CHAPTER 24: Foot Massage

I ache and suffer from withdrawals when Mitsuko is not around. My heart yearns for her presence. The door opens. Hallway light illuminates the room—the sight of her invigorates my spirit.

“Come downstairs.” Mitsuko stays near as if to catch me if I fall. My eye hurts when I try to open it all the way. We pass by a mirror on the wall. There’s a purple circle around my left eye. It’s visually gnarly; much worse than it feels. Mitsuko looks ashamed, so I don’t spend much time checking it out.

We sit on the couch downstairs. Mitsuko picks an anime. Before the intro is over she nestles her feet in my lap, keeping her eyes on the augmented screen. The lights in the room are off. Her black toenails reflect images of the bright screen.

She spreads her toes, stretching them, enticing me… I nervously inch my hands to her feet. No reaction from her. She keeps her eyes fixed on the screen like I don’t exist—I’m just a footstool. Her skin is soft, warm, radiant…. I’m flooded with tingles. I feel a little braver and begin rubbing her soles with my thumb, gently exploring the pearls on my lap. There’s zero friction; her feet are smooth as silk. Each rub magnifies her scent in the room as that peachy fragrance makes me melt into the couch.

Mitsuko lets out a quiet moan. Her eyes are closed. I continue rubbing, my fingers now sliding between her toes. Warm blood is rushing to my hips. I feel thirsty… I get nervous and shift just a bit. Mitsuko repositions her feet, her heel pushing downward. I whimper and she laughs.

“Don’t stop, idiot,” she says playfully, her eyes still closed like she’s asleep. I continue rubbing her feet, feeling more heat bubbling within me, rising and growing impossible to contain… I twitch in the torturous pleasure of subservience, kneading the balls of her feet, digging deep into her heel, thumbing the sides of her ankles—

The front door opens. Mitsuko kicks her feet off my lap and stands up. Realizing this makes her look more guilty, she sits back down and crosses her legs. Mitsuko’s mom walks in.

“Honey, I’m home!” Mae jokes.

“Mom? I thought you weren’t going to be home until tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I thought so, but—”Mae eyes me curiously. I smile, unsure whether to stand or not. “Oh, hello, Jin. Mitsuko, can I talk to you in the kitchen?”

“Uhh, sure…”

Voices are raised. The anime makes it hard to discern what’s being said. They both return with serious expressions. Mitsuko turns off the TV.

“I was watching that,” I joke. Mitsuko tells me to shut up.

“Mitsuko!” Mae says. Mitsuko looks to the floor. It’s unusual to see her shut down like this.

“Jin. What happened to your eye?”

I look to Mitsuko for help. In doing so, I realize how bad this reaction looks. I stare back at Mae, trying to appear confident… “N-nothing, Miss Williams! I ran into the corner, right Mitsuko?”

Mitsuko slaps her palm against her face and shakes her head. Mae glares at her daughter, catching us in our lie.

“Really now? Mitsuko says you fell while walking her home?”

“Oh, that’s right. Sorry, I forgot…”

An uncomfortable silent cloud passes above us. “Jin. Is my daughter abusing you?”

“Mom!” Mitsuko stands but is shut up by her mothers palm floating in the air. I’ve grown used to this gesture from Mitsuko. She sits down, crumpling her skirt in her hands.

“N-no Miss Williams. She’s not abusing me. She’s my f-friend…”

Mae closely inspects my face. I jolt when she touches my bare knees. “What about this?”

I remembered my knees are discolored from kneeling… I should've worn pants today. “I-it’s from when I-I f-fell…”

Mae arcs an eyebrow. “Jin. Are you in distress?”

I look to Mitsuko for help, but she’s hiding her face, looking utterly defeated. What I hear next makes my body jolt… A finger snap. Mae tilts her head inquisitively. I blush deeply, trying to conceal the pleasure spasming through me. She twirls her fingers in front of my eyes, like casting a spell. My eyes must have dilated or something; she appears to have gained information from her little test.

“Mitsuko? Have you… been hypnotizing him?...”

“Mom, please…” Mitsuko’s on the verge of crying. The tension is scorching my skin. I don’t know what to do, so I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. “I want to be with her!”

Both their jaws drop like I just told them the moon is a hologram. “I like your daughter, Miss Williams…”

“Hmm…” Mae ponders while rubbing her fingers together. Her nails are sharp and painted royal purple. “Why do you like my daughter, Jin Hazuki?”

“I’ve never met anyone like her before. She makes my heart smile. She’s incredibly gifted and funny, vibrant... My life changed since I met her. I used to stay on my Zenith all day. Now I’m… distracted, in a good way. She’s on my mind all the time. Mitsuko is like the moonlight… removing the dark from within me… She’s a precious snow flower…”

I’m shocked by the confession spilling from me. Nobody responds. I don’t have the courage to check Mitsuko’s facial expression. Mae slowly smiles and shrugs. “Ok, I believe you. I’m going to bed. I’ll see you two tomorrow!” Mae kisses her perplexed daughter on the forehead and waves us goodbye.

The moment her mom’s door shuts, Mitsuko begins crying.

“Mitsuko?...”

She runs upstairs and slams her door. I’m left alone on the couch.

Five minutes later, she returns. Her eyes are dry but still red and puffy. “Why did you say all that?”

“It’s the first thing I thought of,” I reply.

“Was any of it true?” Mitsuko asks.

“Yes, all of it.”

Mitsuko starts crying again. “You’re so stupid… Fucking idiot… You should leave…”

I’m hurt. I walk toward the genkan. Mitsuko grabs my wrist. Without eye contact she limply guides me into her darkened room and locks the door.