The Rising Sun & The Morning Calm Ch. 22

Angela had chosen paper while both Genzo and Linnsa had selected scissors. "Fuck," she swore. "Diner it is, then."

Genzo turned to face Linnsa. "[Sa, jyang ken]."

When he had chosen rock and she had chosen paper, Linnsa hopped up and down in place and clapped excitedly. "I never get to win!"

"Well at least we weren't betting on [Dekopin]," Genzo remarked.

Both girls looked at him curiously. "What's [dekopin]?" Angela asked.

"It is a form of punishment," Genzo explained. "If you lose, the victor takes his middle finger and flicks the forehead of the loser very hard."

"Or HER middle finger," Linnsa cackled.

"Eh?"

"Bend down, Genzo, it's [dekopin] time!" she ordered, giggling.

Glowering, Genzo muttered, "Usually it is best two out of three."

"Too bad you're playing a Korean," she pointed out. "Now, capitulate!"

Trying to suppress his mirth, Genzo kept his face serious as he bent forward and winced as she planted a surprisingly forceful flick to his forehead. "[Itai]," he hissed. Both sisters began laughing hysterically at his expression.

"Can we go again?" Angela asked between giggles. "I want a try."

"I will not be kind if I win," Genzo warned with a growl.

"Okay, maybe later," she relented, smothering another chuckle.

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sa: okay (Japanese)

dekopin: Japanese punishment where the middle finger is flicked onto the forehead against the thumb. The intention is to inflict both the pain and humiliation of defeat.

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As they drove to the diner, Genzo remarked, "It has been a long time since I have received [dekopin] from anyone."

"How long?" they both asked in unison.

Genzo chuckled, it was so cute. "Over three hundred years ago."

"Cool!" Linnsa laughed. "I got to break the dry spell!"

At the diner, Angela and Linnsa put their heads together over a menu, deciding what they wanted to split. "Japanese portions are so small," Angela groused.

As they rattled off the list to Genzo, he shook his head in amazement. "How can two such tiny women eat so much?" He received a pair of stuck out tongues in reply. "Hai, hai, hai..." he grumbled good-naturedly.

Linnsa stood up and announced, "I have to pee. Be right back."

Angela laughed at Genzo's amazed expression. When her sister was out of earshot, she leaned across the table and slyly asked, "So, anything you wanted to share with me?" She tried not to laugh as she watched his face go red and then felt bad for embarrassing him. "I just want you to know that I'm rooting for you, Genzo." His eyes flicked up in surprise to see a sympathetic smile. "I'm hoping she comes around, too. You'd be a pretty awesome brother in law, I think." Genzo smiled back gratefully at her support. "Just one piece of advice. Go slow. She's not like us." Suddenly she sat back and continued speaking as if she had not spoken out of the ordinary, "...so maybe I'll go meet Nobu later on tonight. Hey, Sis, have a good pee?"

"Epic," Linnsa joked. "Where's our food? I'm starving." Preoccupied as she was with looking for the waiter, she missed the conspiratorial smile Angela shared with Genzo.

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At the temporary apartment, Angela announced her need for a nap with a loud yawn. "You two kids going to be okay alone here?" Genzo nodded, seemingly unaware of the implication in her question. Her subtlety was not however lost on her little sister and Linnsa scowled at her obviousness. "Okay, wake me up when it's time to eat dinner. I'm gonna use your room, Lins."

Linnsa turned to Genzo, again feeling apologetic. "You don't have to stay here," she stated. "I'm sure there are other things you need to be doing."

"I have been charged with your care and I intend to perform my duties until they are no longer required of me." He ended his sentence with a little bow.

"You can drop the formalities now, Genzo. At least if you're going to be all dutiful speak casually."

"[Gomen]. I will try."

She laughed at how stilted it sounded. "You don't talk to women a lot, do you?"

"Is that a..." Genzo racked his brain looking for the proper English word, "...rhetorical question?"

Linnsa cover her mouth, not wanting to wake her sister with her laughter. "You are so funny!" It pleased her to see his eyes crinkle with amusement. When she had calmed down, she asked, "So how come you've never had a girlfriend? It's hard to believe you've been around for like three centuries and haven't found anyone."

He was quiet while he thought about her question. "You are right. It is hard to believe that in all this time, I have not found a companion."

"Do you want one?"

Genzo remembered his fiasco with her sister and felt a bit guilty. He surprised himself when he heard his voice answer, "I do long for one. Very much so."

Linnsa could tell by the look on his face that he had not intended to give that answer. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone there."

"I have never thought about these things until I met you and your sister," he mused thoughtfully. "You are both so strange to my experience. I cannot recall meeting two kinder people." He chuckled softly. "I envy Noboru the good fortune of having met your sister. I would say that I envied your fiancé but it seems that he is far too stupid to appreciate the importance of what he threw away."

"Genzo, that's completely unfair!" Linnsa retorted, louder than she had intended. "You have no idea just as I don't what drove him to do what he did. Don't you dare pass judgment on Richard. You don't know the first thing about him!" Angry tears were slipping down her cheeks and Genzo felt terrible for what he had just said.

They sat in silence for a while, as Genzo furiously tried to think of what to do to remedy the situation. Handing her a Kleenex, he quietly muttered, "You are right. It was not my place to make such a judgment. I suppose its makes me angry when I see good people hurt. I am sorry, Linnsa."

Sniffing a little, Linnsa accepted the token of his apology and wiped off her tears. "Thanks, I guess. I'll take it as a backhanded compliment. I just wish I could have some closure on the matter."

He couldn't explain why, but he wanted so badly for her to smile, and not only just to smile, but to smile because of him. She looked so small and helpless to him. Silently, he cursed himself for being so inexperienced in the art of courtship. "Is there anything that I can do? I am uncomfortable with seeing you so sad."

"Oh, I could use a hug right now," she sniffled with an embarrassed laugh.

Only too happy to comply, Genzo tried to keep his expression as neutral as possible as he held her to him. Reminded of the previous night, he liked how she fit it the crook of his arm. "Would a steak make you happy?" he asked with mock seriousness.

"It might." He could her the lilting smile in her voice. As he released his hold on her, Linnsa's cell phone began to ring. "Unavailable?" Curious, she answered, "Hello?"

"Hi. Can we talk?"

Her face went ashen. "Richard?" Genzo narrowed his eyes at the mention of his name but attempted to keep his temper in check. "Why are you calling me? Why can't I see your number?"

"I thought if you saw my number you wouldn't pick up," the voice explained. "I called your roommate and she said that you were in Tokyo. Is this true?"

"And if it is?" Her anger began to get the better of her.

"I just want to talk. Can we do that please?"

"Fine, talk then," she spat back.

"I meant in person, Linnsa."

She laughed without an ounce of humor. "Well, the distance is a bit of a problem, don't you think?"

"I'm in Tokyo, actually. I flew in a couple of days ago."

"What?!"

There was a sigh on the other end. "Look, I'm not even sure what the hell I'm doing but it's important that we talk in person. I mean, I came halfway around the world so I could see you."

Almost afraid to ask, she did it anyway. "Did you still want to call off the wedding?"

Genzo couldn't help listening in on the conversation, though Linnsa seemed to be unaware, having forgotten about his enhanced hearing. The man on the other end was quiet for a moment before he said, "We need to talk. After that, you may not feel so bad about my decision."

"Fine, then. We'll meet. Where-hey!" She shrieked in surprise when Genzo grabbed the phone from her hand and closed it. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"You cannot meet with anyone unless it is first discussed with Noboru." His tone was clipped.

"Don't you dare tell me what I can and cannot do! Stay out of my business. This is something I have to do." She tried to pry the phone out of his fingers but the man had an iron grip. "Leggo!"

Genzo felt his anger rising to meet hers. "There are things that are happening that you do not understand. It is not prudent to simply rush out there because you feel like it."

Unable to open his fingers, she began punching his arm angrily. "Easy for you to say," she shouted back. "How the hell would you know? It's not like you have any feelings!"

Her comment stung him deeply, deeper than he had imagined anyone's words could. Suddenly he heard behind him, "What is going on? I thought you two said you'd be fine!"

"You tell that overgrown ninja to give me back my phone!" Linnsa demanded.

Angela turned to Genzo, who was almost snarling aloud. "What the hell is happening?"

Not giving him the chance to speak, Linnsa acidly explained, "Richard is in Tokyo and he wants to meet to talk. This asshole is saying I can't go anywhere until your boyfriend gives me say so. This is nobody else's business but mine and I am going to get some answers so give me the goddamn phone back!" Her entire body was practically shaking, she was so upset.

[Now I know how Noboru feels] Angela thought ruefully. "Linnsa, I know you're angry and scared right now, but Genzo is right. It's not safe for you to be running out there until we know for sure that you two can meet safely."

"What, you're going to take his side too?!" Storming into her room, she slammed the door pointedly.

"I'm sorry, Genzo." He always seemed to get the short end of the stick since she came into his life. "That was totally unfair for you."

A small cracking noise snapped him out of his daze and he realized that he was clenching Linnsa's cell phone so hard that the case was being crushed. Not wanting her to be any more angry at him than she already was, he eased up on his grip and was grateful to see that it was still working. "I will tell Noboru-sama and he will decide what is best." He heard the shower in Linnsa's room turn on and sighed. "When she is finished, I will apologize to her."

Knocking gingerly on the door, Angela opened it a crack and tentatively called out, "Lins?" There was no answer. At first, Angela figured that she was being ignored, but as she was about to leave she realized that something about the shower sounded strange – as if the water were hitting only tile and not a body that was moving. Darting back in, she opened the door to the bathroom and found that Linnsa wasn't in the bathroom. "Oh, no, you didn't!" she prayed. Going to the corner, she saw that the window had been opened and her sister had fashioned a rope out of her bed linens that ended about six feet above street level. Panicking, she ran out and shouted, "She's gone! She went to meet him anyway!" She shrank back for a moment when she saw the fury on Genzo's face.

The voice that spoke was full of barely containable rage. "I will find her and return her. Stay here." As he was about to leave, he asked, "What is her fiance's last name?"

"Hollis, but why-"

"[Arigato]. I will return with her shortly." The door rattled on its hinges from the force he used to close it. Had he not controlled himself, Angela was sure the door wouldn't still be functional.

"Please, God, let her be okay," she begged.

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gomen: sorry (Japanese)

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Genzo was unsure what he would feel more when he found her, gratitude that she was okay or a fury at her stupidity. The two women shared the disconcerting habit of disappearing on him while he was on duty. Calling some of their contacts around Tokyo, he asked that anyone who had rented a car to her fiancé be reported to him. He figured at least that would give him a place to start. He also tried to find out if anyone by that name had used a credit card or registered at a hotel in Tokyo. A few minutes later, he hit pay dirt when he was informed that the man was staying in a nearby Hilton and had rented a car not far from the hotel. Presuming he would catch them there, he headed for his car.

Night had fallen when he reached the hotel. Parked across the street, he watched carefully for anyone who remotely resembled Linnsa. Out of the hotel's underground garage, he saw a car stagger out and nearly turn into the wrong lane. Checking the make and model of the car, he realized it was the rental loaned to her fiancé. His erratic driving gave away the fact that he was [gaijin]. Thinking it would not be too hard to tail them, he set off in pursuit.

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gaijin: foreigner

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"Thanks for meeting me, but why do we have to be driving?" Richard asked quizzically as he weaved onto the road. "I'm having a hard time with this driving on the other side of the road thing."

"I don't have the luxury of explaining," Linnsa replied. "Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me?" They were approaching the outer limits of Tokyo and the roads were becoming smaller and more sparse. Richard appeared to have difficulty in starting, opening his mouth to start and then closing it juse as soon. Unable to wait for his explanation, Linnsa burst out, "For God's sake, just say it!"

"I cheated on you." He winced after he said it, trying to keep his eyes on the dimly lit road.

Linnsa blinked, not wanting to believe what she had just heard. "You what?"

"It was only a few times, but I couldn't go through with the wedding and not tell you. It's been eating me up for months. I'm sorry!"

Unable to stop herself, she began beating him with her fists. "You asshole!" she screamed. "You fucking worthless asshole! Who was it?! Who is she?!"

"No one you know," he said, trying to dodge her blows well enough to drive. "Linnsa, you have no idea what it was like for me. You worked all the time, and when you weren't you were exhausted, I just felt like there was no room in your life for me-OW!!"

"Why-didn't-you-just-tell-me?!" she shouted between slaps.

"Owowow, you never seemed to have time! I was feeling more and more lonely and it just sort of happened and the closer the wedding got, the worse I felt about it." He turned to face her as her punches dwindled. "I never meant for it to go like this, but I mean, would you still want to marry me knowing what happened? I'll do it if you still want me. Can you forgive me?"

Linnsa felt like she was going to choke on her own tears. "Richard, I-LOOK OUT!!!"

Jerking his head back into the road, Richard saw that they had veered into the right lane and were heading straight for a collision with an oncoming truck. "Oh shit!" Swerving, he turned in a wide arc, narrowly missing the truck, but as he came almost full circle, the car twisted and flipped, barreling down the road right into Genzo's view.

"[Jikshyo!]" The world went silent as the two cars slammed into one another, and in his haste, forgetting to wear the seat belt, Genzo hurtled forward out of the windshield and over the wreckage. After hitting the pavement, he rolled over a few times and lay still.

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jikshyo: shit (Japanese)