I should unsend it right now. But won't he see the notification anyway? What if he's like me and nobody ever texts him on Instagram? He will know that it was me!

What time is it in California?

8:15 A.M.

Is he up? Or is he still asleep?

What should I do?

Back out or be courageous?

Courageous?? This isn't courage! This is recklessness!

I look at Link sleeping soundly next to me on the floor. I'm nauseous. Why do I feel like I betrayed him? I'm not trying to go behind his back here! Or am I? I am, aren't I? Should I wake him and tell him?

No.

Maybe?

He'll be mad. He'll yell at me. Or he won't talk to me at all, maybe he'll just give me the silent treatment. No, not him. He'd talk to me. Which is worse. Because he'll ask why I did it.

Why did I do it?

What do I get out of this?

I want to stop wondering what Karusa's deal is. I want to know his plan. I want to outsmart him. I want to beat him at his own game. I want to see him crumble. I want him to suffer the way I did. I want to see him in pain, I want him to need my help, to need me! Just so I can walk away and leave him in pieces like he did with me.

I look back at Link. I don't want to keep secrets. I don't want to lie. But I don't want to tell him about this either. Not right after the fight we had earlier. I'm so scared of losing him.

He is already agitated due to his career, job, body, and... me. I don't want to add more stress where it doesn't need to be.

My eyes return to my phone. I turn down the brightness, terrified of waking Link. What should I do now? Delete my message? Keep it a secret? Tell Link? Well that makes no sense at all. He'd probably just tell me to delete it and block Karusa once and for all. Maybe he won't trust me anymore. Maybe he'll see it as a red flag. So it's between deleting the message and keeping it secret.

Shoot... I didn't think this through. And I'm still not thinking this through!

I texted Karusa with a purpose. If I chicken out now, I'm still not moving forward in life. Question is... What's the worst thing that can happen now? He replies? And then what? He will either apologize or try to threaten me. The first one is rather unlikely. So he's trying to hurt me. But he can't. Not while I'm in Japan. Unless he knows I'm here and somehow it's his plan to–no, no Zelda he has no way of knowing we're here. And even if he tries to hurt me in any way, I will have real proof of his actions.

Now I almost hope he will send harmful messages just so I have the upper hand.

I take a screenshot of the little bit of "conversation" we have so far and put my phone down. By the time I wake up he will have responded. I can wait that long to figure out what to do next.

✤ ✤ ✤

Link's POV

Streeeeetch!

Man, I wish nights were longer.

I look to my right. Zelda's so pretty when she's asleep.

I sit up, tempted to give her a kiss but I don't wanna wake her up. She hasn't been sleeping much lately, so I should let her sleep in for once.

She fell asleep with her phone in hand. I remove it slowly. What a cutie.

The screen turns on and it tries to read my face but I can't unlock her phone. Not pretty enough I guess hehe.

She has a couple of notifications. Mainly apps I've never even seen before. Wait, there's an app for Sudoku? I don't get how that's even a game. I get chess but Sudoku feels more like homework to me. But hey, if she likes it.

I may not know her password but I can open her camera. I take a couple of selfies for her before I put the phone back. Then I get up.

My closet is already a mess and I don't even really live here. Oh well. I take a clean shirt and throw it on on my way downstairs. I follow the delicious smell of eggs and rice and end up in the kitchen.

"Good morning," mom says all smiley.

"Morning," I smile back. She's making furikake.

"Can you hand me the salt?" While I'm doing her a favor, she starts to bash on me. "You look feral, you should brush your hair after you get up."

"I just got out of bed. Who's gonna see me?"

"Grandmother."

"She's seen me more feral than this," I laugh.

Mom hands me a cup of green tea. "Give this to her, will you?"

"Should I bring her some food too?"

"She has already eaten."

"Are we not eating together today?" I ask.

"I have to run some errands in the city."

"Need any help with the errands? I can go to the city for you."

"It's alright, thank you. You just enjoy the day with your sister and your girlfriend."

"Well, we're probably gonna go downtown anyway. Write me a list and we'll stop at a convenient store on the way back."

She smiles and nods. I balance the tea and walk to the living room. Obachan is usually sitting there, where else could she be?

"Mom? Where's Grandma?" I ask her loud enough to hear me from the living room.

"Outside."

I head to the backyard. It's already so humid outside even though the sun is barely up. I spot Grandma sitting on the ground by the little garden area. She's praying.

"Obachan," I announce my presence.

She opens her eyes with a smile. "Rinku."

"Sorry, I hope I didn't interrupt."

"Not at all."

"I have sencha for you," I gesture at the tea in my hands.

"I am happy to see you are finally up and going."

"You make it sound like I slept all day. It's 7 AM."

"You should always begin your day in perfect harmony with nature, with the rising sun as your cue to awaken. As you take in the tranquil ambiance of the early morning, you're greeted by the first chirps of the day – a melodious symphony that sets a peaceful tone for the day ahead. There's something truly special about being awakened by the sounds of nature, and it's the perfect way to start a day filled with serenity and tranquility."

I just nod and hand her the cup.

She tries to roll her eyes at me but I beat her to it. "Hey, at least I'm up early."

"You used to get up before the sun had risen."

"Yeah and I'm glad that's over."

"Over?"

Shit.

"How is your sports career going anyway?" She asks. "Are you still fencing? Are you still competing? I haven't seen you train in many years."

I don't want to talk about my career right now. She doesn't even know that I might quit soon. It'd break her heart. She always supported my career...

"It's humid. You should come inside," I suggest.

"I like the warmth. Come here, come closer. Feel the sun on your skin."

"I feel it," I say but move closer anyway. Mainly because she is pulling on my sleeve until I finally sit down next to her.

"Here, take your tea before I spill it."

"Have some. Sencha is good for your soul." I take a sip so she finally takes the cup from me.

"You have such golden hair," she says, trying to comb it with her fingers. "Your kids will have beautiful hair." I almost spit the tea back out. "And beautiful eyes as well."

Here we go again. She wants to talk about my future children. And our future family.

"She's very pretty."

"You keep telling me that," I laugh.

"Well, it's true. She is very beautiful."

"Yes, Obachan. Zelda is very beautiful."

"I wish I could talk to her."

"I know. I will do my best to translate."

"You never translate my words!" she complains and yanks the tea out of my hands.

"Because you keep telling me to tell her how pretty our kids would be! It's weird!"

"Oh, don't be so timid," she mocks. "I just want to know more about her." Like what? Her fertility window? Zelda doesn't even know if she likes kids. No need to pressure her into thinking she has to have kids with me anytime soon.

"Let's just go back to talking about the sun," I bid.

"When are you going to marry that girl?"

Not this again. "Obachan," I turn my head the other way. "I told you... We've only been dating for a few months."

"Oh dear, let me tell you something about marriage. When you finally find that special someone, it doesn't matter how long it takes or how quickly it goes. Time is of no importance when it comes to true love."

"We're too young to marry."

"Too young to marry," she huffs. "I married when I was 16."

"Okay, but you were born in a different century. And you weren't in college when you married. Zelda and I... we're both busy with other stuff."

"Busy?"
"Yes, believe it or not but I'm an athlete with a tight schedule."

"Don't give me attitude," she warns jokingly.

"And Zelda is working towards a doctorate degree," I continue anyway. "We don't have time to think about marriage and kids right now."

"Remind me... When are you graduating?"

"In two years."

"What will be your excuse in two years?" she asks with a smug expression, sipping on her tea. I will still be busy and Zelda will still be in school, but I don't say any of that. Obachan is stubborn and she won't let go of this until she's satisfied.

"I guess I won't have any excuses once I graduate."

"So you will marry her in two years then?"

"Sure, Obachan. I will marry her in two years." She'll have forgotten all about this conversation by then.

"Where is she now? She is not still sleeping, is she?"

"She's calling her family right now," I lie on Zelda's behalf.

No comment from Obachan but it did make her smile. She always told me to marry someone who is smart, caring, and pretty. Looks like she's happy with my choice. Even if it will be a couple more years until we marry.

I close my eyes and feel the sun on my face and legs. I could fall asleep right now. This is nice. But I'm getting kinda hungry. And sweaty.

"Before you brought the tea, I was praying for you two," Obachan tells me and takes another sip from the cup.

I don't ask about the content. It's between her and the deities. "I wish you could have a traditional house garden to pray in." I open my eyes to look at the old brick walls and the roofs of the neighboring houses. Everything here is falling apart.

"Your uncle has a beautiful garden in Tsumago, you know. On clear days, you can even see Mount Ontake"

"So why don't you go live with him? It's much nicer up there. Kyoto is too loud and busy."

"Oh, I'm too old to live in the mountains," she chuckles.

"So I have the excuse of being too young and you have the excuse of being too old?" I laugh. "You should consider living with him. You could pray at the shrine and you could spend time in the garden like when you were younger."

"I need someone to take care of me. Your father and uncle already have their hands full."

"I'd take care of you if I didn't have to go back to America." I wish I could just stay in Tsumago with her and dad and take care of the land and animals... No more pressure, no more judgment.

"I wouldn't want you to take care of me, my dear. You have so much talent and potential, and it requires a lot of care and attention. You mustn't neglect yourself now," she says caring.

I don't reply. I'd rather take care of her than go back to being a pro-athlete. But nobody wants to hear that... So I just lay down on my back and enjoy the quiet of the morning for a few moments while Obachan finishes her cup of tea.

Zelda's POV

The second I open my eyes, I reach for my phone to check what Karusa said. I glance at Link to make sure he's still asleep, but to my surprise, he is gone. Before questioning his whereabouts, I open Instagram.

No new messages.

Impossible!
I enter the chat. No read reception. He hasn't seen my message yet?

How odd. It's the afternoon in California, surely Karusa has checked his phone by now. Or maybe he never even meant to text me. Is there such a thing as pocket texting? Implausible.

"I don't believe this," Link's voice startles me. I instantly turn my phone off and feel my heart hammering against my chest as if I just got caught committing a federal crime. "You actually lasted the whole night without me," he jokes, standing by the door.

I chuckle nervously. "I told you."

"I don't know whether to be proud or bummed."

"I'm definitely bummed. I'd much rather sleep next to you," I say and get a smile out of him.

He walks over to me to give me a kiss. His skin is glistering and his skin smells sun-kissed. Did he go on a morning-run? Did he change his mind about his career and is trying to get back into a routine?

"Hungry?" He asks.

"Always thinking about food," I tease him.

"It's a nice thing to think about." He stretches his arms and back while I get up. I wonder if sleeping on the floor is hurting his back.

"You should sleep in the bed."

"What?"

"I don't like seeing you sleep on the floor."

"Well I don't like seeing you sleep on the floor," he shrugs.

"Please take the bed. I don't mind sleeping on the floor."

"I don't mind either," he smirks.

"At least let us switch every other night. That'd be a compromise."

"Nah."

"Please?" I offer him my best puppy face.

He cups my cheeks and gives me a big kiss. "Nope."

"Come on, I care about you."

"I care about you too."

"Stop copying my justifications."

"I'll take the bed if you do."

"But... your family."

"So you care more about what my family thinks than my poor, sore back?"

I pout at him. "That's not fair."

"Look, Aryll hasn't come in here since the first day. And she's already seen us together anyways. Let's just share the bed. It's no big deal."

"But your family–"

"–doesn't care," he cuts in. "I promise."

Now I'm wondering if they've seen him with girls in the past...

"Why do you look so sad all of a sudden?" he wants to know.

"I'm not sad. Just thoughtful." I feel my phone's vibration in my hand and instantly feel my stomach flip. Could it be him?

"Thoughtful about what?" Link asks.

Without breaking eye contact, I turn my phone facing down to hide the notification. "Okay, we can share the bed," I give in.

"Sweet," he smiles and turns away. "I'm gonna rins off real quick because I'm sweaty. We can have breakfast after."

"Sounds good." I'm actually pretty hungry.

"I gotta run some errands today. Wanna come with me? It's not super far."

"Sure," I offer him a smile and wait until he has exited the room to pull up my phone.

A Kindle notification? Really?

I open Instagram again. Still no response from Karusa. He's so vexing! First he texts me then he doesn't respond? Is he just playing with me? Is his intent to drive me crazy? Maybe I should just delete his message.

My thumb holds the message until the delete option pops up. Just as I want to click it, the little "seen" message shows up beneath my message! He read it! He just now read it!

I close instagram and put down my phone. What is he going to reply?

I wait anxiously until Link returns to his room but Karusa never replies. What is he up to?

"Ready?" Link asks.

I look down at my shirt and underwear. I still haven't gotten dressed. "Just a minute," I bid and get up.

Once I'm dressed, we head downstairs. Link's mother is gone but his grandmother is sitting in the living room as always.

"Ohayo gozaimasu," I say when our eyes meet across the room.

Her smile is sweet and her voice soft when she returns a warm, "Ohayo."

"Nice, you used Keigo," Link compliments me as we enter the kitchen.

His grandmother speaks to Link while we fill our bowls with rise. I don't understand anything they are saying but I catch her say my name.

Curious, I whisper to Link, "What is she saying?"

"Uh..." He gets some tea for us while I wait for an answer.

"Is it bad?" I ask concerned.

"No, it's nothing bad."

"So what is it?"

"Nothing. She just said that it's cute how you said good morning in Japanese."

I blush and try to hide my little smile of pride. "I'd say more to her if I could. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to speak Japanese fluently."

After breakfast, we leave the house and make our way to the train station. As soon as we get on the train, I remember that I should give Father a call before it's too late in California but in Japan it is incredibly rude to make phone calls on the train so I better wait until we are back at the house.

The train is packed with people who are heading to work or school. I aim my eyes out the window as we pass by the suburban area and enter the city of Kyoto. The sky is cloudy today but it's still hot out.

Link hands me a handheld fan. It has a cute design of Mt. Fuji and cherry blossoms on it along with some beautiful Kanji. I fan us both, creating a soft breeze until it's time to get off. We have to walk a bit further through some neighborhoods and past his old school until we reach the 7-Eleven store.

"We call it Konbini," Link informs me. I love learning from him. I know it's just his mother tongue but I find it incredibly attractive that he is fluent in two languages.

We enter the store. Fortunately, it is a bit cooler in here and I can cool off slightly while Link grabs the groceries from the shelf.

"We don't have a lot of storage space at home so we usually buy in small portions. That's why we have to get new groceries like every other day."

It must be hard to live like this. I don't think Father has gone grocery shopping in years. We have employees to do our chores... Link's family can't even buy frozen items because they would thaw by the time they get home. I feel bad for his family. I want to make sure that I give Link the best life possible. Hopefully I'll make enough money one day to provide for his family as well.

I watch as Link pays the cashier by placing money on a tray again. Such interesting customs. If they accepted cards, I would have offered to pay. Maybe we can stop by a bank and I can get some cash.

We leave the store. Link only walks a few steps before taking a seat on a low stone wall next to the sidewalk.

"I bought us a snack. Onigiri!" he exclaims, offering me a triangle-shaped rice snack before devouring his own salmon onigiri with gusto. I can't help but smile at his excitement, his charm never failing to give me butterflies.

Seconds later, my tongue tastes the best onigiri I've ever had! The salmon is rich and tender, and the rice has the perfect consistency. I even finish before Link! If I get too used to the Japanese cuisine, I will be unable to eat the food back home. Especially the cheap fast food at the pier.

On our way back to the train station, rain suddenly starts pouring down in buckets. We seek shelter under a large tree, debating whether to wait for the rain to subside or make a run for it. Link looks up the forecast and tells me it won't stop raining for at least an hour. I hesitate, worried about getting soaked, but Link takes my hand with a playful grin.

"Let's go," Link says.

"Our clothes will be soaked!"

"Yeah," his grin doesn't wither.

"Okay," I nod with growing anticipation.

"One," he counts, "Two," his hand tightens, "Three!"

As we run through the rain, I don't feel the rain on me. I feel the wind in my hair and the smile on my face. I feel excitement deep down in my stomach and ignore the fear of slipping. Our clothes are getting more drenched with each leap and our laughter is ringing out. I can't help but feel alive with him by my side.

When he stops to catch his breath, he pulls me close and kisses me passionately. The water cascading down our faces and our clothes sticking to our skin, he grabs me by my waist and picks me up. My legs hook around him. We're both breathing heavily and I can't decide if it's from running or kissing him.

"We're almost there, let's keep going," I breathe as he stops to look at me.

"Yeah," he pants but continues making out with me instead.

We're already soaking wet, why fight it? I snake my arms around his body when he lets me down and kiss him back with a fervent desire to feel him closer. When he hugs and slightly moves back and forth in a calm rhythm, I feel like we're dancing to the charming melodies of the rain. It couldn't get any more romantic.

"I'm sorry for stopping. I just really wanted to kiss you in the rain," he says.

"That's okay," I giggle. "I love this. It's like dancing in the rain. I don't even mind getting soaked. You're cute with your hair down."

"Now imagine what it would be like to take a shower with me," he jokes, making me laugh. If this is what it's like to shower together, sign me up.