The next morning at nine, Haruko was already dressed and ready to leave.
For breakfast, she had the leftover curry from last night's dinner. The slow-cooked curry, having rested overnight, had developed a unique flavor, though the rice still needed to be freshly prepared.
She had mentioned her upcoming interview to Mr. Fukuda and Mrs. Chuko the previous evening, embellishing the details slightly. Over the past few days, she had come to appreciate how considerate they were towards her; had they known it was an interview with no specified time, they might have been quite disapproving.
Since the location was only two or three stops away, Mr. Fukuda had initially offered to take her, but she had politely declined. He held a bit of bias against the modern youth; if he were to encounter someone with dyed hair or multiple piercings, he might become quite flustered.
"Miss Haruko, are you sure you don't need me to escort you?" Mr. Fukuda asked, still feeling uneasy, concerned that she might get lost in the unfamiliar city.
"It's no trouble! It's within walking distance. Please don't worry!" She turned to glance at Mrs. Chuko, who was busy hanging clothes in the yard, and whispered to Mr. Fukuda, "I've already prepared lunch for Mrs. Chuko."
"...I'm so sorry..."
Mr. Fukuda looked apologetic, but Haruko smiled and shook her head, reminding him to take care on his way.
In Mr. Fukuda's household, there was no tradition of using a fire starter to send someone off, and once she moved out, she wouldn't need to bid farewell either. However, her mother had insisted on buying her one, along with an ancestral tablet whose inscriptions were nearly illegible, forcing her to take them to Tokyo, claiming they would ward off evil.
"...I don't need any warding off; just please let today go smoothly!"
Back in her room, she gathered her resume, wallet, and various identification documents into her bag, then kissed the ancestral tablet before placing it aside. Though she was currently living with others and couldn't offer any sacrifices, if she successfully secured the job today, she vowed to honor her ancestors daily.
"Well then, Mrs. Chuko, I'm off!"
As she put on her shoes at the entrance, she made sure to remind her, "The miso soup is underneath the thermal pot, and the rice is on top to keep it from hardening. The teriyaki chicken doesn't need reheating; it's delicious cold, but most importantly…"
"Alright, alright, I won't try to heat anything! Hurry along, don't be late!"
Mrs. Chuko interrupted her with a smile, but a hint of worry remained.
…If only she had prayed for the safety of the household instead of for her own smooth journey; at least she hoped there would be no fires.
+++
Since Haruko's phone lacked a mapping feature, she resorted to a more traditional approach, printing out a map and marking her route.
Walking along the riverside she had jogged by yesterday, she expected a shortcut but found no sign of the ad-covered utility poles she had seen the previous evening.
"Perhaps they were obscured by other advertisements…"
Not dwelling on it, she continued along her drawn route, passing through two alleys where modern Western-style buildings gradually gave way to those with a Japanese aesthetic. Mrs. Chuko had warned her that this area was predominantly older homes, so it seemed she was on the right path.
However, perhaps due to the time of day, there were no pedestrians on the narrow streets, and the silence was striking. As she walked, it felt as if she was going in circles.
Checking her map again, she realized she had indeed lost her way. While her hometown was known for its navigable streets, the high population density of Tokyo was still something she had not fully adapted to.
After confirming her suspicions, intuition told her she was off course. Although she had Mr. Shinya's contact details on her phone, calling him for help might raise doubts about her capabilities in front of her potential employer.
She opened her phone to verify the address from the advertisement but found no photos from yesterday. A quick check of her call log revealed no record of conversations with Mr. Shinya either.
The only evidence that this interview wasn't merely a figment of her imagination was a text containing the address.
"No way?!"
Disbelief washed over her as she scoured her phone once more, finding it devoid of any photographic or call records from the previous day.
She regretted not heeding Natsumi's advice to switch to a smartphone! Frustrated, she glanced at the road ahead, knowing that once she reached the main street, she could ask someone for directions.
She slapped her cheeks to invigorate herself, shoving the utterly useless map and phone back into her bag before pressing on.
Ten minutes turned to twenty, and after thirty minutes, she sensed something was amiss.
Occasionally encountering dead ends along the way, she switched directions repeatedly, but surely she must have reached her destination by now?
Taking out her water bottle, she drained the last of her tea.
She typically wasn't directionally challenged; her instincts about the correct path had been reliable. Why had she lost her way?
Finally, she pulled out a 5 yen coin, which in Japanese culture symbolizes fate (ご縁).
"Face up, I'll keep walking; face down, I'll call for help!"
With that, Haruko tossed the coin into the air, catching it on the back of her hand. She glanced down and saw it was face up.
Sigh. Part of her had hoped it would land face down.
But perhaps this was fate; she slipped the coin into her pocket, dragging her feet forward. As she passed a fork in the road, she spotted a man in a black shirt walking away from her.
"Ah! Excuse me! Please wait!!" she called out, but he seemed oblivious, neither turning nor stopping.
Grateful to the heavens, she sprinted toward him.
Haruko was relatively quick on her feet; in high school, she had even cut her hair short to participate in a sprinting competition (though she had won a place but was disqualified upon being recognized as a girl). Yet, for some reason, the distance between her and the man remained unchanged.
"Excuse me, sir!" Haruko fished the 5 yen coin from her pocket, summoning all her strength to throw it at him.
…Whether it was sheer luck or misfortune, she hit him right on the back of the head. He clearly felt it, as he stopped in his tracks.
Now, she couldn't even muster the courage to ask for directions; she just wanted to turn and flee. But running away would be quite rude, so she steeled herself and approached him.
"I'm really sorry! I…" She intended to say it was unintentional, but reconsidered; that would be a lie.
The man slowly turned to face her, revealing a strikingly beautiful visage she had never encountered before. Though he had the same dark eyes and hair, something about the depth of his gaze felt more profound than anyone else's she had ever seen. His pale skin bore an unsettling pallor.
He regarded her impassively, not staring blankly but rather examining her.
At last, he broke into a smile, taking a moment to pick up the coin she had thrown.
"Is this… yours, miss?" he asked, presenting her with a flawless smile.
"Uh… yes, I'm sorry, thank you." Haruko couldn't meet his gaze directly, but sneaking a glance revealed he seemed genuinely unoffended, allowing her to relax a little. "I apologize for throwing this at you…"
"Haha, it's no problem! It's the first time I've received such 'fate' from a girl."
Though his expression was cheerful and his tone light, there was not a hint of warmth in his eyes.
…Oh no, he must be furious.
"I truly apologize!"
Haruko bowed deeply, but he halted her mid-motion.
"It's alright. Here, please keep it."
His sudden closeness left Haruko momentarily dazed; he emanated a peculiar, slightly sweet scent she couldn't quite place.
Wait, Haruko Yamashita, regain your composure! Continuing to breathe in like this would lead to inappropriate behavior that could land you in the police station!
She admonished herself, extending her hand to accept the coin he offered. His hand was remarkably cold—this was not unusual for late winter—but after touching him, an unexpected warmth spread through her body.
…No, no, this notion of love at first sight is too far-fetched. She shook her head, reminding herself to focus on the task at hand.
"Thank you, I'd like to ask you for directions…"
As she rummaged through her backpack for the map, she noticed the man had moved closer, adding to her bewilderment.
"Where are you trying to go?"
Whether by intent or coincidence, his breath brushed against her neck. She had worked up a sweat from walking and had stowed her scarf in her bag, leaving her neck exposed and sensitive, making it a challenge to suppress a shiver.
"Right here…"