by Lila Mina
Slowly, she turned her back to the crowd to face a puzzled Gabriella. Her friend cast a look over Lana’s shoulder and gasped.
“Wait, isn’t that—”
“Hm yeah, but nothing to see here. Those two guys with him? That’s—”
“Oy! Goshima! Decrepit rascal, ready to lose your last sock again?” Lana’s eyes widened at the familiar voice.
“Nakazawa! Snarky goat, you were lucky last year, but I’ll get my revenge! Takayasu is in perfect shape and with his weak knee, your poor Ura will bite the dust!” And to the fascinated horror of everyone around them, the two elderly CEOs burst out laughing and slapped each other’s shoulders.
“How have you been doing old friend? Still trying to beat my golf record at the club?”
“Oh, haven’t you heard? I smashed it to pieces last weekend. Right, Hayashi san? A perfect round.”
“Indeed, sha-cho, it was… impressive to say the least. My apologies, Nakazawa sama, I can only confirm.”
“Of course, you would. You are the champion of sweet-talking your boss, aren’t you? Careful with those layers of honey Hayashi san, you’ll get cavities if you continue like this.”
Back still turned to the group, Lana bit down her cheek to hide a dangerous grin. Let’s give the old crook his due: he knows how to slay, with a pinch of salt on top.
“Ah, Martin san, here you are! Why are you ignoring us? Come over here! Let me introduce you.”
25 Swimming with Sharks
Lana blanched and sent a panic-filled look to Gabriella, but her friend could only bit her lip and shrug.
Nope girl. There’s no way out of this one.
Rigidly, she walked to a cheerful Nakazawa with purposeful strides, her face a mask of careful composure. She cast a quick glance at Honda; her master’s frown was a clear signal her aloof attitude didn’t sit well with him.
Don’t fret, you’ll get it in a second.
“Nakazawa sama, my apologies,” Lana told the elder businessman with a low bow. “With such a noisy crowd, I didn’t realize you had arrived. I trust you are doing well.” Before he could reply, she decided to defuse all the other bombs waiting to explode, propriety and etiquette be damned. “Mr. Matherson, what a nice surprise, how are you doing today?” she told Richard in English.
This time, her bow was markedly less polite; but he wasn’t Japanese or her client, and for all her issues with Yuki’s father, she held the head of the Nakazawa clan in higher esteem than her boss.
Next, she faced Goshima after ignoring pointedly his backstabbing COO and offered the old gentleman the same level of politeness as Nakazawa.
“Goshima sama, it is a real pleasure seeing you again, after so many months. My name is Lana Martin. You might not remember me, but I was part of the M&F transactional team of Mr. Matherson during your negotiations with the D.S. group and in charge of their details.”
The CEO’s face cleared up. “Ah yes! I knew I had met you somewhere. A pretty girl like you, hard to forget.” Lana plastered a smile on her lips and pretended to be gratified by his compliment. “But I can’t remember seeing you at the time of the signature? When was that… back in June?”
There was a brief moment of silence during which Lana refused to meet Richard’s or Hayashi’s eyes.
“That’s right. To my eternal regret, I was unfortunately indisposed during that week. An… acute case of stomach flu. But of course, with Mr. Matherson in charge, everything was in good hands, with no risk of any shocking last-minute change of plan.”
I should stop here before I puke in my mouth.
Honda’s body language shifted as he finally remembered the rainy evening in June when they had ended up tumbling on the kitchen floor after her tense clashes with Hayashi and Richard over the phone. Clouds of cold anger filling his eyes, he moved to stand behind Hayashi and ostensibly invaded his private space. Aware that something threatening was stalking him, the COO began to fidget and wisely kept his mouth shut.
“I see. What a shame, after so much work. We were so delighted with the results! But I see you know my old friend here? Nakazawa, you hire consultants now? How many times have you pulled my leg about it!”
Lana glanced again at Nakazawa; a quirked eyebrow invited him to help her out of this mess. The memories of the lie she had served Richard in May to justify her going AWOL gnawed at her guts.
The shrewd man narrowed his eyes then let out a small smile. “I don’t, although… Martin san has indeed tried to sell me her company’s services,” he said with a nod for Richard. Lana breathed more easily. “No, Martin san is…” His gaze flickered toward Yuki and Honda who stood as rigid as statues. “She is the aikido uchi-deshi of my son-in-law, and I have met her at his house. I was about to suggest you should contact her, knowing your love of consultants, but it looks like it’s a done deal already. Anyway! Time to take our seats! Goshima, let’s get together tonight for a couple of drinks. Our usual place? Your treat, given that you’ll lose again.”
Goshima’s roar of laughter made Lana wince and Yuki blink; the man slapped his friend’s shoulder.
“Sounds like a plan, but make sure your wallet is full, because I’m the one winning today!”
“Who told you that?” Nakazawa guffawed. “Your mistress this morning? Is your ego the only thing that she caresses these days? You should find someone else. I’ve got this address—”
“Otoh sama! Please, the bells are about to ring!” Yuki said, exasperated by his outrageous antics and maybe also anxious to cut through this dangerous confluence of the layers of Lana’s life.
Clearly happy to rattle her nerves, Nakazawa chortled. “My daughter, always the voice of reason and propriety. Well, you heard her, everyone. Let’s go! Goshima, see you later!”
Without a backward glance, the patriarch headed toward the entrance gate leading to the arena. His entourage hastened to follow. Lana had barely time to nod at Richard; she was more than a little satisfied by the shock painted on his face when he watched her leaving with such a prestigious group.
“Martin san,” Nakazawa called, gesturing for her to join him. Lana caught up with him as they navigated through the crowd. “Incredibly direct and bordering on downright rude, but well played. It seems like I was about to introduce you as my new international affairs manager to your current boss.”
A raspy chuckle escaped him, and he wagged his finger under her nose, obviously entertained by her sour look. “I wonder, of this or your real… position in my family, which would have been more embarrassing to explain, hm?” His face turned serious once again. “But what’s the full story here? What’s your issue with Hayashi?”
Ah. Of course, he saw that.
Lana sensed Honda closing behind her, within earshot. “I’m afraid I may not give you specific details, Nakazawa sama, but you should recommend to your friend to let go of that sleazy ball of —” She caught herself right in time. “Let’s just say he did create last-minute, shocking problems that almost cost his company a crucial deal.”
“But Lana san’s impeccable sense of duty saved the day, although at a significant price for her,” Honda quipped.
Nakazawa stopped in his tracks to stare Lana down. “And will you show the same qualities when working for me?”
Lana straightened up. “Please be assured your company will benefit from my full professional loyalty, Nakazawa sama.”
With a small headshake, the businessman threw his son-in-law a knowing glare. “For a foreigner, her ability to play with words is remarkable. I wonder who taught her this one? But duly noted, Martin san. Duly noted,” he drawled before turning to the rest of the group. “All right! I came here to enjoy sumo, and that’s what I intend to do… and in such charming company, it’s going to be delightful. You must be Gabriella san, correct? My daughter has a knack for choosing the most beautiful friends... Please help a frail old man climb those stairs, young lady.”
Barely repressing an eyeroll, Gabriella took the CEO’s proffered elbow wit
h an exaggerated courtesy that made him grin.
“The wretched things I do for you, cara mia,” she said in passing to Lana in Italian, a forced smile pasted on her lips.
“Oh, Italian! I love Italy, especially the food! Tell me all about you… What is your favorite dessert? I have a sweet tooth for tiramisu myself…”
Yuki and Lana exchanged a horrified look; the old man hitting shamelessly on Gabriella had not been part of the plan, but there was next to nothing they could do. At least overtly. Mortified, Yuki quickly moved behind Yoshiro and laid a reassuring hand on his arm.
“Yamamoto san, my apologies. My father has the habit of overstepping bounds, but you should not worry…”
After a gentle headshake, Yoshiro offered Lana and Yuki a small bow. “Please, think nothing of it, Honda sama. Gabriella knows how to take care of herself and how to handle this kind of situation. It is actually quite entertaining. If I may be terribly blunt,” he added in a lower whisper. “Please warn your honored father that should he continue, he could find himself in a painful position. Gabriella always speaks her mind… and acts upon it.”
A relieved smile on her lips, Yuki patted his arm. “Oh, I think I’ll let him find it out all by himself. In any case, you have no idea how delighted I am to see that Gabriella san has someone like you at her side. She is very… precious to me. Let’s talk more later, shall we?”
Their party of six walked inside the arena. The Ryogoku Kokugikan stadium was an imposing and formal venue dedicated to sumo tournaments. Long banners proclaimed proudly that all 11,000 seats had been sold out; it came as no surprise as it was the last day of the tournament. A large square ring, made of clay covered with a thin layer of sand, occupied the center. Above it, suspended from the ceiling, hovered a roof resembling a Shinto shrine, with four giant tassels hanging from each corner.
As they made their way to their boxes, Lana winced and rubbed her left temple discreetly. Hot irons pierced her sinuses and to her regret, there was nothing she could take to help. Ignoring the pain would have to do for now, and maybe a bottle of water. Dehydration and the stress of her unfortunate encounter with Hayashi were certainly to blame.
The seats in their boxes were distributed over two rows. Nobody made any comment but finding the most appropriate seating was a diplomatic dance. Oil and water, Honda and Nakazawa could not be on the same row, but it was hard to choose which option was less outrageous, from a public and private perspectives: Lana sitting next to Nakazawa or with Honda? Fortunately, with her usual grace and subtlety, Yuki stepped forward and took charge.
“Otoh sama, given your common passion for sumo, you will be delighted to share your impressions with Yamamoto san, so he should be on your left. Gabriella san, you will enjoy all of it much more if you can benefit from their insightful comments, please go on Yamamoto san’s left side. Goshujin sama, look at this tall man on the row behind us, your height will not bother him so much as this older lady there, so why don’t you sit in front of him? Hm… Lana san, you are next, sit down between us; there are a couple of things I would like to discuss with otoh sama, so it is best for me to sit here.”
Lana gave her mistress a look full of admiration. It was impossible to find fault with her suggestions, and both her husband and father could only follow suit. Like everyone else, Lana kneeled on a flat square cushion. There were no chairs on the first floor, and as a woman, wearing a dress on top of that, sitting cross-legged was a strict no-no.
“Don’t forget that it’s perfectly fine to sit on your side,” Yuki told her in a soft voice. “Nobody is expected to remain in seiza throughout the day.”
Honda couldn’t let this pass. “At the same time, it is a good exercise, so I expect you to do it several times over the next few hours.” His wife’s glance clearly showed her aggravation, but he pointedly ignored her. Lana bit her cheek to hide her amusement at her companions’ usual barbs over her regimen of discipline and laid her coat on her knees.
Around them, most people had taken a seat, and a murmur of excitement and anticipation ran in the stadium when the announcer called for everyone’s attention. The dohyo-iri ceremony, marking the formal entrance of the wrestlers into the ring, was about to start.
The wrestlers of the West team were the first to walk in line toward the ring and step upon it. Their short and ancient ritual was beautiful, but Lana watched it with less interest than initially expected. Her headache siphoned a lot of her energy. This would be a long day.
“Any particular feeling of unease, Lana san?”
Honda’s question took her by surprise. He was staring ahead, face unreadable and somber. Maybe even more than usual.
“Nothing special, just a headache nagging me.”
“It began when we entered the stadium, didn’t it?” His voice was so low, it was hard to make out his words over the noises surrounding them.
“Why, yes… How...?”
“Watch.”
Puzzled, she glanced around, then at the ring. “What should I—”
“The wrestlers, the referees, the audience, everyone,” he grumbled.
Lana blinked and began to focus on their surroundings and on what was going on the ring. Her heart missed a beat as her hand flew to her mouth.
“Dio mio!” she whimpered. Cold sweat broke out on her back and drenched her blue silk blouse.
Gabriella turned on her seat and glanced at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Er, sorry, nothing, I just remembered something for tomorrow’s all-department meeting…”
Her friend rolled her eyes and made an annoyed noise. “Oh, calm down, stop thinking about work for two minutes, will you?”
But Lana wasn’t listening to her anymore. Mesmerized and terrified, she gawked at the hundreds of small and large creatures of all shapes and forms, standing, sitting or jumping all around them. Some looked like misshaped animals, others could have passed for humans if not for an impossible feature, such as a snake-like neck, or dozens of lidless eyes on their body. A few stood on the shoulders of the wrestlers, others were on the side of the ring, or at the top of the roof. All watched, engrossed in the ritual unfolding in the center.
Fists clutching her skirt, Lana struggled to hide her trepidation. “Why…?” she croaked, leaning unconsciously toward Honda for support. Her companion remained immobile, but his jaw was tense.
“This no sports game. We are witnessing a deeply religious event where much is being decided depending on the winners and losers of the day. I was shocked the first time I saw this, but it makes sense that so many… of them would be attracted here. I cannot imagine the level of power being channeled here today.”
“Are we in danger?”
“Hm, from my experience, this is a ‘neutral’ ground, where grudges are left outside, and opposite forces ignore each other. We should be safe, at least as long as we remain together. Do not leave my side, or if you do, do not go anywhere on your own.”
Lana’s fingers gripped his sleeve. “Are they here?” she whispered urgently.
“Maybe, maybe not. But if not them, their allies most certainly. Take this opportunity to observe them. It is both a curse and a blessing to… witness this.” Honda discreetly pointed at an imposing figure heading toward the ring. “Now comes the first yokozuna, one among the few wrestlers who hold the highest rank, along with a sword bearer and a high-ranking referee. The ceremony that all yokozuna are about to perform, each of them in turn, will end up chasing away all of those… spirits who are huddling on or around the ring. They will retreat in the corners, or far above under the roof of the stadium. Some leave the arena altogether at this stage; perhaps they are the weakest… or the evilest ones.”
“How so?” Lana whispered, hopeful that the nightmarish vision in front of her would gradually ebb away. To her relief, the surrounding noises from the crowd and action at the center of the arena covered their tense discussion.
“Watch: the yokozuna’s hand clapping attracts the attention of the gods, a
nd his heavy stamping drives evil away from the ring.”
And to Lana’s surprise, each resounding stamp made by the imposing wrestler who wore a massive braided white rope ornamented with strips of prayer paper, created a swirl of wind blowing away the yokai who hovered around the ring.
“Ah, brace yourself.” Honda warned.
Right then, the first rush of mystic air reached their boxes. Her headache spiked; even stranger, a sudden flare of her heartburn made her grimace and clutch her chest. Lana squeezed her eyes shut and caught Honda’s long hiss under his breath.
I’m not going up in flame, but I guess I shouldn’t drink holy water these days. Am I tainted now? Evil? Is this to be my fate? My punishment for all the bad choices I’ve made in my life?
Warm fingers brushing her ankle hidden by her trench coat startled her; they ignited a wave of heat, melting her gripping anxiety. This small, yet indisputable, demonstration of care loosened the deep knots inside her. Her hand went under her coat to cover his, out of gratitude, but also to offer comfort in turn.
What bound them wasn’t only similar dark drives and sulfurous kinks. They shared a certain form of pain. A certain kind of scar. There was much she didn’t know, except for one thing: whatever would happen next, they would face it together. Whatever the solution, they would find it together. Whatever end awaited them, they would confront it together.
She took a deep, cleansing breath. Time to focus on the performance at hand, on their family and friends, on the living and breathing around them. Not on the unsettling group of uncanny spectators. Much less on the uncertainty of her fate.
26 Life-altering Decisions
With a groan, Lana slouched on her chair and gave a disgusted glare at her inbox: her batch of unread emails was endless. A blur of back-to-back meetings had drained her energy and getting through her messages seemed beyond her strength. Her swelling ankles and her aching lumbago didn’t help her exhaustion.
A heavy sigh escaped her as she stared outside her window at the cold November night. With the mountain of tasks she had to clear before her last day, only three days ahead, she had no choice even if it felt like torture. It was already past 8, and she had to catch the 9:30 pm Super-Express; today, she didn’t want to be home late. She swirled on her chair to get back to work.