Instantly, the whole scene made sense. The thick-necked oyabun was her father. The older lady, after re-assessing her looks and behaviour, was likely the oyabun’s wife, Mayumi’s mother.

Mayumi, my endearing Mayumi chan, was the daughter of Yamato Damashi’s big boss. Talking about the dramatic turn of events.

“Huh, Nik san….doshta? You look….umm…how you say, smitten?” A smug grin hanging on her lips, K indulged in her teasing banter.

Sunny was no better: “Yes, yes, no doubt! Nik san looks completely smitten by Mayumi chan!”

“Yeah, whatever….” I gazed back at the stage. Their mockery, which disturbed my quasi-religious experience, annoyed me, even though their insinuations were a hundred percent correct.

“So what’s the boss saying?” I asked, faking a casual attitude.

“Oh, it’s very exciting news! Minamoto sama has just announced that the New Year’s Grand Prix tournament is reinstated.”

I frown at Sunny. “The Grand Prix tournament?”

“Hai, it’s been ten years since the last one. You probably don’t know about it. The president also said that the winner of this year’s Grand Prix will be invited to a special dinner with his family.”

“Huh, that’s kinda nice….umm, you mean his actual family, like his wife…?” And his daughter?

“Yes, with Mrs Minamoto and Mayumi chan.”

“And when is this tournament?”

“On the last day of the year. 31st of December.”

I started calculating: We are now at the end of August. That means four months until the—

My mental planning was cut short by the Happy Birthday song, which spontaneously rose from the crowd. Japanese words mixed with English and while the singing was not very harmonious, it was hearty.

“Happy birthday, dear Mayumi chan….”

“It’s Mayumi chan’s birthday today,” Sunny shouted in my ear.

“I gathered as much…” I shouted back. “Why did he have to announce her birthday in front of everybody?”

“Haaaaaappy birthdaaaaay to youuuuu!”

Mayumi stood with her hands joined to the front, each of her fingers intertwined. Her glittering dark eyes were cast at the floor shying away from all the attention. A soft, rosy colour spread over her white face. The crowd stopped singing and, seeing her father clapping she clapped too, bowing a few times towards the audience.

“Mayumi chan just turned twenty,” Sunny replied.

“So?”

“Twenty is the age of adulthood in Japan.”

“It’s obvious…he wants to marry her off,” K cut in, her tone blunt.

“You think so, K?” Sunny asked.

I was all ears.

“What do you think the invitation to a family dinner is for?…And she turning twenty…convenient, don’t you think?”

Sunny covered her open mouth with her hand. “Oh, K, you really think so?…Oh, maybe you’re right…But we all know who the winner will be…”

A sardonic smile complemented the wicked glow in K’s eyes. “Yup, we do. I suppose the president prefers to keep everything within the family.”

Every word hit me like a blow. What are they talking about…marriage…to who? That’s just stupid…

“It would make sense, ne. Minamoto sama has no son, Mayumi chan is his only child. He won’t settle for just any son-in-law,” Sunny went on. “And she’s so beautiful, isn’t she? Takes after her mother. Did you know her mother was an actress? Have you seen her in that movie…what’s the--”

K gave a lengthy response in Japanese, meanwhile, my thoughts trailed off in another direction and my eyes were drawn back to Mayumi.

Four months until the tournament…

Kentaro came up on the stage, his suit uncharacteristically plain and black, the only thing flashy was his earring. He looked quiet and humble as he made a deep bow toward the president and another one toward the seated oyabun, his every move, I imagined, scrutinized by his uncle.

The three oyabun stood up and Kentaro presented a framed citation to the president. Again everybody clapped, Mayumi and her mother included, as the president held the citation out for the crowd to see.

The meaning of this brief ceremony didn’t interest me at all. Like a sniper through his rifle’s scope, I zoomed in on Mayumi, watching her as she walked off the stage with her mother, leaving her father in discussion with the other oyabun.

The stage cleared, and classical music began playing through loudspeakers. My eyes followed the pair through the crowd all the way to the bar, where they joined a group of two elder, posh-looking Japanese couples.

I needed to get closer.

“Guys, I’m gonna grab a drink.”

Feeling K’s gaze on my back I proceeded to the bar. From the opposite end of it, I gained a direct view of Mayumi and greedily took in every minute detail of her movements.

She barely spoke, her mother was the one leading the conversation and claiming the attention of the group. A few timid smiles appeared on her exquisite small mouth, her red lips gloving like pearls. She pushed her lustrous hair back over her shoulders and threw a few casual glances around the club.

I moved a bit, pushing myself into her field of vision. When she looked straight at me, I tried to catch her eye. She didn’t register me at all.

If this was back home, or anywhere in Europe, I’d approach her, chat her up, and then things would evolve by themselves. But in this environment, ruled by rigid modes of behaviour, I was lost.

I tried again, this time I raised my arm and made a small wave. Still nothing. A waiter asked if I want a drink. Before I could decline I noticed an irregularity in the movement of the guests behind Mayumi. They were making space for somebody to pass through, and that somebody was Kai, the direction of his walk leading straight to my Snow White.

Forgetting all my reservations, I ran to her rescue, whether she needed it or not. With no idea of what I was going to do, I wiggled through the tightly packed crowd, gaining several glares as I pushed through without much consideration. I was a man on a mission and time was of the essence.

The gap between Kai and Mayumi was shrinking, and by now he and I were roughly at the same distance from her. Only, he wasn’t hurrying and was unaware of me.

Eager to spare Mayumi from being another victim of Kai Sanada’s charm, I leaped behind her back and gently tapped her on her shoulder.

She turned, her glittering dark eyes momentarily taking my breath away. An utter surprise appeared on her face.

A few more steps and Kai will be here.

“May I have this dance? “I uttered, hearing myself from a distance, and extended my arm forward, as if I was at some 19th-century ball.