagons move on icy earth with bells jingling. Snow gets kicked up in the air by heavy hooves.” Kazutaka fell asleep, listening to Ren’s lullaby.
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In the end, it took Ren over seven hours to pick the third lock.
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At 4 p.m., Ren told Fuwa that the case could not be opened before the departure time and the last one would need to be opened on the ferry. Fuwa took out his cell phone and stepped outside the R.V. to call Bud. Kazutaka was still fast asleep.
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It was true that Kazutaka hadn’t slept the night before, but Ren thought it was bold of him to be sound asleep inside a crime ring’s R.V. As Ren looked down at Kazutaka’s sleeping face, he found himself smiling. The more Ren looked at him, the younger Kazutaka appeared. Kazutaka appeared even more childlike in his sleep than he did awake. According to conventional wisdom, being a middle school teacher was a tough job. Ren could imagine how stressful it could be to deal with children who wouldn’t listen to him. Ren wondered how a softy like Kazutaka managed his work so well. Kazutaka’s left hand, which was connected to the attaché case, was outside the blanket. Kazutaka couldn’t turn over, either. The entire time Ren had looked at the monitor, Kazutaka had never even once rolled about trying. Ren worried that Kazutaka would have aching muscles once he woke up. Right now though, Kazutaka was sleeping soundly with a soft smile upon his face. He'd probably also have a sore back when he awoke. He wasn’t sturdily built from tough manual labor. In fact, his wrist was as thin as that of a middle schooler.
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Ren felt sorry for Kazutaka and found himself stroking Kazutaka’s cheeks. Kazutaka didn’t show any response. If awake, Kazutaka would have looked prim or gotten defiant, but he was vulnerable in his sleep. Ren got carried away and pinched Kazutaka’s cheek softly. Then he got bold. Ren pulled Kazutaka’s cheeks apart and pressed his palms into them. Kazutaka didn’t stir.
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“He really is sleeping deeply.” Ren then found himself wondering, Where does our consciousness go when people are asleep? As a technical person, Ren rarely considered such metaphysical things.
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Kazutaka had an unusual face, with a small nose and mouth. These parts of his face were close to his nose in the center. His eyes were large, like a fawn’s. When Kazutaka was awake, his eyes tended to cross slightly and droop. Rather than beautiful or handsome, he was childlike and cute. Kazutaka’s facial features were very close to the golden proportions of popular dolls. Ren was watching him closely while thinking about his facial shape and design. Just then, Kazutaka’s eyes snapped open.
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Oops, he woke up.
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Ren felt flustered by this, though he schooled his face so that this didn't show. Ren’s face was almost too close to Kazutaka’s to be simply looking at his sleeping face. Ren started thinking what he would say if Kazutaka asked what he was doing. Silently, Ren waited in a cold sweat. Then with his eyes wide open, Kazutaka exclaimed, “That section will be on the exam!”
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It was an alarmingly loud voice. It rang out loud and clear. Then Kazutaka winked charmingly, closed his eyes again and went back to sleep.
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Talking in his sleep. Ren was relieved. “Phew. That was a surprise.”
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Ren moved quietly away from Kazutaka and sat down on the floor. The cot Kazutaka was sleeping on was about chest height for Ren from this position. Looking into Kazutaka’s face, Ren felt heartache. Even in this miserable state, Kazutaka was teaching in his sleep. That proved his goodness and sense of dedication. While he was awake, Ren had thought Kazutaka was strange and more than a little bizarre, but sleeping, he appeared angelic. Then, all of a sudden, he'd spoken in his sleep saying, “That section will be on the exam!” He'd even winked, too. It seemed hard to believe, but maybe he actually was very popular with his students.
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Ren thought of Kazutaka’s daily life. He hadn’t mentioned any family. He didn't appear to be married and Ren wondered if he lived alone.
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Ren remembered how embarrassed Kazutaka was when he'd taken him to the bathroom and opened his fly for him before they started working on the locks. That had been oddly funny. Kazutaka had protected his groin with his free right hand and said, “Don’t touch me down there. Don’t touch me, please.” Kazutaka had walked out with his hand still covering his groin, as if making extra sure he wasn't going to be touched.
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Not a romantic sight, but it was an adorably cute one. But then again, Ren didn’t think Kazutaka had cared what his sentiments were.
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Ren started packing up his equipment and tools, glancing at Kazutaka’s face from time to time. Ren had been thinking about trying to make it back to the factory by evening, but it didn’t look like he was going to make it. Ren called Ōkuni-kun and told him to close the factory for three days.
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“We’re getting onto the ferry now, Ren. How is Kazutaka-san doing?”
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“Sleeping. Should I wake him up?”
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“No. He must be tired. Let him sleep. When the other passengers retire to their compartments, we can move to our cabin. That'll give Kazutaka-san another hour or so to sleep.”
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Ren nodded. He placed his tools and other equipment required for his task into a carrying case, ready for moving.
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“That was the first time I’ve ever heard you sing a lullaby, Ren.”
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“That was the first time I’ve sung.”
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Fuwa shrugged his shoulders mischievously, as if to imply something, and put a coat over Ren. Fuwa was always thoughtful. Ren had only had his work jacket on when he came. Fuwa must have picked up a nicer travel coat for Ren from somewhere. It was a well-tailored duffel coat. The choice admittedly may have been influenced by Bud’s personal tastes.
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“Are you getting along well with Bud, Yuri?”
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“Hard to say.”
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“This is going to be the last job, right? Do you promise that you won’t do anything like this again?”