‘Who are you looking at?’ Shoji’s mother teased him. ‘Another old flame?’

‘No, just a friend.’ He pointed to her photograph. ‘We used to be close. I forgot she was even in the swimming club.’

What had Liyun won? Shoji looked at the chart, searching for her name, and noticed his mother was staring intently at the page.

‘Anything wrong?’ he asked.

‘Nothing,’ she answered quickly. A little too quickly. She always did that whenever she was trying to hide something.

‘There is something, isn’t there?’ Shoji said. ‘What is it?’

‘Ah, why don’t you eat the dessert? You should have space for it now.’

He knew she was changing the subject.

•

Looking at the page again back in his apartment in Tokyo, Shoji realised what had flustered his mother so much. One of the Chinese characters in Liyun’s name stood for cloud. Another woman with a water element.

He turned to the telephone in his room and dialled his family home in Fukuoka. It was his mother who picked up the call.

‘Shoji, it’s been so long since you called,’ she said in delight. ‘How have you been?’

‘I’m sorry, but there’s something I need to check urgently,’ he said, skipping the pleasantries. ‘Remember the time you took me to see a fortune-teller when I was young?’

There was a pause. ‘What about it?’

‘Is she still around?’

‘Hmmm. I don’t think so. When we went there, she was in her late eighties.’

‘I see,’ he mumbled. ‘Do you remember what she told us?’

‘How could I not? She was always so accurate.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Shoji, people came from other prefectures to see that fortune-teller. I’d personally asked her for advice many times. On each occasion, she was always spot on,’ his mother said. ‘But why are you suddenly interested in this? You told me you didn’t believe in fortune-telling.’

He ignored her question. ‘From what I remember, she said that I would meet three women with the water element in their names, and I would marry one of them.’ Shoji glanced at the page. ‘Is that why you were looking at Liyun’s name in the commemorative book?’

Her mother took a deep breath. ‘The fortune-teller didn’t say anything about marriage.’

‘Then what did she say?’

‘She said …’ His mother paused, gathering her thoughts. ‘In your life, you would encounter three women with a water element in their names, and one of them could be your soulmate. There was also another part …’

‘Just tell me.’

His mother sighed. ‘It might be nothing.’

‘If it’s nothing, then tell me,’ he insisted.

‘She warned about death.’

‘Whose death?’

‘It could be your death, or the death of someone close to you,’ she said, then paused a moment before adding: ‘by drowning.’

Shoji felt his stomach twist.

The first woman was Yoko. Child of the sea. He had no idea of her whereabouts or wellbeing.