Schmeman
aka Thief or LAMEWAD
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2018
I started doing this November/December of last year and eventually fell out of the process as life became increasingly more complicated. Life remains complicated but I'm attempting to get back into small projects and the like, and with the upcoming release of Shenmue HD, I figured it would be a great time to start on this again. Originally as an attempt to play an in-game day every real-life day, it was quickly abandoned and turned into a retelling of my in-game progress--as Ryo accounts the day to his journal. I'm going to continue this on Shenmue HD. So I'll replay all the ingame days, as I had during my Dreamcast playthrough, until I catch up to the journal entries. In the meantime, here's all the progress I had made before eventually abandoning the project.
Link to original topic on old forum
It’s been four days since that day and I’m still troubled by dreams of my father’s death. No matter how much I try, I cannot get this feeling out of my mind. I tried to eat breakfast but I was only reminded of all the breakfasts I’ve shared with my father. I instead chose to go hungry this morning. I did not feel like eating much at all. After praying at the altar, I found my way into my father’s office. It was hard being in that room again, knowing that he would never again be there to greet me—never again scorn me for looking through his things. Even still, I entered, and found a note that he had left for me. It’s clear now that my father knew this day was coming. In his note, my father told me that I must make my own path in life. But how can I make such a choice when this overwhelming sense of duty looms over my mind? My father did not deserve to die in this way, and I will get my revenge.
After going back to my room to gather my things, I noticed a photograph of my friends. Naoyuki has been attempting to reach out to me since the day of the incident, yet I have still to this day been ignoring his condolences. We’ve been best friends since elementary school, and I know he’s only worried about me, but somehow I didn’t want to hear it from him—or any of my friends. Up until now, my father’s death has been isolated to the dojo. As soon as it extends its reach to the outside world, somehow it feels more real. But his death is real, and so are my friends. I owe it to them to be available, to at least share a bit of my grief. I decided to give Naoyuki a call this morning, but I only managed to get ahold of his sister Kyoko. She mentioned he was out and didn’t know where. I later ran into him working on his motorcycle, but our conversation was more awkward than I expected. It seemed as though he didn’t know what to say to me—it’s as if I expected my friends to be much better at this. As it turns out, this is hard for everybody.
Even at the disapproval of both Ine-san and Fuku-san, I decided to ask around Sakuragaoka for any leads concerning the death of my father. The only lead I have is that they were driving a black car. Both Sumiya-san and Yamagishi-san saw the black car and mentioned that it had headed towards Dobuita. And I know quite a few of the shop owners in Dobuita, so I figured I might as well do some asking around town. On my way into Dobuita, I noticed a stray orange and white cat walking back towards Saguragaoka. I had forgot to mention, but Mayumi’s little sister, Megumi, was taking care of an orphaned stray kitten in Yamanose. She says that the kitten’s mother had been hit by the black car I’ve been investigating. Which I guess means the kitten and I have more than a bit in common. We fed the kitten some dried fish and Megumi says she wants me to come up with a name for it. I couldn’t think of anything at the time, so I told her I’d let her know when I think of something. It’s still so tiny. I hope it finds a home soon.
I ran into Tom almost as soon as I got to Dobuita. Tom’s my friend, and I know he means well, but he keeps offering me his “special hot dogs” and his “homemade pickles”. He knows that I’m not into that kind of thing, but he keeps offering anyway. I decided to let it go, but sometimes I feel a bit sorry for Honey-san. Anyway, Tom said he didn’t know anything about the black car, but after talking to Nozomi, she mentioned that Tom had been seen yelling at the people in the black car. I’m not sure why Tom would lie to me like this, but it sort of made me angry and I confronted him. He eventually told me that he believed those in the car to be Chinese. I finally had another lead. I need to find anyone who can tell me about the Chinese. This proved easy enough, since according to Tao-san at the Ajiichi restaurant, there are Chinese all over Yokosuka. Tao-san’s wife mentioned that I should seek out members of the “Three Blades”. This refers to members of the following trades: barbers, tailors, and cooks. Each trade is easy to start up and most of the Chinese who came to japan became involved in one of these three trades. I decided to head home for now, since it was getting late, and begin my investigation of the “three blades” tomorrow.
On my way home I ran into Nozomi and we exchanged a few words. She seems a bit worried about me, so I decided to give her a call when I got home. She lives with her grandmother currently because both of her parents live in Vancouver. Vancouver is a place in Canada. It’s always been a bit challenging for her here in Japan. Many of our classmates would discriminate against her because they believed that she “wasn’t really Japanese”, merely because she was born out of the country. But I’ve never really felt sorry for her, because although she’s very shy, she never once shows any discouragement regarding her situation. Although, at times, I wonder if she might be happier in Canada. Anyway, she and I exchanged a few short words and I decided to get ready for bed.
Before bed I took one more look into my father’s room and went through his things. The first thing I found was a small key, which I pocketed, but the second thing I found was an old Go board that he and I used to play. I was always terrible at the game, yet he insisted that I play with him. He used to say “Ryo, you lose because you focus too much on each individual conflict, but fail to consider the long game”. He often criticized me for not looking at the big picture, and I suppose he was right. But what I lack in foresight, I make up for in focus. And right now I am focused on one thing. My father will get his justice.
After going back to my room to gather my things, I noticed a photograph of my friends. Naoyuki has been attempting to reach out to me since the day of the incident, yet I have still to this day been ignoring his condolences. We’ve been best friends since elementary school, and I know he’s only worried about me, but somehow I didn’t want to hear it from him—or any of my friends. Up until now, my father’s death has been isolated to the dojo. As soon as it extends its reach to the outside world, somehow it feels more real. But his death is real, and so are my friends. I owe it to them to be available, to at least share a bit of my grief. I decided to give Naoyuki a call this morning, but I only managed to get ahold of his sister Kyoko. She mentioned he was out and didn’t know where. I later ran into him working on his motorcycle, but our conversation was more awkward than I expected. It seemed as though he didn’t know what to say to me—it’s as if I expected my friends to be much better at this. As it turns out, this is hard for everybody.
Even at the disapproval of both Ine-san and Fuku-san, I decided to ask around Sakuragaoka for any leads concerning the death of my father. The only lead I have is that they were driving a black car. Both Sumiya-san and Yamagishi-san saw the black car and mentioned that it had headed towards Dobuita. And I know quite a few of the shop owners in Dobuita, so I figured I might as well do some asking around town. On my way into Dobuita, I noticed a stray orange and white cat walking back towards Saguragaoka. I had forgot to mention, but Mayumi’s little sister, Megumi, was taking care of an orphaned stray kitten in Yamanose. She says that the kitten’s mother had been hit by the black car I’ve been investigating. Which I guess means the kitten and I have more than a bit in common. We fed the kitten some dried fish and Megumi says she wants me to come up with a name for it. I couldn’t think of anything at the time, so I told her I’d let her know when I think of something. It’s still so tiny. I hope it finds a home soon.
I ran into Tom almost as soon as I got to Dobuita. Tom’s my friend, and I know he means well, but he keeps offering me his “special hot dogs” and his “homemade pickles”. He knows that I’m not into that kind of thing, but he keeps offering anyway. I decided to let it go, but sometimes I feel a bit sorry for Honey-san. Anyway, Tom said he didn’t know anything about the black car, but after talking to Nozomi, she mentioned that Tom had been seen yelling at the people in the black car. I’m not sure why Tom would lie to me like this, but it sort of made me angry and I confronted him. He eventually told me that he believed those in the car to be Chinese. I finally had another lead. I need to find anyone who can tell me about the Chinese. This proved easy enough, since according to Tao-san at the Ajiichi restaurant, there are Chinese all over Yokosuka. Tao-san’s wife mentioned that I should seek out members of the “Three Blades”. This refers to members of the following trades: barbers, tailors, and cooks. Each trade is easy to start up and most of the Chinese who came to japan became involved in one of these three trades. I decided to head home for now, since it was getting late, and begin my investigation of the “three blades” tomorrow.
On my way home I ran into Nozomi and we exchanged a few words. She seems a bit worried about me, so I decided to give her a call when I got home. She lives with her grandmother currently because both of her parents live in Vancouver. Vancouver is a place in Canada. It’s always been a bit challenging for her here in Japan. Many of our classmates would discriminate against her because they believed that she “wasn’t really Japanese”, merely because she was born out of the country. But I’ve never really felt sorry for her, because although she’s very shy, she never once shows any discouragement regarding her situation. Although, at times, I wonder if she might be happier in Canada. Anyway, she and I exchanged a few short words and I decided to get ready for bed.
Before bed I took one more look into my father’s room and went through his things. The first thing I found was a small key, which I pocketed, but the second thing I found was an old Go board that he and I used to play. I was always terrible at the game, yet he insisted that I play with him. He used to say “Ryo, you lose because you focus too much on each individual conflict, but fail to consider the long game”. He often criticized me for not looking at the big picture, and I suppose he was right. But what I lack in foresight, I make up for in focus. And right now I am focused on one thing. My father will get his justice.
I woke up early today and ran into Fuku-san in the dojo. He was practicing the “pit blow” and his current injuries seemed to prevent him from performing at his best level. He asked me to help show him the technique, but I think he was just being nice. Up until recently he had my father as a teacher, and I’m not as good as father was. But father used to say that “one must know the fundamentals to reveal the essence”, and since I have been neglecting my training for the past couple of days, I took advantage of the opportunity and practiced along-side Fuku-san.
As I entered Yamanose, I noticed that the same stray orange and white cat from yesterday was waiting by the Hazuki Dojo gate and I was reminded of the stray kitten that Megumi had been looking after. Megumi was nowhere near the kitten, however, and it was meowing. It was meowing a lot. I figured it must be hungry so I decided I’d buy it some food at the Tomato Convenience Store after I investigated the “three blades”.
I chose to go and speak with Itoi-san at Mary’s Patches & Embroidery. I had always assumed that Itoi-san was Japanese, but he informed me that he was actually Chinese. His original name was Su Jian Ren and he had gone through the naturalization process in order to abandon his nationality. I wonder if he misses being Chinese. Anyway, he told me that I ought to visit Liu-san at Liu Barber, which I did, and I was redirected to visit with Liu-san’s father—also named Liu. Liu-san, the father, is 80 years old and takes a walk around Dobuita once a day. He stops at the Soba shop and rests at Suzume Park, which is where I managed to have a few words with him. After telling him about Lan Di, he mentioned that Lan Di is probably a member of a Chinese cartel. He said that they have developed a base in the harbor in Yokosuka and that I should try asking some sailor’s for some information. I know exactly who to ask!
My instincts were right. I asked Tom about the sailors and he knew exactly where they like to hang out. He acted as though he hated sailors, but I think he was just bitter because he doesn’t have much money to drink and no longer has any opportunity to go to bars. Anyway, I thanked him and since the bars don’t open until the evening, I decided to take this opportunity to feed the kitten and get in some training. I bought the kitten a bit of milk and some fish. When I got to the shrine, I gave the kitten the milk and we named her Mimi. Megumi thinks that it’s named Mimi because its ears are so cute, but I actually thought of it because the kitten was found by the Mishima sisters. Either way, both Mimi and Megumi seem to be happy.
After a few hours of leg training, I visited the bars and found no information at either Bar Yokosuka or MJQ Jazz Bar. It wasn’t until I went to Heartbeats Bar that I was able to find the sailors I was looking for. Unfortunately, I got more than I had hoped, and there was a fight. This is the third fight I managed to walk into today. First I fought with that punk Enoki, then with some drunks outside the bar, and finally with some drunks inside the bar. I don’t wish to fight but they left me no choice. Thankfully, with the condition that I never come back again, I was given the information I sought. I gladly accepted the condition and was on my way. I’m looking for a man named Charlie who has a tattoo and loves motorcycles. All the shops are closed, and it’s getting late, so I’ll see what I can find out tomorrow.
As I entered Yamanose, I noticed that the same stray orange and white cat from yesterday was waiting by the Hazuki Dojo gate and I was reminded of the stray kitten that Megumi had been looking after. Megumi was nowhere near the kitten, however, and it was meowing. It was meowing a lot. I figured it must be hungry so I decided I’d buy it some food at the Tomato Convenience Store after I investigated the “three blades”.
I chose to go and speak with Itoi-san at Mary’s Patches & Embroidery. I had always assumed that Itoi-san was Japanese, but he informed me that he was actually Chinese. His original name was Su Jian Ren and he had gone through the naturalization process in order to abandon his nationality. I wonder if he misses being Chinese. Anyway, he told me that I ought to visit Liu-san at Liu Barber, which I did, and I was redirected to visit with Liu-san’s father—also named Liu. Liu-san, the father, is 80 years old and takes a walk around Dobuita once a day. He stops at the Soba shop and rests at Suzume Park, which is where I managed to have a few words with him. After telling him about Lan Di, he mentioned that Lan Di is probably a member of a Chinese cartel. He said that they have developed a base in the harbor in Yokosuka and that I should try asking some sailor’s for some information. I know exactly who to ask!
My instincts were right. I asked Tom about the sailors and he knew exactly where they like to hang out. He acted as though he hated sailors, but I think he was just bitter because he doesn’t have much money to drink and no longer has any opportunity to go to bars. Anyway, I thanked him and since the bars don’t open until the evening, I decided to take this opportunity to feed the kitten and get in some training. I bought the kitten a bit of milk and some fish. When I got to the shrine, I gave the kitten the milk and we named her Mimi. Megumi thinks that it’s named Mimi because its ears are so cute, but I actually thought of it because the kitten was found by the Mishima sisters. Either way, both Mimi and Megumi seem to be happy.
After a few hours of leg training, I visited the bars and found no information at either Bar Yokosuka or MJQ Jazz Bar. It wasn’t until I went to Heartbeats Bar that I was able to find the sailors I was looking for. Unfortunately, I got more than I had hoped, and there was a fight. This is the third fight I managed to walk into today. First I fought with that punk Enoki, then with some drunks outside the bar, and finally with some drunks inside the bar. I don’t wish to fight but they left me no choice. Thankfully, with the condition that I never come back again, I was given the information I sought. I gladly accepted the condition and was on my way. I’m looking for a man named Charlie who has a tattoo and loves motorcycles. All the shops are closed, and it’s getting late, so I’ll see what I can find out tomorrow.
This Charlie guy sounds like a real loser. Yuriko was telling me all about how he comes by Smiley Flower Shop and treats her poorly—he even parks his motorcycle right in front of the store. She can’t do anything about it because she’s scared of him. And even the owner, Nemoto, had some strong words to say about this guy. Apparently Charlie’s the type of person to get his finger pricked from a rose and demand some compensation from the store. Talk about zero class. Anyway, he’s been all around Dobuita, always browsing but never making a purchase. I guess he just wants to spend all his money at the bars. Even Ono-san hates the guy, despite Charlie owning a motorcycle. Usually Ono is thrilled to talk to anybody about motorcycles. If Ono-san doesn’t like Charlie, then he must not be a good guy. I trust Ono-san’s judgment. Naoyuki spends a lot of time at Ono-san’s shop and Naoyuki seems to respect Ono-san quite a bit.
I eventually found out that Charlie usually comes to Dobuita at around 7 PM. It was raining today, so I didn’t want to spend too much time outside, and even though I promised not to be too frivolous with the money Ine-san puts out for me, I decided to play a few games at the arcade while I waited for Charlie to show up. I played a few rounds of Hang-On, which proves to still be nearly impossible. The problem is that I always want to go fast, but that makes the turns more difficult to maneuver. I suppose I could slow down but where’s the fun in that? Space Harrier is more my game, but I was even doing poorly in that game today. I only made it to the 3rd stage. I’ve got too many things on my mind, I suppose.
I didn’t manage to find Charlie, but I was jumped by a bunch of punks. They clearly didn’t have any formal training and went down very easily. Although they didn’t know where to find Charlie, one of them told me that there’s a tattoo parlor in Yokosuka. I just need to find the location. I’m sure if I find the parlor, I’ll find Charlie. So I guess today wasn’t all bad. While I didn’t find Charlie, I did find another lead, and also, I should mention that I ran into Yamagishi-san at Suzume Park. He taught me a martial arts move that he had once taught to my father. Apparently the two of them were good friends and would often share sake together. Yamagishi is a master in Kobujutsu. I’m not familiar with weapon-based combat, but I am always grateful to learn, especially from a friend of my father.
I eventually found out that Charlie usually comes to Dobuita at around 7 PM. It was raining today, so I didn’t want to spend too much time outside, and even though I promised not to be too frivolous with the money Ine-san puts out for me, I decided to play a few games at the arcade while I waited for Charlie to show up. I played a few rounds of Hang-On, which proves to still be nearly impossible. The problem is that I always want to go fast, but that makes the turns more difficult to maneuver. I suppose I could slow down but where’s the fun in that? Space Harrier is more my game, but I was even doing poorly in that game today. I only made it to the 3rd stage. I’ve got too many things on my mind, I suppose.
I didn’t manage to find Charlie, but I was jumped by a bunch of punks. They clearly didn’t have any formal training and went down very easily. Although they didn’t know where to find Charlie, one of them told me that there’s a tattoo parlor in Yokosuka. I just need to find the location. I’m sure if I find the parlor, I’ll find Charlie. So I guess today wasn’t all bad. While I didn’t find Charlie, I did find another lead, and also, I should mention that I ran into Yamagishi-san at Suzume Park. He taught me a martial arts move that he had once taught to my father. Apparently the two of them were good friends and would often share sake together. Yamagishi is a master in Kobujutsu. I’m not familiar with weapon-based combat, but I am always grateful to learn, especially from a friend of my father.
It’s proven to be much more difficult to find a tattoo parlor in Yokosuka than I had anticipated. Almost everyone I ask is concerned about my decision to get a tattoo, even though I’m only looking for someone and have no desire to ever get a tattoo. The one person I found who knew the location of the parlor insisted that I join his gang for the information. I quickly denied the opportunity. I need the information but I can find it by other means. I am not that desperate yet.
After asking many people in Dobuita, I decided to take a small break and practice my martial arts. Before doing so, however, I took a trip to Bunkado Antiques so I could see what type of move scrolls they had for sale. I went ahead and purchased the “Twin Swallow Leap” and ran into Nemeto-san. He told me he didn’t know where the tattoo parlor was, but he mentioned that it was probably in a back street somewhere. Well, it wasn’t the best lead, but at least it was something. I looked around some back streets for a little bit and couldn’t find anything. I was beginning to get discouraged and realized that I needed to clear my head. I had originally intended to take a break but was distracted by the information Nemeto-san had given me. Anyway, as I headed towards the vacant lot to practice, I figured I might as well ask anyone I saw along the way. And as luck would have it, Tamura-san, at Tamura Butcher Shop, gave me some useful information. He told me that Saijo-san, at Bar Yokosuka, was recently talking with a customer who had gotten a tattoo in Yokosuka. Saijo-san was certain to have the information.
[a few words are scribbled out] Shoot. As I’m writing this I’m realizing that I forgot to call Nozomi this evening and it’s much too late to call her now. She had gotten the attention of a few jerks at the park in Sakuragaoka this morning. Apparently some kid hit these guys with his toy and the punks were going to rough the kid up. Nozomi stepped in, but there was no way she could stand up against these guys in a fight. Luckily I was there to help her out, but she seemed a bit shaken up. I wanted to call her and make sure she was alright, but I was too preoccupied with my search. I’ll have to speak with her tomorrow.
Anyway, I waited for the bar to open by practicing my martial arts, and then I headed towards the bar and spoke with Saijo-san. He told me the tattoo parlor was in Okinawa Heights. It was late, and there was little point in finding it today, so I’ll just have to find the tattoo parlor sometime tomorrow. It should be easy now that I know where it is.
After asking many people in Dobuita, I decided to take a small break and practice my martial arts. Before doing so, however, I took a trip to Bunkado Antiques so I could see what type of move scrolls they had for sale. I went ahead and purchased the “Twin Swallow Leap” and ran into Nemeto-san. He told me he didn’t know where the tattoo parlor was, but he mentioned that it was probably in a back street somewhere. Well, it wasn’t the best lead, but at least it was something. I looked around some back streets for a little bit and couldn’t find anything. I was beginning to get discouraged and realized that I needed to clear my head. I had originally intended to take a break but was distracted by the information Nemeto-san had given me. Anyway, as I headed towards the vacant lot to practice, I figured I might as well ask anyone I saw along the way. And as luck would have it, Tamura-san, at Tamura Butcher Shop, gave me some useful information. He told me that Saijo-san, at Bar Yokosuka, was recently talking with a customer who had gotten a tattoo in Yokosuka. Saijo-san was certain to have the information.
[a few words are scribbled out] Shoot. As I’m writing this I’m realizing that I forgot to call Nozomi this evening and it’s much too late to call her now. She had gotten the attention of a few jerks at the park in Sakuragaoka this morning. Apparently some kid hit these guys with his toy and the punks were going to rough the kid up. Nozomi stepped in, but there was no way she could stand up against these guys in a fight. Luckily I was there to help her out, but she seemed a bit shaken up. I wanted to call her and make sure she was alright, but I was too preoccupied with my search. I’ll have to speak with her tomorrow.
Anyway, I waited for the bar to open by practicing my martial arts, and then I headed towards the bar and spoke with Saijo-san. He told me the tattoo parlor was in Okinawa Heights. It was late, and there was little point in finding it today, so I’ll just have to find the tattoo parlor sometime tomorrow. It should be easy now that I know where it is.
I met with Charlie. It turns out that Okayama Heights was right across the street from Bar Yokosuka, so I suppose I could have checked the place out last night, but either way, I met with Charlie. I don’t know if he was suspecting me, or if he’s a suspicious person by nature, but he tried to attack me in the tattoo parlor. He was subdued and we agreed on a meeting tomorrow: 3 PM at the arcade. He’s going to introduce me to members of the cartel.
On my way out I ran into Nozomi. I had been worried about her yesterday, but today she was concerned about me instead. She says that I ought to be studying for entrance exams, if I ever hope to get into a good school. These things just aren’t that important right now. School can always wait, but Lan Di will not wait. I’ll try my best not to make Nozomi worry too much, but I will not be wasting my time studying right now. I need to be training my martial arts, not worrying about entrance exams. I felt a bit bad cutting her short, but I was anxious to head over to the vacant lot and hone my skills. I went ahead and trained the rest of the day and I am going to bed early. I need to be well rested for tomorrow.
On my way out I ran into Nozomi. I had been worried about her yesterday, but today she was concerned about me instead. She says that I ought to be studying for entrance exams, if I ever hope to get into a good school. These things just aren’t that important right now. School can always wait, but Lan Di will not wait. I’ll try my best not to make Nozomi worry too much, but I will not be wasting my time studying right now. I need to be training my martial arts, not worrying about entrance exams. I felt a bit bad cutting her short, but I was anxious to head over to the vacant lot and hone my skills. I went ahead and trained the rest of the day and I am going to bed early. I need to be well rested for tomorrow.
I thought I was close. At least I thought I was getting close. But that jerk Charlie just turned out to be another liar! There was never any plan to introduce me to anyone. All Charlie wanted was a chance to ambush me. Except he’s too weak to fight me alone so he had to call some friends of his. It didn’t matter though, they all went down easily. Except now I’m no longer close. Now I’m back to grasping at straws and following small threads.
I woke up this morning and prepared myself in the dojo. Fuku-san ran into me there and we sparred for a bit. It wouldn’t be wise to go out with my limbs cold. I didn’t know what I might expect today. Fuku-san is a good opponent. He’s a bit hard on himself, probably because my father was a hard teacher, but he’s improved greatly. It’s likely because my father was such a hard teacher that Fuku-san is as proficient as he is now. After we sparred, Fuku-san pleaded with me that I don’t get involved with the circumstances surrounding my father’s death. He’s been insistent that I don’t go, that I continue on as if nothing happened, but he knows that I will do no such thing—I’ve told him as much. Ine-san, however, when she confronted me it broke my heart to have to lie to her. She made me promise that I wouldn’t get involved, and I agreed. I have no intention of letting this go but I also have no intention of hurting Ine-san. As long as I am able to avenge my father, Ine-san is bound to forgive me. It’s all I can hope.
Ine-san gave me a letter that she had been withholding from me until now. A letter, addressed to my father, and written entirely in Chinese. Had I not been duped by Charlie, I likely would have put the letter in the back of my mind, but Charlie had turned out to be a fake and now I needed any bit of information I could find.
When Charlie ambushed me, he had lured me into a trap by stealing a young boy’s soccer ball. When I took care of Charlie, the young boy thanked me in Chinese. His name is Gao Wen Xia. He ended up eventually telling me that his grandmother can read Chinese and that I should go pay a visit if I want to learn the contents of my father’s letter. I had originally planned to speak to either Yamagishi-san, since he once told me that he was forced to study Chinese when he was in the military, or Tao-san, since he works at the Chinese restaurant. But I figured that I ought to take Gao Wen’s suggestion and pay his grandmother a visit.
Her name is Xiu Yu and she’s a very kind woman. As it turns out, the letter was written in a special style. The Kanji characters were reversed, but they were not simply reversed left to right. There seemed to be something else to how they were written. Anyway, she translated the letter and it reads as follows: “Beware of those who pursue the mirror. If you ever need help, seek the aid of Master Chen. Zhu Yuan Da”. There was also a note on the back which said: “Father’s Earth, Nine Dragons, Mother’s Earth, Comrades”. Lastly, the letter contained a phone number. I took note of the phone number and thanked Xiu Yu on my way out.
I’m already familiar with the saying that was written on the back of the letter. I had seen it written before back at the dojo. I have no idea what it means. But even still, I just had to call the number and see if I could get through. I hurried to the tobacco shop and made a quick phone call. It rang a few times before I was prompted with the phrase “Father’s Earth” by a man on the line. I almost panicked and didn’t say anything, but quickly spurted out the words “Nine Dragons”. The man on the other side of the phone call said “Mother’s Earth”, and I immediately responded with “Comrades”. After completing the apparent password, I was told to meet at Warehouse #8. I asked if this was the Chen residence, but I was hung up on. I have no idea where Warehouse #8 could be, but I was sure that somebody in Dobuita must know. I almost stopped at Smiley Flower Shop to ask Yuriko. But I’ve been going to Smiley Flower Shop a lot lately and Nozomi doesn’t seem to like it too much that I chat with Yuriko so often. It must be because she works for her competition, but I don’t usually buy any flowers so she shouldn’t mind. Regardless, I decided to go to Nozomi’s store instead and ask her if she knew anything about a Warehouse #8.
As soon as I approached her I immediately regretted attempting to ask her about the warehouse. I’ve been making her worry and I didn’t want to make her worry any further. I could have easily asked anyone else. I started to retract the conversation, but Nozomi insisted that I speak with her and she mentioned that I might be able to find some information about the warehouse’s location by looking up information about the phone number. It never even occurred to me that this was something I might be able to do. I guess Nozomi really can be helpful sometimes. I thanked her, ran back to the payphone at the Tobacco Store, and called Number Assistance. The lady on the other line mentioned that I can’t look up an address from just a phone number, but she did manage to tell me that the area code was located in Amihama. That’s where the New Yokosuka Harbor is located! There was bound to be a Warehouse #8 there! Since I was right next to the bus stop, I figured I’d check it out before it got too late.
As soon as I arrived in the harbor there was trouble. That kid Goro was trying to beat some money out of somebody. He’s worse than even Enoki, but he goes down just as easily. After he was down, he told me where to find Warehouse #8, but the information was a dud. The warehouse was not the right warehouse. Apparently there are two warehouse districts at the Yokosuka Harbor. The one I was I was directed towards was in the new warehouse district.
I had intended to go check out the old warehouse district, if I could find it, but I instead ran into a homeless man. He’s been living at the harbor for three years and asked if I could buy him a coffee. I’ve been avoiding Guang Ji, who works at Ajiichi, because he’s always trying to hint that I buy him something to drink. He’s got a job and I am not interested in giving him my money, but I suppose I can afford to buy a coffee for this homeless man. It is very cold at the harbor. By the time I had gotten him the coffee I realized that it’s gotten much too late. I don’t want to make Ine-san worry any more than she has to, so I decided I’d head home for the day. I called her on the payphone near the bus stop and told her not to worry, and then I headed home. By the time I got home the phone was ringing for me. Nozomi had called and she wanted to meet me at Sakuragaoka Park to talk.
Her parents want her to move back to Canada. All this time I had wondered if Nozomi might be happier living in Canada, but I’ve forgotten that she’s made a life for herself here. I’ve lived in Japan my whole life, and I can’t understand what it must be like sharing relationships across the globe. She’s grown to like the people in Japan. She has friends. She’s my friend. But her family is in Canada. I know she wants me to ask her to stay, but I don’t know if she should. I don’t know if she even really wants to stay. I’m not in a position to make that decision for her. Whatever choice she makes, it must be her own choice. I will miss her, if she leaves. And if she happens to go… I hope she’ll remember to say goodbye.
I woke up this morning and prepared myself in the dojo. Fuku-san ran into me there and we sparred for a bit. It wouldn’t be wise to go out with my limbs cold. I didn’t know what I might expect today. Fuku-san is a good opponent. He’s a bit hard on himself, probably because my father was a hard teacher, but he’s improved greatly. It’s likely because my father was such a hard teacher that Fuku-san is as proficient as he is now. After we sparred, Fuku-san pleaded with me that I don’t get involved with the circumstances surrounding my father’s death. He’s been insistent that I don’t go, that I continue on as if nothing happened, but he knows that I will do no such thing—I’ve told him as much. Ine-san, however, when she confronted me it broke my heart to have to lie to her. She made me promise that I wouldn’t get involved, and I agreed. I have no intention of letting this go but I also have no intention of hurting Ine-san. As long as I am able to avenge my father, Ine-san is bound to forgive me. It’s all I can hope.
Ine-san gave me a letter that she had been withholding from me until now. A letter, addressed to my father, and written entirely in Chinese. Had I not been duped by Charlie, I likely would have put the letter in the back of my mind, but Charlie had turned out to be a fake and now I needed any bit of information I could find.
When Charlie ambushed me, he had lured me into a trap by stealing a young boy’s soccer ball. When I took care of Charlie, the young boy thanked me in Chinese. His name is Gao Wen Xia. He ended up eventually telling me that his grandmother can read Chinese and that I should go pay a visit if I want to learn the contents of my father’s letter. I had originally planned to speak to either Yamagishi-san, since he once told me that he was forced to study Chinese when he was in the military, or Tao-san, since he works at the Chinese restaurant. But I figured that I ought to take Gao Wen’s suggestion and pay his grandmother a visit.
Her name is Xiu Yu and she’s a very kind woman. As it turns out, the letter was written in a special style. The Kanji characters were reversed, but they were not simply reversed left to right. There seemed to be something else to how they were written. Anyway, she translated the letter and it reads as follows: “Beware of those who pursue the mirror. If you ever need help, seek the aid of Master Chen. Zhu Yuan Da”. There was also a note on the back which said: “Father’s Earth, Nine Dragons, Mother’s Earth, Comrades”. Lastly, the letter contained a phone number. I took note of the phone number and thanked Xiu Yu on my way out.
I’m already familiar with the saying that was written on the back of the letter. I had seen it written before back at the dojo. I have no idea what it means. But even still, I just had to call the number and see if I could get through. I hurried to the tobacco shop and made a quick phone call. It rang a few times before I was prompted with the phrase “Father’s Earth” by a man on the line. I almost panicked and didn’t say anything, but quickly spurted out the words “Nine Dragons”. The man on the other side of the phone call said “Mother’s Earth”, and I immediately responded with “Comrades”. After completing the apparent password, I was told to meet at Warehouse #8. I asked if this was the Chen residence, but I was hung up on. I have no idea where Warehouse #8 could be, but I was sure that somebody in Dobuita must know. I almost stopped at Smiley Flower Shop to ask Yuriko. But I’ve been going to Smiley Flower Shop a lot lately and Nozomi doesn’t seem to like it too much that I chat with Yuriko so often. It must be because she works for her competition, but I don’t usually buy any flowers so she shouldn’t mind. Regardless, I decided to go to Nozomi’s store instead and ask her if she knew anything about a Warehouse #8.
As soon as I approached her I immediately regretted attempting to ask her about the warehouse. I’ve been making her worry and I didn’t want to make her worry any further. I could have easily asked anyone else. I started to retract the conversation, but Nozomi insisted that I speak with her and she mentioned that I might be able to find some information about the warehouse’s location by looking up information about the phone number. It never even occurred to me that this was something I might be able to do. I guess Nozomi really can be helpful sometimes. I thanked her, ran back to the payphone at the Tobacco Store, and called Number Assistance. The lady on the other line mentioned that I can’t look up an address from just a phone number, but she did manage to tell me that the area code was located in Amihama. That’s where the New Yokosuka Harbor is located! There was bound to be a Warehouse #8 there! Since I was right next to the bus stop, I figured I’d check it out before it got too late.
As soon as I arrived in the harbor there was trouble. That kid Goro was trying to beat some money out of somebody. He’s worse than even Enoki, but he goes down just as easily. After he was down, he told me where to find Warehouse #8, but the information was a dud. The warehouse was not the right warehouse. Apparently there are two warehouse districts at the Yokosuka Harbor. The one I was I was directed towards was in the new warehouse district.
I had intended to go check out the old warehouse district, if I could find it, but I instead ran into a homeless man. He’s been living at the harbor for three years and asked if I could buy him a coffee. I’ve been avoiding Guang Ji, who works at Ajiichi, because he’s always trying to hint that I buy him something to drink. He’s got a job and I am not interested in giving him my money, but I suppose I can afford to buy a coffee for this homeless man. It is very cold at the harbor. By the time I had gotten him the coffee I realized that it’s gotten much too late. I don’t want to make Ine-san worry any more than she has to, so I decided I’d head home for the day. I called her on the payphone near the bus stop and told her not to worry, and then I headed home. By the time I got home the phone was ringing for me. Nozomi had called and she wanted to meet me at Sakuragaoka Park to talk.
Her parents want her to move back to Canada. All this time I had wondered if Nozomi might be happier living in Canada, but I’ve forgotten that she’s made a life for herself here. I’ve lived in Japan my whole life, and I can’t understand what it must be like sharing relationships across the globe. She’s grown to like the people in Japan. She has friends. She’s my friend. But her family is in Canada. I know she wants me to ask her to stay, but I don’t know if she should. I don’t know if she even really wants to stay. I’m not in a position to make that decision for her. Whatever choice she makes, it must be her own choice. I will miss her, if she leaves. And if she happens to go… I hope she’ll remember to say goodbye.
I didn’t want to waste any time, so I made sure to head straight to the harbor and look for the old warehouse district. I found it almost immediately, thanks to some directions given to me by the homeless man from yesterday, but the entrance to the old warehouse district is heavily guarded. I’m not sure how I’ll get in but I figured I’d go buy some lunch while I think about a plan of entrance. Hisaka works at Hokuhoku Lunches, here at the harbor, so I made my way over to her stand.
When I got to her stand, I witnessed an argument between her and her sister—Mai was demanding money from Hisaka and Hisaka was not interested in letting her sister frivolously spend her hard-earned money. Apparently Mai has been acting out lately and has been hanging out with the wrong crowd. It’s really been worrying Hisaka and she asked me if I could have a talk with Mai. I’m not really good at these sorts of things, but I agreed, and found my way over to Mai. Hisaka is a real workaholic and I think Mai just misses her sister. But that is no excuse to treat her sister in such a way. I didn’t lecture her though. Her friends tried to attack me. They failed. And I made it very clear to Mai that one does not treat one’s family poorly. I think she got the message. Hisaka shouldn’t have to worry much anymore. Anyway, I asked Hisaka about the old warehouse district and she mentioned that she delivers lunch to the district every day and I offered to take the lunches for her. I might as well see if I can get in while making the delivery—I couldn’t.
The place is much too heavily guarded during the day, but I overheard a conversation saying that the guards are short-staffed during the night. All I had to do was wait until 8 PM. I spent my time mostly in the Harbor Lounge, listening to music and foolishly wasting money on capsule toys. I guess Hisaka shouldn't lend any money to me either. Well, the time eventually came and I attempted to sneak inside. Making my way in was easy enough, even though I almost blew it when I almost knocked a flashlight on the ground, but I was immediately caught searching for the correct warehouse number. It looks like they have at least two or three guards patrolling the place during the night. I’ll have to come back and try again tomorrow.
When I got to her stand, I witnessed an argument between her and her sister—Mai was demanding money from Hisaka and Hisaka was not interested in letting her sister frivolously spend her hard-earned money. Apparently Mai has been acting out lately and has been hanging out with the wrong crowd. It’s really been worrying Hisaka and she asked me if I could have a talk with Mai. I’m not really good at these sorts of things, but I agreed, and found my way over to Mai. Hisaka is a real workaholic and I think Mai just misses her sister. But that is no excuse to treat her sister in such a way. I didn’t lecture her though. Her friends tried to attack me. They failed. And I made it very clear to Mai that one does not treat one’s family poorly. I think she got the message. Hisaka shouldn’t have to worry much anymore. Anyway, I asked Hisaka about the old warehouse district and she mentioned that she delivers lunch to the district every day and I offered to take the lunches for her. I might as well see if I can get in while making the delivery—I couldn’t.
The place is much too heavily guarded during the day, but I overheard a conversation saying that the guards are short-staffed during the night. All I had to do was wait until 8 PM. I spent my time mostly in the Harbor Lounge, listening to music and foolishly wasting money on capsule toys. I guess Hisaka shouldn't lend any money to me either. Well, the time eventually came and I attempted to sneak inside. Making my way in was easy enough, even though I almost blew it when I almost knocked a flashlight on the ground, but I was immediately caught searching for the correct warehouse number. It looks like they have at least two or three guards patrolling the place during the night. I’ll have to come back and try again tomorrow.
It took many nights but I finally made it in to Warehouse #8. I think the old homeless man was really starting to feel sorry for me, because after a while he went through the trouble of making a map for me… and then when I still couldn’t get past the guards, he carefully watched their route and wrote down the habits of the guards. By the time the homeless man was done, I was able to know the path each guard took every night during the patrol. Anyway, I’m very grateful for all he’s done. Otherwise, I’m not sure if I ever would have made it in to see Master Chen. Stealth is not my forte. I would rather just fight my way through, but these guards are innocent and are only doing their job. There was no other way than to sneak.
When I entered Warehouse #8, Master Chen was not alone. He was there with his son, Gui Zhang. I showed Master Chen Zhu’s letter and he mentioned that Lan Di is a member of the Chi You Men and a master of a deadly martial art. This is the same martial art that was used against my father during the day of his death. It seems as though my father was guarding more than just the one mirror when he died. Lan Di managed to take a mirror with the design of a dragon inscribed on its face, but there was another. My father was also in the possession of another mirror—this one with a phoenix design. The phoenix is a mythical bird that is supposed to guard human life. Although it was clearly not capable of guarding my father’s life…
Tomorrow I’ll take a look around home, the mirror must be there somewhere. Perhaps Fuku-san or Ine-san have some idea of its whereabouts.
When I entered Warehouse #8, Master Chen was not alone. He was there with his son, Gui Zhang. I showed Master Chen Zhu’s letter and he mentioned that Lan Di is a member of the Chi You Men and a master of a deadly martial art. This is the same martial art that was used against my father during the day of his death. It seems as though my father was guarding more than just the one mirror when he died. Lan Di managed to take a mirror with the design of a dragon inscribed on its face, but there was another. My father was also in the possession of another mirror—this one with a phoenix design. The phoenix is a mythical bird that is supposed to guard human life. Although it was clearly not capable of guarding my father’s life…
Tomorrow I’ll take a look around home, the mirror must be there somewhere. Perhaps Fuku-san or Ine-san have some idea of its whereabouts.
As soon as I awoke, I went to the dojo in order to find Fuku-san. I figured if anyone knew of the mirror’s whereabouts, it must be him. But as I entered the dojo, Fuku-san was nowhere to be found. He normally practices early in the morning, so I was a bit surprised to find him absent from his training, but as I went back to the house to find him, Ine-san told me to speak to Fuku-san. Apparently Fuku-san had also been looking for me. I must have just missed him. I found him at the cherry tree.
Fuku-san had a confession to make. He told me that he admitted to Ine-san of all the things that I had been doing. The efforts that I have been making in order to find Lan Di and avenge the death of my father. Upon hearing this, I thought I would have been angry, but I can understand Fuku-san’s concern and his motivation to tell. We have never really been deceitful to one another, and not to Ine-san—and not to my father. Yet I have been very deceitful lately. I have been so concerned with my goal that I failed to act appropriately towards my friends. Yet, even though I have failed in this way, I still believe my actions were justified. If failing in this way could lead to another greater success, then I must continue to fail in order to reach that success. Although, I’m no longer convinced that these failures have lead me any closer to my goal. Either way, I do not blame Fuku-san for succeeding in truth. But regardless, Fuku-san had no idea where the mirror could be located.
Ine-san approached me shortly thereafter. She had been eaves-dropping, to which she apologized greatly, despite Fuku-san being quite loud in his confession. I felt as though I had to apologize to Ine-san, for keeping so many things from her, but it was her who seemed distressed over her own actions. She told me that she believed she was letting my father down. She told me that she didn’t have the right to stop the son of Iwao Hazuki—that she couldn’t stop him… me. She blamed herself, which greatly saddened me. It wasn’t her fault, none of this was, but I didn’t correct her. I let her act as she felt she should. It wasn’t my place to let her know how she should feel, it wasn’t up to me to interpret the consequences of her actions. In the end, however, Ine-san felt the need to inform me of an item my father had left at an antique shop. This item was supposedly of great importance, although Ine-san was unaware of what it could be. It was a long shot, but part of me believed that it might be the mirror. And so I headed to the antique shop.
Near the kitten, on my way to the antique shop, I ran into Nozomi. Thankfully the kitten seems to be much better. She’s playing outside of the box and her leg seems to be healed, but Nozomi is still worried about me. I have nothing that I can tell her and… when I tell her nothing is wrong, she gets frustrated with me. She wants me to open up, but I can’t open up. It would only worry her more. For now I’ll just have to deal with Nozomi being frustrated with me. It’s better than making her upset. It was only after Nozomi left that I realized that I was still being untruthful with my friends. Would it be better to open up with Nozomi? I’m still unsure.
Oishi-san had indeed been holding something for my father. It was a sword-handguard, one that had been passed down from generation to generation. The handguard bore the Hazuki family crest: a snow ring, the two stars, and a sword. It is only given to the Hazuki heir once he turns eighteen. I wonder if my father would have given it to me that day, had Lan Di not shown up when he did. Oishi-san did not have the mirror for me, but I was excited nonetheless to have the handguard. Surprisingly, I believed to know its purpose. Ever since I was a young boy, I’d poked and prodded my way around the dojo. One thing puzzled me ever since I was a child. Behind two scrolls in the dojo there exists two small recesses: one shaped to fit the blade of a sword and the other shaped to fit, I believe, this handguard. When I was attempting to sneak into warehouse #8, I spent a lot of time at home during the day. During that time I noticed that the key I snagged from my father’s desk fit nicely into a long locked box in the dojo. Inside that box was a sword… and much how I immediately recognized the importance of the sword handguard, I immediately knew to fit the box’s sword into the blade-shaped crevice. It fit nicely, yet nothing happened. However, I’m certain that with the second piece of the puzzle in hand, I’ll finally solve this mystery! I’ve been wanting to know this secret for so long! I hurried home but on my way back I ran into Gui Zhang.
Gui Zhang and I fought in Yamanose. I suppose this sounds a bit strange, but he had been following me. And for a moment there, I thought he had been working with Lan Di. I guess I’m a little bit on edge. It turns out that Master Chen sent his son to look after me. Gui Zhang is supposed to act sort of like a bodyguard… as if I need one. But I’m not stupid enough to dismiss his help. I could tell from our fight that he is very well trained and he fights with purpose. He seems really worked up about Lan Di getting his hands on the Phoenix Mirror and he will do all he can to assist me in locating the mirror. He claims that nobody will be able to stop Lan Di if he manages to obtain the mirror. Just how important are these mirrors?
When I got home I went straight for the dojo and fit the handguard into the crevice. It was a success! The handguard and the sword were a key that led to a secret basement beneath the dojo! It was dark down there, so I grabbed the flashlight from underneath the phone and went straight down into the basement. The basement had various amounts of junk. Some old medicine, books and scrolls, and various Chinese things. The strangest of all was a white leaf that wasn’t even dry. How could such an old leaf not be dry? That’s not all though. I found a photograph of my father when he was young. He looked like he was much the same age as I am now. It really made me realize that I didn’t know much about my father when he was younger. In the photo he was standing next to a man, but I had no idea who he was, nor did I know where the photo had been taken. I knew him as a father, but I didn’t know him as Iwao Hazuki. Who was my father before he was my father? Could he really have killed a man? It doesn’t seem possible. Well, I guess it’s time that I mention that I found the mirror. It was hidden behind a wall that was hidden behind a shelf. It’s strange, but I suppose I expected a little more. The mirror itself would be rather plain, except it has a beautiful engraving of a phoenix on its face. But I fail to see its importance. It seems like a regular antique mirror. How can such a thing be so important? Why did my father go to such lengths to hide it and why does Lan Di want it? If the mirror can help me locate Lan Di, then I am grateful for it, but none of this makes any sense. I’ll have to speak with Master Chen tomorrow.
Fuku-san had a confession to make. He told me that he admitted to Ine-san of all the things that I had been doing. The efforts that I have been making in order to find Lan Di and avenge the death of my father. Upon hearing this, I thought I would have been angry, but I can understand Fuku-san’s concern and his motivation to tell. We have never really been deceitful to one another, and not to Ine-san—and not to my father. Yet I have been very deceitful lately. I have been so concerned with my goal that I failed to act appropriately towards my friends. Yet, even though I have failed in this way, I still believe my actions were justified. If failing in this way could lead to another greater success, then I must continue to fail in order to reach that success. Although, I’m no longer convinced that these failures have lead me any closer to my goal. Either way, I do not blame Fuku-san for succeeding in truth. But regardless, Fuku-san had no idea where the mirror could be located.
Ine-san approached me shortly thereafter. She had been eaves-dropping, to which she apologized greatly, despite Fuku-san being quite loud in his confession. I felt as though I had to apologize to Ine-san, for keeping so many things from her, but it was her who seemed distressed over her own actions. She told me that she believed she was letting my father down. She told me that she didn’t have the right to stop the son of Iwao Hazuki—that she couldn’t stop him… me. She blamed herself, which greatly saddened me. It wasn’t her fault, none of this was, but I didn’t correct her. I let her act as she felt she should. It wasn’t my place to let her know how she should feel, it wasn’t up to me to interpret the consequences of her actions. In the end, however, Ine-san felt the need to inform me of an item my father had left at an antique shop. This item was supposedly of great importance, although Ine-san was unaware of what it could be. It was a long shot, but part of me believed that it might be the mirror. And so I headed to the antique shop.
Near the kitten, on my way to the antique shop, I ran into Nozomi. Thankfully the kitten seems to be much better. She’s playing outside of the box and her leg seems to be healed, but Nozomi is still worried about me. I have nothing that I can tell her and… when I tell her nothing is wrong, she gets frustrated with me. She wants me to open up, but I can’t open up. It would only worry her more. For now I’ll just have to deal with Nozomi being frustrated with me. It’s better than making her upset. It was only after Nozomi left that I realized that I was still being untruthful with my friends. Would it be better to open up with Nozomi? I’m still unsure.
Oishi-san had indeed been holding something for my father. It was a sword-handguard, one that had been passed down from generation to generation. The handguard bore the Hazuki family crest: a snow ring, the two stars, and a sword. It is only given to the Hazuki heir once he turns eighteen. I wonder if my father would have given it to me that day, had Lan Di not shown up when he did. Oishi-san did not have the mirror for me, but I was excited nonetheless to have the handguard. Surprisingly, I believed to know its purpose. Ever since I was a young boy, I’d poked and prodded my way around the dojo. One thing puzzled me ever since I was a child. Behind two scrolls in the dojo there exists two small recesses: one shaped to fit the blade of a sword and the other shaped to fit, I believe, this handguard. When I was attempting to sneak into warehouse #8, I spent a lot of time at home during the day. During that time I noticed that the key I snagged from my father’s desk fit nicely into a long locked box in the dojo. Inside that box was a sword… and much how I immediately recognized the importance of the sword handguard, I immediately knew to fit the box’s sword into the blade-shaped crevice. It fit nicely, yet nothing happened. However, I’m certain that with the second piece of the puzzle in hand, I’ll finally solve this mystery! I’ve been wanting to know this secret for so long! I hurried home but on my way back I ran into Gui Zhang.
Gui Zhang and I fought in Yamanose. I suppose this sounds a bit strange, but he had been following me. And for a moment there, I thought he had been working with Lan Di. I guess I’m a little bit on edge. It turns out that Master Chen sent his son to look after me. Gui Zhang is supposed to act sort of like a bodyguard… as if I need one. But I’m not stupid enough to dismiss his help. I could tell from our fight that he is very well trained and he fights with purpose. He seems really worked up about Lan Di getting his hands on the Phoenix Mirror and he will do all he can to assist me in locating the mirror. He claims that nobody will be able to stop Lan Di if he manages to obtain the mirror. Just how important are these mirrors?
When I got home I went straight for the dojo and fit the handguard into the crevice. It was a success! The handguard and the sword were a key that led to a secret basement beneath the dojo! It was dark down there, so I grabbed the flashlight from underneath the phone and went straight down into the basement. The basement had various amounts of junk. Some old medicine, books and scrolls, and various Chinese things. The strangest of all was a white leaf that wasn’t even dry. How could such an old leaf not be dry? That’s not all though. I found a photograph of my father when he was young. He looked like he was much the same age as I am now. It really made me realize that I didn’t know much about my father when he was younger. In the photo he was standing next to a man, but I had no idea who he was, nor did I know where the photo had been taken. I knew him as a father, but I didn’t know him as Iwao Hazuki. Who was my father before he was my father? Could he really have killed a man? It doesn’t seem possible. Well, I guess it’s time that I mention that I found the mirror. It was hidden behind a wall that was hidden behind a shelf. It’s strange, but I suppose I expected a little more. The mirror itself would be rather plain, except it has a beautiful engraving of a phoenix on its face. But I fail to see its importance. It seems like a regular antique mirror. How can such a thing be so important? Why did my father go to such lengths to hide it and why does Lan Di want it? If the mirror can help me locate Lan Di, then I am grateful for it, but none of this makes any sense. I’ll have to speak with Master Chen tomorrow.
I immediately headed over to see Master Chen after calling to make an appointment. I wanted to get to see him as soon as possible. While I was waiting for the bus to arrive, I stopped to chat with Yuriko about the mirror—although I was a bit discreet about the specific piece. Not that I don’t trust Yuriko, but it’s probably best that I don’t go advertising to everyone that I’m in possession of the mirror… even though it’s unlikely anyone even knows what it is, or even cares. Anyway, she mentioned that Yamagishi-san is interested in antiques and I ought to ask him. I didn’t have time to meet with Yamagishi-san at the moment, so I figured I’d see if I could catch him later.
Well, I’ve only had the mirror for a day and I’ve already almost let the mirror fall into the hands of Lan Di. A squirrely looking bald man with messed up teeth jumped into the warehouse and snagged the mirror from my hands. I had little time to act, but with the help of Gui Zhang, we managed to take it back. Master Chen believes that the man who grabbed the mirror is linked with the Chi You Men. “When the Dragon and the Phoenix meet, the gates of heaven and earth will open and Chi You will resurrect itself on Earth”. This is what Zhu Yuan Da once told Master Chen. Chi You is a legendary Chinese monster that is said to one day devour the world. And Lan Di, he hopes to make use of the mirror in order to summon this monster… apparently. Master Chen didn’t speak with flippancy, but I still find it unlikely that this is Lan Di’s true goal. Such a thing can’t be true, but I will keep the mirror from Lan Di nonetheless. If he desires it so greatly, then it must be important enough to keep from his possession.
Anyway, Master Chen believes that the Chi You Men are linked with a group called the Mad Angels. I thought for a moment that if I made my way through the Mad Angels, I’d find Lan Di, but Master Chen and his son believe that Lan Di has already made it back to Hong Kong. Master Chen and Gui Zhang refuse to help me get to Hong Kong. Just like nearly everyone else, they refuse to understand my need to confront Lan Di. It is not a question of whether or not I can defeat Lan Di. I choose to confront him because I must confront him—much how I will win. I will defeat Lan Di, because I must defeat Lan Di. If they will not help me, then I’ll have to find my own passage to Hong Kong. Tomorrow, my goal is China.
Well, I’ve only had the mirror for a day and I’ve already almost let the mirror fall into the hands of Lan Di. A squirrely looking bald man with messed up teeth jumped into the warehouse and snagged the mirror from my hands. I had little time to act, but with the help of Gui Zhang, we managed to take it back. Master Chen believes that the man who grabbed the mirror is linked with the Chi You Men. “When the Dragon and the Phoenix meet, the gates of heaven and earth will open and Chi You will resurrect itself on Earth”. This is what Zhu Yuan Da once told Master Chen. Chi You is a legendary Chinese monster that is said to one day devour the world. And Lan Di, he hopes to make use of the mirror in order to summon this monster… apparently. Master Chen didn’t speak with flippancy, but I still find it unlikely that this is Lan Di’s true goal. Such a thing can’t be true, but I will keep the mirror from Lan Di nonetheless. If he desires it so greatly, then it must be important enough to keep from his possession.
Anyway, Master Chen believes that the Chi You Men are linked with a group called the Mad Angels. I thought for a moment that if I made my way through the Mad Angels, I’d find Lan Di, but Master Chen and his son believe that Lan Di has already made it back to Hong Kong. Master Chen and Gui Zhang refuse to help me get to Hong Kong. Just like nearly everyone else, they refuse to understand my need to confront Lan Di. It is not a question of whether or not I can defeat Lan Di. I choose to confront him because I must confront him—much how I will win. I will defeat Lan Di, because I must defeat Lan Di. If they will not help me, then I’ll have to find my own passage to Hong Kong. Tomorrow, my goal is China.
Last night I dreamt of the mirror. It was the focal point of my mind, and all I could see was the mirror itself. Every detail was magnified as I traced over its features. The symbol of the phoenix rose quickly to the center of my mind. But soon the mirror was not all I saw. Against the backdrop of the mirror itself, I saw a single bird, a hawk, flying endlessly towards the mirror. As if to be swallowed up, but never quite reaching the mirror—never quite meeting.
The morning began with the realization that I was never going to make it to Hong Kong with the money I had managed to save over the years. Fuku-san was gracious enough, however, to lend me his savings after the two of us had failed in persuading Ine-san to help. I will need to find my own way to Hong Kong since Fuku-san’s money will not be enough. Or so I thought.
Anyway before I get to that, I should mention that the cat had made its way away from the shrine in Yamanose. I went to go find it, but it appears that Nozomi also had the same agenda, and I found her, and the cat, somewhat closer to the Hazuki dojo. Megumi was so happy to have Mimi back again. Sometimes I worry that Megumi is getting too attached to the cat. Now that its leg is healed, it’s bound to move on and leave. I just hope she understands that eventually all things must end and the cat won’t be around forever. I was lucky today, but I won’t always be around when the cat goes missing.
I also showed Yamagishi-san the phoenix mirror. He explained to me the secret of Yin and Yang. In china there are objects that carry both good and bad fortune, and that perhaps this phoenix mirror is one of these objects. I don’t know how he could feel such a thing from merely looking at the object, he mentioned that the mirror felt "ominous", but I was grateful for his wisdom.
I tried the travel agency near Tom’s hot dogs, but after hearing Yuriko lament over how expensive a trip to Australia had been, I wasn’t particularly optimistic in my standing. It turns out I just do not have enough money to make it to Hong Kong by airplane. Nozomi, however, suggested I try to take a boat instead of a plane. It seems as though her grandmother must take a boat every time they take a visit to Canada. I eventually was directed to another travel agency. And after paying my fee there, I was told to wait for the specifics to be ironed out and to come back later… well, when I came back they tried to pull a fast one on me and pretend I never came and payed. A few moments alone with me and the clerk was quick to apologize. They will be calling me tomorrow, and if all goes well, I’ll be on my way to Hong Kong soon.
The morning began with the realization that I was never going to make it to Hong Kong with the money I had managed to save over the years. Fuku-san was gracious enough, however, to lend me his savings after the two of us had failed in persuading Ine-san to help. I will need to find my own way to Hong Kong since Fuku-san’s money will not be enough. Or so I thought.
Anyway before I get to that, I should mention that the cat had made its way away from the shrine in Yamanose. I went to go find it, but it appears that Nozomi also had the same agenda, and I found her, and the cat, somewhat closer to the Hazuki dojo. Megumi was so happy to have Mimi back again. Sometimes I worry that Megumi is getting too attached to the cat. Now that its leg is healed, it’s bound to move on and leave. I just hope she understands that eventually all things must end and the cat won’t be around forever. I was lucky today, but I won’t always be around when the cat goes missing.
I also showed Yamagishi-san the phoenix mirror. He explained to me the secret of Yin and Yang. In china there are objects that carry both good and bad fortune, and that perhaps this phoenix mirror is one of these objects. I don’t know how he could feel such a thing from merely looking at the object, he mentioned that the mirror felt "ominous", but I was grateful for his wisdom.
I tried the travel agency near Tom’s hot dogs, but after hearing Yuriko lament over how expensive a trip to Australia had been, I wasn’t particularly optimistic in my standing. It turns out I just do not have enough money to make it to Hong Kong by airplane. Nozomi, however, suggested I try to take a boat instead of a plane. It seems as though her grandmother must take a boat every time they take a visit to Canada. I eventually was directed to another travel agency. And after paying my fee there, I was told to wait for the specifics to be ironed out and to come back later… well, when I came back they tried to pull a fast one on me and pretend I never came and payed. A few moments alone with me and the clerk was quick to apologize. They will be calling me tomorrow, and if all goes well, I’ll be on my way to Hong Kong soon.
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