Chapter 2

Chapter 2

T he early autumn evening is warm and breezy as I stroll through downtown Yamato. I love living here. The city buzzes with life, neon signs advertising ramen joints and movie releases, and vendors line the streets, selling yakitori, fresh fruit, and imported trinkets. The mingling aromas of street food and chili spice make my mouth water. Mmmm, I’m ready for dinner. I savor the vibrant blend of scents and sounds that define Yamato, a melting pot of cultures and traditions from Earth.

Rounding a corner, the hulking silhouettes of the Yamato Towers dominate the far skyline, their sleek, ultra-modern design contrasting with the classical Japanese pagoda architecture of the surrounding buildings. I smile at the familiar sight of home. When the buildings opened two years ago, I was able to snag a coveted one-bedroom apartment.

Lucky me.

But I’m not going home.

A few more blocks and I reach the front door of my sister Suri’s apartment building. The airy complex is a tranquil oasis amid the downtown bustle, all Zen gardens and bubbling fountains. Suri’s place has always been a little sanctuary for me. I love it here.

Ringing the buzzer, I tap my foot and wait for her to let me into the building.

“You’re right on time!” Suri says, opening the door and leaning down to hoist her toddler, my nephew, to her hip. He gurgles and reaches for me. “Oh yes, go to Aunt Winta. Perfect.” She grunts as she hands him over.

“Hey, buddy,” I say, leaning in to blow a raspberry kiss on his neck. He squeals with delight. I adore him. “How are you doing?” I ask him in all seriousness, even though his vocabulary is limited to “milk,” “up,” “Da!,” “in!” That last one is for Finn, Suri’s pair, the golden retriever who is wiggling at my feet.

“Hi, Finn.” I reach down with my free hand and scratch him on the head as I toe off my shoes in the entryway. “Been a good boy?”

Finn woofs and grumbles, and Suri laughs. “He’s always a good boy,” Suri says, translating.

I try to cover my sadness at not being able to hear him talk, but I can’t. Not today. We paired two people today. Two! In one day! That seldom happens. But it didn’t happen to me. Again.

Suri makes eye contact with me for a moment and turns to the kitchen.

“I know, I know,” I grumble, bringing Peter in to the living room opposite the kitchen. Suri and Erik moved in here two years ago, just before Peter was born. A much better situation than Erik’s tiny apartment they had been living in for three years. I still don’t know how they handled that. That place was maddeningly small for two people and two dogs.

I sit down on the couch with Peter in my lap, and Tsuki’s head pops up from her bed across the room. Erik, Suri’s husband, is paired with Tsuki, a Shiba Inu, and she’s becoming crotchety as she gets older. I think Peter irritates her a little, but she’d never show it. She loves everyone too much. She leaps out of her cozy bed, stretches, and then comes over to sit next to me for head scratches.

I’ve entered Suri’s apartment and immediately become an animal and kid magnet.

Happens all the time.

I’m not complaining.

I sigh and close my eyes, sinking into the couch. I’m tired, hungry, and out of sorts. The mouthwatering aroma of teriyaki salmon, rice, and steamed veggies wafts through the apartment, making my stomach rumble. I didn’t snack at all this afternoon. The club was too busy.

“Dinner’s ready!” Suri calls out from the kitchen.

Transferring Peter to my hip, I leave the cozy living room and make my way over to the dining nook. Tsuki trots along at my heels, ever my shadow whenever I’m here. Suri is setting the last few dishes on the low table when I enter.

“Here, let me take the little guy,” she says, reaching out to scoop Peter into her arms with a warm smile. “You get settled.”

This weekly tradition of having dinner together is such a bright spot in my life. With both of us working odd hours, it’s difficult to find time to catch up.

“This looks amazing,” I tell her as she straps Peter into his high chair and I sit across from her. “You’re too good to me.”

Suri waves a hand. “Oh please, you know I live for any excuse to cook, and Erik is working late tonight.” She flashes me a warm grin as she sits back down. “So! How was your day?”

I hesitate, not wanting to dampen the happy mood. But Suri’s caring gaze doesn’t waver. With a sigh, I decide to let go. Just let it all out.

“It was… really tough, honestly.” I fiddle with my chopsticks, avoiding her eyes. “We had two — two — new Pairings happen at the club today. The girls were so excited, you should have seen their faces…”

My voice catches in my throat as the familiar sting of jealousy rises up.

Get it together, Winta.

I’m happy for them, really.

Pushing down the lump, I continue, despite my shame of emotions.

“I’m really thrilled they’ve found their matches. Really. But it’s… it’s so hard to watch, you know? Seeing person after person leave with their new friend while I’m still standing there alone.” I chance a glance up at Suri, who regards me with nothing but compassion and understanding.

“I’m trying so hard to be patient, to trust that my pair is out there somewhere. But some days…” I trail off with a helpless shrug, poking at the food in my bowl like it deserves a good beating. “Maybe there’s something wrong with me. Why hasn’t it happened to me yet?”

The words come tumbling out now, a dam breaking on the insecurities I try so hard to bury. “I’m already twenty-five years old. Plenty of people find their soulmates way younger than me. What if… what if I’m not meant to be paired?”

Suri is silent for a long moment, watching me with her warm, knowing eyes. When she finally speaks, her voice is soft but firm.

“Winta… you know that’s not true. You’re one of the most kindhearted, loving people I know. Any animal would be blessed beyond measure to be paired with you.”

She reaches across the table to give my hand a comforting squeeze. Peter bangs his spoon on the high chair a few times. “I know it’s hard to be patient, believe me. But your match is out there. You’ve got to keep your beautiful heart open and have faith. The universe will guide you both together when the time is right.”

A few rogue tears slip down my cheeks, but I swipe them away and return Suri’s reassuring smile with a watery one of my own. Leave it to my big sister to always know just what to say.

“Thanks,” I murmur, giving her hand a squeeze in return. “I really needed to hear that today.”

“Anytime.” She winks at me, then turns her attention to digging into her bowl. “Now tuck in before this delicious food gets cold. Do you have anything else you need to talk about?”

Suri knows I come here for offloading. We both do. She tells me all about the bureaucratic craziness of working for the Interstellar Agency, the worries of everyone there as they wait for word back from the Hikoboshi mission that left Orihimé years ago, and marriage and motherhood. It’s enough to make my head spin most days.

I take a few bites of salmon, letting the flavors melt over my tongue as I gather my thoughts. Suri waits patiently, sensing I have more to share.

“Well… you will not believe the crazy morning I had,” I begin, recounting the chaos that unfolded when Itsuko went tearing through the club. “This little orange fur ball came streaking in and turned the entire library into a disaster zone. Knocked over shelves, sent the pairing animals into a frenzy. It was pandemonium.”

Suri’s eyes widen in surprise. “A fox? It wasn’t there to pair?”

“Nope.” I shake my head as I chew on a mouthful of food. “She just showed up in the doorway. One minute everything was fine, the next this little troublemaker was zipping around, causing chaos. I finally chased her back outside, but then…”

I pause, debating whether to mention the handsome noodle shop owner. On one hand, it’s really not that big of a deal. But on the other, Suri gets excited anytime I so much as look at somebody… which, admittedly, hasn’t happened much in the past two years.

Ugh, who am I kidding? Suri will see right through me if I don’t spill it.

“Well, the crazy thing led me on a merry chase through the streets until it ducked into the back courtyard of this little soba restaurant,” I continue, trying to sound nonchalant. “And there was the owner, just… feeding her scraps like she was the picture of civility.”

I shake my head at the bizarre memory. “Apparently, the fox’s name is Itsuko, and she’s paired with this guy, Daichi. He was super nice about the whole thing, even offered to come help clean up her mess at the club.” I sigh as I push the salmon around in my bowl. “I should have let him. The place was a mess,” I grumble.

Suri arches an eyebrow. “Daichi? As in Daichi Kaga, owner of Tori no Kazé?”

I blink in surprise. “You know him?”

She laughs. “Yeah. I know him. Quite well, actually. Tori no Kazé is one of the most popular spots in town. They make soba noodles by hand. Erik and I go there all the time for date nights when your nephew allows it. Daichi was written up in the Yamato Monthly in the spring. I’ve met Itsuko, too. Yeah, she’s a handful.”

She gives me an appraising look, lips twitching into a sly smile. “Do you think he’s… handsome?”

Busted. I can already feel the telltale flush creeping into my cheeks. “I mean… I guess? Maybe? I don’t know. I didn’t really notice…”

The blatant lie hangs there between us. Suri’s grin stretches even wider as I bury my face in my hands with a groan.

“Oh my gods, Suri, don’t start!” I plead, peeking through my fingers at her far-too-innocent expression. “You know how I feel about dating. I’ve had enough of it. And it’s not like that at all. He was just a nice guy who helped me wrangle his crazy pair.”

“Mmhmm, sure.” Suri’s eyes are still dancing with delight. “Well, in that case, we’ll simply have to go to Tori no Kazé sometime soon, so I can ask Daichi what he thought of my little sister. You know, just to confirm he didn’t have any untoward thoughts.” Her eyes widen.

Suri watches far too many rom-coms.

“The hell you’re not. Nope. You are not going to talk to him or mention me. Period,” I warn, all the heat draining from my cheeks. “We’re not doing that, nope, no way. Remember Taiga? He seemed nice until he dumped me for someone who would marry him right away. And then, Darius?” And Takeshi, A. J., Reiji, Hideto, Liam, Alejandro, Yusuf, Dmitri, Bram, Leif, Sergei, Nico… Ugh. I went from one heartache to the next for nearly eight years straight.

She frowns. “What an asshole.”

“Yeah.” I blow out a massive breath. “They’re all terrible. Daichi’s no different, I’m sure.”

“Erik’s not terrible,” Suri insists, and I soften.

“No, of course he’s not. You got one of the last good ones.” I poke at the food in my bowl.

But even as I protest, a tiny part of me is picturing those warm eyes and charming smile again…

I shake my head. Nope. No.

One, he’s way out of my league anyway, and two, I have no desire to be crushed by my hope for romance ever again.

Time to change the subject.

I look at Suri as I return to my meal. “Tell me all about your day.”