Chaos in Kadoma Ward – Chapter 26

I cruise into K&G Noodles two mornings later, riding a happiness high like nobody’s business. I’ve literally never felt like this before. When I fell for Takéji, none of my feelings were returned, so I didn’t get this kind of feedback from him. I watched Takéji and my brother be happy from afar, letting their relationship sink me further into the depths of my own depression. When I tried to date a girl, she was experimenting, though farther along than I was, and we never made it to the lovesick stage.

This? This is totally new. This is unwavering attention, kisses in the kitchen, sitting between his legs on the couch while we watch a movie that I couldn’t shut up about, sharing a bath together, laughing, smiling. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled this much in a forty-eight hour period. My face actually hurts.

I didn’t know that was possible.

“Hi!” I call out, crossing the kitchen and leaving my bag and coat on my designated chair. “Isn’t it lovely outside today?”

Really, the sun is shining bright and beautiful this morning. Since I’m no longer arriving early, I can sleep in, have coffee and a croissant with Rin, and walk the longer path through the ward to enjoy two green parks on my way to work.

Kotashi narrows his eyes at me as he swings the noodle dough up and down. “Yes. A beautiful day,” he says, his voice as dead as a block of stone.

Whatever. His attitude isn’t going to get me down.

I leave my bag and coat and wash my hands at the sink before approaching Kotashi again.

“So, Rin talked to you, right?” I steeple my hands in prayer position over my chest, praying for this to go well.

“He did.”

I wait while he twirls the dough around and ignores me. I’m not going anywhere.

Kotashi sighs as he sets the dough down to rest. “Rin said that we could cut your hours in half. You’ll handle the storeroom five mornings a week. Empty the crates from the UPN, clean and organize the room, and bring out supplies for the lunch rush. This way Kay can concentrate on prepping orders for Gina, and you can stay out of the way. You can leave before the lunch hour.”

I smile widely, my face hurting again. “Sounds perfect.”

I turn to walk away, ready to get to work, when Kotashi pipes up. “Rin is very dear to us. I hope that your feelings in this are sincere.”

Coming to a stop, I return to face him, much of my good humor sapped away.

“Why wouldn’t I be sincere?”

He places his hands on the steel table and leans forward. “It seems to me that you’re taking advantage of his generosity and kind nature. Why else would he have lobbied so hard for you to be here, even going against our wishes?”

Deep breath, Yumi.

“First of all, it was my idea for me to come work here. Rin had so many nice things to say about you and Gina, and this place seemed warm and inviting my first time here. It reminds me of the places I used to go back home. I had no idea you’d be so opposed to me working here. If I had, I would’ve tried to find work somewhere else and spared Rin the heartache of knowing that you have shunned me on several occasions. You have been insincere to Rin. Not me.”

What kind of people say these things to a struggling person like me?

Kotashi returns to his noodle dough. “You can get to work in the back as soon as you’re ready.”

I open my mouth to ask what his problem is, but he dips his head and starts to knead the dough. I’ve been dismissed.

Hmph. Heading for the storeroom, I try not to stomp my feet like a six-year-old. Kay chops long green onions, her metronome running at allegro tempo, and doesn’t pay attention to either of us.

I’ve been frozen out. Fine. I don’t need them nor their bad attitudes.

In the storeroom, the UPN access is full and waiting for me, boxes floating and stocked to the brim with supplies. I search for my good mood again, pulling each box from the drop point and slamming them on the floor. Wham! Ka-blam! This one has eggs, so I set it down gently.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, going back twelve hours in time to my second night of sex, the most sex I’ve had in forever. I held Rin down and had my way with him, surprised at how easy it was. Easy but thrilling. Exciting. Fulfilling to watch his face as he looked up at me.

I inhale sharply and groan, bending over to relieve the piled-on lust. Okay. My smile is back. I can move on.

Humming and bopping through my tasks, I unload each of the cartons, setting bags of flour on shelves, opening spice bags and adding them to containers in the prep area, storing eggs, carrots, and green onions in the fridge. When I’m done unloading the containers, I set them to the side, sweep up the floors, and wipe down the shelves with a damp rag.

In the fridge, I sort through the produce and set aside anything that may be past its prime. I’m not allowed to throw it away. That’s Gina’s job. But I try to make her job easier by quarantining the rotting vegetables in a separate part of the fridge.

After my major chores are done, I pick a remote corner of the storeroom and plop myself on the floor against the wall. I’m beat. For some reason, happiness and sex are more tiring than working out at the gym. Not that I’m complaining.

I close my eyes and rest my head on the edge of a shelf. All I have left to do is to send the UPN boxes back, and I can call it quits for the day. Maybe I’ll go back to Rin’s, take a nap, and then figure out a new area of town to go explore.

“Are you still living with Rin Hara?”

I gasp, and my eyes fly open. Kay stands right over me, her arms at her side, relaxed. I didn’t even hear the door open.

“Uh, yeah,” I say, trying to push myself up the wall and stand. She steps closer. “Why do you want to know?”

Her head tilts, and she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m just curious.”

Are androids programmed to be curious?

“Will he be coming back here?” she asks.

I swallow hard, uncomfortable with her proximity. Enough androids have tried to kill me that I know I wouldn’t survive if she lunged at me right now. Where’s my knife? Oh, it’s in my bag. Nice move, Yumi.

“I don’t know. Maybe? He’s always busy with work, so I’m not sure.”

She blinks a few times, and something about her silence alarms me. I wish she would back up and give me some breathing room. Don’t they program these things with a sense of personal space?

“Why all the questions about Rin?”

“No reason. I saw you at Club Seiun the other night. You were kissing on the dance floor. It looked intimate. Are you sleeping with him?”

“Well, shit, I don’t think that’s any of your business now, is it?”

Panic pumps through my heart beating twice its normal pace. She was at Club Seiun? Why? What did she see?

“You are sleeping with him. Interesting. I suspected as much.”

I lick my suddenly dry lips, my mushy brain trying to make sense of this conversation.

Before I can ask Kay any more questions, though, she turns and walks back into the kitchen.

Breathing hard, I jump up and grab a pair of scissors from the shelf. A little too late, but what if she comes back? What is she on about? Is she following us around, spying on us?

Why would an android want to know anything about Rin and his personal life?

I stumble back against the wall as it hits me. I have no idea how androids here function, but if they’re anything like the computers I know, they can be hacked, taken over, made to do things against their programming. Just look at what’s been happening all over the city.

Androids are an accepted part of reality here, beings with computers for brains and the capacity to make rote decisions. They’re everywhere, watching everything, listening to every conversation.

Narumi and Aoi Uma haven’t tried to kill or hurt me because they’ve been here the whole time. Kay is their spy.

And now with my schedule cut in half and a relationship with Rin giving me more freedom, they’re about to lose me quickly.

I remember my conversation with Rin on Kurai, back when I was getting used to the corporation dynamic. I asked him, ‘Does Kiiroi Yama also have aspirations for rule?’ Rin laughed and replied, ‘We’re all too busy doing our jobs to want to rule.’ And that’s the way Aoi Uma has wanted it. Kiiroi Yama too busy keeping the populace safe to stop whatever’s coming.

“Shit,” I whisper out loud, glancing around to see if I’m still alone. Rin said war was coming.

He was right.

I hurry to the UPN drop, grabbing the crates and pushing them in, returning them to their origin point. My chest flutters with apprehension and giddy excitement as I consider where to go first to capture this story. If I were going to start a revolution, where would the focal point be? Probably Aka Matsuba headquarters, right? Strike into the heart of the beast? Yeah. That must be it. I’ll stake it out. Pick a spot and watch. Okay, now I know what I’ll do with my afternoon.

If war is about to break out, I’m going to be on the front lines documenting it all. I’m onto a new story, and my whole being lights up when my instincts tell me I’m right. I’ve hit on something big. I can feel it.

I take a few quick, calming breaths and head back into the kitchen, carrying the ingredients needed for the lunch hour with me. Gina is here now, mixing up a soup stock on the stove. Kotashi is pulling noodles, his face scrunched in concentration. I try to act like nothing has changed. Kay is washing dishes at the sink, her movements efficient and neat. I watch her out of the corner of my eye, but she doesn’t even flinch when I’m near. Maybe she’s not being controlled all the time?

“Here you go.” I drop off the ingredients at Gina’s wok, and she nods to me. “Would you like me to do anything else before I go? I could dry dishes or clean the front?”

“No. I think we’ll handle that.” And despite her frown, she softens and bows. “Thank you. You can go.”

“You’re welcome,” I say, smiling at her and bowing back. That’s the first time she’s ever thanked me, and I can’t help but take pleasure in the little thrill it brings me. I made a dent in her wall.

Since everything is in order, I grab my bag, wave goodbye to everyone and head out into the pre-lunch traffic of the neighborhood.

The crowds on the sidewalks are getting thick, people out enjoying the sun and warm air. I bet K&G will be hopping in no time, and I’m glad I no longer have to sit there each day and figure out how I’ll live my life.

Right now, I need to find a café where I can sit, have some lunch, and text or vid-call Rin. He needs to know what just happened with Kay in the storeroom and where I’ll be all afternoon.

I walk out of the alley and look left and right, considering my options. What I really want to do is meet up with Rin for lunch and tell him these things in person. I need to see his face and gauge his reaction, which is something I can’t do over text.

Walking a block and slipping off to the side, I pull my tablet from my bag and text Rin.

“Can you meet for lunch? I have some information for you I just found out.”

I stare at the screen, hoping for instantaneous feedback, but he’s either busy or unavailable because he’s not online and not responding.

Great.

I throw my tablet into my bag and lift my eyes to the world around me.

Everything grinds to a halt. Standing across the street and down a block is a familiar face. Her hair is shorter, and she’s thinner than when I last saw her, but I’d know those eyes and firmly set mouth anywhere.

And the last time I saw her was on Kurai.

It’s Ryoko.