Ink

Jun paused. “Oh. Guess it wasn’t him, then.”

Thank you, Brain. For once.

“We always run into each other, but did you know we’ve never been properly introduced?” he said, swinging his book bag back and forth. The green-and-navy tie on his neck bounced against his shirt as he walked. “You know I’m Jun, but after all this time I still don’t know your name. After a while it was kind of embarrassing to ask.”

“Really?” I said. But when I thought about it, it was true.

I’d never told him. He looked at me with genuine, friendly interest, and I don’t know why it made me blush. Okay, I did know. He was gorgeous. And he’d saved me in Ishida and plucked that cherry petal from my hair. But Tomohiro was right about Jun keeping his thoughts hidden; he smiled, but his piercing eyes didn’t give away any emotion at all. They felt like they could reach deep inside you.

Why was I staring into his eyes? I looked away, self-conscious. “I’m Katie Greene.”

“Greene-san,” he said. “Ah, like the color of spring, ne? ”

Yeah, or puke. Now he was just overdoing it. I wondered if I should hint around that Tomohiro and I were…well, whatever we were.

“So are you looking forward to the prefecture tournament?” I said, feeling stupid for asking. What would he say, no?

“I am, but there’s a lot to do. I’m looking forward to training with Suntaba’s best.”

“I think they have more to learn from you.” I laughed.

But then I felt like I’d betrayed Tomohiro somehow and bit my lip. Jun smiled.

“My school is just east of yours,” he said. “I thought it would probably be too wet to take my bike today. I’m glad we can walk together, and I can get to know the competition.”

“Ha,” I said. But really I was trying to come up with some reason not to walk together. The sidewalk narrowed and we ended up squished together, like we were some kind of couple. Already some students and salarymen had passed by and looked us over, and I wondered if they would get the wrong idea. I didn’t want a rumor going around Suntaba in case it got back to Tomohiro.

It’s not like I’m doing anything wrong, I thought, but Jun still made me uneasy.

“Ano sa,” he said as we descended the stairs into the underground walkway below Shizuoka Station. “Who’s your favorite composer?”

“What?” I couldn’t have heard him right.

He laughed. “You know. Do you like classical music?”

“Yeah, but…that’s a strange question.”

“Sorry. I guess I’m a strange guy.” He grinned, and his bangs tumbled from behind his ear. He tucked them back again. “I’d still like to know.”

I thought for a minute. “I guess Tchaikovsky,” I said. “I used to dance ballet back in New York. Not seriously or anything, just for fun. But as a kid I was pretty obsessed with Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. ”

“Ah,” he said. “Good choice.”

“You?”

He smiled. “I like Beethoven,” he said. “His songs are often mournful, but there’s always a glimmer of hope in them. I like that, the belief that there’s hope for this world.”

“Of course there is,” I said, but he was silent. “So…you must play, then, to ask me a question like that.”

He nodded. “Music and kendo,” he said. “My two passions.”

“They’re fairly opposite,” I said.

“Not really. They’re both composed of intricate patterns, both movements of great artistry, ne? ”

“I guess they are, if you think of it like that.”

We walked in silence for a minute, then resurfaced from the tunnels near the entrance to Sunpu Park. “Do you miss dance?” Jun said.

I shook my head. “I wasn’t that good.”

“I think you’re lying.” He grinned. “I saw how you moved in the kendo match. I’m not surprised you’ve danced before.”

My cheeks blazed red. I hadn’t thought about him watching my kendo match. I’d done all right, but I was nowhere near his level of grace.

We rounded the corner, and I was suddenly very glad not to be alone.

Ishikawa stood in the middle of the bridge leaning against the cement railing, two guys standing with him. They weren’t dressed in school uniforms—they were definitely older, with jagged haircuts and bulging arms. One of them smoked a cigarette, which he stepped on as we approached. My heart almost stopped. Were they…could they be Yakuza?

Ishikawa stared at me and narrowed his eyes. The night came back to me, his frightening text to Tomohiro. Did I look suspicious? But he didn’t know I’d been with Tomohiro when it happened. My heart pounded in my ears and I thought my legs would give way underneath me. I’d never seen Ishikawa with actual Yakuza members, if that’s who they were. I slowed down, almost stopped, but remembering the plan to deny everything, I knew stopping would give away more than walking ahead.

Jun noticed my hesitation, and his face crumpled with concern.

“Is that… Are they waiting for you?” he asked quietly.

“I don’t know.”

As we got closer, a snide smirk crossed Ishikawa’s face.

“Oi, Greene!”

“Ishikawa,” I said, my throat dry and thick. I hoped he wouldn’t notice my hands shaking.

“Where’s Yuuto?” he said gruff ly, stepping toward me with his hands in his pockets. His bleached hair bounced a little as he walked.

“Why would I know?” He walked too close, the way Tomo hiro always did, but he smelled different. He smelled of tobacco and soba.

“You can’t fool me,” he whispered. “I saw it.”

“Saw what?” I said through gritted teeth.

He sighed. “I’ve known Yuuto longer than you have, and I know what he’s capable of. And I bet you were there. You think he’d do something like that just for fun? No, he was trying to impress someone. Don’t hang out with him. He’ll get you in big trouble.” Ishikawa placed his hand on my shoulder and I shrugged it away.

“Hey, hey,” Jun said, stepping in front of me. “Ishikawa, isn’t it? From the kendo tournament?” Ishikawa’s eyes skipped from me to him, sizing him up.

“You,” he said. “From Katakou School.”

Jun nodded, his cold eyes searching Ishikawa’s face. “Yeah, Takahashi Jun. I’m looking forward to competing with you and Yuu again.” Ishikawa’s eyes shifted from Jun to me, then to the two ghastly companions who waited on the bridge.

Panic shuddered through me as I watched him struggle with the intrusion.

“Look, Takahashi, I’d just like to have a talk with Greene for a minute. I’m sure you understand.”

“Of course,” Jun said. “I’ll wait for her.”

Ishikawa blinked. “Are you two friends?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, Jun said,

“Yes, of course. Ne, Greene?”

“Yeah,” I managed, staring at the men on the bridge. One of them spat into the moat below. Well, that’s attractive.

Ishikawa stood, stunned into silence. He looked like he was going to explode.

“Let’s go,” he said to the men suddenly, and they skulked toward him. As they passed us, the one who’d spat into the moat spat again, this time at the ground just beside Jun’s shoe.

“Lucky he was here,” he drawled at me. “Watch your back.” My blood turned to ice, and as he walked past,