Daizo asked hoping to help you in some way. But you can’t think of anything but your mawashi, and it distracting! So you had to think of something else… “Well… I was just… Um…”
Then Dave came in with a blue yukata, ‘It looks like a kimono!’ You thought. With that you were able to cover yourself, it may not be your best attempt at tying a knot on a kimono, but it can’t be all that bad…
But then Dave came in, and helped you. He undid what you’ve made, and did it better. That was an opportunity for you two to talk together… Dave started whispering with “I know this is a bit too much for you but, can you be in this form a little bit longer?” You looked at him “What why?” I whipped back “I can’t find anything less suspicious, So, I’m gonna have to borrow your keys, so I could get you your clothes from your house… Are you living with anyone?” As much as you want to get out of this sumo body, you may not have much of a choice, and you answered to Dave
“My Dad’s out of town a few days, and my Moms working overtime, so basically I’m just living alone for tonight…” He sighed “Okay, that should be a little easy, don’t worry. Your actually doing great! Just keep him busy for a little while…” and then he finishes the knot, completing my sumo wrestler look. The weird thing is… instead of feeling like I’m wearing different clothes for this different body, I feel like I’m supposed to be wearing this all the time, like as if wearing casual clothes is a foreign concept now. ‘What’s happening to me?!’ You thought
“Uh Dad? I’m gonna go out, and get us food. Would that be okay?” Daizo looks at Dave “Are you sure? At this time?” “Yeah, it’s not that late. I’ll just go and get us some steak, and some rice balls.” Daizo stares at him “You think that is funny? Thinking that a Rikishi can eat random foods?! Rikishi’s always eats Chanko-Nabe! I thought I taught you better?” This isn’t good… I better de-escalate the situation… “It’s okay Inokawa-san, I don’t mind eating something different… I mean, I came here unannounced…”
Daizo thought for a moment, and relaxes… Now where did this whole ‘San’ thing came from? Granted you have occasionally seen Japanese clips involving it but, you are no expert, and yet you talked like you’ve spoken like that all your life!
Daizo then spoke “Very well… Just don’t be late.” He said to Dave stern. And then Dave is gone for now… Daizo sighs “Oya! Kare no sono taido o kuso-!” (Oh! Damn that attitude of his!) he spoke Japanese under his breath. Despite that You understood what he said! ‘Oh God! What is that Medallion doing to me?’ You thought…
“It’s okay Daizo! You don’t have to be hard on yourself… he’ll learn…” You spoke trying to lighten the mood, by making feel like he’s doing fine. “I know… But I often feel like I’m being to hard on him…” And then you say something out of nowhere “Don’t worry you’re not the worsted. I’ve been put in this position since I was a kid.” Daizo looks up at me “Really? What happened?”
What just happened?! Your father’s not into sumo, and his certainty not Japanese… And yet you kept going… “My father… Ara! kare wa sono yōna mono deshita-“ (Ah! he was such a-) you stopped yourself. What-? How did? “I’m sorry. I know I said that you can speak English to me but…”
“Ryuji, I’m well aware that Rikishi’s are not allowed to speak the tongue that’s not naive of they’re country of origin… And the fact that you’re here in the states willing to learn English is commendable…” He then pats you on the back. “Eigo de suto-ri- o tsutaeru no ga muzukashisugiru baai. Sorenara nihongo de oshietemoraemasu ... Sore wa rikai dekimasu.“ If it's too difficult to tell your story in English. Then you can tell me in Japanese... It's understandable.)
You don’t want to forget your actual naive tongue, but whatever magic that medallion is doing… It’s changing you from being Luke from America, to Yamazaki Ryuji from Japan. But you have go with it as long as you can… But just don’t forget who you really are!
“Ikawa-san arigatō ...” (Thank you Inokawa-san…) As much as you don’t want to potential lose your English, your are happy to know that, statement you made earlier is not completely contradictory… Maybe you never about sumo wrestling in that light?…
Anyway, as you told your story… In Japanese of course. You found out that your memories are slowly but surely… Changing to a reality that makes you always this way! ‘Your father being so prideful about his culture, so much so he made you go through all the rigorous, and yet tough training to be the sumo you are… And even sacrificing any potential dream I may have wanted… In any case those dreams have faded, because my life, has always been sumo. Unfortunately I never made it to the top, and I was hoping that traveling to Japan, Maybe living here if there’s a stable. Could help re-motivate me to wrestle again…’
Oh my God! That Medallion’s magic made that story convincing! And also to a point where Luke’s story… Your real story… Seem like a fantasy… additionally as you’re telling the story you almost started thinking in Japanese… Reinforceing the idea that you’ve always been Japanese…
Daizo at least is feeling better, maybe even inspired… “Anata no hanashi o kyōyūshitekurete arigatō ryūji-zeki. Watashi no senzo mo rikishi datta node, watashi wa mada anata ga shiteiru koto o shōsanshimasu.” (Thank you Ryuji-zeki for sharing your story. I still admire what you do because my ancestors were also Rikishi.)
“Dōitashimashite... Deibu-kun... Kare wa hanasanai-?” (You’re welcome… Dave… He doesn’t speak-?) you started to say, then he frowns… “Ryūji-zeki gomennasai. Shikashi, kare wa nihongo o ryūchō ni hanasu hōhō o shirimasen. Desukara, kanō de areba, eigo de hanashitsuzukete kudasai. Tabun anata ni au koto wa kare ga sumō ni hairu koto o shōreisuru deshō!” (I’m sorry Ryuji. But he doesn’t know how to speak Japanese fluently. So if you can, try to keep speaking in English. Maybe meeting you would encourage him to get into sumo!)
‘You don’t have to tell twice.’ You thought, and start “Sure! Daizo, I lrike-“ I cleared my throat… speaking from one language to the next is not easy apperantly… Especially if you’re a naive Japanese speaker, trying to speak in English… “I would like to help you, and get your son in to sumou…” he smiled
And the somebody knock on the door… Dave… “Okay Dad, the foods here…” “That’s good Dave! We would have something to eat… Ryuji join us… We’ll make it as homely as possible, so you don’t feel homesick!”
And so Dave, Daizo, and you are about to have dinner… He say’s that you won’t be homesick, meaning this dinner maybe fully Japanese that despite it supposed to be unfamiliar you… Will be fully familiar to you… ‘I need to resist this… I have to fight this change… I’m not Japanese, I’m an American! I’m not a fully trained Sumo Wrestler, I’m just a school student! My name’s not Yamazaki Ryuji, It’s just Luke!’ As you keep thinking this over, and over again. Trying to resist the Medallion’s magic as much as you can…
So what happens from there?…