He nodded. “We have some PSIA business to attend to. I need to show you something.”
I watched as he took his mirror necklace in his hand and motioned for me to do the same. Freeing the necklace from my uniform shirt, I clenched it tightly.
“I’ve been informed that the time has come for you to learn exactly what the necklace is for.”
The points of the gold sun frame left marks in my hand. “I thought it was just a symbol of my loyalty to the Sun Goddess.”
He ran his hand along the mirror’s edge. “That is the necklace’s surface meaning, but it actually has a very important purpose that you will be needing soon. It can detect when Death’s minions are present.”
A chill ran down my back. The pending battle became very real. “What does it do?”
Mr. Tanaka walked over to the window. “The mirror will light up when a minion is nearby.” He pointed his necklace toward the courtyard below and the mirror lit up as if it had a strobe light inside. “When you have spotted Death’s minion, you aim the light at the creature like so.”
My eyes grew wide as I watched my teacher aim the light at an odd little man in a brown suit. I sucked in a breath as the light penetrated through the man and his body split apart as if a knife had cut through it. Then a flash of light exploded—the man vanished.
“Mr. Tanaka, why are the people continuing to go about their business like a man didn’t just blow up right next to them?”
He gave me a wry smile. “Because in their world the man didn’t exist.”
“You mean only we can see the minions of Death?”
“Precisely.”
Sayonara, Kawanasan
May 27th 6:00PM
Nothing like whipping up a last-minute watercolor painting to let me know how out of practice I am.
Yuki scampered on the edge of the desk fascinated by my paintbrush. “Why are you painting sakura trees?”
“Because it’s a homework assignment I was supposed to have done a month ago. I can’t go to Kawanasan empty-handed.”
Yuki leaned over to the over side of the desk and examined the magenta dots I used to indicate the pollen inside of the cherry blossoms. “It is a very pretty likeness.”
“Thanks, but it isn’t my best work.”
Yuki snuck closer to the painting. “I particularly like the branch over in the corner. It looks quite comfortable to sit on.”
As if that was an invitation, Yuki jumped over to the other side of the painting, her tail whisking across the upper portion. I clapped my hands hard and she jumped down. “Yuki look what you’ve done! I don’t have the time to paint a new one. I have to be at Kawansan’s by six o’clock.”
Yuki ran her tiny fingers over her tail tinged with pink paint. “I am sorry. The branch just looked so inviting.”
Hearing the commotion, Ren came marching into my room. She stood with her hands on her hips taking in the sakura painting. “Yuki is right, that is nice set of attractive sakura trees.”
“I guess that’s a compliment, but what am I supposed to do about that?” I said pointing to the pink and brown paint Yuki’s tail had brushed across my carefully painted cloud filled blue sky.
Ren’s eyes narrowed. “Well, why don’t you turn it into a kite?”
At first it sounded like the stupidest idea ever, and then I took a closer look at the smudge. It did have a triangular shape and the wisp from the tip of Yuki’s tail could be turned into the tail of the kite. I reached over and hugged Ren. “You’re a genius!”
She smiled. “It’s about time someone figured that out.”
Kawanasan Final Project
Same Day 7:00PM
Taking a taxi up to the Kawanas’ house one last time filled me with sadness. It would be the first of so many goodbyes I’d face over the next week. I paid the driver and tucked my sakura painting under my arm as I hiked past the main house, a modern vision of glass, and up the hillside to Kawanasan’s lovely teahouse. The bamboo fountain tip tapped as I stood on the stone path facing a friendly face.
“It’s been a long time, Erin. You look well.”
I could say the same about Fudo. In fact, somehow in just a few months he’d become even more handsome. “You too. Mostly because you aren’t wearing your usual pleated trousers.”
He laughed looking down at his jeans. “I finally decided to join the crowd.”
“It’s about time,” I said with a chuckle.
Kawanasan stood in the doorway dressed in a traditional blue and white haori jacket and a pair of well-worn jeans. In Japanese he said, “Good to see you, Erin. I’m glad you noticed my son has finally taken after his father.”
I laughed when I realized he meant it literally. They were wearing the same brand of jeans. I gave Fudo a wink. “It’s about time he stops dressing like a literature professor.”
We chuckled while Fudo stomped into the teahouse. Kawanasan pointed to the painting under my arm. “You brought me something?”
“Yes, my homework.”
At first my comment didn’t register, and then he smiled. “The Ohanami painting.”
“Yes, I didn’t forget my homework assignment.” I followed him into the teahouse and placed the painting on the floor next to his cushion. “I painted it in the park, so it’s not my best work.”
I hoped he couldn’t tell I was fibbing.
Fudo knelt next to his father and looked down at the painting. “I think she did a nice job of capturing the colors of the blossoms.”
His father nodded and glanced up at the top of the painting. I bit my lip as he hovered over the makeshift kite. “I like this touch of whimsy here with the kite. The goateed carp on the front is a nice tribute to your other painting.” He turned to the alcove by the front door where my scroll painting hung. “You matched it quite nicely.”
“Thank you so much for honoring my painting with such a pride of place.”
Fudo shifted his weight, not used to wearing tight jeans. “I think he enjoys the irony. I told him the fish was a homage to your boyfriend.”
Fudo sat too far away for me to punch him in the arm. “He’s not my boyfriend, just a friend.”
“Right. So you keep saying.”
His father cleared his throat. “Enough chit chat. It’s time for your final assignment. Erin, I would like you to paint your favorite garden in Japan.”
I sat back on my feet. “There are so many, it’s hard to choose just one.”
Kawanasan got up from his cushion. “You will have an hour to create your painting. Better choose quickly.”
Fudo got up and followed behind his father. “I’d like to talk to you before you leave.”
I’d be glad to spend a bit more time with him. “Sure.”
As I watched father and son head out the door, I settled on my favorite garden—Iso. Nothing could top the wonderful location on the bay. I wet down a large piece of paper Kawanasan prepared for me and decided on my composition. The hour flew by as I frantically tried to capture the breathtaking beauty of the green lawns, the mushroom shaped trees, and the grand tea house up on its knoll facing the lake. As I painted in a sunset sky, I realized the composition had a missing element—Sakurajima. With minutes to spare, I painted in the rocky outline of the volcano and placed a grey puff of smoke at its peak. This one held no face to haunt me.
Fudo and Kawanasan came strolling in just as my time was up. Kawanasan walked around the painting looking at it from all angles. A smile crossed his face when he saw Sakurajima. “Were you really lucky enough to see the mountain erupt?”
“Yes, it truly was amazing to see the puff of smoke drift across the pale orange sky.”
Fudo bent down next to the painting to get a closer look. “I’ve never been to Iso garden, but I recognize it from the pictures I’ve seen.” Fudo put his hand on my shoulder. “Nice job, Erin. I’m not my dad, but I’d give you an A.”
Kawansan chuckled. “I have to say I am in agreement with my son. The painting is quite lovely.”
I got up and bowed to Kawansan. “It is my gift to you. All I ask is that your son send me a picture to remember it by.”
He bowed in return. “Of course. I must admit I had my doubts about you. I’ve never had a student miss so many lessons and get such a good result. But I cannot argue with your talent.”
My face flushed with pride as I followed Fudo to the door. “Kawanasan, I’ll remember you and your tea house on the hill forever.”
Fudo led me to the driveway in front of the house. “You laid it on kind of thick back there.”
I punched him in the arm. “I meant every word of it. And you better send me that picture.”
I dug through my purse and pulled out a scrap of paper. “Here’s my email address. Don’t be a stranger once I’m gone.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” He gave me an all-encompassing hug and I breathed in his woodsy cologne. “I’m actually going to miss you.”
I reached inside my hoodie and pulled out the necklace he gave me. “I’ll remember you every time I wear Mt. Fuji.”
He smiled then pointed to the front of my hoodie where Amaterasu’s mirror necklace rested. “Who gave you that sun necklace? It’s really interesting.”
I had no choice but to lie. “I found it in a funky shop in Shibuya. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”
“It suits you.” Fudo leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Have a safe trip home, Erin. I promise to keep in touch.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” I said as the taxi drove up in front of the house.
Fudo waved goodbye and went inside the house just as a piercing light radiated out of the necklace. Aiming the beam at the cab, I watched in disbelief as the driver split apart and exploded.
There could be no doubt—the taxi driver was one of Death’s minions.
Chapter 10
Kyoto Surprise
May 27th 10:00PM
“I still can’t believe what happened at Fudo’s. Thanks for coming to my rescue.”
Ren’s eyes narrowed. “Death is becoming quite brazen in his attempts to kill you. I insist that you don’t go anywhere without either Kenzo or myself.”
Holding the mirror necklace in my hand I gave her a weak smile. “The necklace is my protection.”
Ren walked over to the living room and pulled her laptop off the low coffee table. Crap, she was going to KakaoTalk Kenzo. Sure enough, in seconds his face filled the screen. Interesting. Instead of his usual rocker uniform or PSIA suit, he had on a pair of red silk pajamas. His normally perfectly styled hair stuck out every which way. Guess he wasn’t at PSIA headquarters. By the scowl on his face we might have interrupted something.
“What is so important you had to wake me up?”
“Sorry, partner.” Ren swallowed hard. “I forgot you were in another time zone.”
Where the heck was he?
Kenzo glared at me. “What have you done now, Erin?”
Jeeze, Kenzo sure was ticked off. “Sorry, but you said to always let you know when something happened. Well, an hour ago I zapped one of Death’s minions with this.” I held the mirror necklace up so he could see it.
His face turned sour. “Erin don’t get over-confident in your new weapon. The necklace works fine for Death’s minions, but not for his bodyguards or him.”
Goosebumps formed on my arms. “Now you tell me.”
Ren sighed. “It seems Mr. Tanaka taught her how to use the necklace, but not its limitations. I just told her she is not to go anywhere unguarded by you or I.”
Why did they have a way of making me feel like I was ten years old?
Kenzo nodded. “She’s right, Erin. The battle is too near. We can’t take any chances. But I have some good news for you.”
“You’re going to come live with us?”
A smile took over his face. “That would be tempting. But no, I have a much better solution. The perfect cover, actually.”
I tried to hide my disappointment. “I’m all ears.”
“You know the big sayonara field trip the graduating class is going on to Kyoto and Nara?”
I let out a sigh. “You mean the one I can’t afford to go on?”
“The trip is on us.” Ren held out the familiar purple PSIA credit card. “Better get ready. You leave tomorrow.”
Field Trip Merry-go-round
May 28th 5:00AM
Trudging down the Shinkansen platform, I wondered if going on the field trip might be a mistake. The class would surely be surprised when I showed up.
Setsuko dressed in her favorite pink shirt and matching skirt, was the first to see me walking toward the group of students. “Oh my god, Erin. What are you doing here? I thought you decided to stay in town until you head back to Idaho?”
I told her an excuse being too embarrassed to admit I couldn’t afford to go. “I changed my mind. How could I leave Japan and not hang out with the gang one more time? Hey, where are Gina and Adam? Don’t tell me they are still taking a break.”
She shook her head. “No, they wanted to spend time together. They went north to Hokkaido.”
“So, I guess we are the gang now.”
She laughed. “Guess so.”
Mr. Shinji frantically tried to herd the students together as the Shinkansen pulled into the station. He shouted, “All right class, everyone gather near me. We are going to be in the first two reserved cars so let’s stay together.”
Kenzo suddenly appeared next to him. “I’ll be in the front car.”
I surged toward Kenzo, but Setsuko blocked my path with her roller bag. “We are not going in his car.”
Great. I couldn’t tell Setsuko I had to be with Kenzo—my life depended on it. So, I danced around her bag and headed straight for the first car. Meanwhile, Mr. Shinji solicited one of the white-gloved station managers to help him get the rest of the students on board without any incidents. As we boarded the train, I heard the familiar recording. “If you would like a view Mt. Fuji, you should sit on the left side of the train.”
All twenty of us raced to grab a spot on the left. Setsuko must not want to be alone, as she sped behind me as I broke through the crowd and dove for a prime spot. I literally jumped over a guy to snag a window seat.
Setsuko casually stashed our bags up top and plopped down next to me. “Well, Erin, I guess a prime seat to see Fujisan was so important that you forgot your manners.”
Great, I forgot she loved to play surrogate mother. Maybe I wasn’t so happy to see Setsuko after all. Gina and I would have had a blast on the trip, but love came before everything.
Half asleep, I didn’t even notice we were moving until I caught a glimpse of one of the white-gloved guards bowing to the train as it went by. I waved, but he was bowed so far down he couldn’t see me.
As I settled into my standard seat, how I longed for the luxury of the green car. I looked a couple aisles ahead to find Kenzo talking with Mr. Shinji like he didn’t have a care in the world. It felt strange to know that at the end of the field trip I’d be in the battle for my life. The sound of laughter from my fellow students broke my mood.
Setsuko fidgeted in her seat. “I missed breakfast. I can’t wait until the cart girls come with all their goodies. I just love the bento boxes.”
I wasn’t paying much attention to Setsuko as she chattered away about the wonders of the cart girls. My mind raced through different scenarios of how I would surely screw up killing Death.
My fears faded as the aroma of fish and teriyaki chicken filled the car. I could smell the cart girls long before I could see them.
Setsuko dug into her purse. “Erin, you are going to love the bento boxes. They are light years better than airline food,” Setsuko continued when she had a few yen in her hand. “We will get our breakfast just in time to see Fujisan go by.”
Too bad I couldn’t gloat about already seeing Fujisan. I asked Setsuko, “Have you been to Kyoto before?”
Setsuko rolled her eyes. “Yeah, when I was a kid. We c
ame to visit my mom’s relatives.” The cart girl arrived wearing a tailored black uniform and a bright red scarf around her neck. Setsuko took command of the situation. She ordered two breakfast bento boxes and two teas. I sighed longing for an orange juice. I had been in Japan for over nine months, and I still couldn’t get used to drinking tea for breakfast.
Setsuko made an exaggerated game show gestures over the cardboard bento on her tray table. “Open your box and behold its wonders.”
Setsuko cracked me up. I loved her enthusiasm for the simplest things. I had to admit she was going to make the trip way more entertaining than being alone. Not like I could hang out with Kenzo.
I opened my bento box full of yummy pieces of chicken and veggies. The chatter of excited voices echoed in the train car. Mount Fuji in all its glory magically appeared in the window. It still had quite a bit of snow on its cap, but the middle of the volcano sat shrouded by a thin layer of fog. “Hey, Setsuko, do you know anyone who has climbed Mt. Fuji?”
She started laughing even though her mouth was full of rice. She washed it down with some tea and said, “Lots of people pretend that they’ve climbed Fujisan. But you can always tell the people who have really made the climb. The ones that haven’t say it’s so easy you can practically skip to the top. The people who say they almost died because it was freezing at the top and they could barely breathe from the total lack of oxygen are closer to the truth.”
I polished off the rest of my bento box and grew drowsy. Setsuko was right about the breakfast, it hit the spot. I leaned back in my seat and my eyes grew heavy. They didn’t pop back open until I heard the announcement for Kyoto station.
Mr. Shinji moved down the aisle. “We are just about to stop at the Kyoto station. Please everyone stay together. We are going to be lodging at a nice ryokan, which is walking distance from the train station.”
Setsuko nudged me. “Wake up! We’re here.”
I got up, pulled down my bag, and hoisted the backpack over my shoulder. The weight of the amulets added a good eight pounds.
Final Showdown Page 11