“Maybe you are just oblivious, Yui.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You’re wrong about that, Shīno.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Although Kazutaka didn’t say this aloud, he knew he’d met someone else who was more attractive to him.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I had no idea what had happened to you and your father in the past. Well, I think I’m going now. Oh, and I will never transport jewelry for you again. Next time you entrust jewelry to me, I’ll abscond with it.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I know you wouldn’t do anything like that, but I probably won’t ask you again.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Okay. Catch you later.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka left the reception room, thinking that he would probably always be a sucker.
✦ ✦ ✦
Ren saw Kazutaka approaching. He felt weak just seeing him smile.
✦ ✦ ✦
When he'd sent Kazutaka off, Ren had encouraged him to punch Shīno in the face and break off the relationship. Apparently, Kazutaka only had a friendly talk with Shīno. Kazutaka is such a pushover, Ren thought. Considering what Kazutaka has gone through, he should be pissed at Shīno for the next 10 years at least. Though frustrated, Ren got out of the car and opened the door for Kazutaka.
✦ ✦ ✦
“How did it go?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I found out about all kinds of stuff. Shīno is not as bad as you may think.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Ren regretted that he hadn’t gone instead of Kazutaka and given Shīno a few, or maybe even a few dozen punches.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Shīno did bring three hundred million yen to Narita.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I suppose he told you that?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“No, he denied it. But I got a message from Bud in the middle of our talk. See? Check this out.”
✦ ✦ ✦
The screen on Kazutaka’s cell phone showed the picture of Shīno standing with an attaché case at a bank, looking apprehensive.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Shīno got worried because of the threatening call you made. So he went to his bank and withdrew the money before taking off for Hong Kong.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Son of a gun. He shouldn’t have deceived anybody if he was the type to get worried afterward, especially not a friend.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Ren, let’s not talk about Shīno anymore. I made it clear that I will not transport any jewelry for him again.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“That goes without saying.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Where’s the attaché case?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“In the back of the car.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Let’s go home then, to my apartment.”
✦ ✦ ✦
It had been five days since they'd met. Since returning from northern Kyushu, Kazutaka had stayed at Ren’s factory both yesterday and today. What had they been doing all this time? Naturally, they were doing what every new couple does. Kazutaka ditched work for the first time in his life and Ren closed the factory due to personal reasons for the first time since he succeeded his father as head of the business.
✦ ✦ ✦
On Monday the following week, both of them would have to work extra hard to make up for the missed week.
✦ ✦ ✦
When they arrived at his apartment, Kazutaka looked touched. His mailbox was filled to overflowing with letters and newspapers. Some had even dropped down to the ground.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Oh, these are get-well-soon cards from my students.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Those who couldn’t send messages electronically must have mailed letters instead. Many envelopes had cute illustrations on them.
✦ ✦ ✦
“It’s small and messy but come on in.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka opened the door and Ren stepped inside. It was a little bit cluttered but not unpleasant. Quite a normal room for one lived in by a single man. The entrance way, a 4.5 and a 6 tatami mat room, and a kitchen. There were five bookcases, completely filled with books on education.
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka walked around, opening windows.
✦ ✦ ✦
“It’s chilly but bear with me. I need to air this place out.”
✦ ✦ ✦
The soft light of a winter afternoon shone in, stretching to the middle of the room, as he opened the curtains. There was a dried out Cup-o-Noodles on top of a table that was presumably used for working and dining. After a week’s absence, his Cup-o-Noodles had dried up and hardened.
✦ ✦ ✦
“The Cup-o-Noodles is completely dry.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Oh, yeah. Just before going out, I had poured the hot water. Can you put it in the sink?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Ren went to the kitchen. He put the contents into the trash, and rinsed out the container and put it on the dish rack.
✦ ✦ ✦
“You are well-organized, Ren.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I’m just a worrier. Environmental safety begins with taking care of the drainage system. I have that slogan on the wall at my factory.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I thought your slogan was ‘safety management starts from the waist-down.'”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You have a good memory.”
✦ ✦ ✦
They laughed together and then they performed their now regular greeting. Their bodies were still apart. First, Kazutaka extended his left hand forward, palm up. Second, Ren touched it with his right hand. And if they were in the mood, there would be little pecks on the cheek. Kazutaka really enjoyed light kisses. Since Kazutaka looked so happy every time Ren kissed him softly on the cheek, Ren would oblige him excessively.
✦ ✦ ✦
“On Sunday night, I finished work about nine o’clock. I took a shower and ate a Cup-o-Noodles. Then Yuri called.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“At that time, I was blindfolded inside the R.V., wondering what was going to happen to me.”
✦ ✦ ✦
It'd only been five days. Not much had changed around Ren and Kazutaka, but their lives had been turned upside down.
✦ ✦ ✦
Ren came to Kazutaka and Kazutaka had responded to him. The last three days had been a series of fun, new discoveries about each other. They felt almost if they were breaking new ground in the language of love. They were doing and feeling things they never had before.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I hit the rock bottom last Sunday. But now a week later, I feel on top of the world.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Softness and sweetness had been added to Kazutaka’s smile. Ren couldn’t help but laugh. Smiling all the time didn’t seem manly to Ren, but his father’s scolding voice didn’t boom in his head now.
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka would put some instant coffee into their mugs. Ren would then pour some hot water in. Next, Kazutaka would add some creamer to them and Ren would stir. That was how things were now between them.
✦ ✦ ✦
“In a while, I’ll start closing the factory on Sundays.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“That’ll be good. Then I can come over to see you or you can come visit me.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Or we can go someplace on Saturdays after work.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Overnight trips would be a nice change.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka’s cell phone rang on top of the desk.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Oh, I’ve got a message. Excuse me, Ren.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka moved away quickly. Ren was left holding air in his arms.
✦ ✦ ✦
Looking at the display, Kazutaka cocked his head.
✦ ✦ ✦
“It’s from Bud but it’s in Japanese. I wonder what’s going on.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka read the message and turned to Ren.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Do you think this message was written by Fuwa-san? Read it, Ren.”
✦ ✦ ✦
If Fuwa had sent a message from Bud’s phone, those two must have made up. Ren took the cell phone. The first line read, “A decision has been made. Bud West is retiring.”
✦ ✦ ✦
It seemed Fuwa had successfully persuaded Bud. Bud would no longer be engaged in the activities of recovering stolen goods to generate funds. The hero of justice, who took all kinds of risks, was finally retiring. However, the next line read, “Bud will quit his teaching job at the English conversation school in April. He will concentrate on studying sculpture.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“What is Bud retiring from? I thought he will cease to be the Stone Hunter. Is he just quitting his teaching job?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Then again, another sentence read, “The Stone Hunter’s site will shut down in a week.”
✦ ✦ ✦
The message continued on to ask, “Kazutaka-san, do you need an English teacher, who can only speak English, at your workplace?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka tilted his head.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Hiring a foreign teacher might be difficult. Nagomi Kyōshitsu has a pathetically small budget.”
✦ ✦ ✦
At the end of the text, it said, “Bud says teaching as a volunteer is fine, too. If there is a convenience store nearby, it would be really convenient. That way, an ex-hotel concierge could get a part-time job there.”
✦ ✦ ✦
The message was basically saying that Bud West and Yuri Fuwa were both retiring from the jewelry hunting business. They would also be quitting their regular jobs and would be moving to Kazutaka’s town, working as a volunteer and a part-time worker.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Should I respond to this? First, volunteers are welcome... I can give you a recommendation to the board of education as a public school instructor. Wait. Can Bud read this? Well, Fuwa-san can translate it, right?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Sure.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“There is a convenience store nearby. And there are many idle plots of land. You can lease 20 square yards of soil as vegetable patches for a thousand yen for three months. You can be self-sufficient as far as your vegetables. And...”
✦ ✦ ✦
“That sounds really inviting. They might really move here,” Ren said.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I think this is a nice place to live. Now, what else can I say? Let me see. Oh, I know. Shīno Jewelry is close by, so be careful. Done. What do you think, Ren?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Sounds good to me.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Send.”
✦ ✦ ✦
In a matter of minutes after Kazutaka’s reply, Bud sent another message.