11 - Busted!

It was a beautiful and windy Sunday in Domino City. The usual sweltering sun decided to take a break with some fluffy, white clouds, giving the people of Japan a break from its oppressive heat. While the wind gave the people a pleasant breeze, it also carried with it the scent of rain, so everyone knew that the astounding morning was only temporary. 

Still, it was a perfect morning for a date in town. 

I looked at the lovely woman with me on such a wonderful day and it made it all the better. 

Ishizu was dressed in a simple, white sundress and it, combined with her smile, made her the picture of innocence. Her curves and the mischievous twinkle in her dazzling blue eyes, whenever she caught me looking at her, told me otherwise, however. 

She knew she was hot. She knew that I knew that she was hot. Because of this, whenever she caught me appreciating the changes 3 years had brought to her already amazing body, instead of embarrassment, pride shone in her eyes. 

She was proud that I still only had eyes for her just as she only had eyes for me. 

It made for a moment of sexual tension, to which she would bite her lip and look away.

It was also a stark change compared to this morning when I encountered an unexpected roadblock at the start of our date...

***

"Good morning, Rasha! Are you ready to go?" I asked the beautiful, olive-skinned woman who just came down the stairs. 

"Y-Yes!" She says, at first distracted by something, but then coming back to herself with confidence. 

"Alright, there is a nice cafe down the street that, I heard, has really good crepes, I was thinking we could try those out before starting on the shopping?" I ask, slipping my shoes on.

Today I am wearing black sneakers, blue jeans, a plain, black shirt, and a red and black flannel, checkered, button-up shirt over the top. The overshirt was unbuttoned, and I matched the grunge look with some leather bands on my arms.

''It is the 90s, better enjoy the flannel without people making fun of me...'

I am sure I still looked strange to some, but at least I matched American fashion at this time. Japanese music and fashion trends tended to be 10 or so years behind America, or so I remember being told before. 

I look up to see Ishizu lacing up her white tennis shoes absentmindedly and frown.

"Hey, are you alright?" I ask. 

This causes her to jump a bit and she smiles at me to reassure me. "I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well last night."

"Ah, Ok. Do you want to postpo-" I try, scratching the back of my head, but am interrupted immediately.

"No!" Ishizu yells out, then covers her mouth quickly.

She clears her throat and tries again in a much more mature and calm voice, "No, I would still very much like to spend time with you today, Toshiaki."

I frown slightly at her use of my full name instead of "Toshi," and at her acting with that fake smile, but ultimately shrug. She must have something going on and doesn't want to talk about it.

'It is obvious that she wants to spend time with me today, however...Is she mad that I haven't made things official yet?' I think, trying to piece together what her difference in behavior could be due to.

We leave the house and start walking towards the cafe.

"You look beautiful today, Rasha," I say with an easy smile as I grab her hand. 

Her face reddens, but she smiles up at me either way. "Thank you, Toshiaki. You look rather dashing, yourself."

I smile at the compliment...but there it is again. 'Why is she acting so differently today..?'

We continue to share small talk until we make it to the cafe. We place our orders and sit down at a table in silence.

She is thinking about something while looking out the window and I am wondering what I did to mess this up already. 

Our food arrives and we start to eat. Again, in silence. 

I can't take it anymore and blurt out, "Rasha...I am sorry if I made you upset by taking so long. I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?" I ask, doing an awkward half-bow at the table. 

I don't raise from the bow and silence once again descends.

Once I'm sure that I was just rejected, I look up with feelings of hurt clear in my eyes. 

What I see is a smiling, red-faced Ishizu, trying desperately not to explode or cry. 

'Well...this isn't good.' I think with a sigh. I sit up and pull out my wallet. I throw more than enough for both meals on the table and leave the cafe. 

'Stick around all day with someone who just dumped me? No thanks.' I think with a bitter expression on my face. 

I am halfway back home when a body slams into me from behind. Small arms wrap around me in desperation.

"Wait...Please, wait...I want to. I really, really want to. But..." Ishizu says, sorrow clear in her tone.

"But what?" I ask, spinning around and pushing her back a step. Josh had been in situations like this before. I was not about to be strung along like some puppy waiting for scraps. 

Ishizu shows me a bitter smile, still beautiful despite the tears flowing freely from the corners of her eyes. "I'm 19 and you are 17. You are not an adult yet, so I can't date you...Odion¹This is not a typo, she makes a mistake in the heat of the moment. told me last night that it was against the law to date someone younger than 18 in Japan. I really, really want to, but I don't want to risk you getting in trouble because of me. We will need to wait until your next birthday. I am sorry for not answering in the restaurant. I was afraid if I opened my mouth I would scream out 'Yes!' and cause an even bigger mess. I am extremely happy that you feel this way. I feel the same, Toshi. I swear, I really do. Please believe me! I want to so bad, but-" 

I end her teary-eyed rant by pulling her in for a kiss. She fights it for a second, but gives in and gets much more aggressive with it in the next instant. I pull away before we get the police called on us.

Grabbing the dazed girl's hand, I hurry us home. She calls out to me in confusion, but I ignore her as we keep moving towards the house. I close and lock the door when I get back, and take her to the couch in the living room to have this discussion.

I really didn't want to go to war with my future brother-in-law, but he has left me with little choice.

"Alright, first off, what you were told is bullshit," I tell her.

She flinches at the bluntness of my answer, but her eyes widen in surprise all the same. 

"Nothing of what Oberon told you is correct. The legal age of consent is 13 in Japan²Yes, this is actually true, though most Prefectures in Japan have local laws that raise this to 15 or 16.. Also, the age of adulthood for men isn't 18, it's 20. Even then, the only way our ages would matter is if we tried to get married right now. I would need to be at least 18 to get married, but that is it. I own this house legally and I am legally allowed to live here and rent it out. I am also, legally, allowed to date whomever I choose, no matter their age."

I sigh, and look off to the side, thinking how to proceed. She specifically said, "Odion," but I don't think now was the time to force her to reveal their real names. In fact, I didn't have much time to get my point across, at all. So it looked like I was going to need to be less delicate than I wanted. 

"But...why would he lie to me..?" Ishizu asks, now lost between the brother she has always known and the person she has fallen for. 

"Oberon has been following us around on our dates. I don't think he approves of me being with you. I am sorry to say this, but he lied to you to keep us apart." I say, again opting for bluntness.

"No...What!?! He is my brother! Why would he-"

"Protect his sister from someone he didn't think was worthy of her? Isn't that what most brothers would do? Though I will admit, he has been taking it a bit too far recently..." I interrupt her and respond. 

"Okay...I'm sorry, but this is hard to accept. I understand that you think he is lying to me, but what makes you think he is following us around?" She asks, not doubting me, but, rather, wanting to believe in her brother.

Poor thing. I wasn't going to spare him, though. Not after this clusterfuck. 

"Tell me, Rasha, was Oberon here when we left 20 minutes ago?" I ask, a sad smile on my face.

"Yes...?" She answers uncertainly.

"And is he here now?" I ask again.

Ishizu freezes. 

She quickly stands and runs upstairs, calling out to him. No one answers.

Marik was visiting with Millennium Ring Guy, still haven't learned his name, and so the only one that should still be here is Odion.   

As she is coming down the stairs, a dark look now on her face, the front door shakes as someone tries the locked doorknob. 

An awkward silence descends as Ishizu and I watch, her from the bottom of the stairs and me from the couch, as someone messes with their keys before unlocking the door. 

Odion opens the door and is shocked to see a fuming Ishizu standing in front of him.

"Sister?..." He asks, taking a tentative step inside and closing the door behind him.

"Where were you just now?" Ishizu demands, with a no-nonsense tone. 

"I...went to the store." He answers, not blinking at having to lie.

"Then what did you buy?" She asks again, not deterred at all.

"...They did not have what I was looking for." He says, once again lying easily after a slight pause.

"I bet it was really hard to buy anything without your wallet, huh? You know, the one you left on the table in your room?" She snaps.

Odion stills at that.

'Busted.' I think with an internal chuckle. 'I didn't want it to be this way, but you forced my hand.' 

Still, I need to be careful moving forward. I don't want to make an enemy out of Odion. I just want to make him realize how dumb he is acting. 

I think I can use this situation to turn him to my side by showing how much I genuinely care for Ishizu, and, if I play my cards right, I might get a girlfriend out of it as well! 

Just gotta navigate this minefield and come out on top.

No problem, right? ...Right?