Seiji:
"You know? Back when I was your age, I was told that I was strong. A positive kid who never cried once in the face of adversity even when times got tough- Like when I forgot that I had homework to turn in or when I accidentally tarnished my favorite novel. But the truth is, I did cry. I cried a lot. The day I scraped my knee at the swing set or even when I broke my little brother's Keybot toy by sheer accident."
I gently patted the crying red-haired girl on the head, trying my best to act like the big brother I always wanted to be. However, the child kept on sobbing as we sat on the complementary airport benches. "Are you trauma dumping over me?" She sniffled using a term I would never expect to come out of a little child like her.
"Err… Well. What I'm trying to say is: crying is the first step to a remedy. There, there. Everything's gonna be alright. Let's go find your mother."
The girl gazed up at me and proceeded with, "But that's why I'm crying. My mom sucks!"
Ohhhh.... Well, I probably should've asked her the reason instead of rushing to the girl's aid on sight. Gently patting her head, I asked. "Do you want to talk about it?"
The girl didn't reply as she kept on sobbing, overcome by her emotions. Then a simple thought came to my mind. "You know, my mother once said that if you keep your negative thoughts to yourself, someday you'll fall into despair and become something unrecognizable. It's good to let these terrible emotions out, you know?
"This is something appropriate to say to a child, right?" I thought to myself, forcing a confident grin on my face.
The hunched up girl briefly lifted her head up from her elbows. "Um. Mister? What does despair mean?"
Wait, she knows what the term "trauma dumping" is but not despair?
"It's- Well. Uhhhhhhhh-" I could only gawk at her in stupidity as I stared right into her innocent emerald eyes. Out of options, I lifted up my fingers in order to perform the thing. I instructed her to do the same which she agreed out of curiosity.
"Repeat after me, Smile-Smile~" The tips of my fingers pushed up against the corner of my mouth, forming a make-shift grin. The girl did the same. At first, she stared at me blankly. Then-
"Pffft!" The kid blew a raspberry which was followed by a chorus of giggles. Seeing the depressed girl from earlier laughing and giggling like- Well, a giddy schoolgirl which made me follow suit as well. Looks like my tried-and-true motto worked its magic yet agai-
"That's so corny!" Ouch.
"Leana!" Just then, a bespectacled woman in business attire with a mane of orange came sprinting down the aisles. As soon as she got within arm distance, the child hid behind me like a riot shield to a dragon. In a span of 3-5 seconds, the lady's face went from a look of genuine happiness, then disappointment after seeing her daughter's reaction, and then to sheer anger.
Hands at her hips, she scolded, "Get away from that nice man this instant! How many times did I tell you not to bother people, especially in a public setting like this!" Leana in response briefly popped her head out only to give her mother the Akanbe treatment.
"Young lady!" She snapped back, her face turning nearly red as her daughter's vibrant scarlet hair. The lady then pointed sternly at the metallic bench parallel to us. "Sit. Now!"
Unfortunately for the lady, her daughter remained firmly put behind my back like that one creepy stand from JoJo part 4. Instead, a chorus of mumbling followed by the airport onlookers, some with children of their own, laughing and pointing while the adults groaned at their children's immaturity. Leana's mother must've noticed this too because now her shade of red was more akin to her own orangish mane. She plopped beside me, cradling her face and glasses in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, mister. My daughter's such a-"
"Handful?" I put my hand over hers in an attempt to console her.
"Ther word I was going for was the equivalent of a female dog but that works too." She smiled.
Woah, mothers are scary.
Noticing my sudden nervous reaction and quite possibly my train of thought, she chuckled. "I'm kidding of course and Leana knows that…..." Her eyes drifted towards her daughter's with a face like you know that too, right? Another Akanbe face told her all she needed to know. "Erm. Ehehehe. By the way, I feel it's a tad inappropriate to hold a married woman's hand when her husband's absent. Don't you think so?"
"I'm so sorry, you're right!" I apologized, retracting my hand away and placing it on my own lap. This only caused her to giggle, which I won't lie, left me a bit miffed. I'm trying my best here, you know?
"I'm Lana Akashi by the way, but you may call me Lana for short. Mrs Akashi sounds too formal after all, especially for someone who consoled my daughter when I could never." She then gestured towards her child. "And this bundle of...… sass and angst is Leana as I'm sure you already know."
I held out my hand towards hers, this time in a more professional matter. "And I'm Seiji Ich- Just Seiji."
"Well nice to meet you, Just Seiji." Lana giggled again, accepting the handshake.
"If you don't mind me asking, why the giggle? Did I say something funny?" I asked inquisitively, my ears also turning red from embarrassment.
"Ah, no. You just reminded me of my….." She paused, looking back at her daughter who was now pouting. Did I say something wrong? "My younger brother." Lana finished after a few seconds of silence.
I solemnly nodded back, a look of understanding etched into my face. The lip quiver. The subtle tear forming behind the rim of her glasses. It's just like when I brought up Shinji to someone who had no idea. The painful emotions that would spill out by retreading old memories of a loved one. Gee, I could only imagine what Lana's feeling right-
"That jerk left our sister, mother and Leana worried sick about him! If I ever see him again, I'm going to deck him in the schnoz!"
"Woah." This time it wasn't in my head as I audibly gasped.
"Mom, you don't have to put up a front. I miss Blaisey too." Before I knew it, the little rascal snuck her way over to her mother. Lana gave a weary smile back, planting her pale hand over the child for a head pat. In response, Leana pouted and crossed her arms as if trying to say stop treating like a kid, mom.
A scene like that made my heart flutter, reminiscing about my own family in the good old days. Or at least, back when we still were.
"Mom, get off me!"
-
An hour or so passed as I chatted with the mother-daughter duo. Apparently they were on a trip to visit Leana's grandmother back at Toulouse, France, finally returning home after a lengthy six months. Her grandmother….. wasn't in the best mental state. It turns out that Leana's aunt, Bertha disappeared as well. According to the both of them, Bertha was a chatterbox that always texted and called her family several times a day, even at the most inopportune time. Always putting her family first, she took it upon to go on a country-wide search for her brother. However, one day the calls stopped, sending Bertha and Lana's mother into a deep depression full of worry. April 4th, 2020- 28 days since she went off the radar.
"We tried everything. Missing posters, several calls to the police, and even a trip to Bouygues to see if Bertha's providers could track down her phone. Weirdly enough, her phone was still active but when they pulled up the radar to find it... Nothing."
Of course, I did what I always do and gave the two encouraging words that someday the two will be found- That everything will be fine. To top it off, I had Lana try Smile-Smile which seemed to cheer her up considerably, telling me how silly and- Errr. Corny the whole thing was.
10:38 AM read my smartwatch. Okay, about twenty, thirtiesh minutes before she arrives.
"Hey, hey. Just Seiji! I've got something to show you!" Beamed the innocent redhaired maiden as she excitedly rummaged through her very adorable Barbie-themed backpack. Hmm, I wonder what she's going to pull out? Maybe a storybook- Wait no, a majority of Gen Alpha kids don't read anymore. A tablet maybe? "Tadaaa!"
"Awww, that cute Barbie- Why is she wearing a Nazi uniform?" My eyes widened further. "Is she sporting a toothbrush mustache????"
"Yep! Isn't she so offensive and out of touch with society?"
Her mother facepalmed before giving me some much needed exposition. "It's... it's a brand new series that Mattel created to teach kids about historical figures. They saw the declining literacy rates of children across the globe so they thought that- Honestly, whoever came up with this idea in HR should be fired!"
"I…. See." I awkwardly laughed. "What next? Are they creating a Jack the Ripper Ken or something?"
"That's on my Amazon wishlist too!"
Me and my big mouth. "Do…. Do you like these figures?"
"Heck no! I'm ten, Barbie was sooooo three years ago! I'm collecting these until Blaisey comes back and gets me the playset he promised me for my 7th birthday!"
I'm so touched. She's continuing to collect figurines to keep her uncle's promise alive. Who am I to deny a child's hope? The innocence of children is so beautiful-
"And once that happens, I'm gonna put these soon-to-be discontinued figurines in a dust-free collector's case and then sell them ten years later for college tuition!"
Her mother turns to me with a pained expression. "This girl, I swear. I don't even know how she bought the thing. I certainly wouldn't have allowed-"
"I figured out your Amazon password."
"You did what!!!???"
"Yep. I<3SatoshiXOXO was such an easy-"
"Ahhh! Not in public!" Lana cupped her daughter's babbling mouth before she could spill any vital and more importantly, embarrassing info about her."
I nearly let out an audible gale of laughter until something caught my eye.
"The black pollen." I thought to myself as I spotted specks of black staining both of their clothes and skin. It was around a week ago, coincidentally when I acquired that purple rock when I started seeing these illusions. Illusions that no else could sense but me. However, unlike the last few times when I spotted these from passing by strangers, the pollen began to disintegrate until a select few were scattered on them.
"Just Seiji? What's up with that purple glow?"
Leana's voice woke me from my stupor. The faint glow emitted from my pocket and just as soon as I recognized it, the light disappeared without leaving a trace. "It's…. Nothing. Just something I bought from a gift shop in Jerusalem," I lied.
"Neat! No wonder you're so dark! Why'd you choose to vacation in the Middle East though?"
Before I could answer, a ring came from my pocket. Oh? She's here earlier than I thought. "I'm sorry guys but my ride's here."
The kid's mouth turned into a heart-breaking frown. "You really have to go?"
I patted her head just like how her mother did. "Sorry, kiddo. You still have your parents and friends in Japan don't you?"
"No! You're just like Blaisey! I want you to be my friend." She sniffled, foolishly thinking that we weren't friends already.
In cue, Lana hugged her daughter in consolation. "Come on, it's been a long day for the man. Jet-lag and all. However-" Reaching into her purse, she handed me what seemed to be a business card.
Akashi Cleaners: For Clothes Are Mirrors Into The Soul. Get it cleansed today! "Our contacts are written in the back as well, both email and phone number."
"Wow, you must be a psychic cuz that's precisely what I need after my journey!"
"Oh for sure! You're rank, JS!" Leana replied, fanning the air like a little troll.
Her mother was just about to scold her but a jovial laugh from me stopped her in her tracks. "JS, huh? Well that's a first for me!"
Just then, a cacophony of coughing erupted from behind us. What met my eyes as I turned around was sand. Sand galore! A dust of brown covered a crowd of people gathering near the baggage carousel. The source of which was-
"My luggage! I'm so sorry everyone! I don't remember it being this bad!"
-
"Seiji?" A familiar voice called out for me from the parking lot. Dyed magenta hair, pale skin, and a happy-go-lucky smile that anyone wouldn't miss from a mile away? Of course that's gotta be-
"Mari! Hey, over here!" The petite yet spunky woman rushed over like a Shinkansen bullet train, running in for a bear hug.
"Omigoooosh! It's you! It really is you in the fre-" Bang! Tripping over... a pebble. Yes, a pebble, Mari's face crashed right into mine. I let out a soft urgh in protest.
"I'm so sorry, Seiji! Are you alright? Oh, me and my stupid clumsy self! If only I-"
"It's okay, Mari! I'm glad to see you too!" I chuckled but Mari kept on chugging like a runaway locomotive.
"Come closer, will you? Gotta check for any boo-boos and- Oh wow, you're so tan…. And muscular! You never told me how much of a glow-up you had on WhatsApp! Heck, you barely post selfies on Insta and Facebook so I thought-" Man, she really hasn't changed. Hasn't she?
"Ah!" She squealed, turning beet red. "What're you-"
"Can't a guy give his bestie a hug?" I whispered into her ear, pulling her even closer. Just through a simple hug, I could tell how much she's grown over the past 4 years...… In terms of height, definitely not anything else.
We held each other for a good bit, taking in the moment. Friends reunited. Relationship regained. That was until a sly whistle penetrated my ear. "Gee, JS. Lady killer arentchu? Why don't you two get a room~"
"Who are these two, Sei- Er. Wait. Why are they-"
"Deep cleaning my luggage?" Finishing up Mari's sentence, I held up a thumbs up of approval at the Akashi duo. My luggage was getting put through the works as soap bubbles and the scent of fabric softener invaded my nearby space. "Its a long story."
-
"You're going now?" Leana asked with a pout, already knowing the answer to that question as she gave me a hug.
"Come on, this isn't goodbye. I'll be sure to visit and bring in more customers too if my sparkly clean luggage has anything to say about it!" The kid 's frown didn't waver but her grip on my jacket began to loosen. I gave her a pat on the head. "I know this isn't much but I'll let you know if I ever find your uncle and aunt, okay?"
"Thanks…." She spoke softly. "By the way, they're my older brother and sister. They hate it when I call them uncle and aunt."
"Then I promise to scour the Earth for your siblings!" I chuckled with a wink. Still spotting that frown on her face, I knew what I had to do. "Smile-smile. Okay?"
I gazed up at her mother who in turn gave me the go-ahead. I gently placed my thumb and index finger on each end of Leana's lips. Then I raised them upwards to form a smile and then instructed her to do the same. "Just do that whenever you feel sad, okay? Same goes to you Miss Lana."
"Will do." Lana replied, waving both myself and Mari back as we left the airport.
-
"You're still doing that smile-smile gimmick aren't you?" Mari chuckled as we made our way towards her bright red Suzuki Alto.
"It's not weird to you, is it?!" I blurted out as the word corny echoed in my mind. Leana's one thing but if Mari thought the same then I don't know if-
"What do you mean? I've always loved it ever since we were kids!" Oh thank god.
"And who cares if it's weird, you made that child and mother happy. I'd say that's hella cool you know?" She added, leaning in towards me. Then I felt her fingers prod against my lips to form a-
"Smile-smile~" Mari added. Is this woman trying to steal my thunder? Must be cuz she did it in perfect form! "So? How'd I do, Mr Busybody?"
"Hmm, I'd say….. 5. Maybe 6.5 out of ten?" I lied, playful sarcasm tinting my tongue.
"Ouch. And here I thought your words weren't meant to kill~" I wasn't sure if it was the nostalgic feeling in my heart or the out of place cold atmosphere that April brought but my hands instinctively went around her waist again.
Mari giggled, this time without any sense of embarrassment. "Careful now. You might catch Covid."
Covid? Right, that mysterious disease that didn't come into the mainstream until a month or so ago. I'm surprised that my flight wasn't canceled considering the global mandate for international flight. "That trip to Kabukicho's still on, right?"
"Of course. Kibou-dan's waiting, Seiji." Kibouder-dan. Once those words came out of her mouth, that's when I truly realized that-
"I'm home, Mari."
"Welcome home." She replied back while the radiant sun began to penetrate the cold April air.