Page 56 of Solo Stan
Elias wrapped his arms around Dakarai’s middle and rested his head against his back as Dakarai continued to fumble with the ring of keys. Their attempts to be discreet were made futile by their hushed giggles.
They finally managed to open the door, nearly falling over each other in their rush to get into the store. Elias quickly closed and locked it behind them, sealing their barely suppressed laughter inside. Meanwhile, Dakarai ran to disarm the security system. The beeping from the keypad echoed in the empty bookstore.
The only light inside was the purple glow from the neonClosedsign on the window until Dakarai turned on the overhead ones.
Elias made himself comfortable in the manga section as Dakarai made himself useful in the staff room. Cross-legged on the floor, Elias thumbed through the seemingly infinite collection of plastic-sleeved issues neatly arranged on the red-cubed shelves. His eyes tracked Dakarai as he moved around, selecting a small batch of coffee beans from a private store in a cabinet only he could reach.He put his nose to the bag and inhaled deeply, savoring the scent, before he loaded it into the grinder.
“I don’t want a drink. I just want you,” Elias said.
Dakarai subtly inspected him from the corner of his eye. “I’m makingmyselfa drink.”
Turning his attention back to the red shelves, Elias ran his fingers along the spines of the books until he stopped at one that caught his eye. Many of the others had women in sweeping landscapes as the background, colored in using all the brightest pantones. But this one was simple. It was all one color with only the silhouette of a man leaning against the side. Elias flipped it over, hoping that at least some of it would be in English, but the entire thing was written in Japanese.
He turned to Dakarai, who was tamping down coffee grounds into the portafilter in anticipation of an immaculately brewed espresso. “Dakarai,” Elias called, “have you read this one?” He brandished the issue in the air.
Dakarai couldn’t hear him over the pressurized sound of the water coursing through the machine. Elias smiled and returned to his manga, feigning interest in the pages while secretly watching Dakarai over the top with playful curiosity.
Dakarai’s face was relaxed as fragrant dark liquid dripped into the glass demitasse. A hiss of steam filled the air as Dakarai frothed milk, his practiced hands creating art within the mug. With one hand underneath the saucer and a finger hooked into the handle of the mug, Dakarai finally closed the space between them. His presence seemed to expand as he neared. Elias adjusted his gaze to maintain eye contact.
“You really didn’t make me anything?” Elias complained.
“This one is for you,” Dakarai replied, setting the latte downand running back to the counter to retrieve the drink he’d made for himself outside of Elias’s notice.
Elias thanked him with a wink. “Now will you tell me if you’ve read this manga?”
Dakarai eased onto the floor beside Elias, casually draping an arm over his shoulder and drawing him into an embrace.
“Can you translate it for me?” Elias asked, handing over the issue. His body seemed to lose all strength as he settled into the curve of Dakarai’s arm. “Just a couple pages. I want to know what it’s about.”
The mug made a soft clink against the saucer as Dakarai set it down on the carpet, causing some of its contents to slosh over the side. His expression was indecipherable as he gazed down at the cover of the book and then flipped it to the back to read the summary. “Why this one? There are so many other books in the store that are written in your native language,” Dakarai said. “I can recommend some other books for you.”
Elias raised his brows, widening his eyes. “But I like this one.”
“I don’t think I can—”
“Please,”Elias said, pushing the book farther into Dakarai’s lap. “Just a few panels.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Dakarai settled in more comfortably next to Elias. He folded his legs with the manga in his lap and turned to the first page, examining it for a while with a curious expression on his face. Elias’s eyes followed the slope of Dakarai’s nose, down his cupid’s bow, all the way to his chin until his gaze rested on the tensed muscles of his neck.
Elias leaned in closer, hugging on to his arm and leaning his head onto Dakarai’s shoulder for a better look as he cleared his throatand began. He pointed at each black-and-white panel, his fingers gliding down the words as he read them aloud. The pages revealed wooden houses crowned with dark-tiled roofs set against a canvas of rolling clouds and hills gilded in slender trees and winding rivers. The story was that of Yuto, the leader of a crime syndicate, who spends his days peacefully—nurturing a garden and gazing through sliding paper doors across the rice fields from his tatami mat in the fictional town of Hanakaze, Japan. On a business trip to Osaka, he would close the deal that would secure his future as the reigning leader of the entire region. He sits in a restaurant by himself, savoring fish over a steaming portion of rice while, unbeknownst to him, his bodyguards lie slain outside. In walks Hiroshi, an assassin for the rival crime syndicate led by the Nakamura family.
“For Yuto, it was love at first sight,” Dakarai narrated. He took a sip of his neglected latte.
“There’s romance in these things?” Elias asked, pointing to a panel.
“Yeah, of course, manga is full of romance.”
Elias set his cup down, and with one deliberate motion, he reached over and turned the page for Dakarai. The slight rustle of the paper echoed in the otherwise quiet bookstore. “If this is a romance, then why is Hiroshi holding Yuto’s heart?” He looked at Dakarai with a cutting glare. “You don’t speak Japanese, do you?”
“That’s what you get for trying to sell me that fake astrology chart earlier.” Dakarai’s words were nearly unintelligible through his laughter. Elias felt each chuckle in his own body. “I honestly thought you would catch on sooner,” Dakarai said, holding his hands up in defense. Elias dug his elbow into Dakarai’s side until he folded. “I’m sorry,” he repeated over and over again, Elias continuing to nudge his ribs in their most ticklish spot.
“I was getting into it too. I was rooting for Yuto and Hiroshi. Are those even their real names?”
“I don’t know.” Dakarai was laughing so hard that it was barely audible—he was just vibrating with laughter, wiping tears away. Elias pushed him lightly in the chest. “We’ll have to order the English translation into the store. I’ll add it on to the next restock list for you.”
They studied each other for a moment.
