Chihaya

You got off of the subway entering Shinjuku looking for your ex-fortune teller. She’s been working a night shift at the crossroads bar in order to pay back all the people she ripped off as a fortune teller. You waited outside crossroads for a few minutes until you see her approaching. You notice that her walk is somewhat wobbly, her eyes are lidded, and her head was slightly swaying up and down as she walked.

“Hey there Chihaya” You say to her as she shuffled past you and she suddenly jerked awake in response having barely been aware of her surroundings to that point, let alone your presence.

“Oh Akira, wha you doon here,” she mumbled through slurred speech. She rubbed her droopy eyes to try to wake herself up.

“I swung by because I felt like I haven’t seen you in forever. How are you? You look completely exhausted.” You ask.

“Yeah, I’ve been really busy lately. I have to work two jobs to afford to pay back all the people I scammed. I work a day shift at the flower shop in the underground mall at Shibuya.” *yawn* “Between work, tracking down where my victims are now, and paying own bills I barely sleep 3 hours a day anymore.” While you were feeling for Chihaya’s situation, but you couldn’t say that you didn’t see and opportunity here. An opportunity to make both your lives better.

“I understand what you’re going through. I’ve suffered from insomnia from time to time in my life,” you lied, “and my doctor prescribed me these pills to help me stay awake. I could lend you some if you want.” You reach into your pocket and pull out another suggestion pill and when you turn back to her head is drooped down over her chest and her eyes were closed.

“Chihaya? CHIHAYA!” you shout trying to shake her from her drowsy stupor.

Her head jerks up and her eyes shoot open as she says “Huh? What did you say?” with a confused expression on her face.

“You don’t really think you can go to work like that do you? You’ll pass out 15 minutes into your shift.” You feign concern setting up for your trap.

“I have pills to help me stay awake right . . .” she worriedly searches her pockets, ‘oh no, I must have left it behind at my other shift.

“Here, this pill is one of mine. It will help you stay awake”

“But isn’t taking other people’s pills dangerous?”

“There’s no time for you to run back and grab your own, this way you don’t get fired.”

“I . . . I don’t know about this.”

“Look, if you fall asleep at work you get fired, the you can’t pay back all the people you ripped off. Now do you want to pay them back or not?” You want to pressure her into deciding without giving her much time to think. Your talks with Dr. Maruki taught you that sleep deprived people are less likely to think critically or examine consequences when pressed on an issue.

“I . . . I . . .” she grabbed the pill out of your hand and shoved it down her throat. Her eyes fluttered, and her brow furrowed. Unfortunately for her, since the suggestion pill lowers mental defenses, it reacted to her drowsiness and made her even more sleepy. “Akira, I don’t feel much more awake.”

“That’s okay, it’s really not important that it works.”

“It’s not?” she asked tilting her head, “But how will I stay awake during work?”

“Don’t worry, they probably won’t fire you after missing one shift, as long as you explain next time.”

“I guess so.” She agreed, too tired to think about the contradiction.

She just wanted to go to sleep.

“C’mon, we need to get you somewhere you can rest up for the night.” You took her by the hand and led her away, her eyes barely a sliver open.

“Okay” her voice was barely an audible whisper.