Stranded in the Future

Chapter Forty-One: Distant Relatives

"Finally, someone has what I want," Hideo remarked, accepting the lighter from Futoshi before using it to ignite his cigarette. He inhaled just as he had done countless times during his life as a widowed father, only to find himself unable to tolerate the burning in his throat. He let out a cough and passed the lighter back to Futoshi, so that he could press a hand against his chest for relief.

"What's the problem? Not man enough anymore?" Futoshi taunted. "Looks like I have something over you, after all."

"Silence." Hideo raised his hand in front of Futoshi's face to appear at least somewhat threatening. "There's no such thing as smoking in the Underworld."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. Fire is a precious commodity that cannot be wasted on individual pleasure."

"I see." Futoshi leaned back against the couch as Hideo put out the cigarette by stubbing it against the living room table. "So, how do you keep yourselves warm?"

"We wear appropriate clothing," Hideo replied, finding it strange that anyone could fail to understand. "Of course, shinigami like myself are only permitted to wear black and white. Bright colors are reserved for the court ladies and concubines."

"Huh." Futoshi glanced at Hideo's chest. "I guess that explains why I've never seen you out of that suit. How do you keep it clean anyway?"

Hideo frowned and wondered if such inane questions would become the norm with Kumiko's landlord. "With water and soap, which we have plenty of."

Futoshi straightened his back with a groan. "Well, sorry for being curious. I just want to know more, since I sensed something familiar inside of you earlier. Like I was meeting a long-lost friend or cousin."

Hideo's entire body stiffened as he recalled the unusual circumstances behind his birth. "What are you talking about?"

"The tanuki essence. It was heavily diluted by your human blood but was there all the same."

"You're just imagining things," Hideo said on impulse. "I'm not here to befriend you."

"That's not the point. What matters is I think I know who your father is."

"I beg your pardon?"

Futoshi held his hefty and wrinkled hands together. "You probably know that us tanuki are quite numerous, and there are at least a hundred packs living outside this city alone."

"Yes. What about it?" Hideo asked, trying hard to contain his sudden enthusiasm.

"It's not unusual for us to cross paths with each other, and gossip spreads fast even in the wild. Everyone knows about Gonza the Insatiable, who made it his goal to impregnate a female of every species by transforming into a different creature each time."

Hideo gaped, then regained enough control of his mind to shake his head in disbelief. "No, that's preposterous. Are you saying that I might be related to the bird I saw this morning?"

Futoshi shrugged like there was nothing strange about the idea. "It's possible, but Gonza did die before I was born. Chances are most of his descendants have bred out the tanuki side by now. Which leaves you as one of the only relics of his existence."

Hideo spent a few moments breathing as steadily as possible to avoid flying into a panic. He remembered how his mother Momoe had done everything she could to raise him properly in his father's absence, and it disgusted him to think that some malevolent creature saw her as nothing more than a conquest. He clenched his fists in anger.

"If this cursed story is true, then it's a shame that Gonza is already dead. I would have liked to kill him myself."

Futoshi gave a nervous chuckle and shifted back an inch. "Hey, look on the bright side. Gonza must have had good taste for you to turn out this way. You're a pretty handsome guy for your age. I bet you were a real lady-killer once."