I Ask

I couldn’t help but be confused as I looked up at the sign above the establishment the voice had led me to. It wasn’t just any tailor, but a swanky shop where they sold formal wear for men and women entering the workforce. I was starting to get the picture, maybe.

“I thought we established that I was running low on funds, what made you think to bring me here?” I asked. “I doubt I could afford the merchandise, let alone the tap water here.“

“Just trust me on this, I know what I’m doing.” The voice insisted. “You’ll want to head inside and ask the main counter clerk for a Suou-sensei. He runs the place.”

“Okay, if you say so…”

“Good luck! And show me a smile when you get back.” She quipped as I began to put the phone away. “Just make sure you look him in the eyes, no matter how scary he seems. It’s a respect thing, veeery important, you hear?”

“Mm, got it.” 

Somehow, that description of the man left me with lingering doubts and something just short of a smile as I stepped through the threshold and into the store.

A light classical tune filled my ears while I glanced around at the place. It was multi-leveled and spacious with a staircase on the outer wall leading to the second floor, and things were organized in a neat manner. Expensive-looking outfits covered every inch of the showroom. A young woman stood in the center of it all, wearing a smile that struck me as just a bit forced, mirroring mine.

“How can I help you, young lady?” The clerk beamed.

“Um, hi, I’d like to speak to a Suou-sensei. Is he available?” I was a bit nervous as I approached the counter, stepping a bit closer to announce my intent. “I was told he’d be here by… my acquaintance.”

“Who the heck is asking?”

I heard a booming voice from up the stairs as my head swiveled in the direction of stomping feet. An imposing old man with long strides, a toned physique, and flowing white hair approached us in a hurry. He was decked out in a full tuxedo with a black bow tie, appropriate of a purveyor of fine wear.

When he finally came to stand in front of me, he inspected me closely, causing sweat to form on my brow. He never once broke eye contact with me, nor did I, just as I was instructed by the voice to do. Now that I was getting a closer look at him, he was dragon-like in appearance with bushy white eyebrows and sharp, yellow eyes. He looked like he could breathe fire at any moment if I turned to look away.

“You…” Finally, after an intense staring competition, the man’s eyes took on a much friendlier look. ”You’re Nao-kun’s, aren’t you!? Why, I’d recognize those almond eyes anywhere, you look just like the old crone when she was younger!”

My face changed when the man dropped his serious and imposing act in favor of a much more jovial one. The contrast was enough to make my head spin. Though I wasn’t surprised he knew my grandmother, calling her by her given name indicated they may have been closer once than most.

But Baa-chan would probably knock him over the head with her cane if she heard him call her a crone.

“Anyhow, is she still kickin’ about? There was something I had been meaning to ask her.”

“I’m quite sorry that you have to find out this way, but…” I was tempted to let my eyes drift down to the floor, like they often do in these situations, but I held gazes with the old fellow. “My grandmother passed away a few weeks ago, from a heart attack.”

My only family…

“Ah… I see.” The old man smiled sadly, before nodding to himself. “These things do happen at our age, of course. But… I’m glad I could hear it from you, from someone she cherished.”

“Were… you two close?”

“Close!? Well, I don’t know…” He scratched his nose, looking strangely bashful before clearing his throat. “Actually, truth be told, I was the one smitten with her for years before she met your grandfather at our high school. But we remained good friends until I left to start my own shop in Tokyo. Only just came back, myself, from our Roppongi branch to check on our flagship store before I return to the city.”

“A franchise, amazing…”

It seemed his fancy dress, and confident demeanor weren’t just for show. And to run such a chic clothing store in a spot like Roppongi, this guy must be worth a fortune. Though I tried not to let it seem like I was dazzled by that fact.

“Meeting you has made this old man happy, in any case.” He nodded once again to himself, pleased. “But, I’m curious what brings you out this way? If there is anything I can help you out with, just name it!”

“I’m actually curious about that as well…” I muttered to myself, thinking about how little information the voice had given me about the man and my purpose here. But it wasn’t like I was without requests. “Turns out, I’ve been having some trouble lately covering our debts and getting through school without my grandmother’s checks coming in, and work is a bit scarce…”

“Well, I’ll be damned!” Suou-sensei suddenly snapped his fingers, remembering something. “Excuse my French, but if money is what you’re after, why not work here as a part-timer?”

“Wha—“ I was stunned for a moment by his suggestion, but shook away the surprise. “Here. In this store??”

“Hoho, where else?” The old man smiled widely, chuckling. “We recently had a gal get married and move in with her husband outside the prefecture, so we’re short on hands. Pays well, and a granddaughter of Nao’s is basically family to me!”

“I-I don’t know what to say…” I tried to think of the potential downsides, but there were none that came immediately to mind. I did have one lone concern, however. “But everyone is so well-dressed here, I don’t have any outfits that quite match the setting.”

“Pfft—you hear yourself, kiddo?” He scoffed. “You do realize what kind of shop you’re standing in, don’t you?”

Oh, that’s right.

“Write down your measurements before we’re done here, and we‘ll have a uniform ready for you by Monday morning. Why, I’ll make it myself!” He continued with a proud smirk. “If you want to work here, that is. The choice is ultimately yours…”

He got to the heart of the matter, leaving the ball in my proverbial court. I honestly didn’t think coming here would benefit me in any substantial way, even though I did the voice’s bidding without much resistance.

But, considering my financial circumstances, I would be remiss to look a gift horse in the mouth in this situation.

“I’ll gladly accept!”

. . . . .

“I guess… I’ve got a job now.” I said.

“Hah! I told you I only have your best interests in mind, Suki-chan. You’d do well to start trusting me a little more now that I’ve helped you twice now.”

“Yep, yep. I guess I should thank you.”

“Fufu~Now that’s more like it. Feel free to praise me more, will ya?”

“Ugh…”

The voice on the phone was smug, having deemed that they had earned at least a bit of my trust. They weren’t wrong, of course. But I suddenly remembered something I failed to ask, and I just so happened to have earned myself another question.

“You said I could ask another question, so… What’s your name?”

Simple as questions go, but necessary to establish full trust in one another. I was so absorbed with the absurdity of it all that I hadn’t asked.

“I…” The voice paused. “That’s one of the few questions I can’t answer yet.”

“Huh?? But you said if I—“

“I know, Suki-chan, and I’m sorry. But just wait a little longer and things will become clearer. ‘Kay?”

“……..Mm.” I nodded with a grunt, even though they couldn’t see me through the phone. Or at least I hoped they couldn’t.

Even so, I didn’t know why they couldn’t just tell me their name after I had humored their requests for half a day, assuming they weren’t just a figment of my imagination. But if that were the case, I could’ve conjured up something on the spot in relation to a name.

“Got any other questions?”

“I’d bet anything that you have another errand planned before it gets dark, so I’d rather find out now than guess later.” I sighed. “So, what have you got?”

“That’s one way to ruin the fun and mystique! But fine, I suppose I can tell you now. Just one more thing.” The voice said. “We’ve gotten you on the right track now, but you‘re going to need a little something more if you’re gonna be on pace for the best you. Up the hierarchy of needs a tad, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

“Hmm?”

Something… more?

“That being said, our final stop is going to be a place you know somewhat well.” The voice paused for a moment, exhaling before her next sentence. ”At… the flower fields of Hitachi Seaside Park.”

My lip curled into a frown as her words echoed in my mind.

“Or, as you may know it, the last place we–err–you visited with Baa-chan.”