Going to the conference centre

You thought of the Japanese woman for a little while as you drove home before life got in the way of things. After taking the sandwiches home and putting them in the fridge you knew you had to go back to studying for your midterms. Funnily enough, the chapter you were studying now for International Historic Relations was about Commodore Perry, the American who had been sent to Japan in order to negotiate a treaty with the Shogunate. You read with interest, as this chapter was not something you'd discussed during lectures, but were still part of the exam. As you read, you learned a lot of things you'd never known. How Perry said he would use **** if he couldn't show his president's letter to the Shogun, how the Japanese completely gave in to their demands, and so on.

An hour later Rebecca came to see you.

"Hey" you said, spinning around on your desk chair to face her.

"Hi" she said, "what're you reading?"

"A chapter on Japan. It's fascinating. I never really knew any of this" you said, telling her some of the things you'd read.

"Huh, that's kind of cool. Part of your exams or personal reading?" your big sister wanted to know.

"The former, though I don't really mind" you said.

"Alright, I'll get out of your hair then" Rebecca said, "don't forget it's your turn to make dinner."

"Yeah, I'll go to the store later" you said.

"I can't wait" Bec told you before heading out.

You continued reading the Japanese chapters until you got tired of it, deciding then to go to the store.

"Oh wow, this is great, honey!" your mom said as you brought two plates to the table. One for Dawn, one for your mom.

"What is it?" Dawn asked.

"Sesame-crumbed pork cutlets called tonkatsu" you told her.

"What's this sauce?" your mom wanted to know.

"It's like Worcester" you told her. You went back to the counter top and brought Rebecca's plate and your own when returning to the table.

"Bon appetit" Dawn said with a big smile before digging in. She took a bite and went "Mmm!"

"You said it" Rebecca said, smiling. "This is pretty good."

"Thanks" you told them. "I got the idea from studying today."

"Yeah? About Japan?" Dawn asked.

"Yep, one and the same" you said. That the synchronicity of you meeting a gorgeous Japanese woman lined up with you having to study a chapter about Japan today was too big to ignore did not occur to you until later. When it hit you, you smirked to yourself. Yeah, okay, so perhaps the mystery translator had been on your mind when you needed to make dinner. Whatever. It wasn't like you'd ever see her again.

"Thanks big brother" Dawn said as you helped her out of the car.

"No worries" you said with a smile. "Simone coming to collect you again?"

"Yep, she'll be here in a bit. You can go, if you want" Dawn replied.

"You sure?" you asked.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll be fine. Thanks though" she said.

"Alright. But if you fall over and hurt yourself again, I'm spanking Simone" you warned her.

"She'd love that" Dawn said, "so you might not want to do that. Unless..."

"No way, Dawn. Simone's too young for me, you know that" you told her.

"Bah, I'll match you to her one day, just you watch" Dawn said.

"I'm going to go now. Have a great day, baby sister" you said, pretending to ignore her. At this Dawn laughed.

"Goodbye, big brother. I'll make sure to tell Simone you regret missing her" your baby sister teased.

"Don't you dare" you said, getting in your car.

"Byeeeeeee" Dawn said, you catching the last snippet of her words just before you closed the door.

Later, when Dawn came home with Rebecca she came up to you.

"So" Dawn said, "I got a question."

"If this is about Simone, I told you, she's too young" you pre-empted your sister.

"For a change, no. I just wanted to know if you would want to help me out and bring me to the conference centre tomorrow" Dawn said.

"Oh? What for?" you asked.

"Field trip" Dawn said. "So how about it? I asked Rebecca already but she's got work."

"Sure, I'll do it" you told her.

"Thank you!" Dawn said, hugging you tight.

You got out of the car and walked over to the other side, opening the door for your baby sister.

"I still don't understand why the school didn't do anything to help you" you said as you helped her on her feet.

"Too cheap, I guess. They assumed we'd cycle there or something" Dawn said. "But it's fine. I've got a caring big brother."

"What if you didn't?" you asked.

"Then I'd probably have stayed at school and not gotten interesting information" Dawn said. She shrugged. "No biggie. But I have a lovely big brother, so that's great."

"You're welcome" you said. "Now come on, let's go inside."

"You're going to come?" Dawn asked, surprised.

"Yeah, why not? I got a few hours to while away. Might as well stay around, see what's going on here" you said, shrugging.

"Alright" Dawn told you, smiling. Together you went to the entrance where Dawn showed her student ID and was let inside.

"And you?" the man said.

"I'm her brother, I'm here to look after her" you said.

"Sorry, but she can move fine. Not a good reason" he replied. Sighing, you pulled a bill from your shirt pocket.

"How's this for a reason?" you asked.

"Eh, sure" the man said, shrugging.

"What if I was a terrorist, though?" you asked.

"There's metal detectors, so you won't get past them with any weapons" the man said with another shrug. "Besides, it's all corporate suits, man. Nobody'd miss them."

"That's the spirit" you said with a laugh, following Dawn inside. She grinned at you.

"You're a bad man, bribing people like that" she said.

"Sometimes you just have to grease the wheels, Dawn. Might as well learn that now" you replied with a smirk.