Spectrum of Emotions: A Short Story Collection

The Mysterious Shogatsu Stranger - #AsianFiction

Arisa Pov

I was holding my phone between my ear and shoulder as I put the last essentials in my suitcase, but the bottle of conditioner dropped from my hand as Mom uttered her next words "Mom! You can't be serious." I said, my eyes basically popping from the socket, my mouth agape.

This is some dumb joke.

"I am very serious, Arisa. So, behave yourself when you come here." mom's firm voice come-that type of tone when she is not going to budge no matter what I say but is it going to stop me from saying? -No. Nope. Never.

"Momm-Come on, I rarely come home, with Shogatsu being one of the rare occasions, and you are inviting him-whyyy?"I whined flopping on my bed.

"Arisa, you are grown-up now, act like one just because of your childish behavior. I can't ask Yoshie to not come." Mother's firm voice comes from the other end of the phone.

"Mom-then just ask Yoshie aunt to come-tell her to leave that devil at home." I said, I also know that Mom can't ask Yoshie aunt to not bring her only son-but that did not stop me from trying.

"Arisa" Her strict voice made me flinch a little "Why did you even hate him?" she questioned with a sigh.

"Because he was adamant on ruining my every project." and my every achievement was compared to his-not like I can tell Mom this.

"What was the last time you met him?" she questioned.

I grew silent, Right, I did meet him quite a time ago.

"12 years ago," I said, sulking with a pout because I also knew, now there was no way that I could convince Mom to not invite him.

"Right, you both are grown up now-you are a lady, so act like one, and I barely believe you will even recognize him." she said leaving no home to argue.

I will not recognize him; I doubt that will ever happen.

"So, you are coming, and you will behave yourself" and that's how Mom ended the call with a last warning, so now I have to go out of my comfort, uncomfort, and every zone to be acquainted with him-just great!

🎍~🎍~🎍~🎍

I descend from the polished stairs of the airport, and the sound of my heels clicking on the floor gets mixed with the commotion at this place, after all, Today is Shogatsu I suppose many people are coming back home. 

I stand at the pathway with my suitcase resting behind me, as my eyes scan the crowd for familiar faces.

Soon my eyes lit up while my lips twitched into a smile seeing him, "ONII-SAN"- I yelled rushing to him with my suitcase bumping into stones behind me.

"Arisa" his lips morphed into a smile while I tackled him in a hug, relaxing in his familiar warmth, He has always been my safe space after all "You are still like a child." he commented hugging me back while ruffling my hair.

"Only for you" I said breaking the hug and handing him my suitcase for which he shot me a playful glare.

Other voices drowned from my mind as we both sat in his car and started talking-well more like me talking and him listening, like he always does.

The car comes to a halt while he opens the door for me, I step outside my eyes taking in the surroundings of my village-the place where I have spent crucial years of my life, a place close to my heart.

"Mother," I said as I saw her coming out of the gates and taking me in a hug, I released a sigh hugging her back amid city chaos in New York- I sometimes forget that just how much I miss home and my family.