| Fan Fiction |
by mari
Erika slowly, but routinely turned the cool wedge of clay with flat palms pushing down and forward with short bursts of energy before a short pause. At each pause she ticked off a year of her life. The first ten turns of clay, of her life, were spent in the ordinary, happy childhood days playing with her best friend Ninomiya Kazunari [二宮和也], as well as Inoue Mao [井上真央] when she moved to their small mountain town around turn ten. For a moment her even wedging ceased, remembering the dreadful events of her tenth year, the tragic death of her young mother to cancer, and with a mental, metaphorical shrug, turned the clay again. The next few years dealt with the usual anxieties and emotional blips of adolescence, shared and witnessed by her two best friends as well as the watchful and loving eyes of the townsfolk. Erika’s fingers slowed as she came to the last bend of the road. Eighteen graduated from high school, nineteen apprenticed with Shishou in ceramics, twenty got embarrassingly drunk and may or may not have lost her virginity, twenty one became a third year apprentice, twenty two—
“Tanjobi omedetto.” (happy birthday)
Erika, started out of her ruminations, glanced up sharply to the dark haired, and rather sweaty speaker. Ninomiya Kazunari stood in the doorway, sending rays of pink, dying sunlight through her dimly lit room. She blinked at the sight of his handsome, wryly smiling face, wreathed in shadows. She hadn’t noticed how late it had gotten. Still befuddled by her sensory deprivation, in a primitive method of gathering her bearings, Erika ran her eyes over his sweaty, lean body. There was a fair amount of dirt on his faded blue jeans, and his favorite tea shirt had certainly seen better times. His shaggy dark hair was tied back from his face with a towel, and his smile became a smirk for how long her reply was taking from coming. Then a surprised little voice piped up suddenly in her mind: If I didn’t know any better I’d say he looks very attractive right now. And even that prim little sentiment was enough to shock her out of her dazed state.
Still struggling against this new unfamiliar revelation fogging her mind as gossamer cobwebs, Erika moved to the sink, face out of sight and said jokingly, “Atashino hana doko?” (where are my flowers?)
With her face turned away, she was startled when she felt his hand upon her wrist pulling her toward him. Erika was furiously aware of her own pounding heart, hoping he wouldn’t notice, as well as that small voice adding again very, very attractive.
Nino was peering intently into her own clay smudged, sweaty face, then stuck his tongue out at her childishly: “Nah, not pretty enough!”
“Ehh?” Erika cried with mock outrage, falling with relief into laughter at the return to familiar ground. “Anno baka!” She smacked his shoulder with wet, clay-y hands as he pretended to cower, and then howl when he realized her hands were wet.
After their mock battle ended (a truce), Erika muttered grumpily, “Not like you’re one to talk Kazu chan. Kusai! Nani shiteruno kyo? (You/it smells! What did you do today?)” Even though most people called him Ninomiyakun or Ninokun or Ninochan, Erika had always been fond of her personal nickname Kazuchan, if only because only she was allowed to call him that.
Nino grinned at her then said, “Hi-mi-tsu!” (it’s a secret)
Erika stuck her tongue out at him, but then laughed. “Mah, I still have to wedge a bit more before I knock off tonight and then shower to some presentability,” she said getting to her feet.
“Kawaiiso Eri-chan, mada oshigoto, even on your tanjobi. Well gambare. Mata ne.” And with a little salute over his shoulder Nino left. Erika repeated the gesture to his retreating back with a little sigh, getting back to work.
A shower and a cup of cold green tea later, Erika studied her reflection critically, thinking she wasn’t doing badly for her twenty four winters. She wore her best pair of jeans for the occasion, and a pretty top her sister sent in the mail from Tokyo a week ago. Eri grinned imaging the stern voice Maki must have used writing those words, “Do something nice for your birthday! And for god’s sake, don’t work; meet a nice boy for once.” Maki was a year younger, a bit reserved, feminine creature working for an advertising firm in Tokyo. Though young, just 22 and out of college, Maki graduated from the prestigious Todai, and was very talented. The townsfolk, though a bit bewildered as to why anyone would leave the sheltered bosom of their mountain community for Tokyo, were very proud of Maki’s achievements nonetheless. Erichan smiled, and then snorted at the note’s parting sally. “Don’t work” indeed. Since the moment she dropped from their mother’s womb, Maki had been hardworking and resilient.
Still, this year’s birthday would be ordinary enough. Mao went to Tokyo as well a couple years ago, and she and Nino would probably just eat dinner and watch their favorite movies. Nevertheless Eri lingered by the mirror, remembering Kazuchan’s teasing “not pretty enough” and applied a bit of make up to her face and curled the ends of her long straight hair.
Finally satisfied with her ministrations, Eri shut off the lights and went out the door of her childhood home she still shared with her father.
Twilight had darkened to a beautiful, glowing early summer evening. She smiled in the darkness, walked through the sparse trees, and was suddenly bathed in moonlight. Still smiling to herself, Erika meandered down to the end of the long drive from her house. Skipping a bit, she suddenly lurched forward, pulled roughly to the ground by an upturned root. Erika cursed, nursing her sore foot and knee, that she could trip on her own driveway, on a well known root since childhood.
Male laughter suddenly rent the evening stillness, and Eri grinned sheepishly at the direction of the voice. “Caught.”
“And noted,” Nino added, stepping into the moonlight while pretending to check off an imaginary notebook.
Erika brushed off the dirt from her nice clothing, peering at Nino’s now illuminated visage, and gave a little gasp of surprise. Normally too lazy or indifferent to bother about his appearance, Nino was dressed in clothes that could only be described as stylish. He wore a pair of dark, straight plaid trousers, a nice tee shirt with a sharp jacket. He even seemed to have styled his shaggy hair. “Ehh? Yabai! Is that really you Kazu? Totemo kakkoi!”*****see below*****
Nino regarded her earnestly. “You know me, always trying to impress. And what about you Erichan? It looks like you wore matching socks and wore a bib while you ate. Totemo stekki.”
“Always exceeding expectations aren’t I?” Erika replied dryly, but she glanced sidelong at him, uncomfortably aware of her heart palpitations. “Alright so what’s the birthday plan?” She began walking down the usual path to the main road, but Nino suddenly ran forward and blocked her passage, hands on her shoulders. “Mata mata!”
Surprised, Erika asked crossly, “Nande?”
But Nino only smiled mysteriously. “First I must blindfold you!” He whipped off the scarf he wore about his neck, and without a by your leave, tied it around her eyes.
“Chotto—“ Erika began laughing. “How am I going to walk like this?”
Nino replied serenely, “Daijobu, I’ll guide you!”
Many setbacks, sliding, and minor injuries later, they finally came to a stop. Erika, while originally suspecting their destination, was too exhausted and altogether bewildered by the dizzying walk Nino made her follow in his attempt to mask their destination. “Ok! We’re here!”
With a dramatic motion, Nino removed the scarf. At first the sudden appearance of light blinded Erika, who did not immediately recognize the location. For Nino brought her to their childhood hideout, a rather lucky find actually. The cave was a small air bubble when the Island and mountain bubbled forth millions if not billions of years ago, cunningly hidden by a stream and some very old trees grown before it. Most people would never notice the little cave hidden there, which only child eyes, hands and determination could find. It became the perfect hiding place for the three best friends. They spent countless hours pretending to be bandits hoarding treasures (pretty stones, the occasional sea shells from friends on vacation to the sea, pieces of broken glass smooth from the river’s motion and their toys). In those days the fort had been outfitted with little more than a half rotten couch Mao’s mother was throwing away, and a rather large rock for seating. The transformation was staggering.
Nino had removed the moldy couch. It seemed he had even hewn away at the rock wall to create a roomier space. The hard ground was outfitted with a large blue and white rug, and a small wooden table rested against the side wall with two lovely flat cushions for seating. On the walls he hung her favorite painting of his, a simple brushstroke in black ink of two birds flying with the mountain view from their village, as well as a poster of SMAP and Amuro Namie, her favorites. And on the small table a lacquered lunch box was set, a traditional beautiful affair; a large bottle of sake, and two little cups matching the lunch box. On the back wall a futon was converted to comfy couch, and a large red banner hung naming the dominion Eri’s Hideout.
Erika’s eyes prickled with tears. It was simply the most wonderful present anyone had ever given her. She turned to him slowly, breathing, “Kazuchan…”
He was smiling at her in this gentle manner, understanding her overwhelmed emotions. “Tanjobi omedetto.”
Erika threw her arms around him, holding him in a very tight hug. “Oh I love it I love it I love it!” She murmured fiercely.
“Jah…let’s eat!”
The evening progressed in a dreamy, happy manner. As with all happy occasions, Erika felt as if existing in some timeless frieze in which only she and Nino lived, forever young and carefree, where not only did their stories seem believable, they were true. They drank to her twenty fourth year, to their youth, to friendship, to execellent sake, to the future, to love. Cup after cup sent a warm, dizzying feeling to her stomach. She could feel the energy buzzing under her skin.
The lacquered obento was filled with all sorts of beautiful things to eat, her favorites, which had that magical endlessness like the sake’s power. She smiled at Kazuchan, and felt giddy warmth as he smiled back. By now they moved from the hard mats on the floor to the futon stretching out on their backs and talking about their childhood, the years spent in this small cave.
“It must have taken forever to do this” she heard herself saying as if from far away. The evening, even in summer brought a chill to her bare skin, and she stretched her fingers out until reading the heat of Nino’s hand. He clasped hers in his, smiling down at her. “About three weeks of intense labor can be effective.”
“Well,” she said, scrunching on her side and squinting at his direction, “I am very happy.”
Nino met her eyes contentedly, “So am I.”
Hardly knowing her actions, Eri brought her free hand to rest gently on his cheek, and felt his other hand rise to rest on hers. Nino closed his eyes, and she wondered idly if he had fallen asleep.
With the sudden action due to her alcohol heightened curiosity, Eri drew herself closer to him, staring at his closed eyes, smiling face, and brought her lips down to his. How long, she wondered, have I longed to do this? But it was an idle thought, quickly forgotten as his opened eyes gazed back at her. Still she did not move away, as perhaps sober she would have done. She felt his lips curve beneath hers, and an answering pressure for her own subdued passion was the only encouragement she required.
*****This i thought required a bit more explanation. Yabai you may or may not know means shit, but i guess you can compare this usage to saying like, like That's the shit in english. basically she's saying saying yabai to mean a good thing