Okay, now that I'm not dying, back to writing this. Well, no, not writing yet, but I still have plenty of buffer between what's been posted publicly and the farthest I've gotten. But to make up for my absence, there is a nice chunk of bonus material at the end.
Also, Ruro, did you notice that YuugenMagan does indeed seem to have a humanoid form in the middle? Or did you just omit it because it was unclear?
It looks like a person in a robe and hakama with their arms folded into their sleeves, and a sweet-ass hairdo.
I did know about that before I wrote the chapter and looked it up while I was writing it, but ultimately I omitted it because I don't... I don't think it's got solid enough evidence. I think those lines are coincidental, and it really is just a mass of electricity in the center that only by chance, and by squinting and selectively removing some of the lines, looks like a person. But thank you for pointing it out, because I totally just realized I can make it an in-universe argument.
Anyway, on to the fic!
Chapter EightWhen Mari awoke, it didn't take long for her stomach to remind her that she hadn't fed it properly in a day's span.
?I am so sick of cereal,? she muttered as she headed into her shower. ?I'd rather eat something like pancakes.?
When she left the shower, she wrote down pancake mix on her grocery shopping list. It was already pretty lengthy. Cookies topped the list. She also had to buy apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries, tortillas (wheat or maize, depending on what was available), chicken, fish (tilapia or salmon, either was nice), frozen shrimp, rice, cereal, stir fry mix, sliced bread, ham, tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, mushrooms, assorted seasonings, and now pancake mix. And also other stuff, like soap (for both bathing and for washing dishes) and shampoo and so forth. She was sure she was forgetting a bunch of things, but there was no helping that. She had let her refrigerator run too close to empty for too long.
Thankfully she now had a working cart (two, in fact, now that she had wheels for her old one) and she could totally buy them all at once if she wanted.
She found some decent looking clothes that were not wrinkled because she was actually going outside today. Then she left some of the last bits of cereal on the windowsill for her avian spectators. She had actually woken up later than she expected, probably because her hands had been so tired, but they felt better now, along with her lowered stress levels from working. Not that she didn't relish every moment of it, but it was still factual that she stressed herself out when working and sewing like a woman possessed the way she had been this entire past week.
She read from one of the anxiety management books she always had around her apartment while she waited for her hair to dry, then she combed and brushed it and threw on a headband because she was feeling too lazy to put on anything else. Plus, her fingers didn't ache anymore the way they had yesterday, but they still felt a bit stiff.
Mari headed out. It was just about nine in the morning. Once again, she ignored the perpetual question of what she would do if the elevator stopped or ran out of air, and headed out of the building.
Akihiko was there, and he was crumbling up a cookie and kneeling down to toss it to the pigeons, crows, and magpies that seemed to be always hanging out at her apartment. She stopped and stared for a moment.
Okay, she knew for a FACT that those birds got plenty to eat. And those cookies would be so much more appreciated by HER. Sigh.
He seemed to notice her after a moment. ?Saihoshi-san! Good morning. How are you feeling??
?A little sore,? she said, brushing her hair back. Oops. She had forgotten to take off the bandages. Ah well. ?I was working really hard this week, so I guess it was sort of inevitable. How about you, Habara-san??
?Tired. I stayed up helping my little brother with his history homework last night.? Akihiko laughed. ?I confess, I'm also a little hungry because I rushed my breakfast.?
?Really? I am too. But that's because I ran out of food in my apartment, ahahah.?
Akihiko laughed at first, but then he stopped. ?Wait, seriously??
?Ahahaha. Yeah...?
?Are you gonna go shopping soon??
?Y-yeah. I wrote down a grocery list, but I figured that I would just go to the supermarket later.?
?If you want, you can grab it now and we can go together. I don't have anything to do today either. That is, if you want to go with me.?
?N-no, sure, I would appreciate the company,? she said, shaking her head. ?I just figured that we would be hanging out and all...?
?Yeah, but running out of food is a serious issue,? he said, his face completely serious. ?You have to be well fed, Saihoshi-san!?
?A-all right, I-- I'm sorry?? She laughed, hoping it didn't sound as awkward as it did to her. ?I'll be right back, then, I just have to go get my cart and the shopping list...?
?I can wait here.?
Mari left Akihiko there, then, as she went back up to her apartment. She felt somewhat embarrassed. It was sort of silly to combine a shopping trip with a day out with a friend, was not it? Still, if he insisted... and if she was completely honest with herself, she preferred the idea of going into a crowded supermarket with someone she knew by her side rather than by herself.
While she was up here, she also grabbed a package of the small valerian root capsules she had bought. She hadn't found much use of them as of late, having been happy as a clam in her room alone over the past week, but if she stressed out while she was outside, she would need them. She threw that along with her shopping list and some money into her small backpack, and pulled it onto her back and went back downstairs, taking her cart with her. She took the stairs this time. She had had enough of the elevator and its treachery for today.
Thankfully the stairs were carpeted so the thudding of the cart didn't make a sound. The last floor's stairs were not carpeted, so she carried it for that part.
As before, Akihiko was waiting outside. He nodded when he saw her come back out, this time with her folding shopping cart. ?So we're going shopping at one point. After we get something to eat, anyway.?
?I was going to ask about exactly that,? she said as she came up to his side. ?Do you have any recommendations for a good breakfast??
He put a finger on his chin. ?What do you think of miso soup with rice??
?Well...? She frowned. ?I do not dislike it, don't get me wrong, but I was hoping for something with more... er, substance for breakfast.?
?You too, huh? All right, how about this western-style restaurant I know? I know it has waffles.?
Mari's eyes widened. ?Yes. Absolutely. Definitely. Let's go. Lead the way.?
?I see you like waffles,? he laughed as they set off.
?Maybe a little.? She let herself fantasize a little as she walked a little behind him since she didn't know where they were going. ?They're glorious. Along with pancakes. And cookies. Mmmm.?
?You'll be pleased. This place also sells oversized cookies.?
It was like she had died and gone to heaven.
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Akihiko laughed as she shoveled in a crepe in one mouthful.
?Man, I had no idea you were this hungry.?
She waited until she had chewed it all, swigged some chocolate milk, and then jabbed her fork at his plate, accusing. ?Well, look at you!?
?It is perfectly reasonable for me to get five waffles and eat them all at once. I'm a growing boy,? he said in a perfect deadpan.
She was going to object with ?no, you are not, you're twenty-one? but then she realized she could totally make another joke at him instead.
?Mmm, I guess you're right,? she said as she cut a pancake with her fork and knife, raising her eyebrow at him from the side. ?You are only five years old, after all.?
Akihiko nearly choked. ?H-hey! That was not fair at all!?
?Yes it was,? she said, snickering as she glanced to the side.
?It was clever,? he admitted, sticking out his lip. ?But still, that was a low blow.?
?I don't care. I'll joke about it forever.?
?Hey!? He looked at her with such an exaggeration of despair that Mari nearly snorted on her milk. Thankfully she got it away from her just in time, or else she would have totally ended up snorting up chocolate milk.
?Shh,? Akihiko whispered. ?I think we're being too loud.?
Mari glanced to their side to see other guests trying to hide that they were looking over at them with looks of disapproval. ?Ahahah. Sorry, Habara-san.?
?It's okay,? he laughed a bit, settling back down. ?So, you got seven outfits done in five days? Damn, that takes some serious skill.?
?It was fine,? she said, taking a breath as she settled down in turn. ?I've had worse rush jobs before. WAY worse rush jobs.?
?You sewed when you lived back in, uh, Lima too, right??
She nodded. ?More than once. I got frenzied mothers and fathers whose precious baby had ruined her dress before the party that night, or was suddenly deciding to get a completely different colour, or whatever, and they didn't want excuses, they wanted me to sew them another one right now, this very day, and by the way could I have it done by five o' clock this afternoon, yeah we know it's noon and you are literally in the middle of eating lunch with your sister, but we need it by five so she can have it in time for her boyfriend to pick her up in his rented stretch limo??
Akihiko winced. ?Wait, really??
?Oh yeah.? She shook her head. ?Isabel isn't even very good at sewing, and she still learned a thing or two about sewing on ribbons because there was just no way I could do it all myself in such a short amount of time. And I don't even mean, like, a simple hip pleated skirt or anything, they wanted a full ball gown, like the sort of thing you'd wear to prom or to a major event.? She sighed deeply. ?Those were the worst.?
?And you still sewed it for them?? He sounded impressed.
?Yeah. Well... Isabel tried to argue me out of it sometimes, but, well, honestly, I just feel kinda bad that I can't work outside the house because of my anxiety, so I didn't like to turn down jobs, y'know? I saved a lot of that money to move here later, but the rest of my earnings went to my parents, to pay the bills and all.? She shrugged. ?Of course, since they were rush jobs and those parents were desperate, I did totally get to charge them a lot. And they couldn't exactly object, because if they wanted a custom job, then they were just going to have to put up with it.?
?What I don't understand is why they wouldn't just, like, go to a department store and buy a new one,? he said, eating an orange slice.
?A lot of these people were rich. See, my dad works as a professor at the university, so he was pretty well connected and for some reason I could never quite fathom, a lot of rich people ended up getting my number for my dressmaking service.? She shook her head. ?Well, they were rich alumni types, but I still don't quite know how that worked out. Anyway, they didn't want cheap department dresses, they wanted custom ones. Status and all.?
?I see,? he nodded as he bit into his five waffles (cut into small triangles). ?But still, why not, like, buy a simple one quickly, and then take it to you to make adjustments and stuff??
?My best guess is that they were really stressed out and didn't think to do that.? She shrugged. ?But they seemed pretty insistent that I make it for the most part.?
?That's because you're probably amazing at making them,? he said, nodding.
?You haven't even seen any of the clothing I've made,? she replied, shaking her head.
?But you did mention earlier that you've been sewing since you were a little kid, right? You've been practicing for, like, fifteen years. How could you be bad at doing something you've been doing for that long??
?Well, I don't think I'm the greatest in the world, but I will admit that I'm... decent.? She looked down. It was okay to say that she was actually a really good seamstress in the privacy of her own room, but accepting compliments was just... ahhhh. It made her face burn with embarrassment and pleasure to hear that.
Akihiko was smiling. ?I wouldn't mind seeing the things you design someday.?
?Heh... maybe I'll show you one of them someday.? She couldn't keep a smile off her face. ?But yeah, that's why I haven't actually been outside since I saw you.?
?Well, it's good that you're getting out now. Everyone needs fresh air. Though...?
?Hm?? Mari looked up from her strawberry-covered pancakes.
?Did you have any place you wanted to go other than the supermarket??
?Not really. I only came outside today because you said you wanted to hang out.? Mari shrugged. ?Otherwise, I probably would have just gone there, bought everything I needed, gone back home and stayed there.? She paused. ?Though, I guess....?
?Hm?? He blinked, a mouthful of waffle preventing him from doing much else.
?I think I'd like to go to the library,? she said after a moment, looking up from her own pancakes. Huh. He had light brown eyes. She had never noticed that before. ?I have kind of wanted to go for a few weeks now, but...? She felt her palms get sweaty just remembering. ?The first time I went, there was a crowd of students walking around in front of it and I just couldn't deal, you understand? And then I couldn't work up the nerve to go back again.? Her head sagged on her shoulders. ?Which is silly, I know, since libraries are quiet and perfect for someone like me to hide in...?
?No, don't even worry about it,? Akihiko said after he swallowed his mouthful and chased it with a swig of orange juice. ?Of course I would be fine with going to the library with you.?
Mari brightened. ?T-thank you, Habara-san.?
?Which reminds me, I was meaning to tell you this today,? he began, tugging at his shirt collar. ?'Habara-san' makes me feel like you're talking to my mother or something. You can call me Akihiko-san if you like.?
Mari blinked. ?But... calling someone by their first name, in Japanese culture, is meant to indicate emotional closeness...?
?Sure is,? he said, reaching across the table and punching her lightly in the shoulder and winking. ?And you're my friend, right??
The young woman blinked again, then a smile spread across her face. ?Y-yes!?
He put his hand on his face as he leaned on his elbow. ?You know, you're a really weird Japanese person, when it comes down to it.?
Mari winced.
?No, I don't mean like that,? he said, sitting back up. ?It's just that... how did you end up coming back here? I-I mean, I... I was kind of curious, y'know? Since you said you were half Japanese and half Peruvian. Why did your parents leave in the first place? If you... are comfortable answering that, anyway. You can ignore me.?
?No, it's fine, I understand.? Mari scratched the side of her head. ?I suppose that question was inevitable.? She set her fork and knife down. ?Well, I think... I can't be certain, but I am pretty sure my great-grandparents came to Peru around the turn of the century. Well, it would have been my father. The first immigrants back in those days were all male. The ones that came over on the Sakura Maru were, anyway. I know that the later immigrant ships did bring women with them.?
?What were their names?? Akihiko asked.
?I.... don't rightfully know.? Mari laughed awkwardly. ?I... you see, it gets kind of fuzzy really quickly. My parents didn't have, like, any ancestral records with them, and they never talked to me about even their parents, much less their grandparents. I'm just guessing from some small items and a newspaper from 1903 I found stashed away in one of the boxes I got from the basement.?
?That's... really weird,? her companion replied, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of Mari's pancakes he stole. ?That your parents wouldn't tell you about your heritage, I mean. It could mean...?
?No, I considered that they might have been fugitives from the law. They were not, as far as I can tell.? Mari shook her head. ?The Japanese-Peruvian community center in Lima actually has records of this kind of thing, to help those people like me who are looking to trace their ancestry. I looked through all the passenger lists of the ships that came over, and I couldn't find anyone who was named Saihoshi.? She sighed. ?My guess is actually that my parents came up with the name themselves. They were those kinds of people.?
Akihiko thought she was done talking, but then he distinctly heard Mari mutter, ?damn hippies.?
?Hippies? What??
?No, I'm serious,? she said, scowling. ?Both of them, in fact, always traveling and leaving me alone in the town I grew up. Well, my dad would, but my mom was also kind of unconcerned. They were, like, free love types and everything. They had kind of a shaky grasp of parenting in general.? She put her chin on her hands. ?It's actually completely in character for them to have just invented my last name. Which would explain the likely grammar error in it, actually. Anyway, I have no idea which one of those original immigrants could have possibly been my great grandparents.?
?I... see.? Akihiko shook his head. ?What did they do? Like, for a living. Jobs.?
?My mother was a seamstress,? Mari replied with a nod. ?She taught me how to sew after she realized I had an aptitude for it. And my father was a rancher.?
Her friend raised an eyebrow. ?And then he became a professor? Not bad.?
?No, he never became a professor. He's still a rancher, I guess.?
Akihiko frowned. ?But didn't you say earlier that your father was a professor??
?Ah...? Mari looked to the side. ?Yeah, that's my other father I was talking about.?
He blinked.
?He's... your father is bisexual??
?Eh?? Mari turned her head back towards him. ?Oh. No, he's not, I was actually just, uh... how to explain this...? She laughed nervously, again. ?No, I have two sets of parents. I'm adopted. I guess.?
?You do? You are?? Akihiko had a look of surprise on his face.
Mari facepalmed slowly. ?This got way more complicated than I expected it to get.? She sighed and put her arm down.
?Okay, so. What happened is that both of my parents by blood are each half-Japanese. So with me, it's more like one fourth Japanese, one fourth Peruvian, one fourth Japanese, one fourth Peruvian. Half and half, for short. And my mother was a seamstress and my father was a rancher. I grew up in a small town in the Andes, actually. But when I was seven years old, my parents, uh...?
She fell silent for a long moment.
?They died?? Akihiko asked, moving his plate aside and taking his hands in hers. ?I'm so sorry for your loss, Mari-san.?
Mari rolled her eyes. ?No, that would make too much sense for them. Instead, they basically just left.? She shook her head. ?Damn hippies. Apparently they wanted to travel together, and they, uh, left me behind.?
?... eh?? Akihiko had a look of confusion on his face again.
?Yeah. Really. See what I mean by irresponsible?? Mari sighed. ?You can let go of my hands, by the way.?
?Sorry about that.? He let go of her hands and scratched his face.
Mari's mouth twitched in a smile. ?It's okay. But what happened after that was, apparently my mother asked one of her friends to take me in, and she did. So that's the family I've grown up with.?
?All right. So they were Japanese too??
?No, they were not Japanese.
Are not Japanese.? Mari chuckled. ?My adoptive father, if we're calling him that, is Spanish. His name is Enrique Almanza. His family fled Spain when Francisco Franco, the fascist dictator, took over after the Spanish Civil War. A lot of Spaniards fled the country and came to Latin America, from Mexico to Chile. His family came to Peru, where he was born, raised, and married a Peruvian woman. That's my mother. Her name is Ana Amasifuen. They had one daughter of their own, and that's my sister. Isabel Almanza Amasifuen. I am pretty sure Amasifuen is, like, Quechua or something, since my mother has a Quechua grandmother.?
Akihiko's eyes were blank.
?Um, I apologize. I forgot that you do not know a whole lot about Spanish-speaking America.? Mari giggled. ?But yeah, that's how I ended up in that family.?
?I'm sorry, it was just a little hard to follow.? Akihiko put one finger tip on the table. ?So, just to make sure I have this all straightened out in my head... you're half Japanese, half Peruvian, since your parents were both half Japanese, half Peruvian. But they left, and you got adopted into a family that was Spanish and Peruvian, not Japanese Peruvian.?
?You've got it,? Mari confirmed with a nod.
?So.... your full name is... what?? Akihiko asked. ?You would have taken their last name, right??
?Yeah, once we got the legal paperwork all sorted out. I guess my name is... oh, right, I've never told you my full name, have I??
Akihiko shook his head.
?Well, when they were adopting me, they asked me if I wanted to keep my Japanese last name and I said yes. So I became Maria Soledad Saihoshi de Almanza. Or Marisol for short, which is what my sister and my parents call me. Or Mari, which is even shorter.?
?Wow... that is a long name for a Japanese person.?
She rolled her eyes at him. ?It's not that long. I was studying Kabuki theatre recently and apparently one of the best kabuki playwrights ever was named Chikamatsu Monzaemon. And that's without any other last names or middle names.?
?Okay, maybe some Japanese names can get long. But still!?
She chuckled. ?Anyway, I just grew up in that family, but when I got older I started to get more and more curious about Japan.? She scratched her chin. ?I was not exactly raised speaking Japanese or particularly immersed in my own culture, you know? So I wanted to learn more. I also really wanted to make cute clothes, and some people at the community center were talking about recent Japanese fashion and how maybe the designs I make would find a niche here. With help from the community center, I managed to scrounge together enough documentation to prove my Japanese ancestry and got a long-term visa for about three years, and that is why I am here now.?
?So how did you learn Japanese, then?? Akihiko asked.
?Took classes at the community center. I was pretty good at hiragana and of course katakana, but kanji is like a trial by fire and glass and LEGO bricks underfoot.?
?Yes, that is pretty much what everyone raised in the school system here says too, so you've got that much in common with me,? he said with a chuckle.
?Okay, now that I answered all those questions about my family, it's only fair that I get to ask about yours,? Mari said, pointing at Akihiko with a stirring spoon. ?And if you won't talk, then we have ways of making you talk, Mr. Bond.?
He laughed, raising his palms. ?No, no, you don't have to force me.? He cut into the last bits of waffle he had left on his plate. ?The story of my family, huh... well, I think it's less colourful than yours, by a long shot.?
?Your family is all Japanese, I'm guessing,? Mari said.
?No, actually,? he said, glancing up from his plate. ?I know my father was Thai.?
She had been meaning to ask about his father, actually. She had noticed the conspicuous absence of a father whenever he talked about his family. She was already willing to bet he was dead. ?Wait, 'was'??
?Yeah. From what my mother tells me, it was just a fling when she was younger. When she had her job as a secretary, like I told you about last week.?
Mari nodded.
?Anyway, he was just here for a few months as a foreign student studying here at one of the universities. From what my mom said, it really was just a fling, a college relationship that both of them figured would just end when he went back, and that was fine with the both of them. He learned Japanese and programming from her, and he taught her how to play the piano.?
She found herself somewhat amused and charmed by the idea of Akihiko's parents practicing Japanese while playing music together. ?So what happened then??
?Well, he went back at the end of his last semester and they went their separate ways, but then it turned out that she was pregnant with me. When she tried to contact him, it turned out that when she called, the only people who answered the phone didn't speak any Japanese and she didn't speak enough Thai to find out if he was there, so that was no good. And then he had to go and do his mandatory military service for two years, which Thailand requires of all male citizens, so his home address wouldn't reach him and she didn't want to write a letter to him and have his parents learn about it, or have them just throw it away because they couldn't read Japanese.?
?So why not just wait two years?? Mari asked.
?Well, she did, but by that time she had lost the paper he had given her with his phone number and address on it,? Akihiko said, shrugging. ?It happens. She was busy with me, after all.?
?So he's out there somewhere??
?Yeah, I guess so. I don't really care about him one way or the other. I guess it was just bad luck all around, but it doesn't seem like my dad intentionally walked out on my mom or anything, so much as it seems that they just fell out of touch.? He scratched the back of his head. ?I don't hate him or anything, I just don't care. I have no connection with him.?
?Fair enough,? she replied. ?And your brother? I guess he doesn't have the same father.?
?My mother got married a couple of years later, yeah. I was already, like, seven years old when my mom was dating him, and then they had Masahiko. Oh, and I guess I should mention that his father was Japanese.?
Mari nodded.
?They got divorced a couple of years later because he got promoted at work, so he kept going on business trips and they barely saw each other anymore. They just figured that they'd both be happier if they tried to find relationships that their schedules could actually accommodate. Again, they didn't hate each other or anything.?
?Unfortunate, though,? she replied. ?People who get along that well even though it doesn't work out in the end make me kind of sad to think about.?
?Yeah, Masahiko didn't take it all that well when he was younger,? Akihiko said, shaking his head. ?But, eventually...?
?Time heals all wounds, and all that, I suppose,? Mari said with a sigh. ?So, is that how your family is now??
?Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess. It's just me, my mother, and my brother now, and she hasn't been seeing anyone. I don't think she would be against getting married a second time, but she hasn't found anyone yet.?
?Your mother sounds pretty cool, I have to say,? she said, eating a strawberry. ?Everything I've heard about her impresses me.?
Akihiko smiled. ?She's amazing! I love her. You should meet her someday. I'd take you to meet her today, but she's out with her friends again.?
Mari smiled. ?I don't think I'd mind waiting to meet someone like her.?
He swallowed his last bit of waffle. ?So, are we done here??
?I think so,? Mari said. ?Let's split the bill.?
?Sure, that sounds fair,? Akihiko agreed. ?So, we're off to the grocery store and then at some point to the library. Wait... we should probably head to the library first.?
Mari nodded. ?Yeah, that sounds about right. I don't want to end up going to the library after the grocery store and have to wheel in a cart full of food and cans and stuff.?
They paid separately for their breakfasts and headed out, with Mari talking about the sewing project she had just completed and Akihiko talking about med school and the upcoming summer festivals, like old friends catching up with each other.
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