Chapter 1 :: Introduction

Published: 04-05-04 - Last update: 04-05-04

Comments: To all my fans whose first language isn't french ^_^ Enjoy !

Chapter: 1 2 3 4

A storm was raging over the city for more than a week now. The streets of the Japanese capital should have been filled now that the school holidays were there, but it was not the case. When they had heard that a storm was coming this way most of the students chose to spend their summer holidays away from the city and go somewhere where there was sun.  

Falcon was surprised when he heard the doorbell ring. Since the beginning of the downpour there hadn’t been customers in the café. He was even more surprised when he noticed that the customer was a student. She put a big travel bag down on the floor before taking off her parka and then seating herself at the bar.  

- A coffee please.  

- Of course.  

She wasn’t Japanese although she spoke it very well but a slight accent betrayed her. While he was preparing her coffee he discreetly studied her. She was young, about seventeen and American. She was probably also in school holiday and touring Japan.  

- Excuse me, could you perhaps help me?  

- Certainly. What can I do for you miss?  

- I was looking for the message board in the Shinjuku Station but I couldn’t find it. Could you tell me if it still exists?  

Falcon stopped, chocked. He glanced towards the young girl but he could only sense genuine curiosity. No, not true. Curiosity and hope. He sighted.  

- I’m sorry, miss. The message board was removed from the station nearly ten years ago.  

He felt sadness and desperation flowing up in the girl.  

He shouldn’t get involved. Even if she was young…  

No, it’s over. It’s in the past. I quitted long ago!  

The sadness and the desperation kept growing by minute. He could no longer stand it and asked softly.  

- Were you hoping of contacting someone?  

- Yes  

- You have no other way of getting in touch?  

- No. The message board was the only way of contacting him.  

She was nearly in tears and ready to cry. Falcon set her cup of coffee down in front of her.  

- If you tell me your problem, perhaps I can help you…  

The young woman looked at him briefly before staring into her cup. Minutes went by quietly. She kept looking into her coffee while Falcon was doing the dishes, quietly, waiting. He knew she was asking herself if she tell him her problem or not.  

The girl jumped up when the cup in front of her disappeared and was replaced by a new one, steaming hot. The kindness of the keeper touched her deeply and tears began flowing down her cheeks. This was the last straw, she couldn’t keep it in anymore.  

Falcon was ill at ease. He didn’t know what to do. The doorbell rang again. His wife and his daughter were home. Giving his head a slight shake he warned them to be careful. Surprised by his warning they both came closer and saw that the girl was crying. Miki sharply turned towards her husband to ask explanations, when he quietly told her she was searching for the Shinjuku station message board.  

Miki’s heart ached. A tear rolled down her cheek. Without thinking she took the girl in her arms and comforted her the best she could in the way she would have done for her daughter.  

Minutes went by as the girl continued crying silently. Nobody had moved except for Miki who was murmuring comforting words into the girl’s ears while rocking her and caressing her hair.  

Exhausted the girl fell asleep in Miki’s arms. She picked her up and carried her into the house behind the café. Falcon gave a sign to his daughter to tell her to take the bag and the parka. Miki had laid the sleeping girl down on the sitting room sofa and was taking her shoes off. In a cupboard she took a blanket out and covered the young woman.  

- I’ll stay by her side, Mum.  

- Thank you dear.  

In the café Falcon handed a steam cup of coffee to his wife, which she drank in one gulp. Poor girl she murmured. Falcon only nodded and took her in his arms.  

-----------------------  

Evening fell, although it was difficult to tell with the storm and the rain. Falcon and Miki had closed the café. While she was preparing dinner Falcon went to see his daughter and see how their guest was doing.  

- How is she?  

- Deep asleep. She must have been exhausted.  

- Hm…  

- What will we tell her when she wakes up ? The people she’s trying to reach no longer exist and neither Mick or you have continued their work. We can’t leave her like that.  

- Perhaps we should first learn why she was trying to contact them.  

That night they each took turns to stay with their guest. In the morning she was still asleep.  

-------------------------  

Slowly the girl woke up. She was warm et she felt better. Opening her eyes she wondered where she was. Suddenly she remembered what the café owner had told her: the message board no longer existed. Once again tears rolled down her cheeks.  

- Good morning. Did you sleep well?  

The voice surprised her and she jumped up. A young woman came out of the kitchen bearing a tray, which she laid down on the low table.  

- My name is Natsumi and I’m the owner’s daughter. You fell asleep in Mum’s arms yesterday and since we didn’t know where you lived we put you up for the night. Are you feeling better?  

- Yes, thank you. I’m sorry to have bothered you.  

The girl put her shoes on and got up.  

- Hey, hold on, you can’t go like that. Here, at least have breakfast. You haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon, you must be famished.  

- I don’t want to bother you any longer…  

- You’re not bothering and besides your meal is ready, it would be a shame to waste it.  

-  

Natsumi smiled and pushed the tray in the girl’s direction. She hesitated for a moment but her stomach made itself heard just then and decided for her. Smiling she sat down again and took the tray.  

- Thank you for your kindness.  

- No problem, it’s a pleasure, hum?  

- Erika. My name is Erika.  

- It’s a pleasure Erika you’re welcome here.  

- Thank you.  

Erika picked the sticks up and started eating. Natsumi was surprised by the easy way Erika used her sticks and complimented her.  

- Congratulations, I have never seen a foreigner use chopsticks this well. Tourists usually have a lot of trouble to eat with them.  

Erika smiled a little bit and answered she was used to them. Natsumi let her finish her meal in silence. When she was ready she took the tray to the kitchen and came back with a towel and toiletry accessories. She gave them to Erika and gave her the directions necessary to find the bathroom. She was surprised but accepted the offer.  

Natsumi was cleaning up when her parents got home.  

- She’s awake.  

- And?  

- I gave her what you made for her Mum. She’s in the bathroom now.  

- Thank you sweetheart.  

- Her name is Erika.  

- Have you told her anything?  

- No, dad. I didn’t know what to tell her. I only said she was welcome here.  

- You did well.  

Miki and Falcon went into the living room while Natsumi dried the last glass and put it away. When she was done she joined her parents. As she entered the room she heard Erika coming down the stairs. Both Miki and Falcon heard it too and looked towards the stairs.  

When Erika saw them she stopped. She didn’t know why these people where so nice to her and it made her feel ill at ease. Finally she came down the last few stairs and thanked them for their hospitality.  

She took her bag and parka and turned to leave when she heard the owner ask her  

- Why were you trying to contact City Hunter? If it is indeed him you are looking for it means you are in danger…  

Erika stopped in her tracks. Who were those people?  

- Falcon is right, Erika. If you are looking for City Hunter you must be in danger. Maybe we can help you… If you want us to.  

Erika gathered all her courage to her.  

- Do you know how I can contact him, where he lives, who he is… Anything that might help me?  

- Why are you looking for him?  

Silence  

- My mother. I’ve been told he knows whom my mother is and where I can find her.  

Silence  

- Your… mother? Why don’t you tell us all about it ?  

Natsumi stepped forward and laid her arm over her shoulders. She gave them a squeeze and then led her to the sofa where she made her seat her. Natsumi seated herself to her left, Miki took the place to the right. Falcon took the chair in front of her.  

----------------------  

Erika cursed herself for not reacting. She should have left the moment she woke up but the kindness of Natsumi and her parents had touched her. Now she was trapped. A hand laid itself down on her knee as a token of support and encouragement. Once again she wondered who these people where.  

- My name is Erika Watts. I’m an orphan. Until recently I lived with my adoptive mother in New-York in the United States. She died from a cancer two months ago. I was left alone with my stepfather. You see my mother had adopted me before she met him but he nevertheless always treated me as his own daughter.  

A month ago he came to my room with an envelope addressed to me. He had found it together with my mother’s will. It’s content scarred me but I read the letter. I was surprised to see it had been written when I was only a baby and Mum had only just adopted me. She wanted to tell me why she had adopted me. She told me that she had wanted to help someone, a person very close to her but she didn’t name her. This person had been pregnant as a consequence of rape and since she was beyond the four-month stage she couldn’t abort.  

Mum helped her out during her pregnancy and when I was born she adopted me as her own. Mum told me that her friend had loved me deeply but that I also represented a lot of sad memories for her. That is why she gave me to my mum.  

Mum had cried while writing that, I could see the tear marks on the paper. At the end of the letter she told me that if I ever wanted to find my real mother again I should go to Tokyo and write XYZ on the message board of the Shinjuku Station. Someone named City Hunter would contact me and help me out.  

After I had read this letter I didn’t know what to do, so I did nothing. Until two weeks later. That’s when my stepfather died in a car accident. I was an orphan again. My father’s grandmother took me in for a few days but she was an old lady and could no longer take care of me. However no other member of my father’s family wanted me.  

I told Granny about my mother’s letter and she encouraged me to seek my real mother out. She told me she was an old lady and she wouldn’t be around much longer and that I needed somewhere to shelter safely, so if I could find my real mother again…  

She told me this three days ago. Yesterday one of my cousins called to tell me Granny had died in her sleep.  

Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. She hated herself for not being able to control them.  

- What was your mother’s name?  

- Sayuri Hisaishi.  

Through her tears she could feel the shock and surprise coming from the family. She couldn’t say why but she was certain they had known her mother. Finally she managed to control her tears and looked at the three people one by one. The daughter had her eyes wide open in surprise but they were filled with sadness. The parents were looking at each other, shocked. The mother, Miki, lifted an eyebrow towards her husband who nodded.  

----------------------------  

Sayuri… Why didn’t you tell us?  

Miki closed the door to the guest room where Erika was sleeping. They had had a hard time convincing her to stay with them for a few days. Miki was leaning against the door, thinking about what Erika had just told them. Why?  

Silently she returned to the living room where her husband was waiting. He informed her that Natsumi was calling all the others for a meeting. Miki snuggled close to him and felt somewhat better as he closed his arms around her.  

A few hours later the doorbell rang. The first member of the gang had arrived. Judging from the clicking of the high heels it could only be Saeko. A few moments later she came in and greeted them. Mick, Kazue and their daughters soon followed her. Natsumi took the girls with her to her room thus leaving the adults alone.  

- Are we all present?  

- Yes. Reika is making a trip and won’t come home for another few days.  

- All right, octopus head, what is so important you drag us out by this kind of weather. As Miki finally come to her senses and dumped you?  

- Mick! It’s no longer funny so be quiet.  

- I know but…  

Kazue took his hand and squeezed it. He squeezed back.  

- So what’s going on Falcon?  

- I don’t know, Saeko. It seems the past has come back to haunt us.  

- What do you mean?  

- Yesterday a girl came in for a coffee. She was looking for the message board.  

Painful silence.  

- When she learned it no longer existed she started crying and fell asleep in my arms. This morning she told us her story. She’s an orphan from the US and is looking for her birth mother. Her adoption mother told her she should contact City Hunter for that.  

- Well, she isn’t the first and she certainly won’t be the last…  

- Indeed, Mick. However the most interesting part of the story is her adoption mother’s name.  

- And that is…  

- Sayuri Hisaishi.  

Silence  

- Sayuri…  

- Sayuri’s daughter.  

- No, Sayuri’s adopted daughter. Erika told us Sayuri adopted her shortly after her birth. She told us that someone close to her mother came to find her when she noticed she was pregnant as a consequence of rape. Sayuri didn’t tell her that person’s name but…  

- Hold it Falcon. Are you trying to tell us that…  

- No, that’s impossible…  

- But…  

Miki interrupted them and asked them to calm themselves.  

- Easy. Neither Falcon nor I are sure about what we are saying. However I agree with him. Think about it a second. Erika’s mother was someone close to Sayuri who sends her daughter to Japan with the instruction of contacting City Hunter.  

- City Hunter… Ryo… Kaori…  

Silence  

- Do you really think she could be Kaori’s daughter?  

- I sincerely don’t know Kazue. I have never as close to her as you or Miki. How old do you think Erika is, Miki?  

- About seventeen I would say.  

- Seventeen? But that would mean that…  

- That it is all linked to our ‘trip’ in Colombia, yes.  

- Oh dear God, no…  

Chapter: 1 2 3 4