I went downstairs to the student lounge and scanned the room. No sign of the girls, but Kenzo stood in front of a large circle of chairs holding court over a group of admirers. A stunning redhead sat right up front. They seemed mesmerized by his every word. “I know you girls are wondering why my English is so flawless. I spent two years attending Princeton. Boy did I learn a lot more than political science.”
Despite myself, I giggled along with the girls. Kenzo sure was a charmer. He definitely could be a candidate for number one on the list, find a rock star boyfriend. Unfortunately, he could have his pick from a bevy of beauties. My hopes that he might be single quickly vanished.
With only twenty-five minutes before the next class, I raced over to the main office and exchanged some money. Then I headed for the only quick food source on campus, vending machines, and popped some yen into the lunch box machine. The plates divided into four sections reminded me of TV dinners. The aroma of chicken warming let my stomach know its churning time was almost over.
Lunch in hand, I walked back to the student lounge and took a seat by the window to better view the harem. I couldn’t believe they were still sitting listening to Kenzo’s stories. He had to be fascinating to get the girls to miss a meal, although a couple of them looked like they skipped lunch for the last year.
Unlike the rest of the girls, I finished off my chicken as Kenzo stroked his goatee while he listened to an admirer’s question. Every inch of him oozed sexiness.
His eyes met mine and he gave me a wink. “Hey, Erin. Good to see you again.” All the girls turned and glared. The redhead pointed right at me. “I saw you on YouTube-twice.”
No way! Those guys really did put the videos up for the entire world to see.
My face burned hot, and I couldn’t get away from the harem fast enough. I raced upstairs and stood in front of a labyrinth of hallways that led to my next class. The eerie corridor resembled a horror film set and confirmed my suspicions that my Beginning Japanese class was going to be grisly. Although I always thought I had an ear for language, a D in tenth grade French proved otherwise. Walking inside the room, my feeling of dread lifted when there was a familiar face—Gina. I waved and grabbed the chair next to her. I’d finally get to talk to Gina out of the watchful eyes of Setsuko.
“Oh, Erin, I’m so glad to see you,” Gina said. “I have the worst commute on earth and my host parents are really old. They treat me like a pet.”
I smiled, knowing exactly how she felt. We had no idea what we signed up for coming to Japan. “I’m so sorry, but you actually don’t have it so bad. My host family is crazy and I’ve been plastered all over YouTube.”
“I know. Your videos have gone viral. Don’t feel too bad. Your tits look great.”
I let out a sigh. “Terrific. Not the fame and fortune I’ve been dreaming of.”
Gina gave me a strange look. “Hey, where were you yesterday?”
Before I could launch into my story, the instructor entered the classroom. Painfully thin, she wore thick black-rimmed glasses, giving her the classic librarian look. This type of teacher usually meant bad news. Gina and I weren’t going to be able to have any fun in class.
In an elegant hand, she wrote her name on the blackboard, Mrs. Masuda. Then she told us to open our books to the first lesson. Nothing could suck dry my enthusiasm for a subject faster than a teacher who only taught from the book. Getting a decent grade in Japanese was going to be very difficult. As Mrs. Masuda went precisely over the vowel chart, I realized it was futile.
As the clock struck three, Gina sprang up and raced out of the classroom like she was late for a Macy’s super sale. Lurching out of my chair, I caught up with her as she headed straight for a bench at the edge of the park. She waved me over. I sat down next to her. “Hey, why did you tear out of class? Are you afraid you can’t memorize the vowel chart?”
“If you must know, I’m meeting someone.” Gina glared at me. “But never mind that. You better fess up, now!”
“Before I tell you anything, I just want to say that I’m innocent of all charges and I demand to have my attorney present.”
She wagged her finger at me. “Don’t think you’re going to get off that easily.”
I took a deep breath and then spit out my answer, hoping she’d miss the important part. “Hiroshi asked me out to a music concert performed by his friend Fudo’s mother. After the concert they had a little party and Hiroshi got so drunk he couldn’t take me home so I ended up sleeping in Fudo’s bed. No big deal.”
Gina reached over and held my hand with a concerned look on her face. “I just have one question for you. How does it feel to be a fallen woman?”
She must have watched the movie Les Miserable way too many times. I came up with one of my great let’s-change-the-subject one-liners. “Wow. Is that a gray hair by your right ear?”
Gina paid no attention. “I would say you should probably turn down any future invitations from Hiroshi. Look what happened!” She stuffed back a smile. “You have your reputation to think about.”
“I can see I made a big mistake confiding in you. And, for your information, I had my clothes on all night.”
Gina let go of my hand and smirked. “Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better.”
“Thanks a lot. With friends like you, I might as well head back home now before they hand me a ticket.”
She didn’t laugh at my joke. Instead, Gina glanced at her watch. Her mood quickly shifted and she began chewing on one of her nails.
“Hey, Earth to Gina. What’s up with you? Are you afraid to go home or something?”
“Well, I can’t say I’m thrilled, but I’m freaked about something else.”
“Why don’t you lay the suspense on a little thicker?”
Gina gave me a one-sided smile. “I’m just a bit floored by what happened in class.”
If she didn’t tell me soon, I’d start chewing my nails, too.
“Would you spit it out already?”
“Well, this really cute guy in my social studies class asked me out. I’m supposed to meet him here in five minutes.”
“Jeez, and I thought you were going to tell me something happened to your family.”
“Well, I haven’t gone out on a date in ages. To say my parents were controlling would be an understatement. Besides, he’s a white guy.”
“Oh. Now I understand why you’re so bent out of shape. I know my people are pretty scary.”
Gina gave me a firm punch in the arm. “Not funny. My parents would never let me go out with anybody but another Japanese American.”
It was official. I just accomplished number two on the list. Find a new friend like Tori. I’d had this exact same conversation with her. “Well, I don’t see them standing behind you now. Go for it. Take a walk on the wild side. I have to warn you, though, once you’ve tasted forbidden fruit, there’s no going back.”
Gina almost pushed me off the bench. “You’re terrible. But you know what, you’re right. I’m almost eighteen. My parents shouldn’t be running my life. Especially long distance.”
A very handsome guy with broad shoulders came walking towards us. He had star quarterback written all over him. The outlines of his rippled chest showed through his tight T-shirt.
“Hi, Gina. I’m so glad you’re here. Hope this means you’re taking me up on my dinner invite.”
“Yes, Adam.” Gina put her arm around me. “My friend Erin convinced me.”
He gave me a flash of his brilliant white teeth and reached out his well-tanned hand. “Nice to meet you, Erin. Hey, why don’t you join us?”
Gina’s face turned the shade of a slightly ripe pomegranate. “What?”
I sat chewing my lower lip, wondering how I was going to get myself out of such an awkward situation, when along came Mr. Shinji.
“Ms. Van Horn, I’ve been looking for you all over campus. The Headmaster and I would like a word with you.”
Chapter 5
It Jus
t Gets Better
September 5, 3:30 PM
Mr. Shinji pointed to a burgundy leather chair directly across from an enormous mahogany desk. “Please sit down.”
The Headmaster’s office smelled like my grandmother’s attic. Huge volumes of books lined one wall like a fortress. I craned my neck admiring the intricate plaster moldings crowning the ceiling. On any other occasion, I’d be fascinated by a room with so much old-world charm—not today. Instead, I waited for their next move.
The Headmaster looked distinguished with his snow-white hair and long stork-like body. He made quite the production as he sat behind his desk. He fidgeted with his jacket and adjusted his tie until it was ramrod straight. Then leaned forward across the desk, greatly reducing my comfort level.
“Miss Van Horn, usually our students like to put their best foot forward when they begin classes. I have to say you’ve accomplished a first for the academy. No one has missed the opening day of school in Seda’s history. Breaking a two-hundred-year-old tradition seems to need some special kind of discipline, wouldn’t you agree?”
I leaned back in the chair hoping it would give me the support I sorely needed. “Yes, sir, but may I have the opportunity to explain my absence?”
He leaned even farther over the desk. “Certainly. Mr. Shinji and I would be very interested in hearing your explanation. So would someone else.”
The Headmaster reached for the phone and pushed a button. Horrified, I heard the distinctive birdlike chirp of my mother as she cleared her throat.
I stared at Mr. Shinji in disbelief. “Mom?”
“Honey, I have to say I was expecting a completely different call. Mr. Shinji informed me you missed your first day of school. I can’t believe you’d let me down this way. You know your father was less than enthusiastic about your going to Japan.”
I shifted in my chair, my legs sticking to the leather. Was it from the humidity or nerves? “Mom, please. Skipping school was totally out of my control.”
“Not accepting responsibility for your actions is the last excuse you should be using with me.”
Having a shrink as a mother was a real pain in the butt. “It’s not like that at all. My host brother put me in an awkward position.”
My mother let out a sigh. “I really don’t think you should be discussing such things in front of the Headmaster.”
Normally I’d laugh at her attempt at a joke, but by the look of the scowl on Mr. Shinji’s face, this wasn’t the time. “Look, Mom, I’m not going to tell you the whole story now. Let me just say my host family and I are like oil and water. I never seem to do anything right. I’ve got a lot to deal with right now.”
“Well, so do I. For your information, after you left, your father had to sell his Harley to pay for your living expenses in Japan.”
Crap. My Dad was going to kill me when I got home. Luckily he had a whole year to cool down. I couldn’t believe my mother. Nothing like airing the family laundry in front of the Headmaster. The scholarship only paid for tuition and books, forcing me to resort to the great financial institution of Parents Bank of Idaho. “Okay. I promise to try harder. Thank Dad for me, please. I know how much he loved his bike.”
Mr. Shinji clicked off the phone. I guess he thought I’d been thoroughly humiliated into submission. “Ms. Van Horn, I’m really starting to question your placement in the Moris’ home.”
Things were looking up. Maybe this whole mess would work out in my favor. “I agree. If you could transfer me to another family, I think it would greatly improve my chances of success at the academy.”
The Headmaster shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. We had the exact number of homes we needed this term. We will see if we can relocate you next semester. In the meantime, you need to become a model student.”
I looked at Mr. Shinji and sighed.. It was going to be a very long six months.
Riding the train home in a daze, I still couldn’t believe what just happened. The hike along the railroad tracks took even longer going home. I wiped the sweat off my face every few steps. Today it had reached ninety degrees with the humidity even higher. Living over a mile from the train station was just another reason to dislike my host family. Even the brightly colored flowers in the neighbor’s garden couldn’t lighten my mood.
As soon as I got home, I threw on my slippers and ran right into Hiroshi just as he began to unzip his pants in front of the urinal. I was getting way too much exposure to the men of the house. First Otosan—now Hiroshi. Who could be next, Fudo? Okay, I admit I was a bit curious about what Fudo might look like, but I never wanted to see Otosan again.
Hiroshi waved as I tried to pretend I didn’t see him. “Y’all see me?”
Horrified, I practically flew up the stairs and into my bedroom. The four walls of my tiny room never felt more like a sanctuary. I tore off my sweat-stained clothes and hid under the covers. How could I make another blunder? Disappointed in myself, I swore somehow I was going to make peace with the family. Time to initiate O-B-N, operation-be-nice. Turning on the charm never failed to work on my parents. I wouldn’t be sitting in Japan if it didn’t.
I’d figure out a way to survive because I so hated to lose. The scholarship contest was a perfect example. Once I found myself getting caught up in the competition, I couldn’t stop. Still, I never thought Tori wouldn’t get past round two. Yet, here I sat staring out at the Takao Mountains faced with another challenge. Conquering the Moris’ couldn’t be any harder than learning a new art technique. Could it?
I began thinking of nice things I could do to win the family over. Maybe I could cook them some American meals. My baking skills might impress them. I knew by the amount of candy scattered around Aki and Okasan’s rooms, they both had a sweet tooth.
As if she could read my mind, Aki knocked on my door. “Dinner.”
I tossed off the covers and threw on a clean shirt and jeans. Then I followed Aki downstairs and sat down at the table. Thankfully the food wouldn’t be a challenge tonight. A simple meal of chicken with steamed vegetables and rice lay spread out on the table.
We passed around the dishes in silence. I was afraid to make eye contact with Otosan. It was as if looking into his face I’d relive the horrible urinal sighting all over again. Thankfully he didn’t look up from his plate. By the slight pink color in his cheeks, he had to be as embarrassed as I was.
Between mouthfuls of chicken and rice, I couldn’t help but stare at Hiroshi who had on a shiny gold vinyl jumpsuit. To finish off the look, he wore coordinating glitter in his hair. The overhead lighting seemed to heighten the whole disco effect.
Hiroshi must have felt my gaze. “What y’all look at?”
“I couldn’t help but notice your amazing outfit.”
He stared at Aki hoping for some moral support. She took his cue and asked, “Are you making fun of my brother?”
Somehow, no matter what I said, the family always assumed the worst. O-B-N sure was getting off to a bumpy start. “No. I really meant what I said. He looks great. Is he performing tonight?”
Aki translated for the family. Thankfully they seemed happy with her explanation as they all nodded.
Hiroshi beamed. “Yes. I do habe show tonight. Whole family come. Y’all too?”
Normally I’d take any opportunity to get out of the house, but the thought of having the house to myself was far too tempting. “Oh, I’m sorry. I have to study for a test tomorrow.”
He looked genuinely disappointed. “Too bad. I rock tonight.”
Certain he would drive his fans crazy, I gave him a thumbs-up. The rest of the meal, the family chatted back and forth while I kept my mouth occupied with food.
After dinner it was time for my first English lesson with Hiroshi. Maybe because he was all hyped up about his performance tonight I could make it fast. I followed him to his room. “Hey, Hiroshi. Time for a quick English lesson before you go.”
He looked at me and smiled. “My mother like that. Me too.”
Great. What was I signing up for? I sat on the cushion opposite Hiroshi. “What do you want to practice? Do you have a book you’d like to use?” I suddenly realized I had no clue how to be a teacher.
“I want to learn to ask American girl on date.”
Wow. He moved as quickly as his idol. “I don’t think that’s what you are learning in school.”
“School stupid.”
We actually agreed on something. “Okay. Why don’t we practice a sentence?”
Hiroshi clapped his hands together. “Yes. How y’all ask sex with me.”
Time for some fun. “Okay. Repeat what I say.” I pursed my lips. “Will you cohabitate with me.”
He pursed his lips and said, “Will y’all cobinate with me.”
I stuffed back a laugh. “Try it again. The word is cohabitate.” I didn’t have the heart to correct his y’all. It was the one thing that made Hiroshi fun to be with.
“Will y’all cohabit me?”
I gave him a smile. “Close. One more time.”
He pushed himself off the cushion. “This too hard. Not fun.”
Darn. I was having a blast. “So you want to stop the lesson?”
“Yes. No more lesson. Eber.”
This was too good to be true. Could my English teaching days really be over?
“What about your mother? She’ll get mad at me. It’s on my list of duties.”
He held his index finger to his lips. “I not tell if y’all don’t.”
Chapter 6
Laundry Blues
September 5, 7:00 PM
I went upstairs to my room and tried to enjoy the total silence of an empty house. The view from my window looked like a postcard. The light from the full moon hit the side of Takao Mountain, casting an eerie glow. Why hadn’t I thought to pack my watercolors?
Longing to capture the beautiful night scene, I dug through my closet for my set of colored pencils. Instead, I was faced with a pile of clothes that were so dirty they could walk under their own power. I couldn’t believe I’d run out of clean outfits already. The academy suggested that due to the high cost of traveling with extra luggage, the students only pack the essentials and ship the rest of their clothing. I mailed the package two weeks before I left. My clothes should have arrived by now. I stared at my sweat-stained skinny jeans. Traveling light sure had a down side.
First Contact Page 6