Three of Hearts: Part 3
Winter in Shibuya was blistering cold, but it wasn’t much different from New York . As he laid
on the couch in the living room one winter afternoon, Ken noted how different the weather had
been when he had arrived. It was still rather warm when he came to Shibuya; now it felt as if the
whole city would turn into an ice sculpture. Ken thought about those school girls walking
around in the cold in their short skirts on their way to and from school.
"Really? I didn’t know Mika would say such a thing." Ken smiled as he listened to
Naoto talk on the phone, noting the gentle tone that never left his roommate’s voice. As he
listened to the phone conversation with half an ear, his mind started wandering back to the very
end of autumn, just before the cold settled in. Ken remembered the weekend trip he had taken
with Naoto to Yokohama to visit Naoto’s mother and elder sister. Thinking of that time now
made his smile broaden just a touch. He remembered being surprised at the way Naoto treated
everyone, surprised at the considerate manner the school teacher had about him. To Ken, it
seemed as if Naoto never got angry with anyone; he was always calm, always kind.
Yeah, I’ll tell him," he heard Naoto say. A few good-byes followed before Ken heard
the phone being replaced on the cradle. Naoto’s soft footstep sounded on the carpet as he made
his way over, taking the seat opposite the couch.
"That was Issei," he said as Ken sat up. "He said to tell you Maria called and asked for
you." The color drained from Ken’s face as he suddenly felt the warm apartment go cold.
Maria...he hadn’t thought about that name or the person in the last two months. He wondered
why she had called.
"Ken?" He jumped, startled by the sound of Naoto’s voice. Slowly, he turned to face
his friend and roommate. Naoto’s face looked troubled and concerned but he kept his eyes
focused on Ken. The concern he felt laced his voice as he spoke. "Ken, you okay? Your face is
a little pale. Did I say something?"
"Nothing," Ken said. "You didn’t say anything wrong. I was just thinking about Maria."
"Who is she?" He took a deep breath. Maybe it was time he told Naoto exactly why he
came to Japan. In the last two months, he had gotten to know the school teacher well. It was
only fair Naoto knew as much about him.
"Maria is my ex-wife," Ken explained. "She’s the reason I came to Japan."
"Oh...."
"Naoto, have you heard of the Rizer Corporation of New York?" Dark almond eyes
widened in a mix of amazement and surprise.
"You were married to Maria Rizer?!"
"Yup. I met her when I started working after I graduated from college," Ken said. "She
was still a student studying Japanese language and culture then. I found her attractive instantly;
she was also wealthy and had a brillant mind, the kind of girl I envisioned marrying when I was a
kid. After two years of dating, we got married. I thought it was a perfect marriage. I worked for
a firm her father owned, had a pretty high position too. We spent free time going to parties and
country clubs.
"I thought I had everything, then it all fell through two years later. I overheard a phone
conversation she was having with a high school sweetheart one day. Apparently they had been
seeing each other and were doing everything short of having an affair. I felt betrayed so I began
evaluating my situation. I found a lot of things about the way I was living that I didn’t like. It
took a lot of debating before I came to a decision. Within a month of the incident, I had
requested a divorce. While all the legal paperwork was being handled, I asked for a job transfer
to Japan, changed my name, and had Issei look for a place for me to stay. Once the papers were
signed, I packed up, hopped onto the next plane, and left. End of story." It was quiet when Ken
finished. He sat staring at Naoto’s dark head while the other kept his gaze on the ground, neither
noticing the few snowflakes fluttering past the windows.
"Ken, I..." Naoto began but was cut off.
"If you’re going to say you’re sorry, don’t worry about it," Ken said. "I’m not sorry. It
happened; there wasn’t anything I could have done to prevent it. Besides, if I’m honest, I’m
happier now than I was. I work a lower paying job, but I like being a simple salaryman compared
to the division manager I was. When I was married, all my free time was spent either at elaborate
parties or clubs, which I hate. I only went because Maria asked me to and because she wanted to
go. I would have much rather stayed at home, reading or watching TV. Now I can actually do
that.
"When I married Maria, I thought I had everything I ever wanted. After it ended, I
realized I never had anything. I came to Japan to find what I couldn’t find in her. So far, I
haven’t found it yet. I still don’t know what I want. But...." He paused, wondering how he
would phrase his next statement. "You know something? Now that I think about it, I like being
with you more than I liked being around Maria." Naoto didn’t look up; Ken started to wonder if
he said something wrong. After a moment, Naoto got to his feet, heading for the kitchen.
"It’s almost time for dinner," he said, turning on the stove with a click before taking a
peek into the fridge. Just before his face disappeared behind the door, Ken caught the faint flush
across the younger man’s cheeks. He smiled, lying back down on the couch as he heard the
fridge door close and the sizzle of something frying in a pan. Yup, Naoto was definantly more
fun to be around.