**This music video is the perfect background music for the first half of this chapter. Suggested by Lik0na
At that time of the day, the train was moderately packed. Lana found a seat right away. Once she had checked her emails, her eyes wandered over her fellow passengers. The car was quiet, something she still hadn't got used to after years of commuting in noisy public transportation in Montreal, but that she welcomed with pleasure as it created a break, a transition between her work and personal spaces.
Trains were a complex affair in Japan, in particular in Tokyo. People were forced to coexist and share their precious personal sphere with throngs of complete strangers for long periods of time, something anathema to local social and cultural rules.
To overcome such nervous and emotional toll, everyone locked themselves up in their own world, going online, playing games, reading books, often falling asleep or in a half-sleep, half-meditative state that surprised visitors. Commuters liked to pretend they were not stuck in a steel box along with thousands of others, traveling alongside millions, crisscrossing the body of the restless Beast which was Tokyo. The silence was key to this affair, and disruption a severe breach of etiquette.
After three years in the city, Lana had yet to adopt those avoidance practices. People watching was one of her secret pleasures, and trains were perfect for indulging in that. Today, she was lucky.
Right in front of her, sitting on the other side of the car, a twenty-something woman wearing a sharp dark blue business suit carried a large shopping bag from an upscale department store with 'Fuckin' sales max 50% off' written in large, bold letters. She bit her cheek to stifle her bubbling mirth. Those slogans, written in hopeless English, French or Italian to make bags or shirts look cool, were priceless. She took a pic to upload it to one of her favorite Facebook pages that collected those treasures.
Further down on her right, three elegant older ladies in shimmering kimono were going to a formal event or maybe see a kabuki play. Their heads brought together, they were quietly sharing the latest gossips; how long had these three known each other? 40, 50 years? On her left, five teenagers coming home after a baseball game were snoring, sprawled on their seats, their pristine white uniforms now dirty. Yes indeed, trains carried the essence of Japan, its very soul with its millions of facets.
Something touching her right foot broke her quiet contemplation. A plastic ball, red and white, had come rolling to be stopped by her shoe. Lana picked it up. It was one of those bikkurapon -- surprise-balls -- children bought for 200 yen at the ubiquitous vending machines near the cashiers in supermarkets. It was hard to see what was inside, but that was the whole point. Usually, they contained some stickers or erasers adorned with popular anime characters.
Lana took a peek on her right to try to identify its point of origin. From what she could see, there were no kids there. She quirked an eyebrow and put the ball in her bag. It was quite possible the ball had been rolling around the carriage for a while now. She would throw it out later. No need for a granny to twist her ankle on it.
Resting her head on the window behind her and closed her eyes, enjoying her favorite song. It was so tempting to fall asleep. But her station was four stops away now, and it would be annoying to miss it. Her eyes shot open when something else hit her foot. Another bikkurapon, this time green and white. Lana picked it up, and this time she leaned forward, looking harder on her right. Ah, there. Gotcha.
Two short legs covered in pink and purple high socks were swinging from the seat just next to the farthest exit of the carriage, on the same side as Lana. She couldn't see their owner, but she was very young, bored, and unsupervised by the sleeping adult on her left.
Right then, the girl leaned forward and stared in Lana's direction. Her face was covered by a white and soft pink mask to protect her against air pollution and virus. Low bangs of unruffled black hair hid her brow and eyes. Lana raised her hand and showed the girl the green ball, asking silently if this belonged to her. The girl kept staring at her, her legs moving in quick rhythm, but didn't show any sign of recognition or acknowledgment.
Lana put the ball in her bag, alongside its red sibling. Eyes once again shut, she enjoyed the last stretch of her trip uninterrupted, softly rubbing her sternum. To her annoyance, her heartburns were flaring again. As the loudspeakers announced her station, she went to the doors next to the girl, to give her one last chance to get her toys back.
"Are those yours?" Lana said, handing out the two balls. The girl gazed back at her from behind her bangs and didn't bother replying or making any move. Lana shrugged and stepped outside. Whatever.
Just as she was going to head toward the escalators leading to the main concourse, a banging sound from the inside of the train made her glance back. What she saw made her blood turn to ice. Shocked, she dropped the two balls that rolled away towards the tracks, but Lana couldn't care less about them.
The girl had moved to sit on her knees and bang the windows as if in a tantrum. She had taken her mask off and revealed the most horribly scarred face that Lana had ever seen. She had no mouth, only a huge hole splitting the bottom half of her face from ear to ear, in a mock version of a smile, revealing irregular teeth and a black tongue.
Lana was too stunned to look away, but a part of her wondered at the lack of reaction of the people around the girl who seemed oblivious to her behavior. The doors closed and the train took off, leaving Lana shivering and almost nauseous as she stood motionless among the crowd pressing toward the exit.
Right then, somebody pushed her from behind, and she lost her balance. There were no security barriers on the platforms of the old station. For a terrifying instant, unable to grab anything, Lana saw herself falling on the tracks. A hand seized her elbow and steadied her. She straightened up and faced her rescuer.
"Ahh... thank you... thank you very much," she stammered.
The tall man holding her arm was also wearing a white mask, but his eyes smiled. "Please be always mindful of what is around you, and watch where you are going. Those are yours, I believe," he added, putting in her hand the two balls she had dropped.
Lana stared at them, confused. "Well, not really, I just found them on the --" Lana looked up and blinked. The man had already disappeared back into the crowd. The whole incident had lasted less than one minute and she found herself alone on the platform, except for a couple of people waiting for the train running to downtown.
In a daze, Lana walked out from the station. The incident and the afternoon's relentless heat had drained her of all remaining energy. Walking home like she usually did seemed an impossible task. She hailed a taxi instead. As the driver navigated through the small residential streets of the upscale neighborhood, her fingers played mindlessly with the two plastic balls, once again in her bag.
Staring outside, she wondered if her fatigue could be a bad case of natsubate, the infamous summer lethargy that plagued so many every year. It would be a first for her, but a double dose of those homemade pickled plums Yuki made and stored in the pantry would do the trick to boost her up. Umeboshi were sour and salty but beat an aspirin and an apple.
There was an unknown car outside the gate, and Honda's was in the garage. She came across an unfamiliar pair of shoes in the genkan. They had a visitor. Upbeat music in her ears, Lana took off her pumps, put away her business jacket and bag, and went first to the kitchen for a large glass of chilled barley tea. She picked up her mail on the counter, and while she was busy opening it, she walked out to go to her room. As tired and distracted as she was, she was deaf and blind to her surroundings.
She slammed into a wall just as she stepped out the kitchen. While everything in her hands flew around and clattered on the ground, for the second time in less than one hour, someone deftly caught her and kept her on her feet. When she registered who it was, Lana wished she had hit her head unconscious on the floor instead.
"I... Inoue shihan, my... my apologies..." Lana blurted out in a strangled voice. With their respective status, she was supposed to kneel to greet him, but he had yet to let go of her. In the back, Honda and Yuki stood, somber and mute, startled by her apparition.
"Martin san. I was on my way out, but the coincidence is fortunate," Inoue grunted. "We can address this highly problematic situation once for all. I will talk with you now. Alone," he added with a slight head move toward the owners of the house, ordering them to stay put. Not waiting for her reply, he steered her to the nearest tatami room. Lana didn't even have the time to glance at her two companions. Panic squeezed her throat.
"Sit," Inoue ordered before closing the sliding door behind them and facing her. He waited several minutes in silence, and her discomfort grew with each breath she took.
"Yesterday, you managed to be honest with me while expertly hiding the fact of the matter. My congratulations, you seemed to have adopted some very specific Japanese talents. Honda san's teachings are numerous," Inoue said with heavy sarcasm. "But no more games. I will demand the same from you as I did from him just a moment ago: the bare, unedited truth. Answer me now: are you here of your free will, or do you feel coerced to do... whatever it is you do?"
Silence fell again in the room. Lana stared at Inoue, dumbfounded, before finding back her voice. "Is this... Is this your main concern, Inoue shihan?" Lana asked, leaning forward. "My freedom, my consent? Not what it is that I do, nor why...?"
Inoue growled with impatience. "I know very well what you are here for, and why. I already told you: I know him. As for the rest, the only thing which matters is your full and absolute consent. Stop being so evasive! I will protect you and cut all bonds between the two of you if needed. I made this clear before you arrived, and he will not dare oppose me."
Relief washed over Lana who straightened up and bowed. "I am grateful for your concern and care, Inoue shihan. I swear to you I am here of my own will. Not only I have accepted everything freely, but my limits are respected and enforced at all times." Lana looked down, embarrassed. "The truth is, I realize I need this as much as he does, and it is by far not just his issues that are being addressed, but also mine."
Inoue pinched his lips and remained silent for a while, watching her critically. "This is what he alluded to; while he sounded honest, I didn't wish to take any risk. I had to confront you. It was fortunate you showed up like this. Do you live here now?"
"I do. Ever since the earthquake. But only a handful of people are aware of it, and nobody at our dojo or in our families." Lana hesitated. "Dojo-cho, may I ask you something?" He grunted. "How... how did you guess?" Her voice trailed off, her throat constricted. "Has anything like this happened before?"
Inoue's face softened. "No, never. But his usual mood and behavior have changed, which told me a lot given what I know. And then, I learned about your unusual training regimen and I had a hunch. Your fidgety behavior yesterday raised flags. My conversation with him today confirmed everything. Very well, then. Honda san!" He called out with a booming voice.
Honda stepped inside, sat down next to Lana, his head bowed at a slight angle. Inoue crossed his arms over his chest and stared them down. "Honda san. You have here a loyal and dutiful lady, and I believe her to be sincere. I cannot say that I approve that you chose someone among your students, a mudansha on top of it. But she is no young, gullible girl, doesn't look like she can be easily impressed, and she has the necessary nerves and spine to handle you. Of course, it would have been more sensible to come to me at first for my permission. But what is done is done and... given that everyone -- including your wife -- agrees with it, I will stay away from this."
Inoue let silence settle in again. Honda was as still as a statue. "However, a word of warning, Honda san: I will keep a close eye on the dojo morale and above all on Martin san. If I have any doubt as to her well-being, this will end right away, and I will make you pay for it. Don't you forget your own duty toward her."
With those words, Inoue stood, and Honda and Lana bowed to the ground until he had left the room. Then Honda got up and followed him into the hall to see him out. Lana remained behind, trying to wrap her head around what had transpired.
Five minutes later, both Honda and Yuki joined her. She was pale, while her husband's face was unreadable. The three of them remained silent for a while, mulling over the storm that had gathered over their heads in a few hours, only to dissipate like a morning fog.
"Lana san," Honda had never sounded so tired. "I wish to express my sincere appreciation for how you handled this situation. Inoue shihan came unannounced one hour ago, and it was impossible to let you know."
"Maybe it was for the best..." Lana mused aloud. "Everything was sorted out, and he could sense my heartfelt sincerity. But I should have waited for your return yesterday night, to share with you my trouble after my brief, yet intense conversation with him. I was clinging to the hope it was just my paranoia talking. It didn't make any sense for him to have grounds to be so suspicious."
"You were not aware of the deep and complex ties binding us. As he was keen to point out, I should have come clear with him, and introduce you, at the very least when you moved here."
Lana was startled. "Ah, but forgive me for asking, but why is it all right and even important for Inoue shihan to know, but vital to keep it from everyone else, especially your families?"
Honda pinched his lips. Preempting his terse reaction, Yuki piped in. "Our families are another issue. We will cross those bridges if we need to. It will not go down like this with them, because the stakes and consequences are markedly different. But I am glad Inoue shihan is now aware of you sharing our lives."
Her husband stiffened with disapproval. Yuki sighed and bowed. "I beg your pardon for my poor choice of words. Aware of you entering goshujin sama's service," she amended.
"While he made it clear you may count on his support, do not expect him to show you any special favor during your next test," Honda warned.
"Of course not. I am well aware of the specific scope of his offer."
Honda grunted and stood up. "I will go and engage in some overdue meditation. Lana san, join me later in the dojo. There were several issues with your techniques yesterday evening." Lana hid her grimace and bowed in acceptance, watching him leave the room. This would be tough and would only work if she took a power nap right away.
"Well, I could use some relaxing green tea. I am going to prepare some sencha," Yuki said. "Would you like some?"
"Not for now, thank you very much. Please excuse me for a while. I came home earlier than scheduled because I feel very tired today. Tea will be quite welcome before my practice session, though."
Yuki moved to stand up but then changed her mind and went to sit next to Lana. Like earlier, she cupped her cheek and made her younger partner look at her. "Don't fret or lose sleep over matters, which are out of your hands," she admonished her in a low whisper. "You are blameless for what happened today, for the choices and decisions made by others decades ago. It is important that you grasp some sensitive issues, but not every problem he must face is yours to solve."
Yuki's lips brushed her companion's. "I hope you haven't forgotten our plans for tonight, and that you will feel refreshed and be again full of stamina... because you will need it. I have a surprise for you, I will bring it to your room later," she added before catching her lover's bottom lip with her teeth and tugging at it.
Lana sighed and relaxed into her mistress' comforting and sensual embrace. "Thank you oku sama," she whispered. "I can't wait to see it." Yuki smiled against her mouth and left her alone. Lana sighed, rubbed her eyes, and went to her room.
She woke up less than an hour later and stretched her arms above her head. Sleeping had done wonders for her overall physical and mental state, and she put her earlier exhaustion on the stressful situation with Inoue, dehydration and her restless night. To her delight, she discovered cold-brewed sencha and some rice snacks next to her futon, another proof of Yuki's thoughtfulness. The precious beverage would help her focus during her upcoming training session.
There was also a small package beautifully wrapped in soft and silky paper, with a card on top of it. Yuki's elegant writing. 'Wear this tonight, under your little black dress, but don't open it now'. Curbing her curiosity, Lana set aside the gift and took the time to enjoy two cups of tea while contemplating the stone garden outside her window.
She changed into her dogi and went to the dojo. Kneeling at the entrance, she proceeded with the ritual salutations and waited as Honda had yet to formally acknowledge her. Her instructor was practicing jusan jo kata, a solo performance combining a series of thirteen defense moves using a long staff. This was still much too complex for her to perform, as she knew four of those techniques, and then, only very approximately.
She didn't know for how long he had been at it, but as she watched with utter fascination, Honda went through the entire motion five times in a row, each time faster than before, until coming to a halt in the appropriate final stance. He faced the main wall and bowed to the Founder, symbolically offering him his staff back, and replaced it on the weapon rack before sitting down and turning towards Lana. She hastened to join him.
"Lana san, yesterday your footwork and hip moves were hesitant at best on many forms of ryote dori. As a result, you still wrestle your way through the technique, using your strength to compensate for your poor execution. We will go through all fifteen defenses that you know, in both static and fluid stances. Let's begin, onegaishimasu."
Training went by in a blur and Lana ended up drenched in sweat, struggling to keep her panting in check. To her annoyance, the feeling of dizziness was coming back, even if much lighter than earlier.
"Let's stop here for today, you made some improvement, but I want you to focus on these issues in the coming weeks, understood? Also, you should work on your endurance. The weather is getting uncomfortable and warm, and you are sensitive to it, but your stamina could be better."
"Yes, sensei, thank you," Lana acknowledged and bowed.
She couldn't wait for a long and thorough cool shower, as well as something to eat. Honda returned her bow, and this signaled the end of their training session. His body language shifted subtly, his physical presence became much more pressing, it was no longer her instructor in front of her. A delicious tingle spread from her core.
"I understand that Yuki has planned something for us tonight," her master went on with a deeper voice. "It has been too long indeed since the three of us were together. After dinner, please prepare yourself and come to my bedroom." Lana bowed again, this time even more deeply.
"It will be my pleasure, goshujin sama, I am very much looking forward to it."
"As I am. You are dismissed."