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1.
The curtains to the window in Room 707 were open, but even then the early morning light was dull and shadowed. The room was cast in muted colors as Nana sat herself at the table with a pot of coffee and the newspaper.
There was a certain silence in the apartment that Nana rarely got to enjoy to herself and she planned to do just that this morning, already dressed and ready to go.
What time Hachi would wake up was impossible to say, as her girlfriend sometimes woke up early to get ready for the day when she had something to look forward to, but just as often slept-in - intentionally or not. It was part of Hachi’s charm that Nana never knew what she was going to do next.
Hachi’s alarm clock broke the silence and Nana looked up from her paper to Hachi’s bedroom door and waited to see what Hachi would do. Indeed she heard the shuffling of Hachi’s blankets and then the alarm was shut off and nothing else. Without Hachi or anyone else to witness her, Nana smiled with affection and snickered a bit as she poured herself another cup of coffee. Hachi would have to make another fresh pot for herself when she finally woke up. Nana reckoned it’d be another hour at least before Hachi joined her at the table.
2.
The room was much brighter when Hachi finally trudged from her bedroom, sun shining behind overcast clouds. Hachi didn’t say a word as she disappeared momentarily into the bathroom and reappeared looking fresher faced than she had before while Nana began folding up her newspaper, her momentary respite of quiet gone for the rest of the day and she wouldn’t miss it. Hachi yawned looking out the window before falling back into her seat in front of Nana.
“Morning, Sleeping Beauty.”
“Morning!” Hachi said, before pouting as she found the coffee pot empty. “Aw, you didn’t save any for me!”
“If a certain someone had gotten up earlier, she’d have had hot coffee. I had to drink it all or let it go cold.” Nana looked at Hachi with false sternness, and Hachi wilted a bit. “Guess I could have let you re-heat it in that microwave you insisted on getting.”
“No, no… Sorry I slept in, you coulda woke me up,” Hachi said, looking down for a moment before popping up and grabbing the pot and taking it to the kitchen counter. “I don’t suppose you’ve eaten yet, do you want me to make us a full breakfast today? What are you feeling? Japanese or Western?”
“Actually, I figured we could get breakfast at that bakery down the street and eat on the train.”
“Oh that cute one? Sure! And I’ll get a cafe au lait there too.” Hachi looked happy as she quickly washed out the coffee pot before retreating to her room, promising to get ready quickly.
Nana shook her head with a sigh and smile and reopened her newspaper and was ready to reread everything while Hachi took the next half-hour to get dressed and ready.
3.
Hachi stepped out in a vintage blue dress and her hair was all done up in a bouffant.
“You look nice today,” Nana said and Hachi immediately preened at the compliment. “Who do you think you’re getting all dolled up for today anyway?”
Hachi giggled, pleased. “Just my girlfriend. Are you ready to go Nana?”
“Just gotta put my coat on, yeah,” Nana said as she grabbed her usual worn-in leather one.
“Good, I’m hungry!”
Hachi started down the stairs while Nana locked the apartment up, stopping at the window down the first flight of stairs to look outside. It was a chilly day, but the sun was shining brightly so Hachi wasn’t too worried about either of their choices in clothes.
“Hurry up, or I’ll leave you behind,” Nana called to Hachi as she passed her on the stairs, lighting herself a cigarette.
“Coming!” Hachi’s heels clicked loudly down the stairs as she hurried to catch up with Nana.
4.
It was colder outside than Hachi had expected, the river’s freezing waters misting the air.
“Burr, it’s getting cold. I wonder if we’ll have snow this year? I should have brought my coat,” Hachi said after sneezing at the sharpness of the cold at her nose.
“Want to go back and grab it?” Nana asked, stopping and glancing back to their apartment as she finished her cigarette. They hadn’t gotten far, but it was still a bit of a journey to go all 7 stories up and down to fetch a coat.
“Hm,” Hachi said, pausing behind Nana and putting a manicured finger to her lip as she considered. “Nah, we’re going shopping anyway, I can just buy a new coat. There’s a vintage thrift store where we’re going and they always have the cutest coats!” Hachi clapped her hands in excitement at the thought, stars in her eyes.
Nana narrowed her eyes at her, unmoved. “Any excuse to shop huh? What a high maintenance dog.” She scoffed, taking a few steps forward, flicking the rest of her cigarette to the ground, and turning back to look at Hachi.
“What about you Nana, won’t you be cold? Let’s get you one too!”
“Nah, I’m good.”
Hachi looked at her skeptically, at Nana’s fishnet covered legs, bared midriff, and with only a leather coat to keep her warm.
“I’m used to the cold - I’m too punk-rock to be affected by the wimpy cold in Tokyo like you.” Nana removed her hand from her pocket and extended it to Hachi. “Come on, if we hold hands we won’t be so cold.”
Hachi never could say no to an offer to hold hands with Nana.
5.
Nana watched with unsurprised eyes as Hachi immediately made herself comfortable in the outdoor seating of the cafe.
“Who said to sit? What a disobedient puppy. We agreed to eat on the train!”
“Eh?” Hachi said as she crossed her legs and took her first sip of cafe au lait. “I know, I know. I’m not stupid. I just wanna sit and drink my coffee for a minute before we go. There’s no rush, you agreed to an all-day date, remember?”
“Uhuh,” Nana said and gave Hachi a few more sips before saying “You’ve had your minute, now come Hachi!”
“Yes, yes,” Hachi responded, standing and sealing up her pastry bag that she’d definitely opened hoping to eat at the cafe before she’d been caught.
“Good girl,” Nana said, patting Hachi carefully on the head so as to not disturb her hairstyle.
6.
“You can sit by the window,” Nana offered, stepping back to let Hachi sit first.
“Mm, thanks!” Hachi said, the train began to move just as Hachi scooted past and Nana instinctively grabbed Hachi’s elbow to keep her steady on her feet. Hachi’s eyes traveled to where Nana’s strong grip kept her up.
After they’d settled in, Hachi finished her cafe au lait while Nana dug into her bread.
“Hey, Nana?” Hachi asked and Nana made a noise of acknowledgement behind a mouthful of bread. Hachi looked away from the window she’d been looking out of watching the city pass by and her eyes met Nana’s. “Do you remember when we first met?”
“Sure,” Nana answered tentatively, bread crumbs spraying. It was the understatement of the year - of course she remembered and thought about it often. The day Nana had resolved herself to accomplish her dreams all by herself with no help, Hachi had fallen into her lap and changed her life and made her dull life bright.
“I know you don’t, but I believe in things like fate. So I think it was fate that the two of us met that day.” Usually when Hachi said something fanciful like that she was all-fired up with her head in the clouds, but in that moment Hachi looked seriously at Nana her eyes brimming with meaning. “So that we could be here, on this day having this date together.”
“You’re really excited about this date, huh, Hachiko?” Nana said, trying to break the tension but Hachi was not dissuaded, looking at Nana intently. Nana sighed and looked briefly away from Hachi and out the window before returning Hachi’s gaze. “Yeah, me too.”
Nana smiled and Hachi smiled back.
7.
The train terminal was bustling as they left the train, but not too crowded though they certainly were among the only people that weren’t in warmer coats. Nana looked at the timetable book for train times they’d gotten while on the train and made note of where they’d have to come back to for their train ride home.
“Last train leaves at 10:24 exactly,” Nana said as her eyes tracked down the page. “Think we’ll be able to do everything you wanna do by that time?”
Hachi’s hand rested one hand on Nana’s waist as her other hand steadied the timetable to check the time herself.
“Sure, it’s not like I have much planned… the important thing is we spend the day together!”
“Cheeky, you’re just trying to be cute now. Yesterday you were complaining we never went on ‘real’ dates so you wanted to make sure we did as much as possible today.”
Hachi pouted and curled her body into Nana’s more firmly. Her hand around Nana was warm, and even after Nana tucked the timetable away Hachi’s arm remained around Nana’s back.
“Well, of course it’d be nice if we could do everything , but it really is more important that we’re together. We don’t get a lot of time together with my work hours and you working hard to be a famous rock star promoting your newest album, so it’s important for us to set aside time just for the two of us you know?”
And what else could Nana do but pull her to a discrete alcove at the station and kiss the hell out of her?
7.8
“I thought it the first time we met, and it’s still true,” Hachi said with a sigh, voice laced with despondency. Her lower lip jutted out in a pout, only slightly kiss-swollen. “Red lipstick? Really suits you, probably ‘cause you’re so beautiful. But… unfortunately no matter how much I try, it does not suit me.”
“May help if it weren’t smudged all over your face except for your lips,” Nana responded, watching as Hachi lightly dabbed a damp paper towel over the smears of lipstick on her chin and cheeks. “How’d that happen anyway?”
“I’m wearing a smudge-proof, long lasting lipstick, says it's kiss-proof,” Hachi responded, eyes trained on her reflection in the mirror as she made sure she had removed all traces of Nana’s lips. “I’ll see if the brand has any red in your shade, we’ll need it.”
Nana hummed noncommittally, before removing her own lipstick from Hachi’s makeup bag and slowly smoothing it over her lips where the color had faded while Hachi began reapplying her foundation and blush.
“At least your hair stayed in place.” Nana pocketed her lipstick. “How many cans of hairspray did you use to manage that?”
Hachi rolled her eyes. “I’m done, let’s go. I don’t want to waste our date in the train station bathroom”
8.
“What’d I say? The best winter coats!” Hachi squealed in excitement, attacking a rack of winter coats upon finding them in the front of the vintage thrift store. “Try this one on!”
“Just give me the first one you touch, huh?” Nana asked but dutifully shed her leather jacket as Hachi helped her into it.
“It’s in pristine condition, and a good brand - even if it isn’t Vivienne Westwood.” Hachi fluffed the fur of the jacket at Nana’s neck. “We’re getting it.”
It did look good on her and was warm, though judging on the continuing downcast skies outside it wouldn’t be warm enough for the rest of their date. An excuse to buy another coat. Hachi’s hands deftly went through the racks of winter coats, quickly rifling through and pulling out the best quality coats with only a glance.
“There’s another rack of coats in the back, including a lovely red vintage Yves Saint Laurent wool coat in pristine condition,” an employee said helpfully and Hachi flashed the biggest smile as she pulled Nana by the sleeve towards the back.
9.
Five hours later, together they had perused through three more stores (another vintage thrift store and two small indie boutiques owned by start-up fashion designers), eaten lunch in a small diner, and changed their outfits into much warmer clothes. As the day had gone on, it had steadily gotten colder and colder. In a few hours the sun would start to sink and with it would go what little light and warmth they had. They’d probably be able to see their breath when that happened.
The apple’s of Hachi’s cheeks were flushed red from smiling so much and so hard. Nana’s did too.
Nana’s feet were only just starting to ache in her well-worn, comfortable boots and she could only imagine how Hachi’s feet were. At least she’d changed out her kitten heels into her new vintage boots with a more comfortable and chunky heel.
Both their arms laden with shopping bags, they were carefully plodding back to the train station to rent a locker to store their purchases so they could continue their afternoon unburdened.
Nana knew the moment that Hachi’s eyes were drawn to a store’s front window what would be happening next.
“Look, Nana! This antique store has a Vivienne Westwood brooch!”
Interested Nana peered into where her girlfriend was pointing. “No shit, we didn’t score any Westwood today. Lucky find, good job Hachiko!”
Hachi preened for a moment before prancing around Nana to the door which she opened for Nana to go through first.
10.
Credit cards thoroughly racked up now, it was a relief when they finally got to the coin lockers. Hachi took care of carefully putting all their purchases in their locker they’d rented, while Nana took the opportunity to light up a cigarette. There hadn’t been much time for her to sneak in more than a couple while they’d been shopping.
“Hey Hachiko, where to next? I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a couple hours until I am hungry enough for dinner.”
“The cinema!” Hachi called over her shoulder, just a little breathless. “There’s one just a block away that plays old Hollywood movies every Friday, usually romances. Last week they were playing ‘Singing the Rain,’ with Gene Kelly. Not sure what they are playing this week, but regardless it’ll give us a chance to get off our feet for a couple hours and out of the cold.”
“As long as it isn’t Casablanca, I’ll watch whatever.” Nana took another drag and sighed in contentment.
“What? But Casablanca is my favorite!” Hachi gasped, turning from their locker as she shut it.
“Exactly, I’ve watched it with you already plenty and probably will again but with any luck not tonight.”
“Hm, fine,” Hachi said, “But I’ll be wanting popcorn!”
11.
Hachi made sure to buy her popcorn before they bothered to even check what movie was playing and buying the tickets.
“Movie is ‘Sabrina’? I don’t know it, does that sound okay to you?” Nana asked as she headed to the ticket counter to pay.
Hachi didn’t bother looking up from her popcorn, “Mm, yes the 1954 one I am assuming? Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn, sounds perfect.” She’d watched it half a dozen times, of course, but then she had all the classic Hollywood romances. She ate a piece and shut her eyes in contentment. Warm and buttered, it was a relief from the chill outside. “Are you sure we shouldn’t have gotten a second box? I’m hungry enough I can finish this on my own.”
“Not if you don’t want to spoil your dinner. Don’t fill your stomach all on popcorn, it’s a waste.”
Hachi made a noise that was equal parts agreement and disappointment.
12.
They were the only ones in the theater, which was not unusual to Hachi who often attended viewings of old movies like this. It was always nice to get her pick of the seats - dead center of the screen and several rows away from the front. Nana led the way to the best seating, already aware of Hachi’s preferences just like she knew Hachi would not abide by (much) fooling around in the empty room… Not that Nana really wanted to anyway knowing some unwitting employee would be checking in occasionally.
More than anything, though, it was about respecting Hachi’s love for film. Nana was very rigid and never strayed from the short list of things she did love: Strawberry shortcake, Vivienne Westwood, the Sex Pistols, Seven Star cigarettes, her band and music, and (of course) her girlfriend. Hachi, on the other hand, loved many things and had so many sprawling passions and desires. Watching movies was just one of many of Hachi’s great loves, but Nana had learned to respect them all as a part of loving Hachi.
It was a relief to shed their coats and settle into their seats into a comfortable silence as they munched on popcorn and watched the previews. At a certain point, Nana began tossing the popcorn into the air and catching it with her mouth much to Hachi’s delight. Nana could show a talent in even something as mundane as recognizing a font at a glance and Hachi would be deeply impressed.
Nana continued to show-off until they were down half a box of popcorn and the movie was starting at which point Hachi shushed her. Despite the shushing, Hachi allowed Nana to make a running commentary of the beginning of the movie.
“Well, that seems a bit dramatic,” Nana commented wryly.
“But now Linus - Humphrey Bogart’s character - gets to save her,” Hachi said with a dreamy sigh.
“Yeah,” Nana said as Audrey passed out into his arms and Bogart slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, “So romantic.”
“Shut up.” Hachi nudged against Nana’s shoulders as Nana snickered. “He sees her in a way David doesn’t, he’s her unlikely Prince Charming.”
They ran out of popcorn before Sabrina had even left for Paris, and so they got a second box of popcorn and finished that too by the time the unlikely Prince Charming reveals he meant to trick Sabrina into going back to Paris without him. Nana dozed against Hachi’s shoulder and Hachi watched the screen transfixed until Linus runs after Sabrina and they sail away to Paris together.
“Nana,” Hachi whispered gently as the credits rolled, nose against Nana’s hair. Nana smelled like patchouli and rose. It’s one of Hachi’s favorite scents and she comfortably inhaled it. “The movie is over, let’s go and get dinner shall we?”
13.
It was less of a surprise that it was snowing, than it is that it has only just begun right at that very moment. Large, fluffy flakes of snow drifted from the dark sky and had only just began to blanket the streets of Tokyo.
“I hope we’re able to get home in this,” Hachi said, her fingers outstretched to catch a large flake which falls into her palm and clings there. “It’s so pretty, I didn’t get to see snow often back home.”
“We could take the train back home now, if you’re that worried. Otherwise, let’s find some place to eat. You ate most of the popcorn and now I’m starving.”
“Yeah right! I had a handful before you started tossing most of the popcorn on the floor trying to catch it with your mouth. Stick with singing, you wouldn’t make it in basketball.”
“If you’re talking about all the popcorn on the floor, that was you trying to imitate me that wasted the popcorn.” Nana offered her gloved hand, which Hachi accepted. “Stick with being this singer’s girlfriend.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
They walked hand in hand to the restaurant, while an unwitting employee swept popcorn two young women had equally missed their targets for.
14.
They were seated right next to the bar at the quaint French bistro they came across, which suited them just fine. Hachi ordered a mid-tier bottle of red wine for them to share and got comfortable at their table.
“One day,” Nana said, seriously, “I’ll order you the most expensive bottle of alcohol they have, at the most expensive fancy restaurant. In Paris, even.” It was not a goal, but a promise.
Hachi put down her menu and reached her hand across the table, enclosing Nana’s clenched fist in her own. “Of course you will, you're so incredibly talented and it won't be long until we won't be bale to go on dates like this without you being recognized by fans. I believe in you.”
Nana’s other hand joined their already connected hands and brushed her thumb in circles on the back of Hachi’s hand.
“What’s this painting from? Tell me, Ms. Former Art Major?” Nana took both her hands back to interlock them beneath her chin and she smiled cheekily.
“Oh, hm,” Hachi said, turning to look at the dark portrait with a couple sitting beside each other at the center of it. “Probably 1800’s, judging by their clothes, though it could be late 1700’s since it’s a couple’s portrait, very pre-romanticism.” Hachi shrugged and picked up her menu again to flip through it, suddenly feeling a little shy.
She was surprised when she glanced up from her menu when the bartender finally returned with their bottle of red and she saw Nana’s dark eyes looking at her impressed.
“Wow you really know your stuff huh, Hachiko?”
“No, I mean,” Hachi stuttered, hands waving as though to push aside the compliment, “I’m probably wrong. I only took one year and was more interested in boys and honestly only went because I didn’t have anything else I wanted to do than stay with Jun. Jun’d probably know more about the painting, probably who painted it and everything.”
“Nah, I mean - thank you,” Nana interrupted herself to address their bartender, nodding her head as he poured their first glasses of wine for them. “I wouldn’t know any of that stuff. And I know you, if you hadn’t been interested in art history even a little bit you wouldn’t remember anything about it now. You know, why didn’t you ever go back to art school after moving to Tokyo?”
Hachi blushed and shrugged a little self-deprecatingly. “I mean, I don’t know. After Jun said she was moving to Tokyo, I realized I wanted that more than I wanted art school. And I don’t know… it’d cost a lot, since I wouldn’t be able to get a scholarship with my grades even with studying, and Tokyo is expensive enough… and it’s not like I’m that passionate about it.” Hachi took a deep drink of her wine as the bartender left. “Though I guess… One of the ladies at my cooking class mentioned a ‘Cocktails and Painting’ party she goes to every other week. Sounds like fun, I might… try that.”
Nana raised her wine glass. “To following our passions.”
Hachi clinked her wine glass against Nana’s and they drank.
15.
Their plan had been to eat (not rushing, but taking care to not dawdle), trudge through the snow and pick up their bags at the coin locker, and take their train home and be able to be tucked into bed before midnight.
Then Hachi saw the Karaoke center and she turned to Nana with a quirk in her brow.
“You wanna? Been awhile since I got to be serenaded by you, plus gives me a chance to polish my tambourine skills.” Hachi had to push up her sleeve to glance at her watch. “It’s not even 9, so we can probably play for an hour and half before we have to run for the train.”
“We’ll be living on the edge, but I can’t say no to that.” Nana pushed past Hachi to open the door, holding it open for Hachi to go first with a sweeping gesture with her arms. “But I am going to want more wine.”
“Ooh, am I gonna see drunk Nana tonight?” Hachi laughed as she pressed in close to Nana as she held open the door, pulling on Nana’s scarf to pull her close so the puffs of their breath in the cold air became one puff. “I love drunk Nana, she’s so cute.”
16.
They paid for two hours in a karaoke room, though they wouldn’t be able to stay their entire second hour if they wanted to catch the last train. For the first twenty minutes the two glasses of wine they had ordered sat untouched and they hadn’t even used the karaoke machine. Their coats were in a heap on the floor.
Hachi was straddling Nana’s lap, her skirt riding up her thighs obscenely, and they were both breathing heavily. Nana’s hands stroked Hachi’s hip, thumb making circles, until Hachi finally pulled away and got off Nana’s lap.
“Okay, we can make out at home. We paid to sing, and I’m singing first.”
Nana wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and sighed. She had preemptively wiped her lipstick off on a napkin, which was why Hachi’s make up was relatively still in place this time. They had gotten a smoking room, so Nana searched through their heap of coats and things to find her new cheetah print coat and snagged her smokes from the pocket. She lit herself a cigarette while Hachi went through the song catalog and caught her breath.
Finally, Hachi looked up with a mischievous grin. She braced one hand on Nana’s thigh as she leaned over her to snag Nana’s coat and then, to Nana’s surprise and interest, donned it herself before turning to the machine and selecting her song.
“Now I don’t hardly know her,” Hachi sang, her voice a little lower than her usual chirpy mezzo-soprano. It took Nana a moment to realize she wasn’t attempting to imitate Joan Jett’s voice, but Nana’s own voice. “But I think I could love her, Crimson and clover.”
Her girlfriend’s hair was slightly mussed and Nana was riveted as Hachi sang and shimmied her hips when the song hit the musical interlude. Nana stubbed out her cigarette on her boot as she watched Hachi dance and jump around; spirited, confident, and enjoying herself with Nana’s undivided attention.
“Yeah,” Hachi sang, heavily lidded eyes looking right at her.
“Ba-da, Da-da, Da-da.” Nana picked up her mic to sing the back-up vocals without thinking.
“Yeah, my, my such a sweet thing,
I wanna do everything,
What a beautiful feeling,
Crimson and clover,
Over and over.”
They were kissing again, before Hachi broke away to finish her song and then they kissed some more.
17.
“Baby Baby Baby, Shall we love?” Nana sang peppily, bouncing and flouncing like a pop idol in a girl group. Perched jauntily on her head was Hachi’s beret and she brandished her second glass of wine (well, fifth of the night). They had gone well past tipsy, into drunk and were trading clothes with each new song they sang.
“Our two hours are almost up, we wanna extend it?” Hachi asked, the karaoke’s phone pressed against her cheek. She frowned. There was something they were forgetting. “Wait.”
“Baby Baby Baby, Shall we love?” Nana was vibing to Gomattou’s chorus again, face flushed drunkly. “Come on, Hachiko, join me! Baby Baby Baby, Shall we love?”
Hachi dug the timetable train schedule at the very bottom of their even more scattered heap of clothes.
“Nana, dude… We missed the last train home.”
The song petered out as Nana stood, face scrunched and then she sighed. “It’s fine, it’s… whatever. I’m too drunk to sit on the train now anyway. We’ll… We’ll get a room somewhere. How much time we got left in the room? Enough time for one more song?”
Together they sang a very slurred duet of Meiko Nakahara’s Fantasy, giggling and leaning on each other as they pulled on each other’s coats to face the snow outside once more.
18.
It is with great relief that their hotel key card lets them in on their third swipe. It was just as well they had missed the last train, it had turned into a full-out snow storm outside. They would still be on the train even if they had made it and then have to walk 10 minutes in the snow and then up 7 flights of stairs. Even if the cold was taking the edge off their drunkenness, it would still not have been fun. This way they’d only had to walk half a block to find a hotel to stay in for the night.
Coats wrestled off for the last time for the night and piled on the second bed, Nana stretched out on their bed with the room service menu. If they didn’t want to have hangovers in the morning, they’d need to eat.
“What… What do you want to eat? They’ve got… options.”
“Don’t care, anything fried.” Hachi, meanwhile, struggled to get her boots off. “I’m freezing, I’m going to take a bath before they get here.”
“Gyoza sound okay? You go start the bath and I’ll join you after I order.”
Hachi stumbled away, still wearing one boot.
19.
Nana sank into the bath with a groan of appreciation for the second time. They’d already bathed and warmed up, but then they’d eaten oily gyoza and fried tempura in bed. They needed another one, fingers and faces all greased up. At least they’d sobered up some.
“Shit,” Nana said, looking over at the bathroom sink counter where she’d left her pack of Seven Stars and lighter.
It is without words that Hachi came into the bathroom and dropped her bathrobe to the floor. Spotting her smokes, Hachi shook out a cigarette and put it between her own lips to cup her hands to light it before sitting on the edge of the tub to place it between Nana’s lips.
Nana took a puff, taking in her girlfriend’s naked body, still dewy from their first bath. The curve of her breasts, the planes of her ribs and soft tummy, the swell of her hips and down to her calves where they disappeared under the water. Hachi smiled, affection so strong in her eyes that it made Nana shiver more than a sultry look would have done.
Threading their fingers together, Nana pressed a few kisses to the back of Hachi’s hand and then to her palm. “Get back in here, idiot, you’ll freeze. I’ll wash your back.”
Hachi laughed and sank back into warm water where they spent a lazy hour feeling the cold leach from their bones and enjoying each other’s company and hands intimately washing each other with sleepy eyes.
“Come on, it’s time I took you to bed.”
20.
“Well, that wasn’t what I was expecting,” Hachi said as they watched their train pull away. “But thank you for making time for it. I know you’re busy, with Blast and your solo projects.”
“Thank you for insisting.”
“You’re sure Yasu doesn’t mind picking up our things from the coin lockers?”
“Course not,” Nana said reassuringly. “Let’s go home.”
21.
It was a little sad, the walk home. Like the end of something wonderful, the rest of their lives blanketed in the snow and kept in suspense frozen in time. The moment they got home and they changed their clothes to leave again separately to work, it all ended. They’d have more dates, entire days to spend together, hopefully for the rest of their lives… but this one was over.
The only sound was the crunching of their boots in the snow, more flakes of snow falling silently, until Nana broke it with her voice.
She sang ‘La Vie en Rose,’ which Audrey Hepburn had sung in the movie last night. Hands clasped together, eyes shut for just a moment in time, they enjoyed their time together.
“Des nuits d'amour à plus finir
Un grand bonheur qui prend sa place
Des ennuis, des chagrins s'effacent
Heureux, heureux à en mourir.”