Adventures befall me on the way to the station. A host falls in step with me. I keep my gaze down on his pointy ostrich-leather boots. “Ii desu ka? Ikaga desu ka? Ii desu ka?” he asks me in rapid-fire Japanese, then abruptly turns and walks away. A woman grabs my wrist, asks me to take a photo of her and her family. When I try to take her camera, she self-corrects and pushes me toward her family so that I can take a picture with them. She bows and thanks me in what I believe is Thai. On the walk home from the Zozo building with my bike, I can taste autumn on the wind. I can already taste the piping hot bowl of udon waiting for me at home, too. I take a quick look around. No cops. Chansu. I swing one leg over my bike and ride like hell, cackling loud as I speed down the street like greased lightning. Like the Wicked Witch of the West. The only time I might look a little past wasted to anyone is when I drop my keys outside my door. I giggle and shush myself. Oh, what a day. I flick on the lights and rip off my smelly clothes.

“All righty,” I sigh out loud. “Make some kitsune real quick, hop in the shower, and then it’s off to bed, young lady! Time to enjoy …”

I yawn. I’m running out of steam to keep being this weird. I kick my futon to roll it out and flop down. I’ll lie here for a few seconds, just to let the giggles run their course.

I’m not sleepy, not really. It’s just been such a long day. I’ll be fine once I rest my eyes a little and then —

ten

THE OWL AND THE PANTHER

合縁奇縁

Uncanny relationship(s) caused by a quirk of fate

Ah, the familiarities of morning: the screech of an electronic alarm clock, the official toll of the bell to cue the passing of night, the sweet moment of silence as the clock sails through the air, the splintering of plastic against the wall, and the clatter of batteries on the floor. Morning.