Ｓｐｒｅａｄｉｎｇ░Ｆａｉｔｈ (Faith x KNY)

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 (3)

Yokohama, Japan

May 13, 1912

Port of Yokohama

    Upon stepping off the ship and walking through the harbor, John and Father Garcia walked through the many stands and stores in the nearby towns as they searched for their next destination. John saw many things ranging from food and garments to religious items and pharmaceutical items. However, as they both walked through the fishing towns that surrounded the harbor, John couldn't help but feel as if they were being stared at, but upon noticing this feeling, John unconsciously looked down towards his uniform and found out the reason why they had been receiving said stares since the moment they walked off the S.S Whiteflower.

    If he could recall the history of Japan and its relationship with religion, he could guess why some people stared at them disapprovingly. Though it wasn't just John that felt this sense of unwelcomeness but Father Garcia as well. Garcia then nudged John, "Do you think they like us?" Father Garcia sarcastically asked as John rolled his eyes. "No, I don't think they do," John replied. As he noticed the increased amount of stares boring onto his back, John instinctively released the collar on his uniform to take it off as not to draw any more attention; but, Father Garcia stopped him. "Wait here," Garcia said as he took off towards a store a few feet away from them. Confused by Garcia's sudden exit, John followed after him; however, when John followed Father Garcia to the front of the store, John looked at the sign and knew what Father Garcia was trying to do.

    He couldn't understand what the sign at the front of the store said since he didn't know Kanji as opposed to Father Garcia, who had studied the language years before, but he could make out what the store was selling based on the contents he could see. There inside the store, within the shelves, there was clothing stacked upon each other, ranging from kimonos and hakama to western-styled suits tailored for men. Before long, Father Garcia came out of the store holding two different colored garments. Garcia tossed one of the garments to John as he confusingly looked at the black garment in his hand. "What kind of coat is this?" John asked. He looked at the garment and noticed a few differences, mainly the sleeves being short and larger in width, as well as the tail of the coat only going below the waist.

    "They're called a haori, John. These 'coats' will help us blend in." Garcia concluded as he finished putting on a grey haori. Following Garcia, John pushed his hands through the sleeves and wore the haori, hoping that it would draw less attention in the least. Once they finished putting on their new "disguises," John noticed that people weren't staring at them as much as before, which John sighed as it felt as if the pressure on them lowered. The last thing they both wanted was for someone to attack them.

    As they were walking, John piped up a question, "How'd you pay for these?" he asked as Garcia turned to face him. Father Garcia then pulled out a small bag with the top tied down with a thin piece of string. Upon shaking the bag, along with the distinct sound of coins clattering against each other, John understood. "The Vatican was kind enough to provide us with a good amount of Yen to last us a few days." Garcia finished as John nodded in approval. "Thanks to Mr. Tokugawa, the Japanese hate us." John sarcastically said as Father Garcia lightly slapped the back of John's head, "Be grateful we're here at all, and besides, not all of Japan hates Christians. There are the few bad apples, sure, but not everyone hates us." Father Garcia said as he tried to reassure John; however, he wasn't buying it.

    After traveling for a considerable amount of miles, they finally arrived at the center of Yokohama, where most of the housing and entertainment districts were situated in. The vibrancy of the city was akin to how U.S. cities looked during the day. Many people walked about the streets wearing a mixture of traditional Japanese-styled clothing and Westernized styles of clothing. As they both traveled through, Garcia led John toward a small restaurant. "When I first arrived in Yokohama, I was introduced to this restaurant," Garcia said as they both entered through the sliding door. John quirked an eyebrow as he faced Father Garcia. "I thought you said you traveled to Osaka?" John asked. "Osaka was where I arrived the second time I came to Japan. When I first arrived, I was in Yokohama." Garcia corrected him. "No wonder," John replied as he realized why Father Garcia knew his way around the place when they were traveling.