Seventh Day
Dec. 29th, 2011 10:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wonderlifeAuthor: Nichole
Rated: PG
Word Count: 3,170
Story Title: Seventh Day
Summary: Seven days of Oto Jiro's prison life.
Author's Note: So, Jiro ends up in jail at one point. There, he is visited by several people - this is a story about those visits.
I. February 2, 2015 – Monday
I promise to make you happy. - Oto Jiro, 2017
Chan-wook once told Jiro that rain was the worst thing in the world. Jiro hadn’t believed his foster-father than, but he believed him now. It was pouring, the rain falling like rocks, freezing and unforgiving the day they found Jiro.
Struggling against the three police officers trying to arrest him; Jiro screamed in agony as they forced him to the ground, the cold, wet cement feeling awkward and rough against his cheek. Somewhere, maybe close, maybe far, Jiro could hear Taka calling his name. Over and over she was calling for him.
Before he had been forced to the ground, Jiro had seen her – fighting with all her might against the two police officers trying to hold her back. He hadn’t seen her fight that hard since she had broken her Noose Promise. Jiro had thought she had been crying too, but that might have just been the rain.
One of the officers pulled Jiro’s arms back – cuffing him in a way that made Jiro’s whole body hurt. When they stood him up, the ex-Host looked toward where Taka had been, but she was gone – pushed back into the crowd that had gathered to watch his arrest.
II. February 3, 2015 – Tuesday
And Jiro? Be nice to your sister. - Saukari Kaori, 2009
When the guards told Jiro he had a visitor, he had thought it would be Taka. Instead, upon entering the visiting room, he saw Kaori and a bald middle-aged man sitting on the other side of the glass. Kaori looked completely pissed while the bald man looked completely bored.
“Mama,” Jiro tired to keep his attitude light and cheerful. “you look beautiful. New hair style?”
Kaori’s eyes were blazing at him. Her perfectly plucked eyebrows were skewed and her red nails tabbed on her stocking covered knee – yup, she was beyond angry. “Chan-wook,” she began, her voice hard – unforgiving – but, really what had he expected? – as she spoke. “taught you all so much. Were you ill the day he taught you how to avoid jail?”
Had he been ill that day? Or had he just not been paying attention? Jiro couldn’t really remember. But then, he couldn’t really remember a lot of things at that moment. All he wanted was for Kaori to tell him that Baldy was there to get him out. Congrats, he could go back to his place and forget the whole thing. Forget the arrest, the night in jail, the look on Taka’s face as he had been arrested, and most importantly the thing he had done to get arrested in the first place.
Instead, Kaori continued by saying; “This is my lawyer, Mr. Obata. He mostly deals with matters for my club – helping girls stay in the country when they’re illegal, paternity suits, that sort of thing. He’s never dealt with a case like yours, I’m sorry to say.”
Mr. Obata nervously (and loudly) cleared his throat. “But, it was self-defense, wasn’t it? That’s what I was told. I don’t care if it really was or not, I just need you to tell me it was self-defense. He was going to kill you and -”
“Not me,” Jiro cut-in, his light attitude replaced by darkness that Kaori hadn’t seen in him for years. “he wasn’t going to kill me. It was because of me. However, he was going to kill Taka. So, I killed him first.”
III. February 4, 2015- Wednesday
Don’t let anyone else decide for you. - Gu Eddie, 2009
Jiro was only slightly surprised to see Eddie sitting on the other side of the glass the following afternoon. Sitting in his chair, Eddie looked much older and worn than Jiro remembered him.
Glaring, Eddie spoke briskly: “Speak Korean. They,” he nodded toward the guards. “can’t know what I’m telling you.” Slightly confused, Jiro only nodded. “Don’t nod. Speak.”
“Sorry, Older Brother.”
“You’re lucky we were in Kyoto.” Eddie stated before flicking a match on the table beside him. He lit a cigarette, smiling as he exhaled the minty smelling smoke.
Nodding toward a sign on the wall, Jiro grinned. The sign was a ‘No Smoking’ sign; it went ignored by Eddie. The guards didn’t seem to notice or care, either. Already knowing his foster-brother’s mood, Jiro decided not to press the matter.
Pausing between inhales, Eddie shook his head in disappointment. “Arrested for murder; you really have no idea how to get away with the bigger crimes, do you?”
Scoffing lightly, Jiro shrugged. “It isn’t as if the Old Man taught us –“
“He did.” Eddie cut-in seriously. “Do you know how many people I’ve killed? Or Mason for that matter. Hell, even Ling’er and Aoi.” he trailed off, not wanting to relive bad memories. “We all know how to get away for it. What to do and how, but you. . . you don’t seem to. You, for Taka. . . .you,”
Suddenly angry, Jiro banged a fist against the glass. “You wouldn’t do the same? It’s Taka, not some stranger.”
Taka, who he had bounded with intensely. Taka, who slept beside him peacefully each night, always falling asleep barely touching – and waking with her in his arms. They had lived peacefully, as siblings for years. Jiro had been perfectly happy ignoring his less than brotherly feelings for her. Then, two years ago, on her birthday – the birthday she was meant to kill herself – Taka had told him that she loved him. That had changed things for Jiro; it made him wary. He loved her back, but. . . had lacked the courage to say the words back to her. And, that was why he was in jail, because he couldn’t say the words, and yet he felt them.
“I would have done the same.” Eddie confessed. “But, I wouldn’t have gotten caught. The hacker you killed, the drug-addicted nephew of a member of the Diet . . . I’m glad he’s dead. But, he’s the nephew of a man in power.” Eddie shook his head again. “You couldn’t just have looked for Shin-woo and used him?”
He waved a hand, changing the subject. “Aoi and the kids are with Taka. Taka’s staying with Kaori; a couple of Kaori’s old girls stay with Taka when Kaori is out. Still, there’s no point. Our little sister is just sitting there, staring at a wall. It was you who really got her to talk to us all those years ago. And, now that you’re truly gone, she’s quiet again. Going back inside where it is safe.” He paused, unsure if he wanted to ask the next question. “What happened to her that night, Jiro?”
“I-I can’t. Not yet.”
They were both silent for a long while; Eddie smoking and Jiro thinking hard about the way to brunch the next topic. He knew that Kaori would take care of Taka as long as he was tied up in jail, but Kaori wasn’t really good that taking care of other people. Mason was busy with his lady; Eddie and Aoi had their own pied piper thing going on. That just left –
“Could you do me a favor, Oldest Brother? Could you find Jin and ask him to come here?” Jiro rushed on before Eddie could tell him no. “He and Taka are both smart. From similar parental nightmares. He always understood her and treated her well. Get Hu Jin for me.”
IV. February 12, 2015- Thursday
You condemn me for being in love with Ling’er, yet you’re so in love with Taka, you’d kill for her! - Hu Jin, 2010
Two days before the trail, Jiro was told he had a visitor – his older brother, Jin. Jin, who still had a bad haircut, glasses, and those damn sweater vests, was waiting for Jiro on the other side of the mirror. Jiro thought Jin needed a makeover, or that the very least to cancel his Sears card.
The wounds of 2010 still felt fresh; it had been Jin who had become the villain in the last chapters of Ling’er’s final story. Jin had gone from caring and doting older brother to someone who would let the object of his obsession die in order to prove he was right.
Sitting across from him, Jiro had to admit that there was still a part of him that wanted to kill Jin for being everyone – especially Ling’er – so miserable during the last few weeks of Ling’er’s life. But, that was in the past and as much as it pained Jiro, he needed Jin for the foreseeable future.
Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Jiro tried to remain calm and collected. Forcing himself to smile in a cocky manner, he spoke easily. “I thought you might not come.”
“Aoi was the one who phoned me. Then Mama phoned a few hours later. They were the ones that persuaded me. They can be, well, you know.” Jin sounded cold and distant, speaking slowly; like, he was speaking to a patient or a rookie doctor. “I want to make it very clear that I am here for Taka, not you or anyone else.” He added, almost as an after-thought.
“I’ve seen her, Jiro. It’s not good; she’s not doing very well. I tried checking her wounds, but she wouldn’t allow it. She’s not handling this as well as I’d like.”
Biting back anger, Jiro spat the only thing he could think of; “She’s not one of your fucking patients. She’s supposed to be your beloved younger sister.”
Flustered, Jin straightened his sweater vest and pushed the rim of his glasses up. “I’m sorry Jiro. It’s just that she’s going back in, and I’m worried about that. Aoi says you want me to stay and take care of her. But, I can’t – I’m a doctor in California, now. I can’t go back to this life style. I-“
“You’re selfish. A selfish bastard. I’m asking you to help Taka until I get out. Nothing more. And yet, you’re acting like I’m asking for you to help pull a con or gamble or something. She’s the only person that actually still likes you, you know. I thought you’d want to help her.”
“Jiro, it’s not a matter of wanting. It’s a matter of if I should or not.” Jin sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and at that moment looked utterly at a lost. In a strange way, it made Jiro happy to see Jin like this. “Taka needs a professional to deal with this.”
“No.” Shaking his head forcefully, Jiro kept his firm gaze on Jin. “No doctors. She hates them. Just you, Jin; you’re the only doctor she likes.” he paused, not fully wanting to say the last thing. “When you take care of her, do me a favor? If, by some chance the law actually works correctly and I go to jail for a few years or longer, never let her visit me.”
"Jiro. . .”
Jiro smiled sadly. “I don’t want her to see me like this.” he sniffed. “She’s already seen me kill a man; I don’t want her to see me in here. I want her to try and remember the way I was before all of this. Promise you’ll never let her see me.”
“I promise.”
“Thank you. And Jin? Never lay beside her like I used to. Please never sleep with Taka. Don’t fall in love with her like you did with Ling’er.”
V. February 17, 2017- Friday
She calls your name in her sleep. - Mason, 2016
Oto Jiro had been a prisoner for the last two years. He hadn’t been outside the prison’s walls; he hadn’t dressed in his suits or wore anything other than his orange jumpsuit; the guards and other inmates were now his only companions. Jiro hadn’t seen Taka since she had testified (against everyone’s wishes) at his trail two years ago.
The last thing Jiro had heard Taka say was; “He protected me.” After that, Taka had been forced to endure several insults – she had walked away in the end.
Jiro didn’t see her after that.
Jiro had seen Eddie and Aoi once more after the trail; he had seen Mason once a year before; but, he saw Jin weekly. Jin came every Friday afternoon to tell Jiro about the outside world.
The most Jin ever said about Taka was that she worked in a flower shop as a part-timer, because she enjoyed making arrangements for people. Taka also still made a few things for any of Mama’s girls, such as passports, birth or marriage certificates, and visas. But, that was all Jin ever said about Taka.
In fact, only Mason had really mentioned her. Mason had talked a lot about Taka, about the way she talked loudly in her sleep, calling for him. And the way she wasn’t quite the way she had been, it was as if a part of her was missing. On that day, the day before Valentine’s Day, Jiro felt like something was missing from him too.
He waited all day, but Jin never did visit him.
VI. February 17, 2018- Saturday
I want us to live together from now on. - Oto Jiro, 2009
Jiro received a package of cookies, though he wasn’t allowed to eat them. Inside the cookies, stuffed way at the bottom was a note written in pencil. It simply read:
“I am coming to see you now.”
VII. February 18, 2018- Sunday
I love you. - Masaki Taka, 2013
When Jiro was told he had a visitor, he thought it was his lawyer. After all, he had refused to see Taka for the last three months. Besides that, visitors were only allowed on Sunday if it had to do with an inmate’s case. It struck him as even odder when his guard, Abe-san had him change into jeans and a tee-shirt. And, when he saw someone through the bars that lead to the meeting room, he was surprised to see it was a girl.
Whispering low, Abe-san smiled happily; “I’ve gotten you five minutes. Tell her five years worth of feelings.”
Jiro was un-cuffed and let into the room. On the other side of the glass stood Taka, looking much the same as she had three years before. Her hair was a bit longer, but she was just as fragile and beautiful as she had been. Silently, she put her hand on the glass; her eyes stayed glued to Jiro’s face.
Wordlessly, Jiro put his hand on the glass over Taka’s; their palms would be touching, if not for the glass. Together, they stayed perfectly still for several moments. It was Jiro who broke the silence,
“I never wanted you to see me in here.” Jiro’s lips twisted somewhat into a tight smile. “I wanted you to forget me.”Jiro watched as tears filled Taka’s eyes, as she nodded slowly. He could feel the tears falling from his own eyes, though he tried to ignore it. “I wanted you to find a better person for you to have; for someone to take care of you.”
Her eyes glued to Jiro’s, Taka spoke so softly, Jiro could hardly hear her; “You take care of me the best.” The tears were falling freely from her eyes. “You always protect me. It’s why you are here now. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Shocked, Jiro could barely believe Taka’s words. Had she really blamed herself this whole time? “No. No. . . don’t be sorry. This is why I wanted you to forget me, because I always bring you into trouble. But, I couldn’t stop myself. I selfishly wanted you near me. I’m sorry . . . for everything that happened.”
Shaking her head feverishly, Taka spoke urgently, as if she was trying to convince herself of her own words. “Jiro protects me. It wasn’t your fault.” The edges of her lips seemed to twist into the faintest hints of a smile. “You are. . .alright?”
“Are you kidding?” Jiro forced himself to laugh. “I’m very popular here. I have to beat the men off with the stick; they get really sad when they figure out I’m not gay.”
He tried to laugh, but nothing would come. How could he laugh when there were tears falling from Taka’s eyes? “Does. . .are you alright?”
Stiffly, Taka nodded. “Jin is nice.” she let her eyes drift to their hands and the glass separating them. “Jiro is nicer.”
Now, that was something he had longed to hear. ”Jiro is nicer.” was Taka’s answer whenever he asked her about anyone she knew. It was almost better than the ‘l’ word. All Jiro wanted at that moment was to stay the way he was – his palm pressed against the glass and staring into Taka’s eyes; eyes that were, for the first time in years, crying.
Yet, one glance at Abe-san let him know his five minutes were nearly over. The guard was becoming twitchy, looking around nervously. Jiro hoped his favorite guard didn’t get into too much trouble for this little reunion.
Thinking quickly, Jiro put his full attention back on Taka. He had to keep their last moments together light, if only for his sake. “You look pretty.”
She shook her head. “When are you coming home? Mama’s lawyer says –“
“Taka,” it was the first time he had said her name out loud in years. Somehow it came out softly, almost like he was praying. “Taka. Masaki Taka. My very own Tak-Tak.” With a shake of his head, Jiro smiled. “Thank you for coming to see me.”
“I –“
“Listen, okay?” He swallowed hard. “You have to take care of yourself and Jin. Be strong for me, alright?” Jiro’s ears perked up at the sound of the doors opening behind him. “Be good. Listen to Jin – unless he’s being an idiot. Always brush after meals. Have someone walk you home at night. Get paid upfront for any work you do. Aliases are key to being successful.” He could hear the footsteps behind him; Taka was fiercely shaking her head ‘no’. “Let’s meet again in our next life. You can be ugly or even my real sister – I just want a chance with you.”
As Jiro was placed back into his cuffs and chains, he forced himself not to look at Taka. He could hear her banging on the glass, crying and screaming: “No. No. Please.” over and over again.
Even as he was walked down the hall, away from the room, he could still hear Taka’s crying and banging. It took everything he had for Jiro not to run back to the room, break the glass, and take Taka into a hug.
For some reason, Jiro got that idea into his head that he would never see Taka again – at least not while he was in prison.
He was right. Oto Jiro did not see Masaki Taka for the rest of his sentence.
Rated: PG
Word Count: 3,170
Story Title: Seventh Day
Summary: Seven days of Oto Jiro's prison life.
Author's Note: So, Jiro ends up in jail at one point. There, he is visited by several people - this is a story about those visits.
I. February 2, 2015 – Monday
I promise to make you happy. - Oto Jiro, 2017
Chan-wook once told Jiro that rain was the worst thing in the world. Jiro hadn’t believed his foster-father than, but he believed him now. It was pouring, the rain falling like rocks, freezing and unforgiving the day they found Jiro.
Struggling against the three police officers trying to arrest him; Jiro screamed in agony as they forced him to the ground, the cold, wet cement feeling awkward and rough against his cheek. Somewhere, maybe close, maybe far, Jiro could hear Taka calling his name. Over and over she was calling for him.
Before he had been forced to the ground, Jiro had seen her – fighting with all her might against the two police officers trying to hold her back. He hadn’t seen her fight that hard since she had broken her Noose Promise. Jiro had thought she had been crying too, but that might have just been the rain.
One of the officers pulled Jiro’s arms back – cuffing him in a way that made Jiro’s whole body hurt. When they stood him up, the ex-Host looked toward where Taka had been, but she was gone – pushed back into the crowd that had gathered to watch his arrest.
II. February 3, 2015 – Tuesday
And Jiro? Be nice to your sister. - Saukari Kaori, 2009
When the guards told Jiro he had a visitor, he had thought it would be Taka. Instead, upon entering the visiting room, he saw Kaori and a bald middle-aged man sitting on the other side of the glass. Kaori looked completely pissed while the bald man looked completely bored.
“Mama,” Jiro tired to keep his attitude light and cheerful. “you look beautiful. New hair style?”
Kaori’s eyes were blazing at him. Her perfectly plucked eyebrows were skewed and her red nails tabbed on her stocking covered knee – yup, she was beyond angry. “Chan-wook,” she began, her voice hard – unforgiving – but, really what had he expected? – as she spoke. “taught you all so much. Were you ill the day he taught you how to avoid jail?”
Had he been ill that day? Or had he just not been paying attention? Jiro couldn’t really remember. But then, he couldn’t really remember a lot of things at that moment. All he wanted was for Kaori to tell him that Baldy was there to get him out. Congrats, he could go back to his place and forget the whole thing. Forget the arrest, the night in jail, the look on Taka’s face as he had been arrested, and most importantly the thing he had done to get arrested in the first place.
Instead, Kaori continued by saying; “This is my lawyer, Mr. Obata. He mostly deals with matters for my club – helping girls stay in the country when they’re illegal, paternity suits, that sort of thing. He’s never dealt with a case like yours, I’m sorry to say.”
Mr. Obata nervously (and loudly) cleared his throat. “But, it was self-defense, wasn’t it? That’s what I was told. I don’t care if it really was or not, I just need you to tell me it was self-defense. He was going to kill you and -”
“Not me,” Jiro cut-in, his light attitude replaced by darkness that Kaori hadn’t seen in him for years. “he wasn’t going to kill me. It was because of me. However, he was going to kill Taka. So, I killed him first.”
III. February 4, 2015- Wednesday
Don’t let anyone else decide for you. - Gu Eddie, 2009
Jiro was only slightly surprised to see Eddie sitting on the other side of the glass the following afternoon. Sitting in his chair, Eddie looked much older and worn than Jiro remembered him.
Glaring, Eddie spoke briskly: “Speak Korean. They,” he nodded toward the guards. “can’t know what I’m telling you.” Slightly confused, Jiro only nodded. “Don’t nod. Speak.”
“Sorry, Older Brother.”
“You’re lucky we were in Kyoto.” Eddie stated before flicking a match on the table beside him. He lit a cigarette, smiling as he exhaled the minty smelling smoke.
Nodding toward a sign on the wall, Jiro grinned. The sign was a ‘No Smoking’ sign; it went ignored by Eddie. The guards didn’t seem to notice or care, either. Already knowing his foster-brother’s mood, Jiro decided not to press the matter.
Pausing between inhales, Eddie shook his head in disappointment. “Arrested for murder; you really have no idea how to get away with the bigger crimes, do you?”
Scoffing lightly, Jiro shrugged. “It isn’t as if the Old Man taught us –“
“He did.” Eddie cut-in seriously. “Do you know how many people I’ve killed? Or Mason for that matter. Hell, even Ling’er and Aoi.” he trailed off, not wanting to relive bad memories. “We all know how to get away for it. What to do and how, but you. . . you don’t seem to. You, for Taka. . . .you,”
Suddenly angry, Jiro banged a fist against the glass. “You wouldn’t do the same? It’s Taka, not some stranger.”
Taka, who he had bounded with intensely. Taka, who slept beside him peacefully each night, always falling asleep barely touching – and waking with her in his arms. They had lived peacefully, as siblings for years. Jiro had been perfectly happy ignoring his less than brotherly feelings for her. Then, two years ago, on her birthday – the birthday she was meant to kill herself – Taka had told him that she loved him. That had changed things for Jiro; it made him wary. He loved her back, but. . . had lacked the courage to say the words back to her. And, that was why he was in jail, because he couldn’t say the words, and yet he felt them.
“I would have done the same.” Eddie confessed. “But, I wouldn’t have gotten caught. The hacker you killed, the drug-addicted nephew of a member of the Diet . . . I’m glad he’s dead. But, he’s the nephew of a man in power.” Eddie shook his head again. “You couldn’t just have looked for Shin-woo and used him?”
He waved a hand, changing the subject. “Aoi and the kids are with Taka. Taka’s staying with Kaori; a couple of Kaori’s old girls stay with Taka when Kaori is out. Still, there’s no point. Our little sister is just sitting there, staring at a wall. It was you who really got her to talk to us all those years ago. And, now that you’re truly gone, she’s quiet again. Going back inside where it is safe.” He paused, unsure if he wanted to ask the next question. “What happened to her that night, Jiro?”
“I-I can’t. Not yet.”
They were both silent for a long while; Eddie smoking and Jiro thinking hard about the way to brunch the next topic. He knew that Kaori would take care of Taka as long as he was tied up in jail, but Kaori wasn’t really good that taking care of other people. Mason was busy with his lady; Eddie and Aoi had their own pied piper thing going on. That just left –
“Could you do me a favor, Oldest Brother? Could you find Jin and ask him to come here?” Jiro rushed on before Eddie could tell him no. “He and Taka are both smart. From similar parental nightmares. He always understood her and treated her well. Get Hu Jin for me.”
IV. February 12, 2015- Thursday
You condemn me for being in love with Ling’er, yet you’re so in love with Taka, you’d kill for her! - Hu Jin, 2010
Two days before the trail, Jiro was told he had a visitor – his older brother, Jin. Jin, who still had a bad haircut, glasses, and those damn sweater vests, was waiting for Jiro on the other side of the mirror. Jiro thought Jin needed a makeover, or that the very least to cancel his Sears card.
The wounds of 2010 still felt fresh; it had been Jin who had become the villain in the last chapters of Ling’er’s final story. Jin had gone from caring and doting older brother to someone who would let the object of his obsession die in order to prove he was right.
Sitting across from him, Jiro had to admit that there was still a part of him that wanted to kill Jin for being everyone – especially Ling’er – so miserable during the last few weeks of Ling’er’s life. But, that was in the past and as much as it pained Jiro, he needed Jin for the foreseeable future.
Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Jiro tried to remain calm and collected. Forcing himself to smile in a cocky manner, he spoke easily. “I thought you might not come.”
“Aoi was the one who phoned me. Then Mama phoned a few hours later. They were the ones that persuaded me. They can be, well, you know.” Jin sounded cold and distant, speaking slowly; like, he was speaking to a patient or a rookie doctor. “I want to make it very clear that I am here for Taka, not you or anyone else.” He added, almost as an after-thought.
“I’ve seen her, Jiro. It’s not good; she’s not doing very well. I tried checking her wounds, but she wouldn’t allow it. She’s not handling this as well as I’d like.”
Biting back anger, Jiro spat the only thing he could think of; “She’s not one of your fucking patients. She’s supposed to be your beloved younger sister.”
Flustered, Jin straightened his sweater vest and pushed the rim of his glasses up. “I’m sorry Jiro. It’s just that she’s going back in, and I’m worried about that. Aoi says you want me to stay and take care of her. But, I can’t – I’m a doctor in California, now. I can’t go back to this life style. I-“
“You’re selfish. A selfish bastard. I’m asking you to help Taka until I get out. Nothing more. And yet, you’re acting like I’m asking for you to help pull a con or gamble or something. She’s the only person that actually still likes you, you know. I thought you’d want to help her.”
“Jiro, it’s not a matter of wanting. It’s a matter of if I should or not.” Jin sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and at that moment looked utterly at a lost. In a strange way, it made Jiro happy to see Jin like this. “Taka needs a professional to deal with this.”
“No.” Shaking his head forcefully, Jiro kept his firm gaze on Jin. “No doctors. She hates them. Just you, Jin; you’re the only doctor she likes.” he paused, not fully wanting to say the last thing. “When you take care of her, do me a favor? If, by some chance the law actually works correctly and I go to jail for a few years or longer, never let her visit me.”
"Jiro. . .”
Jiro smiled sadly. “I don’t want her to see me like this.” he sniffed. “She’s already seen me kill a man; I don’t want her to see me in here. I want her to try and remember the way I was before all of this. Promise you’ll never let her see me.”
“I promise.”
“Thank you. And Jin? Never lay beside her like I used to. Please never sleep with Taka. Don’t fall in love with her like you did with Ling’er.”
V. February 17, 2017- Friday
She calls your name in her sleep. - Mason, 2016
Oto Jiro had been a prisoner for the last two years. He hadn’t been outside the prison’s walls; he hadn’t dressed in his suits or wore anything other than his orange jumpsuit; the guards and other inmates were now his only companions. Jiro hadn’t seen Taka since she had testified (against everyone’s wishes) at his trail two years ago.
The last thing Jiro had heard Taka say was; “He protected me.” After that, Taka had been forced to endure several insults – she had walked away in the end.
Jiro didn’t see her after that.
Jiro had seen Eddie and Aoi once more after the trail; he had seen Mason once a year before; but, he saw Jin weekly. Jin came every Friday afternoon to tell Jiro about the outside world.
The most Jin ever said about Taka was that she worked in a flower shop as a part-timer, because she enjoyed making arrangements for people. Taka also still made a few things for any of Mama’s girls, such as passports, birth or marriage certificates, and visas. But, that was all Jin ever said about Taka.
In fact, only Mason had really mentioned her. Mason had talked a lot about Taka, about the way she talked loudly in her sleep, calling for him. And the way she wasn’t quite the way she had been, it was as if a part of her was missing. On that day, the day before Valentine’s Day, Jiro felt like something was missing from him too.
He waited all day, but Jin never did visit him.
VI. February 17, 2018- Saturday
I want us to live together from now on. - Oto Jiro, 2009
Jiro received a package of cookies, though he wasn’t allowed to eat them. Inside the cookies, stuffed way at the bottom was a note written in pencil. It simply read:
“I am coming to see you now.”
VII. February 18, 2018- Sunday
I love you. - Masaki Taka, 2013
When Jiro was told he had a visitor, he thought it was his lawyer. After all, he had refused to see Taka for the last three months. Besides that, visitors were only allowed on Sunday if it had to do with an inmate’s case. It struck him as even odder when his guard, Abe-san had him change into jeans and a tee-shirt. And, when he saw someone through the bars that lead to the meeting room, he was surprised to see it was a girl.
Whispering low, Abe-san smiled happily; “I’ve gotten you five minutes. Tell her five years worth of feelings.”
Jiro was un-cuffed and let into the room. On the other side of the glass stood Taka, looking much the same as she had three years before. Her hair was a bit longer, but she was just as fragile and beautiful as she had been. Silently, she put her hand on the glass; her eyes stayed glued to Jiro’s face.
Wordlessly, Jiro put his hand on the glass over Taka’s; their palms would be touching, if not for the glass. Together, they stayed perfectly still for several moments. It was Jiro who broke the silence,
“I never wanted you to see me in here.” Jiro’s lips twisted somewhat into a tight smile. “I wanted you to forget me.”Jiro watched as tears filled Taka’s eyes, as she nodded slowly. He could feel the tears falling from his own eyes, though he tried to ignore it. “I wanted you to find a better person for you to have; for someone to take care of you.”
Her eyes glued to Jiro’s, Taka spoke so softly, Jiro could hardly hear her; “You take care of me the best.” The tears were falling freely from her eyes. “You always protect me. It’s why you are here now. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Shocked, Jiro could barely believe Taka’s words. Had she really blamed herself this whole time? “No. No. . . don’t be sorry. This is why I wanted you to forget me, because I always bring you into trouble. But, I couldn’t stop myself. I selfishly wanted you near me. I’m sorry . . . for everything that happened.”
Shaking her head feverishly, Taka spoke urgently, as if she was trying to convince herself of her own words. “Jiro protects me. It wasn’t your fault.” The edges of her lips seemed to twist into the faintest hints of a smile. “You are. . .alright?”
“Are you kidding?” Jiro forced himself to laugh. “I’m very popular here. I have to beat the men off with the stick; they get really sad when they figure out I’m not gay.”
He tried to laugh, but nothing would come. How could he laugh when there were tears falling from Taka’s eyes? “Does. . .are you alright?”
Stiffly, Taka nodded. “Jin is nice.” she let her eyes drift to their hands and the glass separating them. “Jiro is nicer.”
Now, that was something he had longed to hear. ”Jiro is nicer.” was Taka’s answer whenever he asked her about anyone she knew. It was almost better than the ‘l’ word. All Jiro wanted at that moment was to stay the way he was – his palm pressed against the glass and staring into Taka’s eyes; eyes that were, for the first time in years, crying.
Yet, one glance at Abe-san let him know his five minutes were nearly over. The guard was becoming twitchy, looking around nervously. Jiro hoped his favorite guard didn’t get into too much trouble for this little reunion.
Thinking quickly, Jiro put his full attention back on Taka. He had to keep their last moments together light, if only for his sake. “You look pretty.”
She shook her head. “When are you coming home? Mama’s lawyer says –“
“Taka,” it was the first time he had said her name out loud in years. Somehow it came out softly, almost like he was praying. “Taka. Masaki Taka. My very own Tak-Tak.” With a shake of his head, Jiro smiled. “Thank you for coming to see me.”
“I –“
“Listen, okay?” He swallowed hard. “You have to take care of yourself and Jin. Be strong for me, alright?” Jiro’s ears perked up at the sound of the doors opening behind him. “Be good. Listen to Jin – unless he’s being an idiot. Always brush after meals. Have someone walk you home at night. Get paid upfront for any work you do. Aliases are key to being successful.” He could hear the footsteps behind him; Taka was fiercely shaking her head ‘no’. “Let’s meet again in our next life. You can be ugly or even my real sister – I just want a chance with you.”
As Jiro was placed back into his cuffs and chains, he forced himself not to look at Taka. He could hear her banging on the glass, crying and screaming: “No. No. Please.” over and over again.
Even as he was walked down the hall, away from the room, he could still hear Taka’s crying and banging. It took everything he had for Jiro not to run back to the room, break the glass, and take Taka into a hug.
For some reason, Jiro got that idea into his head that he would never see Taka again – at least not while he was in prison.
He was right. Oto Jiro did not see Masaki Taka for the rest of his sentence.
