Naora: Did You Tell Kingo Anything About Me?

 

Toshi was eyeing his text messages and wondering exactly how to respond. He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want to deliberately sabotage the guy, either.  This was a strange situation he had to deal with. He didn't expect that Naora would ask him about this. He took far longer than he wanted to, then eventually came to the conclusion he was better off ignoring it.

 

Naora: I need to figure out if I have to report this to my grandmother. Please get back to me ASAP.

~Oh fuck.~

Toshi: Oh. Hey. Sorry. Was using the facilities.

Naora: "facilities"? mygod u get older the more U talk.

Toshi: Actually, I did tt Kingo, but not b4 tonight. He seems 2b having a syndrome.

Naora: Syndrome?

Toshi: U no how I keep getting things backwards?

Naora: Y...

Toshi: He's doing the same thing.

Naora: ???

Toshi: There's a few people who have this same symptoms. It might B 2nd infection from the hospital. But they don't know.

Naora: So how did he know about Gen?

Toshi: I dunno, but U know how he all about rumors. MayB he heard from some1 and that got messed up in his fever dream. I bet if U talk 2 him now hes more sane now. He actually seemed sane to me. He was apologetic for how hes been acting. If thats not reversed, I dunno what is.

Naora: He said he saw me die.

Toshi: U kno what a jerk hes been. Imagine all that guilt has built up and came out all @once.

Naora: Wait.

Naora: ...

Naora: RU telling me you guys made up?

Toshi: Assuming he remembers. We're going 2B meeting in therapy, so hope so.

Naora: ...

Naora: I was going to jump him in the morning and beat the shit out of him until he coughed up where he heard that. If U could talk to him and figure out what is going on without me having 2do that, I would be grateful.

Toshi: Leave it 2 me.

Toshi fell back in his bed and wiped his forehead, ~Holy shit I need to get a hold of Kingo and we need to get our story straight. He started to write a text to Kingo when another text came through from Naora.

Naora: Is there a chance they can fix you?

Toshi blinked and looked at the text. He thought about it for a while before replying.

Toshi: Would you want to fix me?

Naora: No.

Toshi blinked at the response, both at what the reply was and how quick.

Naora: I think UR just fine the way UR. I would not change a thing about I. 

Toshi blinked and stared at the text. A shaft of guilt lanced right through his heart as he read it. He took a deep breath, ~I need to stop. I can just stop texting. I need to stop texting.~

Toshi: I'm asking U2 change.

Naora: ???

Toshi: I am not accepting U as U. If I accepted U as U I would just marry U and not ask U2 change.

Naora: ...

Toshi waited for a long time and was just about to text her to ask if she was still there when she replied.

Naora: I do not like who I am.

Toshi: I do.

Naora: UGH.

Naora: I do not like what I am becoming.

Toshi: I like what you want to be. But no. I dont think they can fix me.

Naora: Good. I hate to C a normal Toshi.

Toshi smiled at his phone. That text hit much deeper than he thought it should. It took him a few moments to get his feelings under control before he replied.

Toshi: Thanks. 

Naora: Later. BTW, 3rd. was amazing.

Toshi: Yeah. U were 2.

Naora: Good luck tomorrow. Dont forget me. Gnight.

Toshi: Ni-ni.

 

---

 

Naora stared at the last text for a while, then called up Midori. By the second ring, she picked up, "Hey Boss" Naora said, "Twelve." Midori replied, "Four by five." Naora cleared her throat, "Confirm. I read your text. I want to hear it from you with my own ears because that made no sense."

 

Midori's voice was flat as she spoke, "I followed him as you ordered. He's got a driver now. I think it's that guy he hired to be the face for his company. The driver stayed in the car and Toshi met up with Kingo and a third kid. They met in a park and it was very windy. The shotgun microphone was almost useless, but I did hear a few things. It does seem like those two made up. The third kid was the one who visited Toshi earlier in the week. They..." Midori was quiet for a while. Naora chimed in, "Spit it out."

 

Midori sighed, "I don't know how to explain it. You know how boys are. They did some silly things. They formed a circle and put their hands over each other and I caught them swearing some oath or something. I couldn't make it out. But what I could pick up was... Kingo is obsessing over you."

 

Naora face palmed, "FUCK. I don't need this." Midori continued, "Here's the crazy part. I think Kingo managed to convince Toshi to back off." Naora peered at her phone, "Excuse me?" Midori, "I only caught part of it. But I really think Kingo might have convinced Toshi that Kingo is better for you. I don't know. Toshi kept talking about being from a different world than you. " Naora rubbed her forehead, "Holy fuck, he is just too trusting." Midori grunted, "I'm more worried about that new kid. I might have heard the conversation wrong, but I think he's a prostitute." Naora's tone went flat, "Wut?"

 

Midori cleared her throat, "He kept talking about 'how could you two fight over one woman when there are so many others', and he also said something that sounded like 'Getting laid and getting paid. It's amazing.'. Given the way he dresses and looks, I think he's a whore." Naora started chewing on her nail. After a while Midori spoke again, "You want me to run him off?" Naora clucked her tongue, "No. Actually... maybe I can use this to my advantage." Midori sounded puzzled, "How?"

 

Naora leaned back in her chair and swiveled it around. She checked her computer screens and scrolled through the files she had been examining, "Part of the problem with Toshi is how he's not willing to leave his family... what if... they kicked him out?" She double clicked on a folder her grandmother sent her labeled Troubleshooters, "What if Toshi crossed a line that his family found... distasteful? What if he did something so unforgivable that they turned their back on him?" She took a deep breath and let it out slowly for deep down inside she knew she was contemplating something horrible, "Something that had nothing to do with me?" Midori's voice finally showed some emotional inflection, "You know what?"

 

 

 

 

"You just gave me an idea."