Ichiro shifted himself away from Yukari, not liking the sound of her query one bit. It struck him as unacceptable that she was trying to cozy up to him when his heart still craved Kumiko's company, and he wanted more than anything for his life to return to the way it had once been.

Not to mention, the very term 'flesh specter' sounded ridiculous and contradictory of itself.

Yukari creased her forehead in dismay, unwilling to abandon her objective so quickly. "I'll have you know that your input is quite important to me. There's only two of us in this world, after all..."

Those last words reminded him of what Kumiko had said days earlier, and fearing what Yukari was planning, he stood up in a hurry, intending to show that her companionship was one of the last things he wanted.

"Two of us?" he said in a mocking tone that he hoped would discourage her completely. "I'm sorry, but you must be mad. We're not at all alike, and I think it would be wise of you to let me go before I resort to physical force..."

Yukari crossed her arms, then rose to confront him. "I beg to differ. I saw the way your knuckles healed right up after you busted them on that counter. The only other person with that gift is me."

Ichiro didn't know what 'busted' meant, but he continued to contend with her claims regardless. "Do you expect me to believe that? I know what you're trying to do, and trust me, I'm not as eager as some other men..."

Yukari gave him an intense glare. "I'm not trying to hit on you."

He smiled in relief, despite knowing that she was far from amused. "I was thinking of something different, but I'm glad you don't want to do that either."

"Bloody hell," she said before giving an audible sigh. "Have you been living under a rock?"

Her use of words was confusing, so he sought clarification while hoping that it wouldn't irritate her further. "Do forgive me, but could you explain what it means to live under a rock? I've never heard such an expression in my life..."

She briefly covered her face with a sigh before calming down enough to accept his request. "You really don't know, do you?"

"No, I do not."

"Well, you said earlier that you were born in the fourth year of Tenshō. That makes you what, over four hundred years old?"

"That's absurd. I already told you, I'm twenty-"

"No, you aren't. It's 1985. Or Shōwa 60, according to the old calendar."

Ichiro shuddered. He wanted to believe that she was just trying to spin the truth, but things such as the oversized futon, mounted lamp, and ghostly singer seemed to indicate that what constituted a typical morning had changed significantly since his death.

Against his better judgment, he pressed her for more information. "So... we have a new Emperor. How long did the last one reign?"

"About fourteen years," Yukari replied, her expression growing sad. "I was eleven when my father came home with the news..."

"I... I see. What about the war then? Is it still raging?"

"Which war do you mean? There's been so many..."

Ichiro began to feel rather light-headed as he answered her question. "The one happening on this very land, between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa clans."

"That one? It's ancient history. Everyone knows by now that Tokugawa Ieyasu won, and-"

"Stop," he begged, unable to cope with hearing such information. "You can't possibly know of the future."

"But it's not the future. It's the past."

"No..."

He took an unsteady step back, nausea flooding his stomach and throat. The notion that he'd been sent four hundred years into the future was unthinkable, and he could not even begin to imagine the profound changes that might occur in such a period.

With a choked gasp, he watched the colors around him melt rapidly into a dizzying whirl of brown and white before the entire room flipped on its side, sending him plummeting straight towards the floor.

"Ichiro, what's going on? Are you alright?"

Dull pain coursed through his face, and as his senses faded, the last thing he could make out was Yukari rushing to his side and shouting unintelligibly in alarm.

******

Tsutomu hadn't expected to be pulled back into the realm of the living so soon, but it seemed like he'd underestimated just how far-removed Ichiro's time was from the present, as well as overestimated the young man's ability to cope with hearing the revelation from somebody else.

Now here he was, staring up at a young woman who wasn't quite as ethereal as she'd appeared the night before. In fact, one could have said that she was more handsome than beautiful, for she had a prominent nose and intense eyes that would have fit just as well on a male hero from one of Akira Kurosawa's early films.

Her gaze was intimidating, and just as daunting was the realization that he would need to pick up where Ichiro had left off, despite having little idea of what the young man had gone through before having a complete mental breakdown.

"What's your name again? I think it's escaped my memory," he whispered, feigning forgetfulness.

"It's Yukari," the young woman replied, the gentle tone of her voice seeming at odds with her severe expression. "Are you okay? You looked just about ready to die before..."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it wasn't that bad. I've been through worse..."

"You sure about that?"

"Yes." He propped himself up into a seated position, as she shifted herself backward.

"I'm not convinced. It's like you've become a different person."

"No, I'm still the same," Tsutomu insisted. "You're just paranoid."

"Me, paranoid? I'm not some idiot. I know a different accent when I hear one."

"What do you mean?"

"You sounded like some hick from Osaka before, but now it's like you've lived in Tokyo your whole life."

Tsutomu was taken aback by her observation. His accent and speech patterns weren't things he'd given much consideration, and now that they'd been brought to his attention, he rushed to think of a logical explanation.

"I... I'm an actor!" he blurted out impulsively. "An aspiring one!"

Yukari's mouth dropped open a little, and he found it difficult to tell if she was shocked or impressed. However, the answer became apparent a few moments later, as she composed herself and spoke once more.

"That was impressive, but I have to say, you're a complete idiot."

"No, I'm not."

"Well, you sure seem like one to me. Maybe you think it'll be cool to have a ton of money and fans, but one accident is all it will take for them to start seeing you as a freak."

"Excuse me?" Tsutomu uttered in confusion, wondering how an attempt to cover up his inconsistent mannerisms could have elicited such a response.

"And even if you're lucky, people will look at you years from now and want to know why you haven't aged a bit," Yukari went on without paying him much heed. "They'll chase you day and night, and you'll never get away because everyone will recognize your face. Doesn't sound so great now, does it?"

Tsutomu cleared his throat as he regained his composure. "Stop right there. What's all this about accidents and lack of aging?"

Yukari frowned at him again. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. Have I said something wrong?"

"No, but I'm only going to tell you this one more time. You're a flesh specter like me."

"Flesh specter? What the hell is that?"

"Goddamn, you're senile. It's a term I coined for myself because although this body of mine is composed of flesh, any damage that it sustains is only temporary. On top of that, I haven't aged at all, and I just drift through life like a ghost..."

Her smile faded, and she averted her eyes with a sniff. At the same time, Tsutomu shrunk back to consider her words and what they implied. Was it really true that Ichiro's body was ageless and indestructible?

"But enough about me. What's your story? Who wanted you back in their life?" Yukari asked, interrupting his train of thought.

"Well..." Tsutomu began, reminding himself to speak as if he was Ichiro. "I had a wife..."

"Oh? What was her name?"

"Kumiko."

"I see. It all makes sense now."

"What does?"

"Why you mentioned her in your sleep. You two really loved each other, didn't you?"

Tsutomu wanted badly to argue otherwise, but he had to stay in character. "Yes, we did..."

"How sweet," Yukari teased. "I've never been in love, and I intend for it to stay that way."

"If that's the case, then you're missing out on a wonderful thing."

"Whatever," she said with a dismissive shrug. "It's about time you told me how you ended up in that bar, bawling your eyes out and whining like some toddler. Were you reminded of her or something?"

A heavy feeling arose in his chest as he remembered his encounter with Sachiko and how he had escaped the apartment a day before that. "It's complicated, but you could say that's what happened..."

"Oh, you poor fool!" Yukari exclaimed, her amusement growing. "Serves you right for giving her your heart in the first place."

Finding such words unnecessarily cruel, Tsutomu shook his head while trying to keep his cool. "I... I think you're assuming that your perception of the world is universal..."

"Yes, and? The point is that I could never be happy in such a situation."

"Are you sure about that? Maybe you just haven't met the right man yet."

"Well, even he is out there somewhere, I don't give a damn. Life is great enough already with this house all to myself, and a group of girls who treat me like their big sis."

Tsutomu realized that it would be a waste of time argue about such an issue at length, so he gave in. "Okay, you're right. Love and marriage can be absolute torture..."

Yukari grinned, and to his surprise, he found that she looked significantly more approachable. "I'm glad we both agree on that front, but there's something more pressing I need to ask you. How did you manage to hide from me for all these years?"

He had no real answer for such a question, so he improvised. "Let's just say that it's a secret skill I've developed over the centuries. You might also unlock it one day if you're worthy."

"Huh, I see," Yukari muttered, her fading grin making it evident that she wasn't impressed. "But there's no need to do that anymore, now that we've found each other..."

She inched closer toward him, and he responded by shuffling an equal distance away. "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested."

"What do you mean?"

"I have other priorities."

"Like what?" she asked in disappointment.

"Finding a place to stay. I've only just arrived in this city," he replied, drawing on the evidence that Ichiro had originated from the area that was now Osaka prefecture.

"If that's the case, I know someone who I can help you..."

"You do?"

"Yeah, his name's Futoshi, and if I remember correctly, he still has some rooms available. He doesn't charge much, and he's a senile old man as well, so the two of you should get along famously."

Tsutomu didn't really care much for her proposal, but he nodded along anyway, knowing that it would help him leave this place sooner.

"I'll give him a call right now, and if he says 'yes,' I'll drop you off at his place myself. How does that sound?"

"That sounds good..."

"Great. Well, off I go..."

She rose to her feet and swiftly departed the room, leaving him to sit alone on the floor and contemplate the idea of sneaking out while she was occupied. However, he decided against it after feeling an intense pang of hunger and realizing that he hadn't eaten anything substantial for over twelve hours.

Eager to fill his stomach as soon as possible, he stood up with difficulty and allowed his numb legs to regain sensation, before trudging into Yukari's kitchen to see if there was anything ready-made for him to eat.

Upon entering, he noticed her standing by the side of the bench, back turned to him, while the receiver rested between her ear and shoulder. Hearing the dial being turned, he redirected his attention to the nearby fridge while hoping she wouldn't be too bothered by his presence.

He opened it, only to be startled by the rev of a car engine outside. A loud clatter followed, and he let go of the fridge door in alarm. He spun around to see Yukari staring ahead in shock, as the receiver and phone cord lay strewn across the kitchen counter.

She turned to face him with an accusing glare, and he swallowed. "How could you bring other people here? What's wrong with you?!"