Reality Strikes Page 4

  No one returned his laughter. Poor Adam. I decided to test out my comedic chops and read the next line. “‘He would never be enclosed again.’ I guess the monks decided he needed a killer tan.” Laughter rose from the crowd. Standing next to such an enormous landmark, shutterbugitis took over me like one of the waves that swept away the Buddha’s temple. I stood next to the Diabutsu’s toe in awe. My 5’7” height barely hit the top of his toenail.

  Most of the students wandered around the complex looking slightly bored. Gina and Adam stood in line to go inside the Buddha. Somehow this seemed like sacrilege. The Diabutsu shouldn’t be an amusement ride. I gazed at the giant shadows cast by his eyes and felt truly spiritual.

  I continued my walk of discovery until the sound of laughter came from around the corner. There, next to a giant pair of straw sandals that villagers made for the Buddha, stood a tour guide with a goatee. Kenzo grinned from ear-to-ear, sandwiched between two hot blondes. He really stood out with his black leather rocker outfit next to the uniformed students. I waved and took a picture of him standing proudly with the girls as the huge sandals hovered over his head. Staring at his handsome face I knew he enjoyed women way too much to settle for just one. My competitive streak wouldn’t accept the crazy odds, though. I would win him no matter what.

  I went back to the temple courtyard and took a nice panoramic shot of the Buddha with the orange and red dappled hills framing his shoulders and the pine forest in the background. Usually I hated having people in my pictures, but if I stood here all day, I’d never find a shot with less than twenty tourists. Still, it felt great to have a nice quality camera in my hands again.

  Mr. Shinji cupped his hands in front of his mouth. “Students, let’s get back on the bus.” Once he herded us on the bus, he continued, “Next stop Hachimagu. I have a warning. If any of you act up, we’re turning around and going back to the academy.”

  A hush fell over the bus as we headed off to the big red lacquer temple. As the bus pulled up in front of the grounds, the mass of steps that led to the complex had me tighten the laces on my boots. No Stairmaster could match the workout I was getting. According to the plaque at the base of the shrine, the Minamoto Shogunate dedicated the temple to the god of war in 1063. Amazed at how old things were in Japan, I realized America wasn’t even a toddler yet.

  Gina grabbed onto Adam. She huffed and puffed. “Honey, can you carry me the rest of the way?”

  Adam looked a bit embarrassed but picked her up.

  Setsuko drawled from behind us, “Oh, Rhett darling, you’re so powerful.” Most people wouldn’t get her Gone with the Wind reference, but my grandmother loved the movie. I joined Setsuko’s laughter.

  With Gina always busy with Adam, Setsuko wanted to hang out together. I needed to stay on her good side as I really was going to need her help when I planned my trip to see Tori’s relatives.

  Finally, we stood in front of the complex. Bright red lacquered tori gates dotted the temple site. The splashes of orange leaves against the red of the gates were breathtaking. Off to one side, a huge half-moon bridge spread across a small pond. I walked next to Gina and Adam, marveling at the gates that seemed to stretch on forever. There were so many I lost count.

  I snapped off five shots in a row. Crap. I forgot to upgrade the memory card that came with my camera. The way I took pictures, I’d blow through two hundred shots in no time. Kamakura was just too darn photogenic for its own good. I made a beeline for a particularly impressive group of brackets on the temple main building.

  Gina gave Adam a disgusted look. “Let’s leave her here. Seems Erin’s a lost cause when she has a camera in her hands.”

  From the roofline, a blue fat-bellied god looked down on me. He danced in a sea of clouds. I couldn’t understand why all the amazing creatures that inhabited the temple roof didn’t fascinate the other students. I only took one picture of the fat god even though he deserved at least four. My next photo opportunity screamed at me from across the temple complex, a beautifully carved stone fox. I checked the memory card to make sure I still had plenty of shots left, then jumped when there was a tap on my shoulder—Kenzo sans the girls.

  He tugged on my hand. “Finally, I caught you alone. Follow me.”

  Tingling sensations traveled up my arm as Kenzo led me through the forest. My crush kept getting worse. To take my mind off my obvious attraction to my tour guide, I decided to tease him about spying on me in Akihabura. I held up my camera. “Does this look familiar?”

  He stroked my hand innocently. “How are you enjoying your new camera?”

  My mind flashed on the night when I took the test shots in my room. Should I tell him the ghost communicated with me again? “It’s great. Next to painting, I truly love taking pictures. Japan is so photogenic—especially here in Kamakura. I feel the magic of the place.”

  His eyebrows darted up. “Do you mean that metaphorically or for real?”

  “Both.”

  He pulled on my arm. “Come. I have something I want you to see.”

  The path was very dark, and it led to a place even darker. Where was Kenzo taking me?

  He pointed towards the blackest spot. “You have to go in there. It’s really amazing—but watch out for bats.”

  I took in a deep breath. All right, I was up for almost anything, but darkness and bats? Maybe I should check if Kenzo had just sprung fangs. Standing at the entrance to the cave, he smiled and pushed me towards the center of the darkness. “Are you going to wimp out on me now? Go in. You won’t be disappointed.”

  “I bet Dracula said that to his victims before he sucked them dry.”

  Kenzo gave me another shove. “You can’t be scared of a little old cave.”

  I wasn’t going to let him get away with his grade school teasing, so I marched into the dark opening. The dampness made me shiver as I walked along walls illuminated by a long string of lights on the ceiling. Small chiseled niches lined the stone walls. Inside were Bodhisattvas, the handmaidens of Buddha, with their heads cocked to the side, staring off inquisitively. Probably looking out for bats.

  I continued on in hopes of a big pay-off, which I trusted wouldn’t be my turning into a vampire. At the end of the corridor a beautiful but diminutive gold Buddha sat in a niche much larger than the others. Glancing at the Buddha’s serene face, I was particularly drawn to his crystal-clear eyes. A sudden burst of color blanketed the stone walls as the Buddha’s eyes glowed red. Had I found myself in the middle of the set of an Indiana Jones movie? Here I thought Buddha was a peaceful god, but this one sure looked ticked off.

  I turned around and realized I’d managed to moonwalk all the way back to the entrance of the cave. Kenzo gave me a strange look. “You see a ghost or something?”

  The air felt cold, but my face was on fire. “Is it normal for a Buddha to have glowing red eyes like in the horror movies?”

  Kenzo didn’t laugh. “So, you saw the warning.”

  My arms prickled. “What are you talking about?”

  “Well, there’s an old folk tale that if the Buddha’s eyes glow red, death is near.”

  I punched him in the arm. “You’re full of it.”

  He stood staring at me, his face expressionless. “Didn’t you tell me you felt a ghostly presence several times? The Buddha knows death has been near you—literally.”

  “Why are you so interested in my ghost? Do you know who it is?”

  He shook his head. “No. But I am hoping it will reveal itself to you—soon.”

  “What are you some kind of ghostbuster or something?”

  He laughed. “Of a sort—when I’m not being a tour guide.”

  He had to be messing with me. I wonder who rigged the red lights in the cave? “I prefer you as a tour guide.” I looped my arm through his. “Now that you’ve shown me the dark side of Kamakura, how about the Disney version?”

  Kenzo brightened. “As a certified tour guide, I think I can accommodate that request.”

  With my
fingers crossed behind my back, I hoped he wasn’t going to mess with me again. We hiked for a little while and ended up in front of a new temple complex. The buildings were simple and made of unfinished wood and white walls. A nice visual break from all the bright red lacquer.

  Kenzo led me past the main building. “The landscape garden at Hachimagu Temple is famous, but I think the garden here at Hase Temple has a more natural beauty.”

  He pointed to the hill ridge. “Look over there at the forest. The silhouette against the sky looks perfect, doesn’t it?”

  I had to admit the forest top looked like it had been cut with a laser. The outline had no breaks, as you’d expect with some trees growing faster than others.

  Kenzo pointed to the tree line. “I’d like to see the Disneyland gardeners attempt to do that. Every tree has been trimmed to perfection to give the most beautiful outline against the sky.”

  How could the gardeners shape and manicure a forest that had to be at least sixty feet tall? “Wow. It’s mind boggling that the gardeners would go to so much trouble for perfection.”

  Kenzo grabbed my hand and led me further up the hill. “Hey, that’s us neurotic Japanese for you.”

  We continued our stroll through the garden. The path was divided into sections of koi ponds and flowerbeds. The azaleas were covered in bright pink blooms that looked striking against the shaped evergreen shrubs. A series of stone lanterns and small bridges randomly dotted the garden like someone had just tossed them there. The dwarf maples formed a kaleidoscope of color on the hill. No picture could capture the beauty, but I took a series of photos anyway.

  Kenzo reached over and pulled a strand of hair from my face. “You’re more beautiful than the garden.”

  Why was he pouring on the charm? “Bet you say that to all the girls.”

  A crooked smile spread across his face. “I admit I appreciate women.”

  “And it’s on display every day of school.”

  I meant it to be a joke, but my jealousy took over.

  Kenzo tugged at my hand. “Hey, I better get you back to the bus or you’re going to be left here.”

  “Me? What about you? Aren’t you going back with us?”

  “Sorry, I have to cut the tour short. I told Mr. Shinji I could only stay until lunch. I need to get back to Tokyo.”

  We hiked all the way to the parking lot the whole time I wondered where he was going. Did he have a girlfriend hidden away somewhere?

  We made it back just in time for me to get in line. I gave Kenzo’s arm a squeeze. “How much do I owe you for your services?”

  “How about a night on the town next week?”

  I gave him a wink. “I’ve been wanting to cash in my coupon.”

  “Fantastic. I know a great sushi restaurant you’re going to love.”

  I flashed on my live shrimp disaster. “I’ll eat most anything, as long as it’s not alive.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure everything is at least slightly dead.”

  I waved good-bye as Kenzo headed toward the train station. I stuck my head out the bus door. “See you soon!”

  Part of me was excited to spend more time with Kenzo. But the other wondered what Kenzo was really up to. He followed me to the camera store for a reason. He pushed me into the cave because he knew I would see something when I went inside. On our date I was determined to figure out what he really wanted from me.

  Making my way back to my seat, I tried to push back all my doubts about Kenzo and enjoy the rest of the field trip.

  Gina stood blocking my seat. “Where the hell have you been? I was looking all over for you. I thought you’d been abducted by Japanese pirates or something.”

  “Well, kind of. Kenzo took me on a goth tour of the temples.”

  Gina looked me straight in the eye. “Why were you with him? What are you talking about? I didn’t see any goths walking around. I thought they only hung out in Harajuku.”

  I covered my mouth to keep from laughing. “I don’t mean goth people, I mean goth temples.”

  Adam leaned over Gina. “There are temples dedicated to the dark side?”

  I did everything to stop myself from laughing as the bus started down the mountain towards town. Next up, a quick tour of the village and a lunch break.

  Mr. Shinji stood between the two buses. “Be back here by three or you will get detention for a week.”

  We all nodded dutifully and bolted off to pick a restaurant. I hadn’t realized how empty my stomach was until I came down from my temple high. Kamakura screamed tourist town with its narrow streets full of little stores and restaurants. I stopped in front of a drugstore mesmerized by a statuesque figure—a Buddhist Monk. He stood perfectly still with his head bowed, his face concealed by a huge conical straw hat. The monk wore a long dark kimono jacket, bright white leggings and simple straw sandals, like the much larger version made for the Diabutsu. In his hands he held a black lacquered bowl.

  I nudged Gina. “Hey, that monk doesn’t seem real. What is he doing hanging out outside the store with a bowl?”

  She laughed. “He’s begging for alms. The monks need to support themselves.”

  Interesting. Their need for money never even occurred to me. As we continued down the street, several more monks stood begging. One seemed to be giving directions to a woman while pointing with a huge staff with some kind of brass symbol on top. How fascinating.

  I was about to make a comment when Adam said, “Okay, I’m starving. Let’s go to the noodle house and eat lunch. Everybody likes noodles, right?”

  We all nodded and headed into the restaurant. When a 6’5”, 250-pound football player told you he was hungry, any indecision about where to eat quickly vanished.

  I settled down at the counter and ordered my favorite, tempura soba. There wasn’t much talking at the counter, just a lot of slurping of noodles. In Japan, slurping your noodles was mandatory because everything was served blazing hot. The Japanese passion for scalding food should be posted on giant signs as soon as you get off the plane at the airport. It would save thousands of foreigners from losing their ability to taste and talk for the first couple of days.

  We paid our bill without too much bickering and headed back to the bus. Following along behind the rest of the group, I took a last glimpse at one of the begging monks. I reached into my purse for a few yen then almost screamed when someone grabbed my arm. Had I offended one of the monks?

  I looked at the ground and recognized the red pair of Mary Janes. “Erin, you’re making a huge mistake. Don’t go out with Kenzo.”

  How did Setsuko know about our date? Had she spied on us? I pushed the thought away. “Who appointed you my mother?”

  She stood her ground. “Well, if you didn’t act so irresponsible, you wouldn’t need one.”

  “Look. I know you don’t like him. It’s really none of your business who I date.”

  Setsuko let out a sigh. “I’ll admit, I’m not part of the Kenzo fan club.”

  I threw my shoulders back defensively. “It’s just a date. No big deal.”

  “Right. Keep telling yourself that. I see the way you look at him.”

  Was I that obvious? If Setsuko thought I looked desperate, what must Kenzo think? “I’ll admit I’m attracted to him. So are half the girls in the academy.”

  Setsuko grabbed my hand. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  Why was she suddenly so concerned about my love life? “You act like you know something awful about Kenzo.”

  She squeezed my hand even tighter. “I do.”

  Maybe she was up to her old tricks, and I’d worked so hard to win her friendship. “Okay. What is it?”

  “He’s not the guy you think he is. He’s hiding something underneath all that charm.”

  Chapter 4

  Make it or Break it Time

  November 16-4:30 PM

  Thanks to my mom’s quick response to my fashion SOS, I had twice the amount of tops to choose from for my big date with Kenzo.
Munching blissfully on a Hershey’s Kiss, I ran my fingers around the bottom of the box to make sure I didn’t miss any stray foil wrappers. It felt like Christmas came a month early. I stared at my outfit choices sprawled across my bed. Should I wear the deep V sweater with its cleavage-revealing neckline or the skin-tight off-white velvet top? Which looked sexier? Definitely the sweater with the plunging neckline.

  Tonight was the make it or break it date with Kenzo. Not because Setsuko had me worried. She probably made the whole thing up. Kenzo was a bit of a bad boy, but I just couldn’t see him having spent time behind bars. The worst thing I’d heard about him was he had an ego the size of Texas. Setsuko was just jealous. Not that Kenzo’s obvious love of women didn’t have me worried. I needed to find out just how serious he was about me.

  Kenzo said to meet him at Shinjuku station by seven, which gave me half an hour to make myself beautiful. The nights had finally grown cold, so I threw my long wool coat over my black faux leather skinny jeans and a matching cropped leather jacket, unzipped just enough to expose some flesh at the right moment. I figured if Kenzo was going to take me to Shinjuku, I better look hot.

  Humming my favorite Billie Eilish tune on the long ride to Shinjuku, I looked forward to a night out and forgetting about midterms next week. The academy got me to Japan, but lately it had become a drag on my social life. I couldn’t wait till winter break. Oops, what was I thinking? That meant visiting Tori’s relatives, and I still couldn’t put a decent sentence together. All the more reason to hope my date with Kenzo was a success. I desperately needed a tutor to whip my Japanese into shape. Especially one with benefits.

  When I arrived at Shinjuku Station a little early, I decided to hang out by the JumboTron until Kenzo showed up. A strong gust of wind felt like a slap in the face as I watched a commercial with a clown-faced man spilling his bowl of noodle soup all over his dog. My hair brushed back.