artists under white umbrellas, their crafts on display. We stopped to look at a tall sailing ship docked at the pier, and Shoko pointed at the Golden Gate Bridge arching toward the low hills far across the bay. Cyclists, joggers, and couples holding hands passed by, everyone enjoying the warm weather. Three teenage girls wearing bikinis lay sunbathing on the thin strip of sand.
Shoko started laughing. “They are almost naked!”
I blushed.
After that, we walked along the shoreline in silence. The more I processed my thoughts, the more restless I became. The silence thickened and became uncomfortable.
“Shoko, what the hell is going on?”
She walked past me and stopped in the shade of a large concrete sculpture. It took a while for her to reply, and when she did, her uncertain tone surprised me. “I do not know how I can explain this.” She kicked a dandelion head, sending its seeds off with the breeze.
“I’m ready to hear anything.”
She gave me a tiny nod. “Junya, I was not supposed to come here, but I heard about Edward from my mother and became curious. I wanted to know more about him, so I watched his house for a while, wondering how I could get inside. Then I saw you.”
I let out a deep sigh. “And you zapped me and woke me up—somehow.”
She nodded. “Yes, but I did not know that until later. After I saw you, I followed you to the library and …” She smiled. “I knew how to get you to help me.”
Judging by the way she laughed, I must have turned eighteen shades of red.
“Boys are easy to manipulate.”
“You think this is funny?” I felt like such an idiot. “I let you into my grandpa’s house! I let you steal his journal! Do you know how much trouble I’m in?”
She stared at me through squinted eyes, her face blank now, perhaps confused.
“I told you, I did not steal it—”
“There you go again! One minute you’re this … this overbearing bitch, and the next you’re all sweet and cute and …” I rubbed my hands through my hair. “Everything you do is an act.”
Her eyes narrowed, but she looked hurt.
“I bet you didn’t even bring the journal!”
Now she looked sad. “I said I would,” she whispered as she pulled the leather book from her backpack and handed it to me. “I told you at his house that I would return it.” She dropped her pack to the grass and sat down beside it, landing with a thump. “I am sorry I tricked you. I am sorry I took the journal. I am sorry I did not tell you I could speak English. And I am sorry for whatever I have done or will do in the future that will make you angry.”
“Give me a break,” I said.
“I said last night I wanted to talk and get to know you better,” she said without looking up. “I did not come here to argue.”
I wanted to say more, but I was emotionally exhausted, my brain too overwhelmed to keep up. I looked away. I wanted to run—from her, from all of this.
The message was soft but clear, like a bell in the distance. The grass at my feet, the rustle of the trees, even the air whispered to me and told me to stay and listen to her. Surprised, I turned and when my eyes met Shoko’s, I saw a girl who looked as confused and sad as I was.
I sat on the grass near her and stared out at the water. A tugboat chugged by the pier. It swayed from side to side, rocked by its own wake. I felt like that tugboat.
I turned to Shoko and stared into her eyes, but they were like pools, too deep to see the bottom. “I need to know which Shoko is the real Shoko.”
“I am always me.” She brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Perhaps I have more pride than I should—my mother says that—but I am the best at whatever I do, a leader of my classmates. I am not like people here, who act so proud but are nothing, like a golden temple with no foundation beneath it. They are too dependent, self-loving, and deluded, and yet they are oblivious to the evil all around us.” She swept her arm to take in the whole city.
Shoko started laughing. “They are almost naked!”
I blushed.
After that, we walked along the shoreline in silence. The more I processed my thoughts, the more restless I became. The silence thickened and became uncomfortable.
“Shoko, what the hell is going on?”
She walked past me and stopped in the shade of a large concrete sculpture. It took a while for her to reply, and when she did, her uncertain tone surprised me. “I do not know how I can explain this.” She kicked a dandelion head, sending its seeds off with the breeze.
“I’m ready to hear anything.”
She gave me a tiny nod. “Junya, I was not supposed to come here, but I heard about Edward from my mother and became curious. I wanted to know more about him, so I watched his house for a while, wondering how I could get inside. Then I saw you.”
I let out a deep sigh. “And you zapped me and woke me up—somehow.”
She nodded. “Yes, but I did not know that until later. After I saw you, I followed you to the library and …” She smiled. “I knew how to get you to help me.”
Judging by the way she laughed, I must have turned eighteen shades of red.
“Boys are easy to manipulate.”
“You think this is funny?” I felt like such an idiot. “I let you into my grandpa’s house! I let you steal his journal! Do you know how much trouble I’m in?”
She stared at me through squinted eyes, her face blank now, perhaps confused.
“I told you, I did not steal it—”
“There you go again! One minute you’re this … this overbearing bitch, and the next you’re all sweet and cute and …” I rubbed my hands through my hair. “Everything you do is an act.”
Her eyes narrowed, but she looked hurt.
“I bet you didn’t even bring the journal!”
Now she looked sad. “I said I would,” she whispered as she pulled the leather book from her backpack and handed it to me. “I told you at his house that I would return it.” She dropped her pack to the grass and sat down beside it, landing with a thump. “I am sorry I tricked you. I am sorry I took the journal. I am sorry I did not tell you I could speak English. And I am sorry for whatever I have done or will do in the future that will make you angry.”
“Give me a break,” I said.
“I said last night I wanted to talk and get to know you better,” she said without looking up. “I did not come here to argue.”
I wanted to say more, but I was emotionally exhausted, my brain too overwhelmed to keep up. I looked away. I wanted to run—from her, from all of this.
The message was soft but clear, like a bell in the distance. The grass at my feet, the rustle of the trees, even the air whispered to me and told me to stay and listen to her. Surprised, I turned and when my eyes met Shoko’s, I saw a girl who looked as confused and sad as I was.
I sat on the grass near her and stared out at the water. A tugboat chugged by the pier. It swayed from side to side, rocked by its own wake. I felt like that tugboat.
I turned to Shoko and stared into her eyes, but they were like pools, too deep to see the bottom. “I need to know which Shoko is the real Shoko.”
“I am always me.” She brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Perhaps I have more pride than I should—my mother says that—but I am the best at whatever I do, a leader of my classmates. I am not like people here, who act so proud but are nothing, like a golden temple with no foundation beneath it. They are too dependent, self-loving, and deluded, and yet they are oblivious to the evil all around us.” She swept her arm to take in the whole city.
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