[MOD]
Anti-piracy Officer
Somewhere in south-central England.
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Break Up
It’s Friday evening. We’re in a Denny’s near Noborito Station, with empty beer steins and the remains of hamburger meals on the table between us.
I stare at Fumio. I can’t believe what I just heard. I can’t believe he said that.
Maybe I’ve drunk too much.
“What did you say? Say it again.”
“I just said, if you carry on living with that dirty gaijin…”
“Shut up! You racist! I’m not living with him, we’re just flatmates.”
“You shouldn’t even be flatmates with a gaijin, it’s dangerous.”
“What? Shut up!”
“Listen, Hikaru-chan, I told you before that I don’t like him. I just want us to go on…” He’s trying to calm me down and he’s only making it worse.
“SHUT UP! I’m not gonna listen to your crap anymore.”
“You're just drunk,” he says in a soothing tone, “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“You got me drunk because you want to take me to a love hotel.”
“I didn’t force you to drink,” he points out, reasonably, stupidly. “You were only drinking because you wanted to.”
“Because I was NERVOUS! It’s my first time.”
He stares at me. He says nothing.
How could he not have thought about that?
“Why’re we in Noborito anyway? It's a DUMP! Only cheap love hotels. You should at least take a girl to Shibuya for her first time.”
It’s gone very quiet.
Everyone is pretending not to hear. A waitress hovers nearby. She came to clear our table. Now she’s embarrassed to be here, but she doesn't want to catch our attention by moving away.
“Hikaru-chan…” Fumio says in a calming voice.
“You beast! UNFORGIVABLE.”
“Hikaru-ch...”
“IT’S OVER.”
I walk out. I don’t look back.
Aunty was right.
I’m on the express train. Home is one stop away. People are talking, dozing, playing smartphone games. I’m swaying, red-faced, angry.
Fumio rings. I block his number and message ID. I route his emails to Junk.
Hot tears flood my eyes. I blot them stupidly, smearing my make-up.
As soon as I get home I wash my face, but I don’t bother to change my clothes.
There’s beer in the fridge. It’s Mr Yancy’s but I’m in such a mood, I take one. He won’t mind.
Let’s watch TV. Takeshi’s Variety will cheer me up.
Only it doesn’t. I open a bag of rice crackers and pop another beer.
I’m still angry. I’m lonely. I’m horny. I crack another beer.
The 9 o’clock news begins. Mr Yancy i ssoo late.
Oh yesh, he hadd to go on a business trip to Osaka today. Thas why hez latee.
I drink anther beer.
I go fr a huge wee. I drin nother beer. One can lef now.
Whatt shhall I do? I#’, frdunk and lonemly and honry. I want to be… I want oto
THe last cann of beeer is gone. THere’s wine. REda diwwne. Less orpn it.
I’ll wahthc a porno. I’ll get my magicc wand and hav funn by myself.
I check the battery.
"Okay!"
I can’t member the unlok code for the porono channel.
“DAMMIT!”
Nede to hav another big wee.
WAss the dam cdoe for the prono chanell?
I’m tryping randnom coedes when Mr Yncauy sunnerly come s home.
"I’m back," he calls politlye from the entracne. “I’m sorry I’m so late.”
QUICK HIDEE THE WAND!!
"WeWelcome home...” I call out.
He hangs ups his jacket. He coems ito see me lying on the sofa’s TV on. Hes stil wearig a tie.
“I brought a souvenir. It’s Uncle Rinkuro Cheesecake. Apparently it's delicious."
He putts it o the counnter nxt tothe six empty cans.
“Have you been drinking, Miss Hikaru?”
I blink ata glas ov redd wine, suprised it's in m hand!?
“Yes! Ive drink all your beerr and now I’m dr=ink you wine too. . . Sorry…”
“Did you drink all of that by yourself?”
“Yersss.”
“You must be so drunk! At least you’re drinking some good stuff. What are you celebrating?”
“Not celbrating... Yes! I AM CELBRATING! I’ahved broekdn up with thrat prick Fumoio. I tol im ot screw himdself, and itss all overrr.”
"Oh. What happened?"
“Lisssena, its awfulll. He siad he doennt want to go aout iwht a girl who lives with a dirty foredigner. What a racinst! Rhere’s nnothnig doing going on ebetweeeen you ad me, anyway.”
“That sounds pretty bad, but I don’t think he meant it. He’s just insecure.”
“I don care. He bb;lamed me as waeel as you…”
“Well, try not to worry too much about it, is my advice.”
“Aunty awill be happy, anway…”
“Why’s that?”
“Aunty dinddt like Fumio. She wahnts, wantted me to split fromhhim . She saaid he wouled hurnt me.”
“Your aunt was right. Your head is definitely going to hurt tomorrow.”
“I’m vmmenree. Never. Going to think wof Fumio again. I wo; nt meissss him.
“Are you okay, Miss Hikaru?”
“I needt get a new boyfren."
“You’ll easily find someone, a super girl like you.”
“Yesh! But look ook here. Comm and and drnknk wine eand awatch a prono wi mei!”
“Why do you want to watch a porno?”
“Am horeney. Can’t girlls be intereassted in sex?”
“Yes, of course, but porno isn’t real sex. It’s just acting out a fantasy.”
“Of corose its re real sexx! You knoww. You can seee thinggs.”
“Okay, it’s sex, but it’s just a performance. What I call real sex is when you’re in love, and you sort of melt into each other. That’s why it’s called Making Love.”
“Thatsss liek poertreey, what yourr sayinsdg...”
He lookss at me seriouslly. He doessnt’ tasays any inthng.
“I wan to konoww Love. I wan tsomeone to Maakfe Loev wiwhtth.”
“Miss Hikaru, I’m not going to watch a porno with you. What would your aunt say?”
“Sherll nevere know. Ayway, Aunty want me to finda a a marture guy like youl. Waaht dyou think fo that?”
“I’m not mature, I’m only 22... And I promised not to make a move on you.”
“Yeah bu I acan makes an move onn youu. Thasss withinin the arrules, isan;t it?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. This isn’t the right time to do it, though, the state you’re in.”
“Oooh… I doe feeeala... Oh, I deo eefeefeeeel, a bit… a bit…”
Bluuurgh…
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