Blue Velvet, Sparkling Water, Tomorrow's Dreams

"Let's go home," I said, resting my bag on Mareni's table.

"Eh? Ah, yes, let's go." She was always staring somewhere, be it out of the window, at the blackboard (but not the contents scratched upon it, I suppose), or even just into the space directly in front of her. Just what was reflected into her eyes? I did not know, and this difference in perspective caused an itch somewhere in my mind that I just could not reach.

A few days ago, when she showed up in our classroom out of the blue, my expectation that this school year would go like the last was readily shattered. Learning that she was also from Fukushima perked my curiosity somewhat, but it was my observations during class of her looking all around that made me unable to hold back, and to approach her during recess.

In this capital city far from home, where mundanity has slowly creeped into every street corner, what was she able to see? Perhaps by being with her, I could find some color back into my everyday life.

"Eiko-san?" Her voice snapped me back from my thoughts. Her eyes, usually fixated somewhere else, was looking directly at me. I felt my cheeks turn warm, but I didn't otherwise react to it.

"Right, let's make a move." We strode out of our classroom into the common corridor, where Yuran was already waiting for us.

"Heheh, looks like I'm earlier today huh," she grinned smugly.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Mareni said, "copying the notes on the blackboard took longer than I expected."

"No worries, no worries," Yuran shook her head, "but Eiko owes me a drink."

"For being the last one out?" I asked.

"For being the last one out."

"If that was the case, I recall that Mareni and I have been the ones waiting for you for the past several days. Perhaps it would be a good time to get my drinks from you instead."

Yuran's expression first went into surprise, which then turned into a sulky pout. If you were to look carefully, you might even hear a "pu! pu! pu!" from her eyes.

"...Given that we did not have any rule like this prior to today, I am willing to let this entire proposition slide," she said under her breath.

"How unfortunate, there goes my prospects of receiving a week's worth of free drinks." Though, I got to see something pleasant during this exchange, which was not too bad.

"Excuse me," Mareni said, "but where might Asumu-san be? Is she still in the classroom?"

"Ah, she has a shift at a new part time work, so she won't be joining us today," Yuran said.

"Oh, she's working today?" I tapped my chin slightly. "Is that so. It'll be just the three of us today, then."

"I see..." Mareni's voice trailed off into the air.

 

"Somehow, it just feels different without Asumu-san around..." Mareni said, as she examined a crystal puppy in her hand.

We were in a shop that sold crystal trinkets and other small baubles, run by a balding old man with a white ring of hair like clouds around his summit. For today's itinerary, we decided to pass by Nipponbashi-doori on our way home. One of the reasons was so that I could show Mareni the other shopping street around these parts that happens to intersect Yoshino-chou (and to see what sort of expressions would surface). The other reason was simply that it has been a while since I have walked through this street, having been occupied with other places in the city lately.

So far, Mareni hasn't been showing her usual bright-eyed excitement at seeing novelties in front of her. This made my mood sink just a little bit as well.

After much hesitation, I figured that it was okay to tell Mareni about Asumu's situation.

"From what I understand, Asumu's family isn't well to do, and so she tries to help out with household expenses by doing part time work."

Mareni turned to look at me. "That was unexpected," she said, then lowered her head, clearly thinking about something.

"Thus, whenever we get food or drink on our way home, I always make it a point to foot the bill for the whole group, so that the expenses don't become a liability for Asumu," I continued.

"Hey, I've picked up the check several times as well," Yuran protested.

"Right. Thank you for that." Although I could count the number of times she had paid for food and drink with one hand, but seeing Yuran in a good mood after being thanked, as well as the settlement amount involved during those rare times she had paid, I decided there was nothing to gain by bringing that up.

"Should I start chipping in as well?" Mareni pondered.

"Thank you for your consideration, but it is okay," I said. "I think Asumu does feel a bit uneasy about having Yuran and I pay for her food and drink, but we've struck out an unspoken balance of sorts. I think it would be better if you joined her in being treated by us instead of joining us in doing the treating...that's what I think."

"I see..." Mareni retreated back into her thoughts.

"Come to think of it," I tried to change the subject, "before you joined us, on the days that Asumu had work, Yuran and I didn't really walk around outside like this."

"We would just head straight over to your place, remember?" Yuran said, looking up from the glass ball she was holding.

"Eiko-san's place?" Mareni's ears twitched just a little. "Hmmmmm. What do you do there?"

"Well, she has mostly been teaching me naginata-kata," Yuran said, first putting the glass ball back into its woven basket, then doing a forward thrust with an imaginary weapon. Her form could have been smoother, but to be fair it is rather hard to sink your weight forward when you are wearing shoes, so I didn't bring it up.

"Naginata!" Mareni exclaimed in surprise.

"My family has our own style of naginata-kata," I scratched the back of my head gently, "but rather than calling it 'teaching' I would prefer the term 'sharing'...I haven't attained mastery yet, so technically I'm not allowed to teach others."

"Oh, now you're just being humble," Yuran came up to me and patted my back. "Your moves are already really slick and awe-inspiring."

"That is to be expected, novices usually can't pick out the nuances between different levels once a point has been reached...Mareni?"

Mareni's face was glowing with amazement. "That is incredible, knowing a martial art. I think that striving for mastery in a skill is something laudable."

Seeing her usual expression once again, my shoulders loosened in relief. "If you'd like, I could show you the basics as well."

"No, I am all right," she said, quickly waving her hands. "I'm not really suited to physical activity."

"Is that so." I didn't push the subject further. She does seem to be more on the soft side — ah, I don't mean physically, either.

Having sated our curiosity in what this store holds, the three of us made our way outside and back on the road.

"Now then, where shall we head to next?" I asked.

"What's that building further down the road?" Mareni pointed in the direction of the roundabout.

"Oh, that?" I looked at the giant, four-storey structure imposing its presence on one of the street corners. "It's the department store. It's rather overwhelming for me so I rarely go in, but we can take a look if you want."

We approached the building, which slowly engulfed our view.

"It's so big..." Mareni gasped. Indeed, this department store towered above all the surrounding buildings, which were one, two storeys at most.

"I have heard from my relatives who had traveled abroad that there are even taller buildings in the West," Yuran commented.

"That sounds like it would be an eyesore," I said. "It would ruin the view of the sky."

"Yeah," Yuran agreed.

I turned and looked down the street, beyond the other side of the roundabout. It had a gentle downwards incline as it unraveled, with short, unassuming buildings on both sides and one or two automobiles sputtering further downwards. In the absolute distance was a range of mountains, cool gray with white peaks, set against the cloudless azure sky.

I then looked at the entrance to the department store in front of me. Two glass doors twice our height with flashy bronze furniture, permanently swung open in a doorway that could easily let a dozen people through at the same time — indeed, people were going in and out the doorway even with us standing in the way. The checkered linoleum flooring was sparsely occupied with display cases, tables, and potted plants.

We stepped in.

A wave of warm air lapped my skin. Next, the smell of perfume hit my nostrils, and coupled with the sudden change in climate, caused me to sneeze.

"...Excuse me," I said, dabbing my nose with my handkerchief.

The three of us dispersed slowly over the first floor of the building. Mareni floated over to what seemed like a counter with combs and handheld mirrors, while Yuran peered into glass cases that contained what seemed to be pocketwatches. As for me, I let my legs take me around without a clear destination in mind, just trying to mediate within myself this clash of sensations.

Looking straight up, sunlight poured in through the glass ceiling — the upper storeys went in rings around the perimeter of the building. Chatter coming from a sales staff, introducing a product to a middle-aged lady. "You must try this out, ma'am." "Yes, please do give me a sample." A child with a vinyl balloon in one hand, and his mother's grasp in the other, making unintelligable noise. An entire display cabinet of silk folding fans, each painted with the brightest and most saturated colors that modern technology could muster. A haggling customer that seemed to have more money than upbringing. "Sorry sir, this is the best price we can give." Multiple plant pots the size of a table, each with an entire tree growing within, turning this place into a hybrid conservatory. Strange and unusual scents overlapping one another. An entire wall of parasols, all open, each with intricate, organic patterns on the vinyl. Ivory railings and carpeted staircases. Red, with gold trim. Sound of a woman laughing. Almost bumping into another person carrying a roll of cloth. Catching the dropped bundle. The smooth touch of blue velvet. Trading a "Sorry" with a "No, I should be the one apologizing instead." Price labels meticulously lettered into white cards with a brush. Rows and rows of fancy glass bottles, each purporting to contain a different scent. The overpowering chimeric smell around these bottles. Rouges both in small, round containers, as well as the more recent stick-type, stacked neatly on a table. A dozen different powders for the face and skin on an adjacent table. Several vanity tables, some of which were occupied. "Ma'am, you do look much younger with this foundation on!" "Really? I'll take this, then." Bumping into another person. "Sorry, I—" Realizing that it was a mannequin, dressed in a large coat, hat, and black stockings. Being surrounded by multitudes of such statues. A sudden case of vertigo. Brisk walking through the corridor. Leaves of a fern brushing against the arm. Colors swimming and mixing together. A parrot squawking. Ringing bells. Incandescent bulbs. Losing balance—

"—Miss!"

Someone grabbed my arm from behind just as I was about to fall, and pulled me backwards, spinning me around and landing into her embrace. I caught a scent of buttermilk as my face buried into her bosom. This clothing...looks like the uniform of the sales staff.

"Miss, are you all right?" she asked. Somehow, this voice seemed familiar.

"Sorry, let me stay like this for a moment." I continued resting my head against the sales lady's chest.

"...Ah!" I heard her gasp. "Could you be...Eiko?"

I lifted my head and looked up wearily. A familiar face.

"...Asumu?"

 

"Are you feeling better now?" Asumu asked.

She had brought me to a sofa right outside the powder room and fetched a glass of water, which I sipped with much gratitude. The cool, clear taste of the water washed away my nausea somewhat.

"Yes, thank you so much." After putting the glass back onto the lacquered tray on the side table, I closed my eyes and gently massaged my forehead. "I'd never had thought that you were working at such a fearsome place. How do you cope with all these sights and sounds?"

"Well, I'm getting used to it, I suppose. When you're focused on your own section you start to tune out everything else elsewhere. But then again, you've always been more sensitive to these kinds of stimuli, huh?"

"Yeah." I put down my hand and slowly opened my eyes. My field of vision remains a blur, but I could make out Asumu's visage, who seemed to exude a very dependable air at the moment.

"Still, I wasn't expecting to see you here," I said.

"Me too. When you were stumbling around earlier, your hair was in a mess; I didn't even realize that it was you until you spoke."

"Really?" I tilted my head and gathered my hair to the front. It did seem slightly more grizzly than usual, though it was slowly softening up. "I never knew my hair behaved like this..."

"Perhaps you would like to take a look at our hair conditioners? It works wonders with unruly hair."

"That's smooth," I couldn't help but smile. "I'll consider it if you would personally give me a demonstration."

"Certainly," Asumu bowed. "Would you like to follow me to the dressing table?"

Having been able to see a side of Asumu that I did not previously know, I gave in to her sales pitch and proceeded to get up from the sofa.

On the way to the hair products section, being careful to not look at too many of the wares on display throughout the floor, we ran into Yuran and Mareni.

"Hey, Eiko!" Yuran called out. "We finally found you."

"We were wondering where you had went, Eiko-san."

"My apologies," I waved. "I seemed to have wandered off unknowingly. But let's put that aside for the moment, guess who we have here?" I gestured to the two to take a good look at the sales staff I was following.

"...Asumu?!" "Asumu-san?"

"Good afternoon," Asumu smiled, "how may I help you today?"

"Whoaaaaa!" Yuran's eyes shimmered. "I must say, you're a perfect fit for this uniform. If I wasn't paying attention I might have thought I was speaking to an adult." "My, my," Asumu placed a hand on her cheek.

"How do you find this workplace, Asumu-san?"

"Well, it has been pleasant so far. My senpai has been showing me the ropes, and I feel like I'm able to do my best here."

"Asumu is going to give me a product demonstration for hair conditioner, want to come along?" I asked Yuran and Mareni.

Yuran's hand immediately shot up. "Yes, please count us in!" Mareni didn't say anything, but she was nodding furiously.

"This way, please." With Asumu leading the way, we headed to where the hair products were. Like the section with the powder and rouge, there were several dressing tables, each with a small plush stool and a mirror. Asumu sat me down in one of the dressing tables, gently undid the ribbon on my hair, and placed it in my hands.

"Please wait for a moment while I fetch the conditioner," she said, taking a brief absence. In the mirror I could see Yuran fidgeting in anticipation, while Mareni was staring towards me wide-eyed, with her mouth half open.

Within a minute, Asumu was back with an intricate amber-colored glass bottle and a hairbrush.

"I've just learned this from my senpai earlier today, so please be patient with me if I am not up to level yet." Saying that, she picked up my hair and started brushing it. I could gradually feel her gentle caress as she moved from the tips of my hair upwards towards my scalp. With each closing distance, both Asumu's hand and the brush began to give a pleasant resistance.

After a round of brushing, she removed the stopper on the bottle and applied some of its contents onto the brush. Feeling her hand in my hair and the hairbrush neatly sweeping through once again after the brief hiatus, my breathing grew shallower and quicker. With each stroke of the brush, I could feel myself blooming into a smile.

Then, contact. The massaging of the bristles against my scalp. Instinctively, a warm, fuzzy euphoria erupted within me, sending shivers to the rest of my body, enveloping me in a glowing shell. I closed my eyes to savor this soft, tingly feeling, which persisted for what seemed like a full minute, after which it faded and gave way to a steady tide of peace and contentment.

"Eiko, I'm done." Asumu said. I opened my eyes, as relaxed as if I had just taken a bath, and surveyed my hair in the mirror.

"Eiko-san's hair does look more docile now," Mareni commented.

"Yeah," Yuran agreed. "May I ask what went into that bottle of conditioner?"

"This is a botanical-based recipe consisting of floral extracts and medicinal herbs." An unfamiliar voice. Turning, I saw a middle-aged lady dressed in the same uniform as Asumu.

"Senpai!" Asumu blurted and shuffled a few steps back, her head looking at the floor.

"Oh don't worry, Wakabayashi-san, you did well. In fact, you showed more care this time than the other guest earlier. I'm guessing she's...?"

"She's my classmate," Asumu said, no longer looking downwards.

"I'm Hata," I bowed. "Thank you for taking care of Asumu."

"I'm Yao, and it's my pleasure to have Wakabayashi-san under my wing," the middle-aged lady said. "She really learns quite fast, it's lucky for me to be working with such an intelligent and understanding girl."

"I'm Kobiyama, pleased to meet you." "I'm Jin Yuran, please continue taking care of Asumu."

"Of course, of course." Yao-san then turned to Asumu. "Your friends came to support you on your first day here, they must really treasure you a lot."

"Actually, it was a coincidence—" Yuran began sheepishly, but Yao-san continued her monologue.

"In this turbulent age, it's good to have sisters that have your back, no matter what happens in the world, your family away from home. Oh, I know!" She raised a finger. "Why not take a short break with your friends since they're here already? There's a diner upstairs with a decent menu." A pause. "But, only for today, just so you know," she added.

"Is that really okay?" Asumu hesitated.

"Yes, don't worry about it. I'll let the manager know — speaking of which, here he comes." Yao-san waved to catch the attention of this one middle aged man in a suit at the other end of the corridor, then made a few unintelligible gestures in what seemed like a kind of sign language. The man gestured back, and Yao-san gave us a thumbs up. "He's okay with it," she said, "he says that the crowd has thinned for the time being as well so we can take a breather."

"Well, if you insist," Asumu said, "I'll take a small break and come back quickly."

We greeted Yao-san good day and went upstairs to the diner that she told us about.

It was a medium-sized room brightly lit by the afternoon sun pouring in through the large windows, with furniture that you could find in any other Western-style restaurant. We took our seats at a square table near the middle of the room, and a young man handed us the menu.

"Oh look," Yuran pointed at the menu. "They have a sparkling water fountain here."

"Sparkling water?" Mareni asked. "I've heard about it, but I've never had the chance to try it."

"Same here," said Asumu, "the cafes that we've been to don't offer them, do they."

"That's decided then," I said, gesturing to the young man. "We'll have a sparkling water each."

"Any flavorings in your sparkling water?" he asked.

"Flavorings?" Yuran parroted.

"If you'd like, we can add syrup or other extracts into your drink." He pointed out a line in small print under the menu item, which listed out the different flavors available.

"Is there any extra charge for the flavorings?" Asumu asked. The young man shook his head in response. "Then...I'll have a melon flavored water, please."

"A strawberry flavored water for me, please." Mareni made up her mind as well.

"A lemonade water, please," I said.

Yuran took longer than us in inspecting the menu, going "hmmmm" and "this sounds pretty mature" under her breath. Finally, she declared her choice. "I'll have this 'tonic water', please!"

"Certainly," the young man said, and headed to the bar counter to get our drinks.

"Yao-san sure is nice, giving you a break and all," Mareni said, leaning forward.

"She seems a bit odd though, going 'she has your back!' and 'they're like your family!' and whatnot," Yuran said.

"She does seem different," Asumu said, "but so far she's been treating me quite well, so I think I will be okay."

"Yeah, she doesn't seem like a bad person," I chipped in. Asumu nodded.

"Excuse me, ladies." The young man returned rather quickly with four fluted glasses, each with a different colored water bubbling within. A glass of green for Asumu, red for Mareni, for me, clear and colorless, and for Yuran, also colorless...or is it actually glowing slightly blue? I rubbed my eyes. No glow after all — seems like I was mistaken.

"Well then, cheers to Asumu for a smooth first day at work!" I raised my glass.

"It hasn't actually ended yet, but thank you."

The four of us tapped our glasses against each other's, let out a hurrah, then brought our glasses to our lips.

...Bubbles!

A froth of foam crashed from nowhere as the water rolled into my mouth. Even though there were bubbles visible in the glass, it was from a small, modest thread in the center of the glass. But yet, when it leaves the glass—

As the carbonation danced a number in my mouth and left as quickly as it came, a sweet taste with a tinge of sourness slowly surfaced.

"This isn't exactly what I know to be lemonade," I commented, "but it tastes pleasant."

I looked at Asumu, who seemed to be savoring her glass, then at Mareni, whose eyes seemed like she was currently traveling a different world within her palate.

Then, at Yuran, who was visibly in discomfort, but tried to pretend all was well.

I waited until our eyes met, and I tilted my glass towards her. She pouted, shook her head and took another large sip from her own glass. Again, her eyes shut tightly and her lips gave a petite frown, but I had already gotten her message.

"Just wondering," I asked Asumu, swirling my glass gently, "what made you decide to get a part time job here? You seemed to be doing well at the manjuu shop previously."

"Well, the shop owner brought in a few specialized machinery to fill in the stuffing lately, which reduced the amount of people needed in the kitchen..." Asumu said.

"Aah, that sounds unpalatable," Yuran commented.

"And at the same time, I wanted to try something where I would have opportunities to interact with the customers," Asumu continued.

She held her glass with both hands, in the same way one would hold a single stalk of a flower.

"Actually, it's still incredibly far away, but one day I would like to run my own candy store. "

"Oh?" My eyes grew wider. "That's the first time I've heard you say that."

"Well, I haven't really told anyone before this, since it seemed like chasing clouds," she said, giving a small smile. "But recently, Papa got promoted to a supervisor at the construction company, so we won't have to just get by anymore. He told me that he is really thankful for my helping support our household expenses all this while, and that this is a good chance for me to start focusing on my own dreams instead."

Asumu's eyes started becoming damp. I reached out and held her hand.

"After thinking about it, I thought that it would be nice if I were able to bring smiles to the children in the neighborhood, so I think that opening a candy store would be a good way to go about that."

"Asumu-san, that's wonderful of you!" Mareni's eyes shimmered. "To bring smiles to the children, that is a great aspiration to have. Please let me cheer you on from now on!" It was as if a breath of fresh air swept through the room and cleansed Mareni's heart; her melancholia from earlier in the day was no longer anywhere to be found on her face.

I had a hunch that in the future, on the days that Asumu can't join us on our strolls, Mareni would still be all right.

"A toast to Asumu!" I suggested, raising my glass. "May your dreams of opening a candy store come to fruit soon!"

A clinking of glasses. Asumu rubbed away the moisture in her eyes and said, "Thank you."

"As for me," Mareni continued, "I have entertained the possibility of becoming a schoolteacher in the future."

"Oh? I didn't know you wanted to be a teacher." This time, it was Yuran voicing her surprise.

"I think that it would be a good way of giving back to society. What knowledge our teachers have entrusted to us, I want to safely deliver them to the hands of the subsequent generations."

"I think you would be able to become a schoolteacher," Asumu said. "Teachers not only impart information but they are also responsible for well-rounded character development in their students by caring for them, and I think that you are suitable for that."

"A toast to Mareni!" "May you become a splendid schoolteacher one day!" Another round of glasses making contact with other glasses.

"While we are on the topic, what about you, Yuran?" Asumu asked. "Anything you would like to accomplish in the future?"

"Me? I haven't really given it much thought." Yuran took a bigger sip from her glass than usual. "I'd like to travel the world some day, I suppose."

"The rail network's always expanding," Mareni said, "Perhaps some day you would be able to take a train all the way to the Americas. Let us have a toast to that."

"I doubt it, but it'd be great if it did," Yuran said, raising her glass.

Next, three pairs of eyes landed their gaze on me. "W-wait a minute, I'm not ready yet."

Dreams, huh. For someone who is betrothed to a man I had hardly met, speaking about these sorts of fancies seemed superfluous. I racked my mind — becoming a good wife? That would be easily fulfilled, but it's not really my dream to speak of.

"Mastering my family's naginata-kata, perhaps?" I said, looking up at the ceiling. The ceiling was painted to give an impression of depth, like in a cathedral.

"Ah, and my...um, gardener," I added, making the switch at the last second. "He's been rather busy the past several years, I hope that he could retire soon."

"Well, that's not really something you can achieve, is it?" Yuran gave an uncomfortable look for a split second when I brought up the subject. "But yes, let's hope it comes to pass. Cheers to that!" She raised her glass.

The toasts became more and more frequent. "Actually, besides becoming a schoolteacher, I have also thought about the possibility of becoming a detective." "A detective? Now that came out from nowhere." "Yuran-san, don't you think detectives are dandy?" Clink.

"In the summer, I could also serve shaved ice in my store." "I'll visit everyday when that happens then!" Clink.

"I want to go to the moon." Clink.

"It would be nice to eat meat for almost every meal." Clink.

"I wish that each day would be this peaceful." Clink.

"May we be friends forever." "Of course we are already, aren't we!" Clink.

"I wish our troops out there could come back safely." Clink.

"I'd like to take the train down south some time." "Yuran-san, I can ask my father about that, perhaps." "Really? I love you~" Clink.

Clink.

Clink.

We continued toasting until all our glasses were emptied.

 

"Thank you for treating us to the drinks, Yuran, and thank you all for coming today." Asumu waved from the top of the staircase.

"You're most welcome. Good luck with the rest of your shift."

"Good evening, Asumu-san. See you next Monday."

"Thank you, Asumu. Please brush my hair again some time."

As we left Asumu and the department store behind us, the sun was slowly creeping towards the mountain ridges in the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant gradient of damson and orange. To stay warm in this rapidly chilling air, the three of us hummed a tune that we made up on the spot as we headed towards the residential neighborhood, confident that some day — it might be far in the future, next year, or even this summer — our dreams could spring from the well of possibility into our reality.

The silk drawstring bag containing a box of hair conditioner swayed in my hand with every step.

I have this feeling,

Even though it's unexplainable,

That tomorrow is going to be better.