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“You wait out here?”
Natsuo pauses right at the entrance of the tea shop, a cute little establishment housed in a once abandoned brick building. Forest-green trim around the corners and matching green chairs propped up in front of the shop display. He turns his attention to his companion and hands her his already lit cigarette for safe keeping. Trading the smoke for a water bottle and a class tumbler that were previously kept in her bag.
“Yeah, sure thing, luv. You know what I want, right?” Umeka answered as she sat down in front of the shop’s ornately decorated bay window, waving around Natsuo’s cigarette to punctuate her words.
“That sugary monstrosity you call a ‘drink’?”
“Oh Hachi, you know me so well~”
Umeka playfully coos as she draws in Natsuo’s cigarette and exhales a thin cloud of smoke.
Umeka Tachibana, Natsuo’s childhood friend of 15 years. So close in bonds that he’d gone as far as to say she was akin to a life partner.
Their “meet-cute” was rather ridiculous as first meetings go. During their primary school years, they were both enrolled in the same local public school. Typically, children of their backgrounds were enrolled in private schools from day one, but both their families felt it appropriate to have them experience a “normal” primary education.
Umeka was born heiress to a relatively well-known and successful production company. Her family was the primary supplier of all the district’s sake, and in a world where monsters ran around battering down coastal walls, the people spent a lot on drinks. Natsuo was born the eldest grandson of the Greater Ō’Yamamoto Clan with a lot of wealth and influence to be inherited once he himself is clan head. Thus, not only was their childhood friendship adorable, it was convenient from the start.
Umeka had no problem fitting in within primary school. She was a natural social butterfly thanks to her being properly socialised by her parents. Generally speaking, she was an absolute delight to be around. Talking and befriending people simply came naturally to her, thus her classmates and even her teachers absolutely loved her.
The same couldn’t be said for Natsuo.
His family was rather strange. No, they were very strange.
The Ō’Yamamotos were a relatively progressive family thanks to Reiko and Rokuro breaking their backs to ensure much of the family’s previous prejudices were far in the past, but some things will never truly change. The family’s weirdly strict delineation of formality and pyramid of authority being one of them. It’s definitely something to be expected of a prominent military family.
Natsuo, to put it simply, did not know how to properly interact with other children. Up until this point, he was raised by private tutors and adults who spoke in a way most children would not understand. So in turn, his manner of speaking was rather ridiculous to be heard coming out of a child, and as a cherry on top of the already socially awkward sundae, Natsuo was not raised with much of children’s media. Thus, his interests weren’t relatable to his peers.
Under normal circumstances, this was already a difficult situation for a seven-year-old to deal with. Unfortunately for Natsuo, he’s an Ō’Yamamoto. So even as a seven-year-old he had to make a good impression for the sake of his family. So even if he struggled, he couldn’t show it under risk of bringing down the good reputation his grandfather had built all those years ago.
Under no circumstances was he allowed to be visibly displeased, unless he be labeled arrogant.
Under no circumstances was he allowed to be rowdy, unless he be labeled as irresponsible.
Under no circumstances was he allowed to cry, unless he be labeled as weak.
His father was a general. He couldn’t be weak.
“Hello!”
Natsuo nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden eruption of sound. The school library was always empty at this hour. It was recess so all the kids were playing on the grassy field outside of the school. Natsuo had tried once or twice to join in whatever game they were playing, but to no avail. So instead he sat in the library reading whatever book he brought from his family estate until the school bell rang again to signal the end of playtime. But today, his lonely but comfortable miasma of silence was interrupted by a familiar face.
Sitting in front of him with her knees on the table was a girl with bright ginger hair and big round eyes that perfectly matched her thick bouncy locks. Her right eye sat slightly narrower than her left, and under it was a third eyelid resting in a curved line absolutely radiating in delight.
“You’re Mr. General Yamamoto-Sama’s kid right? I know your parents! They come to my papa’s factory all the time. I’m Tachibana Umeka!”
The momentum in which Umeka shot her hand out to Natsuo reminded him of his grandmother’s pistol. The girl happily sat and waited for Natsuo to reach out his hand and slowly shake her hand in a quiet response.
“Yamamoto Natsuo.”, he uttered politely.
“I didn’t think I’d find another rich kid at this school,” Umeka continued as she hopped down and army-crawled beneath the table to make her way to the seat next to Natsuo. Instead of…walking around the furniture.
Natsuo didn’t say anything. More accurately he didn’t know what to say.
“Did your parents send you here to study with regular kids too?” She continued.
“Mama said I’m here because the kids at the private school are all stuck up and she didn’t want me to end up like them. But Papa said it’s because the school is closer to our house, which I don’t think is true at all. Did you know that the private school is actually closer to his work than this one?”
She continued to talk as she made herself comfortable in the short green plastic seat. Natsuo felt a pause in her entourage of words and took the opportunity to answer her question. Well…at least one of them.
“I’m here because my sister was enrolled here.” He explained as he thought back to his older sister. Even with their six year age gap, the two were extremely close. Actually…she was the one to encourage him to try once more to befriend someone, despite his many failed attempts.
‘Maybe I should I try again…’
“Your sister?” Umeka tilted her head in curiosity.
Natsuo nodded as he nervously fiddled with his fingers. “Yeah. She moved to secondary school. The one up the road near the park.”
Umeka’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Oh! Kiyomi-Neesama right? I met her before too! She doesn’t look like your sister, though. Is she adopted?”
Oh, if it isn’t his least favourite question to answer. Natsuo began to formulate the explanation in his head. He has witnessed his sister try and explain that her and Natsuo are half-siblings to anyone who wondered how she and this blasian boy were related. But somehow, it always ended in more confusion.
“Different mothers.” He settled on a dry but simple explanation. He turned to Umeka, expecting her to ask for an elaboration but was met with a long “Ohhhhhhh” instead. Thank goodness.
They sat in silence for a few painfully long seconds before Umeka piped up once again.
“Watcha’ readin’?”
Natsuo lifted up the book from the table to show off the cover of the 500 page monster he was reading. The front cover of the book had no illustration, simply a title and a name in black on an off white backdrop. The book had visible and immaculately neat binding, corners sharp as if it were fresh from the factory line.
Umeka stared at the calligraphy–’Monsters and Men: 50 years of fighting by Koichi Tsutsui’ –very much a book no seven-year-old would be reading on their own time. She swore she had seen this exact title in her father’s office collecting dust on its shelf.
“Tsutsui,” Natsuo chimed with a tinge of excitement in his voice as he held up the book for his classmate.
“It’s about one of the first Kaiju hunting squads. Kami-Team 0, the ones from Okinawa prefecture.” He flipped to the last page of the book where it housed a massive double page spread of a scanned photo of Kami-Team 0. A group photo of ten individuals of various backgrounds all standing amongst a slain level 6 Kaiju.
Natsuo began to point at each of the members one by one while listing their names, ranks, and hometowns, along with their most credible feats throughout history. Umeka happily sat and quietly listened through it all. Once Natsuo was done, he flipped back to the page he was previously reading, already littered with annotations.
“You can understand all of that?” Umeka hovered behind Natsuo’s shoulder as she scanned all the sticky notes and underlined words throughout the page. Natsuo shook his head as he underlined another big word neither of them understood.
“Not all of it.”
“Then why are you reading it?”
“It’s my grandfather’s favourite book. He said I should read it if I wanted to be a hunter.”
“What are the scribbles for?”
“To ask my tutors later.”
“You have tutors too?”
“Yes. One for every subject.”
The two sat in the library noses deep in that book for the rest of recess. Umeka searching through the dictionary she nabbed from the book cart while they both debated on what the word “ephemeral” meant. In the end, the two only managed to read and understand three whole pages with some level of confidence before the bell rang.
Those thirty-two minutes sitting together in an empty library with a book they were far too young to be reading was the start of a beautiful friendship. One that would last longer than they had expected.
“I have an order for Natsuo?”
A green haired woman in a brown apron calls out to the tea shop holding up two drinks. One translucent purplish-pink tea with konpeito candies swirling at the bottom of a glass tumbler and plain iced hojicha and milk drink in an army green water bottle.
“That’s mine. Thank you.”
She hands the drinks to Natsuo and thanks him for his purchase. Natsuo returns her smile before waltzing out the door to join Umeka, who was enjoying the last half of Natsuo’s cigarette. She extinguishes the embers in the provided ash tray before reaching out to collect her treat for the week.
Natsuo looks down at the not-so-finished cigarette with a sad expression as Umeka mixes her drink with a furious shake any bartender would be proud of.
“I was gonna finish that, you know?”
“You need to quit anyways, Hachi.”
“I’m serious Ume, those aren’t cheap.”
“Neither is a new set of lungs..”
Natsuo rolls his eyes as he sits down on the metal garden chair provided by the tea shop. This has been their favourite spot to hang out ever since Umeka found it via a friend of a friend about five years ago. Now it's a regular spot for them to catch up once a month amongst their busy adult schedules. They sat and enjoyed their drinks for about ten minutes in comfortable silence. Enjoying the unusually warm spring weather as they both unwind from an extremely stressful week. Umeka had recently came back from a business trip in Hokkaido and Natsuo had finally earned a break after weeks of repetitive Kaiju hunting. Now it’s time for some good old gossip between best friends.
“How was Hokkaido?” Natsuo takes a sip of his drink. Perfectly bitter with a smooth sweet after taste courtesy of the shop’s fresh-to-order homemade soy milk.
“The region? Amazing. The work? Fucking hell…”
“Okay, lay it on me.”
Umeka proceeds to lay out an itemised list of every single snafu that erupted during her business trip. From delayed flights, to missing kegs of wine samples, to a massive miscommunication on seasonal grape production. Natsuo simply sat and listened. Sprinkling in the occasional ‘oh shit’ and ‘fucking hell’ to show his dissatisfaction of this situation he has absolutely no grounds on.
Umeka’s rant is long enough that it warranted a second helping of drinks being brought to their table, once again paid for by Natsuo. She takes a hearty sip from her newly acquired drink and turns her attention to Natsuo. Who had ordered a cookie alongside his drink.
“Don’t.” Natsuo smacks her hand away from his plate without looking.
“Okay, fuck you. I was only going to have taste.”
“Uh huh. A ‘taste’.”
Umeka shakes her head in humoured disbelief as Natsuo guards his little cookie like it was his baby. “Oh piss off and tell me what’s up with you. You look like you got something to tell me. I can see it in your eyes.”
Natsuo tries his best to suppress the dumb little grin he always gets when he’s excited and reaches for his phone. Tapping away at the screen before turning it to show Umeka a photo he had taken just the day before this meet up.
Umeka’s eyes widened at the photo so much that Natsuo is convinced that her empty third eye might just open from shock.
The photo is of Natsuo’s back, immaculately built like the rest of him. Sitting on his skin is a freshly done tattoo that stretches the entire space of his upper back. A pair of stylised hawk wings wrapping him shoulder to shoulder and half way down his biceps.
Umeka stares with her mouth agape for a total of five whole seconds before blurting out;
“You taking the piss?”
“Sorry?” Natsuo spits out in surprise.
Umeka, still wide-eyed, cups her nose and mouth as she groans into her hands. She stares up at her best friend in absolute disbelief.
“Ohhh Hachi your family is going to kill you. Does your sister know?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“Fuck all.”
“I’ll have choice but fine words at your funeral”
Natsuo simply shakes his head in an effort to not roll his eyes right into the back of his skull at the sight of Umeka’s second hand panic. He puts his phone away back into his pocket as he raises his drink to his mouth.
“Come on now Ume it’s not that bad”
“Ō’Yamamoto Natsuo”
“Tachibana Umeka…”
Umeka stares right into Natsuo’s soul like a barn owl. Her wordless pry for an explanation punctuated with an eye brow raise as she crosses her arms and lays back in her seat. Kicking her right leg over her left thigh. Natsuo averts his gaze and stares down at the gravel beneath their feet, noting the various shades of blue and green speckled in the gray stones.
“Is it really that bad?”. Natsuo shifts in his seat. Both from Umeka’s reaction and his currently healing tattoo sending a massive uncomfortable itch down his spine which he is absolutely not allowed to scratch.
Umeka sighs in an intonation that can only be described as…disillusioned? Melancholic almost?
“No, I think it’s absolutely beautiful and you–in fact– look very good with it.”
“Thank you.”
“That being said..”
She taps her fingers on the wooden table top. Formulating her next sentence carefully so as to not come off as a complete ass.
“...for a first tattoo, it’s rather risky and I’m going to be so honest, luv, it’s kind of stupid. Not the tattoo itself,” she emphasises.
“, the act of getting one that big is what’s absolutely ridiculous. You’re still the heir to clan head, Hachi, you can’t be doing stuff like this.”
Natsuo lets out a very long, very discontented sigh as he stares off into the clouds above his head. The brightness of the skies above hurts his eyes, but he can't bring himself to care that they were straining.
“Gods, you sound like my mother…and for your information I’m not my father’s heir anymore.”
“Not yet. You’re still—”
“Whatever.”
“Natsuo…”
A long awkward silence rings in the air. The ambiance of passersby fills in the lull in conversation. Footsteps, bicycle bells, and small dogs barking, they both paid their attention to those sounds instead of each other.
Both parties wait for the other to make the first move. In the end, Umeka speaks first.
“You know what, let’s take a walk,” She scoops all her belongings into her off white ballet bag and stands up from her seat, half-full tumbler in hand. “I want to see the ducks.”
Natsuo nods and quickly gathers his wallet, keys and bottle. The two of them leave the tea shop with nothing but condensation stains on the table and an empty plate with chocolate crumbs on it.
The walk was still silent. But at least it wasn’t awkward. They both follow their usual path around the perimeter of the lake not far from where they were seated. A foot path all too familiar for the both of them as five years of routine settle in their footsteps.
Spring had come unusually early and unusually warm, and so have the ducks that Umeka is oh so fond of. The ginger walks on her partner’s left with her arms around his bicep and her bag slung over Natsuo’s shoulder. From afar and without context they are easily mistaken as lovers, but in reality they were simply childhood companions.
Umeka’s heart belongs to another, and Natsuo’s interests lay somewhere deep down and hidden from the world out of shame.
“They sure are cute aren’t they?”
Umeka gestures to the other side of the lake. A small family of mutated blue mallards waddle and swim around the banks of the lake. Bobbing their heads in and out of the water before shaking off the remaining wetness. Amongst the family of ducks is a small group of children admiring the birds. A few of them imitating the creatures as they follow them around the banks with their accompanying parents.
“The kids?”
“No, the ducks, Hachi.”
“Oh–”
Umeka playfully slaps Natsuo’s arm as she lets out a light giggle while they both gaze upon the lake.
“You think our families are still considering the arrangement?”. Umeka sighs.
“I wouldn’t put it past them. Your family loves my money and my mother loves you.” Natsuo replies as he directs them to a nearby bench to sit.
“That is very true, and if we do get married that means you and I would have to make a baby.”
“How uncouth, Ume…”
“We’d make a cute kid though.”
“Please, we’re getting off topic.”
Umeka simply grins to herself as Natsuo plops her bag onto her lap and sits himself in a more comfortable position. He leans his body closer to Umeka and politely rests his temple atop her head. Exhaling as his body relaxes in the presence of his childhood partner. The one other person besides his big sister who knew the intricacies of his life; his wants, his secrets, and his greatest fears. If he wasn’t the person that he was, he truly believes they’d have a beautiful married life together. She thought so too.
They stayed there on that bench for a very long time.
None of them kept track of the time. They simply let their minds drift elsewhere as their bodies remain present in the lovely spring atmosphere. Soaking in the sun after a particularly dreary winter season. As they soak in the warmth, Natsuo begins to sift through his memories. Cycling through every single potential reaction from each of his family members to his new spontaneous body modification.
He had already seen Kiyomi’s not so stellar reaction.
Hideo probably wouldn’t care.
Hinata would most likely tell on him, and Harue would do the same.
And his parents…
The tattoo may have been somewhat of an impulsive decision to do as his first, but Natsuo had had it on his mind for years now. He’d always wanted something to symbolise his love for flying to be permanently embedded into his body. A tattoo just made sense. The only reason he got it was because of his squadron. Their support had always been a massive source of encouragement for Natsuo to exercise his free will. They made him remember he was a person outside of his family. With them he could just be Natsuo.
‘I wonder if mother would hate me for this’, he thinks to himself. He remembers that one particularly warm summer day when he was six. He had managed to sneak past the gates to see the dragonflies skip around the lake close to the family estate. While he was there, a group of three kids around his age approached him to ask if he wanted to play football, and of course Natsuo said yes.
It was a fun two hours of youthful reckless abandon. A fun two hours of Natsuo simply being a child and having fun. But right as the sun set over the horizon, he felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach as he heard his full name being called in a tone he could only describe as pure rage. His mother, Hayami, walked out onto the grassy field and called for her son to return home immediately, and Natsuo obeyed. Not daring to look her in the eyes as she dragged him back to their estate. All while berating him for his muddy, unkept, and ‘uncivilised’ state. The lecture lasted for about twenty minutes, and by minute five Natsuo knew exactly how he was expected to carry himself.
After that, he was never allowed to leave the grounds without thorough permission. Even when he turned eighteen.
‘Father would absolutely hate me for this.’
He thinks back to a very vivid memory. A memory that permanently changed the way he saw this father. Natsuo didn’t remember what the conversation was about because all he remembered was something being thrown past his head and slamming into the bookshelf behind his head. He had made the mistake of being too casual with his father as he was expected to address all clan elders with the utmost respect. That small slip of etiquette earned him possibly the worst verbal onslaught he had ever received. He didn’t remember how long it actually was, because to him it felt like hours. He felt like a deer being eyed down by a bear. He was genuinely scared his father might strike him at any moment. But Eiji never needed to touch him to instill that fear into his son.
In the end, Natsuo knew to never talk to his father like that ever again. In fact he…rarely talked to his father at all.
Natsuo feels something cold touch his hand. The temperature difference brings him out of his head and back into the present: Sitting on a wooden bench in the middle of a beautiful park with a beautiful woman by his side resting her rather cold hand on his warm one.
“I’m sorry for my reaction. I know what I said hurt.” She wraps her fingers around his hand in a comforting manner.
“I know, Ume. I know. You’re just…more worried than I am.” Natsuo leans back to face her properly.
“You care about me and I can’t be mad at you for that.”
Seeing genuine worry on Ume’s face always made his chest ache. Any struggle he had, that—for whatever reason—he couldn’t tell Kiyomi, he’d tell Umeka. Seeing her best friend break down from the weight of expectation had always stirred something in her. A fire. Not of hatred…but of distaste for the Ō’Yamamotos and their hypocrisy.
They were and still are the pillars of hope for their community and at one point the whole country. The clan’s objectives had always been community driven, but at what cost? They hadn’t noticed when their own son almost died under the weight of responsibility. They’re happy to sacrifice their own to serve the people.
On one hand, Umeka can acknowledge the sheer selflessness of that act. But on the other hand, she wants to kick the living shit out of Natsuo’s parents for what they’ve put both him and Kiyomi through.
The stories she’s heard. It made her so, so angry.
“But still, I could’ve phrased it better. I guess I’m still worried about what your parents would do.”
“You know I could handle it right? It’s not like they hit me. I’m–”
“Please, don’t say it…please…I don’t care that they don’t hit you, that’s the bare fucking minimum. I care that they think putting all this responsibility on you before we’re even twenty-five— fuck, even back then when we were kids— makes them good parents. They’re not.”
“Yeah… I guess not.”
Umeka gently runs her thumb over Natsuo’s knuckles. He can hear her breath shake as she recoils from her own statement. Laying out how messed up his family is was a habit Ume had ever since they were kids. Ever since Natsuo explained why he preferred to hang out at her house instead of his own. Ever since he broke down in her arms for the first time when they were fifteen.
“Are you ever going to tell them?”. Umeka tightens her grip on his hand. He shakes his head.
This…wasn’t just about the tattoo.
“You know I can’t do that.” He carries on.
“...are you still planning to leave?” Umeka mutters.
He thought about it for a few seconds. The ink was a small act of rebellion. An exercise of freedom that his squadron reminded him he had. But he’s still a member of his family’s clan. It’s not like he could leave so easily. He shakes his head.
Umeka tightly wraps her arms around Natsuo’s. Wedging herself deeper into the crook of his neck.
“You’re going to die in that estate, Natsuo….”
“I won’t.”
“Then leave.”
“And what about my sister?”
Umeka has no response to that. She always had a rebuttal for everything Natsuo could argue. But not this. She never had a response for this. She sighs and nods slowly as a little tear falls from her eye. Natsuo gently wipes it away with his thumb.
“Are you seriously crying over me, you dumbass?”
“Oh, fuck off.”
Natsuo chuckles, and so does she. They really were perfect for each other. Just the right amount of silliness to balance out their more serious moments. Natsuo rises from the bench and holds out his hand to Ume.
“Come on. I’ll treat you to dinner. Anything you want we can get, just so we can end this day on a good note.”
Umeka bows her head and takes his hand. Using his counter weight to pull herself up from her seat.
“I’m craving mazemen.” she declares.
“Again?!”
“Please?
“You literally had that last night at the izakaya.”
“Pleaaase?” Ume jokingly coos as she looks up at Natsuo with the cutest voice she could muster.
“Ohh heavenly Buddha give me strength–Okay, how about we just go to old man Nakamura’s and see what he has in season? You can’t keep eating ramen all the time, you need your vegetables”
“Okay now you’re sounding like my mother. Besides, mazemen has veggies!”
“Scallions do not count Ume.” Natsuo explains as he gently baps Ume on the head.
“Fiiine” Ume surrenders and swats his hand away. “But I’m not sharing a beer. The stuff he gets tastes like piss.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Natsuo leads the way with Umeka once again holding onto his arm. Gravel lightly crutching beneath their shoes.
“Thanks, Hachi.”
“Of course, Ume.”