Rain

Tomo’s dad looked me over, his eyes bulging a little in surprise. I guess Tomo hadn’t told him he was dating a foreigner. “I’m sorry, but your friend will have to leave for now.”

“I’m sure it won’t take long,” Tomo said. “Katie can wait upstairs in my room.”

Tousan’s eyes flashed. “Hiro, this is important.”

Tomo squeezed his hand into a fist. “Wait upstairs,” he said to me in English.

Well, this was an awkward first meeting with my boyfriend’s dad. But I wanted to be here in case things fell apart. I wanted to know. And being on Tomo’s side was more important right now then getting his dad to like me. I nodded and headed up the stairs toward his room. His father grunted, but didn’t protest.

I stopped at Tomo’s door, listening. They’d forgotten about me already and were moving into the living room to talk. I listened to the rapid Japanese flood the house. I still struggled with vocabulary. Tomo and my friends could communicate with me okay, and even school subjects I could get the hang of with Yuki’s help, but listening to the formal talk with the police strained what language skills I had. I sat down with my back to the stair railing, squeezing my eyes shut to try to understand the conversation.

“Actually, Yuu, I’m sure you’ve heard by now about your friend Ishikawa Satoshi. We wanted to ask you some questions.”

It wasn’t fair that he had to face this alone. I’d seen just as much, but they’d never think to question me.

“Were you aware Ishikawa was getting involved in a gang affiliated with the Yakuza?” I pieced together the question from the vocab I knew.

Tomo’s steady voice answered, “No.”

“But you’re friends. You didn’t notice anything strange?”

“We take kendo together. Otherwise I spend my time studying for exams.”

“And what else?”

“That’s it.”

A pause. The policeman didn’t believe him. The doubt dripped from every syllable.

“What about your girlfriend?” I took a shaky breath.

“Of course, we go for coffee sometimes, and we’re in kendo together. But I don’t have time for any other hobbies.”

“I see.” He asked a few questions I couldn’t follow as I strained to listen in.

“Hiro and Satoshi have been friends since elementary school,” Tomo’s dad chimed in. “It’s a shame if Satoshi has lost his way, but my son has not followed him down this path.”

“I understand,” Suzuki said. There was a pause, and I could hear the policeman scribbling down notes. Then he asked, “Tomohiro, do you know a Takahashi Jun?”

The silence pressed in around me as I waited for the response.

“Un (#litres_trial_promo),” Tomo confirmed. “He’s a kendouka. Sixth in the nationals last year, right? I sparred with him in the ward tournament.”

“Were you aware he was admitted to Kenritsu Hospital the same night as Ishikawa?”

“No. But I heard he hurt his wrist. Our kendo coach told us today at practice.”

“Hmm,” Suzuki said. “Two of the three lead kendouka for the prefecture tournament out of commission in one night. Strange, isn’t it?”

“What are you trying to say?” Tousan’s voice rang out, and I shivered. It was a nightmare listening to all this at the top of the stairs, powerless to do anything at all.

“Only that some troublemakers have money riding on the outcome of the tournament,” Suzuki said. “Gambling on kendo is becoming a problem, and we’re concerned for Tomo’s safety.”

So they didn’t suspect him. Yet.

“You think the two incidents are linked,” Tousan said.

“Tomohiro, I think it’s best if you keep from associating with Ishikawa for now. And if you receive any threats about the tournament, let us know. Someone may be trying to fix the outcome.”

“But Takahashi only hurt his wrist,” Tomo said. “How is that a crime?”

“The fracture pattern of the bone indicates an assault,” Suzuki said. “And he arrived at the hospital only two hours after Ishikawa. We had police there when he arrived, and he was as unwilling to talk as Ishikawa was. We don’t know for certain they’re related. We’re just trying to be thorough.”

Assault charges. Gunshots and fractures. Could they track it to us? One confession from Jun or Ishikawa and they could get Tomohiro. And then what? He’d never admit I’d been there, but what about Jun’s Kami groupies? The girl on the motorbike, Ikeda—she’d looked pretty pissed when we’d fought him. She’d talk for sure, and they’d arrest us both. They’d interrogate Tomo until the ink coursed down his arms, and then they’d stick him in a lab or an asylum or something. My mind raced with terror. I had no idea what might happen, but we were in danger in the worst way.

And if I was linked to it? Would they deport me? Suspend me? Send me to jail for assisted assault? Was that even a thing? I’d been holding the shinai when Tomohiro had brought it down on Jun’s wrist. I wasn’t blameless.

The policeman spoke again. “You know Sunpu Castle, I assume.”

“It’s near my school,” Tomo answered.

“Are you aware we found traces of blood there the morning after these incidents occurred? Takahashi’s blood?”

Tomo sounded bored, but I knew it was an act. “So he hurt himself walking home?”

“We found something else, too.” I heard the rustle of cloth while my heart beat in my ears. What had they found? “It said Yuu on the back. That’s you, right?”

“My tenugui (#litres_trial_promo),” Tomo said softly. I leaned my head back against the railing. One of his kendo headbands must have fallen out of his sports bag when I’d reached in for the shinai.

“With Takahashi’s blood on it.”

“Explain, Hiro,” Tomo’s dad said sharply.

“I don’t know, Tousan,” Tomo answered. “I bike home through that castle gate all the time. It must’ve fallen out of my sports bag.”

“The boys face each other often in the kendo ring,” his father added. “They even recently went on a kendo retreat together. It’s very possible the source is from a sports encounter.”

I heard a rustle of paper and the creak of the floorboards. “If it fell out of your bag, that’s most unfortunate, Tomohiro-kun,” the policeman said. “Tell me, did you attend Abekawa Hanabi this weekend?”

The memory of the policeman grabbing his radio flashed through my mind.

“One of our officers is an avid kendo fan and recognized Takahashi. And he overheard you threaten to break his other wrist.”

Want to sign my cast?

If you don’t get out of here, I’ll give you another to match.

Tousan’s voice rose. “Tomohiro!”