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19: Babysitter
Izo stared hard at the gangly boy at the door. He didn’t want to believe what he was seeing and for a moment wished, yet a little ashamed at how quite twisted it was, that maybe it was just someone else playing a tasteless prank on Sasako. Setting down the presents he was holding on the closest available surface, he pocketed his hands in his jeans pockets, and decided to scrutinize—if not interrogate—this suspicious guy.
Right that moment, Isami appeared, stopping Izo midstep. “Who is it, honey?”
Sasako pulled Jiro in and quickly shut the door.
“Kaasan!” Sasako’s smile reaching the back of her head. “This is Jiro.”
Izo didn’t like how Sasako smiled, but he certainly didn’t show it.
Jiro gave Isami and low bow. “Ohayou gozaimashita, Hatakeyama–san,” he greeted.
“Ohayou gozaimashita,” Isami greeted, bowing a small bow.
“And this is Izo, my sister’s friend,” Sasako smiled.
Izo grimaced inwardly.
Jiro also gave Izo a low bow and gave him the same greeting. Izo returned a nippy, half-hearted bow and immediately turned to Isami.
“Hatakeyama-san,” he began. “Sonya asked me to get the rest of her things.”
“Sure, go ahead,” Isami smiled.
“Hmm,” Sasako frowned a little, but didn’t give it much thought as her eyes stalked after Izo.
“I’ll go get some tea,” said Isami, smiling both as Sasako and Jiro before shuffling back towards the kitchen.
Sasako took Jiro’s hand and led him to the living room.
“I can’t believe you’re here! When did you get back? And what’s that on your shoulder?”
Sasako asked, noticing the long, black cylinder case slung over Jiro’s shoulder. “That’s definitely not some kind of alien technology camera, is it?”
Jiro laughed as he shook his head. He set it on the coffee table and lowered himself into sitting position, Sasako kneeling close to him.
“Answer to your first question is yesterday. Answer to your second question is,” Jiro paused, smiling. “I borrowed this from my uncle. He’s an architect and he keeps all his drawings in here,” Jiro said as-a-matter-of-factly, patting the cylinder case.
“Hmm,” Sasako wondered. “Is this what you’ve been doing in Nagoya? Did you do work for your uncle?”
“Well,” Jiro grinned, letting his tongue roll on the word. “Yes and no.”
Sasako frowned at him. “You’re still not going to tell me?”
“All right, first off, I’m sorry but I was doing that on purpose.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I didn’t do work for my uncle, but I was with him most of the time. And I wasn’t just in Nagoya… We’ve been travelling to different parts of the country.”
Sasako’s mouth formed a big ‘O’, but she didn’t say anything.
“Making you feel that way was deliberate, but wait—” Jiro held out his hands in front of him to stop Sasako before she could react, seeing the hot anger flash in her eyes. “It wouldn’t make the surprise very much of a surprise if I told you everything.”
YOU ARE READING
Paradox
RomanceAverage, undistinguished, and just downright ordinary. This is you. And you are drooling over of the hottest celebrity in the country. There is little to zero chance that you would ever meet him face-to-face. That's a fact and no chink for debate. S...
