Free Spirit

Fumi 3: Stories

Warning: Mentioned of raped victim!!!

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"Ah, right! I forgot to mention to you Mr Hamada. My son did take up Japanese classes a year before we moved." said Dad with a sheepish smile while looking at me proudly.

'Heh, what can I say?'

"Though I'm a bit rusty in the language, I still remember some of the basics." I replied to an even more delighted Japanese man.

"That is okay, so long as you keep using it on the daily then you will be...uhh..."

Me and Dad looked at how flustered Mr Hamada got as he tried to find the right words for his sentence. He even moved his hand in a slow circle motion, trying his hardest to recall the word that's missing.

"...daijoubo? (fine?)" I answered for him and he immediately flicked his hands.

"Hai! Daijoubo! Fine! You will be fine if you speak nihongo (Japanese) on the daily, like my wife." And at the right time, Mrs Hamada came to her husband's side, smiling shyly at her husband's praise. "Yes, with just enough practice, I myself was able to speak Japanese as fluent as my husband." They then looked at each other with much love as if they found each other all over again.

I glanced at Dad knowing that he was missing that type of fondness with Mom. We both miss her after all.

Dad sighed with content then lazily looked at his watch. And not to my surprise that his eyes grew wide at the sudden realization that it was past lunch time already. "Geez Louise! I didn't think we'd be in here for almost an hour. Gosh, I totally forgot that we came to China Town for Zhu's." stated Dad and both the Hamadas looked at him with worry.

Dad then searched for his keys and looked at me with anxiousness, "I'm so sorry, Damien. I was so invested in the shop that I forgot we came here for dim sum at Zhu's."

I gave him a small smile for his concern, "It's okay, Dad. You have more emotion for art so I wouldn't mind to starve a little if it means for you to be happy looking at fine work like what this place has to offer." And then I gestured the whole place because I'd be lying if I said that this place wasn't beautiful – especially their secret garden.

Which reminded me of blue abyss.

I stared towards the couple and they stared at us with curiosity. "Uhh... before I say anything more – "

And that brought both Dad and the lean lady – who I assume must be the store owner's daughter – their attention.

"Yes...Damien? Go on." Said Mrs Hamada and I think she knew what I was gonna say while her husband stood there waiting for my response.

"...Yeahh, um...I accidentally wondered into a prohibited room? I guess, with how your daughter telling me off to not be in it in the first place. I do want to apologize to the store owners as well, not just to her." Then, pointing towards their daughter who had a slight blush across her cheeks since she didn't expect me to mention her to her parents.

Mr Hamada immediately asked his wife in his mother tongue, not fully understanding what I was talking about. She then spoke to him and explained what I just said in a hushed tone, afraid that maybe Dad would also understand what she was talking about.

I felt a light hand on my unbruised shoulder and Dad brought me to his face. "What do you mean 'prohibited room'? Was there a sign that said so? Did you break anything when you were there?" Dad asked the questions also in a hushed voice and with a hint of worry in his words.