Lilly Route: Conflict: 2-8: Breakfast at Jiggoro's

I wake up in an unfamiliar room, a common occurrence in my life the past few months. It's not my room at Yamaku, nor the hospital or even my parent's house, but it is my alarm clock blasting away to wake me up. I slap the snooze button in a mean spirited fashion and groan, covering my eyes and squirming under the blankets. I look around to get my bearings; those are my clothes set on the chair, it was my alarm clock and that suitcase is mine, so I must belong since my stuff is here.

On my desk I see my pillbottles arranged like a pharmaceutical ad. I don't even remember unpacking them. The desk is unfamiliar, though not my desk at home.

Funny that I would think of Yamaku as my home instead of my parent's house.

Okay; Hakamichi house, right.

My disorientation quickly fades away, replaced with memories of last night and my current predicament. Instantly I want to lean over and touch Lilly, but she's sleeping in her own room several doors down. Even so, it's so early, the sun hasn't even risen yet and I'm sure she is still sleeping.

Why am I up so early?

Behind the pills I see the running shoes I must have left on the desk and I'm reminded of why I set my alarm for so early. I didn't sleep well, it was a restless slumber. Despite last night's optimism I didn't get much rest. I feel tired and my insomnia keeps pestering me, a tiny reminder that my pills are doing their job.

I complain internally, telling myself all the reasons why I should just take the extra hour and a half to two hours of sleep. It sounds better than the alternative; running first thing in the morning, getting sweaty and cold with the sun down, then sweaty and hot as it rises, being generally uncomfortable, pushing myself to do something I don't really care to do. I debate whether a good hour of sleep will do me more good than a morning jog and the argument is convincing.

I'm about to give up, but on the nightstand I notice my phone blinking with a waiting text message from while I was asleep.
Who would text me this early?
It couldn't possibly be....
I check it;

Emi Ibarizaki: <3 r u runnin yet? <3 ^___^

I take the battery out of the phone and toss it into the corner of the room.

I shake my head and end up staring at the pills on the desk and the running shoes I left there.
I think of Lilly and that I'm doing this for her.
Get up.
Get up.
Getupgetupgetupgetupgetup!

If I get this out of the way, I'll have an early start and the rest of the day to spend with he

With that bit of bargaining I drag myself out of bed and groan an incoherent mumble. I end up slapping my cheeks to break out of it long enough to drag myself out of bed and over to the desk. Methodically I start taking my pills one at a time. Each of them a small step in the run-up to what comes next

I don't remember much about getting dressed or tying my shoes, but eventually I stumble down the stairs carrying a small bag with my emergency pills, a bottle of water and a towel inside. In such a big house I briefly feel lost, but eventually I manage to find my way back to the living room where I find Hideaki sitting on the sofa with a big bowl of brightly colored cereal and cartoons playing on the TV. "Good morning, Hisao. You're up early."

"Yeah," I say, rubbing sleep from my eyes. "I guess I'm going for a run."
"Is that safe with your heart? Couldn't you kill yourself?"

This kid is really blunt. I guess it runs in the family. "That's why I have to run."
He shrugs. "Be careful."
"Yep."
I linger for a while. "Hey, Hideaki?"
"Yeah," he says, a mouthful of sugary puffs in his mouth.
"Is there anywhere around here I could run? I mean, you guys don't have a track in this house, do you? It's pretty big, I wouldn't be surprised."
"No, we have a gym, but it is mostly my father's."
"Does he have any treadmills?"
"Father says jogging is for ladies. I agree with him. We only use weight machines."
Of course. Mr. Hakamichi strikes me as the weightlifter kind of guy, though I wouldn't have thought Hideaki worked out too. Maybe he's doing it to be like his father, but as far as physique goes, Hideaki takes more after his sister. "Is there anywhere near here I could jog?"
"You can try the park out back."
"There's a park here?"
"Yeah, it connects to our backyard. It has a big running circle around the pond you could use," he says, taking another bite from his spoon.
No wonder I thought their backyard was massive, if it connects to a park. This is perfect though, I'll be able to get in some good exercise without having to go far

Still, I'm a little worried about anything happening with my heart. There could be people there, but I can hardly call relying on the help of a stranger who may or may not show up in time a reliable precaution. I wouldn't want to distract Hideaki from his cartoons by asking him to keep an eye on me, either.

If there was some way I could contact him quickly if I got into trouble....

An idea occurs to me and I feel fairly dense not to have thought of it before. I head back up to my room and retrieve my cell phone with it's battery and I bring them back to Hideaki. "Hideaki, do you have a cell phone?"
He halfway looks at me, eyes glued to the tv. "Yeah, but don't tell my father."
"Could I ask you a favor?"
Hideaki is flipping through channels while he eats. "Sure."
"Can we exchange numbers? I need to exercise, but just in case, I'll call if I need help with my heart or something."
Hideaki looks at me, spoon halfway to his mouth. "You mean if you start to die, you're going to call me?"
"Well, I hope it doesn't come to that, but just in case. Can I count on you?"
He looks very surprised at my unexpected offer. "You really want me to have that responsibility?"
"Sure, I trust you. I know you won't let me down."
Hideaki looks up at me with a very intense look, a serious cast in his eyes. He seems to really appreciates that I would trust him. I'm just glad he isn't annoyed by my request. I know it's a lot for someone as young as him, but he's a pretty serious kid and I think he knows how important this is. "Yes," he says gravely, "you can count on me."

He quickly retrieves his phone from an unseen hiding place and we exchange numbers. I feel a little sad seeing how few he has, and it doesn't help that seeing certain names scroll by reminds me my contact list isn't exactly overflowing with people either. Seeing Shizune's name go by catches me off guard. I can't help but wonder why she'd even have a phone until I remember text messaging

I thank him and head outside with my bag of supplies.

Hideaki was right, it's hard for me to tell where the Hakamichi's backyard ends and the public park begins, especially since it's still a little dark out. I imagine I'm in the park when I start to see benches and trash cans waiting for people to use them. I find the pond he talked about easy enough and there is a large circle that runs around the water's edge. It's a little smaller than Yamaku's track, which is fine for me plus I really like the view; the water adds some nice scenery and has a peaceful effect. I think Lilly would like it too and it isn't hard for me to imagine her spending time out here enjoying the tranquility.

I could get to like this.

I find a bench looking out towards the water and set my bag under it. I briefly consider how to handle my pills, but it shouldn't be an issue; maybe I'll get some sort of pack to wear so I can have them on me at all times and maybe a music player so I can listen to something while I run.
It feels good to plan ahead like this, like I'm assuming my success will take place. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but it feels good to face forward.

After some mental preparation, I start to jog. The pace isn't impressive and I think I look a little sad; I do little else but walk very quickly to warm up, but it's a start. Nurse and Emi told me to take it easy and, without any trouble from my knee after my fall the first time I ran, I feel like I'm in a much better mental place than before. I have to be careful to know the difference between being simply out of shape and when my heart starts acting up. If I keep going, just keep moving, eventually I'll see some of the improvement I need to justify my efforts, not to mention keep the obligations I have to the people who want me to take care of myself.

I round the bend of the tiny pond slowly, the morning just starting to give way to the sun. I haven't been up this early in a long time, but it feels satisfying and it's peaceful out here. It almost feels like I'm cheating at getting ready for the day; while everyone else is still in bed, I'm up and accomplishing my goals taking care of my life and condition. My thoughts are a drastic change from the depressing attitude I had just a couple days ago, but I feel a real alteration within me. Every time I start to get a little frustrated, feel like I'm being held back, I push just a little harder to break though, to reach that next footstep to keep going. If I had had this attitude, I never would never have neglected my health as much as I did before.

I have a lot of time too make up for and people to keep my promises too.

The exercise and setting gives me a chance to put my thoughts in order about yesterday. I know Lilly wanted to be alone with me, but something was making her pull back at the last minute. I can understand how nervous she could be around her father, about how she would want to keep up appearances around him. I can understand and respect that, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. It seems like the only time we can actually be close is when we're with a group of people or there's someone nearby. As soon as we have some private time, she starts to get distant. When the thought of spending summer here with her got into my head, I guess I had preconceived notions of how we would spend our days together; without worry, without having to be concerned about those around us. I had thought it would be simple to spend time together, even in a house full of people, but I guess I'll just have to change my expectations of what my time at the Hakamichi house will be like. I had hoped Lilly and I could retreat into our own private little world and be separate from the others, but I don't think we'll be able to get that much alone time, especially with her father around.

Damn, with everything that's been going on, I almost forgot about him. I think I've given up hope of Lilly's father approving of me fully, especially after what happened in front of Yamaku, but I hope I can at least get him to trust Lilly with me. He seemed to warm up after I helped her when Jigoro went ballistic, I can only count on that improving his opinion of the type of person I am.

Even though he's been here a couple days, we haven't spent much time together. Akira had said that she thought he would try and talk to me 'man to man', so maybe I can use that chance to connect to him. He barely knows me, so it's safe to assume he's just going off his first impressions, which can't possibly be that great; Not only am I the guy keeping his daughter from rejoining her family, but he also caught me kissing her in a hallway. Of course he's going to dislike me. I hope I can fix this, get some common ground between the two of us, if only for Lilly's sake. Akira said her father really does love Lilly; if I can convince him that Lilly was right to choose me, then maybe he'll trust her opinion enough to let me slide.

I complete a full circle of the pond and I feel in good enough condition to go for another one, this time picking up just a little bit of speed. I don't do much thinking, finally finding the peace of mind I came out here for. Emi was right; this is a good thing for me to do, to take control of my life. I might not be able to control everything, but I can control this time to myself; my track, my footfalls, my breathing.

Maybe not so much my breathing. The second lap does me in. The circle of pavement is small, but it's all I can handle. My heart beats strong; not out of control, but fast enough that my breath is heavy and I'm gasping for air. I check my pulse and thankfully I don't feel any of the signs that I'm pushing myself too hard

Thank you, modern medicine.

I walk slowly around the pond, cooling off and let everything catch up to me. I breathe, I let my heart slow down and let the aches and tightness in my muscles slowly fade. I run through my head all the advice Emi and Nurse have given me, making sure to keep myself within due bounds, not to press myself or push it too far. Wind blows over the water and chills me a little, the sweat getting clammy, but it feels good after the exertion. I make it around the pond one last time to cool down and I sit on the bench, breathing and letting my heart slow to a natural beat. I drink the bottle of water I brought with me and wipe my head with the towel. I didn't see anyone on the path with me the whole time, which is great, because I'd rather not have watchers while I'm trying to get myself used to exercise. I may have to make a lot of allowances for my condition, but it doesn't mean I'm not still embarrassed by my inexperience. It's an amazing thing to watch a professional like Emi run, it's another thing to gawk at an amateur stumbling through his first morning jog.

Collecting my things, I head back to the house through the back door. Hideaki warned me about the schedule his father keeps, but it's still early enough for me to take a quick, and cool, shower without interfering. Afterwards I go back to my room and change.

I'm impressed by the Hakamichi's house, though I can tell my first impression of it being a mansion was pretty off base. It's beautiful and spacious, but it's hardly the house of a movie star. The clutter takes a little away from the beauty, but it's a manageable series of refuse piles rather than an ongoing parade of haphazard messes, dictated by a mind with organizational skills far beyond anyone's understanding.

Hideaki is not in the living room anymore, so I go searching to see if anyone else is up this early. I doubt Lilly will be, she has always been a late riser.

Stepping into the kitchen, I find Jigoro holding a butcher knife high above his head, a look of mad glee and intense concentration on his face.

My whole life flashes before my eyes, ending with thoughts of Lilly, blissfully sleeping upstairs.

Jigoro brings the knife down, decapitating the fish on his butcher's block in the middle of the kitchen. He notices me and smiles broadly. The sight is diminished only slightly by the large apron he wears over a loud Hawaiian print shirt. "Ah! You must be the guest my daughter invited for the summer! Hello! I had been hoping to meet you"

I stare at the huge, glinting knife he holds firmly in his hand and for a fleeting moment I consider the fish got off easy, until he sets the knife aside in favor of a different one he uses to scale the fish  with the speed and skill of an expert. It takes a while for me to calm myself from the sight and when I do, I notice the sword on his belt. "Are you all right?" he asks me. "You seem pale. Are you a sickly boy?"

Sort of. "Uh, no. No, I'm fine. Sir. Thank you."
Spread out over the kitchen counter is a wide variety of ingredients, food, a heaping bowl of eggs and more spices and herbs than I thought a home kitchen could have. The bear of a man in front of me swings the knife to gesture at a chair across from him. "Please, sit! I am making omelets. You are more than welcome to have one."

I hesitantly sit across from him, painfully aware that I am well within reach of the blade. He just keeps scraping scales off the fish, then quickly switches to a filleting knife, opening the fish and cleaning it, humming a little before speaking. "How did you sleep last night? I hope you did not mind the guest room; it has not been used in some time. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask."

I'm taken aback by him and his tone. He sounds so... reasonable, nothing compared to the man swinging a blade I saw yesterday or the rude brute described to me by Lilly. "No, not at all. It... was very nice, I slept very comfortably. Well, not really, but I usually have difficulty sleeping anyway, but the room is just fine."
"Excellent. As a guest in my home, I hope you will come to me if you require anything. I will be happy to help. Would you like something to drink? I have fresh orange juice, squeezed with my own hands!"
"Th-thank you," I meekly reply.

He keeps cleaning the fish, running it under water, handling the multiple knives with a practiced hand. He leaves it and moves over to a stove, cracking eggs and mixing them into a pan, then switches to chopping several vegetable into small sections on another cutting board. He moves back and forth easily in the kitchen, almost like a professional. It's a little breathtaking to watch him at work; he's very adept! For a moment I wonder if Mr. Hakamichi is actually a cook. "So," he says, hacking a green pepper in half, "you are the young man my daughter brought along with her. Unexpected."
"I'm sorry."
"I said 'unexpected', not unwanted. There is a difference. It is a surprise, but one that is welcome. Would you like my card?" He cleans his hands off on a towel and removes from a holder sitting on the counter top a very expensive, thick paper business card, handing it to me.

Who has business cards of themselves laying around the house?

The card is very nice, expensive feeling and has his picture on it. Oh my God, it has a watermark! It says that his hours are between eight and six and that he is a 'consultant', though what or who he consults is not clear. I take the card and thank him, slipping it into my wallet, if out of nothing but politeness; it would be a poor choice to insult a man carrying so many knives and a sword. "Thank you, sir. My name is Hisao Nakai."
"Jigoro Hakamichi. My pleasure."

He crushes my hand in his brutal handshake and leaves it a withered claw.

He keeps cooking while I look on, enjoying the pleasant air around him. "So, what do you like in your omelet? We have many ingredients."
"Oh, I'm all right. I don't want to make a fuss, whatever you are having is okay with me."
He smiles keenly. "Then you are in for a treat! I will make you my special bear liver omelet!"

My face must sink because he laughs. "I am only joking! I am making a fish omelet for myself, though bear liver may be a good idea for dinner! It would make you strong!"
"I think bear liver is toxic."
"Is it? Disappointing. I have always been fond of liver and a bear would be an interesting animal to eat."

He cooks, beginning to cut the fish into tiny cubes and dropping them into a pan of searing butter and oil, carefully placing them to cook evenly. As I noticed before, he looks very professional cooking, but I'm surprised with having such a big house he cooks for himself. Maybe he does it for the enjoyment, he certainly looks impressive while doing it.

I take another good look at the man, since the last time I saw him he was clad in armor; he is very muscular and I can see the family resemblance in him and Mr. Satou. They both walk with their heads back, like they own everything they look at and they have an enviable confidence that makes you immediately assume they are in charge. Jigoro has no difficulty with his sword, moving it aside and never bumping it into the counter while he darts back and forth between several carefully managed cooking projects. He must wear it all the time if he's so good at moving around with it. All the while he cooks, he has a toothy smile, like he was enjoying some secret pleasure while making the meal.
I notice he has a small bandage on his forehead and what looks to be a very faint black eye, mementos from last night, I think.

Soon enough, he turns back towards me and sets a plate in front of my seat and several utensils. I'm shocked by what he gives me, a huge mound of eggs the size of half a loaf of bread! It sits covered in cheese and greasy onions and floats in a pool of melted butter surrounding it like a tiny, fattening moat. Emi would have a heart attack if she saw me eating this and I might just have one with the first bite. "Are you all right? Is it not to your satisfaction?"

I quickly pick up the fork he provided, recovering from my shock. "Not at all. I'm just... very grateful and took a moment to appreciate the food you made."
He smiles wide enough to show all of his teeth. "What a polite young man you are!"

Good save, I tell myself. I feel like any slip of the tongue and this guy would slit my throat if I insulted his cooking, especially after he seemed to enjoy making it so much. I am a guest in his house, I should be on my toes, and if he is anything like his brother, the last thing I want to do is ruin my chances at a good first impression like I did with Lilly's father. Being with Lilly has made me very careful about the way I say or do things; again, I'm a guest in the man's house and I'm lucky he's been nice enough to let me stay here over the summer while hardly knowing who I am. Besides, Lilly warned me about him and I should try and make nice with him for as long as possible.

He sets his own plate with his own massive mound of eggs and cheese and sits across from me, the two of us beginning to eat. "How is it?"
I nod, swallowing a fork full. "It's very good. I haven't had anything like this in a long time. My breakfasts are usually pretty small so I can get to class right away." There are some eggshells in the dish and the fish is really greasy, but it tastes pretty good other than that, better than anything I've cooked.
"I am glad! My children do not comprehend all the work it takes to make a proper meal. Unappreciative! They are more likely to eat their prefabricated sugar cereals than enjoy a proper breakfast! It is the most important meal of the day." He takes a massive bite of food and talks with his mouth full, but I can still make out his words. "Are you in the Student Council with my daughter?"

"Oh, no, not at all."
"Then why did she invite you? I thought she had to keep her underlings close at hand with how much work she has."
"I just... kind of got invited, I guess."
He glares at me slightly. "Are you fond of my daughter?"
"Shizune? Yeah, she's a friend."
"I mean are you dating her?"
I feel like someone just walked over my grave; Me? Dating Shizune? I can't even grasp that idea and it makes me feel a little sick. "No! No, not at all! I'm dating Lilly!"

Jigoro draws back, rubbing his neatly trimmed beard with greasy fingers. "My niece? Then you are the boy who came banging on my front gate and disturbed my home, aren't you?"
I cringe in my chair, pushing a cube of fish around. I recall hearing the gruff voice over the intercom when I came here to find Lilly. I guess that must have been Jigoro and I never made the connection before now. "Yeah, that was me. I apologize, but I didn't know what else to do to stop her."
"Do not apologize!" He slams his fist into the counter which makes me jump. "It is unmanning! You have nothing to be sorry for! You came for what was yours, you demanded it. You must not let anything stand in the way of your goals. You must always back up your actions and never regret them! Do you understand?"

I nod emphatically. His outburst nearly made me choke on egg and his normally heightened voice volume hit record levels. I suspect he has a hair trigger temper, unlike Mr. Satou who seems to slowly build up until he explodes.
Jigoro seems pleased with my response, because he goes right back to eating, his smile being instantly replaced on his face. "So you are not in the Student Council? That must give you a great amount of free time. It must be enjoyable; when I was in school, I had no such time to myself, I had too much work for frivolities. You must have used your time to some other ends; are you in any clubs?"
I shake my head, occupying my mouth after his outburst with eating.
"You are not? A young man should have some idea of what he wants to do with his life! Shameful! Have you not thought about that? What you want to do? You do not want to grow up to be a slacker, do you? Are you a slacker, Hisao Nakai?"
"No, I have an idea of what I want to do. I want to go to university and study science; I want to be a teacher."

He seems stunned by my quick response and doesn't have anything to say at first, then he grins widely after recovering, jabbing at me with his knife. "It is uncommon in this day and age to find a young man with such a clear idea of what he wants in life. Impressive! Would you like more cheese?" He dumps several spoonfuls of the stuff onto my plate. "It is refreshing to meet someone as polite as you with his head on straight. I do not know what my brother was complaining about!"

I stop eating, fork halfway between mouth and plate. "He was complaining?"
"Oh, yes! After settling our arrangements last night, he made you out to be some sort of miscreant. A ruffian and blackguard! I thought his daughter was dating some glue huffing juvenile delinquent, but I can see, as in all things, he was wrong! I should remember not to trust his faulty judgements."

My spirits drop into the bottom of my feet; does Mr. Satou really think that about me? Is the difference between his current opinion of me and approving of me that far apart? A ruffian, a blackguard? Why would he say those things, I haven't done anything to warrant that type of criticism!

"Yes, you seem to be a fine young man. I do not understand his worry. Unlike my daughter, my younger niece has always had a good eye for people, she has always been able to spot the worthwhile individuals in a crowd. I think you may just be one of them."

'Good eye'? 'Spot'? Those couldn't have been on purpose, right? "Thank you, sir."
"Call me Jigoro. I insist."

He begins to shovel spoonfuls of food into his mouth, but I eat slowly, sometimes picking at my food in a depressed cloud over learning what Mr. Satou thinks of me. When Jigoro is done, he sighs in his fullness and practically tosses his plate into the sink with a crash. "Excellent. Are you not done? Have you lost your appetite?"
"No, not at all. I'm just a slow eater, I guess."
"Understandable, my cooking must be savored to be fully appreciated the first time you have it. I am only glad that there was so much fish left over to use. Speaking of which, I assume you were among my daughter's little friends who caught them?"
"Uh, yes. We went fishing last night. Hideaki was the one who caught the most fish, though."
"Was he? Surprising. His lack of talent must not have been as terrible as I thought. He must have practiced. He was a poor fisher the last time we went out. Dreadful."
"How many did he catch?
"How many does not matter. I caught more, that is my only concern."

Is this guy serious? "Well, Hideaki did a great job yesterday."
"In your opinion. Are you a professional fisherman?"
"No."
"Then your opinion does not count for much. It would be the first thing he is good at. Was he the one who returned my fishing poles to their proper place?"
"In the living room? I did that."
"You forgot to clean them."
I wince. "I must have forgotten. I've never fished before, I wasn't sure what to do with them."
"Never fished before? Shameful. When you have the time, I will show you my collection of rare lures, perhaps they will inspire you. As for the poles, it is no matter. They have been cleaned. Next time, be more careful with other people's property, especially if you do not have permission to use it; those are very expensive poles, not for dilettantes."
"I would have cleaned them if I knew how. I didn't want to damage them."
"Your concern for my property is appreciated. Had you asked me for permission on their use, I would have made sure you were well qualified in their care and management."
"Shizune said that it would be all right to use them."
"She what? Did she say that? Verbally?"
I blink. "Well, she let me know it was okay to use them."
"But she did not say it? With words?"
"No, of course not."
Jigoro growls and tightens his fist in anger. "Almost had her! Very well. Just be more careful the next time."
"I'll remember that."
He smiles. "You will not have to." He brings a large binder out from under the counter and slams it next to my plate. "I have gone to the trouble of printing out the rules of my household for you. I hope you will read them and memorize them so this situation does not happen again. I highlighted the section on proper handling of sporting supplies here, here and here. Also, the return of property has been book marked and I have included a map of the house with all the proper storage spaces and their contents, as well as the location of all fire escapes and extinguishers."

He shoves the binder into my hands and makes me take it. I momentarily flip through the pages, boggled by all the clauses and requirements, sketches and diagrams. I'm afraid to look at all the rules since I'm probably already violating half a dozen of them with my stay in the guest room.

This guy is certifiably insane. "I'll... pay careful attention to those parts."
"Excellent! Do you like the font?"
"Its very business like," I tell him, quietly wondering if it's Silian Rail or Romalian type.
"Exactly what I was hoping you would think!" He winks at me. "You're a fine young man, you know? Admirable. My brother proves once again he is an idiot; it's a shame you are not dating my daughter instead of my niece."

I feel sick again.