Finding Shinji[Earth II]

[Chrinthanium]

Finding Shinji
[ MATURE | MT | EARTH II ]

---

O S A K A
8 OCT 2020 | 18:45 GMT +9

---

Shinji Ichihara sat on the platform in Shin-Osaka station, a well-worn trench coat shielding him from the chilly air. Strapped on his back a black backpack that had more miles on it than an old Toyota. He didn’t sit on a bench, but instead put his back against the station wall and sat on the ground fumbling around in his pocket. He pulled out a wallet and flipped it open. The brown bifold held together with duct tape and luck flopped as he reached into a tucked away pocket and produced a small picture. He studied the black and white photograph. He gazed upon the bright smile and her black hair. She seemed as if there were no cares in the world in the photo. A full life, a rich life, a perfect life awaited her and she knew it. Shinji smiled briefly at the photo, the sound of the train causing him to stuff it away from whence it came.

The Shinkansen stood there in its futuristic pride. White and sleek, shiny and glinting somewhat in the setting sunshine. The Nozomi was the fastest in the fleet, only stopping at the biggest stations along the way. Perhaps one of the most famous trains in the world, it was a pride of every citizen due to its cleanliness, its safety, and its punctuality. Shinji slid the backpack from his back and placed it under his seat. He peeled off the tattered trench coat revealing his dark gray hoodie with an anime character on it and a pair of skinny jeans that terminated just above his brand new black sneakers. He stuffed the trenchcoat on the seat and proceeded to use it like a cushion as he slumped in his seat. He ran his hand through his medium, black hair and sighed. His smartphone alerted him to a few incoming messages. He scrolled through the various people asking what he was doing and if he wanted to hang out. For Shinji, they were needed while in Osaka. Now, as he moved on to Tokyo, they were no longer needed. The melodic sounds of the door closing chime rang through the station as he turned off the infernal device and slid it into his pocket. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

Something caused Shinji to open his eyes. It felt like something was piercing his soul. He looked around and noticed a young man sitting across the aisle. He averted his gaze as Shinji attempted to make eye contact. Shinji shrugged and started to close his eyes when he noticed from the corner the young man was looking at him again. This time Shinji looked right at him and didn’t break his gaze. The young man again turned away attempting to look out of the window as the daylight shrank away in the sky. Shinji kept looking until the young man looked back. This time the young man looked right into Shinji’s eyes. Then he smiled and nodded. Shinji returned the greeting still penetrating the young man with a steely gaze. Shinji then stood up and sat next to the young man.

“Good evening,” the young man said with a nervousness in his voice.

“If you take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Shinji replied.

“I’m sorry,” the young man said as the smile melted from his face. “I’m a photographer. I think you would make a good model.”

Shinji nearly recoiled at that statement. A momentary flash of a previous experience where a photographer had made such a statement. Needing the cash, Shinji agreed to the photographer’s terms and went back to the studio. It started out innocent, mostly headshots and some poses in whatever clothes Shinji was wearing, but as that evening progressed, it began to become clear that the photographer had more wants than just a new subject. While Shinji wasn’t adverse to such shenanigans for cash, those kinds of transactions were usually clarified up front. When Shinji declined, it turned violent. Three weeks in the hospital later, Shinji decided that anyone fronting as a photographer to get into his pants could just fuck off.

“I’ve heard that line before. Next thing you know you’re trying to get into my pants. If that’s what you want, just say it.” Shinji said.

“No thanks,” Shinji said. “You’re not my type.”

The young man raised an eyebrow, “I’m not trying to seduce you. I mean I need a new model for a campaign I’m working on. Someone who isn’t already in the business, but with your attitude, I think I’ll pass.” The young man turned and looked back out of the window.

Shinji got up and walked back to his seat. He turned his head towards his window and began to close his eyes. He could feel something approaching and turned. It was the young man again. He sat down next to Shinji and put his hand on his leg, “I’m sorry. I’m not usually that way.”

“What way?” Shinji asked.

“Outgoing in trying to get new talent. But, I’m sure we can come to some sort of arrangement,” the young man said as he began to move his hand up Shinji’s thigh.

Shinji paused. He only had ¥150 in his pocket, barely enough to eat. And what were the chances that something akin to the previous experience would happen on a moving train? Fighting his urge to say no, he replied , “How much do you pay for being a model?”

“How much will your services cost?” the young man asked.

Shinji thought about it for a moment.“¥30,000,” Shinji said. “For a full shoot.”

Shinji turned towards the window as the young man began to do what it was he wanted to do. The train car itself was mostly empty save for a young woman in the very back who was buried in her book and an old man who seemed to be sleeping. He stared out of the window as the lights of the towns passed by at nearly 300 kilometers an hour and relaxed.

---

C H I Y O D A , T O K Y O
8 OCT 2020 | 21:30 GMT +9

---

Emerging from Tokyo station, Shinji found himself in Chiyoda, the economic and political capital of the empire. The Diet and the Imperial Palace as well as 19 major corporations were based in this roughly 11.5 square kilometer area. He buttoned his trenchcoat and began to move towards the skyscrapers of Shinjuku. The city was a familiar sight to him as far as television and movies went, but he’d never been to Tokyo before. He’d made his way from Nagasaki, where he was born, through Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nagoya, then to Osaka before deciding to cast his lots with a city that was nearly unrivaled globally in terms of population. Many nations had their city where if someone made it there they could make it anywhere and Tokyo was just that for the United Empire of Japan and Greater Manchuria. He was 25 and ready to take on the biggest metropolitan area in the world. With ¥30,000 in his pocket, he didn’t have much to find a room with, but eventually found a nice cheap hotel room with a private bathroom.

He had a connection to the city. His biological grandmother still had a son there. He was hoping to eventually find him, but so far all his attempts were fruitless. There were so many questions to ask about his mother and father. So many unknowns about who he was and where he came from. This uncle of his had moved to Tokyo when he got a job with Sony, at least as far as Shinji had heard. He only knew one thing: he was probably married and living somewhere in Tokyo. The proverbial needle in a haystack full of needles in haystacks. Shinji took a long, hot bath, then slinked into bed and passed out. His quest would have to begin in the morning.

[Chrinthanium]

---

S H I N J U K U , T O K Y O
Kuyakusho-dori | 9 OCT 2020 | 11:43 GMT +9

---

Shinji stood at the corner, patiently awaiting the walk signal to grant him permission to cross; a young man trapped in a sea of people heading to God knows where to do God knows what. From the corner of his eye he spied a well-dressed man, somewhere in his mid-40s, feverishly pounding away at his smartphone. A small bulge showed in his bad pocket. The signal granted permission and Shinji followed the suited man. As they crossed the street, Shinji pushed forward into the man nearly knocking him over. The smartphone tumbled from his hand and landed case-side down. The man complained about this egregious violation of his personal space as Shinji apologize profusely. The man stood up and Shinji handed him his phone. None the worse for the incident. The man mumbled something that sounded remarkably like an insult and proceeded to march at battle speed towards his destination. Shinji quickly slid his hand, now clasping what used to live in the suited man's back pocket, and slid it into his pocket. He quickly stepped into a small ramen shop and sat down at a table. He pulled the black trifold wallet out. An ID card, multiple credit cards, a bank card, pictures of some kids... and then in the main compartment were bank notes. He thumbed through the notes, arranged in sequential order, and counted around ¥500,000 and smiled. He stood up from the table and walked over to a kiosk along the wall and placed an order through the machine. A few button presses and a ticket popped out. He took the ticket back to his table and placed it on the edge of the table.

Shinji had a simple system. A system tried by countless thousands of petty crooks. Bump-and-grab worked most times, particularly with people who were already rather hurried or otherwise preoccupied. Credit cards and bank cards were traceable, so those were always tossed away. ID cards as well. Cash was always the name of the game for this trick. Certainly there were those who'd be willing to purchase the cards from Shinji, but those elements of society were less trustworthy than Shinji cared to deal with. Cash was also harder and harder to get with everyone using their bank cards and credit cards to purchase everything from furniture to on-the-go cups of coffee from national chains. Still, the practice worked well enough for a guy to get by. He reached into the backpack and pulled out five more wallets, his eyes carefully investigating to see if he was being watched. He put them into his hoodie pocket and stood up and headed to the rest room. The small restroom had a single trashcan, roughly halfway full of napkins and other trash. He slid the wallets down into the bin, but not fully. He washed his hands and used a small park's worth of paper towels to hide the wallets. Where they were tossed made no difference. Only that they were tossed. The last thing anyone wanted to be was identified and caught with the wallets in hand. He thumbed through his own wallet before he exited, recounting his day's earnings. ¥160,000 over the day was a fairly large haul, but the business types on Tokyo generally had more cash on hand. Especially the older ones less likely to adhere to new, modern norms.

He returned to his table and sat down. He began to stare out of the small shop window. The people and the buildings began to melt away as he started figuring out just how he was going to find his uncle. He didn't even really know where to start, outside of trying to get into Sony's headquarters. The office buildings were notoriously well-guarded. Turnstile gates just inside the doors. Badges needed for entering. No visitors allowed in without an appointment. The big corporations were the hardest. He knew he had to try there, but he had no idea just how he could get any information out of the guards. What he needed was a plan. A well-organized plan. He could simply wait to see if he came out of the building and follow at a distance. Once in public, he could introduce himself. If his uncle wasn't buying what Shinji was offering, he could show him the picture of his grandmother he kept in his wallet. Surely his uncle would recognize his own mother. Though, such a plan required knowing just what his uncle looked like. Social media didn't bring up any results for his uncle. Internet searches also didn't help. It seemed his uncle had no cyber footprint. At least not that Shinji could discern.

It was at that moment a slight clunk of a bowl shattered his thought process as a young lady placed the bowl down in front of Shinji. She nodded and smiled, then returned to the void that was the kitchen. Shinji began to eat.

---

S H I N J U K UT H O R N T O NG R A N DH O T E L
Shinjuku, Tokyo | 9 OCT 2020 | 22:50 GMT +9

---

The rooftop bar offered an exceptional view of the skyline. The bright lights of the city seemed to glow with a bright-white aura alluding to purity, integrity, and spirituality. Anyone who lived in Tokyo knew that was hardly the case, but from this lofty perch one could be forgiven for believing that the streets below were part of a grand fairy tale. The bar itself was done in a modern Japanese style offering those who came a taste of the Japanese culture in all its 21st century flair.
The restaurant attached to it was walled in glass, offering every diner the option to see the city they came to visit. Inside a large group of folks noshed and mingling while Shinji sat outside in the cool of the evening nursing a beer. Most of the revelers stayed inside, occasionally stepping outside to huddle in the smoking corner or take a selfie with the city in the background. As Shinji contemplated his beer taking time to soak in the city nightscape, he pulled out his smartphone. He slid his thumb across the touchscreen continually shifting through the plethora of missed calls and messages left on read. One caught his eye. He tapped on the notification and placed the phone to his ear.

"SHINJI!" she screamed!

"AIKO!" he screamed back with a laugh.

"Everyone's asking where you're at, Shinji. I didn't tell them." Aiko said.

"Yeah, well, I don't care now. If you tell them, it's whatever. Too far away to care."

"Are you coming back like you promised?"

"Not anytime soon. I have to find him. I didn't come all this way to give up after 24 hours. I gotta find him, Aiko. I gotta know why my parents didn't want me."

"Shinji," Aiko said in a comforting tone, "I'm sure that's not the case. Besides, what does it matter? You got in with that family you told me about, right? Didn't you tell me that Yoshi and Sakura were great?"

"Yeah, they did fine. Never went without anything. But, you don't get it. It's like being rejected by the folks who're suppose to be the most important in your life, Aiko."

"You are right, I don't understand. I guess you have your reasons."

"How's Akira?"

"Oh, him? Ha! He's always fine. At the gym, as usual. I think he spends more time there than the office, Shinji. It's like he's addicted or something. I think he's putting in a lot of time because once the little one comes, he'll not have that kind of time."

"You thought of a name?"

"Ryo," Aiko said. "He's dead set on that name. I don't know why, but that's what he wants to call him. I'd rather have called him Shinji."

"Fuck that," Shinji said nearly spitting out the sip of beer he'd just taken," he ain't my kid."

"No, but I think it would've been hilarious to see Akira's face. Anyway, I gotta go. Early day tomorrow. Early day everyday these days. I swear this kid won't stop kicking."

"Hey, I wanna thank you and Akira for giving me that room. For being a true friend. Lots of those kids I hung with in Osaka didn't really care. You did."

"Well, Shinji, what were we going to do? Let you sleep on the streets? Hell no! Besides, if it wasn't for you, Akira and I never would've met. So we owed you one."

"Take care, Aiko. I think I'm gonna hit the sack."

"Okay, Shinji. Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"I promise," Shinji said.

"Oh, and one more thing. You left like ¥100,000 here. You want me to send it to you?"

"No!," he protested. "That's for Ryo. Get him something nice and tell him it was from his godfather, okay?"

"Aww, Shinji, that's too much. We can't...."

"You have no choice. Not gonna tell you where I am or how to send it to me, so you're stuck with it. I'll call you next week."

"Thank you," Aiko said with a sign, "I'm sure we'll get Ryo something nice. You know, when you let people get to know you, you're not a bad guy."

"Don't say that! You'll ruin my reputation. Later."

"Talk to you soon."

---

T O K Y O C E N T R A L L I B R A R Y
Minato City, Tokyo | 13 OCT 2020 | 09:30 GMT +9

---

Shinji sat behind the library computer, his eyes darting to and fro as he skimmed through the unending list of people named Kento Tanaka. Every so often he would stop and click on a link and find out what information he could. Next to him sat a notebook where he'd scribbled down a few possible matched for the man he was looking to find. None of them, so far, had indications of a social media presence for a man roughly the age Shinji thought he should be. None of them hinted at working for Sony or for any of the cornucopia of electronics and tech companies headquartered in the world's largest metropolitan area. Three days of searching, 200 possible patches, and he still found himself as confused as ever to find this one man amongst the 39 million people who called the area home.

"Young man," the conservatively-dressed lady said, "I must remind you that you have 30 minutes on our computers and that you have exceeded this every day you've been here. I have people waiting for that terminal."

Shinji sighed. "Yes, ma'am," he said as he clicked out and logged off.

"Can I ask you a question?" Shinji said.

"Of course," the lady said as her demeanor returned to that of politeness.

"I'm looking for one person in Tokyo. Which, as you can tell, is kind of a shit show."

"Please refrain from profanity within the library," she cautioned. "But I don't know how I can help you with that outside of trying the central records office."

"Where's that?"

"About half a kilometer from here. You cannot just stride in asking for someone's vital records, though. You have to know the person you are searching for, his or her parents names, his or her date of birth, and you have to have some connection with him or her. However, they could at least give you a start. The library is most likely not the best place for this kind of search. Especially if you cannot follow our rules."

The idea of following rules was not high on Shinji's list, but he knew that he'd overstayed his welcome at the library.