Like every year, their dojo was holding 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 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 had signaled the arrival of summer in all its hot and furious glory. As on clue, millions of cicadas were crawling 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 always end up at the same izakaya?" Lana grumbled as all dojo members crossed the street to go their usual Japanese pub joint. "Can't we try something else for a change? I mean, I have nothing against izakaya 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. There are plenty of good alternatives around here."

"You should ask Kodera sempai, he's the one organizing those. But I understand it's the best deal around. They don't want to drag Inoue shihan half 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 were always held 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 ended up practicing 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 as well, 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 added as an afterthought, with a fake grimace of pain. He hadn't held back much with her either... But neither had she.

Tim laughed out loud and slapped her shoulder. "Lady, sometimes I wonder about this tough love this man has for you..."

Lana blanched but hid her discomfort under a pasted 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 that 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 dozens of chilled one-liter beer bottles. One of the new recruits took place next to her, and a junior instructor sat down in front of them.

To her relief, Honda was at the same table, but a bit further down her left. The last thing she wanted was to have to interact with him in front of their fellow dojo members. Who knew if others shared Tim's idea, and would over analyze every single gesture?

And then Inoue sat down on her left. She barely repressed a loud groan. 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. May I serve you some beer?" Thank you, Yuki sama, for teaching me proper super polite register...

A purely rhetorical question. Etiquette requested to always refill 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 older man replied. After gulping down his drink, to her relief, he engaged in chit-chat with the junior instructor. She focused on her kohai, a man about her age called Nomura, and tried to make him feel welcome and at ease, despite their dojo-cho at their table.

Various 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: all sorts of 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... Even though the next day was no holiday for her, Lana let herself swept away by a low-buzz feeling of drunkenness. She was jolted awake by Inoue's voice.

"Martin san." Lana hid her surprise. How strange for him to remember her name outside the dojo, 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 now I hope to be allowed to present myself in September."

"Good. First kyu is quite a challenge. So train hard, all right? But you are used to this now, as your training regimen has become quite... intensive, hasn't it?"

Lana's heartbeat spiked. How can he know? Who has been talking with him? "Yes, I will give my all, of course. And I am grateful for Honda sensei's rigorous teachings."

Inoue stared at her for a while, as if lost in thought. "Hmm, and are you comfortable with it? I know how demanding 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 quite uncommon in general. 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 that I don't feel uncomfortable with. Quite the opposite, it fits me very well." Her answer was the only kind of 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 now, this is getting a wee bit too hot for comfort.

"Hmm, 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... And he is not one to favor anybody. Also, I couldn't help but notice some 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 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 could shed light on why he seems more... relaxed?" His unflinching eyes were boring into hers. He took another sip of beer and almost nonchalantly added, "Has he suggested you could 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 I could become 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 maybe it was her guilty conscience blurring 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 not related to my intensive training." And this is the stark, naked truth. She wouldn't tell him anything else. 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 some speeches! Dojo-cho, if you please?"

Inoue got up and launched himself in an upbeat discourse on the spirit and accomplishments of the dojo members. Lana didn't listen, as her mind raced in alldirections. She had no idea if Inoue and Honda ever 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 could have perceived Honda's general mood change with two brief encounters over six months, even if they knew each other so well. On top of it, she couldn't understand how he had made a link between her, and Honda's transformation. And his question about Honda's personal dojo...It sounded so corny, she would have laughed if anyone else had said it. I need something stronger than beer!

The speech part also signaled the time where people could mingle. Lana jumped on the opportunity 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 go," she told her friends after another 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 consider doing something else!"

Lana chuckled. "No, I like what I do. Granted, some of my colleagues and managers are a pain, and we have some 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 Lana 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. She would share her worries with him first thing in the morning.

*** Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to click on the little star to show your appreciation, it would mean the world to me. Have fun!***