A Chance Encounter Solo

Mid July 2021
All dialogue in this solo is in Japanese

Japan. Marcus had not stepped foot in his home country for well over a decade, so this was a long overdue trip. He had the funds for a visit, could take time away from work and a decent reason: an invitation to his brother's wedding. Specifically, the half-brother whom he had never properly bonded with. Marcus left home when his younger sibling was just a baby, so the letter had been a bit of a surprise, but not necessarily unwelcome.

The wedding was supposed to take place in a couple of days, so for today and tomorrow, Marcus would use his free time to reminisce. As he walked the streets of Osaka, he had a mild smile on his lips. This city brought back so many fond memories. There were less pleasant memories too, but he was focused on the positive. He stopped at a local restaurant that morning for a solo breakfast. The next few days here would be difficult - he would be seeing family that he had not seen in nearly two decades. His father, for one. Although they exchanged owls from time-to-time, meeting in person would be a whole different ballgame. His stepmother. And would his grandparents be there as well? Well, of course they would. There were so many factors to consider, but he had already made his choice. He was here, and going to attend the wedding.

He was the least nervous about his brother, who seemed genuinely interested in reconnecting and burying the non-existent hatchet between them. Said hatchet only came from the age gap and the lack of communication.

Breakfast passed, and Marcus turned his attention back to just walking the familiar streets. He had dearly missed this heavily-cultured country, despite having moved away by choice. That decision had been made when he was still upset with his family. He started on a path towards a park he had frequented as a child when he heard it.

"Iwasaki-" the voice was soft and sounded surprised, but vaguely familiar. Marcus turned, and was surprised to see a woman that he had not expected. Hanna. Definitely not someone he thought he would ever see again. This was the little sister of his ex-girlfriend. He already felt the awkwardness settle between them.

"It's been a long time," Marcus said, approaching her so he wasn't in the path of foot traffic. There were quite a few people moving through this city. She had grown a lot since he had last seen her - she had only been a teenager during their last encounter, and now she must be in her late twenties. But she wasn't the only one to have changed. He had grown and buffed out considerably, something she seemed to notice as well as her eyes roved him.

"Yes, it has," she agreed. Hanna took an involuntary step back from him when he approached, but Marcus ignored that. It's what most people did around him. He had a presence that made people second guess being near him. He was past the point of holding it against them.

"I'm in town for the wedding," he explained. Coming from a wizarding family here in Japan, he trusted that she knew what wedding he was talking about. The pureblood Iwasaki family heir - Marcus' little half-brother - was set to marry an heiress in her own right. The two families would be merging their wealth and power, and the wedding itself was supposed to be quite an event. The news seemed to shock Hanna. Hm. Maybe she didn't know about the wedding?

"You're getting married?" she asked, shock evident in her voice. Marcus had to keep from seeming too amused at the idea, a slight grin tugging at his lips.

"My brother," he clarified quickly, not wanting the young woman to have a heart attack - as that's what it looked like she was about to do. "I'm surprised you haven't heard about it. Supposed to be quite the spectacle, and was announced in all the appropriate areas."

"Oh," Hanna seemed intensely relieved by his clarification, which made him frown slightly. Why had she taken such interest? He tried not to think about the reason - of course, he had a feeling he knew why - but he wasn't going to entertain such thoughts. "Well, I've been abroad myself. I live in Australia right now. I'm just visiting my parents," she explained, and Marcus nodded at her words. He had definitely not kept up with the comings and goings of her family - for a very pointed reason.

"I hope your family is doing well," he said after a moment's pause. It was a sentiment he meant - her parents had always been very kind - but of course that sentiment extended to the sister neither of them would talk about. Hanna seemed to consider carefully before responding.

"They are, all of them," she said, offering a tiny smile at Marcus. He looked away almost instantly, his expression falling.

"I've got to get going, I have a wedding gift to pick up," he said, his eyes looking along the street. This was not a lie, but it also wasn't a time sensitive thing. He would act like it was, though, because this situation was uncomfortable and he didn't want to linger. It was time to say goodbye.

"Of course. Please extend congratulations to the newlyweds," Hanna said, bowing slightly. Her eyes seemed oddly contemplative when she raised them again.

"It was nice to see you again," Marcus said, also bowing slightly in farewell and then turning away. His stomach twisted slightly, feeling a bit uneasy about the whole encounter. She had been acting so strange. Their chance encounter had only been a few moments of talking, but it felt like it would ripple into something more. As he walked away, Marcus felt her eyes on him. It solidified his suspicion that the woman who linked them might be alerted about this... And he didn't know how to feel about that...