Stranded in the Future

Chapter Six: An Odd Gathering

A thud against the front door caused Ichiro to open his eyes with a start. He glanced around in horror, realizing from the faint sunlight streaming into the room that it was early morning. He remembered the task Kumiko had entrusted to him and checked to ensure Hideo was still asleep before springing into action.

How could I be so careless? I'm supposed to keep watch! Ichiro slipped off the couch and glided into the hallway. Another knock sounded outside, prompting him to increase his speed until he stood only a few inches away from the front door. He straightened his back and puffed out his chest as far as he could. "Who's there? Answer me..."

To his surprise, an aged but spirited male voice piped up. "Did you hear that? I told you there's two of him!"

"Whatever, old fart," Another familiar voice grumbled in response. "Just unlock the damn door."

A subsequent click told Ichiro everything he needed to know. Futoshi and the ill-mannered Yukari had caught on to his existence, which meant now was a suitable time to seek Kumiko's help. He retreated from the front door and glided back towards his wife's room in a hurry.

Footsteps plodded from the other end of the hallway just as he managed to slip through her door and come across two figures asleep on separate futons. He knew immediately which one was his wife, so he drifted to the left and crouched by her side.

"Kumiko, wake up, please. We have visitors!"

"Huh?" Kumiko stirred, then sat up with difficulty. She rubbed at the back of her head, drawing Ichiro's attention to the pair of fox ears sprouted on her scalp. "Who are they?"

"Your tanuki friend," Ichiro replied while directing his gaze downwards to see a bushy orange tail twitching of its own accord. He swallowed to keep himself calm. "And Yukari as well, so you might want to make yourself look more human..."

Kumiko turned and blinked. "More human? Do I look like a fox?"

Ichiro glanced at the bedroom door just as a scream of utter frustration and anguish surged through the apartment. He flinched, then resumed speaking as the bandaged woman arose to his right. "Yes, you do. I know you might still be tired, but I need your help dealing with them."

"All right," Kumiko murmured before sliding out of bed with a heavy sigh. "Just give me a moment..."

He obliged by drifting through the door to wait on the other side, only to regret doing so when he heard Yukari scream out barely comprehensible words before her voice faltered. "No, you don't understand! I'll never forgive what you've done!"

What followed was a deafening slam that produced enough force to shake every wall in sight. Then, silence fell, and Ichiro was left to slowly realize that Hideo's reunion with Yukari had been anything but joyous.

******

"She hates me," Hideo muttered with a look of utter dejection while slumped against the couch. "After everything that I did for her..."

Ichiro didn't know what it was like to be rejected by one's own child, but he still felt a great deal of pity, which made it all the more surprising when Kumiko chose to defend Yukari instead of a grieving father.

"I can't say that I blame her, though," Kumiko said in a low voice as she leaned against the side of the doorframe. "Eternal life isn't everything it's cracked up to be."

"You know, I have to agree with her there," Futoshi added, catching Ichiro's attention for the first time. He blinked and wondered why he hadn't noticed the old man standing beside something as noteworthy as a lamp stalk. "I've been in this form for seven years, so I can't imagine how tiring it must get after-"

"Do you think I know nothing about that?" Hideo interrupted with a raise of his head. "I've been forty-five for the past fifty years, and I would give anything to change at will like you lot can."

Ichiro felt neglected by such a statement, so he also decided to give his thoughts. "You seem to have forgotten about me. The most I can do is pass through walls."

All eyes fell on him, and he noticed that Hideo seemed even more bitter than before. He swallowed in regret as the shinigami prepared to speak once more.

"Perhaps. But you also have the privilege of remaining young and handsome forever." Hideo raised his left hand with an intense glare. "That is more than I can say for this aching and weathered body."

"I don't know," Futoshi countered. "I think you look pretty decent, all things-"

Hideo gave a grim laugh that fueled Ichiro's unease. "You don't know me well enough. I've become a shadow of my former self, and I only wish my daughter would appreciate what has been denied to me."

Kumiko frowned and stepped forward. "So, that's what this is all about? Eternal youth?"

Hideo turned to face her with a smirk. "Perhaps. You, of all people, should know the advantages of this gift, don't you think?"

Her jaw tightened in response, and Ichiro could tell from the perturbed look in her eyes that she was struggling to find a sufficient argument. He chose to speak on her behalf, but before he could think of what to say, another figure burst into the room.

They stopped to catch their breath, and Ichiro's jaw dropped. He felt like he was peering into a mirror that displayed a perverted version of himself, so he soon tore his gaze away and looked to Kumiko for relief.

However, her attention lay solely on the newcomer, which only gave him more grief when they began to speak in a voice that sounded extremely familiar yet alien at the same time.

"I'm sorry. I tried to get through to Yukari, but she kicked me in the shin and then ran off..." The newcomer straightened their back to examine everyone in the room, eventually stopping in front of Ichiro and regarding him with similar confoundedness. "Wait, what's going on here? Aren't you supposed to be inside of me? And who is that man in a suit?"