#000 yen note

[bearbench-img]

イチマンエンサツ

一万円札は、日本の通貨である日本円の紙幣の一つです。これは、日本銀行によって発行された法定通貨であり、日本全国で広��流通しています。一万円札は、日本の経済活動において重要な役割を果たしており、最も高額な紙幣の一つです。

手抜きイラスト集

[aveegrex]

What now?

satosugu angst, no comfort, just purely self-indulgent piece on how I think gojo felt when everything between him and getou just ... stopped.

genre: pure angst

word count: 0,8k TW: manga spoilers, character death, lots of self-doubt and reminiscence, unresolved issues. READ IT IF YOU ENJOY BAWLING YOUR EYES OUT.

author's note: this one is to my own twisted little brain that has no idea what it's doing at likes to bask in pain and "what if's"

_____________________________________________ the chosen one, the honoured one

the incredible and the omnipotent, the awaited and the feared

silly little kid with his six silly little eyes, filled to the brim with tears, clutching on his silly little pillow and grinding his teeth so hard they threatened to start a fire.

gojo was hiding in a hotel room at some dumpster neighbourhood in tokyo. he could hear raindrops bombarding the streets, heavy unwavering walls of rain shutting him off the world entirely, muffling down all traffic and human noise outside of the tiny room that he chose as his hiding spot.

normally if he wanted solace he would have gone to some fancier establishment, the one where they provide guests with spa access and fine dining on the house. But as he was wandering around tokyo, his nerves on fire, his feet dragged him to this specific place, where sheets still smell like one night stand cum and ac units cry of old age.

they once had a mission nearby with suguru, and gojo then was shocked to realise the building was in fact inhabited.

he has no idea how much time has passed, nor that he cared. no, now his whole undivided attention was dedicated to beating himself inside. to asking himself the same questions over and over again

what if I stayed by his side? was it necessary to turn my back to him? could I have been more patient?

gojo was always a lonely kid - that's what happens when one's family makes sure that not a single drop of a child's talent goes to waste. he didn't have friends, didn't have his first love, first kiss, first anything remotely social. he wasn't human to his family, merely a tool, a weapon of mass curse destruction, the one to be always perfected and updated, but not loved.

suguru told him he was human. he made fun of gojo, he had fun with gojo, he joked around and smiled and shared his music tastes with gojo. suguru slapped gojo across the head when gojo asked if 1 000 yen is enough to buy chips, and was the first one to shove a donut from 7/11 in gojo's mouth as they ogled at stolen playboys behind the corner.

and now suguru was a shaman gone rogue, a mass murderer. dead, on top of all that, completely and utterly gone, nonexistent in any percievable universe. gojo wondered, if he himself is still human after that.

maybe if I stayed by his side? would I still have a friend if I stayed? would everything be back to how it used to be?

a new wave of sorrow and despair washed over him, and gojo tried to lift himself up to sit, but uncontrollable sobs shook his form and he bent down, grabbing his disheveled locks and screaming.

was I too selfish to walk other way? am I a traitor to not save him from himself?

his mind split in two, or so it felt. polar opposite narratives, polar opposite lines of thought pounding in his brain and gojo wondered if it was his punishment.

coward, traitor, egotistical moron. - visious whispers of billion voices expolding in him, and gojo hit his head, nearly knocking himself out.

he chose his demise, you'd just fall deeper after him if you stayed, - a voice of reason joined in to the choir. was it reason though, or was it self-preservation? his brain trying to keep him at least somewhat sane, avoiding an ugly truth.

alone, alone again, with no hope of finding anyone to fill the giant suguru-shaped hole in his soul. Suguru must have been a true villain to show Gojo what soulmates are. He must have been a true villain to stomp on Gojo's principles and ideals, on his boundaries and limits, and at the same time show him the joy of human intimacy. Suguru, this monster, made a strong bond to Gojo's heart out of razor sharp steel, and each tug gave Gojo the purest pleasure and horrible pain.

Gojo cried, and the skies cried with him, as he fisted the damp sheets, in order to at least somewhat ground himself. To focus on what now, not countless what if's shredding his soul to pieces.

The AC unit creaked and cried, sending cold air to Gojo's sweaty back.

I don't deserve to give two shits about myself now.

I only deserve to be alone

Gojo exhaled and took a peak at the clock. 6:42. He has to pick up some Zenin bastard kid in twelve hours.

His thoughts drifted again, and he mentally slapped himself. No solace yet, he's not yet allowed to think of anything worldly.

6:43

What now?

[illyria-and-her-pet]

“If I was in his situation, I would want help. The only thing I could do was help him. I just did what I would want if I was standing in the opposite position,” 25-year-old Tijana Stojkovic, whose Instagram handle is d_treefairy, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

Parchment, who created one of the biggest upsets at the Games on August 5 by posting a season's best 13.04 seconds to beat favourite Grant Holloway of the US, drew attention to his pre-semi-final plight with a video post yesterday on his Instagram page that went viral.

In the almost four-minute video, Parchment, while on his way to thank Stojkovic, relates how he had boarded the wrong bus because he was listening to music and didn't hear what the people loading the bus were saying.

He said that during the journey he eventually realised that he had made an error and the bus took him to the venue of an aquatics event.

“They were telling me that I had to come back to the [athletes'] village and then take another bus to the stadium. And if I had done that I wouldn't get there in time to even warm up,” he said, adding that he then tried to get a ride to the stadium in one of the motor cars associated with the Olympics but was told he would have had to have booked the vehicle in advance.

“I saw this volunteer and I had to beg. Of course, she is not allowed to do much, and she actually gave me some money to take one of the taxis affiliated with the Games. That's how I was able to get to the warm-up track at the stadium with enough time to warm up to compete and that's just awesome,” Parchment related.

The video shows Parchment greeting Stojkovic, asking her if she remembered him, then showing her the gold medal which he was able to win because of the help she gave him.

“I came back to repay you and show you something. You were instrumental in me getting to the finals that day,” he said to Stojkovic.

“Really? Can I take [a] photo?” she asked on seeing the medal.

“Yes, that's just because you helped me to get to the stadium,” Parchment said as he reimbursed her the money she had given him and presented her with a Jamaica branded shirt.

“I didn't do anything special,” Stojkovic told the Sunday Observer. “I had only a 10,000 yen note, so I gave him the 10,000 yen note. The Olympic Games may not have been held [because of the novel coronavirus pandemic], but when it was miraculously held, he came here to Japan and there are many things that he does not understand because it is a land he does not know.”

Stojkovic said she just knew she was supposed to help the Jamaican.

“I thought that if I couldn't do anything here I would regret it for the rest of my life. I wasn't allowed to give money, but I gave as much money as I had. All I could do was deliver him to the venue and I just did what I could,” she said.

She told the Sunday Observer that she didn't expect to see Parchment again. In fact, she didn't get a chance to watch his race, so she had no idea he had won.

“I didn't understand anything for a moment, and after I noticed the gold medal I was surprised. I was thinking, 'Did I help such a great person?' I was really surprised that I did something amazing. I was really happy. I was so happy that he brought me a lot of surprises. I will treasure these memories for the rest of my life,” she related.

“He told me he would definitely come back, but I didn't want to overdo it, because I would be busy... I didn't ask for a reward. I didn't know who he was. After he came back, I noticed that he was a famous person. So I was surprised and couldn't accept the situation at first,” the Japanese woman said.

Commenting on the shirt Parchment gave her, she said: “I like it because it's a very comfortable material.”

Asked if she had ever been to Jamaica, Stojkovic said no. However, she said the hurdler told her that he would love for her to visit the country.

“He told me to come, so I'll work hard to make the money for the visit,” she said.

Stojkovic, said that since Parchment posted the video online she has been getting a lot of Jamaican followers on Instagram, who are showering her with love.

“I am surprised. On the contrary, I am grateful that so many people are pleased,” she said.

[letskidnapsenpai]

General prompt 15. with Tenya Iida

Fandom - Boku no hero academia/My hero academy

Pairing - Iida x reader

Type - Drabble

Warning - None

Prompt - ,,How much money would you give me to flip this table, right here, right now, in the middle of class?”

Author's note - I know it's short, I just wanted to write this prompt and even though I don't like the end, I think it's nice 💖

Iida was announcing some new stuff, since Aizawa didn't have time to tell you himself and his monologue was getting more uninteresting by every second. You loved him with your whole heart, but when it came to school he was really boring.

„Hey, Kaminari?" You whisper-yelled at one of your best friends across the class. „Hm?" He barely raised his head from it's position on his desk. ,,How much money would you give me to flip this table, right here, right now, in the middle of class?" You asked with grin and the moment your question got to Kaminari's ears he turned around to find out if you're kidding. You weren't and you stood up as soon as you saw Kaminari raise all ten fingers, neither of you knew where he's gonna get 10 000 yen, but all that mattered at the moment was pissing your boyfriend off.

„What you did was really irresponsible, what if you broke it?" When Iida saw what you did, he only told you to put it back as it should be and then he ignored you for the rest of school, now you're both at your dorm room, sitting on bed. „I didn't tho." You rolled your eyes and you saw how it only fueled Iida's anger. „What would Aizawa-sensei think if I let you do something like that on my watch?" His scolding continued an you fell backwards into your bed. „I made 10 000 yen from Pikachu just by doing it." You raised your head to see his confused expression. „That's immature behavior, paying you to get into problems" His glasses slid down during his monologue about your end Kaminari's childish behavior so he raised hand to push them back on. „I didn't got into problems, because you wouldn't tell anybody what your awesome and cool girlfriend did, because you love me." You crawled to him and smiled sweetly. „It's also really irrespons-" He didn't have time to complete his sentence before you silenced him with your lips. He came to his senses swiftly and returned your sweet kiss. His hands roamed on your sides before settling at your waist while yours tugged at his hair.

[simplescreencaps]

Lupin the 3rd Part 2 - The Sirloin ( Location Notes )

Episode 01: The Dashing Entrance of Lupin III or The Return of Lupin the 3rd

The Sirloin, a super-deluxe ship, has just been completed and on October 3, she begins her world tour maiden voyage from Lisbon.

"The Sirloin is the most luxurious ship built in this century. It cost 1.2 trillion yen and took 5 years to build. It weighs 250, 000 tons, is 500m long and 65m wide with 130 cabins for 6,500 people. It cruises at 75km/h."

Levels: 13 / / Locations: 38

(L6) Restaurant (Dub: Gourmet Restaurant)

(L7) Theater (Dub: Multiplex Theater)

(L3/L5/L6) Pool

(L8/L10) Clinic (Dub: Cocktail Lounges)

(L7) Ski Facility (Dub: Ski Jump)

(L3) American Football Field (Dub: Football Field)

(L5) Race Track

(L4/L6) Police Station (Dub: State-of-the-art security)

others: hospital and bank. many locations not listed or clear.

In Japanese Jigen describes it as a "moving hotel, or more like a moving town," in the anime. In the Dub, Jigen describes it as not being a boat but rather "Las Vegas with seagulls."

#updatedwhenever

[pokemon-merch-news]

Celebrate the pseudo-legendary pokémons with this new line! The line will be available on October 26th, 2019. Here’s the line-up:

- Plush - 3 000 yen - Mascot plush - 1 200 yen - Dratini neck pillow - 2 500 yen - Bagon tissue box cover - 2 500 yen - Deino puppet - 1 600 yen - Goomy shower bush - 1 000 yen - Hourglass - 2 000 yen - Gible coin purse - 1 500 yen - Key case - 2 100 yen - Mug - 1 700 yen - Acrylic charm collection - 500 yen - iPhone 8／7／6s／6 case - 2 880 yen - Universal phone case - 3 000 yen - Blanket - 2 800 yen - Hand towel - 500 yen - Face towel - 1 000 yen - A4 clearfile - 460 yen - Sticky notes - 700 yen - Masking tape - 600 yen - Charms collection - 700 yen - Card pouch - 1 500 yen - Tote bag - 1 800 yen - Pouch - 1 800 yen - Set of bento - 1 200 yen - Stainless steel bottle - 2 000 yen - Sweets - 700 yen

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 24 of Tropical Rouge Pretty Cure, in which the Tropical Club compete against the student council in a quiz show.

The episode begins with Yuriko being interviewed, when a banner the Tropical Club was putting up is accidentally blown away by the wind and ends up knocking Yuriko and some of the camera crew into a fountain. Embarrassed by this incident, Yuriko threatens to have the Tropical Club suspended, which Asuka responds is an overreaction on her part. The girls are interrupted by one of the people from the interview, who notes the attention the clip from the interview has gotten, and he’d like to invite all six of them to take part in a quiz show he’s hosting, suggesting they settle their dispute there.

Yuriko agrees to the challenge, even promising she’ll let the Tropical Club off the hook if they manage to win over the student council’s team. Asuka accepts her challenge.

At the quiz show, the Tropical Club, student council and three other teams compete, with whoever gets the most points in the four challenges winning. The first challenge has the teams having to answer a question using cards with numbers on them. Minori realizes the answer is 1000, but the cards only have numbers from 1 to 10. Minori soon realizes the solution, as the host never said they needed to use only one card. She manages to answer the question first, earning the Tropical Club five points, while Yuriko, who figured it out shortly after, gets four points for the student council. The next challenge has the teams having to answer a true or false question. Laura thinks she knows the answer, but because she was going off of information based on something only someone from the Grand Ocean would know, she ends up getting it wrong.

The next challenge has the teams dressing up one of their own in layers of clothing, having to be careful not to go over 10 000 yen. However, Manatsu accidentally messes it up by picking out some cute earrings that end up bringing the total number too high. The student council have taken a huge lead.

However, the Tropical Club still have the chance to win if they can answer the final question first, what is the name of their city? However, they need to find a certain button before answering, but there’s no such buzzer button in sight. Thinking back to earlier, Minori recalls that the host mentioned a button exhibit among current events in the city, and the girls realize the button must be at the museum. Asuka and Yuriko get into a race, both running as fast as they can to reach the button first.

In the end, both hit the button at almost the same time. Before the showrunners can confirm who hit the button first, Dr. Numeri shows up, having gotten back from her summer break. She turns the button into a Zettai Yaraneda. Asuka tries to draw the Zettai Yaraneda’s attention away from Yuriko and the camera crew, but her attempt fails when their questioning of what’s going on gets its attention anyways and it proceeds to drain their motivation. The rest of the Tropical Club catch up to Asuka, and they transform to fight the Zettai Yaraneda.

Cure Flamingo complains about the noise as their attacks keep hitting the buzzer button on the Yaraneda, and she uses her Heart Rouge Rod attack to weaken it, allowing for Cure La Mer to take back the stolen motivation and then purify it. Yuriko awakens, wondering what just happened. The camera crew and the host also regain consciousness, and realize they need to look over the footage in slow-motion to figure out who pressed the button first.

Looking at the footage, they determine that Asuka barely touched the button before Yuriko did, before the footage cuts out. The girls are relieved the Zettai Yaraneda and the fight against it wasn’t caught on the cameras. Asuka answers the question, and the Tropical Club wins. Yuriko is annoyed she lost, but she keeps her promise. Sango and Manatsu say some words about the city and the school, with Manatsu also offering to let Yuriko say some words to promote the school. It ends with the host telling Manatsu she’s talking for too long, Manatsu asking if Minori would like to say some words, and Laura complaining that she hasn’t gotten to say anything yet.

A pretty good episode, with some focus on Asuka and Yuriko. Still want to know what their history is, though. It was also nice seeing Masami again in a small role in this episode. I also particularly liked the part where Asuka tried to save Yuriko and the camera crew by trying to draw the Zettai Yaraneda’s attention and risking letting her own motivation power being taken. I just thought that was a good moment for her.

I’ll be looking forward to the next episode!

[sunflowercakemix]

Chuuya Nakahara x fem/Reader

/ Part 2

Reader P. O. V

,,..... There's waffles in the air, but flour in my hair.... " I sang softly carrying a large tray of cakes from the oven through the buzz of the bakery kitchen. The warm vanilla scent embraced me from the back as I got further from the oven station just for to quickly be replaced by the crisp air filled with the sound of crackling, wisking and busy foot steps from the main baking area. I change my singing tune happily as I develop a bounce to my step, my happiness blossoming into a little flower in my chest only for it to wither away with a loud yell " OI, L/N MOVE IT OVER THERE! THE CUSTOMERS AIN'T GONNA WAIT THE WHOLE MORNIN'!"

A sour thought and expression follow from me "Wow boss you really know how to motivate, eh?". I wave my boss away placing tray of cakes on a large table and walking out of his sight.

Right as I step back into the main kitchen I go back to tending to my flower of happiness, enjoying the scent playing in my nose. "Back to work Y/N!" I tell myself.

On their own my hands start moving, picking up flower and sugar. Trough my fingertips I let my emotions flow, right into the bowl with the mix. I let the stars of my dreams and lightning of my fear melt away in the bater, just to pour it in the mold to shove it in the oven to settle.

Closing up my first batch of the day I steal a glance at the people at the cash registre. I smile softly wishing I could see their faces or hear their heartbeat when they take the first bite, to see them be engulfed in the world I've baked. A smile tugs on my warm cheek one more time as I go back to baking with a new tune to my lips to my bosses dismay.

Third person P. O. V

Black hallways of the Port Mafia building echoed with the steps of a coat draped ginger wallking through them. The shallow sound following him all the way to large doors to his bosses office.

,,... Boss" the ginger said stepping inside.

,, Ah, Chuuya-kun you're here!".

Chuuya's boss, Mori Ougai, leaned to look at him from his kneeling position from the floor in front of a young blonde girl.

Chuuya quickly bowed ,, My apologies for interrupting you Sir but you quickly requested me to come here"

Mori started getting up from the floor. ,, In fact I did. The situation is rather urgent. Some of our smmuglers have turned out to be in fact another organization stealing from us. They have stolen an impressive amount of our cargo. " He sat at his desk ,, An impressive amount that's worth over 80 000 yen on the black market"

Chuuya nodded to this ,, So what's the plan?"

,, You'll take the Black Lizard on a raid to their hideout, leave the leaders alive and bring them to me. Understood?"

,, Yes boss! "

,, Good."

Chuuya bowed again as he exited the office.

                                 - || -

,, Damn it! The sun is gonna kill me." Chuuya cursed under his breath as he walked in front of a large tunnel. ,, Oya, and underground organization? This just might finnaly become interesting." he thought with a smirk.

Feverish red glow started to appear around him, his footsteps increasing in force 10 times as he started to walk inside of the darkness of the tunel.

,, These fuckers really are about to see what it's like to be crushed by gravity. "

Reader P. O. V

The noons in the bakery were always quiet so it wasn't very surprising to see most of my co-workers lazing around or smoking outside by the park.

These were also the times I used to work on my own recepies and notes since the kitchen was mostly empty.

The soft spikes of silence were scraping on my back as I was measuring honey over a bowl. I was enjoying my peacfull time until an explosion ripped from the park.

Dropping my utencials in shock, I snap my head towards the glass door where I see my co-workers gathering outside. I hurriedly join them, shaking.

They are yelling and pointing to the park near by, all of them soon silenced by another much bigger explosion. This one being followed by a wave of red glow pushing the whole crowd away.

,, Fuck no, I'm not dying today!!" was all my shaken up brain could muster.

My wobbly legs carried me back inside, where it was crammed with people. Both bystanders and workers.

Another explosion roared piercing the glass. ,, GURL get the hell out of here!" my head yelled and I listened. Pushing out through the crowd I found my way to the back ally behind the bakery. Hiding behind old boxes and garbage cans I hugged my knees hoping to calm my heart, wich was about to burst from fear. My hiding spot smelled like shit, but my best hope was that shit was gonna get blown up instead of me.

Third person P. O. V

Chuuya sent another piece of concrete flying ,,Hirotsu, call for back up!! We're losing here!!!".

As he yelled the piece he had sent flying  came back at him full force, followed by a wave of green acid.

,, Damn gifted..." Chuuya wipped the blood of his lip. The boss didn't tell him that the three leaders seem to have very powerful abilities. Two of them being the one he was fighting now.

One of them being able to copy his opponent's attacks the other one being able to control acid. The Black Lizard was currently fighting the third one, who was able to multiply herself.

No wonder they were able to steal so much.

Chuuya kept on attacking trying his best to then dodge his own moves, plus a rain of acid.

,, This is the feared Port Mafia?!?" asked the acid controler mockingly. ,, Im surprised you even figured us out with the weak ass game you showing here!" he yelled walking over to Chuuya who was now laying on the ground. The acid guy smirked and with a whip of his hand sent a hit of acid across Chuuya's chest.

Chuuya yelled from the pain. He tried to attack again, the pain on his chest making him weaker. The acid controler was preparing another hit when a black shadow punched through the air knocking him to the ground.

Chuuya tried lifting his head ,,Aktagawa?". He didn't get an answer just an image of a man in a black coat with a blonde female at his tail shooting.

Explosions different from earlier started forming around, stepped up by gun shots in the back.

Weak from his injuries Chuuya couldn't move until a nasty blast blew him away, knocking him unconscious while the shots contuied in the back.

Reader P. O. V

My knees and my mind kept shaking. I heard screams in the far open. I wanted join them in their demonstration of fear but I also felt like I needed to do something to help. Yet I stayed there quvivering.

I shut my numb eyes, I forgot how to blink in this ruckus, until I heard another blow closer to my hiding spot.

"FUCK I'M GONNA DIE" I thought

A thud followed, I got up ready to run until I saw body of an unconscious man laying in the beging of the ally way.

,, Someone else will help him.... " I looked around for that someone then another explosion came. ,,Aaaand that someone is me!"

I ran over to him and pulled him back to the place where I was hiding.

The bangs and thuds continued to bloom all around us. I looked over at the ginger man I pulled from the street hoping he would wake up so we could run from here.

He was out cold.

I couldn't just leave him there but neither could I run with him like this , so I just hugged my shaking knees again, praying that this would end soon.

Reared P. O. V

The chaos was finnaly cleared when it was deep in the night. The silence following it even harsher then the sounds of explosions before it.

I peeped out of my hidding, I saw police helping the scared or the injured on the streets but avoiding the area of the explosions.

I heard something shuffle next to me I quickly turn to find the ginger man opening his eyes.

With a lot of effort two bule eyes started looking into me.

,, Who the hell are.... You?!?" he snapped through his teeth.

,, Ummm.... Y/N... I'm Y/N!"

He kept panting and staring at me. ,, You better not be... AAGH!!" He yelped mid sentence clutching his chest.

,, Oh my god, are you ok?!?" I ask quickly.

He didn't answer.

,, The police is over there they can help you and.. "

,, NO, not the police! Just..." he went quiet again.

I looked at him worried. "He's not dying. Is he?!" I thought. Back at the street the sight seemed to have cleared. I put his arm over my shoulder.

,, What are you doing?!?" he snaps at me.

,, Sshh I'm gonna help you. Try to stay concious!"

Pulling the man with me through the back door into bakery kitchen I helped him sit on a table and lean against the wall.

,, Where are you hurt?" I ask. He points to his chest. I'm not given a chance to say more because he just started taking of his shirt.

A blush runs to my face. ,,Stop standing there and help me out. Do you have a faucet over here?" he asks. I lead him to the faucet where he washes what I now notice to be a burn. After washing it off he bandages himself up with the first aid kid I dug up from the drawers.

,, How are you feeling now?"

,, It hurts, but I'm better now" he replies. ,,Thank you.... erghh.. "

,, Y/N"

,, Thank you, Y/N"

His head leans against the wall making his hat drape over his eyes. ,, And mind if I ask who are you? " I cautiously break the silence.

He looks back at me,, Im Chuuya. Chuuya Nakahara"

,, Nice to meet you then, and one more thing why did you avoid the police when you clearly need help?" a little bravery awakes in me as I speak.

,, You don't play around, huh? Don't worry about that my boss took care of that" a smirk grows on his lips ,,You should worry about you breaking in here"

,, Hah! Nice try but I work here" I smirk back with pride.

,, What you're a baker?". He winces from pain a little as he speaks.

,, Mhm" I answer ,,Are you sure you are ok?"

A sighs comes out of him ,,I am just... Can you help me with my shirt, I... need to get going"

I sport a faint blush again as I help him with his shirt and coat. ,,You are sure about this? You don't seem ok"

He fixes his hat as he weakly gets off the table ,, I am".

Even with that strong reply I still am not convinced ,, Like 100% sure? "

I hear a light chuckle from him ,, 100% sure, thank you again Y/N" he tips his hat towards me.

,, It's nothing, hope you get back, wherever you came from, safe. Chuuya"

As I watch him leave through the back door with a weak step I try to sink in the strange man I had just met.

Chuuya P. O. V

The plush of the pillow in infirmary supported my head as the doctor tied new bandages to my back. The burn from that acid asshole was sure to leave a scar he said.

,, A-and that should do it" the doctor said. Soon after that we heard the door open.

,, How are you Chuuya-kun?". I recoginsed the voice and got up.

,, Much better Boss"

He nodded his head and as if on que the doctor left the room to us.

,, Im sorry to be the barer of bad news but I have to tell you that the group  got away, and that the most of the cargo was either destroyed or used in the battle"

,, THOSE SONS OF A BITCH" I stumped my fist on the mattress

,, Calm down Chuuya. This is a great loss for the Mafia but if we manage to catch them we will get much more than we have lost"

,, What do you mean?"

,, This organization has been trying to overthrow the Port Mafia by making deals with other groups. If we kill them we will get the money they offered to other groups and get fear in the bones of those who belived they could beat us." he paused to look at me ,, But for that I expect to see you back at work soon"

I nod ,, You will boss"

                               

                                    - || -

I was going back from the head quarters, carrying with me weight of a failed mission. It stung even worse than that burn on my chest.

I started looking around the streets of Yokohama thinking how a nice a bottle of wine will ease my sorrows when I get home.

This was the plan until I noticed a broken glass door. Behind it a familiar sighing sillouet tapping her fingers on the registre.

I decided to drown my troubles with something else.

Reader P. O. V

It's been three days since the bomb attacks and because the bakery was the closest to the scene of crime many people have become scared to come here, and the few gossipers wich did show up were only greeted with broken shop windows.

Guess that was preety flavorless for them since they never stayed long to buy anything.

Ticking of the clock was the only thing keeping me company. For the first time I couldn't wait to get out of here. The closing shifts were never fun.

Ticking then got interrupted by the sound of the bell above the door signaling a customer.

,, Is this still open?" the customer asked.

To my great surprise it was the man I pulled from the street.

,, Oh, it's you!?"

He walked over to the counter. ,, Hello Y/N"

Damn, he even remembers my name. ,,Um, hi! What brings you here?"

I ask.

,, I noticed you on the counter and rembered you work here, so I thought I should try what you gotta offer" he replied now looking at the displayed cakes and sweets.

Light crackles through me. This is my chance. ,,You know these displayed ones aren't the best tasting ones, right?" he raises an eyebrow to this ,,Really?"

,, Yup! Sit over there I'll join you soon". I run towards the kitchen and start cutting up a piece of strawberry cake I baked with my own recepie. The one boss refused to display.

     

                                 - || -

Carrying my pride and joy back I find the man sitting at a table looking around.

,, Heree you go~" I sing placing the cake in front of him. As he examines the piece I sit beside him placing my head on my hands. Heart thumping in wait to see his reaction.

Chuuya P. O. V

I wanted to grab a pastry and leave and yet I ended up here. Sitting in front of a girl with litteral fireworks pouring out of her eyes.

,, You really love your job, eh?" I ask. She laughs ,, My, my what gave it away!"

,, Your eyes and how you litteraly jumped at an opportunity to give me this cake" I honestly reply, turning my eyes back on the cake.

She crooks an eyebrow ,, You really don't miss anything?" she smiles ,, And I gotta say you're absolutely right. But I think it will be even clearer when you try the cake. Now chop, chop!"

I listen to her and place a fork in my mouth.

I feel my eyes go wide. It's like I just swallowed a ball of melted flowers in my mouth.

,, You.. You made this!? " I ask. Her sparkling eyes were on the verge of popping out. ,, I did. Do you like it?!"

,, It's amazing!" I greedily take another bite. A smile rivaling the sun appears on her face. Warming up the room.

The cake soon dissapered from the plate wich her didn't fail to notice.

,, Would you like some more?" she smirks. I cover my half full mouth to answer ,, Yes please!"

A chuckle follows her as she grabs the plate from me.

Soon she comes back. ,, You know I'm really glad you stopped by today! Since that whole bombing incident we haven't had many customers."

Guilt starts to wash over my throat. ,, Really?"

,, Yeah, it's not that fun without customers. Seeing their faces when they eat our treats to me is the greatest charm to baking!" she leans her head back smiling.

I continue to enjoy the cake and Y/N's radiating happiness when she speaks up again.

,, By the way, how did you end up getting caught in that blast back then? If you don't mind me asking."

I choke up a little. ,,I had buissnes there".

Her eyebrow quirks again ,, Some dangerous buissnes, eh? I hope your injury wasn't too bad"

Trying to brush off the conversation I say ,, I'm fine now thank you for asking".

,, You do kinda give me the gangster vibe". I don't think she knew how dangerous those words were.

,, Anyhow, I should get going. How much will this be?" I get up from the table.

,, It's on the house" Y/N says.

,, Hah! Do you do this for all your customers?" I laugh

,, Nah, only for the ones I like and besides" she gets up from her seat ,, You gave me the positive feedback I need to get that cake on the menu so thank you for that!"

The room felt warm again with her words I couldn't help but smile myself

,,In that case I'm glad I stopped by"

I walk over to the door as her voice rings through the room ,, Come again soon!"

[marrylissa]

Finally able to finish the artwork within the day despite the difficulty that I made and trouble myself... //+___+\\ To be honest, I never done any expensive shoppings before especially when it comes to women’s shopping desire (e.g: clothes, handbags, shoes, make-ups, gadgets etc.), except when it comes to books, foods, some important things to buy or stationary (or manga tool kits!). So the prices might be not that fit the theme...//@~@\\

Oh, and my students’ examination week will be next week, urgh!

For Inktober 2018 Challenges:

Day 22: “Expensive”

New dads from Goat are making appearance this time! This scene is based on @hamliet-san’s TG story -The (Mis) Adventure of Goat; I remembered in one scene where Ui asked Tsukiyama where to buy some expensive babies and toddlers’ clothes and made a note of it. So Daddy Shuu is taking the other fathers -Ui, Kaneki and Arima for some window shopping. He showed the nervous Ui some expensive boy’s clothe that cost 40, 000 Yen each! Kaneki and Arima checked on the girls’ clothes that pirce tag was 45,000.00 Yen, more expensive than the toddler!

This scene is happened a few days after Nozomi was born but before X-mas Celebration. :)

[pokemon-merch-news]

Pokémon Center teams up with Fernandes and Milkfred to bring us some rockin’-cool items!! The line will be available on October 12th, 2019. Here’s the line-up:

- Guitar - 55 000 yen - MILKFRED sweater - 12 000 yen - MILKFRED Cap - 4 800 yen - MILKFRED shoulder pouch - 3 800 yen - MILKFRED T-shirt (M／L) - 5 000 yen - Standard plush - 2 400 yen - Mascot plush - 1 200 yen - Pass case - 300 yen - Muffler tower - 1 000 yen - Mini towel - 2 000 yen - Mini wallet - 2 500 yen - Card pouch - 1 600 yen - T-shirst collection - 1 800 yen - 3-pairs socks - 1 000 yen - Stainless steel bottle - 2 500 yen - Acrylic charm collection - 500 yen - iPhone 8／7／6s／6 case - 1 880 yen - Pins - 600 yen - Masking tape set - 600 yen - Set of 2 A4 clearfiles - 460 yen - Assorted seals - 500 yen - Sticky notes - 400 yen - Sticker - 400 yen

[mood-report]

Searching Non-Correlation

Had no idea the SPX would gun for the previously cited 4235-4263 zone in a single day.

Nor did I see any market internals that encouraged me much, especially the entire S&P 100 index closing red with the exception of Lockheed Martin. 

Big picture, the USD has now entered what I call the counter-intuitive Deflation Zone (chart from this post, Jan 2021), where it does more harm than good globally (100+).

With peak inflation rhetoric reverberating everywhere and bearish sentiment at multi-decade extremes, it must sound absurd to doubt it will continue.

But markets rarely travel in a straight line (though they can trend far longer than we think).

Whether USD is riding the extreme moves in the bond market as well as eurodollar futures (which have largely erased the setup I was noting just a few months ago) is uncertain, but my latest theme is turning to “liquidity begets illiquidity.”

This is where things can break.

Has liquidity flowed into commodity markets thereby putting pressure on available dollars in a world where dollar liquidity is already stretched?

That’s the idea.

“Liquidity begets illiquidity” might explain the recent outperformance of precious metals vs cryptos, as well as the outperformance of commodities (though pausing of late) vs high-flying growth stocks.

Perhaps we could call it the scarcity correlation. Scarcity is bid. 

Check out these USD correlations, taken Thursday.

USD vs Corn 89

MOS (fertilizer stock) 89

EQT (Nat Gas stock) 89

ARCH (coal stock) 89

Soybeans 86

XES 85

Nat Gas 84

XOP 82

VIX 000

ARKK -81

Notes -84

FXI -87

EEM -90

TLT -93

Bonds -93

Yen -94

LQD -95

If something were to suddenly snap, I’d want to be long USD non-correlation and short high correlation in a hurry.

We may be witnessing the most intense Fed jawboning ever. And, from a market psychology perspective, current sentiment is feeling a lot like the “surprising disappointment” of an Elliott fourth-wave (see “Wave Personality” in Elliott Wave Principle by Frost & Prechter, 1978).

I’ll be patiently watching for headlines and chatter of something big and unexpected.

It could be just what the Fed is waiting for: the market doing the work for them and breaking something in the process, thus taking the blame.

[divulgacion-alternativa]

Ben Ful Links | Jun 21/2021

Source: benjaminfulford.net

Ben Ful Links | Jun 21/2021:

The ongoing attempt by these corporation-owning families to turn Planet Earth into a giant animal farm is what the world’s military organizations have decided to fight against.  The chart linked below illustrates the effects of fascism, i.e. when corporations take over government. https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/wage%20share%20US.jpg?itok=KX8Kb1_h

Let us quote from that interview to see what the official Russian view is:

“In the last two years, where the U.S.-Russia relationship was sacrificed for the sake of fierce political strife inside the U.S.…We have been accused of all kinds of things: election interference, cyber-attacks and so on and so forth.  And not once, not one time did they bother to produce any kind of evidence or proof.  Just unfounded accusations.”

Putin also noted:

“The U.S. is a high-tech country.  NATO has declared cyberspace an area of combat.  That means they are planning something.  They are preparing something.”

Here is some recent evidence to back his claims:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/17/tech/airlines-website-outage/index.html

https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-puerto-rico-power-outages-business-9894e9679ef144acb08973e199b8b73a

Putin also made clear Russia was not interested in joining a G7 cold war against China saying things like:

“Over the last few decades, we have developed a strategic partnership relationship between Russia and China that previously had not been achieved in the history of our nations, a high level of trust and cooperation in all areas: in politics, in the economy, in the area of technology, in the area of military and technical cooperation.  We do not believe that China is a threat to us…It has not declared us an enemy, as the United States has done.” http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65861

Let us look now at how the war against the various arms of the Octagon is raging.  The first thing to note is that “In Europe, as of June 5, 13,867 people have died and 1,354,336 injured following a COVID-19 ‘vaccine.’”

https://m.thebl.com/world-news/13867-dead-and-1354336-injuries-in-european-database-of-adverse-drug-reactions-for-covid-19-shots.html

MI6 says most of the vaccine deaths will happen three to five years from now as the prions they contain do their damage.

In any case, there is now a rash of disclosure about how the entire justification for this vaccination campaign was criminal.  Here is an example:

“Former CDC head Robert Redfield said of the World Health Organization (WHO), which ‘investigated’ the origins of the pandemic in what was nothing more than political theatre conducted by a highly conflicted group – one of whom, Peter Deszak of NGO EcoHealth Alliance, worked with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and was funded to the tune of millions of dollars by Anthony Fauci’s NIH.” https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/who-highly-compromised-unfit-lead-covid-19-investigation-according-former-cdc-director

The WHO by the way says that 650,000, 1.5 million, and 2.56 million people died respectively from influenza, tuberculosis, and pneumonia in 2017 for a total of 4.7 million deaths. https://www.who.int/news/item/13-12-2017-up-to-650-000-people-die-of-respiratory-diseases-linked-to-seasonal-flu-each-year

https://ourworldindata.org/pneumonia

This compares to the 3.86 million who supposedly died of Covid-19 since it broke out in 2019.  Needless to say, these are years in which pneumonia, tuberculosis, and influenza deaths magically vanished from statistics. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=how+many+people+died+of+covid+19

We can confirm that in Japan, since doctors and military personnel are refusing to vaccinate people, they are drafting dentists, first aid personnel, and veterinarians among others to administer vaccines, The vaccinators are being paid 400,000 yen (US$3,640) for each person they vaccinate.  You can be sure slave Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his entire cabinet will be executed for these crimes.

Anyway, a full revolt against the scamdemic is well underway.  Here is a great example from Australian TV: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CQGEVzvHPaw/?utm_medium=share_sheet

Here is one from the UK’s GB News:

What is now undeniable is that there is rampant Covid hypocrisy when it comes to the behavior of our leaders, given the regulations they expect us mere mortals to follow.  We saw that loud and clear at the G7 summit – now officially a super spreader event for Cornwall by the way – where there were fist bumps, masks, and social distancing in public.  Compared to unmuzzled hugs and normal socializing when they thought the cameras were off.  Now it turns out this sort of Covid hypocrisy might have been going on at Number 10 Downing Street for many weeks. https://www.gbnews.uk/shows/dan-wootton-covid-hypocrisy-of-elites-is-an-insult-to-hardworking-brits/107263

MI6 set up GB News to provide fact-based information to the public after they did an analysis of English language corporate media and concluded almost all the articles were commercially sponsored. https://www.gbnews.uk/

In any case, we note the sabotage of dams, nuclear power plants, and other facilities benefits the Rockefeller-controlled oil industry. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hoover-dams-lake-mead-hits-lowest-water-level-1930s-180978022/

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-06-17/green-energy-the-issue-is-politics-not-technology-or-cost

We are also noting a slew of “articles” in the corporate propaganda media subtly promoting oil.  Here is a small example:

”Around the world, energy developers are replacing greenhouse-gas emitting coal and gas-fired power plants with wind and solar farms.  But they aren’t always adding enough batteries or keeping enough backup power on hand to buttress those clean sources of power for when the sun sets or winds die down.” https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/06/18/world/global-power-grids/

You can be sure battery farms will be prime targets for sabotage once they are set up.

In a sign the Pentagon has split from the Rockefellers, we note the U.S. military is withdrawing troops, aircraft, and missile defenses from the Middle East. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/18/politics/pentagon-remove-missile-defense-saudi-arabia-middle-east/index.html

So now it seems the Greeks have replaced Americans:

“In April, Greece said it will lend a Patriot battery to Saudi Arabia to protect its critical energy infrastructure.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/saudi-talks-up-strength-after-us-cuts-military-assets/ar-AALfv53

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[niuniente]

I don't wanna bug you (I'm more of a lurker and I love your art) but do you have any tips for spending as little as possible in Japan besides staying at a friend's house? I'm finally going to go myself in the summer but most of my money will be spent on air fare and accommodations.

Accommodation is super expensive in Japan, that’s for sure…!Here are some tips:

Buy everything you need (gifts, souvenirs etc.) from 100 yen shops. Biggest brands, which you can find everywhere, are Daiso and Seria. You can get literally ANYTHING from them with 100 yen (1 USD/ 0.85 euro); decoration, bath stuff, dishware, utensils, toys, accessories, socks, cooking, drawing, pens, slippers, mittens, cosmetics, gardening, toilet stuff, towels, ties, stockings, storage, office items, DIY, letter sets, incenses, pillows, traditional stuff, fans, statues… Seriously, you don’t need to set your foot in any other store! Note that Daiso has snacks and drinks, but Seria doesn’t.There are also many individual, private owned 100 yen shops.Favor also 300 yen shops like 3 Coins. Same deal as with 100 yen shops but they are often smaller and everything costs 300 yen.For manga, magazine, doujinshi, DVDs, CDs, drama CDs and books head to BOOK OFF. You’ll find them everywhere and their recycled items start from 300 yen. 

Food is expensive but eating out is rather cheap if you favor noodle shops, ramen places and such. Isakaya restaurants are cheap to eat, but they are more like food-bars where people go to drink and eat cheaply. Cafes are pricey.In many bigger supermarkets there are water kettles and microwaves for you to prepare your lunch on the go. Noodles are cheap, so is rice, tofu, soy and fish. Fruits, candy, ice cream, bakery and meat are expensive. From drinks you can get bottled teas cheaply. Don’t use drink vending machines unless you really want to (because the experience), as you can get drink cheaper from stores.When looking for restaurants, check out the small side alleys as they always have cheaper food! It’s good idea to carry some snacks with you, so head for example to Daiso. Naturally places located near tourist spots and stations are pricey.

Avoid going by JR and favor other subway and train companies when moving in a city/between cities, if possible. JR connections are more direct but also more expensive. Konomiya supermarket has 10% OFF sale on Mondays. If you happen to come across a Konomiya, it’s nice idea to stock your food from there on Monday. The 10% is taken off from your total sum of all of your purchases. Don’t buy the JR Rail Pass unless you plan to travel REALLY long distances very often! Nor don’t buy Kansai Pass either unless you plan to travel through whole Kansai with multiple train changes. The fees between cities are often less when purchased individually than with the passes. For example let’s say you are going to Kyoto from Osaka and you’d do 3 different day trips there. Individually one trip is around 450 yen so 3 trips between Osaka-Kyoto-Osaka with regular train tickets are  2 700 yen. Kansai Pass is 5 000 yen and if you’d use it only between Osaka-Kyoto-Osaka, you’d be paying 2 300 yen extra for nothing. Check if the city has got a day pass for subways. Not all cities have these, but Osaka is one with day subway pass. You can travel as much with a subway as you want with the day pass. Osaka’s pass prices are 600 yen/day on Mondays to Fridays, and 800 yen/day on Saturday and Sunday.If you are planning to buy fan items, prepare to say goodbye to your money..! This includes doujinshis.  They are generally very expensive! In Tokyo, Akihabara has recycling places where you can find used fan items starting from 100 yen. In Osaka, similar shops are located in Den Den Town. Honestly, you save the most money during Japan travel by favoring the 100 yen shops. I kid you not. There’s  no need to pay 800 yen for one ceramic bowl when you can get one from 100 yen shop.EDIT: @going1582 gave more good tips:For manga, doujinshi,drama CDs, games and some idol stuff; Mandarake is a wonderful place to go. Everything is second hand but in good condition. I’ve seen selected shelves where the manga in them is for only 57 yen. Also, a lot of supermarkets have discounts in their prepared meals starting around 6:00 pm ish. The more late you go, you can find bigger discounts.

[rebel-band]

Track 1. Into the Light

On a January evening, a week after his seventeenth birthday, Ko Yoo-mi set his foot in Tokyo for the second time in his life, and this time with the intention of staying for good. With a guitar case on his back, 100 000 yen in his wallet, a gym bag light with just a couple of thrift clothes, and a heart half full of apprehension and half of assurance, he stood in front of a two storied white building that he never had expected would turn out to be a café.

After checking the address again in his wreck of a phone, and realizing the battery had way too little power left in case this plan fell through tonight, he knew the only way was to go in, and hope for the best. With a deep breath he pulled the glass door open.

Blackbird, as was the café called judging by the minimalist logo on the door, was full and hot like an overflowing cup, steaming with conversations, coffee scent, and a feeling of companionship. The merry patrons were sitting at two tables by the full length display window in the front, as well as by a long wooden counter, attended by two baristas - a pink-haired woman, and a man. Before Yoo-mi even considered finding a spot for himself, the man behind the counter gestured to him and then to the door over the heads of the customers.

"Sorry kid. It's past 7 PM, and a bar night, so adults only."

He was a man nearing his thirties, of a rather muscular stance, with stubble and a no-nonsense expression on his face. Under a barista apron he was wearing some band t-shirt.

Yoo-mi straightened up, chest out, confident look on his face. "I'm twenty," he lied. But the man was not having it. "Can I see some ID?"

"I don't have it with me," he shrugged in reply.

"Then I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

As the man crossed his arms over the chest in a no-joke manner, Yoo-mi noticed a sleeve kind of tattoo of what looked like a bird in a branch on his right arm. Somehow the sight gave him a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I'm looking for Mika," he got himself to say. "Does she work here?"

The bartender shifted in place, arms still crossed, eyes narrowed and scrutinising Yoo-mi from head to toe.

"She's out for a while." His tone was sharp if informative.

"Look, can I just get a coffee. I'll wait outside." Yoo-mi tried to excuse himself from the man's company, and the man agreed, still closely scanning his appearance.

"Black?"

"Sure," he replied absentmindedly, looking around while the man tended to the coffee machine.

The chatter at the counter made it hard to focus but he managed to notice a black iron shelf full of hard liquor on the white painted wall of exposed brick behind the baristas (so it was a bar after all), and a door frame just opposite the main entrance at the far end of the room, leading to what looked like a stage in the back of the venue, with a band setting up for the night.

The barman handed him a black paper cup with a lid in exchange for cash, and politely but firmly nodded towards the door again.

Outside, the sun was already gone, and the white stucco of the building turned grey with the twilight. Yoo-mi moved sideways from the well lit entrance under a wooden pergola, which in the summer must have served as a small outdoor sitting space for the guests. It looked eerily abandoned now.

As a train rattled on the tracks somewhere close-by, he startled, and suddenly noticed he's been clutching the handles of his bag way tighter than necessary with a nervous grip.

This was a mistake. What was he thinking coming over? Old man Kobayashi said she'd be waiting but, honestly, why would she bother with someone she'd never even met.

He took a deep breath, and then a sip.

The coffee had a rich flavour, unlike the ones he knew from the vending machines and 7elevens. But for that price, he'd be surprised if it tasted bad.

Checking the battery on his phone again, he thought about his options.

Without an ID, he'd have to find a manga cafe, and soon, to get a spot for the night. It didn't look like the kind of neighbourhood to have any, so he needed to get closer to Akihabara. The sounds of the trains nearby gave him some hope to get there in time. Then in the morning, he'd try to find her again. Maybe.

Just as he threw the paper cup away into a nearby bin, and leaned out of the pergola to look around for some signage directing to the nearest station, he heard two women walking by.

"I tell you, if he keeps spoiling her like that she'll be too jealous of the baby," one of them nagged with an exaggerated sigh.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be a good big sister anyway," the other simply laughed, as they moved towards the cafe entrance.

"Sorry, are you Mika?" Yoo-mi followed them into the lit area in front of the display window, addressing any of them really, clinging to some last hope.

The woman in a grey hoodie over a long dark dress gasped as he appeared in view, and nearly dropped a Family Mart bag full of groceries.

Yoo-mi paused in his steps and straightened up. As she eyed him carefully he became painfully aware of his appearance. 

Shoulder length black hair. A mildly irritated face expression that seemed to be almost permanent. Tall and skinny frame in black jeans and an olive green parka. Chucks. A guitar on his back.

"Ah! You must be Ko-kun!" she perked up surprised.

He simply nodded.

"Why aren't you inside? He didn't let you in, did he?" she answered herself not even waiting for him to speak. "I'm going to have a serious talk with that man, I swear."

"Well, I'm going in," the other woman gestured at the door. "Let's see if this band's any good." She sent a small smile to Yoo-mi as she excused herself.

"So, I'm Yamaguchi Mika, nice to meet you" the woman bowed slightly with a smile.

"Ko Yoo-mi, likewise."

Not much of a talker, huh, she noted to herself. "How was the journey?"

"Fine. Came by coach."

"A coach, huh? But that's so long."

"It's a lot cheaper though," he shrugged.

Mika sighed, knowing that all too well.

"OK, let's get you settled then" she smiled at him, and moving back towards the pergola gestured for him to follow. Only then Yoo-mi noticed, there was actually a fence with a gate there, and a very narrow garden path by the side of a neighbouring building. It led to an iron wrought staircase attached to the side of the building. He followed her up.

"This used to be my parents' house." There was a hint of nostalgia and affection in her voice. "Then we converted it to a business with my husband. It's not much really, but we got to live here, the three of us, till our daughter needed more space." She fidgeted with the key in the lock. "So I think you'll be pretty comfortable here on your own."

She opened the door to what turned out to be a studio flat right above the café.

"We took almost all of our stuff out already, there's two more boxes in the kitchen by the window. Kotarō promised to take them tomorrow." She took her shoes off and stepped right in, then placed the bag of groceries on a wooden kitchen cart that doubled as a kitchen island and table.

Yoo-mi stepped into the genkan, and looked around the flat.

Just opposite the step up, there was a door which probably led to a small bath unit. On his left, over a half wall stood a kitchen counter with a portable counter top cooker visible, a small sink nearby it. He glimpsed a window at the far end of the room, it was probably overlooking the cafe entrance.

"Come on, shoes off, what are you waiting for?" She laughed, rushing him in.

He untied the chucks and stepped slowly over the genkan step. "Sorry for the intrusion." he said, head bowed down and avoiding her eyes.

"Now I know what gramps meant saying you're a bit...feral," she said amused, but with arms crossed all the same. "You're not intruding, for god's sake. This is your home now, right? So what do you say in a home?"

He shifted in place. "I'm...home."

How strange that word still was, Yoo-mi thought.

"Welcome then!" She gestured with open arms, happy to show him around. "This floor is soundproof so nothing coming from below will bother you. There's a new futon for you in the corner. Also, a welcome gift," she pointed to a nearby guitar stand, then moved to getting the groceries into a small fridge under the kitchen counter. "I brought you something for starters, but you can easily find a konbini around if you need more. There were no bentos left, though, they sell out pretty quickly after six because students live around here. It's quite close to the campus."

He looked around uncertain, not moving from his place, as she continued bustling around the kitchen.

"There's no washing machine, but a coin laundry is around the corner as well. Sorry there's no real balcony, we had to remove it when we extended the venue into the garden for the stage downstairs. The view wasn't that great anyway because of the train line behind the house. But the door still opens, and you can use the roof to chill." She smiled, then looked at him again.

He still had the parka and guitar case on, gym bag in hand, as if ready to leave any second.

"Here's the keys" she handed him a lanyard but it took him a moment to reach out for it and accept it.

"Thanks," he muttered in reply.

"I know it's a lot to process but remember, I'm here to help." She smiled a reassuring smile. "Now get yourself settled, and then come down to us once you feel like it, OK?"

For a second, Yoo-mi thought she wanted to give him a hug, but stopped herself at the last moment. With a wave instead, she said she'd see him later.

Once the door closed after her, Yoo-mi let out a deep breath and sat on the floor. With the keys heavy in his hand he suddenly felt the weight of the journey behind him.

It took him about an hour to get back downstairs. He didn't really have to unpack, there was not much in his bag anyway. But he took the time to carefully check the locks, and the balcony door leading to the roof of the building extension below. The building, he noted, was not high enough to give him full vertigo but it was probably too high to jump off safely if needed. As he was going back inside, he felt the roof vibrate slightly with the sound of the band playing below.

He plugged the phone to charge, checked the fridge stocked by the woman with food, and took a bite of a spicy tuna mayo onigiri, only then realizing how hungry he had been. It disappeared in one go. Before getting into the shower to get rid of the traveling fatigue, out of habit, he checked the locks again.

When he entered the café, most of the patrons had cleared into the second room to listen to the band play but the bar still seemed crowded for his taste. No longer in the grey hoodie, Mika was sitting by the counter between the customers, soda can and glass beside her.

"You never listen to me," she raised her voice but clearly only teased the man Yoo-mi has already seen behind the counter tonight.

"I do, it's just you never said it'd be today," the man laughed back.

"I didn't say? You forgot, that's what it is. Honestly, I don't know how you still manage to run this business." She rolled her eyes, finishing her drink.

"We all know it's you who runs the place, Missus," one of the customers butted in, hearty laugh from the other patrons following his statement. "He's just here to serve the coffee."

"And play your music, mind you," the bartender pointed a finger at the customer in a half-joking, half-warning kind of way.

"I'm sorry! Please let us play here again soon!" As the man pleaded, everyone erupted in laughter again.

"Hey Ko-kun!" Mika gestured to him smiling, while a large group of people entering the cafe, clearly late to the concert, pushed Yoo-mi further inside. "This is my husband, that rude man, who didn't let you in," she grinned at the man.

"Nice to meet you, Yamaguchi Kotarō." He bowed to Yoo-mi with an apologetic smile. "Sorry for the trouble before."

"Ko Yoo-mi. No problem. The coffee was great."

As another group came back to the bar from the other room to get drinks and swiped passed him, Yoo-mi felt his body tense up and stuck closer to the wall, trying to lean away from the coming crowd.

This was the most people he's been around since last summer.

"Too crowded for you?" Yamaguchi asked, seeing his reaction. "You want to hop onto this side of the counter to help out?"

Though surprised at first, Yoo-mi did a mental headcount, then quickly exchanged his parka for the apron the man handed him, and got behind the counter through a latch door for employees. With only three people on this side, it felt better already.

"Ever worked in a café?" Yamaguchi asked, as Yoo-mi pulled his hair up and tied it with a hairband from his wrist.

"No, but I'm a fast learner."

"You can't just ask people to work for you like that," Mika objected, but the man just hushed her with a wave.

"Hey, that's how I got the job and I'm not complaining," the pink-haired barista moved closer towards Yoo-mi. "I'm Kate, by the way." He noticed her Japanese was great, even though she was a foreigner.

Mika was still not pleased, a frown visible under her evenly cut bangs.

"I'm fine." Yoo-mi simply moved to the sink as instructed by Kate to wash hands. "I don't mind working."

"See?" Yamaguchi smiled at his wife. "It's always a good idea."

Was it a good idea? That Yoo-mi wasn't entirely sure. What he was sure of was you didn't really say no to a man with that many tattoos where he was from. He also felt it a fairly easy way to return a favour. After all, it was their hospitality he was relying on, and he was painfully aware of the fact.

The band played in the background while Kate, bouncing from foot to foot to the tune, explained to him the basics of adjusting the grinder, tamping the grounds, and making an "excellent espresso" which he was sure won't happen on his first try.

"Here you go, boss," she offered the first of Yoo-mi's attempts to Yamaguchi who was observing Kate's teaching and Yoo-mi's progress with a wide grin. He took the small cup, he took a sip, then finally bent almost in half and grimaced.

"That under-extracted, huh?" Mika laughed at his reaction. She knew her husband much preferred his coffee dark and sweet.

Kate snickered, and Yoo-mi's eyes darted from one to the other, a frown on his face.

"It's too sour," Yamaguchi explained, "But some twenty dozens more and I'll say you learned how to pull a passable shot. It's a painful learning curve, much like with the guitar," he added. Yoo-mi relaxed his expression slightly.

"Oh yea, gramps mentioned you taught yourself how to play," Mika remembered all of a sudden. "You even did some gigs back in town, I heard."

Yoo-mi immediately stood taller, a small yet knowing smile on his face. "Some."

"When did you start?" Yamaguchi asked, passing the unfinished espresso back to Kate who tossed it into the drain and the cup to the dishwasher.

"Fourteen."

"When I started drums at fourteen, my parents wanted to kill me," he laughed in response, and for just a moment Yoo-mi thought he wished he had that problem at the time. "What's your gear?"

"J45."

"Favourite axeman?"

"The Samurai."

"He plays a Taylor T5, right?"

Yoo-mi nodded. "What do you play?" he asked the man.

"Good ol' Yamaha. You can check it out in the back later." He gestured with the head towards the end of the room. "The band's using it now."

"Yamaguchi-san lets people borrow it for gigs sometimes," one of the customers added to the conversation.

"Not every indie band can afford to bring their own kit."

"Not every band should". The woman Yoo-mi had seen heading to the cafe with Mika before sat down at the bar, resting her head on the left arm. She was wearing a deep sea green blazer over a white shirt, and a tired expression on her face.

"Come on, they're not that bad." Kate rolled her eyes at her, and asked Yoo-mi to pass the Hendricks gin bottle from the iron shelf above his head. He reached for it without a problem, while she would definitely need a step ladder to do so.

The woman at the counter happily accepted the gin and tonic that Kate served her without even being asked. 

"Well all in all, no. Just their guitar sucks." She tapped the side of the glass before having a sip. "I mean, what's with the volume war? You can't hear the goddamn vocals, or bass for that matter, over how loud he's playing there. Why do so many goddamn guitarists have to show they think they're better than the rest of the band?" she addressed one of the patrons, who simply put his hands up in a defensive gesture.

"This guy here plays guitar too. Why don't you ask him," the man pointed at Yoo-mi.

The woman eyed him with a slow building up smile, and leaned in forward on the counter.

"So what do you think, newcomer?" Her green eyes flickered with a playful gaze.

Yoo-mi gave her a half smirk. "Nothing wrong with showing you're good at something."

"When you're flying solo," she replied without hesitation. "See, that's the thing. It's different in a group of people, in a band. You can't really show off all the time. You need something else, like a connection."

"I think you need more than that."

"Chemistry?"

He shook his head.

"Trust and respect."

She raised one eyebrow at his statement over the glass pressed to her lips.

"They probably don't trust his skills, and he doesn't care enough to respect theirs." Yoo-mi gestured with the head towards the stage room.

"Oh, interesting. So you don't think a good band needs chemistry?"

"Take away the tinsel, it's just another day to day job."

She blinked twice, forgetting what she wanted to say.

"So show up, apply yourself 100%. Trust others do the same, and respect the work they put in. That's what you need."

He saw Mika smile to herself seeing her friend’s bewildered gaze, and realized he must have sounded pretty much like Kobayashi right now.

"Good work ethics, I like that," Nanami smiled at him. "Oh, I don't think I've introduced myself. Miwa Nanami, Hex Records." She handed him a business card promptly. "Now all I need is to hear you play."

Yoo-mi looked at the cream cardboard card with a black logo showing two female hands holding what looked like a half moon, half vinyl record. He smirked.

"I'm not looking for fame."

"Well then, just give me a call if it finds you," she grinned.

After paying for the drink, Kate charging Nanami’s card and showing Yoo-mi how to use the point of sale system, the woman put on her black coat.

"See you next weekend, guys." She waved a goodbye to the group at the counter.

The band finished the set at 11 pm and came down to the bar for drinks and friendly banter. Yoo-mi busied himself with cleaning the glassware Kate collected from the patrons from the stage room, and was carefully loading the dishwasher in a small kitchen nook to the side of the counter.

From there he had a good view of the guitarist who, though seemingly engaged in the same small talk, kept a distance from the rest of his group. Seeing him react with impatient snorts and grumbling at what the others were saying only made Yoo-mi certain he was right about the dynamic in the band. And sure enough, the man left with his guitar case without even saying goodbye to his mates.

Last call came and went, and so finally did all the patrons. When the café emptied, it felt to Yoo-mi as if it suddenly contracted cooling down. He couldn't really believe how many people had come and gone through the door in the couple of hours he was there.

While Kate tried to go over the cleaning and maintenance of the coffee machines with him, Mika was looking into transactions in the POS on a tablet, and Yamaguchi disappeared to the stage room.

Kate soon dismissed Yoo-mi, seeing how he wasn't really paying much attention, his mind already way too tired to register all the details, and simply gave him a broom to sweep the floors. That he could do, even if tired.

First thing he did, he walked over to the other room, the broom a good excuse to take a look. It was wider than the bar room, with wooden parquet on the floor and wooden custom looking acoustic panels on the walls. A small ledge ran around the wall, probably for patrons to leave their empty glasses safe during a gig. On the far right, a black sturdy fire door led outside to the area under the pergola. The room only had artificial lightning, no windows in sight. He thought the acoustics here must be pretty great.

Right opposite the door frame, there was a low stage, stocked with mic stands and amps, a vintage looking carpet underneath the equipment. The amber coloured Yamaha stood in the right corner of the stage, Yamaguchi busy with giving it a thorough clean.

As Yoo-mi moved across the room with the broom, the man moved methodically from polishing the rims, cymbals, and metal hardware, finally to the wooden parts of the set. The wood conditioner he used was, unmistakably, lemon oil. Yoo-mi smiled to himself at the smell triggering a fond memory.

He didn't know much about drum set maintenance but the attention with which Yamaguchi treated the kit was similar to how Yoo-mi treated his own guitar. The appreciation for the craft and the love for it was almost palpable.

"Ko-kun, come down here when you're done!"

He startled hearing his name coming from the bar room. Mika had a surprisingly strong voice for someone of her posture.

He quickly swiped the dust into the dustpan and returned to the front of the café, evading Kate who was sweeping the floor here with another broom. She took the dustpan from him, while Mika patted the bar stool next to her for him to sit.

"I've got something for you," she said, handing him a white envelope. Inside, Yoo-mi found, was a stack of papers with the title "Tenancy agreement".

"You don't have to look into it now, I'm sure you're tired," she added seeing him shift uncomfortably on the chair. "But it's something we could go over tomorrow."

"Sure," he answered, looking down at the envelope clutched in his hands rather than at her.

"There's also your paperwork to discuss. I asked a colleague to help sort things out for you. We've been working on similar cases of...unaccompanied minors before," she looked for a good way to put it. "Did gramps mention it to you?"

"Yes."

She crossed her arms with a worried look on her face, yet she didn’t comment further. "We're opening at 10:30 to customers, so if you could be down here at 9 that would be perfect. Bring anything you think may help."

He only nodded in reply.

Kate said her goodbyes and hurried home, and shortly after Yoo-mi excused himself from the Yamaguchis too. Envelope in hand, he climbed the iron wrought staircase and opened the door.

Inside, he kicked off the chucks, and closed all locks carefully. He grabbed another onigiri from the fridge and sat down by the kitchen island with the stack of papers but it was no use, they'd have to wait until morning. With a tired sigh he trailed to the bathroom to have another quick shower after the work done tonight.

Boxers and tee on, he assembled the futon mattress and covered it with the new sheets. Sitting on the ready made bed he took another look at the studio.

This was a good place, he knew deep inside, better than anything he's ever had for himself. Maybe that was part why it felt so weird.

As he swept his eyes through the items in the room, his phone charging, gym bag still packed, parka neatly folded by its side, the guitar case in his immediate vicinity, he noticed the guitar stand that Mika mentioned casually during the home tour.

It was the fold away, simple ‘A’ frame type but it had nice padding for support and a safety strap attached. Naturally, Yoo-mi reached to open his guitar case.

The vintage sunburst of his guitar stood heavily out against the red lining inside. He carefully picked the instrument and stood up in front of the stand.Hesitating for a moment, he decided against using it after all.

"Sorry to keep you waiting so long," he thought, sitting down on the futon to tune the guitar after the journey today.

Strumming the strings, Yoo-mi felt a wave of comfort come. He could only think of one song to play after tonight at the café.

Just before 2 AM, he put the guitar back into the case, and heard the black metal shutters fall down outside on the display window and the glass door like heavy eyelids. And just like that, Blackbird was finally silent in the darkness of the night.