Chaos in Kadoma Ward – Chapter 8

I lean against the wall of the shower and let the hot water beat down on me, waking me up. It’s way too early to be awake after all I’ve been through in the last day, but court calls, and I’m expected to defend myself.

I turn my face into the water before fumbling with the bottles in the shower bin. Though Rin didn’t clean out Atsumi’s room when she left, he was a lot more thorough with the bathroom, or she didn’t want to leave her expensive creams and shampoos behind. Everything looks and smells manly, smells like Rin. I breathe in the scent of his shampoo and then curse myself for being dumb. I have no shampoo of my own, so I make do with a liquid soap, dragging the suds through my knotted hair.

The shower will probably be the best part of my day. I wish I could stay in it forever.

When I exit the bathroom in a towel, there are three people I don’t recognize in the living room.

“No need to panic,” Rin says, handing me a steaming mug. I glance at the dark liquid and frown. He pulls it back. “I never did ask you how you like your coffee.”

“I assumed monks only drink coffee one way.” I pull my towel around me tighter as I watch the three people bustling around the living room. One is unpacking loads of laundry. Another is hemming a pile of Atsumi’s pants with a machine that cuts, presses, and seams all in one go. The other is unloading groceries from crates into the kitchen. They pay me no attention.

“How do you like it then?”

“Light and a little sweet.”

If he’s offended or disgusted by my coffee choice, he makes no mention of it. A good start.

“Okay. Why don’t you get dressed while I finish up out here? There are new clothes for you on the bed.”

He turns to walk away, already dressed in his Kiiroi Yama uniform for the day. I must’ve been in the shower longer than I intended to be.

“Hey…” I touch his arm and pull closer to him when he stops. I’m still wet from the shower, and the contact leaves water on his skin. “How did this get here so quickly?”

I cringe as I remember him chastising me yesterday for asking too many questions. But I’m stunned by the immediacy of this society. Court dates happen now, not five weeks from now. Groceries arrive in a flash. The subway gets you to your destination ten times faster than walking. And I still have to figure out what this butsu-thing is.

“I was up at six, so I ordered everything to arrive at seven. You need clothes that fit you since we’re going before the judges today. Atsumi’s pants are a good six centimeters long on you, so I called the local tailoring service to come up. Their androids are fast and efficient.”

Just like everything else here.

Water from my hair drips onto my shoulder, and Rin’s eyes follow the tiny stream as it snakes down my chest and over the long scar he gave me.

He swallows as he snaps back to reality. “You should get dressed. We need to leave in an hour, and I don’t want to be late.” He turns swiftly, walking away to the kitchen and not looking back.

I remember when we first talked after I had surgery on my leg, how I freaked out and tried to get away from him, ended up naked, and then he freaked out seeing me that way. I wish I could read him better so I could tell the difference between embarrassment, disinterest, or lust.

Lust, Yumi?

I must be losing my mind.

Oh, wait. I lost it ages ago.

I close the door to my room and slide the screens over the open windows. The sun is shining down on another cool and blustery day on Hikari. Puffy, white clouds hurry through the blue sky, but thick, darker clouds sit on the horizon. I should check the weather for today. People are already walking to work, flying vehicles zip past far off buildings, and the ten-story-tall signs down the street advertise the newest curry packets. ‘Just make rice and go. No time for dinner? Eat it and run!’

Opening the dresser drawer, I immediately wish I had my own underwear. I hate wearing Atsumi’s. First of all, it’s gross. I don’t care how many times they’ve been washed. Second, the lady has an ass, and I don’t. Third, she only left behind two bras, and they are way too big. I’d rather go without at this point.

I pull on the clothes Rin left out for me — black pants, a white long sleeve shirt, and a new pair of black flats that hadn’t been in the closet last night. Black and white is fine and all, but I miss my colorful clothes back home.

Out in the kitchen, Rin is sitting at the table while Atsumi via his tablet rains fire down on his ass.

“You’re taking another day off for this nonsense? Send her in there by herself and have her deal with everything. If you think I’m just going to sit back and let you coast through your review next month, you must have lost your mind on Kurai.”

Looks like I’m not the only one missing a brain around here.

Rin rolls his eyes, and Atsumi keeps going.

“You have reports due on your contract with Aka Matsuba, you’re overdue for a physical, and the big boss wants to speak with you about why Aoi Uma is pissed at us. Check in this morning, or I’m docking your pay for the day.”

The tablet darkens and a file signature flashes on the screen.

“As if I don’t have a year’s worth of leave saved up, you crazy bitch,” Rin growls at his tablet, and I laugh, startling him. He averts his eyes. “Sorry. There are more than enough reasons why we divorced.”

“I can see that.” I look behind me to the last person in the living room, still hemming pants, before I sit down and drink my now-acceptable coffee. “Mmmm, this is good. Where does coffee grow if your weather is always so cool?”

“The equator, of course. The Northern Continent reaches all the way past the equator, and it’s quite beautiful down there. The Southern Continent is half the size of the Northern Continent and stretches to the other side of the globe.”

Rin pulls a steaming plate from the oven on the wall. Rice, eggs, and a meat substitute smell appetizing and make my stomach growl. He places a pale orange citrus fruit next to the plate. I could eat this every day.

“Isn’t Shiroi Nami on the Southern Continent now?”

Rin picks up his tablet as I get to work on the food. “I believe so.”

“Can we go there? I’d like to speak to Michio Hayashi again, on behalf of my family…” My voice trails off as Rin sits back and folds his arms across his chest. “What?” I ask around a mouthful of rice and egg.

“Yumi, the Southern Continent is where we send criminals, delinquents, people we cannot rehabilitate back into the system. It’s basically a penal colony with a few towns that can support a small amount of tourism.”

This sounds promising, believe it or not. “I thought you killed people who were in debt to the system. Tamura said as much.”

“It depends on whether or not the ruling corporation feels the person can pay back their debt, eventually. Tamura said you were in danger of forfeiture because you were already outcasts without the potential for monetary gain. The Southern Continent is a vital part of the economy. It’s just lawless. It’s a good place to put people who are a threat to the system but still capable of working.”

“It sounds interesting.”

Rin stares at me, his eyes searching mine, a deep concentration that studies my pulse, the peak of my body heat. I don’t look away. “You are…”

“Crazy? Reckless? Unspeakably gorgeous?”

The last one made him crack a grin. “Unique.”

I’ll take unique.

“Eat up. We have a long day ahead of us.”