DAY THIRTY-TWO
Addison stood in an ankle-deep stream with Tián, dressed in nothing but a loose pair of pants. Tián wore an exercise bra and the same pants, as well as two padded black bands that encircled the entirety of both forearms.
"So what's the deal, Tián?" Addison asked, assuming a fighting stance. "You cut me from my first patrol last night, then bring me out here today? Why?"
"What fighting styles do you know?" Tián countered, raising an eyebrow.
"Well... uh... none. But—"
"Yes, yes, I know, you fought the monsters and dragons and all that," Tián interrupted. "But that was with your powers. Here, you have to hide them. That means you must learn to fight."
"Right. Okay. So... um... what am I learning?"
"Kung fu," Tián answered, executing a tiger strike that knocked Addison into the stream. He landed with a grunt and moaned, "Aw, come on!"
Tián watched as Addison struggled to his feet and then instantly swept his legs out from underneath him. "Karate," she continued.
Addison landed in the exact same position, momentarily winded. "Wait..." he said, getting up groggily. "Just let me—"
"Taekwondo!" Tián sent a side-kick into Addison's chin, knowing his enhanced durability would protect him—but also that her enhanced strength would make it hurt.
Addison stumbled back, stunned.
"And vovinam!" Tián struck Addison's upper body several times with the side of her hand before finally leveling him with an elbow to the face.
Addison dropped like a rock, landing on his side. He coughed and rolled over onto his back, staring up at Tián.
Tián put her hands on her hips. "You're staying here indefinitely, so that gives us plenty of time for you to master all four. It should only take five years or so."
"FIVE—?! No. No way. You're crazy." Addison began to stand again.
"Fine!" Tián dropped and locked Addison in a chokehold, pulling him back to the ground. "Perhaps wrestling, then?"
Addison gasped for breath and almost instantly tapped out.
"No?" Tián pulled Addison to his feet and jabbed him twice in his kidneys. "Boxing, maybe?"
Addison doubled over. "Hold on," he wheezed.
"Or Arnis!" Tián rolled in the stream, grabbing two fallen bamboo sticks from the bed, and popped back up, paddling Addison with them.
"Stop! Stop!" Addison begged, covering his head with his hands. "I give up! You're right! I need training!"
Tián stopped, exhaled, and tossed the sticks down before putting her hands on her hips. "I heard you scrapped a bit back at Zoo Phoenix," she stated. "I thought you'd put up more of a fight."
"Well, I'm obviously outclassed here," Addison grumbled, wincing as he rubbed his stomach.
"Obviously." Tián smirked. "I'll let you know when you're ready for patrols, Addison. Until then, we train."
-
After a long day of training, Tián and Addison finally returned to the house, where they found Annie sitting in the kitchen, scanning through files projected from 1349's bellybutton. "Hello, children," she said distractedly, flipping to another file. "Fun day?"
"You seem to be fitting in well here," Tián remarked, unable to keep a hint of disdain out of her voice. "You haven't performed any experiments on the child, have you?"
Annie looked at her sharply, her eyes lighting up with anger. "I would never—"
"You were going to before you came here, weren't you?" Tián interrupted in a challenging tone.
Annie stopped, blinked rapidly, and turned back to her files. "Xiao Lang is buying dinner," she said dully, changing the subject. "He'll arrive shortly."
"Fine." Tián walked through the kitchen and told Addison, "I'm heading upstairs. Let me know when Xiao Lang comes by."
"Hold up! I'm coming with you," Addison replied, following Tián up the stairs that led to the house's open roof.
-
Once they reached the roof, Tián sat down at the edge, letting her feet dangle. She stared at the full moon as Addison sat next to her.
"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Addison asked her, swinging his feet in a childish manner.
"You mean how'd I master so many fighting styles?" Tián shrugged. "My parents. They knew them all." She sighed and continued, "I have a... a very mixed heritage."
"How so?"
"Well, my mother is half-Japanese and half-Korean," Tián replied, "and my father is half-Chinese and half-Vietnamese. Their parents passed down their countries' most notable martial arts, and then they passed them down to me."
"What about boxing? And wrestling? And... whatever that other one was?"
"Arnis?" Tián laughed. "I learned boxing and wrestling at the gym. Arnis was Izo's gift to me."
Addison raised his eyebrows in surprise. "The tattoo guy?"
"Yeah. He's a family friend. He learned Arnis while he was living in the Philippines."
"Wow. That's really cool." Addison fell silent for a while, then cracked a smile and said, "Well, thanks for the demonstration."
"No need to thank me." Tián smiled back, her eyes taking on a rare mischievous sparkle. "I'll beat you up any time."
The two of them laughed at the "joke" as the moon continued to rise.
-
DAY THIRTY-SEVEN
"I thought I made myself clear, Xiao!"
Addison winced as Tián's barking voice rang through the house. He peeked out of his bedroom, where he saw Tián yelling at Xiao Lang in Mandarin while Lee Jun (Her again? Addison thought) shrank back.
"If you keep bringing her here, she'll start talking!" Tián snapped, pointing at Lee Jun. "That's why she cannot come!"
"Tián! Tián, listen to me!" Xiao Lang grabbed Tián's shoulders. "She needs to speak with Addison," he whispered. "Please."
"Addison doesn't want to see her!" Tián shot back. "He made that clear last time she was here!"
"No," Addison suddenly blurted, emerging from his room.
Everyone turned to look at him, startled.
"It's okay," Addison said quietly, glancing at Lee Jun. "I'll talk to her." He switched to Mandarin and asked, "What do you want?"
Lee Jun clasped her hands together, tears popping up at the corners of her eyes. "My brother," she whimpered. "He is sick. And he... he wants your autograph."
Addison glanced at Xiao Lang, who nodded to confirm that it was the truth. "How sick?" he asked.
Lee Jun sniffed. "One of the monsters that came... it cut him. He has a... an infection. It is... terminal."
Addison felt as if someone had just punched him in the gut. He sat down heavily at the kitchen table, a lump forming in his throat. "How long?" he whispered.
"Two weeks," Lee Jun answered, her voice cracking.
Addison gritted his teeth, covering his face with his hands as the scar pulsated again. "Why the heck does he want my autograph?" he forced out.
Lee Jun smiled despite her tears. "Because... he says you are his hero."
Addison froze. He lowered his hands slowly, staring at Lee Jun in disbelief. "His... his what?"
Lee Jun nodded repeatedly. "He does not blame you for what happened," she said softly, "even though you took the blame. He saw you stop the biggest monster, and he knew you did not mean for him to get hurt. He knows that you were trying to save the world."
Addison shook as she spoke, tears falling from his own eyes.
Lee Jun reached into her pocket and pulled out a pen and paper. "Please," she begged. "Please."
Addison remained where he was, not reaching out to take the items.
Then he stood up and whispered, "Take me to him."
-
Tián, Xiao Lang, and Lee Jun stood back as they watched Addison speak with the little boy, Li Wei, in low tones. The Protectors had teleported their friend into the room, avoiding the eyes of the orderlies.
Tián felt something stinging her eye and quickly rubbed it, gently clearing her throat. "I... I'm sorry, Lee Jun," she murmured to the girl. "I didn't know."
"I am sorry, too," Lee Jun told her, her eyes still on her brother. "I should have told you why I wanted to speak with him." She turned to Tián, both sadness and joy on her face. "Do you see him? Do you see Li Wei? Look at how happy he is!"
Tián smiled, not bothering to wipe away her tears this time as Addison embraced the boy, who was so overjoyed he was practically sobbing. "I see," she whispered.
Xiao Lang glanced over at Lee Jun's parents, who were watching with tears in their eyes as well. "They won't tell, right?" he asked Lee Jun.
"No. They stand by the conviction that Addison Derschwitz is a hero. Whenever someone confronts them with the contrary, they defend him with every bone in their body." Lee Jun shook her head, seemingly amazed. "Even when people challenge them about the infection... they refuse to back down. They truly believe that it is not Addison's fault."
"And you?" Tián asked.
"I stand by my brother," Lee Jun answered, her voice shaking. "There is anger, yes—but more love. I—I am overwhelmed... with love!" She broke down again, falling into Xiao Lang's arms.
Tián leaned against the wall, covering her mouth with a hand as she watched the scene. Love...
-
DAY THIRTY-NINE
Addison opened his eyes.
It was still night, but someone wasn't asleep. He could hear the sound of singing and a guitar coming from outside—possibly from the roof. It was muffled, of course, but his fennec fox hearing allowed him to easily pick up the sound.
Groaning, Addison swung himself out of bed and lumbered out of the room, heading up to the roof. There, he found Tián sitting cross-legged with her guitar, eyes closed as she picked along with the song.
"Nee, darlin', yume ga kanatta no," she sang. "Oniai no kotoba ga mitsukaranai yo! Darlin', yume ga ka..."
Tián paused when she saw Addison. "Hi," she greeted him with a smile.
"Ni hao." Addison sat down next to her. "I like the song. Did you write it?"
"No. It's just one of my favorites." Tián picked out the melody, staring contemplatively at the moon.
"What's it called?"
"'Kataomoi'," Tián answered, pulling the guitar away as Addison plucked a string. "Hey! Don't break my concentration."
"Sorry." Addison lay back on the roof, gazing into the starlit sky. "What's it about?"
"Unrequited love." Tián rapped the body of the guitar rhythmically.
Addison put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "Can you sing it again?"
"I was just about to." Tián kept playing and closed her eyes as well.
Nee, darlin', yume ga kanatta no.
Oniai no kotoba ga mitsukaranai yo!
Darlin', yume ga kanatta no—
Aishiteru.
"Japanese, right?" Addison guessed.
Tián nodded on beat.
"What does it mean? Besides the 'darlin' part. I speak English, so I get that."
Tián chuckled. "Okay, smart guy. I'll sing it in your easy language."
"Please do."
Tián began swaying and sang again:
Hey, darlin', every day's a dream come true.
I can't find words to tell you how it feels when I'm with you!
Darlin', every day's a dream come true—
Hey, darlin', I'm in love with you.
Addison sat up and held out his hand. "Can I try it?"
Tián raised an eyebrow. "You play guitar?"
"Yeah. Haven't in few years, but I figure it's just like riding a bike, right?"
"It's nothing at all like riding a bike, actually. But here." Tián handed him the guitar.
Addison took it and exhaled. Then, in perfectly fluent Japanese and a sweet, almost-girlish voice, he sang, "Nee, darlin', yume ga kanatta no. Oniai no kotoba ga mitsukaranai yo!"
Tián stared at Addison in surprise as he continued to play. "Darlin', yume ga kanatta no—nee, darlin', aishi..."
Addison trailed off as he locked gazes with Tián and then finished in a whisper, "...teru."
His heart fluttered at the look in her eyes. Flustered, he quickly handed back the guitar and said, "Sorry, I... didn't mean to steal your thunder. Here."
Tián gently pushed his hand down, letting the guitar settle on the roof between them. She murmured, "Addison... aishiteru." And then she leaned forward and softly pressed her lips against Addison's.
As a feeling like an electric shock raced through Addison's body, he remembered how Tián had translated that word in the song she'd sung: "I'm in love with you."
And in that moment, he felt the same way.
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"Kataomoi" by Aimer, ©2016