Temper Dread: Book Two of the TEMPER Saga Read online

  Lila Mina

  TEMPER: DREAD

  Book Two of the TEMPER Saga

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  Copyright © 2019 Lila Mina

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  Cover: © 2019 Giulia Natsumi

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  Cover picture: AdobeStock

  Table of Contents

  1 Too Close for Comfort

  2 Dizziness

  3 No Child Game

  4 A Birthday Gift

  5 Shattering News

  6 Anxious yet Hopeful

  7 Spite and Pride

  8 A Dangerous Proposal

  9 Teaching New Lessons

  10 Renewing Pledges

  11 Piercing Through the Veil

  12 Staring into the Abyss

  13 Mistress of their Bodies and Souls

  14 A Ruthless Man

  15 Bitter Disappointment

  16 Unraveling

  17 Dictated by Fate

  18 Fallout

  19 Finding Solace

  20 Drawing a Line

  21 Crushed by Duty

  22 Webs of Lies

  23 The Imprint of His Hand

  24 Appeasement

  25 Swimming with Sharks

  26 Life-altering Decisions

  27 Above and Beyond Duty

  28 New Clouds on the Horizon

  Glossary of Japanese terms

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  The TEMPER Saga Continues!

  TEMPER: DELIVERANCE - SNEAK PEEK!

  About the Author

  After the rain, the earth hardens.

  1 Too Close for Comfort

  Like every year, Lana’s dojo held its summer dinner party on the third Sunday of July, the day before the Day of the Sea, one of those odd official holidays that forced people in a country of burn-outs to take a break, for two or three days in a row.

  To everyone’s relief, the weather agency had announced the end of the rainy season in the Kanto area. Deep blue skies and snow-white thunderclouds signaled the start of summer in all its hot and furious glory. As if on cue, millions of cicadas crawled out of their holes at the bottom of trees, drowning the city in their ominous love song, from the first light of day until dusk. People survived on watermelon and shaved ice, and children chafed in their classrooms, dreaming of their upcoming holidays.

  “Tim, why do we keep ending up at the same izakaya?” Lana grumbled as the dojo members crossed the street to go to their usual Japanese pub joint. “Can’t we try something else for a change? I mean, I have nothing against fried and oily food, but this place isn’t much more than a hole in the wall, and they’re really doing their best at being not original. Winter, summer, it’s always the same stuff. The neighborhood has many better places.”

  “You should ask Kodera sempai, he’s the one in charge of those. But it’s the best deal around. On top of that, they don’t want to drag Inoue shihan halfway across the neighborhood, and I hear he’s fond of it because he used to go there when he was a student. But yeah, it’s not so exciting… Focus on the free drinks!”

  Their dinner parties always took place after the biannual practice sessions led by their grandmaster who oversaw a dozen dojos in western Tokyo. Their dojo-cho was one of the most respected experts in their art, but at past 75, he had his quirks.

  “Aside from Yurika, who were the other poor souls who rolled with Honda sensei tonight? I couldn’t see everything,” Tim joked. With Inoue leading the class, Honda had been practicing in the crowd along with everybody else.

  “Well, two of our most recent recruits; they were as white as tofu! I mean, he was patient and almost kind if I wanted to be generous, but even then… Oh, and Takeda and Nakamura sempai, too, and man, did they fly. Luckily, you know how good they are at taking high falls, but Takeda sempai was sweating hard at the end. And me, of course,” she said with an exaggerated grimace. He hadn’t held back much with her… but neither had she.

  Tim laughed and slapped her shoulder. “Lady, sometimes I wonder about the tough love this man has for you.”

  Lana hid her discomfort under an uneasy smile. “What? What are you saying?”

  Tim gave her a sly smirk. “Nothing! Just that he’s invested in your progress, likes to make you sweat and grunt a lot… if you see what I mean,” he winked.

  Lana forced a laugh at his teasing and hit him back playfully. “Don’t be silly, come on, he isn’t so much different with me! And what an odd way to get my attention!” To her relief, they arrived right then at the venue, and their sensitive conversation came to a halt.

  They had the largest tatami room of the izakaya, with three long tables already set up with a dozen of chilled one-litre beer bottles. One of the new recruits took the place next to her, and a junior instructor sat opposite them.

  To her relief, Honda was at the same table but further down to her left. The last thing she wanted was to interact with him in front of their fellow dojo members. What would happen if others shared Tim’s idea and over-analyzed every single gesture?

  And then Inoue kneeled on her right. She barely repressed a loud groan. Bye bye, relaxed evening, hello, diplomatic dance.

  “Dojo-cho,” she said with a deep bow. “Thank you so much for your class today, it was so inspiring. Would you like a glass of beer?” Thank you, Yuki sama, for teaching me proper super polite register...

  A purely rhetorical question. Etiquette required you to fill other people’s glasses and never your own. And with his position, she had to make sure his was always full.

  “Yes, thank you. Let me help you with yours,” the elder replied. Thankfully, after gulping down his drink, he engaged in chit-chat with the junior instructor on his other side. She focused on the man on her left. Nomura held a lower rank than her, making him her kohai, and she did her best to make him feel welcome and at ease despite the dojo-cho at their table.

  Sashimi, boiled and salted soybeans, fried chicken wrapped in cheese and shiso leaves, sautéed beef with garlic and onion, spicy pickled cucumbers with miso paste, lotus roots, burdock and sliced carrots topped with sesame seeds and chili flakes: various plates filled with mouthwatering foods arrived on the table to be picked at will. Beer and shochu were flowing, people began to relax and unwind.

  How sad that alcohol is the best social lubricant in this country... Although the next day was no holiday for her, Lana let herself be swept away by a low-buzz feeling of drunkenness.

  “Martin san.”

  Startled by Inoue's voice, Lana tried to hide her surprise. How strange for him to remember her name even though it was written on her dogi. But then, they weren’t many foreigners in his school, and foreign women even less.

  “You are now second kyu, correct? I signed your certificate last winter.”

  “Yes, and I hope to present myself in September.”

  “Good. First kyu is a challenge. So, practice hard, all right? But you are used to this now. Your training regimen has become intensive, hasn’t it?”

  Lana's heartbeat spiked. How can he know? Who’s been talking with him? “Yes, I will give it my all. And I am grateful for Honda sensei’s rigorous teaching.”

  Inoue stared at her for a while as if lost in thought. “Hm, and are you comfortable with it? I know how d
emanding Honda san can be with students, but usually, he waits until they become yudansha before raising the bar. Doing it with a mudansha, and a woman at this, is uncommon. To my knowledge, it is a first for him. You are not expected to accept and endure it unconditionally at this stage, I hope he made this clear?”

  “Please don’t worry, shihan. Honda sensei and I have talked about it. There is nothing going on I’m uncomfortable with. Quite the opposite, it fits me perfectly and I find it quite an honor.” Her answer was the only reply that would do.

  Inoue grunted, but it was hard to figure out whether he was satisfied or not. His pensive look was odd and rattled her nerves. It took Lana a lot not to steal a glance at Honda who was in her direct line of sight behind Inoue’s shoulder.

  Careful, this conversation is getting a wee bit too hot for comfort.

  “Hm, an honor? Perhaps. Some would say this is a favor as harsh and challenging it can be for you. I have known Honda san for almost thirty years now.” Lana had to strain her ear to catch his words. “I have seen him becoming who he is today. He is not one to favor anybody. Also, I couldn’t help but notice changes in his general behavior recently. Any idea why?”

  Shit, shit, shit. Maybe she was paranoid, maybe Tim had made her oversensitive. But why was he sharing such personal information? How was she supposed to know anything if she was nothing but a regular student who had known her instructor for three years in total? He was baiting around the bush, not even bothering to be discreet!

  “I wouldn’t dare make any conjecture on Honda sensei’s behavior. It is not my place.”

  “Well, as someone who is enjoying his favor, I was hoping you would shed light on why he seems more… relaxed?” His unflinching eyes bore into hers. He took another sip of beer and almost nonchalantly added, “Has he offered you to become his uchi-deshi someday? Has he invited you to train at his personal dojo?”

  Terror flooded her. He has to know something! He’s hitting at the weakest spot of the chain!

  “Honda sensei is not someone who… talks much,” she pointed out in a low voice, almost at her wits’ end. “He has never hinted at me becoming his live-in student. It would be too premature to talk about this as my abilities are so crude and limited.” She dodged the personal dojo inquiry.

  “Oh, but words aren’t always necessary. Actions can speak louder, don’t you think?” His voice was full of innuendo. But perhaps her guilty conscience blurred her perception. Lana bowed her head low, grateful that etiquette required her to not look at him in the eye.

  “Yes, of course. Well, again, it is hard for me to tell you anything unrelated to my intensive training.” And this is the stark, naked truth. She wouldn’t tell him squat.

  Unconvinced, Inoue made a clicking sound.

  “Please, may I have your attention?” Relieved, Lana could have kissed Kodera who had stood up. “It’s time for a toast and speeches! Dojo-cho, if you please?”

  Inoue launched himself in an upbeat discourse on the spirit and accomplishments of the dojo members. Lana didn’t listen while her mind raced in all directions. She had no idea if Inoue and Honda met frequently, if Inoue could have picked up something, if Honda had been careless or anything less than his usual self.

  It seemed incredible their dojo-cho would be able to perceive Honda’s general mood change with two brief encounters over six months, even if they knew each other well. On top of it, she couldn’t understand how he had made a link between her, and Honda’s transformation. And his question regarding the personal dojo… It sounded so corny! Coming from anyone else, she would have laughed.

  I need something stronger than beer!

  The speech part also signaled the time where people started to mingle. Lana jumped on the chance to join Tim, Yurika, and two other sempai, far from Inoue. It would be less suspicious than leaving right away. Still, she didn’t want to linger and give Inoue another opportunity to corner her.

  “Well, guys, it’s time for me to leave you,” she told her friends after forty-five minutes and a shot of whiskey.

  “What? So soon?” Yurika exclaimed.

  “Yes, I have to go the office tomorrow, so…”

  Tim shook his head. “Poor you, always working like a dog. You should do something else!”

  Lana chuckled. “No, I enjoy what I do. Granted, some of my colleagues and managers are a pain, and we have actual clients from hell, but overall, it’s manageable. For now,” she added with a wink. “So please excuse me…”

  “Have a nice evening then. See you next week!”

  As etiquette requested, Lana then turned toward Inoue and Honda; kneeling, she gave them a deep and respectful bow to apologize for leaving before them. Both replied with a similar gesture, and she tried not to focus on Inoue’s inquisitive eyes.

  Once outside, she hailed a taxi, as laws for riding a bicycle under the influence were as harsh as for car drivers. Back home, exhaustion made her sway on her feet in the genkan. Her frayed nerves and half a dozen glasses of beer were certainly to blame.

  She crashed on her bed, unable to fight off sleep despite her need to talk with Honda. Sharing her worries with him would have to wait until morning.

  2 Dizziness

  The next day, Lana found Yuki sitting by herself in the kitchen, reading a newspaper, a cup of tea in hand.

  “Good morning, Yuki sama. Do you know where goshujin sama is?”

  “Oh, he already left. He’s in meetings all morning, but he’ll be back after lunch. Anything I can help you with?”

  Lana hesitated. “No, I wanted to talk with him, but it can wait tonight.”

  “What’s bothering you?”

  It was pointless to share her paranoia-fueled anxiety. “Only dojo-related matters. Please don’t worry.” A thought struck her; maybe Yuki could help after all. “Ah, I briefly talked with Inoue shihan last night. He seems to know goshujin sama well, doesn't he?”

  “Oh, Inoue shihan is someone special in his life. In our lives. He was first his sempai, and then was one of his instructors for ten years, until he was appointed dojo-cho of the school after his father’s passing.”

  “I see, so he has... significant influence.”

  “All sempai and sensei do when you train with them from early on. But their bond runs even deeper than normal. Inoue shihan has always cared a lot for goshujin sama, providing him with guidance and support during difficult times. A real mentor. He was among the most fervent proponents of our union.”

  “Oh! How so?”

  “My father and Inoue shihan graduated from the same high school. A few years ago, I learned he had talked extensively with my father to convince him to approve our marriage. At our wedding, he told me he was… relieved I’d be the one to take care of goshujin sama. He was so frank and direct, it was almost improper. But his sincerity was such, I felt obliged to pledge toward him personally I would tend to all of goshujin sama’s needs, whatever they’d be.” Yuki stopped and then smiled sadly. “Hm, as you’re well aware, I failed.”

  Lana jumped from her chair and kneeled at Yuki’s feet, grabbing her hand. “Oh no, please don’t say that, Yuki sama. You have done, and still do, all you can for him.”

  Yuki cupped Lana’s cheek. “And yet, it isn’t enough,” she continued, pensive. “He needs something else, something more, something you can offer… thank goodness. I can’t help but think that while I supported his search for solutions elsewhere, I should have done more. Duty required it from me. If only I had known what and how, things would be different… including for you.”

  “We are all performing our duty here, and you have sacrificed so much already. I challenge anyone to reproach you for anything.”

  Yuki leaned in and gave Lana a deep kiss, filled with many unnamed emotions, which left both women trembling. “As I would if anyone attacked you, sweetling,” Yuki growled, a glint of something deadly serious flashing in her brown eyes. “We share delightful moments, your pleasure is profound and sincere, and you take away so much
from your arrangement with him, and with me. Still, what he put you through last month, what you endured… this is not what I had in mind when we first met, when I pushed you to come back to him.”

  Lana’s heart clenched at the pain flashing on her companion’s face. She was astonished that Yuki had more problems with what had transpired than she did, but perhaps this was precisely the crux of their complex relationship.

  She rested her brow on Yuki’s lap, providing silent comfort and reassurances, and basked in their bittersweet exchange, her worry regarding Inoue’s probing now forgotten. After a few minutes, she got up, but back on her feet, a wave of dizziness made her head spin, and she had to catch herself on the counter table.

  Time to drink more water.

  “I have to run now. My agenda this week is too mad for me to take this day off. I will try to be home early though.”

  “It would be nice to have dinner all together and enjoy more intimate moments afterward, all of us? I have a couple of ideas in mind.” Yuki whispered with a smile full of suggestive promises that sent butterflies flying in Lana’s stomach.

  The younger woman smiled back, happy to see her companion relaxed again. “This sounds delightful, Yuki sama. Until then, enjoy your day.”

  The morning flew by and to her satisfaction, Lana tackled several issues resulting from her exclusion from the Dos Santos deal, but also others related to the Brexit bombshell that had hit the business and political world earlier in June. It was well past 2 pm when she realized she needed to eat. Her head was spinning again; her taste buds craved anything fat or sweet. Or both. She was considering her options when her desk phone rang.

  “Gotcha! I knew I’d find you chained here today,” said Gabriella’s cheerful voice. “I went shopping this morning, and I’m in the lobby right now. Have you already had lunch?”

  “Nope and it’s getting urgent I do. I’m thinking Chinese. Are you in?”