“Don’t worry,” David whispered. “I’ll share.”
Unable to help himself, Takumi laughed, and then punched him in the arm. “Like you will get more than me.”
“Yeah, because I’m going to get the most,” Naoto said, sliding into the conversation.
With a knock on the door, girls began arriving from other years and classes. After a few minutes, the female badminton team members arrived with things for all the boys on the team. With the exception of an occasional third year alone, most of the girls moved in small groups, like the ones that had ambushed David earlier. As some of Class 2B’s girls left to give out their own presents, more and more girls seemed to show up. With every knock, David grew redder. With each “Looks good,” and “Thank you,” David could not help but be shocked by the variety of the girls and gifts coming at him and the other boys. He had never received even one special valentine’s card back in the States.
The most embarrassing encounter was when the brawny girls’ judo captain brought him an entire chocolate cake. She had stood in front of his desk and said only, “I’ve decided you can ask me out if you want,” before leaving without an answer. The reactions from his friends and the other boys in the class ranged from Shou’s jealousy to Takumi’s incredulity and Tsubasa’s pride. By the time Rie came back to the classroom, pink and red boxes covered his desk.
The walk back to the Estate was quiet. Tsubasa and Natsuki left to take their presentation pieces and chocolate home before heading to practice. Rie was tense and quiet in a way that reminded David of the time after he rescued her from the yūrei. Takumi spent the whole walk throwing covert glances at the bulging shopping bag David had begged off Natsuki.
David called, “Tadaima!” with the twins as they struggled out of their shoes in the Estate’s entryway. He just managed to make it onto the raised floor when Natsuki’s bag burst sending pink packages rolling around the floor. David bent to pick one up, but then noticed both Masao and Yukiko sitting at the low table in the room right of the entrance. With a sigh behind him, Rie began helping David gather his presents. Natsuki arrived soon after and together they all relived the events at school.
Masao examined each action, and questioned them on how they had made their choices. David caught the corner of Masao’s mouth twitch as he glossed over his argument with Kou, though a light touch from Yukiko kept him from pressing. When Rie’s turn came up, he noticed just the slightest shift of her attention toward him before she started talking about the events leading up to her summoning the shihen.
Offstage, Rie had been bound as she was supposed to be. Instead of having Kaeda, Yuka, and Ayaka dressed as monsters, however, Kaeda had returned to Rie to gloat about changing places with Koji. Just after, a much larger monster had appeared behind her classmate.
“Your boyfriend thought I would just roll over and leave things be. Let’s see how he does with some real props,” Rie said, repeating Koji’s words and tone. She described his wicked grin through the mask as he had brandished his pair of real tonfa. Rie had tried to escape, but a cloth muffled her screams. Kaeda dragged her farther into the darkness. None of their classmates had noticed as the contacts covering her yellow eyes melted in rage.
“I saw Koji’s face. He wanted blood. He left me and there was nothing I could do. I don’t know how it happened, but the old paper props crumpled into a mass and turned into the komodo, and it stomped toward the stage.” Rie shivered at the memory.
They continued the debriefing, but the ordeal was far less painful than David had expected. Yukiko checked to ensure they recorded their experiences for the library. David sighed as he finished his entry without anyone focusing on the most difficult questions.
‘You’ve already done enough of that.’
‘Someone has to be the brains-’
“I already called Tsubasa-kun,” Yukiko said, as they finished. “I gave him the night off from practice. I think we will let all of you off the hook as well. Masao and I want to do some more research on Rie’s… abilities.”
Natsuki stood gracefully and with a firm hand drew a surprised looking Takumi out of the room, leaving David alone with Rie. She studied him, her quiet expression unreadable.
“Umm, I should probably put my stuff away,” he said. Her features sharpened and her gaze turned to the pile of presents.
“Of course. I hope you enjoy the chocolate,” she said, her voice controlled. She stood, and David looked to the pile of chocolates. When he turned back, she was disappearing around the far side of a shoji door. Even with the Matsumotos’ training and Kou’s indelible memory, he could not quite be sure if he had seen something red in her hand.
The rest of February sped by. At school, Koji became a model student. Whenever he saw David, he bowed low and hurried away. The change created new rumors about David, but his easygoing presence and the lack of visible bruises on Koji served to debunk the more outrageous of them.
To Takumi’s great enjoyment, David had to live through several embarrassing encounters where he had to thank and then decline the various offers he had received. To his chagrin, some of the girls had only given the gifts as dares, while others ran away whenever he tried to talk to them. Even worse, Natsuki managed to translate a version of what had happened and send it to Jessica, which led to a whole slew of emails full of pointed questions and jokes. It got so bad, that Kou agreed to help him plot a fair revenge for White Day.
‘How about a rat? She never liked them very much.’
‘That will be perfect. Think you can catch one alive?’
‘Please.’
‘Just because you play with your food first, doesn’t mean it can survive more than a few minutes after you land on it. Anyway,’ David continued before Kou’s growl could cut him off, ‘any idea why Natsuki’s all annoyed with me, I mean more than usual? I asked her this morning and all she did was jab at me harder!’
‘I was there. You are about as insightful as a rabbit.’
The Matsumotos’ morning practices were more intense than ever. Since learning he was possessed by a Japanese god, David had struggled to perfect his understanding of the Matsumotos’ kendo basics. As his senpai, or senior students, the twins were in charge of teaching him. Whenever he thought he had mastered a move, either Takumi or Rie gave him new challenges as he worked with Tsubasa or Natsuki. Even with the strange awkwardness between him and Rie, when they had swords in hand they trained with intensity.
On the last day of February, Masao surprised him by announcing that he had advanced to the point where the twins could no longer guide his lessons effectively. At first, David thought the change might help remove some of the tension between him, Natsuki, and Rie, but then Masao continued speaking.
“From now on, David, you will train with Yukiko after basics,” he said. “Tsubasa will continue working with the twins and Natsuki.”
From her graceful appearance, he never would have guessed at the skill and speed his host-mother possessed, even knowing beforehand that she trained. Just as she had drilled him in Japanese when he first arrived, Yukiko now set to work on his body, sculpting it with exercises as she saw fit. She wielded her wooden sword more sharply than a ruler in an old nun’s hand, always expecting his best.
“How come Masao-san’s picture isn’t with the Masters? Grandpa’s was up there before he died,” David asked as he held an intricate pose designed to build his arm strength and balance.
“Masao was never promoted to master before Masato-hanshi died. In this family, the master will pass on the title and final secrets when he thinks the next generation is ready. Now only the Emperor can bestow that title on Masao, and he has not,” Yukiko replied as she jabbed with her stave. “Your leg is too low.”
Together the pair worked in the Japanese garden while the rest trained in the Dojo. With only his fingertips touching the cold stone bridge over the pond, David struggled to maintain his balance, and keep himself from falling into the water.
“While I’ve got y
ou here,” Yukiko said with a gleam in her eye. “Do you like Rie?”
David missed a jab from Yukiko’s practice sword. He realized his mistake only as he tumbled into the icy water.
David extricated himself from the shallow pool, his movements accompanied by Kou’s annoyed growls. Yukiko invited him over to the bench.
“Umm,” David said to stall, his thoughts rushing to find an answer. He realized that ever since Valentine’s Day, he had lost the surety of their previous friendship.
“No matter,” she said. “I’ve noted awkwardness between you two. The two times she summoned a spirit, she did so in your presence. Her weakness has made us question her… emotions. I am worried about her. She has yet to find the key to her power, and you are the only hint we have, yet the two of you have been avoiding each other. This is dangerous.” Yukiko’s gaze reminded David of Grandpa’s piercing eyes.
‘What should I say? I don’t know what she wants, how can I help Rie? I don’t even know how to help myself.’
‘Rie is dangerous, but not evil. You should help her if you can. If I had known how much my stunt would affect the two of you, I would have risked another demon.’
“Well, in any case,” Yukiko said, seeming to read David’s conversation with Kou. “I think you need a more intimate knowledge about how swords are created. Your techniques are suffering from your ignorance. From now on, every other night, you will work in the forge instead of practicing with the Seikaku. Besides, Rie could use some help getting ready to make her first sword, and the fastest way to learn is to teach. You and Kou can still practice together at night. Tsubasa says he needs some time to work on his inventions anyway. I’m sure Natsuki and Takumi will find some constructive way to use the time as well.” With a smile, she left him soaking on the bench, oddly warm in the cold air.
David came to look forward to the nights spent among the darkness and heat of the forge with Rie. After a few awkward minutes, Rie adopted her usual brusque teaching methods and began training him in the basics of sword craft. The work was so demanding, and required so much coordination and collaboration that they had to work as one or risk destroying hours or days of work.
With yet another skill to learn, David could almost feel the driving tempo of his training. Every day there were new techniques to learn and old ones to master. Still, constant pain did not fill his body, as it had his first weeks after Kou’s possession. He had grown comfortable with the difficulties.
‘I know I should worry more about the outside world, about Chul Soon, ōkami, and other dangers we will have to face, but each day is a challenge. I can hardly find the time to focus on that stuff, even with the random attacks from fake owls and deranged rats.’
‘A little higher with that tool of yours or Rie will make you start over.’
‘Just because you don’t have thumbs-’
Rie glared at him and David aimed his hammer strokes a little higher. Since the Seikaku was David’s primary weapon, Kou was interested in the process of sword making, but he spent most of the time searching out the Zodiac Tiger’s memories so that David could enjoy the experience and newness of creating with his own hands. It was an amazing thrill to create something, and the satisfaction fed a part of him of which he had not been aware. Kou compared it to the enjoyment he got while hunting, an activity they had long ago decided was Kou’s personal domain.
Every day, animal and human understood each other a little better, but they both agreed to leave at least some things separate.
‘Sword making is like my own personal foundation. Creating is a human thing, difficult but interesting.’
‘Yes. My ground is the hunt. Our roots might one day lead to only one being, but we both needed some time to be just human… and just tiger.’
David relaxed into the physical human aspect of the heat and rhythm of the pounding, and then suddenly he was in perfect step with Rie. His body moved with hers and together an artful weapon took shape under their direction. It was simple, easy. They fit together without a thought.
“You’re not as uptight as you were. What happened?” Jessica asked in her next email. After he told her about starting to learn sword making, she began grilling him on everything he did with Rie. As usual, his little sister’s questions led his thoughts in new directions, made him examine his feelings until he recognized that indeed, the stress that had grown up from the constant tension between him and Rie since the play had almost disappeared.
The extra time they spent together had other consequences as well. Just as with Natsuki and Takumi, David and Rie began to show improved coordination on the badminton court. It got to the point that no one but their closest friends would play them as a doubles team. With school going well, badminton keeping him on his toes, Tsubasa on the Estate, and the slow but continuous way he was getting to know the Matsumotos, David was almost always happy. When he said as much to Jessica, her reaction was so over-the-top he was reminded of Mizuki and her friends.
‘I missed something. I’ve never equated her to that group before,’ David thought.
‘Who knows? I bet Natsuki has emailed her more than you recently. If you’re not careful you are going to have me hunting Rie down and…’
“Fine, we’ll go hunt, I can take a hint,” David said aloud as he left the Matsumotos’ computer to head outside. With a wave to Ryohei, floating in the garden, David left his clothes by the nearest tree and surrendered to the tiger within him. He regretted at once. As Kou’s massive paws clawed through the silent forest, he had plenty of time to think.
AN OLD MAN’S HOUSE
Reconnecting with our old haunts and… acquaintances, seemed to breathe life into my brother. While I was far from unmoved, it lit a wild, dangerous, and even reckless part of him. We moved swiftly thereafter, making our way back into China and along the old smuggling routes into Russia. In that place, things became more difficult. Though the red giant had fallen, the people were wary and few had love for outsiders…
‘It’s time to get rid of the bed, don’t you think?’
‘You almost never use it anymore, might as well.’
‘It’s in the way isn’t it? Besides, I live in Japan. I should follow as many customs as I can, especially if I am going to be a Jitsugen Samurai.’
‘I do not think it matters what you sleep on. I am sure Ninigi slept on grass. I think the whole room would be pointless if it was not for your need of clothes. If you could just stay as a tiger all the time, then we could sleep on a nice comfortable tree branch.’
‘Yes, well, you have fur. While we can get away with going naked as a tiger. I don’t think Japan at large would appreciate the naked gaijin.’
‘A few might.’
Kou’s last thought and the accompanying image he called up made David turn so red that Rie turned on him with her familiar, searching gaze. David mouthed the word “Kou” then returned to his task. The Friday before the graduation ceremony for the third years, Class 2B was busy preparing the gym. David was supposed to be holding up a red and white striped sheet that his classmates were attaching to hooks next to the stage. The mind-numbing work left his mind free to wander, or in his case, talk to Kou.
He hitched the curtain back up to its proper height and turned to see the progress throughout the gym. The first years were bringing in planters of red flowers to decorate the front of the stage, while other second years set out mats and chairs, or tried to tape red carpet into place.
In Nakano, junior high graduation was a big deal. The town was small enough that there was not a high school nearby. This meant all the students who wanted to go to high school had to go to schools in Himeji, or farther. Since the high school students went to, could affect what colleges they could get into, it was an important decision. Unlike in America, high school was not mandatory in Japan, meaning third years had to pass entrance exams to get in. The third years were anxiously waiting for news that could change their lives.
The graduation preparation work got David t
hinking about the years to come. While he had come as a one-year exchange student, thanks to Kou, he could no longer leave Japan for more than twelve hours without dying. Again. The Matsumotos and their contacts with the Imperial Household had already secured another year for him in the exchange program, but it had taken weeks to convince his father and sister it was for the best, even after they visited in autumn. It would be difficult to sell them on the idea of him going to high school in Japan as well.
‘I wonder what kind of school I should go to. It’s hard to know what kind of courses a Jitsugen Samurai will need. And what if I don’t get into the same school as the twins? I bet Masao already has a plan. I hope it’s not some stuffy academic only school. Maybe there’s a protectors-of-Japan high school.’
“David… David.” When he looked up, Rie sighed at his preoccupation. “We’re done. You’re just standing there holding onto the curtain like an idiot.” Sliding closer she whispered, “You and Kou seem talkative today.”
“Yep, talking about you,” David said. The flippant remark elicited a strange look from her, but then Tsubasa and Kenta joined them. Kenta started asking him about one of the experiments David had helped his father with before moving to Japan. Rie slipped away as the three boys headed back to their homeroom deep in conversation about blocking radio waves.
Since the gym was occupied, they had a rare afternoon off from badminton practice. David had figured they would head back to the Estate early, but at the gates to the school, Natsuki grabbed Takumi and pulled him toward the route to her house. With Takumi stumbling after in surprise, Natsuki winked at Rie.
“Don’t worry, Natsu is kidnapping Takumi for the afternoon,” Rie said turning to David. She knew him well enough to expect the bemused expression on his face.
“And you’re going to kidnap me too?” he asked.
“You’re learning. So what’s it going to be, peaceful or with a battle that will betray hundreds of years of Matsumoto secrets?” Rie’s smile belied her words and serious tone.
Revenge of the Akuma Clan Page 13