Title: A promise is a promise
Fandom: Lupin The Third
Pairing: -
Rating: G (maybe PG for some swearing)
Category: light angst with a happy ending
Summary: Jigen receives a letter and goes back to a place he hasn't been to in more than 10 years.
A/N: Future fic set about 10 years after the events of the "Jigen Daisuke" live-action film.
Lupin III, Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko and inspector Zenigata are © Monkey Punch. I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.
The room was cold and dark, the only source of light coming from a rickety floor lamp standing in a corner. Jigen stood up from the old sofa and walked to the window, a letter held loosely in one hand. He gazed out, studying the heavy grey clouds that had been steadily gathering for the last hour. Suddenly, a flash of lightning slashed the sky, illuminating the desolate countryside that surrounded the abandoned villa for a fraction of a second. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the first raindrops started to fall.
He slipped the letter into his pocket and took out a crumpled packet of cigarettes and a lighter. He frowned as he realized there was only one cigarette left. He lit it up and threw the empty packet in the general direction of the table, then took a long drag and exhaled slowly.
He needed to talk to Lupin.
...
"Hey Lupin, I need to leave for a couple of days," Jigen said without preamble as he entered the studio. "I'll be back before the heist."
"What? Why? Where are you going?" Lupin asked, looking up from the maps he was studying.
"I need to take care of something."
"What is it?"
"It's a private matter."
"Since when do you have a private life? Oooh, is it about a woman?" the thief added, grinning.
"Don't be absurd," the gunman grunted. He stubbed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray sitting on the desk and turned on his heel. "See you in a few days."
...
The air smelled of incense. The whole Hibari Shopping Street had gathered for the wake, everyone wanting to pay homage to a beloved member of the community. Oto was sitting in the front, back straight and hands on her knees. Jigen recognised her immediately. More than ten years had passed since he had procured that family registry to Chiharu Yaguchi and he hadn't been back since then, but every year he received a photo of the girl. To that day, he still wondered how the old watchmaker had managed to always get ahold of him. In every picture Oto was wearing a kimono, so he supposed they had been taken on New Year's Day, just before the traditional visit to the temple. Through those photos, he had witnessed the girl grow, had seen her change from the scared little kid she had been when he had first met her, to the smiling teenager making silly faces at the camera, to the composed young woman sitting next to the casket, looking way too mature for her age. Oto would glance up and bow slightly whenever someone walked up to offer their condolences, but otherwise her eyes were fixed to the floor.
Jigen walked into the room and stopped in front of her.
"Hey, kid. I'm sorry for your loss."
Oto looked up slowly, eyes huge and incredulous. She got to her feet, and Jigen barely had any time to notice how much she had grown before she threw her arms around him.
He tensed up at the unexpected gesture, then gingerly returned the embrace.
"It's okay," he whispered as he felt her tremble. "Let it all out." He kept his arms wrapped around her as she broke down and cried.
...
After the wake, they walked back to the watch store in silence. The shopping street was exactly like Jigen remembered it, but now it looked eerily quiet, with all the shutters lowered and lights off.
"I'll see you tomorrow at the funeral," he said, fully intending to turn around and find a bar that served decent whisky and a cheap hotel to spend the night, but before he could move, Oto reached out and clutched the hem of his jacket.
"S-Stay... P-Please," she stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
He realized that must be the first night she would spend alone after Yaguchi's death. He was sure the other shopkeepers had looked after her in the days leading up to the wake, taking turns in keeping her company so she would never be alone, but they all thought he was her father, so no one had offered to stay with her that night, graciously giving them some privacy to mourn together.
"All right," he muttered, thrusting his hands into his pockets as she fumbled with the keys and opened the door.
The shop and the small apartment adjacent to it hadn't changed much over the years, but Jigen noticed a few details giving away that a teenager now lived there: a pair of sneakers at the entrance, the brand very popular among young people; a small, pastel-coloured backpack hanging from the back of a chair; a comic book lying on the sofa armrest.
Oto looked around in silence, as if she was seeing the place for the first time. She slowly walked further into the apartment and stopped in front of a closed door. She pushed it open and Jigen immediately understood that had been Yaguchi's bedroom. He could see Oto's hand tremble on the doorknob.
"Don't worry, I'll take the sofa," he said.
He walked back to the living area and removed his hat before sitting down on the couch.
"It's been a long day for you. Go to sleep."
Oto gave him a small nod and disappeared into her bedroom, leaving the door ajar.
Jigen sighed and reached for his gun. He reclined back against the sofa pillows and looked down at the revolver in his hand, smiling as he remembered the woman who had saved his Magnum.
...
The funeral was a quiet affair. The small temple could barely fit all the Hibari Shopping Street community, each shopkeeper going up to Oto and Jigen to offer their condolences again. After the ceremony a few people stayed behind, reassuring the girl that she could count on them for anything she might need. Oto gave them a weak smile and bowed politely, her lips forming a silent "Thank you".
Just like the previous evening, when they arrived back at the watch store all the shops were closed, and the street, usually so full of life and colours, looked like a ghost town.
Jigen didn't know what to do or say. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked at Oto.
"You have a lot of people who care about you. You're gonna be alright."
Oto gave him a tiny nod, not quite looking him in the eye, and Jigen felt slightly sick at the thought of leaving her.
"Well, I guess that's it," he said, and started to turn around.
"Wait!"
Jigen was taken aback by Oto's voice. He had never heard it sound so loud and clear.
"You said... you'd make... sukiyaki for me... when I'm... older," she stuttered, the words broken and unsure, and he wondered what kind of tremendous effort the girl must be making.
"You still remember that, huh?" he commented with a crooked smile. "Well, a promise is a promise. Do you have the ingredients at home?"
Oto shook her head. Jigen removed his hat and gently placed it on top of her head, his expression softening as it promptly slid down over her eyes, just like it had done all those years before.
"Let's go grocery shopping then."
...
"So, you still in school?" Jigen asked around a mouthful of meat and Oto nodded. He made a quick mental calculation. "Last year?" She nodded again.
"What are you doing afterwards? You going to university?"
The girl shook her head. He frowned.
"Why not? Is it because of money?"
He thought of the heist Lupin was planning. If everything worked out, he would have enough to...
She shook her head again.
"Then why? Studying is important for your future."
He couldn't believe he had just said that.
Oto put her chopsticks down and averted her gaze.
"I don't... feel comfortable." Her voice was low, the words coming slowly out of her mouth.
Jigen could understand. After everything she had gone through as a child, it was a miracle she had even managed to attend school like a normal girl.
"I can... fix watches. Chiharu-san taught me," she added.
"You're gonna take over the shop?"
The girl nodded. He watched her in silence for a while.
"She must've been very proud of you."
Oto smiled, a faint blush rising to her cheeks, and he felt an unfamiliar warmth spread across his chest.
When they were done eating, he helped her with the dishes, then she walked him to the main entrance.
"Can I..." she started, trailing off mid-sentence.
Jigen looked at her expectantly.
"She... sent you letters. Can I?"
He blinked. He wasn't expecting such a request.
"If you can get ahold of me. I move around a lot."
She smiled again, and this time her eyes sparkled. It was the kind of mischievous smile that told Jigen old Chiharu Yaguchi hadn't just taught the girl how to fix watches.
He chuckled.
"You're full of surprises, Oto Yaguchi."
...
He walked slowly towards the harbour, pushing his hat further down over his eyes as a sudden sense of déjà vu assaulted him. He reached for the cigarette packet in the inner pocket of his jacket and took one out, putting it between his lips as he searched for his lighter.
"So it was about a woman after all."
"What the fu-" he exclaimed, hand reflexively flying to his gun as he whipped around.
Lupin was grinning like a loon at him.
"The hell are you doing here?" Jigen asked, putting the revolver away and picking up the cigarette he had dropped.
"Isn't she a little too young for you?"
Jigen's features contorted into a disgusted expression.
"She's still in school, you perv".
"I'm not the one meeting her in secret and spending the night at her place," Lupin pointed out.
"It's a long story," Jigen muttered, trying to light his cigarette. The lighter sputtered out a few sparks but didn't produce any actual flame. He cursed, frustrated.
Lupin stepped closer, lighter in hand.
"And it's a long drive back to the villa."
Jigen leaned towards the small flame and inhaled, the end of the cigarette immediately burning bright. He was tempted to tell Lupin Oto was his daughter just to see his friend's reaction. He smirked.
"You're never going to believe it," he said, pushing his hands into his pockets and heading towards the car.
-----
February 2024