Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ The Girl That Time Loved ❯ Interview ( Chapter 11 )

The aria mentioned in this installment is from Puccini's opera `Gianni Schicchi'. The aria is sung by the daughter of Gianni Schicchi, Lauretta, who begs her father permission to allow her to marry Rinuccio (her boyfriend), saying if she's not allowed to marry him, she would throw herself into the river Arno. After a plot of trickeries, all is resolved and the lovers are allowed to marry. The translation was taken from Josh van Geffen's Sarah Brightman webpage.

Thank you again for the encouraging reviews.

iron kitty

The vehicle entered a gated subdivision known to many in the town as the most exclusive community in Kanagawa. Famous CEOs, successful businessmen and their families took up residence there, and occasionally a popular actor or singer can be seen taking leisurely strolls on the sidewalks. The houses they passed by were mansions, resting on multi-acre lots surrounded by towering trees, neatly trimmed shrubbery and manicured green lawns. Mitsui's mouth slightly gaped at the sight before him as the Suburban drove down the streets of affluence and wealth.

What really widened the shooting guard's eyes was the immense size of the house in front of where the vehicle stopped. Letting the others off, Fuji drove the Suburban into a detached multi-car garage. The Mediterranean house before them boasted magnificent marble pillars that supported a covered walkway. Beautiful arches outlined the tall and wide windows, and at the entrance stood large ornately crafted French doors.

"Shall we go inside, Mitsui-san?"

The shooting guard could only nod; his vocal cords seemed to be paralyzed at the moment.

Miller opened the doors for them and the guards followed the two inside. They stepped into a marble tiled foyer illuminated by a crystal chandelier from above. Sunlight poured from the windows that encompassed the walls of the house.

"It's not necessary to take your shoes off, Mitsui-san," she said, walking towards a small table where a phone rested by a wall. Above it hung a large flat screen panel. Reiko pressed a button and set her things down. An electronic voice spoke.

"Good afternoon, Nakamichi-dono. You have one unread message. Shall I transmit?" the voice asked.

"Yes, please do."

The flat screen came to life and illuminated Reiko's face, on it read:

`Triple by-pass successful. One down, two more stent replacements to go. Did your team win? Will call soon. Be good. - Uncle Tak'

She smiled at the message. "Please dictate this reply."

All of a sudden the screen drew blank except for a blinking cursor.

"Dear Uncle Tak, comma. I'm glad the operation went well, period. Our team won, comma, Sato-sensei was so pleased, period. Mitsui-san is here at the house, comma, I am to be interviewed, period," she said, throwing a smiling glance at the shooting guard.

The bodyguards filed out of the room and disappeared somewhere towards the back save for Jackson who peered into each room carefully as if he was looking for something. Reiko continued to dictate.

"I'll be going to a basketball game tomorrow afternoon, period. Mitsui-san and his team will be playing, period. You don't have to rush on the phone call, comma, please get some rest first, period. I am all right, period. End of message."

Mitsui was astounded. He had never seen or heard anybody use email like that before. The shooting guard watched as she strapped on two elastic bands around her arm and forearm.

// What is that? //

"Send vitals now," she commanded.

"Gathering data now," replied the electronic voice. Within seconds, the band on Reiko's arm inflated, and words flashed on the screen.

`Blood pressure = 90/62

Pulse rate = 80 bpm

Respiratory rate = 16 breaths / min. nonlabored

Temperature = 97.6 0C'

The screen then went blank, the band around Reiko's arm deflated and the electronic voice said, "Message and vitals sent. May I help you with anything else, Nakamichi-dono?"

"Thank you, that will be all for now."

Reiko took both bands off, replacing them into a pouch by the phone. She turned to a dumbfounded Mitsui.

"I'm sorry to make you wait, Mitsui-san. Please make yourself comfortable in the living room," she said, leading him down the hallway.

// Man, her house is like a museum... //

On the walls of the hall hung beautiful paintings of flowery landscapes and green pastures. Orchids of all colors graced every tabletop and end table he saw, and the elegant furnishings in the living room looked like something from his mother's architecture magazines.

Reiko asked him to sit on the large leather couch and he silently obeyed, still looking around him. She waited patiently for him to speak.

"Reiko-san... your house is amazing! It's so big! How would you hear somebody if they were to call you? Do you yell?"

She laughed. "There are intercoms in each room so there's no need to yell."

"Oh, good," he automatically replied, still amazed at the classiness that surrounded him.

"Would you like something to drink, Nakamichi-dono, Mitsui-san?" asked Jackson who appeared out of nowhere.

"Huh? Oh no thanks, I'm good, Jackson-san."

The guard's gaze shifted to Reiko.

"I'll get it myself, Mr. Jackson."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"Yoshi-san will be over right away."

"Oh, please call him back and tell him he need not come. I'd like to see him at the restaurant instead. Would that be all right with you and the rest?"

"Yes," the guard replied, rather elated at the suggestion.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Jackson," she said, flashing him a grateful grin.

"Very well," the robust guard answered. He momentarily looked at Mitsui, a look that silently told him to be on his best behavior. "We'll be in the back if you need us." With that, Jackson walked out of the living room.

A few moments of silence passed.

"So, Mitsui-san, where would you like to begin?" she asked.

"Well," he said as he inched closer to Reiko, "where we left off, I guess."

"The last question you asked was `why did they run away'. Am I correct?"

He nodded, seeing her face pale at the recollection. "Before you say anything, Reiko-san, please tell me what you're feeling right now."

She paused to give him an unsure look, then averted her gaze to the orchid pot on the coffee table. "I'm a little anxious... and tired."

"Anxious about what?"

"The questions you may have for me," she mumbled softly.

"Are you afraid I would turn away as well?"

She hesitated to answer before whispering yes.

"Well, how about I help you get rid of some of that anxiety?"

"How?"

"Lean back in your seat, hold my hand and close your eyes," he instructed, doing exactly as he just said.

Before she could question him she decided to mimic him, thinking that there was some logic or relief in it.

"The day care I work at has a therapist that handles stuff like this, and she always talked to kids who were afraid to talk in this way. I'm not a therapist, though, so just bear with me."

She smiled and obliged.

"Okay. At any point during our conversation, if you hear a question that makes you feel bad or that you're not ready to answer, I want you to squeeze my hand once. When you do, I will stop asking questions. If you've forced yourself to answer a question, I will tickle you breathless."

Reiko cracked an eye open. "How will you know if I do?" she asked.

"Your eyes never lie, Reiko-san," he said, grinning.

"Is this how the therapist does it, too?" she teased.

"Today I'm doing it my way," he stated, his tone playfully bossy.

She smiled and gave in. "Very well."

"Good. Now that the rules are set, we can start. When you open your eyes, this interview will begin."

She opened her eyes and turned to see the shooting guard looking at him.

"First question. Mitsui is a nice guy. Yes or no?"

She was puzzled at this format of questioning, and she unexpectedly giggled. "Yes."

The shooting guard narrowed his eyes playfully at hers, producing another quiet laugh from her throat.

"Well, I guess you're being honest..." he sighed. "All right, on to more serious questions. Why are you afraid of me turning away?"

He could see the light in her eyes fade and waited for the press of her hand. "Because... because it happened many times before."

"How?"

"I... I'm not sure how to answer that question."

"Please try."

She paused for a minute, looking at the ceiling. Taking a deep breath, she spoke.

"When I was nine, a girl who befriended me in Italy told me one day that she didn't want to play with me anymore because her parents didn't want her playing with children of rich people. When I was eleven, I heard the same words from a boy who played with me for a short time at a playground, adding that he didn't like being watched all the time. When I was twelve, the graduate students I was introduced to at a pharmaceutical lab in Boston were nice to me at first, but they quickly turned hostile, saying that the only reason the chairman and president of the company liked me was because of my brain and family name. At thirteen, Sakai-san had to carry me away from a group of kids who threw rocks at me, yelling that I was possessed by the devil for being too smart. At fourteen, a boy and a girl I met at one of Uncle Tak's parties treated me nicely at first, but a week later decided to hurl eggs and obscenities at me when they found out I was the one who debugged an encoding program for an experiment and their fathers got fired because they didn't beat me to it."

She paused, seeming to search the recesses of her mind for every disappointing even that marked every year of her life. Mitsui sat still in disbelief.

"At age fifteen I stayed in France, and I was approached by a boy who said he wanted to be my friend. I was happy then, but one day I overheard him talking to his friends, saying that I was easy bait for the taking. Not understanding what this meant, I asked Mr. Jackson and he said that the boy only wanted to do malicious and perverted things to me. Ever since then, I was accompanied by both Mr. Jackson and Sakai-san everywhere I went."

// That little bastard! // his mind screamed, gritting his teeth at her words. // How dare he treat her like that! // He didn't expect the answer to his question to be like this. He didn't know it was hard for her then. His heart ached. He didn't know if he could withstand hearing more from her.

"After people found out who I was or what I've accomplished, they would say, `Oh, it was very nice meeting you,' and then turned away. It was either because I was too rich or too smart. I grew not to mind it, because I didn't get picked on then. And that is why I am still surprised at how every person I've met so far in Kanagawa treats me so kindly. I'm afraid I'm not used to it... Perhaps it's because they don't know who I am.... to me, that is somewhat encouraging."

Tired, Reiko found herself looking at the orchid on the coffee table, and for a moment she felt time had come to a standstill. Once, long ago, she looked over the sea on the balcony of her family's beach house and thought that one day, she would be able to laugh about everything that happened when she gets older. How sad, she thought, years have gone by and that day hadn't come. Indeed, those times were sad; it only added to the misery she's carried for ten years now... and yet, at that moment, she felt relieved. She discovered that remembering them out loud opened a small window of liberation for her. With unclouded blue gray eyes, she looked at Mitsui.

"Was my answer sufficient, Mitsui-san?" she asked, unconsciously moving the soft pad of her thumb over a large knuckle of his hand.

"Yes, he whispered, his eyes watching hers. "It's more than enough." He was comforted at the sight of blue glints in her beautiful eyes.

"Mitsui-san, may I also ask questions?" she said, her voice ringing innocently in his ears.

"Ask me anything you want."

She smiled weakly.

"Do you pity me, after hearing what I have told you?"

Mitsui was unsure of what to say. He moved closer still to her, their forearms approximating against each other as he eyed the soft and tiny hand in his grasp.

"I feel more admiration than pity for you, Reiko-san," his voice said, its timbre low and deep, almost like confessing a sin. "I can only imagine what it was like for you, and yet you've endured it all."

"I didn't have a choice," she answered quietly.

"So the others turned away because they couldn't handle it?"

"Probably," she assumed, fighting back a yawn.

// I have got to change the subject before I completely depress myself... //

"I should ask you other questions..." he said, tapping his heel against the sofa. "Why would Yoshi-san come here for dinner?"

"He used to be our family's butler," Reiko whispered, her body feeling heavy and worn-out. She fought to blink away Sandman's dreams.

"Really? Wow... and he still works for your family on top of that busy restaurant?"

"He insisted," she replied sleepily. "He has been with our family for as long as I can remember. He didn't have to..." she trailed off.

Mitsui felt her hold on his hand go limp. He looked over and saw Reiko fast asleep, slumped in her seat, her face so peaceful despite of her dejecting revelation. Surprisingly, she handled it well, and even if they were gray her eyes had glinted hints of blue, and that was comforting to him.

// Poor thing... the game must've exhausted her. //

He pulled her towards him, and grabbing a throw pillow on the couch, he carefully lifted Reiko's head and rested it upon the pillow. She mumbled sleepily at her change in position, her drowsy head resting on the shooting guard's lap. Her legs lethargically moved onto the couch and Reiko crumpled into a fetal position like a child. A very lonely child. Mitsui brushed aside a few stray hairs away from her face, thinking that all this was much too much to take in, even for him. This soft, fragile, beautiful young woman asleep before him looked sounded so vulnerable... God only knew what nightmares haunted her.

`Being intelligent is a gift, Mitsui-san. And yet... it is also my curse.'

The shooting guard could feel himself tense up. // So this was what she meant... this was why she was so afraid to tell. // It was unbelievable that whenever she laughed and smiled for him, she harbored that gloom inside her, and he often caught it seeping out as a murky gray in her eyes. But he had seen a happier side of her, one that didn't carry the burden of loneliness and rejection, and her bright cerulean eyes were testament to that. It was hope.

"Maybe I can understand how you felt then," he quietly whispered, gazing at her sleeping form. "But I was a little different back then. I put myself in a position where everyone disliked me. And even then I had people around me... But you... you didn't choose to be disliked, and you were alone."

Mitsui thought it was unfair for him to feel warmth and happiness in her presence while she bore the cursed memory of being forsaken on her shoulders. // How is she even able to smile? //

He affirmed his resolve.

"Trust in me, my blue-eyed angel," he spoke softly, stroke her delicate head gently. "I won't turn away. Don't be afraid. Let me help you. I will take your loneliness away."

The shooting guard bent down slowly and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. He lost himself to the yielding touch of her soft skin on his lips, and his breath held in his throat as his eyes caressed the exquisite line of her face. The sweet light smell of her perfume nearly drove him mad, and he willed himself to sit up and get a grip on himself. He guiltily brought a finger to his lips, silently asking his sleeping stretch partner to forgive him for the stolen kiss.

Reiko roused to the sound of a softly hummed tune. She stretched herself out, not sure of where she was nor for how long she slept. As she opened her eyes, she saw Mitsui smiling down at her.

"Did you have a good nap?" he quietly asked.

She mechanically nodded, looking around to orient herself. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Mitsui-san, how long have I been asleep?"

"Not even an hour."

She leaned back and closed her eyes. "Forgive me for being rude, Mitsui-san. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

He chuckled softly. "It's okay, I know you're really tired. I don't mind." // Not one bit. //

"Would you like to ask more questions?" she said, finding his large hand and holding it, forcing the shooting guard's heart to skip a beat.

"Well, it wouldn't be good if you answered all my questions in one sitting," Mitsui replied, silently willing his pulse slow down. "We'd be here till tomorrow."

"But I thought you wanted to -"

Her lips were silenced by Mitsui's finger.

"I'm glad you're willing to tell me what I want to know. But right now, I just want to know what you want to do. I can always ask questions later. And since you lost today's race to the main gym, you owe me a promise," he announced with a smile.

"Wait, I don't recall losing -"

This time Mitsui's thumb stayed her soft lips closed.

"Just promise me you'll reserve some time for these little talks with me," he said, almost pleading.

With a faint smile she nodded, feeling him trace the outline of her lower lip with the pad of his thumb, the touch sending warm but unfamiliar sensations within her, much like the time he held her hand and squeezed it gently. She innocently looked up at him, finally giggling at the slight tickle of his touch against her upper lip. Waking from his trance Mitsui blinked at Reiko's smiling face. Withdrawing his hand, he watched her glance up the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. He chided himself for the lack of restraint at that moment, and he was being far too transparent. He thought it useless; being entranced by her was an enticement he didn't know how to resist. It struck him a little odd that she does not flinch nervously whenever he gets mesmerized by her charms and touches her without his willing. // Man, I've got to keep it together... // He supposed she must really trust him. And yet, that innocence....

"Would you like to join me for dinner, Mitsui-san?" she asked.

"Well, yeah, but I'd have to go home and change into something fancier than what I'm wearing now," he said as he laughed.

"Oh, please follow me then, Mitsui-san," she said, tugging at his hand.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Walking past the hallway, they ascended the stairs to the second floor of the home. Mitsui again was awed by the size of the rooms and the fine furnishings they contained. He trailed behind her to a large bedroom where pictures of young men engaged in different sports hung on the wall. Looking more closely, he saw that it was the same person in all the pictures.

"There may be something in here for you to wear," she thought out loud, rummaging through the closet that was bigger than the shooting guard's bedroom.

The room was clean and the bed made. A tennis racket, football, soccer ball, basketball and volleyball lay in a corner beside a large oak dresser. On the dresser was a picture of an attractive woman with an equally handsome man standing beside her.

"Mitsui-san, what shoe size do you wear?" her muffled voice said as she looked around in the closet.

"Ten," he answered, still looking at the pictures on the wall. His eyes ran across another photograph of the same man with a little girl in his embrace.

"I think these will do," she suggested as she held up a black suit, vest and white dress shirt in hand. She laid them on the bed.

"Whose clothes are these, Reiko-san?"

"My brother's," she answered, quickly turning around. "Let me get the shoes." Again she disappeared into the expanse of the closet.

"Won't he mind?" asked the shooting guard.

"Not at all," she replied, almost with a laugh.

"Where is he?"

"He's not here."

"Oh." // Okay... //

"Are you sure he won't mind?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Mitsui took a look at the clothes on the bed. They looked like they were never used; the tags were still on them with the words `Giorgio Armani' written across.

"Please try them on and see if they fit, Mitsui-san. The bathroom is to your right."

// What bathroom? // He opened the door on the right as she instructed and found himself gaping at the immensity of the bathroom. It was like a resort in there: marble tiles, a huge tub that could have passed for the children's community pool in his subdivision, large and tall beveled mirrors, even the faucets were elegant. The bedroom and the bathroom alone were like a house within a house. Mitsui went inside and shrugged out of his clothes, feeling strange at wearing someone else's clothes. After donning the trousers, he buttoned the dress shirt at the wrists before putting on the vest and jacket. Turning around, he looked at himself in the mirror and was amazed at what he saw. The suit fit him like a glove, giving smooth and sharp outlines to his broad shoulders and muscled chest. He looked good in the suit. A grin crept across his lips. He stepped out of the bathroom.

"Reiko-san, do I look okay?" he called out.

No answer.

"Reiko-san?"

He peered into the closet but she was no longer there. As he walked past the bed he noticed a shoe box on the floor, a pair of black socks still bound together by a tag and a royal blue tie on the edge of the bed. // Why was everything new? // He looked back at the closet and wondered if there was a department store in there. Mitsui opened the shoe box and wasn't all too surprised to find a pair of fine black leather shoes still wrapped in onion paper and unworn. After putting on the socks he slipped into the shoes. Again, they were a perfect fit. He took the tie and slung loosely around his neck, got up and walked out.

"Reiko-san?" he called out again as he walked down the hall.

"I'm in here, Mitsui-san," her faint voice answered.

The shooting guard found the room where her voice came from. He stopped himself before entering. // Wait... //

"Uh, Reiko-san... are you decent?" he asked, a tinge of uneasiness in his voice.

"I'm in the closet, you can come in."

He took a deep breath and stepped into the bedroom. This one was just as big, but he immediately knew it was a girl's room: the ornate picture frames that rested on the desk and dresser, the floral pattern of the comforter on the king size bed, and the plush animals by the pillows. The room smelled of Reiko's perfume, and he felt his cheeks burn at the recent memory of his thievery. He found himself standing in the middle of the room eyeing the dimming sunlight through the skylight above. Mitsui turned his head at her voice.

"I'll be out as soon as I..." she trailed off. After a pause, "As soon as I get this to -"

She stopped abruptly, sounding preoccupied and she came into Mitsui's view without her knowing, her back facing him. She was reaching for the zipper of the dress that got stuck halfway up her back, exposing the toned muscles on either side her spine that was covered by smooth skin. He froze at the sight and his heart threatened to leap off his chest. The black silk dress she wore was absolutely captivating. Much like the fabric of the skirt she wore to the party, it clung to the curves of her body like one large silken petal. The fact that she was wearing it made the dress all the more alluring. She was more beautiful than he could have ever imagined in his dreams. Mitsui found it hard to breathe.

Almost in a waking dream, he found himself gently pushing her fumbling fingers aside and with one tug pulled the zipper from its snagged position. He zipped it all the way up, letting his fingers linger on the silky-smooth fabric before willing himself to step back.

"Thank you, Mitsui-san," she said. "I've been having trouble with zippers lately," she added, her back still facing him as she smoothed the dress in the front and the sides. She turned around and her bright blue eyes widened as she smiled.

"Oh, you look fabulous in that suit," Reiko declared, her limpid eyes examining him. Her brow furrowed for a second. "You forgot to take the tags off," she said, stepping closer forward to him as she reached for the dangling tags.

Not knowing how much more he could restrain himself from seizing her into his embrace, he reflexively stepped back a little. His move was a second too late, for Reiko was already pulling off the tags. Noticing the tie slung undone around his neck, she took it. Mitsui froze in place, not daring to move when she flipped the collar of the dress shirt and fitted the tie around gently before flipping the collar back down. He could smell that intoxicating perfume of hers, she was so close... Mitsui watched helplessly in blissful torture as she silently pulled on the tie to gauge the length and then tying it with nimble fingers in a full Windsor knot. By then the shooting guard was lost in the depths of her azure eyes, his skin jumped at the light pressure of her fingers as she pushed the knot up to the base of his throat. She smiled at her handiwork before looking up at him.

"There, Mitsui-san, you look like you stepped out of a men's fashion magazine," she complimented as she carefully smoothed the tie behind the vest before buttoning it. "Do the shoes fit?"

// Don't do it... don't reach for her... don't do it... resist... //

"Mitsui-san?" Her bright eyes looked expectantly into his.

"Perfectly," he managed to croak, hiding his struggle for self-control in his white-knuckled fist behind his back.

"That's good." She walked to the dresser and opened a jewelry box, taking out the necklace with the platinum pendant he found weeks ago. Reiko put it on and looked at herself in the mirror. She was thankful that she had showered after the game; it saved her a lot of time from drying her thick locks of hair. She released her hair from the ponytail holder and brushed it a few times, finally wearing silver hair clips to keep her hair in place.

"I hope I look okay," she thought out loud, not seeing the Mitsui's piercing gaze on her.

"Okay is a gross understatement," he said, finally able to breathe and find his voice when she moved away from him.

Reiko turned around and gave the shooting guard a grateful grin. She returned to the closet to get a light sweater and her shoes, all the while Mitsui stood in the middle of the room trying to convince himself that being there, helping her dress, watching her transform into an even more gorgeous creature was not a waking dream, even though it felt like it.

"You're so beautiful it makes my heart ache," he muttered under his breath.

All the bodyguards complimented Mitsui on his appearance as they all piled into the Suburban. Arriving at the restaurant, the guards dispersed to the four corners of the building, occasionally saying hello to the wait staff who passed by. So as not to look menacing, they nonchalantly looked out the windows, giving a cursory glance at the people dining at their tables, scanning the dining room for suspicious faces. The four men met up with the old proprietor who seated them at a table next to Reiko and Mitsui's. The old man Yoshi was glad to see Reiko and her stretch partner, asking him if he joined the basketball team yet as he predicted. He was delighted to be proven right. The men happily ordered their favorites from the menu, Yoshi laughing as he wrote their orders down. The old man recommended their finest cut of steak that evening, and Mitsui took his suggestion. After requesting Yoshi for salmon scaloppini, Reiko spied a few familiar faces in the dining crowd.

"Mitsui-san," she whispered. "Look to the center of the room."

He turned his head to see Coach Miwa, Coach Sato and two women chatting at their table in the middle of the restaurant.

"Wow, I didn't know they were close friends," said Mitsui.

"Sato-sensei looks rather cheery," she commented, noticing the wide grin on her coach's face. Feeling himself watched, Coach Sato looked in Reiko's direction and caught her gaze. He waved at the two athletes looking at them.

"Miwa, look who's together," he murmured. The whole table waved at them.

"Man, Mitsui-kun can sure clean up well," Coach Miwa quietly said, noting the suit he was wearing.

"Who is that pretty girl with your new player, dear?" asked Coach Miwa's wife.

"She's Sato's blue chip player," he chuckled.

Yoshi who passed by happened to overhear their conversation. "You folks know Nakamichi-dono?" he asked.

"Yes, in fact, she plays volleyball for me now at the college, and we just won a game today," Coach Sato proudly affirmed.

All at the table laughed at his enthusiasm while Yoshi left to serve the other guests.

"I can see why that young man looks so happy," rumored Coach Miwa's wife. "He's with a lovely young lady."

"Just like my wife," said Coach Sato, forcing his wife to blush and nudge him at the elbow. They were all laughing.

Moments later Reiko and Mitsui as well as the rest of the men were served their meals, and the shooting guard couldn't believe how deliciously juicy the steak was. Reiko laughed when he said that the food at the restaurant tastes even better this time around. After finishing their meal, Yoshi came by to serve them some coffee, Reiko patting his old arthritic hand as he placed the coffee saucers on the table.

"Yoshi-san, happy birthday," she said, giving him a sweet smile that happily crinkled the old man's eyes. The childlike gesture made the shooting guard smile.

"Nakamichi-dono, you remembered," the old man chuckled.

"Did you really think I would forget?" Reiko winked playfully at the blushing old man. Mitsui was surprised she could make an old man blush. "What would you like for your birthday, Yoshi-san? Ask anything you want."

Yoshi laughed. "Anything?"

She nodded eagerly.

The old man held the serving tray on his side as he thought. "Well then, how about a song?"

"All you want is a song?"

"I've only heard you sing a few times in my life, Nakamichi-dono, and I am getting old," the old man said, patting Reiko on the shoulder. "But you don't have to if you don't want to."

"What song would you like to hear?" she asked as she stood from her seat. Mitsui minded his manners and stood as she left the table to walk to the piano by the bar.

"Any song will do. I'm sure that the two couples in that middle table would also be glad to hear you sing. They're celebrating their wedding anniversaries."

Reiko looked at the table he described and flashed a big grin back at the old man. "May I trouble you then to play the mandolin this evening, Yoshi-san?"

The old man's face lit in elation. "Oh, not the piano tonight? This will be quite a treat!" Mitsui watched as he rounded the bar and disappeared behind it, producing a mandolin from beneath a cabinet. He stepped up to the piano bench and sat down. "Now, what shall I play?" enticed the old man.

"An aria for you, Yoshi-san. O Mio Babbino Caro," Reiko replied, her eyes smiling at him.

"Excellent choice. I am honored and I thank you in advance." The old man positioned his hand against the mandolin. Before he rendered the first stroke on a cord, he stood and cleared his voice.

"Everyone," he said, catching every one's attention in the restaurant, "I would like to share with you this birthday present about to be sung for me by a very special person." Yoshi then returned to his seat on the piano bench. "Any time you're ready, Nakamichi-dono."

The old man's arthritic hand seemed to fly as he played cords on his instrument, and a few seconds later she began to sing. Her soprano voice floated through the air that even the kitchen staff stopped preparing meals to step out and listen. Mitsui quietly sat beside Miller and the rest of the guards who leaned forward to listen. The words of the song were foreign, and it sounded like it was in Italian, though he wasn't sure. Like the first time he heard her sing, Mitsui's ears relished every note she sang, even if he couldn't understand what she was singing. Out of curiosity, he chanced to ask Miller if he happened to know what she was saying.

"The song says, `O Dear Daddy, I love him, he is so handsome.... I want to go to Porta Rossa to buy the ring.... Yes, yes, I want to go there.... And if my love were in vain, I would go to Porta Vecchio and throw myself in the Arno... I fret and suffer torments... Oh God, I would rather die... Daddy, have pity... Daddy, have pity...'."

Mitsui was bowled over that Miller actually understood the words she sang. He didn't know he knew another foreign language. He supposed that the piece she sang was some opera song.

It was a short song, lasting a little over two minutes, but it took just that long before the patrons of the restaurant stood to their feet to give Reiko thunderous applause. She gave the old man Yoshi a respectful bow, and uttered the faint words `happy birthday' amidst the cheers and clapping. She took another bow, this time to the patrons, and shouts for an encore could be heard among them.

To Mitsui, this was a memory that will forever burn in his mind. He never took her eyes off her for a second while she sang; her melodious voice sealed him into a reverie where her intense blue eyes and soft moving lips ruled his world. Her voice made his hair stand on end, and every fiber of his being was awash in warmth only she had been able to provoke in him.

Mitsui received her with a smile as she took the seat next to him, applause still ringing loudly in the restaurant. The chefs went back to the kitchen with sighs escaping their throats, and the wait staff seemed to move through the dining hall with a lighter step. Her two minutes of magic cast its spell on everyone, and because she was by his side, he was the most spellbound of them all.