Chapter Text
It was the first time in years since she had been on such a long journey. In fact, it may even be the first. Because of her profession, the renowned doctor Angela Ziegler had been obliged to travel all over Europe when her expertise was needed in another hospital, but she had never travelled thousands of kilometres away for what would undoubtedly be a considerable period of time. However, a large sum of money had been deposited in her current account as an advance on her work, and after discussing it with her colleagues, they had all agreed that she would never have such an opportunity again in her life. She thought to have lived all kinds of experiences despite her age, yet living in a country she was completely unfamiliar with and whose language was barely known to her was something totally new. And yet, despite this, those who hired her had strongly insisted that language would not be a barrier. They could speak English fluently, so there would be no problem. Or so she wanted to believe.
Despite all that, and although she had a good impression so far, she still didn't know many details of what her work in the Land of the Rising Sun would be like. She would be lying if she didn't feel a little wary, as it was strange that she was contacted suddenly from so far away. But her colleagues from the team she worked with in one of Switzerland's leading hospitals had told her that it was completely normal. She was world-renowned and sooner or later such requests could eventually reach her.
"Here we are."
Suitcase in hand, the blonde walked through the arrivals area of one of Tokyo's airports. Her blue eyes roamed from side to side in astonishment, feeling as if she was in a completely different world. Digital posters everywhere, dozens of people moving from one side to the other orderly, messages over the loudspeaker in a language she knew almost nothing about. She was fascinated by the diversity there could be found just some kilometres apart. She pulled out her mobile phone and checked one of the many emails she had been exchanging with the family she seemed to be attending during her stay there. She had been told that they would facilitate her arrival at the residence, and that upon arrival she could find someone who would be waiting for her. She took her sunglasses off her eyes and made her way to what seemed to be the exit. There, she soon spotted a man in a full suit. His clothes were impeccable, and he did have his eyes hidden behind dark glasses. His hair, just as perfect as his clothes, was short. In his hands he held a tablet with her name written on a white background. She approached him with a smile on her lips that was never reciprocated. His expression didn't change at all when she stopped in front of him.
"Good afternoon, I'm Angela. Nice to meet you." The blonde introduced herself in Japanese. She took the trouble to learn greetings and proper presentations as a sign of politeness.
"Follow me, if you please." By contrast, the man replied in English, not at all impressed by her words. He put the tablet in the briefcase he was carrying and, without adding anything else, turned to start walking.
Angela frowned slightly as she saw no reaction from the other. She sighed and followed the other man silently without saying more. It was more than clear from the presentation that he was a man of few words and that she would not be able to get answers to all the questions floating in her head. But if there was something outstanding in a woman like her, that was patience, thus she would wait until they reached the place of their destination so that she could talk face to face with the one who made her go there.
As she expected, the trip was completely silent. The car in which he had gone to pick her up was a totally black one, with tinted windows. It seemed new, and certainly not one that any ordinary citizen could afford. She momentarily felt like those celebrities who needed bodyguards at all times, and smiled to herself in amusement, imagining what kind of place they were going to. But she was definitely not prepared for what rose in front of her eyes when they hadn't even arrived yet.
The streets had attracted her attention all along the way. There were both simple neighbourhoods of small houses and other avenues dotted with skyscrapers that reached out towards the sky as if they were trying to catch up with it. She was totally amazed, despite that little sense of insecurity she felt knowing that English was not as widely spoken there as elsewhere in the western world. The driver didn't even turn on the radio, so the only sound was the noise of traffic and whatever voices could be heard outside.
They soon arrived at an area that a roadside sign presented as "Kanezaka". People walked casually down the street, a fact the doctor didn't notice, since the area stood at the foot of what looked like a castle. Or of an ancient Japanese building, as she thought it was. She saw how a wall protected the fortress, which seemed to laugh at the small houses at its foot. People of incalculable wealth must live there, she thought, although it was most likely an area of tourist interest. No doubt she liked how tradition and modernity merged so naturally in that country.
"We are just about to arrive," said the driver, speaking after more than half an hour without doing so. "Please be prepared, Dr Ziegler."
Angela said nothing, nodding slightly, knowing that the other was watching her through the rear-view mirror. Her curiosity increased as she saw that far from moving away from that huge building, they were getting progressively closer to it. And she froze in her tracks as they stopped in front of massive gates protected by the enormous stone wall that made the place inaccessible.
"You have to be kidding me", she thought, blinking slightly in disbelief. The man entered what seemed to be a security code into a panel and after a retinal scan the doors opened for them, giving them access. If she had thought it was a beautiful place from the outside, now that they were driving along a dirt road lined with cherry blossom trees, she felt she had fallen short. Sometime ago she had read that spring was one of the most beautiful periods in Japan, and now she saw with her own eyes that it was more than true. The car slowed down until it finally stopped. The driver got out of the vehicle and opened the back door to let the blonde out. The temperature was pleasant, so was the smell in the atmosphere. The suited man provided her with her luggage and soon three men, equally impeccable, approached her. Angela watched them in silence, beginning to realise how small she felt there. The oldest approached her, and with a little more kindness than she had received throughout the trip, he addressed her in polite English.
"Welcome to Japan, Dr. Ziegler. You probably have a lot of questions. The lord of the house will soon explain everything that concerns you."
"Thank you very much. It has been a long journey."
"I do not doubt it. Follow us, if you please."
With a gesture, they indicated that she could leave her suitcase there, and silently they made their way inside the huge residence. Here and there she could see workers moving around smoothly. Both men and women wore kimonos, so it was clear that tradition was well respected there. Moreover, there were also suited men who increasingly looked more and more like bodyguards or security guards. Behind their glasses they seemed to be able to observe everything going on around them. Was that place so important that such security had to be deployed? She was getting more and more convinced that taking the job without knowing every single detail had not been such a good idea. Once she returned to her normal life, she would remind it to all those who urged her to do so.
"Shimada Castle belongs to a family that historically has exerted an important influence in the country," the man who led the way began to explain. The more the young woman knew before she came face to face with the head of the family, the better. "A few years ago, one of the men who gave the family its greatest strength, Shimada Sojiro-sama, died. It is now his eldest son who is in charge."
They walked through the building that acted almost as a footbridge and came out into another inner courtyard. There, Angela recognised what were known in Japan as stone gardens. The white highlighted against the rocks, forming figures that certainly looked beautiful to her. She, who was fond of quiet places and practising relaxation methods, thought that having the opportunity to rest there was something she wanted to enjoy at least once in her life. They continued walking till the entrance to the tallest building loomed before them. The blonde's blue eyes lifted, again hushed by the beauty. She felt, once again, transported to another world.
"We will meet with him now. Here in Japan it is impolite to address others by their name. However, since you are a foreigner, he will probably make an exception. I hope you find your stay here to your liking, Dr. Ziegler. It would be an honour for all of us to have such an eminence in medicine as yourself with us for a while."
"I will address him as he directs me," she commented, somewhat unconvinced. What he was saying to her would have seemed more normal and understandable if it had been years ago. Nevertheless, she would not judge any custom and would try not to mess it up. "Please, Angela is fine. I am not used to being treated with such respect."
The man just smiled slightly, nodding at her. Minutes later, they seemed to have reached their destination. The three men stopped and waved her inside the room. After waving goodbye to them, the doctor finally entered.
The room was wooden. Before approaching, she was told to remove her footwear and leave it outside. She did as she was told, also remembering that this was typical in that country, and continued pacing the tatami. Walking on it was pleasant, and she advanced between wooden columns to the man who remained seated at the end of the room. Large scrolls with Japanese Kanji adorned the room, done in such perfect and stylish calligraphy as to be handmade. She wondered if there would be brushes big enough to make such a work. The ceiling was very high, as she could never have imagined, and there was access to an upper floor leading to fenced wooden balconies. Perhaps meetings or something similar were held there occasionally. It felt like the ideal space for it.
She stood in front of the man, who remained in his seat. His features were hard and as he approached, he stood up. His hair, somewhat long, was tied back in a ponytail. In contrast to most of the people (or workers) she saw at the residence, he was not dressed in a traditional way, but wore a dark suit with blue tones. Even dark leather gloves covered his hands. Under the jacket, a white striped waistcoat to match his trousers, and a blue tie, were visible. His beard was perfectly trimmed. "He' s so handsome" she thought, attempting not to look too brazen as she observed him. He certainly didn't fit the stereotypical Japanese man she had always seen in the movies, but as if he could read her mind, the man in front of her was the first to make a move. But as if he could read her mind, the man in front of her was the first to make a move.
"Welcome to Japan, Dr. Ziegler."