5,Emma's Decision

One night at the end of August, after the Fukagawa festival, Natsuko was in the living room of Emma's house, drinking iced tea after a bath.

"Emma, ​​the night breeze feels so good. It's still summer during the day, but it's definitely autumn at night."

"Yeah."

With the shirt dress she was supposed to change into rolled up in her hands, Natsuko leaned against the sofa and looked at the window, where the curtains were fluttering in the night breeze. She wondered vaguely how many more times the curtains would flutter before she asked. Then Natsuko decided that she would ask if the curtains fluttered three more times. Emma seemed to be replying to an email while looking at her black cell phone. The wind was gently fluttering Emma's reddish-brown curls, which reached the waist of her black negligee. "With whom?"

"At my part-time job."

"It's 2:30. At this time?"

"Yeah. I always work at this time."

"Oh, I see."

A cool breeze blew through. The curtains slowly fluttered. "Emma, ​​let me see the picture. Not from the album, but from your phone. You took pictures (of my body) on your phone, didn't you?"
"Huh?"
"I'm not mad."
"Did you know?"
"Yeah. Because I heard the shutter."
"Right. I'm sorry. Why do you want to see it?"
"It's not me, but someone who really wants to see it."
"Who?"
"I don't know who it is, but a customer. I think it's someone who's okay. I'm not giving them the picture. I'm just letting you see it for a moment."
"Why? Did you tell them?"
"Yeah. Was it wrong?"
"Well, not that I shouldn't, but because I felt like Natsuko was really worried."
"Yeah. I really don't want Japanese people to know. It's just public appearances, so I don't think it's strange that I'm scared of public appearances that don't matter."
"Is it okay to show them?"
"That person is over 60 years older than me." He's a very distant person. But, for some reason, he tries to take care of me, a complete stranger. I'm very grateful. So, although I don't know the details, I wish I could heal the sense of stagnation he's carrying. Sometimes he mutters to himself, "What if we had a different life?" At times like that, the only thing I can do to repay him is to imagine together and make it interesting. When I was thinking about what else I could do, he said he wanted to see a picture of Emma's painting of my body. I thought it would be good for him."
"That's right. The only time I took pictures with my cell phone was when I was taking pictures of the peony and the spider, so why don't you take some pictures in the album? Ukiyo-e or the deep sea would be good, right?"
"Yes. Thank you. I'll do that."
Natsuko took the album from the drawer under the desk in the studio and returned to the living room, sitting down on the sofa. Emma, ​​who was standing by the window, sat next to Natsuko and nodded as if to say, "Open it quickly." Natsuko opened the album with a wry smile. Familiar pictures were painted on people's backs, hips, and legs. Occasionally, when she found about half of Natsuko's face in one, she wanted to look away. But she managed to take a few good photos of the pictures with the camera on her cell phone. She opened the photo folder on her cell phone and checked the photos she had taken. Looking at them, Natsuko felt like deleting them. After all, she didn't want to see photos of herself. But she remembered her promise to Miyamoto and decided not to delete them now, but as soon as she was done with them.
"When I first told him I was doing part-time body painting, he told me to take better care of myself. But because I'd already said that, I couldn't bring myself to ask to see the photos. And the next time we met, I thought he'd forgotten, so I deliberately said nothing about the photos, but he remembered them perfectly. He fidgeted a little and asked me to show him the photo. Every time we met after that, he was very stylish. His appearance was quite sophisticated. It may be inappropriate, but I thought he was very cute."
Natsuko took about eight photos. Deep sea bubbles, clematis vines, a retro bus, Hokusai-style waves, peonies in a Chinese jar, a giant spider, a stone Buddha like Jizo, and an angel with a slight smile.
"Natsuko, do you have any photos of that person? I'd like to see them."
"No. I don't like having my picture taken, so I don't think I've ever asked if I could take one."
"That's right. Natsuko won't let me take her picture. Even if you asked me if I could take a photo, I'm sure she would say no."
"Yeah. I already wanted to delete the one I just took with my phone. But I've promised to show her Emma's picture, so I've decided to pretend that I took it."
Natsuko flipped the page of the album. There was a Ferris wheel drawn on my back, with circles distorting from side to side. It was only a month or two ago, but it made me nostalgic.
"Emma, ​​what are you going to do with the photos in this album?"
"Nothing. They're just my memories of Japan."
"Are you going somewhere, Emma?"
"Actually, I won't be able to live in this house anymore. My dad is going to sell it."
"When? Why don't you come to my room? It's not big, but the only thing in the room is a bed, so you can use everything else."
"Thanks. But I've already decided. I'm thinking about going to my mom's place next year, as early as January, or as late as March."
"Really? How long have you been thinking about it?"
"Since about last month."
"That's right. I thought you didn't seem to be drawing as much as you used to these days."
"Yeah. I might not be living in Japan anymore, so I'm going to have to go to my mom's place."
"Thanks. I'm thinking about going to my mom's place next year, as early as January, or as late as March." I don't think so. Can I stay at Natsuko's room before I go over there?"
"Yes. Sure. Sure, but I guess I'm not a good enough reason to stay in Japan."
"Natsuko, I was actually planning to go earlier. But I started thinking about what kind of future we could have together, and I couldn't go. I thought about it, but I started to think that it might be difficult in Japan after all. Will you come with me, Natsuko?"
"It's so sudden..."
"It's okay, don't push yourself. Natsuko likes Japan, don't you? I realized that after being together. I don't think you'll come with me. So I'll go alone. I'll take this photo with me. A treasure from Japan."
Emma smiled. She remembered what Emma had said before.
"School in Japan has always been difficult. Even now, it's still difficult in many ways."
At that moment, Natsuko thought that Emma and I must be of the same race. Emma was born and raised in Japan, but she also thought that the difference between her and Natsuko might be that she had never felt that Japan was her home before. Natsuko couldn't be happy that this album was Emma's memory of Japan.

"Emma, ​​do you want to go to the festival with me? There's a festival at Kumano Shrine in Nakano. My friend and I are going to be allowed to join the Nishi-Shinjuku neighborhood association and carry the mikoshi. Emma, ​​let's go too."

"I'm not going. There's no reason to go."

"Emma, ​​let's put God aside for now. I want to introduce my friend."

"No need. I've already made up my mind, so I won't change."

Natsuko regretted not inviting her a little earlier. Emma started messaging again.

"What's wrong with work?"

"Well, that's why I'm quitting, so we're communicating."

"I see."

It seemed unnatural that she was putting too much effort and effort into an email about quitting a part-time job, but she remembered the slightly distorted Japanese that Emma used to use in her emails, and decided to accept that it took this long to send a normal email. Natsuko put the album on her lap and fell asleep while clutching her black cell phone. Emma closed the album on Natsuko's lap and placed it on the counter along with her cell phone and Natsuko's shirt dress. Emma took a blanket out of the closet in the bedroom and draped it over Natsuko, who was lying down on the sofa.
Natsuko always fell asleep as if the power had suddenly gone off. Emma thought that she had never shown Natsuko her sleeping position. Then she remembered Natsuko drawing a spider.
"Emma, ​​can I draw on your back too? A green forest or flowers. This thin brush is hard to use. I'll make sure you get a taste of it. Hahaha."
Emma was about to burst out laughing as she closed the window. Then she put her cell phone on the counter and went to the kitchen to start making soup for breakfast.