Chapter 13:

All Roads Lead To Decisions

Distant Waves


As I passed through the many tunnels that inhabit Chiba on my way north to Tokyo, my mind drifted back to my time at the Oceanworld aquarium. What a whirlwind of events I experienced in the last two weeks. It has really been like nothing I have ever done before and the most fun I have had at a job ever.

I will cherish these memories for the rest of my life.

Before I knew it, the train was pulling into Tokyo Station. Where did the time even go? I feel like it was just moments ago that I was leaving here for Chiba and now I am back, but this time an entirely different person has returned. I headed back to my sad little apartment and took the very familiar path I had always taken. It seemed a lot lonelier than I remember it being.

I unlocked my apartment and slowly pushed the door open, almost unsure what to expect. My dark yet clean apartment was revealed to me. On my kitchen counter, a little note from Yuri greeted me:

Dear Kayo,

Welcome home! I kept your place clean while you were gone. I look forward to seeing you at work tomorrow and remember I am here to support you!

Yuri

P.S. I left you some food in the fridge in case you are hungry!

I smiled as I read the note, what a thoughtful friend I have. I am so glad I gave her such a unique experience when she came to the aquarium.

Her message reminded me that I had not eaten for a while, however, I don’t feel very hungry at the moment. I decided that I was just going to try and get some sleep. I am sure it is going to be difficult to sleep with all this stress weighing on me about tomorrow.

As I lay in bed and pulled the covers up to my shoulders, I closed my eyes and I realized that I already miss the sounds of the ocean. Instead of the pleasant sounds of waves crashing on the shore from my window, all I was met with was the desolate sounds of my apartment with the jarring sounds of distant car horns.

I don’t know if I could get used to this sort of thing again.

I awoke to my alarm going off right on time. Today was the big day. I got my things ready and dressed in my office attire. After spending the last two weeks in aquarium clothes and wetsuits, the clothes I had on today felt foreign- worlds different and less comfortable.

I find that I am constantly comparing every little thing I do to my experience at the aquarium.

I left my apartment and headed out into the city. Opening the door, I was hit in the face with the loud hustle and bustle of the city along with a very typical smell. Where was my salty ocean breeze and wind?

I finally arrived at my office, well, I guess it is all or nothing.

I took a deep breath and pulled the door open. As I rode the elevator to my office’s floor, I could feel my stomach sink like a rock in a pond. When the elevator doors opened, I felt more embarrassed than I thought I would have. Every single eye on the office floor was on me. Some people even stood up to get a better view!

Everyone looked at me like I had just committed murder! This sent my mind racing yet again. Did the investigation find me guilty? Was I about to get in some serious trouble? This is bad. This is really bad.

As I walked down the hallway past rows of cubicles, some of my co-workers hastily returned to work while others swivelled their heads around to watch every movement I made. As I got closer to my desk, Yuri spotted me from her own desk and approached me. She looked as nervous as everyone else in the office.

“Kayo! You made it! Let me catch you up to speed for a moment. The investigators have decided to discuss their findings in a one-on-one basis. I don’t think they want another situation like last time. They are talking to Morisaki-san right now over there.”

Yuri pointed to a closed office across the way. I could only make out a few silhouettes inside the room. I felt myself redden as I remembered the last confrontation that resulted in my trip to Kamogawa.

I wonder what will happen to Morisaki-san. I bet he is going to get off easily. He has always been the suck up around the office with the managers.

“Thanks for the debrief Yuri. I can’t lie and say that I’m not nervous. I really hope everything works out okay.”

Yuri smiled nervously, “Don’t worry. I am sure things will…”

Yuri’s words were cut short by the sudden sound of shouting. It was coming from the investigation room! It was hard to make out what exactly was being said within the thick walls, but I think I heard someone yell ‘you can’t possibly do this’.

The door to the office swung wide open with force, smashing into the wall behind it. Coming out of the room were two massive security guards on each side of Morisaki-san carrying him out of the investigation room. He was held up in the air and kicking his feet about as he was screaming his head off. His face was as red as a tomato and his dress shirt was a wrinkled mess. Both Yuri and I looked on in shock with our mouths wide open. What is going on!?

As the two security guards carried Morisaki-san out of the room, I could see Morikawa-san following not far behind with a dejected look on his face. As Morisaki-san was unwillingly forced closer to the exit he looked over at me and looked even angrier.

His words were full of venom and anger, thundering through the space between us, “You! This is all your fault! You were coming for my position! I’ll make you pay for this Kayo! You will never live this down! Do you hear me!? Never!”

Fear and anxiety shot through my veins- my fault? What did I do!? I didn’t even do anything in the first place! All I did was come into work, do what I had to do and then go home. I know Morisaki-san never really took a liking to me, but this is a whole new level!

Morisaki-san’s yelling faded as he was dragged closer to the exit. Morikawa-san approached Yuri and me. He looked away, let out a sigh and began to loosen his tie.

“I am sorry you two had to see such unprofessional behavior. I take it Morisaki-san was not very thrilled with the results of our investigation. Now then, Kayo, would you come with me? We need to discuss what we have uncovered with you privately.”

I nodded nervously, hoping that I wasn’t about to be escorted from the premises in a similar fashion, “Um... Okay.”

I nodded my silent goodbye to Yuri and followed Morikawa-san into the office that Morisaki-san had just been forcibly ejected from. I nervously gulped and felt some sweat form on my brow.

Was the same thing that happened to Morisaki-san about to happen to me?

I nervously took a seat in the office chair and Morikawa-san closed the door. The room fell silent and Morikawa-san along with a group of board members were all staring at me. I was on the hot seat. I have a bad feeling about this.

Morikawa-san took his seat and began to speak, “Well now Kayo. Let’s get started, shall we? As I am sure you recall, both you and Morisaki-san were under investigation for workplace intellectual theft. It was Morisaki that turned our attention to you, but we had to keep both of you out of the office to conduct an unbiased investigation.

Morisaki presented me with substantial evidence of your violations and claimed that you were only working here to abuse our system. This was obviously a cause for concern, and we found that many claims that Morisaki made could be backed up. We then began to file the proper paperwork to not only fire you but also bring legal charges up against you.”

I felt cold sweat begin to form, this was bad. Legal charges!? Not only would I lose my job but I also stood to lose everything! I had to defend myself and say something.

“Morikawa-san, I can assure you I would never do anything to harm the company. Surely what Morisaki-san was saying is wrong.”

“Please allow me to finish. Last week when I went to meet my son down in Kamogawa, I was surprised to see you were there. My son had told me how you had spent some time with the aquarium there and went on to save the life of one of the divers on the research ship. After hearing this information, it made me feel the need to dig deeper in this investigation.

Something did not sit right with me about how such a courageous person would commit so many workplace violations. I then spoke to your co-workers, and they told me more about your character, one specifically mentioned that this was not something that you would ever consider doing, even to further your own career.

When I took a further look at the evidence provided by Morisaki-san, I found a hidden paper trail that led directly back to him. After I had our IT department look at his computer, we found that Morisaki-san fabricated all the evidence against you. We believe this was because he was threatened by you and felt you would take his job. We would all like to offer you our sincerest apologies about this entire situation.”

As Morikawa-san finished speaking, everyone in the room stood up and bowed before me. I couldn’t believe this. I went from almost losing everything to being found not guilty!

In some strange twist of fate, my actions at the aquarium not only saved Kokomi’s life, but also showed my boss exactly what kind of person I am.

This was not what I was expecting to happen at all. Before I could think about what just happened, everyone sat down, and Morikawa-san continued his speech.

“As a result of all our findings we have decided to terminate Morisaki-san immediately. And, in order to compensate you for your troubles during this investigation and show our true admiration for your work here at our office we would like to reward you.

We now have a new manager position open in the office and we think it would be best if you would fill it. This position would of course come accompanied by a sizable increase in pay as well as your very own private office. All you have to say is yes and we will get the paperwork started right away.”

Morikawa-san smiled gently, continuing after a small pause, “However, I have a feeling I think I already know your answer.”

A manager position, my own private office, and a pay raise! My parents would be so happy to hear such news. It would be amazing to become a manager here and get all the perks it came with.

However, Morikawa-san was right. I already knew my answer deep in my heart.

“Thank you so much for everything today and the job offer. I am so happy that I have been found not guilty of everything that happened and the truth finally was able to surface. I am a little hurt that Morisaki-san would go through all that just to frame me, but I am glad justice was served. However, you are right Morikawa-san, I have made my decision.

For the last two weeks I have been working at the Oceanworld aquarium in Kamogawa and it has been a life changing experience. I feel like a whole new person there and all my days are filled with the sort of things I dreamed about for years. The life I have lived over there for the last two weeks was everything I wanted it to be and much more.

With all that being said, I feel it is best that I continue to work at the Oceanworld aquarium and end my time here in Tokyo.”

Morikawa-san paused, seeming almost disappointed that what he had predicted had come true, “I see...I had expected that answer from you. After hearing about your work from my son, I found it hard to believe that you would want to return to corporate life. Even though we never really spoke, I made sure to keep an eye on you in the office here.

Your father and I are good friends from what seems like a lifetime ago. When I heard you would be working here, I made sure to keep an eye out in case anything went wrong. When I started to get word of what was happening, I made sure I was to be the one to investigate it.

Now don’t worry, I don’t speak to your father much anymore, he is a busy man. But I think it would be best to tell him your plan, even if you yourself think it might be a little difficult.

A word of advice from me when you see him, stand your ground, and don’t back down. He’s a stern man but he’s never one to stand between someone and their TRUE ambition.

If you need any help, make sure to reach out to me whenever you need it. That will be all.”


After my conversation with Morikawa-san, I left the room engrossed in my thoughts only to come face to face with Yuri. The looming thought of having to speak with my father has always made me nervous.

“Ah, Yuri!” I gasped in surprise, “They found out it was Morisaki-san who was behind everything; they asked me if I would be happy to take his job—” My breath caught in my throat as the events of the past few minutes rushed through my mind.

Yuri’s eyes widened, and her face only showed understanding and happiness, “Kayo, that’s HUGE! I mean we both knew you definitely were not guilty, but- I feel like you didn’t accept the promotion...?”

Her tone sounded careful; excited yet unsure. I could only smile sadly as I strolled over to my desk, “You know me so well, Yuri- you’re right I did not accept the offer,” I paused as I placed my bag on the table.

I began to pull items that sat atop my desk and slid them into my bag, “You’ve seen what I’m like in Kamogawa; I have so much waiting for me there- that’s where I belong and I should be.”

Yuri excitedly helped me pack, though she seemed to alternate between excitement at my new life ahead of me yet upset that she would have to say goodbye to her favorite co-worker. Her hands trembled with emotion whilst she told me repeatedly that she was proud of me, and how she knew that I was cut out for life at the aquarium.

I bade my final farewell to Yuri as we parted from our final hug, I saw the tears in her eyes as she did her best to wave me off with a proud smile on her face. “You better get ready for me to come down whenever I have a day off!” She called at my retreating back, I turned and grinned at her as I returned the wave.

As the emotions from that farewell began to ebb, anxiety built up in the pit of my stomach. I thought back to Morikawa-san’s words- stand your ground and don’t back down. Those words echoed in my mind, though I was anxious to speak to my father at his workplace, Morikawa-san was right- I had to tell him. As though my body had known what I had needed to do before my mind accepted it- I found myself heading downtown.

“Good afternoon, could I get an opportunity to speak to Suzuki-san please?” My words echoed nervously in the air as I smiled apprehensively at the receptionist at my father’s workplace.

Eying me, I heard her fingers against the keyboard as she spoke to me in a dismissive tone, “Suzuki-san seems rather occupied this afternoon, I am not sure if you can get in for a visit without a prior appointment. Who is enquiring...?”

“Tell him that Kayo is here,” I replied without hesitation. I felt as though everyone else would have been able to hear my heart thud heavily against my ribcage, my face felt red with emotion. In my blur of emotions, I registered that she had gestured me to a seat and the minutes blitzed past.

“Suzuki-san will see you now,” came the same dismissive voice from the receptionist, waking me from my emotional blur. I nodded my thanks to the receptionist as I walked in the direction she had gestured me towards.

I walked towards my father’s office- every footstep felt heavy as anxiety sat within my chest. I tapped on the door to announce my entry, “Hey, Dad?”

I locked eyes with him as I entered the room, and the nerves felt like they melted away. I was here to tell him what I was going to do, I was here to stand my ground and I was not going to back down.

“Hey Dad, I just want you to know- I’ve resigned from the company, I am going back to Kamogawa.” My voice started out shaky and nervous, but I took another breath and continued in a stronger and more confident voice, “I am going to be the assistant to the Head Researcher in Oceanworld.”

My father’s gaze stank of disapproval, “Why did you come here?” he asked, his voice almost hostile and full of disappointment.

“I am not looking for your permission, but I’m just here to inform you out of courtesy as my parent.”

Surprisingly, I heard a small chuckle from him, “It’s nice to have seen you finally grow a spine after all these years.” The chuckle caught me off guard, and I felt apprehensive. “Do as you wish; you are an adult now- you’re on your own with the consequences of your decisions.”

I nodded at him, in acknowledgement of his words- “I intend to live this life to my fullest; I’m leaving tonight.” I bowed politely in his direction, still feeling his eyes on me as I bade him farewell.

“Kayo-“ hearing his voice startled me as I turned back from the door to face him, “Don’t come crawling back to me when this goes wrong, I won’t be helping you anymore.”

Hearing his tone, I was filled with defiance, “That’s fine with me.”

With that, I turned my back on my past in Tokyo and decided to make preparations for my life in Kamogawa.

I made it back to my apartment before the nerves caught up with me; it surprised me how indifferent my father seemed to my defiance and resolution to my new career choice. Had I been holding myself back from my ambitions this entire time just because I was fearful of making big decisions? I cannot believe I had managed that conversation with him.

Though his final words stung, I was now determined to prove him wrong.

I now felt a surge of excitement replacing the nerves- I wanted to tell Kokomi the good news as soon as I could. I was humming with excitement, eager to return to my life in Kamogawa.


Not even heading home to drop off my bags, I walk through the gates into Oceanworld once again. On my way back to Tokyo station, I stopped by my apartment to grab a few more essentials. I know I will be back there soon to get everything, but I wanted to get a few important things first. I also made sure to change back into my uniform. After all, this is my work attire now!

Miyuki’s voice came through the glass the instant she saw me, “Welcome back Kayo, how was the trip back to Tokyo?”

I grinned as I greeted her, “Hi Miyuki, the trip was very informative. Could you let Doctor Kokomi know that I’d like to meet her at the railing? I have something to give to her.”

I lifted the papers up to her line of sight, I see Miyuki’s face light up as she realises what the document is, “Certainly! I’ll let her know right away. You head on over; she should be out very shortly.”


Arriving at the lookout spot, I start to admire the view once again. The crowds were gone for the day and the sun was setting just behind me. The beautiful late afternoon orange glow glistened up to the horizon line. It was a perfect afternoon in the surf.

Looking out made me fully ready to give my life to exploring the wonders of the ocean. To be able to see so many fascinating and incredible things that others have never seen before! To explore new and unfound areas on the earth. It all sounded like a fairy tale! But it was MY fairy tale, and I couldn’t be more excited!

I could hear running from behind me and I turned to see Kokomi standing behind me, hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. “Ka-ka-Kayo...I didn’t know you were coming back so quickly! I would have come and met you at the station if I had known!”

“Sorry Kokomi, I thought it best to surprise you. After all the jokes you pulled on me, I thought it was only fair. Besides, I felt meeting you here held a little more significance than at the train station.”

Kokomi grinned in response, “Well, I can’t argue with that. This spot has always been my favourite spot in the aquarium to make any large decisions. So, have you made up your mind?”

I could see her eyes sparkle in anticipation at the answer, almost like a little girl waiting for some incredible news. I grabbed the contract from the plastic sleeve I was carrying and handed it to Kokomi.

I smiled, “I think I already did a long time ago. I just didn’t know it yet. I hope you’ll take me as your assistant!”

Without warning Kokomi wrapped her arms around me and lifted me into the air. I almost dropped all the paperwork; she was so fast! “Of course, I’ll take you Kayo! This is the greatest news! We have so much to do now!”

“So, Doctor, what’s the next step?”

“Well, we have another research trip coming up soon, this time an extended stay in Northern Australia. Since you’re officially my assistant now, I think it would be best for you to see my other home base! I’m so excited Kayo, let me take the documents and get them into the system immediately.”

Kokomi ran off, clutching the contract I just gave her tightly. I turned back and stared at the ocean. I’m still unsure of whether I made the right choice.

Though, one thing I am sure of, is that I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the start of my new life!