The Writer Cowboy (Part 1)

In a small town similar to that of historical Japan, twenty-two-year-old Tokiko Tachibana was standing by the front porch with her father—Taro Tachibana.

“Keep an eye out for our guest, Tokiko. And remember, his name is Simon. He’s the son of a great friend of mine. I want us to leave a good first impression.”

“I‘ll do my best, Father.”

Tokiko was the polite and innocent type, and replied as such. At least that’s what she portrayed on the outside.

Deep down, this was what she really wanted to say.

Ugh, it’s super hot. This Simon person better come soon. My perfect skin is about to be ruined!

She wanted to banter and complain, but couldn’t, as she needed to act like a respectable young woman because of her heritage.

The two of them continued to wait in front of their enormous estate for the next twenty minutes.

“Hah…hah..hah…”

Tokiko and her father were sweating and panting for air.

“Where could he be?” Taro asked. “The letter said that he’d be arriving today.”

“But isn’t he from Golds Town, father? That’s at least a month’s journey. Maybe this Simon person needed a long break.”

“Perhaps so.” That must’ve been the case.

The two agreed to head back into their traditional Japanese household.

Thank goodness for that, Tokiko thought. I can’t stand it out here!

They were about to head in when they heard a man with an accent that wasn’t native to their town.

He was saying, “Water…please, I need water.”

From about twenty feet away, some guy in a cowboy outfit was actually crawling on the ground!

“What the—”

“Simon! Is that you!” Her father yelled.

“What?!”

This is the guy we’ve been waiting for?!

“Uncle Taro… is that you?” the weak Simon asked. He was around Tokiko’s age and was scrawny with dirty black hair. In Tokiko‘s eyes, he was like a big dog that needed saving.

Though her perception of him would soon change…

As Taro kneeled and lifted Simon’s weak body in his arms, he answered the cowboy’s question.

“Yes, Simon, it’s me.”

“Come closer. I have something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” Taro asked as he leaned his ear closer to Simon.

That was when the cowboy got a hold of Taro’s plain kimono.

“Uncle Taro… WATER! I NEED WATER!!! DO YOU HAVE IT?!?!?”

“Uwah!!”

Taro’s ears were ringing after that.

“Please, Uncle Taro! I’m dying here!!!”

“R-right! Water! Tokiko!”

“Right!”

With no need to say more, Tokiko entered her family’s home and fetched some water for the cowboy.

***

“Ahhh,” Simon sighed after drinking a swig of water.

Tokiko and her father brought him inside, and he sat on the tatami mat floor.

“Thank you,” Simon said to Taro.

“Oh, it was nothing,” Taro said, pleased by Simon’s words.

Then he turned to the noble-looking girl in a plain kimono.

“Thank you as well,” Simon said. “You’re Tokiko, right? I think I heard your father say it.”

“That’s correct,” Tokiko said with a bow—trying to be as polite as possible. She was of a high standing, after all, and she needed to act like it.

“Well, my name is Simon Goldman, just to get the introduction out of the way.”

Goldman, like from Golds Town?

Tokiko almost chuckled. She didn’t know why that was funny to her—the heat must’ve been getting to her perfect noble brain, but she held it in.

"You must be exhausted from your trip," Taro said.

“Yeah, I’m pooped,” Simon said, standing up.

“Did you travel by yourself?” Tokiko asked.

“Not really. I had a group I was traveling with in the beginning. Then we got attacked by bandits… We ran and ran until night came, but once we thought we were safe and asleep, we got ambushed by bandits again! After that, we kept traveling and traveling, but guess what happened in the morning?”

“You got attacked by bandits,” Tokiko guessed.

“Exactly. They took everything from me and I got separated from the group. I thought I was going to be a goner,” Simon said gloomily. He looked as if he wanted to cry.

Aw, I feel bad for almost laughing at him just now.

“So how long did you travel on your own?” Taro asked.

“About two and a half weeks,” Simon replied.

“Two and a half weeks?! Seriously?!”

“Yup. I documented the whole thing in my notebook,” Simon said as he pulled his notebook from the side of his belt. His gloomy expression had completely vanished.

“Incredible. I’d love to read it if you don’t mind,” Taro asked.

“Of course, though I have to warn you that for the last six pages, I was only complaining and crying.”

“That’s not a problem,” Taro said. “I think it’s fascinating to read something that’s emotionally raw.”

“Still, it’s pretty embarrassing,” Simon said with a red face.

He gave the notebook to Taro, who seemed to carry it as if it was an ancient artifact for some odd reason.

Just who is this guy?  Tokiko wondered. She wanted her father to continue talking with Simon so she could learn more about him, but that would not be the case once Simon cleared his throat.

“So,” Simon said, glancing at the halls of the Tachibana estate. “Am I going to be sleeping in the living room during my stay?”

“No, no, no,” Taro said. “After all you and your father have done for me, there’s no way I could allow you to sleep there.”

He then turned to his daughter.

“Tokiko, why don’t you show Simon to the guest room.”

Me?! Why me?!

That’s what she wanted to ask, but the answer was clear. Her father was practically drooling over Simon’s notebook. He wanted to read it as soon as possible with zero distractions.

Knowing that, Tokiko sighed and said, “Okay,” before facing Simon.

“Mr. Simon,” she said, conjuring an innocent smile that could fool even the gods themselves. “Follow me.”

***

“Woah, is this really the guest room?”

The room was large and spotless, with a closet and desk. There was even a notebook and pen on there.

“It is,” Tokiko nodded, putting on the ‘cute noblewoman' act.’ “My father cleaned the room himself when he read your letter.”

“Really?” Simon asked. His eyes widened, and he searched the room with an air of innocence about him.

“But wait, there’s no bed here,” Simon said.

He was pointing at the tatami flooring, and he was right. The only furniture in the room was the chair and desk.

“Do I have to sleep on the floor?”

“No. Well, not really. There’s a futon in the closet if you’d like for me to take it out.”

“A fu-what?” Simon asked.

“It’s called a futon,” Tokiko said as she pulled the futon from the closet and placed it on the tatami floor. “It’s what we sleep on.”

Simon stared in silence, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“So you’re saying that you guys don’t even have a twin sized bed.”

“No. Sorry.”

I don’t know what that even means. Is it bedding depending on what your status is in your family? Does this man have a twin?

As she pondered that thought, Simon pursed his lips in the meantime and whispered, “That’s lame. But I guess this ‘futon’ will do. Thanks for pulling it out for me.”

“Of course,” Tokiko replied.

That was supposed to be the end of their conversation. In this scenario, the perfect noble woman would stand by the door and bow to Simon, tell the guy to get himself settled, and leave, but…

I just have to ask…

“Excuse me, Mr. Simon.”

“Hm? What is it?”

Simon turned to her and the two locked eyes.

“What exactly do you do for work?”

Simon smiled.

“I write a few truths and a lot of lies.”

Wow. He must’ve thought he sounded sooo cool saying that, huh?

At that moment, the honest Tokiko came out, but on the outside, she kept up with her noble persona.

“What do you mean?” she asked cutely.

“I go around to different towns and take notes on the different cultures, the people, and their way of living.”

That sounds fun, Tokiko thought as Simon continued.

“And after I’ve written all those notes, I use them as inspiration for a ton of epic stories that I write on the side.”

Boooring, Tokiko wanted to say.

“So, is that why you’re here in Whales Town?”

Simon shot her a thumbs up.

“Precisely. I’m here to observe the town and their daily lives so I can sell the information to rich folks who want to travel.”

“And the stories?” Tokiko asked.

Surely, he must’ve written them to sell to the common folk.

“Oh, those. I just write them for fun! Hahaha!”

Ehhhh!

“Really?!”

“Yeah,” Simon laughed proudly, with his hand behind his head. “It’s a hobby of mine. Just something to pass the time with.”

“But if you wanted, you could write stories and sell it to the people for a profit.”

“Where’s the fun in that, though? I just want to write some silly stories and crack a couple of jokes with some newfound friends. I have no need for a couple of extra bucks.”

Simon seemed to be the kind of person who wasn’t all that interested in money and power.

I guess I misjudged him.

In Tokiko’s eyes, any person who was a friend of her father’s must’ve been someone who wanted money and power since their family had both.

That’s when she remembered her father’s words about Simon and his father, and how they had done something for him. She asked him about what happened.

This was his response.

“My dad and I—well, really, it was just my dad—saved Uncle Taro after a group of guys tried to kill and take all his money. After that, the three of us just hit it off, and he even enjoyed the stories that I wrote.”

Father was going to get robbed again?! Gosh, Mother and I keep telling him to hire a few bodyguards, but he never listens! Anyway, that story would explain why Father was doing all these extra things when he found out that Simon was coming over. And…

“That must be why he invited you to stay over at our estate.”

“Pretty much.”

“Wow…” Tokiko said. “How nice.”

The two were quiet after that. Tokiko was by the door and was about to exit politely when Simon called her name.

“Wait,” he said.

In the large hallway of the Tachibana residence, Tokiko turned.

“I have to tell you something,” Simon said, his face flustered.

“What is it?” Tokiko asked.

Simon averted his gaze and nervously scratched his cheek.

“Well, um…”

He struggled to find his next words, causing Tokiko’s thoughts to come to a spiral.

Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for me already. You poor thing. I don’t blame you, though. I’m the perfect girl. A girl with class, looks, and money. But I’m sorry to say that you just aren’t my type, so I’ll just let you down easy, since you’ve done so much for my father.

She made up her mind, but it wasn’t a mind that could read the future.

Because this was what Simon said. With his eyes away from hers and his nervous scratching coming to a halt, he asked, “Is it alright if I call you by another name?”

Huh?

“What do you mean by that?” Tokiko asked.

“Like a nickname. Something like, ‘Toki.’”

“Toki…?”

Urgh!

She wanted to hurl after repeating Simon’s nickname for her.

“Yeah. I think it’s cute.”

It most certainly is not! Tokiko is a perfectly cute name! You just wouldn’t know anything about it!

She wanted to hurl insults at him but held it in. As she spoke, her cutesy persona was still in effect.

“Why would you want to shorten my name?” she asked cutely. “Isn’t Tokiko cute enough?”

“Well, sure, but I’m not good with your guy’s lingo. The only name I can pronounce is Uncle Taro’s, and even then, I can’t say his last name. Tachi-whatever-you-call-it.”

“Tachibana,” Tokiko corrected.

“Tachibana. Right. Sorry about that.”

Apology not forgiven, Tokiko thought. She was prideful in her family’s name and couldn’t stand anyone who disrespected it.

But Simon continued speaking.

“Plus, it’s hard to even say your name. To-ki-ko Ta-chi-ba-na.”

As Simon spoke, he struggled to pronounce Tokiko’s full name.

“I mean, try to say that five times fast,” he said, repeating Tokiko’s name with the wrong pronunciation.

At this point, Tokiko was so invigorated that she could feel her veins about to burst from the side of her head.

“Ugh, will you quit it!” Tokiko snapped, to which she gasped and clasped her hands around her mouth.

Her cutesy noblewoman act had just shattered before Simon’s eyes.

Though Simon didn’t seem bewildered or insulted. Instead, Simon curled up and laughed.

“Bahahaha!”

“W-what’s so funny?!” Tokiko snapped, her face turning steamy red.

“I’m sorry,” he said between laughs. “I didn’t think you’d be so mad about it.”

Simon then wiped a tear from his eye and stopped his laughter.

“I can see why you feel insulted, though. I took things a bit too far there.”

“Just a bit?” Tokiko asked with narrowed eyes.

“Sorry. I took things way too far.”

“That’s right,” Tokiko proudly nodded, to which Simon chuckled.

“Well, I’m sorry for making you upset,” Simon said with his hand out. “I hope you can forgive me and that the two of us can get along for these next three weeks.”

Tokiko, although a bit heated towards Simon, shook his hand out of politeness.

A perfect girl like me isn’t that mean, after all.

“I forgive you,” Tokiko said.

“Thanks Toki.”

Tokiko groaned and bared her teeth.

“I didn’t say you could call me ‘Toki’ though,” she said with closed eyes that twitched out of anger.

“Why not?”

“Because my name is perfect enough already! There’s no need to shorten it! It even sounds good off the tongue! To-ki-ko! Do you hear that? It’s perfect! Now, repeat it after me! To-ki-ko!”

But Simon didn’t repeat it. Instead, he stared towards the ceiling as if he was in the middle of thinking.

“I like Toki a lot better, though.”

“URGH!!!”

Tokiko just wanted to murder him right then and there.

Simon laughed.

“Haha, I’m sorry. I’m just messing with you,” he said, flashing a mischievous smile to which Tokiko pouted.

She had figured him out by then. At first, Tokiko thought of Simon as a poor dog that she wanted to save, but now she saw him for who he truly was. A pesky house fly whose sole purpose was to annoy her.

But Tokiko thought of the perfect comeback.

“Whatever, Pen Head,” she said with pouting lips.

“Pen Head? Is that your nickname for me?”

“Precisely.”

Simon laughed.

“How does that even make sense?”

“It’s because of your dirty black hair and tan skin. You look just like a pen dipped in ink. Therefore, Pen Head. It’s the most fitting nickname, if I do say so myself.”

“Hm,” Simon hummed with a cheeky smile. “Then Toki is the perfect nickname for you, too.”

“And why is that?” Toki said with an annoyed glance.

“Because it’s short and cute, just like you.”

“Wha—”

After hearing those words, Tokiko’s smug face bursted bright red.

“Y-y-you! Are you really trying to hit on me?! Because I’m way out of your league when it comes to social status and—”

“Bahaha!” Simon bent back and laughed with a hand covering his eyes. “Oh, man, I'm just messing with you! But you should see the look on your face! It’s hilarious!”

“Hrghhh!”

Tokiko clenched her fists and teeth.

This jerk thinks he can just flirt with me and play it off as a joke?!

“Bahaha!” Simon continued laughing. “That look you have right now is priceless! I should write it down.”

He turned to the desk with a notebook on top, walking towards it until Tokiko grabbed the back of Simon’s cowboy jacket and screamed, “Stop! Don’t you dare write that down!”

To which Simon chuckled.

“Alright, alright, I won’t. Sorry for taking things too far again, Toki.”

And with a respectful yet teasing apology, Tokiko couldn’t help but angrily pout.

I hate being toyed like this! But…

“I accept your apology. But please, the name is Tokiko, not Toki.”

“Toki sounds so much better, though.”

“Urgh!” Tokiko could feel her blood vessel pulsing by the side of her temple. “Gosh, you’re so annoying! Do you simply choose to not listen to me, or is that how your brain works by default, you stupid Pen Head!”

“Beats me,” Simon joked. “But hey, do you think you can show me around town tomorrow?” He asked with an innocent smile.

“After what just happened?!” Tokiko yelled. “Never in a million years!”

Then she stormed off towards the living room, hoping that these next three weeks would go by in a flash.