Shree frowned as she turned her phone on first thing after waking up. She logged into Instagram and called Mitsuo.
"Ro?" Mitsuo sleepily greeted as soon as he picked up. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Moshi moshi."
"Moshi moshi to you too," Shree said. "Did you dream anything last night?"
There was a yawn on the other end. "Not last night, but this morning."
"What was it?"
Mitsuo groaned. "Oh come on, I just woke up."
"I just woke up too, but isn't this stuff like... important?" Shree pointed out.
Mitsuo sighed. "Fine. I wanted to tell you about it too."
Mitsuo told her about her dream, how Shri made his comeback yet again in the form of Mitsuo's reflection. Shree listened intently and sighed.
"Well, his girlfriend appeared in my dream too, in the same way. It was the same concept, only I was walking down a snowy blizzard, and then there was this sheet of... ice? I couldn't see my reflection very clearly but what I saw definitely wasn't me. It was a geisha."
"Whoa..."
"And she was wearing this... this red flower kanzashi. I'm not sure if she's a maiko, but in my mind, it rang clear that the reflection was a geisha."
"Hmm... I'm not sure," Mitsuo said thoughtfully. "As far as I know, geishas don't wear any ornamental kanzashi, only maiko."
Shree sighed. "I also don't know lah. Must ask Shruti and see."
Vasu appeared from the dining hall, a surprised look on his face upon hearing the name Shruti. He immediately started shaking his head, signalling for them to not go see the older woman. But Shree countered by nodding, much to his dismay.
"Yeah, maybe we can go see her later," Mitsuo replied too. "Will she be in today? It's Saturday, after all."
Shree frowned to herself. "I'm not sure. I'll call her."
"Okay," Mitsuo said before bidding farewell.
Vasu waited as Shree took the phone off her ear before panicking. "For what need to go see Shruti?!"
"Because she's the only person who's met Misao and Shri Mohan," Shree pointed out.
"Aiya, that Shri Mohan feller disturb us in literature not enough ah?" Vasu groaned. "Still disturbing."
"Hey, at least his stories were good," Shree pointed out. "Have you read Mitsuo's?"
Vasu frowned, shaking his head. "Nope."
"You read and see, then only you'll know," Shree snorted, getting up. "Come, I take for you."Vasu sat reading in the backseat as Shree drove Sheralbon to pick Mitsuo up as promised. Mitsuo was overjoyed to see him reading his book.
"Oh my gosh! You're reading my book!" Mitsuo squealed. "How is it? Is it good?"
"I just started, only at page ten," Vasu said, flipping the page. "Ask Akka. She finished it cover to cover."
Mitsuo turned to Shree next. "How was it?"
"It was really good," Shree honestly said. "A very nice story."
"You hear that, Vasu?" Mitsuo grinned, glancing at the younger man behind him. "Be sure to finish it, okay?"
"Yeah, okay," Vasu said, closing the book and placing it beside him. "But I don't think I can finish it now. I have exam next week."
"When?" Mitsuo asked.
"Around Valentine's Day," Vasu sighed.
"And he's still playing the fool," Shree rolled her eyes. "See lah, now also reading book and sitting instead of studying. Did you study Business or not?"
"Nope," Vasu sighed. "But I am making notes though."
"Good," Shree nodded. "Ask Mom to teach you."
"She doesn't know squat about most things going on in our syllabus, says it's too detailed even for her level," Vasu pointed out. "She said MBA also not like this."
"What even is the level of this STPM stuff you're taking?" Mitsuo asked, surprised. "PhD?"
"It's like A-Levels or foundation only lah," Vasu sighed. "But see how hard?"
"If I'd known about business, I'd teach you," Mitsuo said. "But sadly, I suck at it myself." He turned to Shree and frowned. "Why don't you teach him? You did the same thing, right?"
"Yeah, but... it's been like... five years since I graduated STPM," Shree sheepishly stated. "I don't remember anything."
"Poor Vasu," Mitsuo sighed, shaking his head.
"Yeah, don't worry, Musang sent pocket notes," Vasu said, taking his phone out. "Of course, he didn't prepare it, but at least he send."
"You better read that," Shree firmly said.
"Pocket notes are fun," Mitsuo smirked. "Are they colourful?"
"Yep," Vasu snorted. "Whatever lah, what you dream ah? Akka said she dream like seeing geisha in reflection. You what? That Shri Mohan feller come and strangle you ah?"
"Not strangle, but the same way as Nika's," Mitsuo informed. "Strangle? Seriously, why?"
"Because that feller torture us in literature not enough wanna create confusion some more," Vasu complained. "How many stories of his we learned, do you know?"
"Not sure, but he sounds like an established author," Mitsuo grinned proudly. "Something which I plan to be."
"But if this reincarnation business is real, then won't that mean you already are?" Vasu pointed out.
Mitsuo now felt even more proud. Shree simply shook her head beside him, a slight smile on her face as she drove to Shruti's home on the Gasing Hill.Mitsuo grabbed the plastic bag of stuff he brought and got out of the car. He realised that Vasu was also carrying a plastic bag, aside from his copy of Timeless Love.
"You guys bring gifts when visiting someone too?" Mitsuo asked as if he didn't already know the answer.
"Yep," Vasu said. "Our grandma will always tell. 'If visiting a home with children, must bring sweets, if visiting adults, bring food or snacks, if visiting sick person bring something that would comfort them like soup or milk, and if visiting old people bring fruits or something like that.' She emphasises this like it's something we must always remember so you can already see how important it is."
Mitsuo nodded. "It's the same for us. But for us, we can't give them white flowers or a potted plant. A comb shouldn't be given too."
"Why ah?" Vasu asked, confused. "But who even brings potted plants? Comb also bad? Why?"
"Because a comb is called a kushi," Shree piped up, appearing beside them. "Ku means suffer and shi means death, like the number four. So if you give someone a comb, it's like indirectly telling them to suffer and die. White flower cannot because it symbolises funerals and potted plant because it has roots, which means ne. That means lie down, or outstretched and you don't want the person you're visiting, especially a sick one, to be in that state."
Mitsuo looked at her in surprise. "How did you know all of this?"
Shree shrugged. "My teacher once said. I read up a lot on Japanese culture too."
"Maybe this reincarnation business is true," Vasu smirked. "You really were a geisha!"
"Forget that business and focus on your business studies," Shree spat in a annoyed tone before walking towards the large mansion.
![](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/300335573-288-k511033.jpg)
YOU ARE READING
Ride on Time
RomanceShri, a writer from Malaysia who had always dreamed of visiting Japan and Misao, a Geisha from Kyoto with a kind heart and an interest for Indian movies. A love between two people from two different worlds who meet but are forced to part because of...