Another Route to the Same Place

"Hello?"

"Dude, where are you? I heard from Rin."

"Then you know the answer th-BRRRRRRRDD-en."

"What?! It's loud, what are you doing?"

"I said, hold on...excuse me, thanks. Ok, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I can hear you." Barely, it sounds like a WWE match. The ones that would play on the American station back in Canada. God, I actually believed they were real when I was a kid. "What were you going to say?"

"Nothing. I just said if you talked to Rin, then you should know why I am here."

"I know why, like because she told me, but I just never expected you to go along with this. I thought you wanted to go back home."

"I do, but something is bothering me. Where are you at?"

"I'm with Rin, actually. At some dude's house that we followed from his job."

"What?" 

"Long story. I get it, you saw the dock, talked with Tony a bit, but as you said, we're done. Remember when I talked with the dean?"

"Yeah, how'd it go?"

"Mmmmm..."

"Mmmmm, what? Are you going to actually answer the question?"

"Well, he said he got the fax, for our research."

"Ok, and? I talked with him the day before and nothing seemed to be wrong unless something changed...?"

BM-BM-BM. I looked over to my left and there she was, hovering right over the window. Can't finish my thoughts, can't finish a phone call, damn! I cracked the window, only a little bit, "Yes, who is this I'm speaking to?"

"Are you still on the phone?"

"Yes, I'm talking to Rich. He was getting to the juicy part; I'm missing something because apparently, we're going on missions that I know nothing about!"

"If you come upstairs and meet him, I think it will answer a lot of questions. Some of mine too. Tell Rich I said good luck."

"She said goo-"

"I heard. I gotta go. I'll report back in a few days. This situation is definitely strange, but that's not the reason you're still tagging along is, it?"

"Report back in a few days, eh?"

"Heh!"

Click.

Not the reason you're tagging along, hmph. I'll ignore that. We walked to the building across the street, quite the apartment complex. It looks like a high rise, actually I think it is. It goes up about 50 floors as one of many that follow along the same strip. There's not too much noise around despite it being the middle of the day, and it's even quieter once you walk in. The door opened for the both of us from the inside, standing to the right a doorman, wearing a fake "I love my job" smile, I don't know, who knows? Maybe he does like his job. Who am I to say, maybe I'm projecting. A silk red rug drug all the way from the door to the concierge desk that I'm sure held the footsteps worth all the yen in the world. "How can I help you today?"

"I'm-we're looking for Room 487, someone should be expecting us."

"Okay, give me one second." It was literally only a second because it seemed like the next moment we were already walking towards the elevator. The main lobby ceiling had a chandelier the size of a Moose head that dangled over the Persian Rug, well, that's what it looks like. There's no sitting room in the lobby, just a huge elevator, a door for stairs, a front desk and a whole lot of empty space. I don't know why rich people love to make things so plain. 

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DING!

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"Quite the fancy place. Are all your friends this rich?"

"Pretty much to be honest. I hate it, but at the same time, I'm no different. I enjoy my comfortable lifestyle. We're getting off here."

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DING!

That was brutally honest. Well, actually, she always is. She really doesn't lie. She's sketchy, she has her secrets, okay she did lie today about going to visit a farm, and, okay no, she just is sketchy. But for some reason, it goes against logic, but I believe her. I want to see why she keeps me around, what's her point in doing all this. She has money, influence, she doesn't need to do this. I'm usually pretty easy going so to those following along it probably seems as if I don't care. I don't, but I do. For a mystery, huh, for an adventure.

We stepped into the hallway and at the very end we reached the last door on the left. By the way, the entire hallway, I mean the floor, everything was made of entirely glass. When I looked down, a saw an elderly couple twist the keys to their room, it was see-through! I don't know what kind of questions are going to be answered by this person because for 1, I didn't even know we were going to see this person, (A person we followed. "Allegedly" followed, just in case there are a couple of snitches reading.) and two, I don't know what it is I'm even supposed to be asking. I've probably gotten in too deep. Huhhh, this is like the Amazon all over again. Before I can even finish my thought here, "RIN-RIN! Oh my God! IT'S BEEN YEARS, HOW ARE YOU?!" a girl screamed towards her, opening the door wide and let me tell you, I haven't walked in yet, and I only saw a glimpse, but I think there is a pool in the middle of their living room. This girl is the one doing all the embracing because Rin doesn't seem to be as happy to see her as this other girl is to see Rin. Her hair is bright orange, a dye of course, I think it is at least. A pretty slim figure, tank top and a pair of shorts and flip flops. All her features are small. Small nose, hands, thin lips and now she is looking at me, great. I can finally display my charm! "And what's your name? I don't think Rin-Rin has ever told me anything about you."

"Well, it's probably because we met a couple of days ago, but it's okay. Shin, is my name. And yours?" I noticed Rin glanced at me when I told her my name. 

"Ritsika. Since we are giving out first names, I love it! It already feels like we're close. OH, what am I doing? Come in." She waved us in, letting us pass by her first. There is a pool in their living room. We sat down on the couch that was right in front of the pool, to the left, if you're sitting on the couch, was a large glass panel of a window that showed the entire city from the view. A maid brought us water, not just water, but cucumber water and left it on the table, walking back towards the kitchen. The couch had three sides and was big enough for each person to sit by themselves, Rin sitting on one side, with me sitting in the middle and Ritska, right next to me. "I know you well enough to know you're not here for a get together. You came to see my dad, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did. It's nice seeing you as well, too. We're friends after all." she said, rather airy. What's her deal? She brought ME here. "Is he here?"

"I don't know. Depends on what you want."

"It's personal. It's about the business, you know. My father and his zip tied lips about business. Technically, I'm on the clock right now. I was sent here by my father to discuss some things."

"So, why is, well, let me ask you," Ritsika turned towards me, not moving from her very close position next to me, "Why are you here? Are you a part of this business too?" she smiled, inching a little closer.

"Well, I guess, I-"

"He is." she interjected, "I've been with him the past few days helping him gather his research regarding yuzus, maybe you can help him out with that."

 "What do you know about yuzus?"

"Uhm, quite a bit. I came to Japan as a part of my research for my class and dissertation regarding a series of, well, it's more like an anthology of the history of fruitarianism and the overall benefits and reasons why we should adopt an entirely plant based diet, with fruit serving as the main form of energy and sustenance."

"But what about protein, B-12, and other vitamins and minerals that come exclusively from animal products?"

"That's true."

"So doesn't that poke a hole in your logic, t-hah."

"Let him finish. I'm sure you had more to say to that, no?'

"No. It's really true that there's certain things that you can only get from animals but there's other ways to supplement this type of diet and I believe that this is the best way to live, only to me."

"So what do you eat?" she asks me.

Same positions, Still uncomfortably close. I mean, there are worse things in the world. "I only eat whole-food based stuff. So, if it grows, I would eat it. Otherwise, no."

"Hmph, okay. Interesting to note-HEY!"

Shit. 

A glass immediately drops on the ground and the man we were looking for was a few meters away in the kitchen, when he turned around to run towards a white door, white-painted cabinets to the right, Rin jumping over the couch, barely making it a step around the pool, not turning back, screaming, "Shin, let's go?"

I guess I'm going.

***