A Seaside Story (part 25)
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"A couple of months ago I'd've walked out with so many of those..." Subaru mumbles, almost wistfully.
Yasuda giggles. "Not long ago, I would've too," he says.
Subaru is suddenly aware that this probably isn't something he should be bragging about. He narrows his eyes. "Oh no," he says warily. "I'm not getting into that! I'm not going to come along and be a bad influence on you and give you an excuse to get back into your old ways! I don't want to be responsible for that!" The townspeople would string him from a lamppost!
Yasuda laughs. "Don't worry! I'm not that suggestible," he says. "I told you, I'm reformed! Besides," he goes on, "I like to think I'm supporting the artists by buying their music. Like your friends in the band."
That was cunning, Subaru thought, very cunning. He can't think of anything to say to that.
“Shall we go have lunch now?” Yasuda asks, with a sweet smile. “What would you like to eat?”
’Sushi!’ Subaru wants to say. ’Yakiniku!’ Anything he hasn’t been able to eat since he came to the island! But with less than 2000yen… he’d better keep it simple. “Something cheap,” he mumbles.
They end up having soba, which isn’t the most luxurious special treat Subaru could have thought of, but it’s pretty tasty, and at least he still has money left.
“What else is there to do in this town?” he asks. He doesn’t expect it to be the hippest, happeningest place he’s ever been, but maybe there’s a good bar to hang out in…
“Well, quite often I go see a movie,” Yasuda says. “Or I just shop the whole time. But…” he says, cogs clearly turning. “This is the first time I’ve been here with anyone, and there are some things you just can’t do by yourself…”
Subaru is just starting to think that sounds ominous, when Yasuda says “Like karaoke!”
Subaru blinks. That wasn’t what he expected! He hasn’t been to karaoke in ages! But then, it feels like ages since he’s done anything apart from toil and strive. Maybe karaoke will be fun after all. Subaru's not much into movies (not the kind you get in the cinema, anyway), and karaoke sounds easier than having to keep finding topics of conversation with Yasuda, which might get awkward quite quickly - he's just been spared this long.
"Alright," he agrees eventually. "I'm sure there's a place round here somewhere..."
"I know there is," says Yasuda. "I've been to it. Yeah, I went by myself once," he admits, seeing the look Subaru gives him, "But it wasn't much fun. I just love to sing, though!"
Try as he might, Subaru isn't really any closer to picturing Yasuda as a delinquent than he was when he first learnt the truth.
They head to the karaoke place, and fortunately it's pretty cheap as it's still daytime and they're not planning on staying too long. Yasuda orders them a beer each and Subaru flicks through the songbook.
"How about we have a little competition?" Yasuda suggests, grinning with obvious confidence.
Subaru shrugs. "Sure, if you want - but if I win..." He thinks about what he can get away with asking for. "You pay me back the 2000 yen I came here with, and pay for my drinks next time we go to the bar." He realises when he's said it that he's committing to being with Yasuda on another occasion, but hey, free drinks makes it worth it if nothing else.
"You're on!" agrees Yasuda right away. "But what if I win? What are you going to do for me?"
Subaru tries to think of something that's feasible but won't be too painful. "Uhh... I could come clean your apartment for a few weeks or something? I've got good at cleaning," he says, trying and failing to keep the bitterness out of his voice.
Yasuda laughs. "That does sound quite nice," he says. "Alright!" he enthuses, rubbing his hands. "You can choose first."
Subaru does, going for a classic from his teenage years. It's surprisingly fun - kind of innocent-feeling, even though Subaru had already been a delinquent when he first knew it.
When he finishes, Yasuda looks at him, shocked. "You're really good!" he exclaims.
Subaru shifts, feeling uncomfortable. His friends always used to tell him he was good, but coming from a relative stranger, Subaru doesn't know how to respond. Even though he guesses it's a good sign, given what's riding on his performance. "Nah, not really," he mumbles, deciding he'd better be modest. After all, he hasn't heard Yasuda yet.
To be fair, Yasuda is pretty good too, but the machine gives Subaru a higher score, and continues to do so consistently the more they sing. Subaru actually feels kind of embarrassed, because Yasuda is clearly frustrated in a defeated kind of way. But it's also kind of funny, and the more Subaru thinks of the money he's coasting towards, the better he seems to sing. In the end, he wins by a decent margin. He can't help being a tiny bit smug as he holds his hand out for the money.
Frowning in some confusion, Yasuda hands over the 2000 yen. "I used to be the best out of my gang," he says a little mournfully. "I must be out of practice," he mutters.
Subaru chuckles. "Thank you," he says, tucking the notes away in his wallet. "This is the richest I've been since I got here!"
"Don't spend it all at once," Yasuda says sourly.
Subaru has no idea what to spend it on. He thinks he should get himself something cool while he's here, but on the other hand, he wants to hang onto it in the hope that the notes will breed and multiply in his wallet. He thinks he'll save it until a day when he really needs a beer - or, better yet, a ferry trip away from the island again. He just hopes Sadako doesn't confiscate it from him. She'll sniff out the cash, he knows it!
"That was pretty fun after all," says Subaru, grinning slyly as they leave.
"Yeah," Yasuda says wryly. "Now I know why you were so keen to make a bet!"
"Hey, don't make me sound like an egotist!" Subaru protests. "I didn't know how good you were! If I'd really been confident, don't you think I'd've bet you like 10000 yen or something?"
Yasuda pouts. "Well, maybe sometime we can have a rematch, when I've had chance to practice," he says.
As they walk back through the town, Subaru thinks again how keen Yasuda seems to hang out with someone he seemed to hate a couple of days ago. Maybe Yasuda is glad to have someone to talk to, too. If he's been out here years already, leaving all his friends behind... At least Subaru has the promise of seeing his own mates again. At least his mum's waiting for him, hoping this last resort works. The thought comes into his mind unbidden that even this last resort is better than what it took to turn Yasuda around.
"Let me show you a few more of my favourite shops," Yasuda says, and Subaru stops thinking such deep thoughts.
"Clothes?" he asks dubiously as they enter a happy looking little boutique. "Isn't that a bit... girly?" he says, but he feels like a kid as he says it.
Yasuda shakes his head. "Everyone can enjoy style!" he says, quite serious. "I've always loved vintage," he goes on, then lowers his voice. "And some of it's worth quite a lot, so it was another good value thing to steal," he whispers, out of earshot of the one staff member, an affable-looking middle-aged gentleman in clothes he'd probably had since they weren't vintage at all.
Subaru snickers. "I see," he murmurs. Some of the things Yasuda is picking out look outrageous to Subaru, but there are one or two things that catch his eye - some cool jeans, import t-shirts, quirky hats... When he looks at some of the price tags, though, his eyes widen. "You weren't kidding," he says to Yasuda.
"They're not all like this," Yasuda explains. "Sometimes you can get a real bargain! Most stuff in here is branded though."
Subaru nods. Brands, that he can understand, even though most of the ones in here are ones he’s never heard of. Like Yasuda, though, he has fond memories of high-value thefts, like his beloved Chrome Hearts wallet, now sadly empty and in his mother’s care. His work in that area was largely for his own personal use, plus requests from friends and associates.
“Hey,” he says as soon as they leave the shop. “I haven’t thought about my thieving days this much in ages! Maybe it’s not me being a bad influence on you I need to worry about!” Subaru feels genuinely confused; on the one hand, it’s good to be with someone who understands - but will that undo the progress he’s made? And in any case, if he’s thinking about ‘progress’, that must mean he’s begun to change, and does he really want to? Wasn’t he trying to resist all that? And if so… isn’t it a good thing to be hanging round with Yasuda, if he is going to be a bad influence? Subaru’s brain has started to get lost in this particular moral maze.
Yasuda looks shocked. “But my life is so much better now,” he says, so sincerely that Subaru completely believes he feels that way. “I feel so much more… peaceful. I’m not always looking over my shoulder, wondering if the police are going to be there. I don’t have to wonder who I can trust, or who might be going to turn me in. It’s nice for people not to look at me scared! It’s actually a good feeling to do nice things for people. Don’t you think?”
Subaru shifts, feeling put on the spot. He can’t deny he’s noticed that feeling creeping over him, when Mr Tsuji told him he’d done a good job, or Mr Komoto greeted him so enthusiastically every morning. “Mm, well,” he says.
Yasuda smiles. “Don’t worry,” he says, touching Subaru’s arm. “It’ll come.”
TBC
"A couple of months ago I'd've walked out with so many of those..." Subaru mumbles, almost wistfully.
Yasuda giggles. "Not long ago, I would've too," he says.
Subaru is suddenly aware that this probably isn't something he should be bragging about. He narrows his eyes. "Oh no," he says warily. "I'm not getting into that! I'm not going to come along and be a bad influence on you and give you an excuse to get back into your old ways! I don't want to be responsible for that!" The townspeople would string him from a lamppost!
Yasuda laughs. "Don't worry! I'm not that suggestible," he says. "I told you, I'm reformed! Besides," he goes on, "I like to think I'm supporting the artists by buying their music. Like your friends in the band."
That was cunning, Subaru thought, very cunning. He can't think of anything to say to that.
“Shall we go have lunch now?” Yasuda asks, with a sweet smile. “What would you like to eat?”
’Sushi!’ Subaru wants to say. ’Yakiniku!’ Anything he hasn’t been able to eat since he came to the island! But with less than 2000yen… he’d better keep it simple. “Something cheap,” he mumbles.
They end up having soba, which isn’t the most luxurious special treat Subaru could have thought of, but it’s pretty tasty, and at least he still has money left.
“What else is there to do in this town?” he asks. He doesn’t expect it to be the hippest, happeningest place he’s ever been, but maybe there’s a good bar to hang out in…
“Well, quite often I go see a movie,” Yasuda says. “Or I just shop the whole time. But…” he says, cogs clearly turning. “This is the first time I’ve been here with anyone, and there are some things you just can’t do by yourself…”
Subaru is just starting to think that sounds ominous, when Yasuda says “Like karaoke!”
Subaru blinks. That wasn’t what he expected! He hasn’t been to karaoke in ages! But then, it feels like ages since he’s done anything apart from toil and strive. Maybe karaoke will be fun after all. Subaru's not much into movies (not the kind you get in the cinema, anyway), and karaoke sounds easier than having to keep finding topics of conversation with Yasuda, which might get awkward quite quickly - he's just been spared this long.
"Alright," he agrees eventually. "I'm sure there's a place round here somewhere..."
"I know there is," says Yasuda. "I've been to it. Yeah, I went by myself once," he admits, seeing the look Subaru gives him, "But it wasn't much fun. I just love to sing, though!"
Try as he might, Subaru isn't really any closer to picturing Yasuda as a delinquent than he was when he first learnt the truth.
They head to the karaoke place, and fortunately it's pretty cheap as it's still daytime and they're not planning on staying too long. Yasuda orders them a beer each and Subaru flicks through the songbook.
"How about we have a little competition?" Yasuda suggests, grinning with obvious confidence.
Subaru shrugs. "Sure, if you want - but if I win..." He thinks about what he can get away with asking for. "You pay me back the 2000 yen I came here with, and pay for my drinks next time we go to the bar." He realises when he's said it that he's committing to being with Yasuda on another occasion, but hey, free drinks makes it worth it if nothing else.
"You're on!" agrees Yasuda right away. "But what if I win? What are you going to do for me?"
Subaru tries to think of something that's feasible but won't be too painful. "Uhh... I could come clean your apartment for a few weeks or something? I've got good at cleaning," he says, trying and failing to keep the bitterness out of his voice.
Yasuda laughs. "That does sound quite nice," he says. "Alright!" he enthuses, rubbing his hands. "You can choose first."
Subaru does, going for a classic from his teenage years. It's surprisingly fun - kind of innocent-feeling, even though Subaru had already been a delinquent when he first knew it.
When he finishes, Yasuda looks at him, shocked. "You're really good!" he exclaims.
Subaru shifts, feeling uncomfortable. His friends always used to tell him he was good, but coming from a relative stranger, Subaru doesn't know how to respond. Even though he guesses it's a good sign, given what's riding on his performance. "Nah, not really," he mumbles, deciding he'd better be modest. After all, he hasn't heard Yasuda yet.
To be fair, Yasuda is pretty good too, but the machine gives Subaru a higher score, and continues to do so consistently the more they sing. Subaru actually feels kind of embarrassed, because Yasuda is clearly frustrated in a defeated kind of way. But it's also kind of funny, and the more Subaru thinks of the money he's coasting towards, the better he seems to sing. In the end, he wins by a decent margin. He can't help being a tiny bit smug as he holds his hand out for the money.
Frowning in some confusion, Yasuda hands over the 2000 yen. "I used to be the best out of my gang," he says a little mournfully. "I must be out of practice," he mutters.
Subaru chuckles. "Thank you," he says, tucking the notes away in his wallet. "This is the richest I've been since I got here!"
"Don't spend it all at once," Yasuda says sourly.
Subaru has no idea what to spend it on. He thinks he should get himself something cool while he's here, but on the other hand, he wants to hang onto it in the hope that the notes will breed and multiply in his wallet. He thinks he'll save it until a day when he really needs a beer - or, better yet, a ferry trip away from the island again. He just hopes Sadako doesn't confiscate it from him. She'll sniff out the cash, he knows it!
"That was pretty fun after all," says Subaru, grinning slyly as they leave.
"Yeah," Yasuda says wryly. "Now I know why you were so keen to make a bet!"
"Hey, don't make me sound like an egotist!" Subaru protests. "I didn't know how good you were! If I'd really been confident, don't you think I'd've bet you like 10000 yen or something?"
Yasuda pouts. "Well, maybe sometime we can have a rematch, when I've had chance to practice," he says.
As they walk back through the town, Subaru thinks again how keen Yasuda seems to hang out with someone he seemed to hate a couple of days ago. Maybe Yasuda is glad to have someone to talk to, too. If he's been out here years already, leaving all his friends behind... At least Subaru has the promise of seeing his own mates again. At least his mum's waiting for him, hoping this last resort works. The thought comes into his mind unbidden that even this last resort is better than what it took to turn Yasuda around.
"Let me show you a few more of my favourite shops," Yasuda says, and Subaru stops thinking such deep thoughts.
"Clothes?" he asks dubiously as they enter a happy looking little boutique. "Isn't that a bit... girly?" he says, but he feels like a kid as he says it.
Yasuda shakes his head. "Everyone can enjoy style!" he says, quite serious. "I've always loved vintage," he goes on, then lowers his voice. "And some of it's worth quite a lot, so it was another good value thing to steal," he whispers, out of earshot of the one staff member, an affable-looking middle-aged gentleman in clothes he'd probably had since they weren't vintage at all.
Subaru snickers. "I see," he murmurs. Some of the things Yasuda is picking out look outrageous to Subaru, but there are one or two things that catch his eye - some cool jeans, import t-shirts, quirky hats... When he looks at some of the price tags, though, his eyes widen. "You weren't kidding," he says to Yasuda.
"They're not all like this," Yasuda explains. "Sometimes you can get a real bargain! Most stuff in here is branded though."
Subaru nods. Brands, that he can understand, even though most of the ones in here are ones he’s never heard of. Like Yasuda, though, he has fond memories of high-value thefts, like his beloved Chrome Hearts wallet, now sadly empty and in his mother’s care. His work in that area was largely for his own personal use, plus requests from friends and associates.
“Hey,” he says as soon as they leave the shop. “I haven’t thought about my thieving days this much in ages! Maybe it’s not me being a bad influence on you I need to worry about!” Subaru feels genuinely confused; on the one hand, it’s good to be with someone who understands - but will that undo the progress he’s made? And in any case, if he’s thinking about ‘progress’, that must mean he’s begun to change, and does he really want to? Wasn’t he trying to resist all that? And if so… isn’t it a good thing to be hanging round with Yasuda, if he is going to be a bad influence? Subaru’s brain has started to get lost in this particular moral maze.
Yasuda looks shocked. “But my life is so much better now,” he says, so sincerely that Subaru completely believes he feels that way. “I feel so much more… peaceful. I’m not always looking over my shoulder, wondering if the police are going to be there. I don’t have to wonder who I can trust, or who might be going to turn me in. It’s nice for people not to look at me scared! It’s actually a good feeling to do nice things for people. Don’t you think?”
Subaru shifts, feeling put on the spot. He can’t deny he’s noticed that feeling creeping over him, when Mr Tsuji told him he’d done a good job, or Mr Komoto greeted him so enthusiastically every morning. “Mm, well,” he says.
Yasuda smiles. “Don’t worry,” he says, touching Subaru’s arm. “It’ll come.”
TBC