In her mind’s eye she saw an image of Yukiho’s body superimposed over her own. She had seen Yukiho naked only once, when she had mistakenly opened the bathroom door, thinking no one was inside. Yukiho had just stepped out of the shower. She wasn’t wearing anything, not even a towel.
Her body was perfect, made up of curves so precise they looked like something computer-generated, yet with the simple warmth of something turned on a potter’s wheel. Her ample breasts were still firm, and tiny droplets of water hung on her pinkish white skin. What fat she had seemed to fit perfectly along the lines of her body, rounding out the curves. Mika had gasped. In the space of a few seconds the sight of Yukiho’s body was burned into her mind.
Yukiho had taken it with utmost grace. She hadn’t seemed flustered in the least or unhappy at all.
‘Hello, Mika,’ she’d said. ‘Getting into the bath?’ She had smiled, not even hurrying to cover herself.
It was Mika who’d lost it. She turned and ran without saying a word. Dashing into her room, she dove under the covers of her bed, her heart racing.
Mika frowned, remembering her embarrassment. The girl in the mirror made the same expression. Picking up her hairbrush, she started working at her hair until the brush became so entangled it stopped. She tried yanking it, and only succeeded in snapping off a few of her hairs.
She heard a knock at the door. ‘Mika? Are you awake? Good morning.’
She didn’t answer, and on the third knock, the door opened and Taeko gingerly peeked in. ‘Oh, you are awake,’ she said, stepping inside and immediately beginning to make the rumpled bed. Mika looked at her. She was the perfect image of a housemaid in an old movie: the dumpy body, the big apron around her waist, a sweater with the sleeves rolled up, her hair done up in a big bun on the top of her head.
‘I wanted to sleep more, but the noise woke me up.’
‘Noise?’ Taeko said with a curious frown. Then she nodded. ‘Ah, your father. Yes, he’s been getting up early these days.’
‘It’s stupid. Why does anyone get up so early?’
‘Well, they’re both very busy, you know, and this is the only time they have together. Besides, exercise is good thing, I think.’
‘He never would’ve been caught dead doing that when Mom was alive.’
‘People change as they get older, you know.’
‘Change how? Like they start marrying younger women? She’s ten years younger than Mom was.’
‘Mika, your father is still quite young himself. He can’t live the rest of his life alone, can he? You’ll go off and get married someday and your brother will leave, too.’
‘You’re not making much sense, Taeko. Talking about people getting old and then still being young.’
Taeko frowned a little. ‘Come down soon, breakfast is ready. Your father said he’s not going to give you any more rides in the morning, even if it looks like you’re going to be late.’
Mika snorted. ‘Bet I know whose idea that was.’
Taeko said nothing and started to leave, but Mika stopped her before she had fully closed the door.
‘You’re on my side, right?’ she asked.
Taeko looked taken aback for a moment before recovering with a chuckle. ‘I’m on everyone’s side, dear,’ she said, closing the door.
Mika got ready for school and went downstairs to find the other three already at breakfast. Her father and Yukiho were sitting facing her and Masahiro, her brother, was in the chair next to hers. He was in fifth grade.
‘I still don’t feel like I know what I’m doing,’ Yukiho was saying. ‘I have to get the hang of at least the driver, or I’m going to be a real menace out there on the course.’
‘Don’t worry, it’s always easier than it looks. Also, you say at least the driver, but the driver’s the toughest one. Use that well and you’re a pro. First step is to just get out there and try a round on the course.’
‘I don’t know, I’d be pretty worried,’ Yukiho said with a shrug. She looked over at Mika. ‘Hey there, good morning.’
Mika sat down without answering. Her father said ‘good morning,’ adding a stern look. She muttered a half-hearted ‘good morning’ back.
Ham, scrambled eggs, salad and croissants were spread out on the table.
‘Wait just a bit, Mika, and I’ll bring your soup,’ Taeko said from the kitchen. It sounded like she was in there busily preparing something.
Yukiho set down her fork and stood from the table. ‘That’s OK, Taeko. I’ll get it.’
‘I don’t want soup,’ Mika said, grabbing a croissant and tearing off a bite. Then she snatched the milk glass from in front of Masahiro and took a swig.
‘Hey, that’s mine.’
‘Don’t be stingy.’
Picking up her fork, Mika dug into her ham and eggs. A bowl of soup appeared in front of her plate, courtesy of Yukiho.
‘I said I didn’t want any,’ Mika said, not looking up.
‘That’s not how you talk to someone who does something for you,’ her dad said.
‘It’s OK,’ Yukiho said to her husband and an uncomfortable silence settled over the table.
Mika couldn’t taste the food at all. Not even Taeko’s ham and eggs, which was her favourite. And eating wasn’t any fun. Her chest hurt near the top of her stomach.
‘So, any plans tonight?’ her father said to Yukiho, taking a sip of his coffee.
‘Nothing in particular.’
‘Then we should go out for dinner, the four of us. A friend of mine just opened an Italian restaurant in Yotsuya, and he’s been asking me to come.’
‘Italian? That sounds lovely.’
‘You too, kids. If there’s a show you want to watch, you can set the VCR.’
‘Cool,’ Masahiro said. ‘I’ll go easy on the snacks.’
Mika took a sidelong glance at her brother and said, ‘I’m not going.’
She could feel the eyes on her from across the table.
‘Why not?’ her father asked. ‘You have something you need to do? There’s no piano lessons today and no tutor scheduled.’
‘I just don’t want to go. What, is this mandatory?’
‘Why don’t you want to go?’
‘Why does it matter?’
‘Because it matters. Look, if you have something you want to say, let’s hear it.’
‘Dear…’ Yukiho said. ‘Actually, maybe tonight isn’t the best idea. I’ve just remembered a few things that need doing.’
Her father glared at her, but fell silent. Yukiho’s coming to her defence annoyed Mika even more. Throwing down her fork, she stood. ‘I gotta go.’
‘Mika!’
Ignoring her father, Mika grabbed her bag and jacket and went out into the hall. She was slipping into her shoes when Yukiho and Taeko came up behind her.
‘Don’t be in such a hurry that you get run over by a car, now,’ Taeko fretted.
Yukiho reached down and picked her jacket up off the floor. Mika snatched it from her without a word. She was just putting her arms through the sleeves when Yukiho said with a smile to Taeko, ‘I like that navy sweater, it’s cute.’
‘Very cute,’ Taeko agreed.
‘They make school uniforms so stylish these days. Back when I was in school we only got one choice and that was it.’
Mika felt the anger rise in her chest, though she didn’t understand why. She took off the jacket. While Yukiho and Taeko watched, dumbfounded, she peeled off her Ralph Lauren sweater and tossed it on the floor.
‘Mika, what’re you doing?’ Taeko asked.
‘I don’t feel like wearing it any more.’
‘You’ll be cold.’
‘I don’t care.’
Her father came out and asked, ‘What are you going on about now?’