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July. Hell month.
Balls don’t get sweatier than this. The towel around my neck ain’t enough.
Heard ‘em blame heatstroke on plastics. Don’t know nothing about that.
I know its damn hot today. Too hot to be carrying sheet rock up flights of stairs at noon.
No one fucking cares.
Boss is seated in an air-conditioned van. His boss is prolly having lunch with a newer model of his last girlfriend and the rest of us are praying for a storm. That or some ice cold chu-his.
New recruit today.
Easy to spot by his gloves, workpants, helmet. Not a stain where murk should be.
Koichi, Koichi, the newbie’s name echoes up and down the staircase reminding us that there’s a liability in the ranks. Liability sips from his plastic bottle like a baby on mother’s tit. Smart man, Koichi. Smart man.
Riku says we’ve got to get this done by 2PM. Get it done and board a train to Kyuhoji. Koichi’s gonna tag along, Riku says, coz the haul down there’s good enough practice for fresh meat.
Goddamn it, Riku. I don’t got no change of clothes. Always a bunch of high schoolers dressed like hookers on the JR.
Koichi, position. Position. He’s a kid. Looks too dumb for college. Prolly flunked his entrance exam. Must be a smart ass or some sorta foulmouthed brat. Bet his mom and dad don’t know what to do with him. The sheet rock will humble him.
Watch him sip on that water. I should smack it outta his fuckin’ soft hands. The kid’ll assimilate better if he got some smokes in him.
Hey Koichi. How old are you?
I’ll be 18 soon.
Only a kid’ll tell you what he’s gonna be.
Fuck it.
You smoke?
Look at him.
Awkward glance. Judging. Prospecting. Feeling the air.
Yeah.
What do you mean “yeah”? You mean “yes, sir”
Sorry. Yes, sir.
I toss him my pack. 14g in that bad boy. Let’s turn this bitch into a man.
He pulls one out. Slow. Uncertain. Puts it between his lips.
You’re gonna need a lighter. I pass one over to him.
He lights, inhales…
Cough cough cough.
Crew men laugh. There you go, boy. Feel the burn.
Riku walks up the flight. Sees the kid with watery eyes covering his mouth and smacks the cigarette right out of his hand.
Fucking kidding me! Wanna get us arrested? Who gave this to him? Riku turns to the crew.
Koichi eyes me as though looking for a way out. I go about smoking as I look, deadpan, right at him.
He says nothing.
Thought so, bitch.
We’ve got one more truck coming in, Riku booms, Yuta and me will drive down to Tennoji once we’re done here. The rest of you take this kid to Kyuhoji. Easy work down there. Don’t let him pull a fast one on us. We promised Yamato four men today.
Retards start this job in the summer. Someone shoulda told Koichi that. I’m prolly just as retarded. What am I doing here when I could be at a pachinko parlor? No better place to be in the summer than before the slots.
Namba Hips got the new Hokuto no Ken slots. Been saving up for a couple of rounds on that bad boy. Amadigi is for lesser men. Don’t plan on heading back soon with that nag winder there.
The kid’s brought some luck though. An extra ¥8,000 for Kyuhoji. Not bad for thirty minutes of work. God, hope it’s gonna be thirty. Those Yamato boys always leave us guessing.
Yuji, Riku calls me.
Yes, boss.
That kid isn’t meant for this kinda work. Word is that he’s from Toyonaka. Don’t know how someone like that ended up doing something like this. Keep your eye on him.
Come on, boss. Maybe send him to work with Masaya and his night crew. Mall jobs ain’t so bad for a newbie. We don’t need this kinda stress in the summer, boss.
Riku smacks me across the head.
When you’re in charge of shifts, you can do that. For now you do as you’re told. Understood?
I look down and say, yes, boss.
1:53PM.
Minamimorimachi is done. Summer rain. Humid, clingy rain. Don’t got no umbrella. Of course the fucking kid’s got one.
Put that fuckin’ thing away, I yell at him.
But-but it’s raining, he pleads.
Hey. Are you part of a crew or what? Look at us. No one’s got one and that means, I pull it from his grasp, you ain’t got one.
I clutch onto it by my side as we walk to the station.
You know how to get there?
Yes, sir. Subway to Tennoji then JR to…
Good boy. The rest of us are gonna take a taxi. His pupils dilate. We expect you to get there before us.
Yuji, Kazunori blurts, a taxi’s gonna bankrupt us.
Then you stink up the train car with the kid if you want to.
Kazunori looks at Yuito for a moment then says, you’re on your own kid. Next time carry some deo.
We watch him stand there as the rest of us hail down a taxi.
What the fuck are you doing? You better get to the station quick. Time’s money, kid.
The taxi stops. Kazunori tells the driver to get us to Kyuhoji station.
You’ve got the address, Yuji?
Don’t matter. Close enough to the station.
It’s a long drive, the driver explains. It will cost a lot. Is that okay?
Kazunori and Yuito pass glances at each other.
Old man, I start, don’t you think we know that? Get us to Kyuhoji.
The driver pulls off. Yuito opens his backpack revealing a few cans of beer.
The haul’s okay at Yamato. Either way, he hands Kazunori and me masks and says, just in case someone gets too close.
We all get cans of beer as the driver eyes as cautiously.
Do your job, old man, I say.
Here’s to another summer with these bastards, Yuito salutes. We cheers and spill some in the taxi. The driver says nothing.
Did you hear that Sakuto got the boot?
Yeah, I heard. Talkin’ smack to Oroshi again. Fucker can’t help himself. That new kid’s giving me the same vibe. Silent now but he’s got a fire in him.
Yuji, why are you so hard on him?
Not hard enough, I chuckle. Plus do you want some kid watch us drink on the way to work? Get your head outta your ass, Kazu.
Who’s coming to Namba with me after work? Gonna go and toss this 8K in the new slots.
Wish I could but the wife’s been yammering away like a banshee. Who knew a newborn gets them so riled up? Yuito says.
We told you not to marry this girl. You don’t finish in a girl you met at a club. Those aren’t wife material.
We had warned him time and time again but Yuito’s not one to stand firm against lust.
And what about Ayaka? What’s going on with her? Kazunori asks.
Don’t talk about her. She’ll bleed me dry if I don’t get another job soon enough.
Yuito is the only man I know willing to impregnate a woman he met at the same place he met his first wife. Don’t know how he does it. Balls or madness.
Kazu, how about you? Namba tonight?
Yup. I’ll tag along. Don’t got nowhere else to be.
Yuji, you’re wife’s gonna rain hell on you for spending today’s pay at the slots.
She don’t know I’m working two jobs today. And anyway, she’ll nag whether I head home or not. It’s in their software.
Even in the rain, a few teenagers walking around shamelessly half nude. I would hate to have been in high school with girls dressed like that. No wonder boys are lagging behind. Can’t study with sluts seated next to me. Can’t do it.
Kazunori has his eyes right at them as we pull onto a red light. He’s thinking what we’re all thinking.
If I had a daughter walking around like that, I’d… but he won’t say it.
You wouldn’t do shit. The cops would come down hard if you tried anything. Need to go back to better times. When men were men and girls knew their place.
Yuito raises his can for a toast and says, you’ve got that right.
Wipers move back and forth on the windscreen. The driver pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket and notes something down.
You men doing construction? he asks us.
What’s it to you, old man? I blurt.
Just making conversation… and maybe looking for work myself.
Yuito burps then says, how old are you? Sixty? You can’t do it. Enjoy this air-conditioned taxi for as long as you can. Hell, I’d kill for this kinda comfort.
Phone rings. Never seen this number before.
Yuji here. Who am I talking to?
It’s the kid.
I’m at the site but I don’t know how to get in. Is there a number I can call?
Stand by the gate and don’t do nothing stupid.
Yuito clears his can and pulls out a plastic bag. Stuff ‘em in here when you’re done.
The kid’s arrived. Musta paid for the express train. No way he got there that fast.
Toyonaka money.
Toyonaka money, I repeat.
Old man, you don’t mind if I smoke IQOS in here, do you?
Sorry, sir. No smoking in the taxi.
Kazunori places the device back in his pocket and says, even IQOS? Rules are getting wild.
We arrive at Yamato. The kid is standing under a tree to keep from the rain. I forgot that I had his umbrella with me. He looks dishevelled. Confused. Just how we like ‘em.
You deal with the driver. Kazu. I’m good for it, I say and walk to the kid. Punctual. I like that. Now follow me.
We walk to the gate and call the foreman.
Rise here. You had requested four men for a job today. We’ve arrived.
A man in grey overalls runs to the gate.
Thank you for coming on such short notice. Please walk along the yellow line.
We follow the lanky figure to what looks like a hangar. A massive elevator opens leading us to the basement of the structure.
We’re going to need your assistance to organize some of these materials that will be shipped in a few days. Mostly ceramics so please handle them with care.
Not much of a haul but it’s gonna be heavy. I can sense the kid’s heart rate elevate.
What d’you think, Koichi? Thirty minutes tops?
Yes, sir, he regurgitates.
Let’s get to work. Helmets on, masks on, I cheekily eye Yuito, gloves on. The boys move hastily. Koichi is waiting for a signal. Stand by Yuito. He’s the reasonable one. Just do as he tells you.
Yes, sir. And he moves to Yuito who directs his teenage frame in men’s work.
We’re done as soon as we expected. Koichi still holds on to his sippy cup with the fortitude of a warrior.
Gonna get a train and head home, Yuito says. Head to the station with me, Koichi?
Koichi turns to me as though waiting for permission.
I’m not your mom. Do what you want. We’re done for the day but don’t get any funny ideas about calling in sick tomorrow. Us men are gonna go out for a wild night from now. I tap Kazunori on the shoulder. Beers, pachinko and hookers tonight?
You had me at hookers. He laughs.
The website is hokkorin.jp. That’s where I make the orders.
I like ‘em young. Nothing older than twenty-three. Preferably dyed hair. Gotta have some fake foreign flare to ‘em. C cup and up is a plus but I’m not picky about that.
Kazu. Making the order. Wanna get a divorcee like the sick fuck that you are?
Long as you’re payin’, I don’t care if I get a pig for the night.
Always knew you had something wrong with you. Alright. I’ll reserve ‘em for 10:30 at Luna hotel. First, we hit the slots then get some beers in us. What say you?
Sounds like a plan.
Kazunori has a head on his shoulders. But sheet rock and 40kg LVL beams will rip all potential from a man. What might you have been, Kazunori? He doesn’t strike me as a doctor. Salaryman? Maybe, could be, a real-estate agent. Fast mouth, great at convincing folk to do things for him.
He ain’t nothing like me. I was built for this. Mom always said I’d amount to nothing. That I took after my dad. Maybe I did. Don’t know.
Never take a woman seriously, is what I keep learning. Bet the man was a god. Knocked her up, didn’t he?
We fuckin’ stink. They won’t like us at Hips, Kazunori starts in the train as he sniffs his pits.
Let ‘em try.
Kintetsu Namba is full of a certain type. Bartenders, dancers, tourists. Everything that Osaka sells to the world.
Fuckin’ hate it.
Especially crowded at 8PM. Everyone walking this subway is running from something.
Gonna get us some chu-his before we head into Hips.
Good thinking, Kazu. Strong Zero. Lemon. Don’t get me none of that pineapple shit.
On the streets I see a bunch of white boys drinking that shit. Only whites. Never see the Chinese or Koreans drinking in public. Don’t like ‘em but they’ve been raised right.
Kazunori and I hide in an alleyway to smoke and clear our cans. We’re all alone. Us and an untouchable.
Didn’t know they let the scam out of Nishinari.
Wasn’t their fault, Kazunori mutters. Didn’t have much of a government back in his day. He looks to the homeless man collecting cans from a bin. Hey, old man. Wanna have a smoke? He raises his pack of Mevius to the street urchin.
Dressed in tattered clothes, rotting teeth, and a putrid odor dancing around him, he walks with a jaded confidence towards Kazunori and pulls out a cigarette from the pack.
Thanks, he says before looking at me. Can’t stand looking back at him. He goes on collecting cans.
You’re a strange one, Kazu.
Mirrors, strobing lights, anime characters, old men clutching into jars of Ozeki as they pull on the slots. Most of ‘em sit around amadigi. Broke fuckers.
We’re all dressed the same. Workpants, asics work shoes, stains and rot and the sorta stench that sets this place apart from the rest of Namba. Not a woman in sight.
Well, there is an old lady smoking in the corner but she don’t count. No one would make a move on her and she’s been known to move in on unsuspecting newbies asking for a handout.
Bitch.
How much you starting with?
The old lady knows nothing about today’s second haul but I wanna hang out for a bit. I’ll start with ¥2000 and work my way up, I say as I feed the notes into the machine.
Got my balls before me. Would like to flash these in front of the wife and show her that I’m still a goddamn man. Kazunori does the same thing. We both head to the new machines and sit back to back.
Can’t recall how much I’ve lost in this place. Can’t tell how much I’ve won. If I was any smarter I’d have summed up all my winnings and never come back. Kazunori’s prolly done that. Prolly hiding a stack in the bank or somewhere.
I check my phone.
Kazu. Better start heading to the hotel. How much did you make this time?
Got a few prizes. Maybe enough for a few rounds with my pig if you weren’t paying.
Hotel Luna is quite a ways away from Namba. Sennichimae all the way to Tani9. Stink up the train car for a few stops and then meet up with our girls.
Namie and Yuno are standing by a Lawson. Long legs, tight skirts, masked up.
I’m with Namie. You go with Yuno, I tell Kazunori.
Hey ladies, I start. You ready for a good time?
They give a programmed and practiced giggle. I love it.
Their car is parked right by the roadside. We see the driver inside. Huge, bulky. He eyes us suspiciously. Kazunori nods as we walk off.
In the room with Namie. She asks me if I want to take a shower.
Where the hell do you think your pay is coming from? Man sweat, baby. No need to ask. I was looking forward to the cold water. You gonna join me or what?
Before we start, I want to show you our menu.
She pulls out a pamphlet from her bag and goes down a list.
Nude massage, blowjob, kissing, couples shower. All at an extra charge.
And I am sorry to inform you but sex is not on the menu.
They all say that. Means nothing.
I’ll take it all. I pull her off her knees, rip off her mask and kiss her aggressively. She fights back and then directs me to the shower as she starts to undress.
I stand there as she lathers my body with soap.
How old are you?
She’s gonna lie. They all do but when she says, I’m 19, I can’t help but want to believe. Nineteen is written on her porcelain skin, her bleach blonde hair, her innocent eyes.
Why do you do this?
I need money for school.
They all say that, too. Means nothing.
Namie puts a sheet on the bed and gets out a large bottle of lube. Lie down, she says.
I get on my back. Close my eyes. Wish my woman knew how to be a woman. Then I wouldn’t have to spend a fortune on degenerates.
I’ll start with a massage and then proceed to give you fellatio.
Go for it.
There I am — nude, shut-eyed — as a “nineteen” year old runs her hands up and down my body. I’ve been here before. Watching, behind closed eyes, as my limp dick remains ever so… limp.
Fuck me, I can feel the shame rising. It’s not my fault. Job, hours, wife, stress, age…
No. Not age.
I’m not that old but she’s… Namie is nineteen. Young enough not to understand.
Forget the massage. Wrap your lips around it.
I can hear her unwrap a condom. Her soft hands move up my thigh and rest on my balls. She fondles them slowly, intentionally.
Nothing is happening. Her breath is against my skin. Lips pucker to meet me.
Nothing is happening.
Yuno was disgusting. Best time of my life. How was your girl? Kazunori asks.
Worst way to spend a paycheck.
That’s why we get ‘em young, I smack his back.
Alright, Yuji. Gonna head on home. Got a haul in Taisho tomorrow. Three two ton trucks. Need some sleep.
He lights a cigarette and walks into the crowd too drunk or lost to mind the tobacco blown in their faces.
I could get a train home… or walk from Tani9 to Imazato. Not that much of a walk. Got my smokes and I could buy a few drinks along the way. Doesn’t get better than that. The heat don’t burn as bad under the stars.
Used to walk here with the wife way back when…
Goddamn this pain in my side.
Maybe I’ll go the long route. Walk towards Momodani, cut down through the narrow winding streets of an empty Korea Town, pass by the never-closing and depressing Tamade and end in Shin-Imazato park with the old men too tired to sleep.
I’m too tired to sleep.
They’ve all got their jars one Ozeki. I’m clutching onto my pineapple Strong Zero. Don’t taste too bad after midnight.
I can feel the phone vibrate in my pocket. Bet I know who it is.
Hey.
When will you come back home?
I’ve had a long day. Let me sip on a few drinks then I’ll be back.
I miss you, Yuji.
She always does this.
I-I’ll see you soon.