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# Chapter One: Truth in Tokyo

*“Every seed of discord is Chaos waiting to be born.”–Anonymous*

 

***TOKYO, 2011***

Nakano Chihiro grew up in the slums of Tokyo. Money was sparse, and her parents had to live off scrapes to survive. Nakano's father had a brother who ran a gift shop in uptown Tokyo where he sold relics of all sorts, among other things. Nakano’s father came up with a plan to send Nakano and her sister Akasuki to live with him for awhile, at least till they raised enough money to open up their own gift shop in downtown Tokyo.

“Otosan, please, we can find work here.” Nakano pleaded with her father.

The Japanese culture, as with most Asian traditions, was one were the women understood that honor preceded everything. Meaning the Otosan or father of the Kazoku, also known as the family, had the final say in crucial matters like in Nakano’s case.

“There’s nothing more to talk about, Nakano.” Her father was firm in his standing. “ Even your sister seems to have accepted what must be done, why can’t you?”

Nakano bowed her head.

“I’m talking to you, young lady.”

“I…” She stuttered.

“Well go on, you what?”

“I have a bad feeling about this.” She said, honestly.

“Feelings?!” Her father’s voice went up a notch. “You talk about feelings?! Are you blind to everything around you?! We are hanging by a thread, scratching to survive, and right before us is an opportunity to make our family better, and you tell me about feelings. Don’t be selfish, Nakano. And don’t bring dishonor to the family name because of this.”

“I’m sorry, father.” Nakano replied with her head bowed.

“You should be. I can’t seem to place why you don’t like uncle Haruto. He’s an honest man, and my own elder brother. I look up to him, and in our most crucial time of need he has stretched out his hand in support, and you expect me to bite it because you have a bad feeling. Even Akasuki has accepted that to start up our own gift shop we would need to raise the money as well as learn what we need to know about running a gift shop in this competitive city.”

“I’m sorry, father.” Nakano repeated even more sincerely.

“Sorry for yourself, Nakano. Now get out of my sight.” Her father said then turned away.

“Yes, father.”

Later that night, shortly after dinner, Akasuki spoke to her younger sister in the quiet of their room. One of two rooms in their two bedroom apartment in the slums of downtown Tokyo.

It was shabby, packed and the air felt stuffed every now and then. The room had two beds, spaced a few feet apart, leaving only a little room for them to sit on the floor if they felt like it.

“Nano, you awake?” Akasuki whispered from her bed. Ever since they were much younger, she was fond of calling her little sister Nano. Now at eighteen, and Nakano at sixteen, she still couldn’t let go of the name.

Nakano sighed deeply and said, “Yes, Suki I’m here.” She had been crying.

Akasuki pushed herself up from her bed, and over the side, then walked to Nakano’s bed to lie with her for comfort to Nakano.

Nakano, though mild and kind, wasn’t all mushy on a regular day, but she welcomed her sister’s efforts to cheer her up.

“You’ve been crying.” Akasuki stated softly, but firmly.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

“I understand, but father’s right. We need the money, and it’s honest work. Besides, you forget one important thing, Nano.”

“What’s that?” Nakano turned to face her big sister.

“We have each other, Nano. We always will.” Akasuki said, smiling warmly.

Nakano just sighed, but Akasuki knew she agreed with her from the crack of a smile that broke on her thin lips.

“I love you, Nakano.” Her sister said as she drifted off to sleep.

“I love you too, Suki.” Nakano said with a deep sigh. “It’s going to be a busy day tomorrow.”

No answer, Akasuki was fast asleep.

“Suki!” Nakano said giggling, and jerking her sister’s body to wake up.

“Oh my God, I heard you. Can’t a girl get some sleep in peace.” Suki tossed and turned, agitated that her sister would interrupt her sleep.

At the crack of dawn the next day, Nakano and Akasuki already had their things packed and were waiting for the first bus heading up town. The girls would be gone for two years. That was the amount of time it would take them to properly learn everything they needed to learn about the gift shop. At least that’s what Uncle Haruto told their father.

Waiting on them to grab a bus was their mother. Unlike their father who ran the family with an iron fist when he needed to, Nakano's mother was mild, but even she too understood what must be and yielded to it.

“I'll miss you, Okasan.” Nakano said, teary eyed. She really would miss her mother.

“Oh, please stop, Nakano. You’ll make her cry.” Akasuki said, rolling her eyes. It was her own little way of stone walling her mother from seeing her get emotional. Yet deep down, Suki knew she would miss her mother as well…maybe even more.

“And I’ll miss you too. Both of you.” Their mother said, smiling. “And you both have to promise me something.” She added urgently. “Uptown Tokyo's a big city with a lot of distractions. Promise me you’ll both have each other. That you’ll both stay together, always.”

“We promise, mom.” They replied in unison.

“We promise.” Nakano said again.

The bus eventually reached their bus stop, and picked them up for the short journey ahead.

It took about 90km to get to Tokyo Bay in uptown Tokyo. Nakano and her sister were already exhausted from the eventual cramped nature of the bus they boarded.

When the bus came to a halt at the first station in uptown Tokyo, Haruto was already waiting for his nieces with a broad grin splashed across his face.

“Musume!!” Meaning daughter in Japanese. “Welcome!!” He shrieked, smiling widely as they got off the bus to meet him.

“Uncle Haruto!” Akasuki ran towards him and embraced him. Nakano just smiled, observing and unsure of how to receive her uncle.

Haruto opened his arms wider, gesturing for Nakano to join in on the hug. Reluctantly, she did.

He then took them to his home where his cook had a meal already prepared and a warm bath waiting for them.

“Get some sleep, girls. Tomorrow, you start work.” He said after they had settled in properly. Haruto's place was modest and adequately furnished to give the impression of a balanced life.

It took three months of working at the gift shop for Nakano to notice a particular pattern that stuck out like a sour thumb if looked at closely.

Amidst the daily bustle of activities, something seemed odd…like it didn’t belong there.

On Thursdays, just before the shop closed for the day, a man would come in and tell Nakano to go tell her uncle that somebody was asking about the shop. He never said anything else outside these lines. No greetings, no other form of pleasantries, just “*Tell your uncle someone is asking about the shop.”*

Nakano would have protested, but every time she told her uncle what the man said, he’d leave whatever it was he was doing, no matter how important, and head out to meet the man.

Then they would both head out the door together, leaving only Nakano and Suki in the shop. Suki had never seen the man, because she was busy stacking boxes of newly acquired relics around the same time he came to the store.

But one particular day, changed everything. Nakano already had her doubts about her uncle… The late nights he kept, the occasional young girl around her age that Nakano would see leaving her uncle’s room a little before the crack of dawn.. The way he looked at Suki, like a man hungry for something forbidden. The way he touched her sometimes.

Whether Suki knew, Nakano couldn’t tell, because Akasuki always avoided the conversation.

Yet one particular day changed everything…