Prologue
Low chatter began to fill the lecture hall as the conference began to wind down.
Twenty-four-year-old, Angelo dela Cruz slipped his college sports jacket on over his matching polo. It was coming on the spring of his sixth year of studies. At this point, all that was left was to complete his dissertation prior to beginning his general practitioner residency back home in California.
Taking the trip to Tokyo for medical conference on international diseases made for fantastic inspiration. He was almost positive that he would complete his task in no time. If nothing else, the experience of travel was a definite positive.
It was just as well too. Having recently gotten married the year prior, he was eager to start the next chapter of his life.
The conference had gone on pretty late. Pulling back the sleeve of his jacket, he glanced down at his watch.
It was nearing 7 in the evening now.
A young woman appearing to be around his age caught his eye from across the auditorium.
Angelo gave a friendly smile as he caught her gaze.
Judging by her appearance, the young woman was a local. Her beautiful, dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. Her navy-blue dress-shirt complimented her light fawn complexion.
She returned his smile with one of her own.
Angelo recognized her as one of the students in attendance that was also seeking to become a general practitioner.
Deciding that it was a perfect opportunity to make a connection with who would soon be one of his colleagues, Angelo approached the young woman. He gave a small bow in custom prior to introducing himself.
“Kurenai. Hanako Kurenai,” the young woman returned with a small bow of her own.
She spoke with very little accent, much to the young, aspiring physician’s surprise.
“Angelo dela Cruz.”
“Did you enjoy the lecture?”
Angelo smiled once more, nodding. “Absolutely. I found it to be quite informative, given my residency will be served as a general practitioner.”
Hanako gave a charming giggle. “Is that right? That’s where I plan on starting out. Of course, the plan is to eventually specialize in infectious diseases.”
Angelo gave another smile. “It would appear that great minds think alike.”
This prompted another giggle from his colleague.
“Are you staying local? Traveling?”
The young woman seemed to ponder the thought for a moment. Finally, she shook her head. “I haven’t really decided yet. I would like to travel, but my partner isn’t what I’d call the traveling type.”
Angelo gave the small hint of a smile. He was the same. He had entertained the notion of travel as well. However, with his new wife, it was simply not in the cards. She hadn’t even found it in herself to accompany him to what amounted to one of the biggest moments of his life.
“I suppose that’s another thing we seem to have in common.”
“You are undecided as well?” the young woman giggled once more. “Glad to see I’m not the only one.”
Angelo gave a sheepish grin, surprised by how easy this woman was to talk to. “Well, my young wife is definitely not the kind to travel.”
A brief look was exchanged between the pair.
“Care to discuss plans with a new colleague over a few drinks? This is my first trip to Japan, and I would love to see as much as possible before my journey home tomorrow.”
There was a distinct part of Angelo that could hardly believe the words spilling from his mouth.
It wasn’t as if he expected anything to come from it. After all, he had a young wife waiting for him at home. However, he certainly would enjoy the company.
Hanako seemed a bit taken aback, though pleasantly so. She gave a small bow. “In that case, I would be honored to be your guide.”
Angelo returned the offer with a bright smile.
The evening was pleasant as the pair exited Waseda University located in the Nishi-Waseda district of Shinjuku.
For a moment, Angelo simply stopped to take in the sights and sounds of Tokyo in the evening. The scent of blooming cherry blossom trees drifted subtly in the air.
His companion turned to him with a confident smile.
“We can take the Yamanote Line into Baba. It will be a lot more comfortable since there won’t be much of a crowd.”
Angelo seemed more than happy to agree. Truthfully, he was willing to agree to almost anything to keep from spending the evening alone. He wasn’t sure that he could even really say why.
Perhaps he was far more nervous about being in a foreign country alone than he would care to admit.
The station was just as crowded as expected as the pair entered their designated train car.
Though the car was densely populated, the ride was fairly quiet, as was customary during most commutes.
Having Hanako along turned out to be just as much of a blessing as Angelo had predicted. Upon exiting their train, her charms had little difficulty in hailing down a cab.
The door to the vehicle opened to reveal what appeared to be an older gentleman. He greeted them politely.
Upon entering the cab, the driver and Hanako exchanged a few words. As Angelo had yet to become proficient in Japanese, it was impossible for him to distinguish exactly what was said. He did notice, however, when his companion seemed to mutter something under her breath before turning to him with a bright smile.
The driver’s cheerful demeanor had fallen as he turned to face forward.
Angelo sent a questioning glance to the young woman.
Hanako gave a dismissive wave. “Just a bit of confusion regarding our destination. Nothing to be concerned about. Takadanobaba district used to be pronounced Takatanobaba.”
Angelo nodded, though he didn’t fully understand. Once again, he found himself grateful that he had a knowledgeable guide.
Daylight was beginning to fade as the pair arrived at their apparent destination. The lights of businesses illuminated the sidewalks, creating a warm, vibrant atmosphere despite the slight chill of spring lingering in the air.
“I know of a great spot just around the corner down there,” Hanako stated, gesturing down the street.
“Sounds great,” Angelo agreed with a nod. Truthfully, he was all too happy to be spending the evening in the company of such an attractive, young woman.
He followed his companion like an obedient puppy as she led the way down the street. It was impossible to not notice the few heads the young woman began to turn as she passed by.
The establishment she led him to was a quaint, wooden building with a large front window.
Stepping inside, Angelo was taken aback by the atmosphere.
The vibe similar to what one might find in a coffee shop seeped into every crevice. Everything from soft, smooth music to the color accents adorning the walls screamed late-night java.
It was…intriguing.
“Like it?” Hanako beamed expectantly.
Angelo chuckled. “It’s brilliant. What is this place?”
The young woman gave a small giggle before reciting a phrase in her native tongue.
Angelo laughed, shaking his head. “What’s that mean?”
“Prowling Panther,” Hanako proudly proclaimed with another bright smile.
Another cheerful smile lit Angelo’s features as he followed his ‘hostess’ up to the bar.
A bartender greeted the young pair with a smile and a bow. He glanced between the pair before speaking in Japanese.
Angelo turned a questioning glance to Hanako.
“Your drink of choice,” she clarified.
The young man gave a sheepish glance to his companion, scratching the back of his head in thought. “I, uh, I think I’ll start with a sake, please.”
Hanako gave a nod of approval before turning back to the bartender.
Though Angelo failed to understand their exchange, he did notice as the barkeep’s friendly demeanor seemed to falter before he turned his back to them. Presumably to fetch their drinks.
“Were you always interested in medicine?” Hanako inquired, obviously seeking to generate friendly conversation as they waited for their drinks.
Angelo snapped out of his thoughts, shaking his head. He smiled, nodding. “Very. Ever since I was a small child, it was always my dream to help people. I can’t even begin to say how honored I am just getting to complete my education.”
“It truly is a privilege. There for a while, I wasn’t sure that I was going to be able to finish. The last few months were scary, and I ended up having to pick up another job on the side.”
Angelo nodded, understand all too well. “My parents are not wealthy, so I had to pay my own well as well.”
Hanako smiled. “So did you meet you wife during your studies, then?”
Angelo waved a hand as their drinks were placed before them. “Oh, not at all. She’s actually the squeamish type. Can’t stand the sight of blood.”
The pair shared a laugh, idly sipping their drinks.
One drink turned into two. Then three. By the fourth, Angelo would be lying if he were to say he wasn’t feeling more than a little lightheaded.
Hanako didn’t seem to be fairing much better. Her cheeks were flushed, speech slightly slurred. She even began to converse in a mix of Japanese and English.
Angelo found it a bit amusing, even somewhat charming.
As the night wore on for the pair, they shared more than a few more laughs.
Truth be told, Angelo found it exhilarating how easy the woman was to talk to. Glancing down at his watch, which he’d set to reflect local time-zone, he was more than a little disappointed to find it was nearing one in the morning.
He sighed. Somewhere in the back of his hazy, muddled mind, he knew that they would need to part ways soon. His flight back to the United States in the morning was an early one, and his wife would surely be expecting him.
It was with much regret that he requested to pay his tab.
Bittersweet. That’s the only word Angelo could think of to describe the situation. In a way, it wouldn’t have bothered him to stay. If he didn’t have his flight in the morning to think about, he probably would have.
The young Hanako seemed to share the same sentiment. She, too, appeared genuinely saddened as she watched her companion pay his own bill before she paid her own.
As was customary, the bartender phoned a cap for the pair.
Their time was quickly coming to an end, Angelo could feel it.
The pair slowly made their way outside, both more than a little tipsy. In the end, Hanako managed to keep herself from falling by clutching onto his arm.
They shared a mutual laugh.
Angelo found the evening air warmer than it had before. He was apt to blame it on the alcohol in his system. By now, his head was beginning to spin again.
It was only around five minutes later that a marked cab pulled up the street. When its door opened, Hanako gestured Angelo inside.
“Huh?”
Hanako waved him off. “Don’t worry. My apartment is only around two blocks away from here. I’ll be fine to walk home.”
Angelo quirked a brow. “But you’re barely standing.”
The young woman simply giggled. “So are you, but you have a longer way to go.”
The pair shared another laugh.
“I wish you the best of luck. You know, I’ll never forget you,” Angelo smiled.
Hanako gave an elegant smile, bowing. “Nor I you. Take care.”
The cab door was shut then, and the young aspiring physician was on his way. He placed a hand to his temple in an effort to fend off the headache he could already feel setting in. He would need to be sure to drink a bottle of water before he went to sleep.
If he could remember.
Remember…
He was positive that this night was surely one that would forever be burned into his memory. And the young woman.
Fate, however, seemed to have other plans…
