Fukusha Model Eight – Chapter 16

“I spent three or four weeks living in a flat on the east side of Susami, in the Flower District,” Rin begins, “pulling noodles in a dive izakaya down the block when I realized that things were not as they seemed here.”

I shovel food into my mouth as Rin reminisces. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the sound of his voice, talking to him, spending time with him.

“We had good intelligence that the yakuza, several unorganized and nebulous factions, controlled the majority of the Southern Continent. That Shiroi Nami had come back, found their towns taken over, and couldn’t regain a strong foothold here without going underground again.”

I hiss, drawing breath in between my teeth and shaking my head. “My guess is they’d be pretty pissed about that.”

“Yeah,” Rin says, sipping his beer. “Imagine being forcibly taken from your home, spending decades away in a radioactive hell, then returning and finding new residents sitting on your couch, farming in your garden, and wearing your clothes.”

“This is probably why shotguns were invented.”

Rin laughs, almost spitting out his beer. “Exactly. But when I came to town, I heard nothing about shootouts at the local watering holes. In fact, I had a hard time pinning down just who was in charge around here. A guy I worked with, I think you met him, Shun?”

I groan and set my bowl down. “Let me guess. You worked together at the same noodle shop, and he, I don’t know, treated you to drinks after work, you guys exercised together, maybe went to a few sporting events?”

Rin’s face is a blank slate.

“Yeah, I thought so. His sister, Saki, did the same routine with me.” I rub my hands over my face and groan again. “But I’m sure you knew you were being played the entire time, unlike me.”

“Yeah. Sorry. Don’t beat yourself up about it. This is the job I was trained for.” He shrugs his shoulders before pushing the plate of pickles across the table, his not-so-subtle hint that I should continue eating. “I honestly thought you would get more accomplished in Kitakyushu just by being there and observing. But it looks like we underestimated the extent to which the yakuza have taken over this continent.”

I’ll never forget the panic that ripped through me when I realized what I was up against in Kitakyushu. Never in my life had I wanted to go back home so badly, even after crash-landing on Kurai.

“They were everywhere,” I whisper, trying to find my voice, lost in my thoughts. “In every business, every apartment building, every park, every social event. I went to a festival not long after I arrived there, figuring it was a good place to see people and eat the local foods. A huge contingent of tattooed men carried the portable shrine down the street, and no one dared to look any of them in the eye. The noodle shop where I worked was run by an older man, the clueless and idiotic type, whose son was a lieutenant in a smaller yakuza gang. I think he was gay though because he only ever hit on the men.”

I sigh remembering the guys I worked with. They were all good people, just struggling to get by.

“Five years ago, only about twenty percent of Kitakyushu was run by the yakuza,” Rin says, interrupting my thoughts.

“Well, that number is closer to ninety percent now.”

“What a mess. How did we let our planet go so far into ruin?”

I’m never surprised by people who can’t see what’s right in front of their face — women and men who don’t believe their spouses are cheating on them, families who steal from each other, denying sickness or disability. I’ve seen it all.

I pause for a moment, wondering how delicately I can put this. “‘Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.’”

Rin nods, turning his beer glass on the table.

“Your planet has had a string of powerful dictators. And as each one became corrupted, another one took its place. And even in a lawless place like this” — I spread out my arms — “one powerful presence continues to take over another because you place too much importance on wealth and climbing the ladder of a destructive meritocracy.”

Rin’s eyes narrow. “It’s interesting to hear what someone from outside the system sees when they look at us. I am not proud of it.”

“Don’t feel bad. Even though I can identify the problem, I can’t fix it. Anyway, so there you were, in Susami, and you realized you’d made friends with someone who might be able to help you.”

“Yeah. So, Shun and I spent time becoming buddies, and once he was a little more relaxed around me, I started asking about Shiroi Nami. I made up this story about business I wanted to do with them, etcetera, and he played along. Then one day, out of nowhere, I was jumped on my way to work.”

He shakes his head, but I think I know the truth. It probably happened not long after I told Saki about Rin. They waited for confirmation from me.

“Right from the beginning, I had a feeling I wasn’t going to meet anybody from Shiroi Nami. I figured maybe yakuza or even some distant relatives of yours. But I got here, and I met Miho instead.”

I set my bowl aside, prop my elbow on the table, and rest my chin in my hand. Finally, Miho. I have so many questions.

“Tell me more about her. She seems to be in charge around here.”

Rin hesitates. “Please tell me you’re not eating more dinner because you’re saving room for dessert.”

“There’s dessert?” I perk up, looking around. “Ice cream is expensive in Kitakyushu, so I haven’t had dessert in ages.”

He laughs, and it’s nice to hear. “I don’t know if there’s dessert, but I’ll look into it.”

“Then don’t change the subject. I saw the way she handled her husband, like an owner does with an obedient dog, and she seemed to be well aware of your situation. Like she took care of you personally.” I keep my chin on my hand as I stare directly at Rin.

“Nothing gets by you, does it?”

“Nope. Now it all comes down to whether I remember it or not.”

Rin clears his throat, and he pours more beer for us both. “This whole situation was her idea. I had two choices. I could cooperate with Miho and her Samurai Seven compatriots, or they would turn me into the local yakuza boss and fabricate a story about me stealing from them. Miho’s plan was simple. They would hold me against my will in order for them to lure you here. Then they would use me as a bargaining chip to buy data off of you.”

We both sigh at the same time.

“I told them straight away that all they had to do was ask you for the data. That you were here on Hikari to make friends, not enemies, and this was not the way to go about it. But I think, and I’m really not trying to make excuses for them, that they’ve been dealing with criminals for so long, this was the only way they saw their plan working. Miho was one hundred percent positive you would come running to free me because we’re…”

In love. That’s what she said in our meeting.

“Anyway, I knew she was right, and I wanted to see you, and I didn’t want to burn this bridge, so I went along with their plan. I mean, I’ve had no luck finding Shiroi Nami, so I figured this had to be better than nothing. They allowed me to contact Kazuo, and I sent him to find you. That was almost three weeks ago.” He reaches across the table, and I slip my hand into his. “I didn’t hear another word about it until you showed up in my room.”

“Were you always down there in that room?” Miho said he hadn’t been.

“No. Most of the time I spent my days up here on the estate. I walked around, talked to people, enjoyed the baths, and made friends with the cooks in the kitchen. But yakuza broke into the estate three days ago and tried to attack me. They actually tried to kidnap me for themselves. After that, Miho made me spend the daytime hours down there when security was harder to handle because of the public using the baths on the estate.”

“There certainly isn’t a lack of entertainment around here, that’s for sure,” I say, picking up my bowl again. I glance over my shoulder at the bed and Ninjin sleeping with his belly and paws in the air. I’m glad I taught him not to beg for food, or he’d be here in my face whining for scraps while I’m trying to reconnect with Rin.

“Only you could make a joke out of being kidnapped.”

I’m glad my own brand of humor continues to wow and amaze him.

A knock at the door interrupts our conversation. Rin grimaces in irritation and stands up. “I told them to leave us alone for the night. Is it too much to ask for one night of peace?”

He opens the door, and Miho asks to enter. He steps aside to let her in, and I keep my place at the table. I’m not sure what to think of her, and I’m annoyed that she used me to get what she wanted. So I’m not moving for her.

“Rin, I’m so glad to see you and Yumi settling in together. Please tell me if anything’s missing. Anything at all. I’d be happy to get you whatever you need.”

Rin stares at me, and I shake my head. No. I don’t want her to come back with ice cream or dessert.

“Everything is great. We don’t need anything. In fact, we were going to enjoy a dip in the hot spring before bed.”

“Oh!” Her eyes brighten. “I’d be happy to stick around and turn down the bed while you enjoy the bath.”

Is she joking? My eyes widen in horror, and Rin stiffens.

“No, thank you. Yumi and I would like some private time together.”

Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem chastened by our reaction. “I see. Well, please enjoy the bath and have a good night’s rest.” She reaches out and squeezes Rin’s arm. He pulls his arm away and bows to her as she backs out of the room. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

When the door shuts behind her, Rin walks over and locks it.

“I’m so sorry,” he says, returning to the table. I stand up and turn to look out the glass doors at the private bath. “I locked the door, but it won’t keep her out. I once came out of the shower and found her sitting on my bed, her bare legs on display.”

“What did you do?”

“I told her to leave so I could get dressed, and I’m sure my tone of voice was less than pleasant.”

“Everyone here cheats,” I remind him. “I’m sure she’s no exception.”

“Everyone but me,” he says, coming to wrap his arms around me from behind. His lips graze my ear. “I would be the dumbest man alive to throw away a lover who came across the stars to find me.”

Stepping away from him, I unknot the robe he gave me and let it drop to the floor. Peeling off my shirt, shorts, and underwear, I step from the room naked and into the steaming tub of water. Taking the hot water in my hands, I splash some on my face and rub until my cheeks are flushed. I know I’m thinner than I’ve ever been, but I no longer care, and I don’t think Rin does either.

Rin stands in the doorway, his eyes locked on me, and his chest heaving.

“Are you going to join me?”

I’ve never seen him undress so quickly. He leaves his clothes in a pile on top of mine and slips into the water beside me. Not wasting any time, I sit sideways in his lap, raise my arms, and wrap them around his neck, burying my face under his chin. I take a deep breath and let it all out.

“That’s better,” I say with a sigh.

“The best.” He slips his hands down my back and pulls me close. “Tomorrow we’ll make better sense of all of this. I promise. For now, let’s relax and be together.” He turns and kisses my forehead. “We deserve it.”