Chapter 5: Operation: Go Home (Before We All Lose Our Minds)

It is a perfectly normal Wednesday when the universe decides to meddle.

Kitao is in his office, spinning a pen between his fingers and staring at the ceiling like it has the answers to all of life's questions. It does not. It is just a ceiling.

"Tanabe-san," he calls to his assistant. "When is the last time I take a vacation?"

His assistant checks the records. "Three years ago, sir. And you came back after two days because you said you are bored."

"Right." Kitao catches the pen. "I need to go home."

"Home as in your apartment?"

"Home home. Shimokita. My hometown."

His assistant blinks. "May I ask why?"

Because the girl I am in love with works in this building and I cannot focus on a single meeting without wondering what floor she is on. Because my childhood best friend is out there living like a robot and someone needs to shake him. Because I am thirty-one years old and I have not been back to the oak tree in over a decade.

"Vibes," Kitao says. "Just vibes."

He picks up his phone and calls Ikuza.

"It is 2:17 PM. I am working," Ikuza answers without saying hello.

"Take a vacation."

"No."

"We are going back to Shimokita."

"No."

"Come on! We have not been back in forever! The summer festival is coming up. Remember the festival? The fireworks? The takoyaki stands?"

Silence. Kitao knows this silence. It is the silence of Ikuza considering something.

"When?" Ikuza asks.

"Next month. Two weeks off. I already have the dates picked out."

"You cannot just pick vacation dates for other people."

"I just did. You are welcome."

Ikuza sighs so hard that Kitao can feel it through the phone. "I will think about it."

"That means yes!"

"That means I will think about it."

"Which is your version of yes!"

Ikuza hangs up.

Meanwhile, in a completely separate part of Tokyo, Yumi is having brunch with her father at a restaurant so fancy that the menus do not have prices. If you have to ask, you cannot afford it.

"Yumi-chan," her father begins, and she immediately knows this is going to be a Conversation with a capital C because he only uses '-chan' when he wants something.

"What is it, Papa?"

"You know the Kitao family, yes?"

Yumi's heart does a somersault. She grabs her mimosa to hide her expression. "Vaguely," she lies. She has his company's stock price memorized.

"Old Kitao-san and I are planning a little get-together in Shimokita next month. Both families, like the old days."

Yumi nearly spits out her mimosa. "Shimokita?!"

"Yes. The Kitao boy - well, man now - he is apparently going back for a vacation. His father thought it would be lovely if we join. You know how close our families are."

Yumi's brain is doing calculations at the speed of light. Kitao. Hometown. Vacation. Same time. Same place.

"I mean," she says, trying to sound casual while her leg is bouncing under the table so hard it is shaking the cutlery, "I GUESS I could clear my schedule. If it is important to you, Papa."

Her father smiles. "Wonderful. And who knows, maybe you and young Kitao-san will finally-"

"PAPA. Do not finish that sentence."

"I am just saying-"

"DO NOT."

Her father chuckles and returns to his eggs Benedict. Yumi stares at her mimosa and tries to remember how to breathe.

Now, here is where the universe gets really creative.

Inoe is at her desk, staring at her phone at an email she just receives from HR.

SUBJECT: Mandatory Vacation Notice

Dear Kobayashi Inoe-san,

Our records indicate that you have accumulated 47 unused vacation days. Company policy requires employees to use a minimum of 10 vacation days per fiscal year. You have used 0.

Please submit a vacation request within the next two weeks or you will be auto-assigned random dates.

Regards,HR Department

Inoe reads this email three times. Forty-seven unused vacation days. Zero used. She is aware that this looks bad, but in her defense, vacations mean going outside and talking to people and those are her two worst things.

"Miki," she whispers to her desk neighbor. "Where do people go on vacation?"

Miki stares at her. "Are you serious?"

"I have not taken a vacation in... um..."

"Inoe-san, you HAVE to take a break! You are going to burn out!"

"But what if the character models need me?"

"They will survive! Where is your family from? Go visit your hometown!"

Hometown. The word hits Inoe like a wave. She has not been back to Shimokita since she leaves for university at eighteen.

She thinks about the oak tree. The shrine. The little river where she and the boys used to catch tadpoles.

She thinks about Ikuza adjusting his tiny glasses and saying her mud pie has good structural integrity.

Her cheeks burn.

"Maybe... I could go to Shimokita," she murmurs.

And just like that, without any of them knowing what the others are planning, four people in four different parts of Tokyo are all about to converge on the same tiny hometown at the same time.

The universe cracks its knuckles.

This is going to be fun.