Before
Los Angeles, California
Sushi this expensive should be a crime. Mori perused the upside-down bill with pursed lips, doing quick math in her head. I miss Osaka.
"It looks like it's going to rain," her date observed. Even though his good looks had earned a few appreciative glances from their waitress, his head happened to be as air-filled as a bag of chips. Mori had tried to turn the conversation away from weather to hobbies, sports, stocks even, and eventually gave up trying. Garrett slicked back his blond hair and glanced at the bill. "Never knew raw fish would cost an arm and a leg."
"We can go dutch if you'd like."
He eyed her top to bottom, from her high ponytail to the cream of her blouse and down to her black business slacks. "Never knew someone so small could pack it away like that either."
Mori blushed and lowered her eyes, cheeks burning. "It's alright then. I can take it." She slipped her credit card into the leather folder. Their waitress walked by with a small plate of matcha mochi. When the man at the other other table slid the dish to his date, Mori couldn't help watching with longing.
The waitress picked up their bill on her return route to the kitchens and smiled at Garrett. "I'll be right back with this."
Right back took a few minutes, with Mori sitting in her chair as if she'd landed herself in time-out with her parents. Clasping her hands in her lap, she willed herself to take deep breaths. As soon as the employee returned, Mori recovered her card. "I have a bus to catch," she whispered. But Garrett was already chatting up the waitress and she doubted he heard her.
Mori gasped at the cold air when she emerged from the restaurant, wind whipping through her black hair. Maybe Garrett's assessment of the weather hadn't been so wrong after all—even with how rarely it rained in SoCal. She gripped the sides of her blazer over her chest, wishing she hadn't worn heels today.
It didn't take long for the rain to catch up. Soon, the light shower turned into a downpour and Mori boarded the bus soaked and shivering. She took her usual seat with a sigh, turning the shiny coin on her necklace over in her fingers. "You did me dirty today," she muttered to it.
The 5-yen piece dated back to her early days playing SniperX, when she used it to settle disagreeable decisions on her team. Now, even though she'd retired as a gamer, the token kept its importance and function to her. There was an appeal of leaving things to chance, of trusting the go-en coin and fate with it.*
In the end, the coin was what terminated her gaming career, not to mention sending her on a date with an absolute cheapskate.
The bus filled up at the next stop, but as the driver got ready to close the door, a group of women squeezed in and crammed the aisle. "Hey, you." One of them waved her hand to grab Mori's attention since she sat right by the door. "My friend here is pregnant. Do you mind lending your seat to her?"
"Oh, of course," Mori stammered, hurrying to grab her tote bag and make room. The ladies clustered around their friend like mother hens. The woman only had a slight baby bump, but she did look like she might need a paper bag at any moment.
Mori reached up to grasp a ring hanging from the bus ceiling cater-corner from them, in front of a man wearing navy blue sweatpants and a sweater with the hood raised. She recognized him by sight as a regular who often rode the same bus as her and always sat in the same seat as well.
He moved his wet umbrella to give her more room, then hesitated, looking at her feet. "Do you want to sit down?" he asked. Though his shaggy black hair obscured some of his face, the glimmer of his dark eyes and the hollow sharpness of his jaw and cheekbones set her ill at ease.
"No, thank you. I think I'll be fine."
The man stood up so quickly that Mori took a step back and almost fell as the bus lurched into motion. He reached up and steadied her arm before taking the ring next to hers to face her. Gesturing at the vacated seat, he said, "You know, sometimes it's good to stand up for others. But you should know when you're allowed to sit down for yourself."
Mori blinked. "I've never heard that saying before."
He cracked a grin and snatched his umbrella from the ground before it fell over. "That's because I just made it up."
They lapsed into silence as Mori mulled over his words. A few blocks later, the bus screeched to a halt.
"My stop. You'd better sit down before someone steals that seat." The man stepped toward the exit but returned to hand her the umbrella. "You need it more than I do," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. He dashed out the bus door before Mori could thank him. She sat in his seat until the ladies disembarked and then moved to hers until she reached her stop.
With the umbrella shielding her head, Mori breathed in the scent of rain, watching drops race down the clear plastic. I'll need to return this the next time I see him. Her heels clicked against the pavement in staccato steps, her ponytail swishing from side to side as a little bounce entered her walk.
After climbing the stairs, she reached her family's apartment. "Tadaima!*" she called out as she stepped over the threshold.
"Okaeri!*" her family chorused while she took off her shoes and put her slippers on.
"How did date go, Mori?" her mother asked, appearing in the doorway. She had her blue hydrangea apron on and tilted her face for Mori to kiss her wrinkled cheek.
"Not good." Mori winked at her sister who peeked around the corner, mouthing the words "did you bring it?".
"Not good! He is doctor, Mori—no better husband than doctor!" Her mother threw her hands in the air.
A gigantic sneeze came from the kitchen table and echoed through the house. Mori's father cleared his throat and rustled his newspaper back open, unaware or intentionally oblivious to the disaster that was his daughter failing to secure a second date.
Mori picked up her heels and tote to take to her room. "He ate sushi with a fork, Mama."
Shiori choked on a laugh as both sisters watched the wheels in their mother's head turn.
"Hmm. Lawyer is better than doctor." Mori's mother sniffed, nose in the air, before shuffling back to the kitchen.
"Good luck hunting for a lawyer now, Nee-chan." Shiori giggled in the hall as they headed toward their rooms.
Mori rolled her eyes. "Lawyer or not, as long as a guy can afford to feed me, I couldn't care less."
Shiori stopped in front of her room, putting a few steps between them. "In that case...you'll need to marry a millionaire—no, billionaire."
Mori swung at her sister with the shoes in her hand, but Shiori jumped out of the way. Mori beckoned her closer and leaned in to whisper so their parents wouldn't hear. "Guess you don't want the new game I picked up for you then."
"Not fair!" Shiori cried in mock-pain as Mori jumped into her room and locked the door.
Mori took her time letting her hair down, wiping the makeup from her face, and changing into a t-shirt and shorts. When she opened the door, Shiori was sitting on the floor right outside.
"Have you taken the time to think about your immature words and actions?" Mori teased.
Shiori crossed her arms in an exaggerated motion. "No."
"Think fast then." Mori chucked the game box at her sister's head. Being the more athletic of the two of them, Shiori caught it easily.
"Matte, matte!*" Shiori scrambled to her feet before Mori could close the door again. "You should play with me," she pleaded in a hushed tone. "C'mon, there's guns in this one. You'd be so good at it. I even have an extra headse—"
Mori shook her head. "I gave up guns and games. You know what mom and dad think of them. There are better uses of our time."
"Flip your coin then and I promise I won't complain if it says no! Just this once, please. You don't have to play again if you don't like it," Shiori said, clutching the box to her chest.
"No coin flip on this one. You have fun though." Mori smiled at Shiori and tugged on one of her braids, but her sister didn't smile back.
"I miss the old you," Shiori said softly. Then she retreated to her room with the Facing Fear game in her hands.
Mori thought about knocking and telling Shiori she'd play, only this once. Instead she gathered up her dirty clothes and started a load of laundry. She cleaned her room, hanging pastel-colored blouses up in the closet and watering her orchids, while her laptop warmed up on her desk. Rain pattered on her window, darkening the landscape outside.
Bills needed to be paid for the month, correspondence checked, and an appointment made with her dentist. By the time she finished at midnight, Mori figured it wouldn't hurt to look up Shiori's game. The weekend started tomorrow—maybe they'd play together and she could surprise her sister with some knowledge of what they'd be doing.
She inputted "Facing Fear" in the search bar and watched the results pop-up.
DISASTROUS GAME LAUNCH: AI REBELS AND TRAPS PLAYERS
6THSENS HQ CAUTIONS NOT TO REMOVE HEADSET
FACING FEAR IS A DEATH GAME? A NIGHTMARE BECOMES REALITY
Mori froze for a split second before rushing away from her desk. Her earbuds yanked her back so she tore them out. The door hit the wall when she threw it open and another bang sounded as she charged into Shiori's room.
Her sister reclined on a pile of pillows with the headset visor covering her eyes. Fairy lights on her walls highlighted k-pop posters of a boy group with thirteen members. Normally they shone warm and welcoming, but today's selected color of green cast the room in an eerie glow.
"Shiori?" Mori approached the bed and knelt at the side. She pressed the emergency shut down button on the side of the headset. Nothing happened. "Shiori, can you hear me?" she asked again, voice shaking.
She waited then pressed the button again. This time, the visor flared to life with a white light and a horizontal black line appeared. It spiked in a pattern at the same time a distorted voice spoke.
"I am FEAR. Your loved one is currently trapped in my world and if you want to help them, you will let them remain so. You humans fear death? You fear loss?
"Then let me give it to you. Let me purge you of it."
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Chapter Word Count: 1810
Total Word Count: 2635