Who is she?

Shin Suigyoku

Age: 24

Astrological Sign/Birthdate: Leo, July 31st

Height: 187 cm

Description: Slender, but tone build, short dark hair, fair skin, short nose and small mouth, nice teeth (had braces), brown eyes

Hobbies: Doesn't really have too many hobbies; has a time-consuming job, 

Interesting fact: Knows 6 languages.

***

"It's so nice to see you!" I thought she said that she didn't really know the guy, why do I care? I wanna see his collection. "It's good to see you too. How have you been? It's been a while."

They keep talking to the right of me, it's really nice outside today. We're walking on the pier, or I don't know, the ocean is to the left of us. It's a really big, ok, ok, that's what it's called, a dock. There's people in hard hats walking around, building it looks a new boating dock space. Parked, like, back-to-back are a couple yachts and we already passed all shipping ones, who are these people? I didn't know how right she'd be, but they do strike me as a little ske-

"And what's your name, bro?" He asked me, and he's the boss I'm assuming. He's the only one walking around, not working, great guy. "Suigyoku."

"How did the two of you meet, I know how she can be, wandering off with strangers." He laughed, with her. "Stop, definitely not. Don't believe him Shin, haha, he loves making up stories,"

"Uh, yeah, it's pretty much as you say. We met at a fruit stand. She's helping me with my research."

"Oh yeah," he stepped a little closer towards her, "What kind of research is that?"

"Tony, I told you. It's fruit, he's a Nutritionist, with a focus in fruit."

"Ahhhh, okay. I remember now, I remember now. Wow, bro that's cool. We definitely got some new shipment in. If there's one person in Japan that can get you what you need, it's definitely Rin-Rin, right here."

"Don't call me that. Only my grandmother can, hm-hm, you're overestimating."

"Well, guys, I gotta go talk with my guys for a second. Feel free to look around, Rin, you know where everything is, right?"

"Yup, I'll show him around. Nothing's changed since the last time I came." We waved him off. It was just the two of us now, walking underneath an overhead bridge they were building. Rich was somewhere, I don't know where, though, he came with us today. I thought he'd be around more, being that he too, did research on this place. Tony would definitely be the guy, to talk to. Great dude. "So what do you think?"

"Of Tony?"

"Haha, yeah, of Tony."

"Uh, he's not bad, but it's ironic that he is Italian. How'd you guys meet?"

"Hm-hm, you both ask the same questions, haha! But, in all seriousness, I don't know. I feel like I've known him ever since I was born. He grew up here, in Japan, and we went to the same school in Osaka in primary and secondary school, always the only foreigner. That kind of stuff interested me, people being from other places, you know? Naturally, we became friends and he's gone on to do great things and so have I, whatever, anyways. Yeah."

"Sounds like you're close." I said, walking at an even pace with her. It felt like that was happening more often recently, understanding how she thinks. "So where are we going now?"

"We're already here. I just liked or well, I wanted to hear your opinion of him."

"Oh. Yeah. It doesn't really matter, he's cool, I guess. So, what research did we come to find?"

"Glad you asked," she wiped something off her shirt, maybe she had crumbs. I get it. I get it. No judgement. "There's a lot. Okay, okay. Look over there." she pointed towards a crane that was in the grass area right before it met the wood panels of the dock. "What am I looking at?"

"Well, nothing really. But over there, that warehouse, sitting in front of the crane, holds one of the largest greenhouses in the world. Probably not too many fruits you've seen before. I can't remember the kind of system they use, but it runs all day, all year round."

"It looks like a regular building. I don't know if you remember, but I asked that storekeeper, selling the yuzus by the Kuro-"

"Okay, I remember."

"Yeah, well, do you think they have yukos? I didn't explain because I assume you know about them."

"Haha, a little bit. Yuzus already grow mainly in Japan, a few in Korea, China, you know, but yeah, yukos are harder to find. I don't know if they have any in there but definitely some other fruit you might be interested in."

And you know, I have to give credit where credit is due. This is actually crazy. There's this misty, typical water cycles that go on in green houses but maybe it's because I built this place up in my mind bigger than what it is, or what, but this is actually legit. Workers in all white hazard suits, spraying each section. Rows and rows, there's even a downstairs where they keep all the root vegetables, with some sort of light penetration system, they told us. How does she know people like this? I said I don't want to know about her, but this a high scale thing. If the government has access to channels and materials like this, I mean-

"Now, this section..."

Kind of tuning out now, but it's hard to say. They practically said, well, we can have anything at this point. A tour around this facility, and it's just weird. "Hey. You good?"

"Oh, yeah. He's a little...uh, he doesn't teach in the style that works for me, ha, but I'm good. This is pretty good research. When did this place start? Operations and all."

Neatly organized, people to care for this around the clock, I'd say there's about 30 rows, 15 vertical and another 15 behind it, with a connected glass house that was built with solar panels on top. "Who funds this stuff? This is at least a billion-dollar project with all the yachts, cargo boats, construction, this is insane," I couldn't hold that smile back, it was amazing. To think, I met some woman who is involved with this caliber of stuff. "Uh...well-"

"There you guys are." Rich came over towards us, sliding his phone back into his pocket. "Tony told me you guys would be over here."

"Yeah, we're about to leave. I had to show Shin this at least. I thought he might enjoy it. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Actually," he pulled something out of his pocket, maybe it was Tony's phone number. Great guy. "I was walking to the area where I researched, there's this garden they have, completely AI powered," If we had never met her, how would we have gotten clearance to this place? Research is fine and all, but if what she says is true about what they do, then, why would a couple strangers, well, we are with her. "I ran into the guy, funny enough, you mentioned yesterday, Tony." What? "He had this pressed suit on, walking with a bunch of dudes in hardhats. I don't know how he knew me, but he called out to me, and we had somewhat of a walking meeting. He gave me this number to call, if I wanted to know more about the business. He told me it's another docking port that's owned by Osaka Industries."

"Another one?" Do they own this one, is that what he's saying?

"They own this one, one in Nagoya, Sendai, and their main office is in Tokyo. This I searched after he told me, right before I met up with you guys. I guess they own farms around all of Japan, some in South Africa, Guatemala, it's international."

"Hold on guys, I'm getting a call, I'll be right back." She walked out pretty hurriedly. Today she was wearing boot cut jeans, and a Radiohead T-shirt, hair pulled back in a bun. I must've started to pay attention to that a bit more recently, hm. "Dude."

I snapped out of it, "Yeah, bro?"

"I did some more research, and do you know Rin's last name?"

"No, she only gave me her first, which I thought was overly informal." Maybe that's why I thought she'd been abroad. "So, I guess I gave her my first name too, even though she already knew it."

"What?" Ridge asked, oh I forgot I haven't told him. It feels like I haven't seen him much on this trip. "Oh, yeah. She said she was a fan of mine and we went to her grandmother's business which is also her house, she lives above it and I had my own shrine, dude. Her grandmother is big into the health thing, started her business in the 70s promoting healthier alternatives and we were there and well, what I mean is that she read my book. Who knew it was so known across the world."

"It was a hit, bro. It's a fundamentally different way we look at digestive health, promoting a primarily fruit diet. But that's cool that she knows you, it feels almost like fate then."

"How so?"

"Her last name is Osaka."

"Okay. It's not uncommon. What are you getting at?"

"Look," he showed me, we're still in the greenhouse and it's been about 15 minutes since she said she had a call. It's a picture of Rin, maybe when she was about 16 or so with some guy that looked to be her dad. "What is this?"

"This," he said, "is the family who owns Osaka Industries."

Who is she?

***