Tokyo Hearts: A Japanese Love Story (20 page)

Takashi thought of his family enjoying their Sunday in Yokosuka. He’d been meaning to go and see them again for a while now. He decided that it would be best if he left it for a while. His father liked spending his Sundays sleeping off a busy week, and his mother would have felt obliged to cook for him if he’d shown up.

A precipice in front, a wolf behind

It was just before nine p.m. on the thirty-first of December, the last night of the year. Takashi was sitting on the bottom step that led up to his apartment. He was waiting for Yuriko’s older brother to pick him up to take them all to Izu for their New Year’s celebration. The cold was brushing against his cheeks, but it felt good. He thought that he must have looked a bit silly sitting by himself all wrapped up in layers of clothing with a wide grin on his face. He was looking forward to spending several hours in the back of a BMW with Haruka next to him, as they were chauffeur-driven by Yuriko’s brother Taroo to the peninsula to watch the sunrise.

Soon a pair of bright headlights came towards him. Takashi jumped up and watched the white BMW approaching approvingly. Yuriko and her brother smiled at him from the front seats. He craned his neck to look for Haruka in the back. He was happy to see her sitting in the middle back seat. He’d been half afraid that she wouldn’t have been able to make it.

Takashi took off his North Face puffer jacket and climbed into the car. Moving Haruka’s bag to sit down, he saw
him
. The colour drained from his face. White as a ghost and with a huge lump forming in his throat, he croaked a ‘Happy New Year.’

‘Jun is staying with my family again for the New Year and so we invited him along,’ Yuriko said hesitantly.

‘Oh,’ said Takashi, almost choking on this one monosyllable.

‘Hi,’ said Haruka, before turning away from Takashi to face Jun. Haruka started describing the Izu Peninsula to him.

For some reason, Takashi wasn’t angry at that point; he was just confused.
Why didn’t anyone told me that Jun was coming along?
he thought to himself, wondering if Haruka really did care about him and if the evening they’d spent together had meant nothing to her.
Is that why she’d left in the morning without a word? Did her note mean that she cared about me but she really wanted to be with Jun
? The vein in his head was thumping, and he opened the window a little to get some air. He really wanted a cigarette.

‘Good to see you again,’ said Jun in a hollow voice.

‘Likewise,’ Takashi mumbled back. He thought Haruka might reach over and take his hand. He kept hoping for a while that she would. This would prove to Takashi that Jun was not her boyfriend. But Haruka’s hands remained tightly clasped on her lap. To Takashi’s disappointment, several times throughout the journey he saw her hand brush against Jun’s knee, too many times for it to be natural. This trip was not working in his favour at all.

Everyone remained silent for the most part of the journey. They drove like this for hours towards Izu, listening to an Ayumi Hamasaki CD.

What was supposed to be the highlight of the year for Takashi was slowly becoming his worst night of the year, and the feeling he’d experienced as he’d waited on the steps of his apartment had now been turned inside out, along with his stomach.

They reached the peninsula at about four a.m. and met up with Kenji, Masaya, Momo-chan and Akiko.

Takashi walked away from the group, not in a good mood. He watched Masaya and Momo-chan, who looked so happy together with their arms around each other, leaning against Masaya’s car. Taroo was brushing leaves off his BMW and a couple of feet away from him, Haruka was talking to Akiko and also Jun, who looked very pleased with himself for having the full attention of both girls. Yuriko was deep in conversation with Kenji, who was facing Takashi about five feet away.

After a few minutes of feeling sorry for himself, Takashi felt uncomfortable just standing alone away from the group, and he beckoned to Kenji to come over. He saw him wave and nodded. Kenji knew by the look on Takashi’s face, even in the dark, that he was unhappy and he was good enough to leave Yuriko near the car to come and sit with him on a huge rock on the side of the mountain. Takashi looked straight ahead. He could hear the bubbling waves crashing against the rocks below. The smell of sea salt and damp leaves filled his nostrils.

Takashi and Kenji sat together on the rock in silence for a few minutes watching Momo-chan bring back a box of chocolate Pocky sticks from the car. They looked on as she passed them around the group.

‘How can I compete with someone like him?’ Takashi suddenly protested, nodding towards Jun.

‘What are you talking about, Takashi? He’s a smug snob with no personality,’ replied Kenji.

Takashi peeled off his right glove, pulled out a packet of Mild Sevens from the front right pocket of his jeans and lit a cigarette. ‘He might be a snob, but Haruka’s parents think he’s great. I haven’t got a chance in the world.’

‘You’re too hard on yourself,’ Kenji said.

Takashi flicked his ash with force. ‘Why does this have to be so difficult?’ he asked as he scratched his left ear nervously. Takashi flicked his ash again, so hard this time that he scratched off half the stub.

‘I suppose that sometimes you have to go to hell to appreciate heaven,’ Kenji replied.

This made Takashi smile. Every now and then, Kenji came out with the wisest comments.
No wonder the girls find him so charming
, Takashi thought to himself. If anyone was going to be there for him, he was glad it was Kenji. They sat together silently for a while. Takashi was using Kenji as an emotional crutch. He hated himself for needing any sort of support.

‘Did you get that Ducati motorbike we were talking about at Masaya’s tavern, Kenji?’ Takashi asked Kenji, secretly hoping he might be able to take it for a spin.

‘I certainly did,’ Kenji replied.

‘How is it?’ Takashi asked.

‘It rides like a dream,’ he said.

There were about twenty-five people waiting for the sunrise at that point on the mountain. A few metres away, the rest of their group were standing together, looking uncomfortable. Only Momo-chan, who was too young to notice or to understand the situation, was trying to persuade Masaya to play a game of rock-paper-scissors. There was only one chocolate Pocky stick left and they used the game to decide who should have it. Momo-chan beat Masaya with a rock over scissors, but they shared the last stick together.

Akiko, dressed in liquid leather again, was talking to Jun. Even Kenji and Takashi could hear them talking. Haruka and Yuriko also stopped to listen to their conversation.

‘You’re from Kyoto?’ Akiko asked Jun.

‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘I was invited to a couple of parties in Kyoto, but I decided to come to Tokyo instead. Excuse me, but if you don’t mind me asking, Akiko, how old are you?’ Jun said, flicking his hair casually.

‘A little bit older than Kenji,’ Akiko replied.

‘Really? I thought you were a lot older,’ he said, but Akiko ignored his rudeness. ‘Aren’t you cold in that short skirt?’ Jun continued.

‘Akiko might not be very warm, but she looks really trendy in that skirt,’ said Yuriko, smiling at Akiko.

‘Leather skirts are fashionable?’ asked Jun sarcastically.

Akiko scowled at Jun. This time, she really didn’t appreciate his sarcasm.

Jun saw that he’d upset her and he tried to turn it around. ‘I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to be rude,’ he said to Akiko sincerely.

Everyone listening looked at Jun with disbelief. It was unbelievable that Jun was actually showing concern for someone. Akiko returned his apology with a warm and sympathetic smile.

Kenji and Takashi went to rejoin the group. Takashi wanted to pull Haruka to one side and talk with her, but it didn’t seem like the right time or place. They stood there for about two hours waiting for the sunrise. Just before light, Momo-chan and Yuriko began talking about the singer that they’d been listening to in the car on the way up to Izu.

‘I just love Ayumi Hamasaki,’ said Momo-chan. ‘Do you like her music?’

‘Oh yes,’ replied Yuriko. ‘I have every one of her albums. She’s my favourite pop star.’

Jun rolled his eyes. He was obviously not a fan of Ayumi Hamasaki, but Momo-chan and Yuriko ignored him.

‘Yuriko, don’t you think she’s the most sincere famous person you’ve ever listened to?’ Momo-chan said to Yuriko.

‘Oh yes,’ replied Yuriko. ‘She’s so honest. Everything comes from the heart, doesn’t it? And don’t you think she sets so many fashion trends? She’s constantly reinventing herself. I’m always looking to see what she’s going to wear next.’

Suddenly Masaya interjected and said, ‘Gosh, I wish there was a MOS Burger right up here on the peninsula – I’m starving.’

‘You’re so right, Masaya,’ said Momo-chan, reaching over and giving her boyfriend a hug. ‘I think I could eat a teriyaki chicken burger, a MOS rice burger and a spicy chilli dog all at once, and I’d still have room for a hot cocoa!’

‘Well, I bet I could wolf down a spicy cheese burger, a fish burger, a straight chilli dog, and onion rings and let me see – corn soup!’ Masaya retorted with a chuckle as he wrapped his arms tightly around Momo-chan.

‘That’s disgusting,’ said Jun. ‘Fast food is so greasy and bad for you and it gives you pimples.’

‘Oh shut up, Jun, everyone loves MOS Burger. You’re no fun at all,’ barked Kenji as he shot the accused a piercing glare. Jun made an about turn and skulked off in a huff to lean against Taroo’s car. Everyone beamed at Kenji, grateful that someone had finally stood up to pompous Jun.

Finally, light seeped through the blanket of darkness and morning dawned. There was no spectacular sunrise; in fact there was no sun at all – just light breaking through gloomy, steel grey clouds.

Dismayed, everyone returned to the cars moaning and complaining. They were all tired and damp. It felt like they’d all expected to see a terrific movie at the cinema to Takashi, only to walk out having watched a B-grade flop. He turned to see where the others were and he noticed Jun pass Akiko his business card before he came over towards Taroo’s BMW. He looked very pleased with himself. Again it struck Takashi that Jun was a player. He glanced over at Haruka, but she hadn’t noticed that exchange between Jun and Akiko, as she wasn’t facing Taroo’s car, and she’d been busy chatting with Momo-chan.
Surely I’m a better match for her than Jun
, Takashi thought to himself for the hundredth time since he’d met this insidious fellow.

‘Sorry, everyone,’ cried out Masaya. ‘I was here two years ago and it was one of the most amazing experiences to see the sun rise from this point on the peninsula.’

‘You’re not to blame, Masaya,’ Takashi said kindly.

Masaya shook his head. ‘Still, it was my idea.’

‘Let’s go home, I’m exhausted,’ said Yuriko’s brother Taroo.

Hopping into the car, Takashi felt his spirits lift a little when Yuriko offered Jun the front seat. He felt a little childish knowing that Jun was no longer sitting right next to Haruka, but it wasn’t long before there was another turn for the worse.

They were circling down the mountain, driving at a safe speed on a steep incline. Takashi felt extremely tired, but he couldn’t sleep. Suddenly, the tyres hit the gravel and the head of the car began moving towards the side of the cliff. The drop below was at least a hundred metres. Yuriko screamed at her brother Taroo and he swerved back on to the road.

‘You’re an idiot! Turn on the radio and stay awake, or you’ll kill us all,’ she barked at him.

Takashi looked out the car window and watched the rain stream down the glass like falling tears. He said nothing, but now he was fuming inside. He felt his face flush up so much that his cheeks were burning. It reminded him of when he used to have rosy cheeks almost permanently as a child. He must have been about eight years old when his older brother – the brother for whom his family still mourned – used to joke that his cheeks were sometimes so red that he looked like he’d finished off a whole bottle of whisky. Takashi missed him a lot just then.

Breaking from his thoughts, Takashi noticed that no one was in the mood for conversation. Everybody kept quiet for the remainder of the journey back to Tokyo.

Takashi finally staggered back into his apartment at about noon. He flung off his shoes at the door and dialled his parents’ number. Thankfully, his mother answered the phone with her usual cheerful voice.

‘It’s me,’ Takashi said. ‘I’m furious.’

‘Happy New Year, Takashi,’ his mother said. She made him feel bad for not acknowledging the day. He already felt really guilty for not being there to celebrate with them, but it would’ve been too difficult to get to their house and meet up with them that day. Anyway, his mother was always busy at New Year cleaning the entire house and he would have been in the way, he thought to himself. On New Year’s Eve, his parents would have watched the NHK broadcast of the music programme
K
haku Uta Gassen
and today they’d probably have visited a shrine to commemorate the first day of the year.