Stranded in the Future

Author's Note & Recap

This story is a sequel to The Tour Guide. Most of it will take place from the perspective of Ichiro, who was previously relegated to being a supporting character despite my best intentions.

I hope you'll find his journey entertaining as he adjusts to both the wonders and horrors of recession and bubble-economy Japan.

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Copyright © 2022 by Adeline Day

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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The Story So Far:

Tsutomu, a recently divorced salaryman in his late thirties, goes on a date with the mysterious Akane, unaware that she is a jorōgumo. She reveals her true form that night and manages to deliver a venomous bite before he gets away.

Elsewhere, an eight-tailed kitsune named Kumiko lives undercover as a human. She works as a tour guide during the day, and with Valentine's Day approaching, she is reminded yet again of her lonely existence. On Sunday, she encounters the badly wounded Tsutomu outside a laundromat and stays with him until paramedics arrive. As he is taken away by the ambulance, she senses a familiar presence and realizes that the salaryman is a reincarnation of her late husband, Ichiro.

A few days later, Kumiko sneaks into the hospital to find the deceased Tsutomu. She claims his soul and goes home to begin resurrecting Ichiro. The ritual proves successful, though a complication arises when Ichiro has to fight Tsutomu for control of his own body.

Things escalate when Kumiko's landlord Futoshi sees what he believes to be a ghost and hires the spiritual medium Madame Ether to scope out the apartment. Ichiro realizes he is being spied on and slips on the bathroom floor in a panic, causing a concussion that allows Tsutomu's consciousness to take over.

Tsutomu manages to escape Kumiko's apartment. Kumiko learns that her landlord is a tanuki in disguise and teams up with him to find her runaway husband. While they seek the help of Madame Ether, Tsutomu tries and fails to get close to his ex-wife Sachiko and teenage son Tetsuya. He goes to a bar to drown his sorrows and leaves with a young woman shortly before blacking out.

The following day, Ichiro wakes up in a strange house and meets Yukari, who claims herself to be an immortal being known as a flesh specter. She believes that Ichiro is one too and makes an effort to bond with him, though he faints in shock upon learning that Kumiko has lied to him and that hundreds of years have passed since his death.

Tsutomu gains control again and picks up where Ichiro left off. Futoshi, Kumiko, and Madame Ether arrive to get him back. Yukari puts up a fight, but Kumiko stops the other woman by delivering a powerful kick. Tsutomu reluctantly leaves with her and the others, though he takes advantage of his newfound attractiveness by trying to seduce Kumiko.

Meanwhile, Akane begins reevaluating her habit of feeding on handsome men and takes up work as a BDSM model. She entertains the idea of having a human pet after seeing an adult film.

Yukari tracks down Futoshi and uses him to get to Kumiko and Tsutomu. Kumiko learns of flesh specters and their regenerative abilities, which gives her hope for a happy future with Ichiro. She plans to bait Akane by borrowing the appearance of her husband and requests that Tsutomu take Yukari far away to prevent any confusion or interference.

Tsutomu complies. Kumiko shapeshifts into a man and approaches Akane in a nightclub before accompanying the jorōgumo back to her house. Kumiko reveals herself as a woman, and the ensuing battle ends in a stalemate when both sides sustain painful injuries.

Kumiko calls Futoshi to drive them back to her apartment and tells him what happened in his absence. Tsutomu and Yukari spend a few hours at the beach, then return to Tokyo, unaware of the surprise that awaits them.

Back at Kumiko's apartment, Futoshi answers a knock on the door and finds himself face to face with Ichiro and Yukari's long-deceased father, Hideo.

How will events play out for our main characters with this unexpected visit? Read to find out.