Tokyo Days Part IV: Wide Awake

Kureha’s interview operation was going quite successful now. Bystanders had seen her original interview with Rin and approached with curiosity. By the end of the first day alone, she had interviewed over a dozen strangers. By the end of the week, she had over one hundred interviews that were quickly streamed online across her socials. Audience numbers had never really mattered to her, so she didn’t even notice that she now had tens of thousands of followers from both Japan and around the world. Based on the lustful comments aimed at the photos of Kai and Riku, she discerned that her audience was mostly female.

A lull in the day’s traffic gave her a moment to pause and go through her feed to admire the honest statements she had received. Numerous people confessed to affairs. One man had embezzled years’ worth of salary over a decade and gotten away with it. One unpleasant man admitted to groping women on the train when he was younger. On the lighter side, several young schoolchildren confessed their crushes and requested festival dates. A sad young woman apologized to her mom who she’d never get to see again.

Advise was humorously varied. Most gave touching statements like Rin. A tired dad reminded people to floss. One young woman gave a thoroughly detailed summary of important parts of female anatomy so that any men listening wouldn’t fumble around in the dark any longer. An older woman recommended her favorite rice cooker, which to her great embarrassment was from Korea, not Japan. The last young man Kureha had interviewed said something that she herself may have well spoken.

“Be honest. With friends. With colleagues. With lovers. We spent too long being polite and restrained. Sometimes it was for Wa. Sometimes it was out of fear for causing waves. But sometimes, we should have all spoken up more. Life, and the world, may have been better if we’d all agreed to be more open. Now, it’s almost too late. So do it while you can. Thank you,” he said with a bow.

“That was sweet. Thank you. What made you think that?” Kureha asked.

“I loved my best friend and never told her. I let her go without ever trying. She reached out to me a week ago, she’s been unhappily married for nine years. But she lives in London, so I’ll never see her again. I’ll carry this regret to The End,” he said somberly.

“I… I’m sorry…” Kureha replied.

He shrugged and nodded before departing without another word. Kureha took that as a good perspective to end on. Her days in Tokyo had been lovely, and she had gotten to feel like a true photojournalist for a few days. Now, she was ready for their next phase of navigating the city’s secrets. More pressingly, her thoughts had stayed on Rin and her friends all day, and she found herself ready to be back in the hotel.

Shiona ended up winning her pitch. Whether or not that was a pre-planned result or something that was actually voted on, she didn’t care. Feelings of joy and success burst in her chest at the news and she welcomed them as sincere. Moments later, the group chat was alight with congratulations and celebrations, and everyone agreed their time at their jobs was done, and therefore left early. None of them cared about the remaining minutes on their fake time cards, and instead messages of anticipation for Rin filled the chat.

Rin stayed true to her agreement and requested that the five of them wait for one another at their train station so that they could all arrive home together where she would be waiting. Shiona and Arata arrived at the station first and bashfully laughed together.

“Congratulations on your win! That’s awesome. Well deserved, Shiona,” said Arata.

“Thank you. And thank you for this whole week. This was amazing, and a wonderful surprise. You’re very thoughtful. Rin is very lucky,” said Shiona.

“I’m the lucky one,” Arata grinned.

“You’re not uncomfortable by any of this? We are a very odd group of friends…” asked Shiona.

“Not at all. I am not foolish enough to dare to claim all of something as marvelous and complex as Rin’s heart. I am just a piece of what fills her, and I am grateful she has all of you as well. Plus, as a once-avid hentai fan, I gotta be honest I fantasized about you three together plenty of times before this,” Arata grinned.

“Ahhhh, gotcha. Well, congrats on manifesting your dreams then,” Shiona laughed as the train arrived with Kureha.

“Thank you. It’s been a lovely dream,” Arata said with a smile as he met Shiona’s gaze.

Shiona understood in that moment why Rin and so many other girls had always been drawn to the kind poet in the classroom. Kureha exited the train and waved to her friends. Minutes later Riku and Kai joined them, and they set off for the hotel, where Rin was awaiting them. All of them kept their word that evening, and an hour later, the six of them were sweating, spent, and napping before dinner could even be cooked.

It was dark when Kureha woke.

“Oh, goodness, did we all fall asleep?” she laughed.

“Mmm?” Riku murmured beside her as he lifted his arm from her chest.

“I didn’t mess up your covering did I?” he asked in a groggy voice as he looked at her stomach’s tattoo cover.

“Nope! All good,” Kureha said as she inspected her wrappings.

“Saran check!” called Kai from the end of the bed where he was holding Arata.

“All good!” said Kureha as she patted Riku’s ribs.

“Good here!” said Shiona as she held her wrist up for all to see.

“Good here too,” said Arata.

Rin sighed as her thoughts returned.

“I am… so good. Absolutely good. I am copacetic. I am perfect,” she said as her fingers gracefully traced her chest.

“You are. You’re completely perfect,” said Arata as he kissed her head and Shiona ran her fingers through his hair.

Growling stomachs forced the six of them from their sanctuary like starved animals waking from winter hibernation.

“Wow! Only ten o’clock! Not terrible,” said Riku as he checked the desk clock.

“We’re in probably the only place I wouldn’t ever be concerned about finding late night food,” said Kureha as she stretched her legs off the edge of the bed. It was decided that they would all go out for a fun celebratory dinner in honor of Shiona’s win and their collective retirement.

“Can’t wait to get my penssssssionnnnn check,” sang Kai as he slid from the bed.

Everyone agreed to dress in their work clothes so that they could try to find a formal restaurant. It had been weeks since they’d had a fancy meal, as such things were becoming harder and harder to find. Tokyo was likely to be their best bet. Dinner and drinks were agreed upon. After showers were taken, makeup re-applied, and clothes returned to bodies, the group was out the door into the tempered liveliness of what remained of Tokyo’s heartbeat. After a few failed attempts, the group found themselves in Shinjuku at a softly-lit romantic omokase that looked out towards the Meiji Shrine.

From there, the group made its way to Shibuya in search of bars and dance clubs. To their surprise, such excitement was harder to find than originally planned. Half an hour was spent trying to find any form of nightlife. Alleys that once held secret doors to underground clubs were now bolted shut. Windows that were once plastered with calls for dancers were now vacant. As the group stood around searching on their phones for a new target, a disheveled salaryman approached them while smoking two cigarettes at once.